VIII LIGHT INTERLUDE     After all these serious talks, let us see the Mother in her lighter moods, just for a change, but no chronological order is intended in the narration of the various incidents.     I had now the 'chance' of seeing the Mother along with the others every morning. It was the time of the morning Pranam. Some young students were going to the Gingee Hills for an outing during the holidays. They invited me as a teacher to join them. Their captain Prabhakar brought a list of names to the Mother for her sanction. As she scanned the list, she found that my name was also there. "Will you be able to climb the hills?" she asked me. I replied, "Oh yes, Mother!" I was above fi

                                                                                                                     THE MOTHER - SWEETNESS AND LIGHT NIRODBARAN EDITIONS AUROPRESS 1st Edition - 21st February 1978: The Mother's Birth Centenary Edition. Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, 1978. Photographs of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother: Copyright Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. Published by Editions Auropress Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry 605002 India Printed at Auropress, Aurov

XV 1966 SHORT ASCENSION     The year 1966 is a memorable year for me: I had the opportunity of renewing my contact with the Mother after a long interval and it was one of the closest and happiest, as if some old barrier had broken down. It came about in an unexpected manner. Champaklal had fallen ill during the last months of the year. Dr. Sanyal was treating him. I was one of the attendants. When after recovery he went to the Mother I accompanied him till he reached the door of her room. Then he asked me to come inside with him. Though I had a strong impulse, I hesitated to go without previous permission, but he insisted and told the Mother what he had done. She did not mind, of course,

IX THE MOTHER'S WAYS OF ACTION     The Mother gave me some apparently simple and trivial work whether as a test or with a deeper intention, I cannot say. But this we knew that she had almost always an occult or hidden purpose behind her movements. Sometimes she would disclose it. At any rate we were supposed to take it as a matter of discipline. I am afraid, my nature was not so obedient and thus I failed to cooperate with her at times She asked me, for example, to give instructions in anatomy and physiology to a young girl who had come from outside. I could not understand why a girl who intended probably to stay here, and would never take up a medical course should learn these subj

APPENDIX THE MOTHER'S LETTERS TO A STUDENT Sweet Mother                 1-6-60                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Can you hear me whenever I call you? My dear child,     Be sure that I hear you each time you call and my help and force go straight to you. With my blessings.     30-8-63     Bonne Fete! Je t'embrasse d

IV DAWN     I arrived a few days before the February Darshan and was lodged in what was formerly called Boude House near the Ashram Press. A little far but otherwise a nice quiet place on the seaside, it was meant to be a halting station for the newcomers or even a jumping-board for prospective sadhaks. I had brought a silk dhoti for Sri Aurobindo and a well-known Bengal perfume for the Mother. The choice was made instinctively, or unthinkingly, if you like. My niece was very much amused to see my present for the Mother and said laughingly, "Do you imagine that the Mother uses such ordinary perfumes ?" I looked very foolish. All the same, when an interview with her was arranged, I took my prese

THE GREAT MOMENT First Contact     It was in the first week of January 1930.     At about 3 pm., I reached Dilip K. Roy's place. "Oh, you have come! Let us go," he said, and cutting a rose from his terrace-garden he added, "Offer this to the Mother." When we arrived at the Ashram he left me at the present Reading Room saying, "Wait here." My heart was beating nervously as if I were going to face an examination. A stately chair in the middle of the room attracted momentarily my attention. In a short while the Mother came accompanied by Nolini, Amrita and Dilip. She took her seat in the chair, the others stood by her side. I was dazzled by the sight. Was it a 'visionary gleam' or a rea

INITIATION     All this happened in the first week of January 1930. In February my niece and I visited the Ashram for the Darshan and stayed about a month. The inspiration came from her and I believe she enjoyed the stay much more than I did. I was still uncommitted. It was an altogether new mode of living, an esoteric life of the initiates into which I had stumbled without the least preparation. We took part in all the functions and observed the discipline of the Ashram : we never went out to the bazaar to have any refreshment or tea, though we were often hungry during the day or at night. I had not yet become a tea-addict. The simple beauty, purity and quietness of the atmosphere and th

V MEDICAL SADHANA The story of my reversion to the medical job in spite of my professed dislike for it is quite revealing. With no less dislike had I been compelled in the first place to take up the study of medicine. I must have been born under a medical star whose influence ceased only after it had led me to serve Sri Aurobindo in my capacity as a doctor. Could I not then a flirm that to be a medical gent was my destiny ?     But the course it followed was a sinuous one. Let me recount what led to my being transferred to the Dispensary in an unexpected manner. One day when I was doing well in my timber-job, I wrote in an unguarded moment to Sri Aurobindo that my medical studies costing me

VII AFTER 1950 - NEW RELATION        1938-1950 was a long gap during which the story of my relation with the Mother has been told in Twelve Years with Sri Aurobindo. I need not repeat it here.     I could not sever my connection however, with the Dispensary all at once. When Sri Aurobindo's condition had taken a settled turn and our respective duties had been fixed, I began to attend to the patients during my off-duty hours. I used to give a verbal report to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo whenever there was any need for it. Fortunately after a few years Dr. Nripendra came up and took charge of the Dispensary. I was then relieved of the burden of running up and down and trying to mai