Receptivity is one of the twelve attributes of the Mother.
Receptivity—the power to receive the Divine Force and to feel its presence and the presence of the Mother in it and allow it to work, guiding one’s sight and will and action. If this power and presence can be felt and this plasticity made the habit of the consciousness in action,—but plasticity to the Divine Force alone without bringing in any foreign element,—the eventual result is sure.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – II : CWSA, Vol. 29, p. 266
Receptivity is the capacity of admitting and retaining the Divine Workings.
Receptivity: conscious of the Divine Will and surrendered to it.
Integral receptivity: the whole being is aware of the Divine Will and obeys it.
Psychic receptivity: the psychic responds joyously to the ascending force.
Mental receptivity: always ready to learn.
Emotional receptivity: emotions wanting to be divinised.
Vital receptivity happens only when the vital understands that it must be transformed.
The vital blossoms in aspiration for the Divine.
Physical receptivity: that which one should not have except towards the Divine.
Supramentalised receptivity: the receptivity of tomorrow.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II : CWM, Vol. 14, pp. 146-147
For those who want always to progress, there are three major ways of progressing:
(1) To widen the field of one’s consciousness.
(2) To understand ever better and more completely what one knows.
(3) To find the Divine and surrender more and more to his Will.
In other words, this means:
(1) To constantly enrich the possibilities of the instrument.
(2) To ceaselessly perfect the functioning of this instrument.
(3) To make this instrument increasingly receptive and obedient to the Divine.
To learn to understand and do more and more things. To purify oneself of all that prevents one from being totally surrendered to the Divine. To make one’s consciousness more and more receptive to the Divine Influence.
One could say: to widen oneself more and more, to deepen oneself more and more, to surrender oneself more and more completely.
The Mother – Some Answers from the Mother : CWM, Vol. 16, pp. 435-436
My love is always with you; if then you do not feel it, it is because you are not capable of receiving it. It is your receptivity that is lacking and should be increased; for this you must open yourself, and one opens oneself only if one gives oneself. Surely you are trying more or less consciously to draw the forces and the divine love towards you. The method is bad. Give yourself without calculating and without expecting anything in return, and then you will become capable of receiving.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II : CWM, Vol. 14, p. 148
How can we increase the receptivity? By progressing.
One must first know how to open himself and then, in a great quietude know how to assimilate the forces one has received, not to throw them out again. One must know how to assimilate them.
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 7, pp. 139-140
It is with the widening of the consciousness and the one-pointedness of the aspiration that the receptivity increases.
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By revolt the doors of receptivity are closed.
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In order to be filled anew the vessel must get empty sometimes.
It is when we are preparing for greater receptivities that we feel empty.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II : CWM, Vol. 14, p. 147
Try to be satisfied with what you receive―for it is a matter of receptivity, because―you can believe me―I give always much more than what the people are capable of receiving―and in two or three minutes they could have quite enough to go for a whole month. But the mind interferes with its ignorant demands and the whole thing is spoiled.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II : CWM, Vol. 14, p. 147
To be receptive is to feel the urge to give and the joy of giving to the Divine’s Work all one has, all one is, all one does.
The Mother – Words of the Mother – II : CWM, Vol. 14, p. 148
It is not your work to light the fire. As I told you, I am always lighting it—you have only to open yourself to receive it and tend it with your goodwill.
The Mother – More Answers from the Mother : CWM, Vol. 17, p. 126
In silence lies the greatest receptivity. And in an immobile silence the vastest action is done.
Let us learn to be silent so that the Lord may make use of us.
The Mother – Some Answers from the Mother : CWM, Vol. 16, p. 427
Mother,
I can’t say why I feel too dull to call you; that is for you to reply. Such dull periods come after the bright periods when everything seems to call you and be dedicated to you. In these dull periods, nothing but tamas seems to rule. Generally they pass after a few days.
This is a proof that your whole being is not unified around the central psychic Presence.
This is a personal task that each individual must do for himself. The help is always there but the effectivity of its action is in measure of the receptivity and the conscious appeal.
After all, it is a question of patience in the endeavour.
With love and blessings.
The Mother – More Answers from the Mother : CWM, Vol. 17, pp. 311-312
To be able to receive the Divine Power and let it act through you in the things of the outward life, there are three necessary conditions:
1) Quietude, equality—not to be disturbed by anything that happens, to keep the mind still and firm, seeing the play of forces, but itself tranquil.
2) Absolute faith—faith that what is for the best will happen, but also that if one can make oneself a true instrument, the fruit will be that which one’s will guided by the Divine Light sees as the thing to be done—kartavyaṁ karma.
3) Receptivity—the power to receive the Divine Force and to feel its presence and the presence of the Mother in it and allow it to work, guiding one’s sight and will and action. If this power and presence can be felt and this plasticity made the habit of the consciousness in action,—but plasticity to the Divine Force alone without bringing in any foreign element,—the eventual result is sure.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Yoga – II : CWSA, Vol. 29, p. 266
Mother, on what does receptivity depend?It depends first of all upon sincerity—on whether one really wants to receive—and then… yes, I believe the principal factors are sincerity and humility. There is nothing that closes you up more than vanity. When you are self-satisfied, you have that kind of vanity of not wanting to admit that you lack something, that you make mistakes, that you are incomplete, that you are imperfect, ….
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 6, p. 117
Sweet Mother, do the universal vital forces have any limits?
I don’t think that forces have a limit, because in comparison with us they are certainly unlimited. But it’s our capacity of reception that is limited. We cannot absorb them beyond a certain measure, and then we must keep a balance between the expenditure and the capacity to receive.…
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 7, p. 138
I mean simply a certain receptivity in the consciousness—mind, vital, physical, whichever is needed. The Mother or myself send a force. If there is no openness, the force may be thrown back or return (unless we put a great force which it is not always advisable to do) as from an obstruction or resistance: if there is some openness, the result may be partial or slow; if there is the full openness or receptivity, then the result may be immediate. Of course there are things that cannot be removed all at once, being an old part of the nature, but with receptivity these also can be more effectively and rapidly dealt with. Some people are so open that even by writing they get free before the book or letter reaches us.
Sri Aurobindo – Letters on Himself and the Ashram : CWSA, Vol. 35, p. 489
Mother,
On the last few occasions I have felt very tired after Darshan work. During this period I do not do much physical work, I do not get nervous or excited, and this time I did not feel the sense of personal responsibility either. But I remain present all the time and at the end I feel dead tired. If I have to work I feel all right, but the fatigue comes after that. Why? What to do?
It is because you are receptive to the Force when you work and that sustains you. But when you are not under the strain of the work you are less receptive. You must learn to be receptive in all circumstances and always—especially when you take rest—it must not be the “rest” of inertia but a true rest of receptivity.
Blessings.
The Mother – More Answers from the Mother : CWM, Vol. 17, p. 298
How can one increase the receptivity of the body?
It depends on the part. The method is almost the same for all parts of the being. To begin with, the first condition: to remain as quiet as possible…..
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 4, p. 265
….There are two ways of curing an illness spiritually. One consists in putting a force of consciousness and truth on the physical spot which is affected. In this case the effect produced depends naturally on the receptivity of the person…..
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 4, p. 264
Flowers are extremely receptive. All the flowers to which I have given a significance receive exactly the force I put into them and transmit it. People don’t always receive it because most of the time they are less receptive than the flower, and they waste the force that has been put in it through their unconsciousness and lack of receptivity. But the force is there, and the flower receives it wonderfully.
The Mother – Questions and Answers : CWM, Vol. 6, p. 229
Receptivity Conscious of the Divine Will and surrendered to it.
Gladiolus XhortulanusGarden gladiolus
Tall elegant compact one-sided spike of graceful small to medium-sized flowers with six flared petals that are often ruffled and frilled; in white and shades of yellow, red, pink, lavender and purple, variously blotched and striped; a bulbous plant with sword-shaped leaves. The Mother – Spiritual significance of flowers
