Changes

The state now is such that when the body FEELS ITSELF (feels itself, that is to say, is aware of being a body), INSTANTLY there's a discomfort, whatever the condition. Even when it feels in a state of adoration or aspiration or... it's accompanied by discomfort. And only when there's no more awareness at all of its separate existence does it feel comfortable. So then, the normal state is silence, stillness, but... (the image isn't correct—how can I explain?), you see, the Presence, it's not that it flows through, but when it radiates like this (''gesture''), radiates through an activity, then everything is fine and there's no more at all the sensation of "this [the body] through which": this through which the Divine flows—there isn't. It's like this (''immutable gesture''), still and nonexistent, without any self-awareness, aware only of... the Divine Action, like that. Then everything is fine. And the minute there's even a slight impression of the Thing flowing "through," discomfort comes. You understand, it has become a very acute state.

<ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/10/october-25-1969#p102</ref>

…instead of thought governing life, it's consciousness. And when the consciousness remains quietly open to the Divine, all goes well. A lot of things constantly come into the consciousness, from the whole world, it would seem...all the things that negate or oppose the Divine Action. They keep coming all the time like this (''same gesture''). But if I can remain quiet (''gesture of offering, hands open''), in an attitude of…(''smiling'') nonexistence, a sort of… I don’t know if it’s transparency—I don’t know if one should say “transparency” or “immobility”—but it’s something in the consciousness that’s like this (''same gesture of offering, hands open''). When it stays that way, all is well; but as soon as it starts stirring, that is, as soon as the individuality comes to the forefront in any way, everything becomes detestable.

<ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/13/august-30-1972#p5</ref>

… a complete stillness and an INTENSE aspiration. And it’s when stillness is left without aspiration that it falls into a dreadful anguish which instantly wakes it up. That’s it, you understand: an INTENSE aspiration. And it’s absolutely still, still within, as if all the cells grew still…. That must be it: what we call intense aspiration must be the supramental vibration. It must be the divine Vibration, the true divine vibration. ...

But if even for five minutes the body falls into the state of inertia—stillness without aspiration—it's woken up by an anguish as if it were about to die! To that point, you understand. For it, stillness is... Yes, it feels that the highest vibration, the vibration of the true Consciousness, is SO INTENSE that it's... it's the equivalent of the inertia of stillness—with an intensity that's not perceptible (for us). That intensity is so great that, for us, it's the equivalent of inertia. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/10/october-18-1969#p72</ref>

… a peace all the same, a real peace, a concrete, concrete stillness. So the thing to be done (because that peace is perceptible I’ve had the experience of it so many times) is to remain very objective within that peace; then you can benefit from the peace without accepting its limits. You should, for instance, be able to keep that peace in the cells (the brain cells if you feel tired) without allowing yourself to be enclosed like that. There is no need to struggle, just remain turned upward….

<ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/04/april-16-1963#p3</ref>

There are no more ideas, no more feelings, almost no more sensations, it's... this and that (''same gesture of tipping over to one side or to the other''), this kind of shift, and a shift SO VERY different, you know, and in total immobility! <ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/11/july-11-1970#p67</ref>

This Matter, of course, comes from total unconsciousness, and throughout the ages and all the ways of being, it returns to total consciousness—it goes from one extreme to the other; well, it’s these habits of static immobility that give this need for trance. It shouldn’t be necessary. Only (how can I explain?…), logically, as things are, it depends on the balance between the body’s capacity of receptivity and its external activity: it’s obviously far more receptive when it is immobile, because its energies are occupied with the transformation. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/agenda/08/january-18-1967#p21</ref>

<centre>In silence lies the greatest receptivity. And in an immobile silence the vastest action is done.

Let us learn to be silent so that the Lord may make use of us. <ref>https://incarnateword.in/cwm/16/19-december-1971#p1,p2</ref></centre>

=References=