The Mother

Agenda

Volume 11

June 13, 1970

We have to complete our “program” for Auroville.... Auroville has come to prepare the coming of the new species.

(Mother writes)

5. The whole earth must prepare for the advent of the new species, and Auroville wants to consciously work to hasten that advent.

6. What this new species is to be will be progressively revealed to us. In the meanwhile, the best way is to consecrate oneself entirely to the Divine.

Enough!... To be continued!...

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(Mother has Vasudha, her attendant, called, and with Sujata's help starts sorting out old papers. She comes across a 1967 file containing her “Instructions in the event of a cataleptic trance”: “This body must be left in peace...” etc. Mother gives Vasudha a copy of it.)

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Oh, Paolo wants to build a room for me, and there will be cupboards, we'll be able to put away a lot of papers there.

All the Auroville things I'll give you.

Mother, there's an important problem I'd like to sort out with you, if you have time.... It's about my book, The Sannyasin. Something has taken place, and I don't know if it's a sign of the Grace, or a sign of the opposition!

(Mother laughs)

You remember that we gave the book to P. L. [the disciple at the Vatican] so he would give it to a publisher he knows in Paris, Robert Laffont, because I wasn't too keen it should go into the hands of my usual publisher, with whom I've had a good deal of trouble.... But it so happens that before he went to Robert Laffont, P. L. had to go and see my usual publisher to sign the agreement for the Spanish translation of The Adventure of Consciousness. And here's what happened: P. L. writes to me,

«At first he raised, lots of difficulties. I told him I want no favors and am ready to pay him royalties straight away and sign the agreement. At one point, he asked me, “But why are you interested in the problems and doctrines of India?” I replied, “Churches are in a crisis; and when the ship is sinking, there's no point discussing whether one should jump on the left or on the right!” The spark of friendship flew at once; he told me he is Protestant and his father-in-law is a very important pastor in Paris, who was invited to the Vatican to hold a meeting between Catholics and Protestants. Then we signed the agreement. I told him I attach a great importance to this book in the whole of Latin America. He told me that in France, too, Satprem's Sri Aurobindo is selling very well, but that there is a certain misunderstanding with you. Then I told him that after I leave, I proposed to go and see Laffont, another publisher, for I had with me your latest book, The Sannyasin. And I showed it to him. No sooner did he see it than he implored me not to deprive him of its publication, not to go to Laffont, and to leave the book with him, for he desired to read it immediately! I told him I would think it over....»

It's yes.

It's yes? [Satprem makes a wry face.]

He's converted! That's interesting. It's interesting, oh... it's something.¹

P. L. is a good channel for the Force, oh!... I knew that. Already two or three times (this isn't the first time: two or three times before) I had that sensation with him.... How can I explain it?... The Power at work is spread out everywhere, like this (universal gesture), and two or three times already (maybe even more) I saw P. L. as... I FEEL him as an instrument gathering the Rays – the rays of the Force – and directing them with an extraordinary power to obtain the result. He is like a .... I don't know, my impression is that of a machine gun! My impression is quite that of a machine gun gathering the Force (gesture showing the machine gun's “barrel”) and vrrrm! hurling it forth. But it's MATERIAL. He has an extraordinary power!... Yes, it's like an artillery shot, I don't know, something that overcomes resistances in an extraordinary manner. They must feel it there [at the Vatican], those people are very sensitive. They must have found he has an extraordinary power of action – they don't want to lose him, that's why they're not answering him.²

Its like a capacity of directing (gesture of concentrating the Force through a channel), and something that has the power to sweep away resistances.

That's why they didn't let him go with the Pope, they would have done something together.³

In the past, when a man was like that, he was called “God's instrument.” That's exactly the impression he gives me: God's instrument. A power that connects the Force, concentrates it, then it becomes tremendous.

I am happy, very happy, tell him!

¹ This publisher will finally reject The Sannyasin, saying it was not “commercial.” But he will be “converted” nonetheless, for two years later, quite “unexpectedly,” he will decide to publish Sri Aurobindo's works in French, something he had refused to do for years. Mother therefore saw this turnaround two years earlier.

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² Faced with the Vatican's intrigues, P.L. finally sent the Pope his resignation. He never received a reply.

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³ In 1969 to Geneva, where the Catholic Church held a “reunion” with Protestant churches. Schemings prevented P.L. from accompanying the Pope.

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