Changes

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Have you ever practised distinguishing what comes from your mind, what comes from your vital, what comes from your physical?... For it is mixed up; it is mixed up in the outward appearance. If you do not take care to distinguish, it makes a kind of soup, all that together. So it is indistinct and difficult to discover. But if you observe yourself, after some time you see certain things, you feel them to be there, like that, as though they were in your skin; for some other things you feel you would have to go within yourself to find out from where they come; for other things, you have to go still further inside, or otherwise you have to rise up a little: it comes from unconsciousness. And there are others; then you must go very deep, very deep to find out from where they come. This is just a beginning.(The Mother, 10 June 1953) </span><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/05/10-june-1953#p31</divref>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">(The Mother To work for your perfection, 10 June 1953)the first step is to become conscious of yourself, of the different parts of your being and their respective activities. You must learn to distinguish these different parts one from another, so that you may become clearly aware of the origin of the movements that occur in you, the many impulses, reactions and conflicting wills that drive you to action. It is an assiduous study which demands much perseverance and sincerity. For man's nature, especially his mental nature, has a spontaneous tendency to give a favourable explanation for everything he thinks, feels, says and does. It is only by observing these movements with great care, by bringing them, as it were, before the tribunal of our highest ideal, with a sincere will to submit to its judgment, that we can hope to form in ourselves a discernment that never errs. For if we truly want to progress and acquire the capacity of knowing the truth of our being, that is to say, what we are truly created for, what we can call our mission upon earth, then we must, in a very regular and constant manner, reject from us or eliminate in us whatever contradicts the truth of our existence, whatever is opposed to it. In this way, little by little, all the parts, all the elements of our being can be organised into a homogeneous whole around our psychic centre. This work of unification requires much time to be brought to some degree of perfection. Therefore, in order to accomplish it, we must arm ourselves with patience and endurance, with a determination to prolong our life as long as necessary for the success of our endeavour.</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/0512/10the-science-juneof-1953living#p31p5</ref></u></span>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">To work for your perfection….You may have a mental power of observation, the first step is to become conscious a vital power of yourselfobservation, a physical power of observation. When you observe ideas, for instance, the different parts train of your being and their respective activities. You must learn to distinguish these different parts one from anotherideas, so that you may become clearly aware of the origin logic of the movements that occur in youideas, it is not altogether the many impulses, reactions same power of observation as when you look at a friend doing athletics and conflicting wills that drive you to actionsee whether he is making his movements correctly or not. It That is an assiduous study which demands much perseverance and sincerity. For man's nature, especially his mental naturethe capacity of attention is there in both cases, has but it works in a spontaneous tendency to give a favourable explanation for everything he thinks, feels, says and doesdifferent field. It can't be said that it is only by one part of the being observing these movements with great care, by bringing them, as the others; it wereis the faculty of observation developing in each part of the being—that is, before the tribunal faculty of our highest ideal, with a sincere will to submit to its judgment, that we can hope </span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">to form in ourselves a discernment that never errsconcentration and attention. For if we truly want to progress and acquire the capacity of knowing observation must not be confused with the truth capacity of our being, that discernment. Discernment is to say, what we are truly created foran intellectual capacity. Something like a judgment already enters into it, what we call "discrimination": you can call our mission upon earth, then we mustdistinguish between the origin of one thing and of another, in a very regular and constant manner, reject from us or eliminate in us whatever contradicts the truth reciprocal value of our existence, whatever is opposed these things. But that ought to it. In this way, little by little, all the parts, all the elements of our being can be organised into founded on a homogeneous whole around our psychic centrecorrect observation. This work The power of unification requires much time to be brought to some degree of perfectionobservation comes first, discernment follows. Therefore, in order to accomplish it(The Mother, we must arm ourselves with patience and endurance, with a determination to prolong our life as long as necessary for the success of our endeavour.27 January 1954) </span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/1206/the-science27-ofjanuary-living1954#p5p34</ref></u></span>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">….You may have For a larger mental power of observationbeing is there within us, a larger inner vital power of observationbeing, even a larger inner subtle-physical power of observation. When you observe ideasbeing other than our surface body-consciousness, for instanceand by entering into this or becoming it, the train of ideasidentifying ourselves with it, we can observe the logic springs of the ideasour thoughts and feelings, it is not altogether the same power sources and motives of observation as when you look at a friend doing athletics and see whether he is making his movements correctly or not. That isour action, the capacity of attention is there in both cases, but it works in a different fieldoperative energies that build up our surface personality. It For we discover and can't be said that it is one part of know the inner being observing the others; it is the faculty of observation developing that secretly thinks and perceives in each part of us, the being—that isvital being that secretly feels and acts upon life through us, the faculty of concentration subtle-physical being that secretly receives and attention. For responds to the capacity contacts of observation must not be confused with the capacity of discernmentthings through our body and its organs. Discernment Our surface thought, feeling, emotion is an intellectual capacity. Something like a judgment already enters into complexity and confusion of impulsions from within and impacts from outside us; our reason, our organising intelligence can impose on it, what only an imperfect order: but here within we call "discrimination": you can distinguish between find the origin separate sources of one thing our mental, our vital and of anotherour physical energisms and can see clearly the pure operations, the distinct powers, and the reciprocal value composing elements of these things. But that ought to be founded on each and their interplay in a correct observationclear light of self-vision. The power of observation comes first, discernment follows</span><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/knowledge-by-identity-and-separative-knowledge#p12</divref>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">(The Mother, 27 January 1954)</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/06/27-january-1954#p34</ref></u></span> <div style="color:#000000;">For a larger mental being is there within us, a larger inner vital being, even a larger inner subtle-physical being other than our surface body-consciousness, and by entering into this or becoming it, identifying ourselves with it, we can observe the springs of our thoughts and feelings, the sources and motives of our action, the operative energies that build up our surface personality. For we discover and can know the inner being that secretly thinks and perceives in us, the vital being that secretly feels and acts upon life through us, the subtle-physical being that secretly receives and responds to the contacts of things through our body and its organs. Our surface thought, feeling, emotion is a complexity and confusion of impulsions from within and impacts from outside us; our reason, our organising intelligence can impose on it only an imperfect order: but here within we find the separate sources of our mental, our vital and our physical energisms and can see clearly the pure operations, the distinct powers, the composing elements of each and their interplay in a clear light of self-vision.</div><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/knowledge-by-identity-and-separative-knowledge#p12</ref>  <div style="color:#000000;">There is a state of being experienced in Yoga in which we become a double consciousness, one on the surface, small, active, ignorant, swayed by thoughts and feelings, grief and joy and all kinds of reactions, the other within calm, vast, equal, observing the surface being with an immovable detachment or indulgence or, it may be, acting upon its agitation to quiet, enlarge, transform it. So too we can rise to a consciousness above and observe the various parts of our being, inner and outer, mental, vital and physical and the subconscient below all, and act upon one or other or the whole from that higher status. It is possible also to go down from that height or from any height into any of these lower states and take its limited light or its obscurity as our place of working while the rest that we are is either temporarily put away or put behind or else kept as a field of reference from which we can get support, sanction or light and influence or as a status into which we can ascend or recede and from it observe the inferior movements. Or we can plunge into trance, get within ourselves and be conscious there while all outward things are excluded; or we can go beyond even this inner awareness and lose ourselves in some deeper other consciousness or some high superconscience. There is also a pervading equal consciousness into which we can enter and see all ourselves with one enveloping glance or omnipresent awareness one and indivisible.</div><div style="color:#0066cc;"><uspan><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/21/brahman-purusha-ishwara-maya-prakriti-shakti#p23</ref></u></div>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">It is difficult to say generally what is conscious; but naturally, if something observes, it is always the "witness" element in this part—in each part of the being there is something which is a "witness", which looks on. There is even a physical witness which can get very much in the way; for instance, if it watches you playing, this can paralyse you considerably. There is also a vital witness which looks at you, sees your desires and enjoys highly all that happens; it acts also as a brake. There is the mental witness which judges ideas, which says, "This idea contradicts this other", and which arranges everything. Then there is the great psychic Witness, who is the inner divinity.</div> <span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">(The Mother, 22 March 1951)</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/22-march-1951#p6</ref></u></span> <span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Sometimes there is no relation among these different witnesses—there ought to be, but it is not always there. But if there is in the being a will to become perfect, the relation is established quite quickly; one can refer to another and finally, if there is a sufficient sincerity, sufficient concentration, you come to the supreme inner Witness who can judge all things. But generally it may be said that it is always a part of the mind, more or less enlightened, in a little closer contact with the inner being, which observes and judges.</span>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Sometimes there is no relation among these different witnesses—there ought to be, but it is not always there. But if there is in the being a will to become perfect, the relation is established quite quickly; one can refer to another and finally, if there is a sufficient sincerity, sufficient concentration, you come to the supreme inner Witness who can judge all things. But generally it may be said that it is always a part of the mind, more or less enlightened, in a little closer contact with the inner being, which observes and judges. (The Mother, 22 March 1951)</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/22-march-1951#p7</ref></u></span>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">A man with a very developed introspective mind often identifies himself with the witness part of his mind and observes his own thoughts and studies their nature. That is a beginning which makes it easy for the full detachment to come. For others it is less easy, but it can be done by all.</span>

<span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">You have to become conscious—that is to say, there must be something in you which is not carried away by thoughts and feelings, but looks at them and observes how they work and how they affect you. The part that observes and knows is called the Witness sākṣī in man. It is always possible to develop this in oneself.</span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0066cc;"><u><ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/30/inner-detachment-and-the-witness-attitude#p25</ref></u></span>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">...behind there is the psychic which supports the development, the growth of the being and gives this continuity of consciousness, makes one feel that he is the same being even while being absolutely different, absolutely different. If later one observes himself sufficiently, he can see that the things he understood and could do at that time are things which seem to him absolutely inconceivable now, and that he could never do a similar thing because he is no longer that person at all. And yet, because within there was the psychic consciousness which is immortal, one has the feeling that it is always the same being which was there and continues to be there and will continue to be there with more or less progressive and more or less conscious changes.</div>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">The ordinary mind knows itself only as an ego with all the movements of the nature in a jumble and, identifying itself with these movements, thinks "I am doing this, feeling that, thinking, in joy or in sorrow etc." The first beginning of real self-knowledge is when you feel yourself separate from the nature in you and its movements and then you see that there are many parts of your being, many personalities each acting on its own behalf and in its own way. The two different beings you feel are—one, the psychic being which draws you towards the Mother, the other the external being mostly vital which draws you outward and downwards towards the play of the lower nature. There is also in you behind the mind the being who observes, the witness Purusha, who can stand detached from the play of the nature, observing it and able to choose.</div>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Gradually, as the action is prolonged and the outer being begins to assimilate this action, there awakens a capacity of observation, first in the mental consciousness, and a kind of objectivisation occurs: something in the mind looks on, observes and translates in its own way. This is what you call understanding, and this is what gives you the impression (smiling) that you are having an experience. But that is already considerably diminished in comparison with the experience itself, it is a transcription adapted to your mental, vital and physical dimension, that is, something that is shrunken, hardened—and it gives you at the same time the impression that it is growing clearer; that is to say, it has become as limited as your understanding.</div>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">So the man of real merit or the more civilised man has a whole mental construction to which he must conform in order to be in harmony with the ideal of the environment in which he lives. But someone who does not conform at least to the smallest part of this construction would be considered a savage and would be thrown out of the society immediately. In fact, people who are criminals or half-mad are those who obey their impulses without any mental control. There isn't a single person among you who gives way without control to all the impulses that get hold of him. You have only to observe yourselves living, you spend your time saying, "No, this I can't do", or "This I can", or in restraining one movement or encouraging another. This is mental control.</div>

<div span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">One can prepare the body through a series of observations, studies, understandings,by showing it examples, making it understand things as one makes a child understand them, either by observing its own movements―but generally, in this, one is comparatively blind!―or by observing those of others. And in a more general way, this preparation will be based on recognised studies, on clear facts. Like this, for instance: that a certain number of persons, placed in exactly similar circumstances, experience, each one of them, very different effects. One may go even further: in a given set of definite circumstances, there is a certain number of particular, definite individuals, in apparently quite identical conditions, and for some the effects are catastrophic, while others escape without any harm.</div>