We present below the
first part of a reflective article written by Jared Quek of the Sri Aurobindo
Society, Singapore on the 50th Anniversary of the descent of the New
Consciousness or the Consciousness of the Superman. In this part appear
selections of what The Mother had stated about the significance of the event of
1st January 1969, as compiled by the writer.
50 years ago, on the morning of 1
January 1969, a powerful New Consciousness descended into the earth atmosphere.
The Mother described it in Notes on the Way, pp.148-160. The following are some
extracts.
1
January 1969
In the night it came slowly and on waking
up this morning, there was as though a golden dawn, and the atmosphere was so
light. The body felt: “Well, it is truly, truly new.” A golden light,
transparent and... benevolent. “Benevolent” in the sense of a certainty — a
harmonious certainty. It was new.
There you are.
And when I say “Bonne année” to
people, it is this which I pass on to them. And this morning, I have passed my
time like this, spontaneously, saying: “Bonne année, Bonne année.” So...
4 January 1969
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 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. It took me by surprise…But I told
you a word or two about it and I spoke of it also to two or three persons: they
all had felt it. That is to say, it was very material. They all had felt
it, like this, a kind of joy, but a joy friendly, powerful and... oh! very,
very gentle, very smiling, very benevolent.... I do not know what it is.
I do not know what it is, but it is a kind of benevolence, therefore it was
something very close to the human. And it was so concrete, so concrete!
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 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.
What is it?... Yes, perhaps it is this...
Since it came, the feeling of the body is a kind of certitude, a certitude as
though now it was no longer in anxiety or uncertainty to know: “What will it
be? What will the Supramental be like? Physically, what will it be
physically?” The body used to ask itself. Now it does not think of it any more,
it is contented.
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 (surhomme), 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.
8 January 1969
It is the descent of the superman consciousness
(la conscience
du surhomme) ….
It was the first of January after
midnight. I woke up at two in the morning, surrounded by a consciousness, so
concrete, and new in the sense that I had never felt it before. And it
lasted, absolutely concrete, present, for two or three hours, and afterwards it
spread out and went about to find people who could receive it. And I knew that
it was the consciousness of the superman (la
surhomme),
that is to say, the intermediary between man and the supramental being.
18 January 1969
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.
…Well, I have first had the experience for
this body: it came like a rampart, and it was mighty! It was a mighty power!
Altogether out of proportion to the apparent action.
…There is a very marked change in those
who have been touched on the first of January: it is particularly... indeed a
precision and a certitude that has entered into their way of thinking.
It was there (Mother looks at the
region of the heart). It is curious, as though I was given the charge of
putting it into contact with all those who come near me.
15 February 1969
Never, never had the body been so happy;
there was the complete Presence, absolute freedom, and a certitude…During these
few hours (three or four), I understood absolutely what it was to have the
divine consciousness in the body…
But that state, which lasted for several
hours, nothing similar to that happiness has this body ever felt during the
ninety-one years it has been here upon
earth: freedom, absolute power and no limits (gesture here and there,
everywhere), no limits, no impossibilities, nothing. It was... all other
bodies were itself. There was no difference, it was only a play of
consciousness (gesture as of a great Rhythm) going about.
That is all.
(Long silence)
…All the human excuses appear as
childishness.
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.
(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.
There you are,
it is that (Mother hands out a white hibiscus, which she has named “Grace”).
