Eternal Insights - a hundred years ago…

"Niriho Nasnute Mahat" - "the unaspiring shall never enjoy greatness."

When a movement of national resurgence is begun in any country or by any people, a large and noble political ideal is needed for the purpose. Had the great spirit that was Rousseau not proclaimed the egalitarian principle, the impassioned aspirations of the French Revolution could not have awakened a half-dead France and flooded the whole of Europe. Had America not been eager to secure the inborn rights of every human being, the United States would never have come into existence. If Mazzini, like a Rishi, had not infused exalted hopes and noble ideals into the heart of modern Italy, that fallen people could never have broken the chains of perennial servitude. Low-pitched and narrow ideals, small hopes and aims, petty caution and cowardice as well as short-sighted, faint-hearted leadership - all these paltry things can never be the right materials for building the strength of a nation. No people has ever risen to the heights of greatness equipped with such poor materials. Our politicians should always keep in mind the saying from the Mahabharata: niriho nasnute mahat, "the unaspiring shall never enjoy greatness."

April8, 1906
Sri Aurobindo

O India, land of light and spiritual knowledge! Wake Up to your true mission in the world, show the way to union and harmony.

The Mother

Division- " A Human Deformation"

"…Sweet Mother, how can one say that a fact is "already accomplished" when it has not yet been manifested - for instance, that the Divine has chosen an instrument, when nothing is yet apparent?"

Yes, within, in the world which is not yet manifested, the decision is there, it is taken there; but then it must come to the surface.
It corresponds exactly to what I have already told you so often about the freedom of India. After going to a certain plane, I said to Sri Aurobindo, " India is free." I didn't say, "She will be free"; I said, "She is free." Well, between that moment when it was an accomplished fact and the time when it was translated into the material world on earth, how many years were necessary? It was in 1915 and liberation came in 1947, that is thirty-two years later. There you are, that is the exact picture of the resistance…

You say you saw India free…

No, I did not see: I knew.

You said to Sri Aurobindo: " India is free." Was India free as one whole or cut into two as it is at present?

I meant specially what happened in 1947, that is, the withdrawl of foreign domination, that's all. Nothing but that, not her moral or spiritual freedom, I did not speak of that at all. I simply said she was free from foreign domination, because, even to a question Sri Aurobindo put to me, I answered from the same plane, "There will be no violence, this will come about without a revolution, it will be the English who will decide to go away of their own accord, for things will become too hot for them owing to certain world circumstances." So that was the only point, there was no spiritual question here.
And that's how things happened. And I told Sri Aurobindo this in 1915, exactly. It was all there, it was there - I guessed nothing nor prophesied anything: it was a fact.
And so, that gives you the exact picture of the length of time necessary between the established fact and the inner realisation…

Mother, I was asking…You said that India was free in 1915, but was she free as she is free now? Because India is not free as one whole. She is broken up.

Oh! Oh! That's what you wanted to know.
That…the details were not there. No, there must have been a possibility of its being otherwise, for, when Sri Aurobindo told them to do a certain thing, sent them his message***, he knew very well that it was possible to avoid what happened later. If they had listened to him at that time, there would have been no division. Consequently, the division was not decreed, it was a human deformation. It is beyond question a human deformation.

18th January 1956

(*** In 1942, at the time of the proposals offered by the British through Sir Stafford Cripps, not yet granting independence to India but leading towards it, Sri Aurobindo took the trouble of sending a special messenger to Delhi to convince certain responsible persons that the proposals must be accepted. They did not understand. Had the proposal been accepted, the partition of India and its accompanying atrocities would most probably have been avoided.)

Patriotic Sentiments

Mother,
You know well the political situation in India. May I ask you a question: at this hour what should be our attitude and our duty, we who are your young children? Mother, I know that one should not judge things by the appearance…I pray for your direction. Are patriotic sentiments incompatible with our yoga?

Patriotic sentiments are not incompatible with our yoga - far from it - to will for the strength and the integrity of one's Motherland is a quite legitimate sentiment, the will that she may make progress and that more and more, she may manifest, in full freedom, the truth of her being, is a fine and noble will which cannot be harmful for our yoga.
But one must not get excited, one must not plunge prematurely into action. One can and should pray, aspire and will for the victory of the truth and, at the same time, continue to discharge one's daily duties and wait quietly for the unmistakable sign to come, indicating the action to be done.

With my blessings
The Mother

A Federation with India as its Protective Centre

On 23 December 1965 a member of the Rajya Sabha - the Upper House of the Indian Parliament - wrote to the Mother about the danger of aggression against India by neighbouring countries, especially China and Pakistan, and about Kashmir's relationship with rest of India.

The Mother replied:

The only true solution of the problem is a federation of all the small countries north of India, with India as their protective centre against the possible aggression of their neighbours; as India itself ought to be a true federation according to the conception of Sri Aurobindo, Kashmir must be part of India's federation.

*******

(On 1st September 1965 Pakistan invaded India's western border at Jammu-Kashmir. The conflict ended with a ceasefire on 22 September. During that period the Mother made a few statements, the following are the reproductions of two such statements, one not so well known and the other widely circulated. Both depict an eternal and inherent truth that remains constant and seeks to express itself in spite of passing events and conflicts.)

Sri Aurobindo writes in his Essays on the Gita: "The law of Vishnu cannot prevail till the debt to Rudra is paid." What does this mean?

Mother, is the present situation in India like the debt which must be paid to Rudra?

Here is the whole quotation which I had prepared in advance for those who would ask the wherefore of the present situation. I am sending it to you so that your question is taken care of.

"No real peace can be till the heart of man deserves peace; the law of Vishnu cannot prevail till the debt to Rudra is paid. To turn aside then and preach to a still unevolved mankind the law of love and oneness? Teachers of the law of love and oneness there must be, for by that way must come the ultimate salvation. But not till the Time-Spirit in man is ready, can the inner and ultimate prevail over the outer and immediate reality. Christ and Buddha have come and gone, but it is Rudra who still holds the world in the hollow of his hand. And meanwhile the fierce forward labour of mankind tormented and oppressed by the powers that are profiteers of egoistic force and their servants cries for the sword of the Hero of the struggle and the word of its prophet."

8th September 1965
The Mother

"It is for the sake and triumph of Truth that India is fighting and must fight until India and Pakistan have once more become One because that is the truth of their being.

16th September 1965
The Mother

(The above Message was sent to the Prime Minister in New Delhi)

*******

(During the Bangladesh Crisis in 1971, the Mother was keenly observing the unfolding of events, decision-makers in Delhi and senior army officers were in regular touch with Her for guidance, solace and blessings. During this trying period She made a number of statements, some of which are reproduced here, they are indicative of her spiritual action during the crisis.)

(A note sent by the Mother to the Prime Minister)

"The urgent recognition of Bangla-Desh is imperative."

3rd April, 1971

The situation is serious. It is only a strong and enlightened action that can pull the country out of it.
Blessings

30th April 1971
The Mother

(The following message of the Mother was distributed in June 1971 under the caption:)
"A mantra given by the Mother for all people in the country for the present crisis"

Supreme Lord, Eternal Truth
Let us obey Thee alone
and live according to
Truth.

This is because the whole world is steeped in falsehood - so all actions that arise will be false, and this situation may continue for a long time and will bring much suffering to the people and the country.
The only thing to do is to pray - from the heart - for the Divine intervention as that is the only thing that can save us. And all people who can become conscious of this must decide very firmly to stand only on the Truth and to act only in the Truth. There should be no compromise. This is very essential. It is the only way.
Even if things seem to go wrong and badly for us, as indeed they will, because of the present prevailing falsehood - we should not be deterred from our own determination to stand on the Truth.
This is the only way.

July 1971
The Mother

*******

(On 3rd December, Pakistan attacked India, war broke out and events followed in rapid succession. India recognised Bangladesh on 6th December 1971 and the U.N. Security Council called for a ceasefire on 8th December, on 16th December Dhaka fell and Pakistani troops surrendered en masse and on 17th December, Pakistani President Yahya Khan declared a ceasefire on the western front bringing the hostilities to an end. It was a decisive victory for India but under mounting international pressure she bartered away most of her tremendous gains, thus losing another opportunity.)

In a conversation the next day, 18th December 1971, the Mother indicated the future:

"Again, it won't be for this time. It won't be done that way. I've seen how. It won't be done through a battle: the different parts of Pakistan will demand separation. There are five of them. And by separating, they'll join India- to form a sort of confederation. That's how it will be done."