The first is a conversation of July 6, 1958 where the Mother reveals three difficulties for the New Creation to be established.
‘ The first time I came here and spoke with Sri Aurobindo about what was needed for the Work, he told me (he also wrote it to me) that for the secure achievement of the Work we would need three powers: one was the power over health, the second was the power over government, and the third was the power over money.
Health naturally depends upon the sadhana; but even that is not so sure: the re are o the r factors. As for the second, the power over government , Sri Aurobindo looked at it, studied it, considered it very carefully, and finally he told me, ‘ The re is only one way to have that power: it is TO BE the government . One can influence individuals, one can transmit the will to the m, but the ir hands are tied. In a government , the re is no one individual, nor even several who is all-powerful and who can decide things. One must be the government oneself and give it the desired orientation.’
For the last, for money, he told me, ‘I still don’t know exactly what it depends on.’ The n one day I entered into trance with this idea in mind, and after a certain journey I came to a place like a subterranean grotto (which means that it is in the subconscient, or perhaps even in the inconscient) which was the source, the place and the power over money. I was about to enter into this grotto (a kind of inner cave) when I saw, coiled and upright, an immense serpent, like an all black python, formidable, as big as a seven-story house, who said, ‘You cannot pass!’—’Why not? Let me pass!’—’Myself, I would let you pass, but if I did, ” the y” would immediately destroy me.’—’Who, the n, is this ” the y”?’—’ The y are the asuric4 powers who rule over money. The y have put me here to guard the entrance, precisely so that you may not enter.’—’And what is it that would give one the power to enter?’ The n he told me something like this: ‘I heard (that is, he himself had no special knowledge, but it was something he had heard from his masters, those who ruled over him), I heard that he who will have a total power over the human sexual impulses (not merely in himself, but a universal power—that is, a power enabling him to control this everywhere, among all men) will have the right to enter.’ In o the r words, the se forces would not be able to prevent him from entering.
A personal realization is very easy, it is nothing at all; a personal realization is one thing, but the power to control it among all men—that is, to control or master such movements at will, everywhere—is quite ano the r. I don’t be lieve that this … condition has be en fulfilled. If what the serpent said is true and if this is really what will vanquish the se hostile forces that rule over money, well the n, it has not be en fulfilled.
It has be en fulfilled to a certain extent—but it’s negligible. It is conditional, limited: in one case, it works; in ano the r, it doesn’t. It is quite problematic. And naturally, where terrestrial things are involved (I don’t say universal, but in any case terrestrial), when it is something involving the earth, it must be complete; the re cannot be any approximations.’
The second time She speaks again about the government on October 19, 1963
‘Of the three, health is the most directly connected to the inner transformation, but not completely so because it constantly depends on what comes in from outside: influences, vibrations—the contagion from the outside. You have to eat: everything you receive along with food—it’s fantastic! There’s so much that eating represents a considerable work—the physical digestion is nothing, but the work of assimilation and adaptation of all the rest is considerable. Consequently, of the three, health is the most directly under the influence of the inner progress, but, as I said, not completely so. Therefore, that too has to be conquered.
As for money, when Sri Aurobindo was here there was no problem: all that we needed came. Yet the last two years were beginning to be more difficult and he kept saying, I think I already told you, that it resulted from the wrong attitude of the people around; that this wrong attitude represented a considerable problem—it has gone from bad to worse, it has become quite acute.
As for government, it has followed an opposite curve: in the beginning, it was frightfully hostile, I mean, simply to be able to stay here we had to struggle every minute. And Sri Aurobindo told me that probably both health and money would give way at once; maybe health first and money afterwards, but not with a big difference. And he added, “As for the government, there is but one solution, only one: it is to BE the government.” If you are not the government, you will never be able to conquer it, except when the earth is transformed—but then there won’t be any work left! This is the situation. Things have been like this for… forty, fifty years—more than forty years.’
Affectionately,
Alok Da
