An article, published in November 1977.
Throughout the ages whenever there has been a new creation on earth or the manifestation of a new consciousness in the earthly atmosphere, it was always preceded by a stage of destruction and dissolution of the old. The dance of Shiva has two aspects — the bliss of creation and the joy of destruction (lāsya and tāṇḍava). Both have been equally necessary up till now, complementary to each other.
Destruction means destruction of the unnecessary, the unfit, all that refuses to accept the new advent, obstructs it, tries to deny it — all that is out of harmony with the inevitable new future. Earthly evolution is a march of progression; if you fail to keep up with its speed you have to move out of the way, or rather you are removed to make room for the next coming stage.
If you are in the older creation or at least are in love with it, attached to it, the destruction becomes painful, even fearful and repulsive to you. But if you aspire for the new, if you are willing to participate in the dawning future and already belong to it, you feel the necessity of this destruction and welcome it to hasten the work, and you even rejoice in it. You enjoy the joy of destruction — at least Shiva does, the Divine Force does, it seems.
Something like that, in fact the same thing, is happening now. Mahakali has started her work of preparation, of elimination, of destruction and dissolution, to clear the path for Mahalakshmi and Mahasaraswati; the infinite love and compassion of Maheshwari sanctions and supports it. The new creation, the new world that Mother built and is still building with so much love and care is ready, ready to manifest, to reveal itself in the material field, waiting to materialise itself on earth. But the earth is not yet ready, or rather man is not yet ready: he still refuses it, he clings to the old dead world, clings fast to it — he loves this game of falsehood and crookedness. Perhaps the truth is too bright, too compelling for his egoistic nature and obscure make-up, so he denies, obstructs as much as he can the new consciousness, the new reality. Mother, out of her infinite love, tried to take this denial on her own self, tried to convince and change as many elements of it as possible; then, when nothing more could be done she withdrew, leaving the field to her other aspect to do what was unavoidable — the breaking up of the old rigid world. It is a necessity for the ultimate good of earth and even of man.
The work has started — call it the dance of Shiva, the tāṇḍava, or the dance of Kali the fierce Mother — it has started and it is proceeding faster and faster on its way. Destruction, dissolution, decomposition — yes, that is the first result and we are already witnessing and participating in it, whether we like it or not. It is the Supreme Lord’s decree — it is bound to happen. Those who cling to Truth survive, those who make alliance with Falsehood perish; man has no other way than to make a choice, consciously or unconsciously. It is an inevitable stage; there is nothing to lament or grieve about if you are an aspirant of Truth.
The next stage naturally will be the clearance of the debris — a thorough cleaning, the elimination of all that was against the truth, the ruin of the dead world. The field will be cleared of all that is filthy and obscure, for then only the new reality will be able to come forward and the Mother’s mission will be fulfilled.
The new creation is already here, forming itself; whatever is happening now in the Ashram and outside is happening so that it may come forward all the sooner. She is breaking the outer scaffolding within which the new reality has been established, or you may call it a dead shell which is being broken so that the new reality may come out. It is Mother’s action with her own Self. She has taken her Chhinnamasta form. All the things she is destroying are her own selves; she is getting rid, as it were, of the old unutilisable limbs of her own body.
We may remember Sri Aurobindo’s lines:
“…the hour is often terrible, a fire and a whirlwind and a tempest, a treading of the winepress of the wrath of God; but he who can stand up in it on the truth of his purpose is he who shall stand; even though he fall, he shall rise again; even though he seem to pass on the wings of the wind, he shall return. Nor let worldly prudence whisper too closely in thy ear; for it is the hour of the unexpected.”
Published November 1977
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