INDIA AND THE WORLD         One sees that the world in general is at present in a sort of disequilibrium and chaos. Does this mean that it is preparing itself for the manifestation of a new force, for the descent of the Truth? Or is this the result of the action of hostile forces in revolt against this descent? And what place does India occupy in all this?         It is both at the same time. It is a chaotic means of preparation. India should be the spiritual guide explaining what is happening and helping to shorten the movement? But, unfortunately, in her blind ambition to imitate the West, she has become materialistic and neglectful of her soul.         13.10.19

   SOUND—AN UNPUBLISHED INTERVIEW         I MEDITATED at the Mother's feet for a while, then looked up.         "Your song on 'Sound'* last evening," she said, "was power, power, power — all through. You expressed all the conflicts of Nature so powerfully and truly that I was very pleased. I saw descending upon you from above an intense white light and a great power. Under its pressure there was proceeding from you a very generous distribution of vital force — in the best sense of the term - all around you. And the resolution of the conflicts into the chords of Victory was remarkable. Even, above some of the notes you sang I contacted a vast Peace and Ananda, which will be expre

Interview to India         Sri Aurobindo had been in contact with India even before his decision to go to Pondicherry. In July 1909 he had met representatives of the Swadeshi Steamship Company. Srinivas Acharya's elder brother S. Thirumalachari was one of the backers of this pioneering Indian-run concern. It is not certain who the company's representatives were; but it is known that two relatives of Srinivas Acharya, his brother-in-law Rangacharya and his younger brother Parthasarathy Aiyengar, had each visited Sri Aurobindo in Calcutta. The writer of a life-sketch of Parthasarathy has even asserted that Sri Aurobindo's choice of Pondicherry as a place of refuge was the result o

    THE HINDUSTAN TIMES: AUG 15,1952        Sri Aurobindo Ashram—A Pilgrimage        K.M. MUNSHI      (Governor of U.P.)        August 15. It is a wonderful day, the day when Freedom came, Sri Aurobindo was born, and Lokamanya left us the legacy of our birthright.         On March 12, 1952, I got off at the Madras station and went by car to Pondicherry. The Yuvaraja of-Pithapuram - a zamindar of Madras - joined me on this occasion, as on a previous one. Sri Aurobindo had come into the life of this good-natured man, who takes life as it comes cheerfully, in a curious way. Once he dreamt of a venerable old man. Months later, he went to Pondicherry where h

    WORDS OF THE MOTHER:         Significance of Birthdays*           It is your birthday tomorrow?            Sadhak: Yes, Mother.         How old will you be?              Sadhak: Twenty-six, Mother.         I shall see you tomorrow and give you something special. You will see, I am not speaking of anything material that, I shall give you a card and all that - but of something... You will see, tomorrow, now go home and prepare yourself quietly so that you may be ready to receive it.         Sadhak: Yes, Mother.         You know, my child, what "Bonne Fete" signifies, that is, the birthday we wish here?...         Sadh

      About the Photograph on the Facing Page:         (Mono Sarkar asks the Mother:)    Mother, why are You doing pranam in this photograph? Why? And to whom?         (Mother's Reply recollected from memory:)    Don't you see that I am greeting the Truth? This is the necessary posture. It is the attitude of adoration and humility, I wait patiently for the day when Truth will be the sole guide. And it is so important, this attitude. If the earth wants the Divine Truth to be established here, in its entirety, this is the attitude it must take. This is the only thing which can save the earth.         To remain in this attitude and aspire upw

 Cure of illness by Grace         The Grace is always there ready to act but you must let it work and not resist its action. The one condition required is faith. When you feel attacked, call for help to Sri Aurobindo and myself. If your call is sincere (that is to say, if you sincerely want to be cured) your call will be answered and the Grace will cure you.         Q: When one is caught in an illness, how should one pray to the Mother?         Cure me, O Mother!         ... that kind of "miracle" can happen only as the result of an absolute sincerity in the consecration to the Divine and an unshakable faith in the Divine Grace. This was not the case,

   1973 Conversations with the Teachers         (The six conversations held with one or two teachers of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, in 1973, are the last recorded statements of the Mother on the subject of education.)         8 February 1973         A: What is the best way of preparing ourselves, until we can establish a new system?         Naturally, it is to widen and illumine your consciousness — but how to do it? Your own consciousness... to widen and illumine it. And if you could find, each one of you, your psychic and unite with it, all the problems would be solved.         The psych

             Correspondences, Interviews  and Conversations with  Sri Aurobindo and  The Mother          Compiled by Avadhani (Bhanabhai G. Patel)              Published by Avadhani (Bhanabhai G. Patel)  28 Westminster Gardens, Barkingside, Ilford,  Essex IG6 1PL, UK Page-1   Publisher:    Avadhani  (Bhanahhai G. Patel)  28 Westminster Gardens  Barkingside. I1ford  Essex 1G6 I PI„ UK          ISBN 0-S545855-0-X         © Sri Auiobindo Ashram Trust. for the writings of Sri  Aurobindo and the Mother reproduced in this publication           © Extra

 DID YOU KNOW         The Dawn and Dawn Society's Magazine had reported the National Education Conference held at Pabna, East Bengal, on 13th February 1908, in its April 1908 issue as under:         "Srijukta Aurobindo Ghose... pointed out that the University system was defective in its aims and methods intended only to serve the purposes of the Government, not the requirements of the country. It turned out machines for administrative and professional work, not men. The national system of education was intended to create a nation. It must produce men with all their faculties trained, full of patriotism, and mentally, morally, physically the equals of the men of any other nation