Death does not exist

Since the 15th there has been a whole work of preparation for the transformation. What could one call it?… a transfer of power.

The cells, the whole material consciousness obeyed the inner individual consciousness – most often the psychic or the mental (but the mind has been silent since long). But now this material mind is busy organising itself like the other or rather like all the others, like the mind in all the states of being.

It is, as it were, a displacement of the directing will. And there, materially, physically, it is something like a surprise; and a need for identification with the new direction – that is a little difficult. It is difficult also to explain… It is no more the same thing which makes you act – “to act” means everything, to move, to walk, anything. It is no more the same centre. And then, if through habit you try to cling to the old centre, oh! it makes a great disorder and you must be very careful not to let the habit, the old habit, express itself, manifest itself.

It is difficult to say. It is still too much only an action.

Thought here, in this brain, finds it difficult to adapt itself.

Because for two days (two days continuously, I mean) there was all the while an aspiration: “How will this new world be when it becomes material here? How will this new world be?” And then that put me so much “within” that I was… I was not distant, but there was a kind of a thick blanket of haze between me and the world as it is. It was there even today.

(Silence)

This morning, for example, several times, for some time (I do not know how long, but not very short, a quarter of an hour, half an hour, I do not know), the cells of the body, that is to say, the form of the body, had the experience that to remain together or to be dissolved depends on a certain attitude – an attitude or a will, something of both will and attitude. And with the perception (sometimes almost double at the same time, one being rather a memory and the other a thing lived) of what makes you move, act, know: the old way as a memory, and the new in which evidently there is no reason to be dissolved unless one chooses it – that has no meaning, it is a meaningless thing: why be dissolved?

And if, at the time when one falls back – it is not exactly that – when the old consciousness comes back to the surface, if one is not very careful, that produces naturally a swoon.

During – oh! it was long – the whole time between five o’clock and quarter to six, it was like that.

That gives, at the same time, the feeling of the unreality of life and of a reality which one might call eternal: the feeling of death does not exist, it means nothing, it is merely a choice. And the dislocation, which has no meaning, which has no reason to be there, is a fantasy.

And then all the old way of seeing, feeling, perceiving, is there behind, like a kind of blanket – a blanket of haze, which renders the contact woolly, imprecise.

Now that I have regained the ordinary consciousness, I can express the thing; otherwise it would be difficult to express. And the contrast or the opposition is painful, a suffering; both complain: the old has the feeling that it swoons, and the new that it is not left quiet. When you are in one or the other, it is all right, but when the two are together, it is not very pleasant. And there is a kind of feeling of uncertainty; you do not know very well where you are, whether you are here or you are there; you do not know exactly.

But this change of initiating power, if one may say, this transfer of power, has had upon me the effect of a unique experience, of something that had never taken place before. Unhappily, that did not last long. But the experience has left a kind of certitude in the body – it is less uncertain of the future. It came to it, as if to tell it: “It will be like that.”

If that remains, it is evident immortality.

A critical period during the transfer of power

The greatest difficulty is in the nerves, because they are so accustomed to the ordinary conscious will that when it stops and the direct Action from the highest is asked for, they go mad, as it were. The other day I had this experience, which lasted more than an hour, and it was difficult; but this taught me many things – many. And all this is what can be called the “transfer of power”; the former power withdraws; and then before the body adapts itself to the new power, there is a period which is critical. As all the cells are in a state of constant aspiration, it goes relatively quickly, but all the same… the minutes are long.

But more and more there is a kind of certitude in the cells that whatever happens is in view of this transformation and this transfer of directing power. And even at the time when it is materially painful (not even physically: materially painful), the cells keep this certitude. And then they resist, they bear the suffering without depression, without being affected in any way, with this certitude that it is to prepare for the transformation, the process of transformation and of the transfer of directing power. As I said, it is in the nerves that the experience is the most painful – naturally, because they are the most sensitive cells, those that have the most acute sensation. But they have a very considerable, very spontaneous, spontaneously strong receptivity – without any effort – to the harmonious physical vibration (which is very rare, but still it exists in some individuals). And this physical vibration, what might be called a physical force, a harmonious physical vibration (spontaneously harmonious, without the necessity of a mental vibration, like the vibrations of a flower, for example; there are physical vibrations like that, which carry in themselves a harmonious force) – the nerves are extremely sensitive and receptive to this vibration, which puts them right immediately.

Replacement of consciousness

What I have explained about “replacement of consciousness” is being done methodically, methodically, continually, continually, but then with… apparent damages or in any case, for a time, a great diminution of capacities. But it is a curious phenomenon with the sight and hearing: from time to time it is clear, as clear as it can be, and from time to time it is completely veiled. And that has very very clearly another origin – another origin of influence. It will take months, I believe, before I am able to see clearly. In any case, the general consciousness (same gesture above the head), what may be called the universal consciousness (in any case the terrestrial consciousness), has not moved for a minute – not for a minute. It remained there all the while…

It is a new functioning. It is interesting.

Is it your perception of beings and happenings that has changed? Is it your way of perceiving that has changed?

Yes, altogether – altogether. It is very strange… Actually, all this time has been utilised for developing the consciousness of the physical being. And this physical being (Mother touches her body) seems really to have been prepared for another consciousness, because there are things… its reactions are altogether different, its attitude is different. I have passed through a period of total indifference when the world represented nothing, meant nothing. And then, gradually, from there emerged a new perception, as it were. It is only on the way.

The rigidity is yielding to a new way of being

…the rigidity of the form appears to be yielding to this new way of being. But, well, we know the first contact is always very “surprising”, but gradually the body gets accustomed. It is the moment of the passage from one way to the other which is a little difficult. That is done very progressively, and yet there is a moment (the moment of the passage), a few seconds that are… the least that one can say is, “unexpected”.

All the habits are in this way undone. And for all the functions it is the same: for blood circulation, for digestion, for respiration – for all the functions. And at the moment of the passage, it is not that the one suddenly replaces the other, but it is a fluid state between the two, and it is difficult. It is only this great Faith, wholly immovable, luminous, constant, immutable – the faith in the real existence of the supreme Lord, in the sole real existence of the Supreme – which enables everything to continue to be the same in appearance.

A New Consciousness for Earth and Humanity

On the first, something truly strange happened… And I was not the only one to feel it, some others also have felt it. It was just after midnight, but I felt it at two o’clock and the others at four o’clock in the morning. It was… last time I spoke to you a few words about it, but what is surprising is that it had absolutely no correspondence at all to anything I was expecting (I was expecting nothing), to other things which I had felt. It was something very material, I mean it was very external – very external – and it was luminous, with a golden light. It was very strong, very powerful; but even so, its character was a smiling benevolence, a peaceful delight and a kind of opening out into delight and light. And it was like a “Bonne année”, like a greeting…

…a kind of joy, but a joy friendly, powerful and… oh! very, very gentle, very smiling, very benevolent…

…my own impression was that of an immense personality – immense, that is to say, for it the earth was small, small like this (gesture, as though holding a small ball in her palm), like a ball – an immense personality, very, very benevolent, which came for… (Mother seems to lift this ball gently from the hollow of her hands). It gave the impression of a personal divinity (and yet it was… I do not know) who comes to help, and so strong, so strong and at the same time so gentle, so all-embracing.

And it was very external: the body felt it everywhere, everywhere (Mother touches her face, her hands), everywhere…

It was the beginning of the year. As if someone having the dimensions of a god (that is to say, someone) came to say “Bonne année”, with all the power to make it a Bonne année. It was like this…

Is it the supramental personality?… that will incarnate itself in all those who have a supramental body…

It was luminous, smiling, and so benevolent through powerfulness; that is to say, generally in the human being benevolence is something a little weak, in this sense that it does not like battle, it does not like fight; but this is nothing of the kind! A benevolence that imposes itself (Mother brings her fists down upon the arms of her chair).

It has interested me because it is altogether new. And so concrete! Concrete like this (Mother touches the arms of her chair), like what the physical consciousness usually considers as “others”, concrete like that. That is to say, it did not pass through an inner being, through the psychic being, it came directly upon the body.

Is it something that will suffuse the bodies that are ready?

Yes, I believe so, yes. I have the feeling that it is the formation which is going to enter, going to express itself – to enter and express itself – in the bodies… that will be the bodies of the supramental. Or perhaps… perhaps the superman, I do not know. The intermediary between the two. Perhaps the superman: it was very human, but a human in divine proportions, I must say.

A human without weaknesses and without shadows: it was all light – all light and smiling and… sweetness at the same time. Yes, perhaps the superman.

A Mentor for the Body

There is within it a consciousness – a very precious thing – which gives lessons to the body, teaching it what it must do, that is to say, the attitude it must have, the reaction it must have… I have already told you many a time that it is very difficult to find the process of transformation when there is no one to give you any indications; well, it was as though the reply; it came to tell the body: “Take this attitude, do this in this way, do that in that way”, and so the body is satisfied, it is completely reassured, it can no longer be mistaken.

It is very interesting.

It came as a “mentor”, it was practical, quite practical: “This thing must be rejected, that must be accepted; this must be made general, that…”; all the inner movements. And it even becomes very material in the sense that it says with regard to some vibrations: “This you must encourage”, to others: “That must be canalised”, to others again: “This must be removed.” Little indications like that.

A compassionate and benevolent Power and Peace

It is something very strange, all the qualities and all the defects of man appear as childishness – foolishness. It is curious. And it is not a thought, it is a concrete sensation. It is like a substance without life; all ordinary things are like a substance lacking life – the true life. Artificial and false. It is strange.

It is not so much in others, it is not that: it is the inner training. And this true Consciousness, this true Attitude is something so for-mi-da-bly strong, powerful, in a peace so smiling! So smiling that it cannot be annoyed, it is absolutely impossible … so smiling, so smiling… and watching.

(Silence)

The special character of this new consciousness is: no half measures, no approximations. That is its character. The idea “Oh yes, we shall do it, and little by little we…” – no, no, not like that; it is Yes or No, either you can or you cannot.

(Silence)

Truly it is a Grace, you see, as if: not to lose time – not to lose time. It must be done or…

But this tremendous Power, it is that above all; and it is with a compassion! a gentleness!… No, there are no words, we have no words to describe that, something… Nothing but just to be attentive and… it is blissfulness. Nothing but just to turn one’s attention towards that side, immediately there is the bliss. And I understand (that has made me understand certain things), we have heard of people who in the midst of torture enjoyed bliss – it is like that. A beatitude.

Another way of being

I have a feeling I am becoming another person.

No, not just that: I am entering ANOTHER world, another way of being … which might be called a dangerous way of being (in terms of the ordinary consciousness). As if…

Dangerous, but wonderful - how to express it?

First, the [body’s] subconscient is in the process of changing, and that is long, arduous and painful … but marvellous as well. The feeling of … (gesture as if standing on a ridge).

More and more, the body’s sensation is that faith alone can save – knowledge is not yet possible, so only faith can save.

But “faith can save” still sounds like an old manner of speaking… How to phrase it?… The feeling that the relation between what we call “life” and what we call “death” is becoming more and more different – yes, different (Mother nods her head), completely different.

Not that death disappears, mind you (death as we see it, as we know it and in relation to life as we know it): that’s not it, not it at all. BOTH are changing … into something we don't yet know, which seems at once extremely dangerous and absolutely marvellous. Dangerous: the least mistake has catastrophic consequences. And marvellous.

It is the consciousness, the true consciousness of immortality – not “immortality” as we understand it, something else. Something else.

Our natural tendency is to want certain things to be true (those we deem favourable) and other things to disappear – but that’s not it! It isn't like that. EVERYTHING is different.

True Immortality

In the beginning, when I started having the consciousness of immortality and when I brought together this true consciousness of immortality and the human conception of it (which is entirely different), I saw so clearly that when a human (even quite an ordinary human, one who is not a collectivity in himself – as is a writer, for example, or a philosopher or statesman) projects himself through his imagination into what he calls “immortality” (meaning an indefinite duration of time) he doesn't project himself alone but rather, inevitably and always, what is projected along with himself is a whole agglomeration, a collectivity or totality of things which represent the life and the consciousness of his present existence. And then I made the following experiment on a number of people; I said to them, “Excuse me, but let’s say that through a special discipline or a special grace your life were to continue indefinitely. What you would most likely extend into this indefinite future are the circumstances of your life, this formation you have built around yourself that is made up of people, relationships, activities, a whole collection of more or less living or inert things.

But that CANNOT be extended as it is, for everything is constantly changing! And to be immortal, you have to follow this perpetual change; otherwise, what will naturally happen is what now happens – one day you will die because you can no longer follow the change. But if you can follow it, then all this will fall from you! Understand that what will survive in you is something you don't know very well, but it’s the only thing that can survive – and all the rest will keep falling off all the time … Do you still want to be immortal?” – Not one in ten said yes! … Once you are able to make them feel the thing concretely, they tell you, “Oh no! Oh no! Since everything else is changing, the body might as well change too! What difference would it make!” But what remains is THAT; THAT is what you must truly hold on to – but then you must BE THAT, not this whole agglomeration. What you now call “you” is not THAT, it’s a whole collection of things…

The cells are all the while like this, in a state of love for the Divine. What is most remarkable in the physical is that once it has learnt a thing it never forgets it. The cells, once they have learnt it, this self-giving, this offering to the Divine, this need of self-offering, have learnt it for good; it does not flicker any more. It is constant, twenty-four hours out of twenty-four, without stop and day after day, and there is no change. Even if there be something that is not all right (either a pain or something else), the first movement, yes, it is that, it is to offer itself, give itself – spontaneously. The higher consciousness does not intervene. It is spontaneous, it is the consciousness contained in the cells. It is the vital and the mental that are unstable in that way (gesture of zigzagging). Particularly, particularly it is the vital that is interested in all sorts of things. Naturally, the two are interdependent.

The ego must be abolished, the rule of the ego must be abolished. But generally people believe that it is not possible to abolish the physical ego; not only is it possible, it has been done. And the body continues, continues to walk about, it is not gone (there was a little difficult moment – but just a little).

Now the cells are wondering how it is at all possible to continue to exist without this movement of adoration. They are like that (gesture of intense aspiration), everywhere, everywhere. It is very interesting.

All these difficulties that one has with the inner development when one is dealing with the vital and the mental, the revivals of old things and all that, now here (in the body) are gone; it is not like that.

Salvation is physical

Never, never had this body felt like that. And besides, it put the body in a condition quite… quite critical for some hours. And afterwards it was as though everything – each and every thing – came with a Smile and a shining Light, as though (translated in a child’s image) as though the Lord was saying, “You see, I am everywhere. You see, I am in everything.” And it was incredible – incredible… But there is no communication between the two.

Well, it was at the time when the body was saying: “How is it? Is it going to be necessary to con-ti-nue that? Must one, must one con-ti-nue that? The world, people, the whole creation – to continue that?”… That appeared… I understood all at once: Ah! It is this which they have translated as “eternal hell”. It is this. It is someone who has had this perception.

And all the means – which could be called artificial, including Nirvana – all the means of coming out of that are worth nothing. Beginning with the idiot who kills himself to “put an end” to his life (this of course is, of all the idiocies, the most idiotic; it makes one’s case still worse), starting from there right up to Nirvana (where one imagines one is able to escape), all that, all that is worth nothing. They are all at different levels, but all are worth nothing. And then, after that, at the time when you really have the feeling of an everlasting hell, all of a sudden… (nothing but a state of consciousness, it is nothing else but that), all of a sudden a state of consciousness… in which all is light, splendour, beauty, happiness, goodness… and everything inexpressible. And it is like that: “There, there you are”, and then, pfft! it appears and then, hop! off it goes. And then the Consciousness which sees, which asserts itself and says, “Now, next step, the next step.” So, it is that, it is in the presence of all that that the body had… never, never in all its life had it felt such pain, and even now…

Is that, is that the lever?… I do not know. But the salvation is physical – not at all mental, but physical. I mean to say that it is not escape, it is here. This I felt very strongly.

The body being trained to live only through the Divine

As for the body, it is being trained to live only through the Divine, on the Divine, for everything – everything, everything, everything without exception. It is only when the consciousness is linked as much as it can be with the Divine Consciousness that there comes the sense of existence. It has now an extraordinary intensity. When the physical will get converted, it will be a solid thing, you know, which does not move – and complete. And so concrete… The difference between being in the Divine, existing only through Him and in Him, and then being in the consciousness (not the ordinary, naturally, but the human consciousness) is so great that the one seems to be death beside the other, so much is it… That is to say, the physical realisation is truly a concrete realisation.

There has begun to take place a concentration of energy – oh! it is not yet that, very far from it, but… there is a beginning of the perception of what it will be. That, yes… it is truly wonderful. It is so full of power! So full of power and of reality in the consciousness that nothing, nothing else can have it – what is vital, mental, all that appears vague and uncertain. That, it is concrete (Mother holds her hands tight). And so strong.

There are still problems to be solved, but not with words nor with thoughts. And things are coming just to demonstrate – not only personal things but things all around: people, circumstances – all that, it is to teach the body to have the true consciousness. That, it is… wonderful.

(Mother goes within herself)

The problem seems to have been to create a physical capable of bearing the Power that wants to manifest itself. All ordinary body consciousnesses are too thin and too fragile to bear the tremendous Power which must manifest itself. And so the body is in the process of training itself. And it is… you know, it is as though it perceived, all of a sudden, so wonderful, so wonderful a horizon, but wonderful tremendously; and then it is left to proceed as far as it can bear. A process of adaptation is needed. The transition… in full transition.

Will it be sufficiently plastic? I do not know. It is a question of plasticity. To be able to bear and transmit (Mother makes a gesture of a flow from above passing through her), presenting no obstruction to the Power that wants to manifest itself.

The melting of the shell

The appearances are only the future consequences. That is why… the appearance will be the last thing to change…

Yes, I too do not… I am like this (gesture towards the forehead): nothing, nothing, nothing, empty, empty, empty… There (gesture upward and wide), there, it is… yes, it is a golden vastness.

(Silence)

I have a queer feeling that it is a kind of… as though the shell, or the bark of trees, the shell of a tortoise were melting, and the body itself is not like this (Mother makes a gesture of opening out, as though the body were bursting out towards the sun). That which to man seems like Matter is… as though something hardened that must fall away because it does not receive. And in this body, here (Mother touches the skin of her hand), it tries… it tries to (same gesture of opening out). Oh! It is strange, it is a strange sensation. If one could hold on long enough for the thing to melt, then that would be the true beginning.

What Thou Willest, what Thou Willest

I might say: the cells of the body must learn to seek their support only in the Divine, until the moment when they are able to feel that they are the expression of the Divine.

This is indeed the experience at present. The experience of changing the effect of things, that I have; but it is not mentalised, so I cannot tell it in words. But truly, the cells have begun to feel, first of all that they are wholly ruled by the Divine (this is translated by: “What Thou willest, what Thou willest”), this state, and then a kind of receptivity which is (how to say it?) passive – not immobile, it is… probably one might say a passive receptivity (Mother opens her hands with a smile), but I do not know how to explain.

All words are false, but one might say: “Thou alone art” – yes, the cells feel: “Thou alone art.” Yes, it is like that. But all this, it is as though the thing got hardened – words harden the experience. There is a kind of plasticity or suppleness (a trustful, very trustful suppleness): “What Thou willest, what Thou willest.”

(Silence)

In a certain attitude (but it is difficult to explain or define), in a certain attitude all becomes divine. And there, what is wonderful is that when one has the experience of everything becoming divine, all that is contrary disappears quite naturally, quickly or slowly, instantly or little by little, depending on things.

That is indeed wonderful. That is to say, to become conscious that all is divine is the best way of making all divine – annulling all oppositions.

The Body wholly under the influence of the Divine

…no half-measure, no compromise, no approximation, no… not that. It is this (Mother brings down her fist).

And it is so for the body, at every minute there is an imperative: it is life or it is death. It is not the approximation which has lasted indefinitely. For centuries it was neither altogether bad, nor altogether good – it is no longer so.

The body knows that this is the way for the supramental body to be formed: it must be wholly under the influence of the Divine – no compromise, no approximation, no “it will come”, not so: it is like this (Mother brings down her fist), a formidable Will.

But… it is the only way for things to go fast…

It is as though all the while you had the feeling that you were hovering between life and death, and the moment you take the right attitude – when the part concerned takes the right attitude – it goes all right. Quite naturally and easily it goes all right. It is wonderful. But it is a tremendous thing, because there is a perpetual danger. Well, perhaps, I do not know, a hundred times during the day there is a feeling: life or (for the cells, I mean), life or disintegration; and then if they do not contract, as they usually have the habit to do, everything goes all right. But they are learning to… (Mother opens her hands in a gesture of self-giving), then it is all right.

It is as though by a kind of compulsion the body was being taught eternity. It is truly interesting. And then I see that the external circumstances are becoming frightful (from the ordinary point of view).

It is we who prevent the thing from being done… as though our own control prevented the Force from acting; it is something like that. One must… (Mother opens her hands).

(Silence)

I believe, I believe that it is the subconscient which has been convinced that if it does not maintain its control all will go wrong. That is my impression. It is that thing, it is that which says, “Ah, be on your guard, take care.”… (Mother opens her hands.)

The New Body

For the first time, early in the morning, I saw myself, my body – I do not know whether it is the supramental body or… (how to say it?) a body in transition, but I had a body altogether new, in the sense that it was sexless – it was not a woman nor was it a man.

It was very white. But it is because my skin is white, I believe, I do not know.

It was very slim (gesture indicating slenderness) – it was pretty. Truly a harmonious form.

So it was the first time. I did not know at all, I had no idea of what it would be like, none at all, and I saw – I was like that, I had become like that.

The other day you spoke of the vision of your body, this body in transition…

Yes, but I was like that. It was myself. I did not see myself in a mirror: I saw myself like that (Mother bends her head to look at her body). I was… I was like that.

It was for the first time. It was at four o’clock in the morning, I believe. It was quite natural – I did not look in a mirror, I was quite natural. I remember only what I saw (gesture from the chest to the waist). I had only a veil on me, so I saw only… it was the trunk that was quite different from the chest down to the waist: neither man nor woman.

And it was pretty. I had a form very very slim, very slender – very slender but not thin. And the skin was very white; the skin was like my skin. A very pretty form. But no sex, you could not say – neither man nor woman; sex had disappeared.

Also there (Mother points to the chest), all that: nothing. I do not know how to say it. It was like a semblance, but had no form at all (Mother touches her chest), not even as much as men have. A very white skin, all very even. No belly, so to say. The stomach – no stomach. All that was slim.

Well, I did not pay any special attention because I was like that and I found it quite natural…

I did not look to see how it was, because it was quite natural, so I cannot give a detailed description. Simply, it was neither the body of a woman nor the body of a man – that is clear. And the “outline”, the silhouette, was almost the same as that of a very very young person. There was a sort of semblance to human forms (Mother sketches it in the air), there was a shoulder and a figure. As though the semblance of a form.

I see it, but… I saw it as one sees oneself. And there was a kind of veil that I had put on just to cover myself. It was a mode of being, not surprising to me, it was a natural mode of being.

A baby carried in the arms of the Divine

It is now two or three days, I do not remember exactly, there was a great difficulty and then immediately I felt myself enveloped (gesture) like a baby being carried in the arms of the Divine. You understand, it was like that. It was as though I was a baby being carried in the arms of the Divine. And then… after a time (but it was rather long) when it had been solely in the Divine Presence like that, the pain disappeared. It did not even ask for the pain to go, it left. It took a little time, it left.

I had completely, completely the feeling of being a baby enveloped (gesture) in the arms of the Divine. Extraordinary.

(Silence)

Well, for a time it is like that: “What Thou willest, what Thou willest” and then that too falls silent… (Mother opens her hands upward in a gesture of offering)…

Indeed, it is the feeling of a baby’s powerlessness, you understand? But it is not a thing “thought out”, “willed”, it is absolutely spontaneous, and then from there you pass into a state… (Mother opens her hands in a smile of beatitude).

So long as there is this feeling of someone who wills, who does a thing and all that, it is useless… (same gesture, hands open in a smile).