The Mother
Her Miraculous Touch
The Mother
Her Miraculous Touch
Volume One
SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM
PONDICHERRY
First edition 2010
Rs 1250 (set of two volumes)
ISBN 978-81-7058-970-9
© Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 2010
Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department
Pondicherry 605 002
Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry
PRINTED IN INDIA
She who is the Infinite, the Timeless, the One, - how can one speak of Her?
We can only catch fleeting glimpses of her, only recollect how, forgetting time, forgetting all, she gave herself completely to the realisation of the ideal, "A divine life upon earth ". And personally guiding, advising, helping all those who came to her. she nurtured them towards their higher potentialities.
Indeed, it is her Miraculous Touch that helps everything to blossom.
The following pages attempt to catch an aperçu of her work for earth and man.
"A prodigal of her rich divinity,
Her self and all she was she had lent to men,
Hoping her greater being to implant
That heaven might native grow on mortal soil."
May we be worthy of her trust.
On the Mother's and Sri Aurobindo's Photographs
There is "a real and concrete presence " in the photos of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. The photos carry with them an accumulation of force and power. The Mother has said, "Sri Aurobindo and I always put a force into the photographs we sign. "
While talking to a disciple about her photos, the Mother once explained: "It is an entity that is present there; it is not just a picture on a piece of paper, but a living Presence, a vibrant Force and an Entity or an Emanation which is projected and has a tremendous power of action and a means of execution. "
"It is a part of myself, materialised, concrete, which is revealed in such a way that the Force acts through the photo itself, because my Presence is living there and a portion of myself is manifested in the photo. "
She has also revealed that in her photos, "It is one of my infinite states of Consciousness and various moods of expression caught externally in a moment. "
In the course of the same conversation, indicating one of her photos she said, "The Universal Mother in one of Her infinite forms ". Then, giving an absolute assurance, she added: "My child, I am there in the photos. Exactly as you see me here now, the whole being, like this, I am there in the photos. Only, in each photo a different aspect of myself is revealed. All the same, it is I who am there."
May this collection ofphotographs be for everyone the sign of the real, concrete and constant Presence of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
vii
The Mother wrote this on the first page
of an album of Sri Aurobindo's photographs.
ix
Most of the passages in the book have been taken from the Mother's writings and conversations. The quotations from Sri Aurobindo have been indicated.
The introductory matter as well as the paragraphing of the text in a few places are the compiler's.
Most of the facsimiles of the messages are in the Mother's handwriting.
On p. 113, the mantra is in Sri Aurobindo's handwriting. The last two words in English are in the Mother's.
On p. 150, the mantra is in Sri Aurobindo's handwriting, as well as the first two mantras on p. 482. On the same page the third mantra is in the Mother's handwriting.
The paintings and sketches are by the Mother except the ones on pp. 347 and 437 which are by sadhaks.
References to the quotes and some notes on the photographs are given at the end of the book.
x
The Supreme is manifest in her forever as the everlasting Sachehidananda,
manifested through her in the worlds...
All is her play with the Supreme;
all is her manifestation of the mysteries of the Eternal,
the miracles of the Infinite.
Sri Aurobindo
xiii
The Mother comes in order to bring down the Supramental and it is the descent which makes her full manifestation here possible.
Sri Aurobindo
*
Surely for the earth-consciousness the very fact that the Divine manifests himself is the greatest of all splendours.
Sri Aurobindo
*
The Descending Power (Avatar) chooses its own place, body, time for the manifestation.
Sri Aurobindo
*
It is true that this body was born in Paris and that its soul has declared that it is Indian, but I belong to no nation in particular.
*
When and how did I become conscious of a mission which I was to fulfil on earth?...
For the knowledge of the mission, it is difficult to say when it came to me. It is as though I was born with it, and following the growth of the mind and brain, the precision and completeness of this consciousness grew also.
xvi
Since the beginning of the earth,
Wherever and whenever there was the possibility
of manifesting a ray of the Consciousness,
I was there.
xvii
May I know, Mother, how many centuries ago You descended upon earth?
I have never left the earth since it was formed.
*
Mother,
Why did you come like us? Why did you not come as you truly are?
Because if I did not come like you, I could never be close to you and I would not be able to tell you: "Become what I am."
xviii
The example to be followed
xix