Q: One knows that something is true but still
doubts. Why does one doubt the truth?
A: The
Mother: The usual answer, it is because one is foolish! (Laughter).
But the truth is
that the physical mind is truly completely stupid! You can prove it very
easily. It is constructed probably as a kind of control, and in order to make
sure that things are done as they ought to be. I think that this is its normal
work… But it has made it a habit to doubt everything.
I think I have
already told you about the small experiment I made one day. I removed my
control and left the control to the physical mind - it is the physical mind
which doubts. So I made the following experiment: I went into a room, then came
out of the room and closed the door. I decided to close the door; and when I
came to another room, this mind, the material mind, the physical mind, you see,
said, “Are you sure you have locked the
door?” Now, I did not control, you know… I said, “Very well, I obey it!” I went back to see. I observed that the
door was closed. I came back. As soon as I couldn’t see the door any longer, it
told me, “Have you verified properly?”
So I went back again… And this went on till I decided: “Come now, that’s enough, isn’t it? Closed or not, I am not going back
any more to see!” This could have gone on the whole day. It is made like
that. It stops being like that only when a higher mind, the rational mind tells
it, “Keep quiet!”. Otherwise it goes
on indefinitely…. So, if by ill-luck you are centred there, in this mind, even
the things you know higher up as quite true, even things of which you have a
physical proof- like that of the closed door, it doubts, it will doubt, because
it is made of doubt. It will always say, “Are
you quite sure this is true?” … Isn’t
it an idea of yours? … You don’t
suppose it is like that?” And it will go on until one teaches it to keep
quiet and silent.
(‘Stories told
by The Mother’ Volume 2, Chapter “Are
you sure you have locked the door”, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1978,
Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry)
Q: When we are concentrated in mental movements or
intellectual pursuits, why do we sometimes forget or lose touch with the Divine ?
A: The
Mother: You lose it because your consciousness is still divided. The Divine
has not settled into your mind: you are not wholly concentrated to the Divine
Life. Otherwise you could concentrate to any extent upon such things and still
you would have the sense of being helped and supported by the Divine.
In all pursuits,
intellectual or active, your one motto should be, “Remember and Offer”. Let
whatever you do be done as an offering to the Divine. And this too will be an
excellent discipline for you; it will prevent you from doing many foolish and
useless things.
(‘Words of The Mother’, Sri Aurobindo
Ashram Trust 1978, Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry)
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