Champaklal - The Yogi ABOUT MY SILENCE Man's normal daily interactions proceed through the medium of words and gestures. This medium is so handy and easy that we do not realise its importance and it is to a great extent even misused. When I decided to set aside the medium of speech, it was natural that people were perplexed and sometimes I was asked about it. A friend wrote to me asking for an explanation: "Some people are saying that Champaklal has been keeping mauna because of some throat disease and Sri Aurobindo asked him to observe silence so that it might not spread." But when there never was any such disease, where was the question of its spreadi

Champaklal - The Artist PAINTINGS Two Lotuses I wanted to offer something to the Mother. And I got the idea 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 them in a day. These too, like my other paintings, I did during my lunch time as it gave me great joy. It took some days before I could finish them little by little. Naturally it would have been better if the colouring could have been done in one sitting. However the result was not bad and it was with great joy that I took the painti

Champaklal - The Artist Visions There are also a few paintings in which Champaklal has attempted to translate his visions into form and colour. These have a boldness of colour and originality of conception so natural to him! Below are some paintings with their symbolic interpretations by Sri Aurobindo. (Ref: Champaklal as an artist. 1st Edition. P: 22) Fire of Aspiration Champaklal's vision painted

Champaklal - The Yogi THE GRACE ARRANGES MY WORK One day I said to Mother: "Mother, I would like to wash my father's dhoti." She smiled and said that she would ask Sri Aurobindo. The next day when I went to Sri Aurobindo he looked at me and said: "You want to wash my dhoti?" "Magnificent Champaklal, you look like a great yogi." 14.3.1968 The Mother C: "Yes." Sri Aurobindo: "Are you ready?" looked at him in surprise and wondered why he asked that. Sri Aurobindo: "You know, people will moc

   In Thy Presence Alone   Guided by my old beliefs (2)       Led by my old beliefs, Blinded by my old habits, (2) If I happen to go against Thy will, (2)       Your Champak prays today,       Prays today: (2)   On this pure, happy auspicious Gurupurnima Day, (2) Spreading Your presence everywhere, in all places, (2) In Your presence only, in Your presence alone, (2) Keep me, keep me, keep me, keep me, keep me,     In Your presence alone, Keep me always constantly at Your feet (3) O .. . Ma, O ... Ma .... Keep me always constantly at Thy feet, Thy feet, Thy feet.                                                                          

  The Only Flame   I never cared for respect or insult, (2) Never cared, never cared.       I never gave importance to them,       Never gave importance.   I always cared constantly for one aim alone, (2) For the only flame that al"!ays keeps burning in life, (2)       The one flame alone that keeps burning.   The one flame alone that keeps burning constantly     and for ever,(3) Which alone is changing the entire life. (2) The whole life I surrendered at the feet of the Supreme     Mother and Lord, (4) Then what more is left for us to do? (2)   Page-30       Champak prays with one objective alone, Give me Your unshakeable, one-point

     For Selfish Ends     For their own selfish ends all show love, (2)  But whenever something is to be done for the Divine,  They give excuses, give excuses,      give excuses. (2)    This is the mentality of the present society. (2) Ma . . . Ma . . . Ma . . .       Compassionate Mother, shower Your Grace, Shower Your Grace, shower Your Grace,       shower Your Grace.   You alone are our support, Mother, (3) With Your support only, with Your support only, We can free ourselves, free ourselves from all this. (2) Ma, shower Your Grace, shower Your Grace,       Ma, shower Your Grace,       Always shower Your Grace.

     I Started Dancing         I danced and went on dancing  In the sky, I danced in the sky.       I danced in the sky.       My I was made a bonfire, (2)      Higher and higher up in the sky, higher and higher, (2) Higher and higher, higher and higher it made me fly, (2) Consecrated in the golden light of the bonfire It brought me into the golden light in the sky, in the sky.         It brought me into the golden light in the sky, And gave me altogether new experiences, (2)       It set in me a unique stability, (2)       It gave me a wonderful composure, (2)     Page-18       Golden, golden, golden,  Everything is

  Keep Smiling        Speak, speak, speak with all devotion, With all love, but speak from within, (2) Keep smiling, keep smiling, keep smiling,    Always keep smiling.    But smile from within.        Sing songs, sing songs, sing songs, (2)     All the time, day and night, sing only the Mother's songs, (3)       With love, with love, with love,       With all the feeling, all the feeling, Sing only of the Mother's glory, sing Her glory.       Sing only of the Mother's glory, All the time, day and night,       sing only of the Mother's glory. (2)                                      *      Smiling always, make everyone smile.    

      Enchanting Smile   O Mother! You have given me       Your enchanting, loving, beautiful smile (2) How much of it I have absorbed, You alone know. I know that it has been given for spreading it everywhere.       But only very few people know      That it is Yours alone, only Yours. Actually in every smile, in every smile,       You only are there, You alone are there, (2)   This is experienced only by Your infinite Grace,       Occurs only by Your infinite Grace (2)       Is welcomed everywhere, This welcome is for You, for You only,       For You alone, The whole being blooms fully due to this       And becomes bl