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<title>A P P E N D I X - I</title>

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<p class="MsoTitle" align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font size="4">A P <span
class=SpellE>P</span> E N D I X - I</font></p><hr>

<h1 align="center" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><st1:date Year="1926" Day="24" Month="11">
<font size="4">November 24, 1926</font></st1:date><span style='font-size:
18.0pt;color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%;mso-pagination:
none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>



<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%;mso-pagination:
none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>E<span style='font-size:
10.0pt'>VEN</span> before that date for some time past, Sri Aurobindo had been
more and more withdrawing into himself and retiring within. An external sign of
this became visible to us as his lunch hour shifted gradually towards the
afternoon. We used to have our meal together and the Mother too ate with us, at
the Library House, in the room now used by <span class=SpellE>Ravindra</span>
as the fruit-room. There used to be about eight or ten of us. On the previous
day, Sri Aurobindo came down to lunch when it was past four. We would naturally
wait till he came.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:10.3pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>Then
the great day arrived. In the afternoon, it was in fact already getting <span
class=GramE>dark,</span> all of us had gone out as usual. I was on the
sea-front. Suddenly, someone came running at full speed and aid to me,
&quot;Go, get back at once; the Mother is calling everybody.&quot; I had not
the least idea as to what might be the reason. I came back running and went
straight up, to, the verandah facing the Prosperity room. Sri Aurobindo used to
take his seat there in the evening for his talks with us or rather for
answering our questions. As I came up, a strange scene met my eyes. Sri
Aurobindo was seated in his chair, the Mother sat at his feet, both of them
with their faces turned towards us. I looked round to see, if all were present.
<span class=SpellE>Satyen</span> was missing and I said, &quot;<span
class=SpellE>Satyen</span> has not come. Shall I call him in?&quot; The Mother
spoke out, &quot;Yes, all, all.&quot; All were called in, everybody was now
present. We took our seats before Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, both of whom
were facing us. The whole<o:p></o:p></p>



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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:
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<span style='font-size:10.0pt;'>Page-203<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%;mso-pagination:
none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>
<span class=GramE>scene</span>
and atmosphere had a heavenly halo.<o:p></o:p></p>



<p class=MsoBodyTextIndent style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">Sri Aurobindo held his left hand above the Mother's
head and his right hand was extended to us in benediction. Everything was
silent and still, grave and expectant. We stood up one by one and went and
bowed at the feet of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. After a while, both of them
went inside. And then, <span class=SpellE>Datta</span> who had been among <span
class=GramE>us,</span> suddenly exclaimed at the top of her voice, as though an
inspired Prophetess of the old mysteries, &quot;The Lord has descended. He has
conquered death and sorrow. He has brought down immortality.&quot;<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:12.45pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>From
this time onwards, Sri. Aurobindo went into <span class=GramE>retire­ment, that</span>
is to say, did not come out any more for his evening talks. The Mother made her
appearance and it was with the Mother that we started our contacts.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoBodyTextIndent2 style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">The Mother would now sit down daily for her medita­tions
with all of us together, in the evening after nightfall. That was the beginning
of collective meditation. She made a special arrangement for our seating. To
her right would sit one group and to her left another, both arranged in rows.
The right side of the Mother represented Light, on the left was Power. Each of
us found a seat to her right or left according to the turn of our nature of the
inner being. I was to her right, Amrita sat on her left.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoBodyTextIndent3 style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">A strange thing used to happen every day at these
medita­tions. <span class=SpellE>Purushottam</span> was one of our <span
class=GramE>number</span> in those days. He used to sit directly in front of the 
Mother, a little apart from the rest of us. As soon as the meditation began, he 
would begin to sway his body and even move about with his eyes closed while 
still meditating. He would come and get hold of some of us, give them a thorough 
kneading and would not even hesitate to tear at the hair on their head or face. 
In those days, almost all of us sported a beard and a moustache and wore our 
hair long. He used to say that this was his allotted work, this work of 
purification and helping in the purification. Not only did anyone ever<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:
8.15pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none;
border:medium none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:
0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; line-height:150%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;'>Page-204<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoBodyText style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><span class=GramE>raise</span> an objection to this kind
of molestation, it was accepted by all with perfect equanimity, with joy
almost; it was considered to be a necessity, a sign of the Mother's Grace. But
these attentions were reserved only for two or three people. During this
process, the Mother of course remained silent and engrossed in meditation. All
was done, no doubt, under her control and guidance, but from an inner poise.
One day, <span class=SpellE>Purushottam</span> proclaimed to the Mother in a
loud voice, &quot;Mother, I do not mean it as a boast, I mention this to you in
utter humility: Mother, just as you are the highest Force of the Supreme, even
so I am the lowest force of this earth-nature. You have given me the privilege
of being a collaborator in your Work.&quot; He used to say that <span
class=SpellE>Sesha-­naga</span>, the primal energy that sustains the material
world, had manifested in him, that he was <span class=SpellE>Sesha-naga</span>
itself. He was the spirit of <span class=SpellE>Inconscience</span>, of the
Force in the nether world; his task was to work in that darkness, sweep it
clean and make room for the Light, the Higher Forces of the Mother. This manner
of working continued for some time; then it came to a halt, and we had only
meditations.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:11.25pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>The
Mother's endeavour at that time was for a new crea­tion, the creation here of a
new inner world of the Divine Consciousness. She had brought down the Higher
Forces, the Gods, into the earth atmosphere, into our inner being and
consciousness. A central feature of that endeavour was that she had placed each
of us in touch with his inner god­head. Every individual has what may be
described as his line of spiritual descent and also ascent; for into each indi­vidual
consciousness has come down from the supreme <span class=SpellE>Maha</span>
Shakti an individual divine being, a particular god­head following a particular
line of manifestation of divine power, <span class=SpellE>vibhuti</span>.
To bear inwardly the touch of this divinity and found it securely within
oneself, to concentrate on it and become one with it, to go on manifesting it
in one's outer life, this was the aim of the <span class=SpellE>sadhana</span>
at the time. This was a period of extreme concentration and one-pointed<span class=GramE>ness</span>, </p>

<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>

<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;mso-line-height-alt:
7.9pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none;
border:medium none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:
0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; line-height:150%; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;'>Page-205<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%;mso-pagination:
none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>a &quot;tortoise phase&quot; of the <span class=SpellE>sadhana</span>
one might call it. Like the tortoise one had to gather oneself in, limbs
and all, and hide as in a shell by cutting oneself off from all outward
touches. This was a temporary necessity in order to main­tain the consciousness
of the individual and the collectivity always at a high level and keep it
unsullied and unchanged. Our give and take with the outside world was very
little indeed and it was carried on under the strictest vigilance. All around
us there had been fixed a cordon, an iron curtain almost. Even among ourselves,
personal contacts like meeting one another or the paying of visits had been
reduced to the barest minimum. To use the poetic language of <span
class=SpellE>Tagore</span>, we seemed to be blossoming forth<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%;
mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>Like a
flower in the air, <span class=SpellE>stemless</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'><span
style='mso-spacerun:yes'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span
style='mso-tab-count:3'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class=GramE>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And sufficient unto
itself...</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;line-height:150%;mso-pagination:
none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:11.5pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>But
after following out this line for some distance, the Mother could see that the
new creation, even if it came about, would be something narrow and confined to
a limited circle, and for the most part effective only for an inner action. But
that has not been her aim. The new creation must embrace the entire human race,
a new race of men must be created and not merely a small select group. And in
that new creation must be included not only the inner being of man but also his
vital and physical life. In other words, we have to come down to the
lower levels and work for the purification there, in order to raise them beyond
themselves by the infusion of the higher consciousness and make them fit
instruments for the higher things. We are still continuing with that work,
through the &quot;ups and downs of an uneven path&quot;.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:11.25pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>Let
me just illustrate, from my own experience, to what extent we had become
self-gathered and indrawn. One day, for some reason or other, I happened to
have come out of the Ashram precincts and away from its atmosphere;<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in'>

<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:150%;
mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none;border:medium none;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>
<span
style='font-size:10.0pt;'>Page-206<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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<div class=Section1>

<p class=MsoBodyText style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0"><span class=GramE>that</span> is to say, I was going about
the town and through the market area. Suddenly I began to feel rather queer, as
if &nbsp;I were not walking on the ground. There was no weight in my legs, I floated
on air through a mist as in a dream and there was no solid ground or a settled
path. I felt terribly uneasy, almost like a fish out of water. I hurried my
steps back and it was not till I had reached the Ashram precincts that I could
heave a sigh of relief.<o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:10.05pt;line-height:
150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>We
have left that stage far enough behind us now. We have in. fact reached the
opposite end perhaps. We have taken a plunge outwards, identified ourselves
with the outer being - a tendency against which the Upanishad has used a word
of warning: <span class=SpellE>parañci</span> <span
class=SpellE>khani</span> <span class=SpellE>vyatrant</span>, our
senses have a natural pull towards the outer things. But this too was necessary
and still is. We form part of the <span class=GramE>world,</span> we are united
with it and inseparable. We are an image of the entire world, its symbol and
representative. We have to share in its work and suffer its deeds. Even Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother have not spared themselves this, but that is another
matter. Whatever changes we succeed in effec­tuating in ourselves here will
initiate similar changes <span class=GramE>all the</span> world over.
Therefore, not to become wholly exter­nalised, – a tendency which is uppermost
here in our col­lective life today, – but to keep the path open for the inner <span
class=SpellE>sadhana</span>, this should be our
endeavour. We have to <span class=SpellE>harmo­nise</span> the two extremes,
for not to disjoin but to unite, that is Yoga.<o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></p>

<div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;mso-border-bottom-alt:
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<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;text-indent:10.05pt;
line-height:150%;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:
none;border:medium none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .5pt;padding:0in;
mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:0'>
<span style='font-size:10.0pt;'>Page-207<o:p></o:p></span></p>

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