INTRODUCTION One's birthday is a very important day in one's life, not by its social overtones but as a valuable day that can be utilised in the pursuit of the higher consciousness. The Mother has explained this as an important incident in one's life, using the concept of instrumentality of time and its movement. Sri Aurobindo has said, YOGA SIDDHI, the perfection that comes from the practice of Yoga, can be best attained by the combined working of four great instruments. There is, first, the knowledge of truth, principles, powers and processes that govern the realisation - śāstra. Next comes a patient and persistent action on the lines laid down by the knowledge, the force of our pers

Champaklal ************************************ CHAMPAKLAL 'ONE 0F THE HUNDRED' To be free from ego and become an instrument of God is indispensable for sadhana, Sri Aurobindo conveyed this in the following words, "I do not want hundreds of thousands of disciples. It will be enough if 1 can get a hundred complete men, purified of petty egoism, who will be the instruments of God." On 2nd February 1972, the Mother wrote on Champaklal's birthday card, "Bonne Fête To Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's Champak, One of the hundred With my love, appreciation, trust and blessings for ever. En route vers la Réalisation." THE MOTHER Champaklal,

BIRTHDAY MESSAGES TO KAMALA Kamala A Sketch by the Mother 1.2.36 Kamala In faith and confidence and joy on the quiet and sunlit path towards the home of Light and Ananda. SRI AUROBINDO (The original message is missing.) 11.2.38 My blessings on Kamala for the year of her life that begins today. SRI AUROBINDO Let this year bring to you a steady increase of faith and devotion. With love and blessings. THE MOTHER Page - 90 Page - 91 112.41 My blessings on your birthday. May you grow in spirit with this new year of life. SRI AUROBINDO My love and blessings to my dear child on th

BIRTHDAY MESSAGES TO CHAMPAKLAL TWO LOTUSES* I wanted to offer something to the Mother and I thought of painting two lotuses, one white and the other red. Curiously, I received two beautiful lotuses and took up the painting. But due to other work I could not finish it in a day and it took some days before I could finish the job little by little. Naturally one sitting would have been better. However the result was not bad and it was with great joy that 1 took them to the Mother on my birthday - 2.2.40. She received the painting very well indeed and was pleased to say: Oh! Very pretty! Very pretty! She wondered how I could

ASPIRING SWAN ******************************************* ************************************ Front Cover: A painting by Tehmi offered to the Mother The Mother gave it to Champaklal on his birthday, 2.2.1967 with the above blessings. Sri Aurobindo **************************************** The Mother ***************************************** PREFACE Many of the readers at some stage in their lives would have wondered about the nature and meaning of their existence and perhaps found themselves ending in complicated questioning. This book is an attempt to help them in their ponderings particularly on their birthdays. A birth

KAMALA Kamala came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram at an early age of twelve years and dedicated her life in the service of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. She had inherited a liking for spiritual life from her father Kashibhai who had founded his Ashram at Kansia, an island a few miles away from Bharuch, where he lived a spiritual life. He used to take a very keen interest in moulding the lives of children for which he often invited saintly persons to his Ashram. He was a very kind, helpful and generous person and helped the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in many ways where he spent the rest of his life as a sadhak. During his stay at the Pondicherry Ashram, he called his daughter Kamala there. We are g