Anger Workshop
Workshop 3 - September 17th, 2000
What does “the negative side” and “the positive side of the experience” mean?
Ah, my child, you have certain faults, you know, things which prevent you from progressing. So, the negative side is to try and get rid of your defects.
There are things which you have to be, to become, qualities which you must build in yourself in order to realise; so this side of construction is the positive side.
You have a defect, for example, a tendency not to speak the truth. Now this habit of falsehood, of not seeing or not speaking the truth, you fight against it by rejecting falsehood, from your consciousness and endeavoring to eliminate that habit of not speaking the truth. For the thing to be done, you must build yourself the habit of speaking only the truth.
One is negative: you reject a fault. The other is positive: you build the quality.
It is like that. For everything it is like that. For example, you have somewhere in your being that kind of habit of revolt, ignorant, arrogant, obscure revolt, of refusing what comes from above. So, the negative side is to fight against this, to prevent it from expressing itself and reject it from your nature; and on the other side you must build positively surrender, understanding, consecration, self-giving and the sense of a complete collaboration with the divine forces. This is the positive side. Do you understand? The same thing again: people who get angry … the habit of flying into a rage, of getting angry … one fights against that, refuses to get angry, rejects these vibrations of anger from one’s being, but this must be replaced by an imperturbable calm, a perfect tolerance, an understanding of the point of view of others, a clear and tranquil vision, a calm decision — which is the positive side.
- The Mother
CWM, Vol.7, p205-206.
Aspire, concentrate in the right spirit and, whatever the difficulties, you are sure to attain the aim you have put before you.
- Sri Aurobindo
What is “the right spirit”?
It depends on the case, my child. The right spirit is the will to perfect oneself, or the will to be calm, or… it depends, you see, depends on the circumstances.
That is why he has not stated it precisely, in this way or that; it means that in each circumstance there is a spirit which is the suitable spirit, the one you ought to have, the attitude you must inwardly take.
It depends on the case. For example, you see, as soon as one feels a wave of physical disequilibria, or ill-health coming, will, to concentrate in the right spirit is to concentrate in an inner calm, a trust in the divine Grace, and a will to remain in physical equilibrium and good health. This is the right spirit.
In another case, one may feel a wave of anger or a fit of temper coming from outside; then one should withdraw into an inner calm, a detachment from superficial things, with a will to express only what comes from above and always to be submissive to the divine Will. This is the right spirit.
And in each case it is something like that. Naturally it always comes back to the same thing, that one must remember the Divine and put himself at His service and will what He wills.
But in one case you may want the calm, in the other you may want the force, in another still you may want health, in yet another something that resists the pressure from outside.
When one is perplexed, when one has to make a choice, when one doesn’t know what the right thing to do is — you see, one has to choose among two or three or four possible decisions and doesn’t know which is the right one, then one must put himself as far as possible in contact with his psychic being and the divine Presence in him, present the problem to this psychic consciousness and ask for the true light, the true decision, the one most in accordance with the divine Will, and try to listen and receive the inspiration. In each case, you see, it is the right attitude.
- The Mother
CWM, Vol.6, p340-341.
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Last updated on July 30, 2008