India - the Mother

January 18, 1964

(Regarding a new American disciple.)

... Oh, are they conceited! ... And puffed up with their superior realization—they were born to HELP the earth. They have such goodwill! They want to help the whole earth, (in an ironic tone) help the earth. They come here, but instead of asking themselves what they can learn, they come TO HELP; they come to bring some order (there's "no order"!), to set right the things that are wrong, to bring some practical sense into these nebulous minds!

The other conceit seems to me more serious than the American one—the European conceit. Because they really think they are very intelligent. The Americans want "to help"—they're children. But the Westerners are "sages" of the intellect; so it takes some doing to penetrate their minds!

There's nothing they need to learn.

I have very little contact with those people.

Well, exactly! They are the ones: a fortress. It's the entire European "elite."

Especially the French, no?

The French very much so, but almost everywhere in Europe: the Germans, the ...

The Italians don't think they have a superior intelligence.

But the Germans, the English...

Oh, the English, that's a different phenomenon! Anything that isn't English is worthless! (Mother laughs) The English alone are practical, the English alone are intelligent, the English alone know how to live, the English alone are powerful, the English alone ... In short, there are only the English, the entire earth ought to be English....

The English ... (laughing) the only thing that rehabilitated them in the world's history is that Sri Aurobindo went to study in their country! But he clearly said that during his studies there, his whole feeling of intimacy was with France, not England.

Oh, the English ... No, the English haughtiness certainly isn't just a legend.

Mother's Agenda: January 18, 1964