59.1) On this day, exactly 66 years ago, the Delhi Branch of #SriAurobindo ashram was inaugurated. Mother had mentioned—There's only one Ashram: in Pondicherry; & only one branch: in New Delhi
Surendranath Jauhar, the founder, had an interesting story to tell about its origins..
59.2) The Land on which the Delhi branch of #SriAurobindo Ashram stands today was abandoned for many years, because it had become a playground for the hostile forces.
All the various attempts to use it fruitfully were in vain..
59.3) Then one day in 1955, suddenly an eccentric acquaintance of Surendranath ji appeared who claimed to have been sent to do some Divine work.
The Man spent consecutive nights on the property, & after a dangerous battle with the forces there, achieved a divine victory..
59.4) When approached by Surendranath ji about this victory, The Mother already had the plans for the Delhi Branch ready, to be constructed on this land!
12 people meditated on 12th Feb 1956 for the Divine victory, & on 29th Feb the victory was achieved..
59.5) After the Mother's touch, all the plans begin to materialize smoothly. #SriAurobindo's relics were installed on 5th Dec 1957 to put the final seal of the Divine on this place.
314.1)"(The Mother continues reading 'The Supramental Manifestation' by #SriAurobindo)
(—Perfection is the true aim of all culture, the spiritual and psychic, the mental, the vital and it must be the aim of our physical culture also—)"
314.2)"(—A total perfection is the ultimate aim which we set before us, for our ideal is Divine Life which we wish to create here,
life of the Spirit fulfilled on earth,
life accomplishing its own spiritual transformation even here on earth in conditions of material universe—)"
314.3)"(—That cannot be unless the body too undergoes a transformation, unless its action & functioning attain to a supreme capacity & perfection which is possible to it or which can be made possible—)
(Q—Mother, how can the functioning of body “attain to a supreme capacity”?)"
Let us go through the सप्त-चतुष्टय (Seven Quartets) sadhana of #SriAurobindo, a spiritual program that was revealed to Him & the practice of which was meticulously recorded by Him in Pondicherry.
303.1)"(Mother continues reading from #SriAurobindo's 'Thoughts & Glimpses')
(—Pain and grief are Nature’s reminder to the soul that the pleasure it enjoys is only a feeble hint of the real delight of existence—)"
303.2)"(—In each pain & torture of our being is the secret of a flame of rapture compared with which our greatest pleasures are only as dim flickerings.
It is this secret which forms the attraction for the soul of the great ordeals..of life which the nervous mind in us..abhors—)"
303.3)"..Quite naturally we ask ourselves what this secret is, towards which pain leads us.
For a superficial and imperfect understanding, one could believe that it is pain which the soul is seeking.
Nothing of the kind.."
302.1)"(As an exception, Mother gave this talk on a Thursday evening, before the collective meditation)
Before the meditation this evening I'm going to say a few words to you, b/c several people have asked me the difference b/w collective meditation & an individual meditation.."
302.2)"..Individual meditation—I have already explained to you many times the different kinds.. & I won’t begin to speak to you about that again.
But collective meditations have been practised in all ages for different reasons, in different ways & with different motives.."
302.3)"..What may be called a collective meditation is a group of people who gather together for a definite purpose; for example, in all ages it has been a practice to gather for prayers.
Naturally in the Churches, it is a sort of collective meditation.."
297.1)"(Mother continues reading from #SriAurobindo's 'Thoughts & Glimpses')
(—God cannot cease from leaning down towards Nature, nor man from aspiring-towards the Godhead..
When they seem to turn from each other, it is to recoil for a more intimate meeting—)"
297.2)"(—In man nature of the world becomes again self-conscious so that it may take the greater leap towards its Enjoyer.
This is the Enjoyer whom unknowingly it possesses, whom life and sensation possessing deny and denying seek—)"
297.3)"(—Possession in oneness and not loss in oneness is the secret.
God and Man, World and Beyond-world become one when they know each other.
Their division is the cause of ignorance as ignorance is the cause of suffering—)"
295.1)"(Mother continues reading from #SriAurobindo's 'Thoughts & Glimpses')
(—In a word, godhead; to remake ourselves in the divine image—)"
295.2)"(—Not to go on..repeating what man has already done is our work, but to arrive at new realisations & undreamed-of masteries.
Time-soul-world are given us for..field,
vision-hope-creative imagination stand for..prompters,
will-thought-labor are..all-effective instruments—)"
295.3)"(—What is there new that we have yet to accomplish?
Love, for as yet we've only accomplished hatred & self-pleasing;
Knowledge, for as yet we've only accomplished error & perception & conceiving;
Bliss, for as yet we've only accomplished pleasure & pain & indifference—)"