Remember first that an inner quietude, caused by the purification of the restless mind and vital, is the first condition of a secure sadhana. Remember, next, that to feel the Mother's presence while in external action is already a great step and one that cannot be attained without a considerable inner progress. Probably, what you feel you need so much but cannot define is a constant and vivid sense of the Mother's force working in you, descending from above and taking possession of the different planes of your being. That is often a prior condition for the twofold movement of ascent and descent; it will surely come in time. These things can take a long time to begin visibly, especially when the mind is accustomed to be very active and has not the habit of mental silence. When that veiling activity is there, much work has to be carried on behind the mobile screen of the mind and the sadhak thinks nothing is happening when really much preparation is being done. If you want a more swift and visible progress, it can only be by bringing your psychic to the front through a constant self-offering. Aspire intensely, but without impatience. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/quiet-and-calm#p22</ref>
== General practices Different Practices ==
They === Active Method (small Buddhist sectsUsed by Sri Aurobindo) sit down for a few hours in the day and even at night and quiet their mind. This is for them the key to all realisation—a quiet mind that knows how to keep quiet for hours together without roving. You must not believe however that it is a very easy thing to do, but they have no other object. They do not concentrate upon any thought, they do not try to understand better, to know more, nothing of the kind; for them the only way is to have a quiet mind and sometimes they pass through years and years of effort before they arrive at this result—to silence the mind, to keep it absolutely silent and still ; for, as it is said here in the Dhammapada, if the mind is unbalanced, then this constant movement of ideas following one another, sometimes without any order, ideas contradicting and opposing each other, ideas that speculate on things, all that jostles about in the head, makes holes in the roof, as it were. So through these holes all undesirable movements enter into the consciousness, as water enters into a house with a leaky roof. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/03/conjugate-verses#p87</ref>===
There is an active method by which one looks to see where the thoughts come from and finds they come not from oneself, but from outside the head as it were; if one can detect them coming, then, before they enter, they have to be thrown away altogether. This work of mental purification should is perhaps the most difficult way and not all can do it, but if it can be done very regularly in order it is the shortest and most powerful road to secure a complete control over one’s actionssilence. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/29/concentration-and-meditation#p24</ref>
For this purpose, it is good to set apart some time every day when one can quietly go over one's thoughts and put one's synthesis in order. Once the habit is acquired, you can maintain control over your thoughts even during work and action, allowing only those which are useful for what you are doing to come to the surface. Particularly, if you have continued to cultivate the power == Regular Practice of concentration and attention, only the thoughts that are needed will be allowed to enter the active external consciousness and they then become all the more dynamic and effective. And if, in the intensity of concentration, it becomes necessary not to think at all, all mental vibration can be stilled and an almost total silence secured. In this silence one can gradually open to the higher regions of the mind and learn to record the inspirations that come from there. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mental-education#p19</ref>Controlling Thoughts ==
There This work of mental purification should be done very regularly in order to secure a complete control over one’s actions. For this purpose, it is good to set apart some time every day when one can quietly go over one's thoughts and put one's synthesis in order. Once the habit is an active method by acquired, you can maintain control over your thoughts even during work and action, allowing only those which one looks are useful for what you are doing to come to the surface. Particularly, if you have continued to see where cultivate the power of concentration and attention, only the thoughts come from that are needed will be allowed to enter the active external consciousness and finds they come not from oneselfthen become all the more dynamic and effective. And if, but from outside in the head as intensity of concentration, it were; if becomes necessary not to think at all, all mental vibration can be stilled and an almost total silence secured. In this silence one can detect gradually open to the higher regions of the mind and learn to record the inspirations that come from there. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/12/mental-education#p19</ref> === Dhammapada Method === They (small Buddhist sects) sit down for a few hours in the day and even at night and quiet their mind. This is for them comingthe key to all realisation—a quiet mind that knows how to keep quiet for hours together without roving. You must not believe however that it is a very easy thing to do, thenbut they have no other object. They do not concentrate upon any thought, before they enterdo not try to understand better, they have to be thrown away altogether. This is perhaps know more, nothing of the kind; for them the most difficult only way is to have a quiet mind and sometimes they pass through years and not all can do years of effort before they arrive at this result—to silence the mind, to keep itabsolutely silent and still; for, but if it can be done as it is said here in the Dhammapada, if the shortest mind is unbalanced, then this constant movement of ideas following one another, sometimes without any order, ideas contradicting and most powerful road to silenceopposing each other, ideas that speculate on things, all that jostles about in the head, makes holes in the roof, as it were. So through these holes all undesirable movements enter into the consciousness, as water enters into a house with a leaky roof. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsacwm/2903/concentration-andconjugate-meditationverses#p24p87</ref> === Concentrating Upwards in Aspiration ===
It is quite certain that to create absolute silence is of all things the most difficult, for many things of which one was not aware, become enormous! There were all kinds of suggestion, movements, thoughts, formations which went on as though automatically in the outer consciousness, almost outside the consciousness, on the frontiers of consciousness; and as soon as one wants to be absolutely silent, one becomes aware of all these things which go on moving, moving, moving and make a lot of noise and prevent you from being silent. That is why it is better to remain very quiet, very calm and at the same time very attentive to something which is above you and to which you aspire, and if there is this kind of noise passing like that around you (Mother moves her hands around her head), not to pay attention, not to look, not to heed it. If there are thoughts which go round and round and round like this (gestures), which come and go, do not look, do not pay attention, but concentrate upwards in a great aspiration which one may even formulate—because often it helps the concentration—towards the light, the peace, the quietude, towards a kind of inner impassiveness, so that the concentration may be strong enough for you not to attend to all that continues to whirl about all around. But if suddenly you say, "Ah, there's some noise! Oh, here is a thought!", then it is finished. You will never succeed in being quiet. Have you never seen those people who try to stop a quarrel by shouting still louder than the ones who are quarrelling? Well, it is something like that. (''Mother laughs'') <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/06/8-september-1954#p32</ref>
Not to be disturbed by either joy or grief, pleasure or displeasure by what people say or do or by any outward things is called in Yoga a state === Practice of samata, equality to all things. It is of immense importance in sadhana to be able to reach this state. It helps the mental quietude and silence as well as the vital to come. It means indeed that the vital itself and the vital mind are already falling silent and becoming quiet. The thinking mind is sure to follow. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/interactions-with-others-and-the-practice-of-yoga#p100</ref> Samata (Equanimity) ===
First condition, know how Not to keep silent. And not only keep your tongue quietbe disturbed by either joy or grief, but silence your mindpleasure or displeasure by what people say or do or by any outward things is called in Yoga a state of samata, keep the head silentequality to all things. If you wish It is of immense importance in sadhana to have a true, sincere experience upon which you can build, you must know how be able to be silent, otherwise you have nothing but what you fabricate yourself, which is equivalent reach this state. It helps the mental quietude and silence as well as the vital to zerocome. All It means indeed that one can say is, "Heavens, what a fashioner my the vital itself and the vital mind are already falling silent and becoming quiet. The thinking mind is!" (The Mother, 19 March 1951) sure to follow. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwmcwsa/0431/19interactions-with-others-and-the-practice-marchof-1951yoga#p34p100</ref>
To remain in silence as much as possible is good for a time. But entire retirement is seldom found to be helpful—the lower movements may remain quiescent owing to want of stimulus from outside, but do not disappear. For that you must be able to get an inner quietude and a mastery over the outer movements which will resist any atmosphere. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p74</ref>
The difficulty is that the things in the atmosphere come in even if one does not speak with people. There are always mind waves moving about. It is a mastery that has to be developed, beginning with a power of silence, exclusion, non-response. <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwsa/31/speech-and-yoga#p75</ref>
The mind must learn to be silent—remain calm, attentive, without making a noise. If you try to silence your mind directly, it is a hard job, almost impossible; for the most material part of the mind never stops its activity—it goes on and on like a non-stop recording machine. It repeats all that it records and unless there is a switch to stop it, it continues and continues indefinitely. If, on the other hand, you manage to shift your consciousness into a higher domain , above the ordinary mind, this opening to the Light calms the mind, it does not stir any longer, and the mental silence so obtained can become constant. Once you enter into this domain, you may very well never come out of it—the external mind always remains calm. (The Mother, 8 March 1951) <ref>http://incarnateword.in/cwm/04/8-march-1951#p4</ref>