I am even later than usual: these are the puja days. [[Puja: ritual, ceremony. In this case, the yearly ceremonies to Durga, the divine Mother. ]] Lots of people come here for their puja.
Did I tell you the story of Durga?
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Recently?
It didn't happen recently; I can't recall if it was last year or the year before, at the time of the puja.
You once told me that Durga had "surrendered."
That's it.
She surrendered. That is to say, she was perfectly independent in her movements and didn't feel the need to depend on anyone, and that year ... I don't remember if it was last year or the year before - she used to come every year when I went downstairs for the puja darshan: I would go downstairs and she would come and stay there throughout all the pujas; since I came upstairs, we haven't been doing it anymore. But once, she came, and I told you what followed.
But it has made an enormous difference. People naturally didn't notice anything, no one, but it has made an ENORMOUS difference in the atmosphere.
I was still feeling it very strongly these last few days.
A difference, in what sense?
All those who do the puja sincerely (sincerely, of course, not mechanically but with devotion) always attract an emanation or a representation, a representative form, which is present at the puja and responds: it responds to the puja. Every family that worships Kali, for instance, has its own Kali. And it's true, they are little entities that aren't quite independent, but have their own lives. And in Durga's case, it was very clear. So when I say it makes a big difference, it's because now, in a general way, all those representations of Durga are themselves also in a movement of collaboration.
Naturally, all those entities were more or less spontaneously doing the Supreme's work, but ... (how can I explain it?) without their having a conscious will: they did it simply and spontaneously, because they were beings of harmony, working harmoniously. But now, in Durga's case it's very clear - very clear: she is like this (gesture turned upward, awaiting the Supreme's Command). In her relationship with the hostile beings, in her legendary yearly battle (which is of course symbolic), she is like this (same gesture), eager to know the direction, the indication, the gesture to be made.
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When Sri Aurobindo was here, every year at the time of Durga's battle, I used to receive from him the very clear indication of the aspect of the adverse forces that had to be vanquished and subdued. (It was very interesting, and I generally noted it down, but I don't know where all that has gone.) It went on like that for thirty years. And after his departure ... there only remained the Supreme.
She would come, she was absolutely present during the six days of pranam downstairs. But now, since ... I don't know (I don't remember because for me time isn't quite clear anymore, it no longer has the same value), but I remember it happened while I was walking for my japa. I told her there was something more important than that semireligious recollection people have, that what was more important was the deeper nature of the Work and the choice of the adverse aspect (represented by a universal difficulty, or, at any rate, if we only consider the earth, a human difficulty), the aspect that had to be vanquished, dominated in order to lead it to the transformation. And it's in this connection that I told her that receiving the indication from the Supreme was the true thing; that He saw better than we did what had to be done and the order in which it had to be done. And I felt ... (she was very concrete [Mother makes a gesture as if Durga was in her]), I felt she was immensely interested. Then I told her, "Well, you see, hasn't the time come" (I am putting it into words, but there weren't any words), "hasn't the time come to receive from Him the direct impulsion for your action?" And she responded joyfully and spontaneously.
The difference is that, now, wherever she manifests, I feel the call to the supreme Truth, to manifest it, is truly there.
Which is the aspect of the difficulty this year?
I don't know. I haven't concerned myself with it recently, it begins only tomorrow.
I don't know, I am not actively concerned with it, I'll see....
Oh, I know it very well, but ... (Mother lays her fingers on her lips).
(meditation)
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