The Synthesis of Yoga - Super school Auroville - The Synthesis of Yoga 1403

Once there was a dialogue with the Mother and a few disciples. These disciples were not able to see the Divine Mother as the Divine Mother. And the Mother suddenly made a remark to them in a conversation: “Do not think I am compelled to be here with you.” This is a very important sentence. You know, when you discuss any question with anybody there is an inner assumption that the person to whom you are talking is compelled to be there, he has his own necessity to be there. The real freedom is understood when you find that that person is not compelled. We very often deal with other people as if they are compelled to be where they are. And our relationship is based upon this small assumption. We do not know that the Divine is not compelled to be with you: That he needs you, that he cannot do without you that for his fulfilment you are very necessary. Human beings when they are quite ignorant deal with the Divine as if the Divine is a puppet who is required, who has the necessity to be there and that is what distorts our relationship with him. You are in the right relationship with the Divine when you know that he is not compelled to be with you. This is the majesty of the Supreme. Therefore do not deal with the Divine as you deal with so many other things in the world. In the world things are compelled to be where they are. The chair is compelled to be where it is, because you have put it there and it has no capacity to run away. It is by seeing the example of the Divine that you see that in the Divine consciousness there is no compulsion. If he is with you it is because he has so chosen freely. There are thousands of possibilities. There is a beautiful example given in The Bhagavad Gita. Arjuna says to Sri Krishna: “I will not fight.” And Sri Krishna first says: “Even if you run away from the battlefield you will be compelled to come back.” That is the nature of human incapacity. He may think: “I run away” but that very nature will compel him to come back. He also says: “Even if you are not here I don’t need you. My goal will be achieved even if you decide one way or the other.” The Divine is not compelled to have Arjuna on the battlefield. Both ways he answered the question. The Divine freedom is of such a high and majestic nature. If you think that without you God’s work will not be done, have no illusion at all. If he makes you his instrument it is because he is pleased to do it. Not that God is compelled to choose you because you are so great, so wonderful and without you he cannot do his work. Not at all! There is no compulsion at all.

There is a beautiful anecdote. It is reported as a real story, but even if it is not a real story it can be a real story. There was once a great leader called Shivaji. He was a great leader of Marathas. He was creating a new nation a new aspiration among the people of Maharashtra and therefore the emperor of India Aurengzeb was opposed to him thoroughly and always he used to send his soldiers and generals to chase Shivaji and to kill him. There are many stories of this chase and the stories of how he was rescued. Once he was with his teacher Ramdas. He has gone to meet his teacher, a very great saint, one who knew God so well. And suddenly when he was talking with his master he was told that there is an attack on that very house and Aurengzeb’s men have entered. Shivaji was alone with his teacher and several soldiers were coming at the same time so it would be impossible for him to escape. At that stage he just looked at his teacher and teacher smiled. And when the soldiers came they saw two hundred Shivajis in the room. And the soldiers were bewildered. This is a story, but it can have happened. This is the freedom of the Divine power. To say that Shivaji can protect himself by himself, by his own power, is an illusion. It is because the Divine so chose that he is to be protected, therefore he was protected. Such is the nature of the Divine Teacher; such is the freedom of the Divine Teacher. And the same thing can be said about bliss, love, power and immortality.

“He sets above us his divine example…” If you have once seen two hundred Shivaji coming out like that in one stroke that is the example. It is by this kind of example -- it is a major example but there are minor examples, small examples. But the Divine Teacher gives an example and it is this example which is extremely important. He embodies what he proposes. Sri Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita where he teaches the karma Yoga: “Karma Yoga is a process of doing an action without the desire to enjoy the fruits of action.” And Sri Krishna says: “I am myself an example of this Karma Yoga because I have nothing to gain from this world, nothing to gain by doing works in the world and yet I work all the time.” This is the example. He says: “I require nothing from this world. I am perfect, nothing can give me more than what I am and yet I go on doing works all the time.” And he says: “If I do not give this example then the world will perish because people will cease to work. In order that people will be inspired to work I give an example.” It is by this means, when you see some embodiment of the ideal then you know it is possible. It can be done and then it inspires you to emulate it. This is the mark of a teacher, that he gives an example. He does not merely speak, he practices what he teaches and is a living embodiment of what he teaches. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother declared that Divine life in matter is possible -- this is the teaching in the first chapter of The Life Divine -- and that it is inevitable both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother have taught this by example. As Mother says: “When Sri Aurobindo was in the earth it was a perfect Divine life on the earth.” And when she said: “What Sri Aurobindo has asked me to do is DONE.” It is not merely a teaching. Sri Aurobindo has asked the Mother to show, to realise that Divine consciousness can manifest fully in matter and Mother said that is done. It is because of this example that we are all inspired and that is the mark of the Divine Teacher.

“He sets above us his divine example as our ideal and transforms the lower existence into a reflection of that which it contemplates. By the inpouring of his own influence and presence …”