Remember and Offer

In an audio talk given by Dr Maheshwari, a well-known seeker in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, gave a simple practice to remain connected with the Mother’s grace on 24X7 basis, and it was “Remember and Offer”.  Listening to his talk and contemplation on this simple practice had a good impact and resonance in my spiritual journey as a seeker on the path of Integral Yoga. I had been fortunate to listen to his talks in mid-70s during his visits to Sri Aurobindo Society center in Lucknow as a teenager.

It is a reality that each one of us do have a tendency to Remember certain images, peoples whom we come across as given relationships or chosen relationships in our personal, social and professional domains of our life.  Our habitual responses to external stimuli are largely driven by most frequently remembered people who influenced us at emotional and mental levels. Our parents and Spiritual Masters are certainly most revered people whom all of us remember as they are inspirational role models. Yet, it takes persistent efforts to move inwards from surface level of consciousness / ego-centric centers of attachment / entanglements related to our roles in professional and personal domains which occupy most of our active time during waking hours of our day.

With consistent efforts in our daily spiritual practice, Remembering The Mother comes in autonomous mode, though in the beginning, we need to consciously focus our attention at selected time slots in the morning and evening time when we engage in rituals / practices.    

A bigger challenge is when we move ahead to Offer to our chosen master as our identification with roles / ego at surface level of consciousness makes the process slow and progressive and it depends upon our readiness to disengage with multifarious roles. 

In my experience, I have found that preparedness at Mental level is the first stage as we need to work on shedding our autonomous response which is triggered by our perceptions / impressions and preferred ways to respond. Our energy level at the Vital level is largely triggered by mental impressions, so, quietening of surface Mind has been the main focus area in messages of The Mother. Once mental preparedness and will power are developed, it is easy to keep energy and actions directed towards spiritual practices and we start feeling the Grace working on us. Manasa-Vacha-Karmana is an apt acronym to observe transformational changes in our actions.  

We can make use the simple sutra of Remember and Offer during our spiritual journey and feel everlasting presence of Divine bliss and Grace working in our actions and be an able disciple of the Mother.

- Pranav Srivastava (India)

 

 

Comments

  1. Anonymous15 May 2025 at 18:06

    Yes it is a very beautiful Mantra . There are two distinct parts in this whole exercise . One is "Remembering" and the other is " Offering". If one is able to silence the mind to a reasonable extent it is not very difficult to " Remember "..most of the time ..but may be difficult to do it always . Then comes the state of " Offering "..which is based on our actions /our decisions . And the act of " Offering " is a great surrender , a fire of sacrifice , identifying ourselves completely with the act without any duality surrendering our self will and ego completely is itself a very difficult thing . But this is what the Mother wants us to do.

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    Replies
    1. Don15 May 2025 at 19:09

      I'd love to hear from others "How" they remember.

      The most reliable is that loving "tap on the shoulder" from Mother Herself when I forget.

      But too often I/we are too absorbed in whatever it is we're doing (even when reading Mother and Sri Aurobindo!!)

      often a beautiful sky, a smile, a magically graceful dog walking by or a bird flying through the air.

      More intentional examples are pictures of Mother and Sri Aurobindo around the home to remind one to Remember.

      Before eating, just before sleep, before (!!!) reading Mother and/or Sri Aurobindo (or pausing - frequently - to open, to receive, to reflect more deeply, to let the mind relax into the Silence)

      When getting in or out of a car, when entering or leaving a building.

      For some reason, on my way to the bathroom i often a time I let go of the internal conversations or whatever I was talking about with someone (often a time for Mother to whisper great insights in my ear)

      And you? What helps you to remember the Divine Presence, Her loving gaze, Her touch?

      Delete
    2. Don15 May 2025 at 19:12

      I just thought of "purification" as well - if you've gone through a day, stressed, forgetful - then the exercise Mother recommended so often to the children, in the Questions and Answers, can make the NEXT day one of remembrance.

      To see everything in the Light of the Soul, and allow each event to "pass by" - to see what conflicting mental/vital vibrations distorted by self-absorption (that's "self" with a small "s") led to forgetfulness, and after reviewing the day, to see again the day as if lived fully in remembrance and offering

      And even a preview of the upcoming day, seeing oneself, as clearly as possible, viscerally FEELING one self embraced in the all pervading Light and Love of the Divine..... and then each moment of the day that Remembrance comes, to pause and bow down inwardly (or outwardly if one is in an appropriate place) and give thanks (that gratitude that the Mother says is such a rare quality!) to the Mother for reminding us of Her...

      Delete
  2. Anonymous19 May 2025 at 08:29

    I have pictures of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother all over the room where I spend much of my time. Also in the car, but I cannot say that I am remembering them truely except when I feel a deeper sense of self, or a psychic moment. In such moments the ego is definitely on the back burner. How to deepen and lengthen these moment is a challenge. Self-offering to me means that I am not thinking about myself as a foundation.
    The ego is not easy to overcome. It is our outer being's operating system, not the interface using a computer analogy, and there are many layers to this operating system.

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  3. Chitra20 May 2025 at 08:21

    1. Many of us know and experience the moments of oneness, beauty of surrender etc. Yet why do we forget and fall back to small identities then?

    2.Mother helps me to constantly remember and offer. Her presence and action in me creates a distinct warmth, gentleness, intuition in me... colleagues and friends recognise this in me. I do constantly tell them that it is something beyond me that operates, it isn't me.
    My fear is that at some point I will forget this Truth and believe it is me. How to move away from fear to Trust and loving rememberance?


    Share your comments.
    Thank you.

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