Adverse forces
(Mother to Huta:) “Adverse forces are much amused when you listen to them and they take great joy in breaking up faith in the Divine. At that time do not think, do not write and do not speak anything – just keep quiet.
You must endure and let the storm pass.”[1]
(Sri Aurobindo:) “When the mind becomes silent, things may come from anywhere: from the Cosmic Vital or Cosmic Mind, from above — Intuition — or from within. Some people think that everything comes from the Mother or the Divine. It is a little dangerous to think, as the writer of one of these letters does, that whatever comes to us or passes through us has its source in the Mother.
- How to differentiate the sources?
You can only know by experience.”[2]
- “Whatever comes to the silent mind – is it necessarily correct?
(Sri Aurobindo:) No. (Then with a little smile) People make two common mistakes. Whatever they hear within themselves, whatever comes to them, they say, is all from the Mother – and whatever they receive, they say, comes from above. If things were like that, it would all be very easy.”[3]
- “Sometimes one cannot distinguish adverse forces from other forces.
(Mother:) That happens when one is quite unconscious.
There are only two cases when this is possible: you are either very unconscious of the movements of your being — you have not studied, you have not observed, you do not know what is happening within you — or you are absolutely insincere, that is, you play the ostrich in order not to see the reality of things: you hide your head, you hide your observation, your knowledge and you say, “It is not there.” But indeed the latter I hope is not in question here. Hence it is simply because one has not the habit of observing oneself that one is so unconscious of what is happening within.”[4]
- “How is one to meet adverse forces — forces that are invisible and yet quite living and tangible?
(Mother:) A great deal depends upon the stage of development of your consciousness. At the beginning, if you have no special occult knowledge and power, the best you can do is to keep as quiet and peaceful as possible. If the attack takes the form of adverse suggestions try quietly to push them away, as you would some material object. The quieter you are, the stronger you become. The firm basis of all spiritual power is equanimity. You must not allow anything to disturb your poise: you can then resist every kind of attack. If, besides, you possess sufficient discernment and can see and catch the evil suggestions as they come to you, it becomes all the more easy for you to push them away; but sometimes they come unnoticed, and then it is more difficult to fight them. When that happens, you must sit quiet and call down peace and a deep inner quietness. Hold yourself firm and call with confidence and faith: if your aspiration is pure and steady, you are sure to receive help.”[5]
- ↑ Huta, Mother You said so..., p.82
- ↑ Talks with Sri Aurobindo (Vol. 2), p.569, 21 March 1940
- ↑ Ibid., p.570
- ↑ Questions and Answers 1953, p.101
- ↑ Questions and Answers 1929-1931, p.33
See also