In an unending search for spirituality Wars, famine, state failure, revolutions, reform, economic boom. Most people in the world cannot think of much else when it comes to 20th-century China. To be honest, even most Chinese cannot think beyond them. They cannot imagine that a scholar from a society of constant upheavals could find a place to immerse himself in his quest for spirituality and life's meaning. But that is exactly what Xu Fancheng (1903-2000), a leading researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), did in India. In ancient times, Chinese scholars used to travel to India to study Buddhism and to bring back Buddhist scr

SRI AUROBINDO AND THE MOTHER AS  I  SAW THEM FIFTY YEARS BACK   T. kodandarama rao   "Difficulties come not single, but come in battalions", came true in my case, even at the age of fourteen. But they were a blessing in disguise; for they turned me Godward. I was seized with the spirit of renunciation, and more so after I came into contact with the works of Shankara, Vivekananda, Ramathirtha and the Vairagya school of philosophy. Asce­tic life is only a preparation for something higher, which I did not envisage clearly. There was a deep yearning and aspiration to know the Divine. But there was no guide to lead me towards the goal. Mantra and Japa helped

AS I REMEMBER   kanailal ganguly   I came to Pondicherry on the 19th of July in 1923.     I was in contact with Sri Aurobindo through Barifi.¹ Pre­viously on seeing a photograph of mine Sri Aurobindo had written to Barin giving, first, the Mother's (She was called Mira then) reading and then his own comment. The Mother's reading was: An extremely interesting head; highly psychical personality; the danger for this type is in the body which may be consumed by the intensity of the psychic flame.     Sri Aurobindo's comment: Calmness, peace, descending into the body will make it immune from all danger. They are indispensable in this case.     He had added in the letter

THE GRACE OF THE MOTHER   maganbhai desai   I was simply a country lad, way back, without any hopes or future. Far removed from any city, I did not know if I would see a high school, let alone a college. But my father was ambi­tious and wanted to see me at least a matriculate. And luckily I got a chance.     Since the age of fourteen I have had a strange pull for re­ligious life. I lived a spartan life, slept on a plank and ate the simplest kind of food. But a hankering for spiritual life was constantly there and hence a search for a Guru. I met a number of them — all types, all creeds and kinds but I was somehow not satisfied. Unconsciously, the idea of heaven aft

The Reign of Truth   Have you seen this?   No, Mother.   (Mother gives me a card with a painting and this message)     It is the year [1966] that begins. Like Dramatic Dawn, it will be sudden and sure of its manifestation. It will be so quickly and so suddenly established — as you can see on the card — that nobody will be able to perceive it. Or only a very few people. It was dark a moment ago, then all of a sudden it will be like this — all illumined. (showing the card)   And then, you see this — Truth, it will be established after "Dramatic Dawn", this year towards the end or a little before, but this year, certainly. The reign of Truth w

-024_^Transformation^ 'Transformation'   Bonjour! Bonjour, Sweet Mother.   Here, four 'Transformations'.1 (Mother gives me the flowers one by one) This is for the mental transformation, this, for the vital, this, for the physical, and this, for the psychic. This is a whole programme — to transform the different parts of the being. You know, I am not satisfied with an effort to make the Peace come down into the system, or even to realise the Divine. It is not enough to change your consciousness by a higher consciousness. There must be a radical transformation of each part of the being. To change them is not enough. It is not a mere change I want. I want a complete transformation, and nothing

-031_Football-^A Complete Game^ Football "A COMPLETE GAME"   Can't you play football without hurting yourselves? What, can't one do better than that? Accidents! Every day there is something, an accident or an unpleasant story. Someone is limping, another one has broken his arm, yet another has twisted his ankle, and many others... the list is endless. What, there is no end to all this. That is the condition. Can't one be a little more conscious? All of you are in such a deplorable condition. You are wallowing in the mud, and you do not want to do anything better.   But, Mother,what to do?   So, is this the effort you are making to be conscious?   Sometimes we try, and soon we forge

Football THE POWER BEHIND HER WORDS   Bonjour!   Bonjour, Sweet Mother.   Well, what is it?   Mother, there is a match...   A football match?   Yes, Mother.   So, what must I do?   Mother, You have to give Your permission, if You want us to play and then put Your signature here.   Hmm... I sign it on condition that there are no accidents, and no injuries. I do not want any accident. Well? Is it all right like this?   Yes, Mother.   No hesitation, and no doubt. Will you not come back and tell me: "We tried our best, but in spite of that we could not avoid this accident?"   No, Mot

Grace   You know, the Grace is something that pushes you towards the goal to be reached. Do not try to judge it with your mind — you will get nowhere. For it is something tremendous which is not expressed in words or in feelings.   You know, when the Grace acts, the result could be a death or misfortune or happiness; it could even be a catastrophe but it is always the best for the individual. It is a blow sent by the Divine for a bounding progress. The Grace is that which makes you advance rapidly towards the realisation.   (Then, Mother speaks about a letter I had written to Her about a dream concerning a friend who was seriously ill.)   *I have read your letter but you

Blessed Be The Day   Blessed be this air that quivers with joy, having touched Her robe or lightly stroked Her face, or, having caressed Her hair, stolen a little of Her fragrance and Her sweetness.   Blessed be the feelings and emotions that ardently aspire to be identified with Her, wherever Her glory is sung or a sunlit future is in the making.   Blessed be the still moaning earth; but, having borne the Divine Mother, it cannot restrain this Ananda any longer and wants to burst its shell of unconsciousness and breathe Her plenitude.   Blessed be those whose hearts are still vibrating with that felicity and still remember that unique happiness.