Life and Teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother

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25. TOKEN OFFERING

An American devotee of Mother returned to the USA after living in the Ashram for three years and met an old school friend. His friend Marc was a salesman for a large computer company. They sat together to exchange their experiences over the last three years. Marc told a sad tale of how he had been the best salesman in the company in the previous year, but now he was the worst. Everything in his life was going wrong. He was unable to sell even half as much as before. He lost interest in his job. His wife was unhappy and he was constantly weighed down by a heavy depression. The devotee also told his friend how he had spent the last three years in Pondicherry. When he spoke about Mother, Marc became very interested and asked him to tell more. By the end of the first hour, his friend’s sad face began to smile. In the second hour his friend began to laugh and beam with joy. He said, “I feel wonderful just hearing about Mother. I haven’t felt so happy in years.” They agreed to meet a week later.

When they next met, Marc was smiling even more. He told the devotee that in one week his whole life seemed to be changing. He felt happy, his wife had stopped complaining and he was invited to an interview for a new job in an even larger company at a far higher salary. But he was afraid that with his poor performance for the last year, they would never select him.

The devotee told him to simply remember Mother during the interview and imagine that the interviewer was Mother. He also suggested that his friend give a small token offering to Mother, which he happily did. Three days later Marc called him to say that he got the job.

In the next few months, Marc and the devotee met often and spoke about Mother. Marc reported one good event after another. Within four months he was offered an even better job to head a new computer department of another company at nearly twice the salary that he was earning six months earlier.

Marc wanted to visit India to see the Ashram before taking the new job, but he was afraid he could not afford the expense of Rs.20,000 and the loss of three weeks salary, which was another Rs.20,000. Anyway he decided to spend his last savings and go.

Marc and the devotee met in Pondicherry. Marc said he had never known so much peace and joy before. After returning to the USA, he wrote to the devotee saying that on his return he had received an unexpected gift of Rs.40,000, exactly the amount he had lost by going to India!

Marc was so happy with the changes in his life that he started talking to many of his employees about Mother. He also began sending monthly offerings to the Ashram as an expression of his gratitude. One day he was sitting in a company meeting and several employees were complaining that their pay cheques were nearly one month overdue. Marc started telling them about Mother and told them to offer the problem to Her. To everyone’s great amazement, even Marc’s, the company treasurer walked in five minutes later and handed everyone in the room their salary cheques.

Marc’s wife also became devoted to Mother. Her father, who lived in a city 500 miles away, called her one day to say that he had been fired from a job he had had for 20 years and he was now too old to ever get another good job. Marc’s wife told this to her husband and he told it to his devotee friend. Marc did not like his father-in-law, but he felt sorry for the man’s problem. The devotee suggested a way out. The next day Marc’s wife called her father and asked him to send her a little money without asking any questions as to why she was asking for it. She was afraid to mention Mother, because her father was a very strict Christian. Her father said that he had faith in his daughter and agreed to send the money. When it arrived, she sent it to Mother as an offering.

One week later her father called back to say that he had been hired as a temporary employee for two week’s time. A month later he called to say that he still had the temporary job. Even six months later he still had the same job. After nearly seven months, one day Marc received a call from his father-in-law, who was bubbling over with joy. He told Marc that he had been offered a new permanent job with a reputable company in Los Angeles in the very same building where Marc was working! Marc was very happy for his father-in-law’s good fortune, but sorry that they would be moving so close to his own home!

Marc’s story of good fortune still continues. The last we heard he had become a partner in a computer company earning five times as much as before he came to Mother.

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26. UNEMPLOYED ENGINEER

“Slowly a feeling of frustration begins to develop in me. Within myself I feel confident. I have faith in Mother too. Still, if nothing moves for weeks and months and years, the faith gives way. I am afraid I have to settle down as a teacher in a Polytechnic for life. If that is so, it will be a misfortune. That will bring down to dust all the high hopes with which I entered the Engineering College, worked hard, maintained it to achieve First Class all five years without fail. Also your silence is intriguing to me. I wish you throw some light on my situation,” said the young engineer who called on me that day.

What he said was true, but that is not the whole truth. As the job situation in the country for engineers had become bleak and was showing signs of worsening, those engineering graduates who had managed to get some placement or other (like this young man in a polytechnic teaching post) considered themselves lucky but were dismayed by the prospects. I did not have much of an encouraging impact on him, but I knew, in his case, that this was not the end. I wanted to be clear about his future, but brief. I said, “I understand your mind and your dejection. But there is one more element in your case and that is the fact that you had Darshan of Mother last year. Ordinarily Mother’s Darshan or a visit to the Samadhi would have an immediate effect. For some reason, in your case, it has not happened. I know that Mother acts swiftly, but if She delays, She has Her own reasons. When it is all over, you will realise that the delay is only for good.” He was reassured to some extent, but was not cheered up to his normal level of infectious cheerfulness.

He is a brilliant young man. The one striking aspect of his personality is that he is always found laughing. He generally begins a conversation with laughter. He comes from a very respectable family that has been reduced to hard work. His father was a leader among men during his young days, when the family was flourishing. Later, adversity overtook the family. Everything was lost except the high qualities acquired during days of affluence. Six children in the family, one after the other, died before they reached the age of ten. The only surviving child was this engineer, who received in his upbringing all the affection due to the dead children. As the father was not affluent, the normal course would be to terminate his education at the 8th standard and begin helping the father in his profession. But the child wanted to read, and the father also felt he should study. In spite of poverty, the father was held in great respect among the family members spread over several villages. More than one young man in the family circle had been initiated into life by his father, and all of them were somewhat affluent. They remained grateful to the old man who had put them on their feet. So, the boy was sent to one of his uncle’s for high school education.

The boy deserved this support. Without fail, during all the three years he was in high school, he secured very high marks, often standing first in the school. In the SSLC exam he secured over 400 marks. He had cherished ambitions about higher education, particularly as an engineer. He spoke to his father. The father had Rs.500 saved over a period of many years, and in future he could not save much more. It was very kind of his uncle to have educated him for three years. To expect any further help, especially for higher education at Madras, was not possible. In consultation with me, he decided to join a polytechnic with the money on hand. And if he won a scholarship, he could finish the three years successfully. That was the best course open to him. His uncle accompanied him when he was asked to appear for an interview at the polytechnic at Chidambaram. While waiting for their turn, the students exchanged information. Everyone who met this boy, on learning about his high score at the SSLC exam, remarked in passing, “If I had this score, I wouldn’t join the polytechnic.” The uncle, who was listening to these stray conversations, suddenly decided that his nephew deserved a college education and, come what may, he must provide it. He suggested to the boy that it was better to drop the idea of joining polytechnic and take up the idea of joining a college. The boy cheerfully consented and ended up in Loyola College. He passed PUC in first class. His uncle’s enthusiasm continued. The boy joined Engineering College. He maintained the high academic performance of securing a first class. He won a scholarship every year. His uncle made up any gap between the real expenses and scholarship amount. It was a misfortune that on his leaving the College he found the job market bleak. Jobs were scarce and no one would consider him. One of the employers the boy approached offered him a job at Rs.100. This is worse than not having a job, adding insult to injury.

Ever since the boy came to the town for high school education, I knew him and had a share in his life as his teacher. He used to consult me on all major decisions of his life. Now it was a bleak period. He was running for a year to every possible opportunity of a job without success. It was at this time that he visited the Ashram with me and felt the ocean of peace that is Mother. He once said, “When I prostrate before Mother, my being is filled with joy and peace. Often I used to feel that I should continue to prostrate before Her for a longer time.” With heroic effort, he succeeded in getting appointed as a lecturer in a polytechnic at Madurai. This was a great relief but not a permanent solution for someone with his qualifications. He was in Madurai for a year and continuing to search for a better job. That search yielded no results. There was no hope of any future results. It was at that time he came to me and expressed the frustration mentioned earlier. I knew that better things were in store for him. Mother delays with a purpose. But my understanding was no solace for his position.

He returned after a few weeks and appeared full of news. He sat down as if he had swallowed something which bothered him. He began saying that he had some very good news but was doubtful of the entire report he was going to give and said that my opinion on the matter would decide the issue. I was happy and anxious to know the news. He said, “My uncle is in the dyeing trade. One of his customers is in Salem. Occasionally this man comes to this depot in Cuddalore OT. My uncle has long trade connections with him, but there is no particular friendship or intimacy. Today my uncle as usual went to OT to collect the dyes. Mr. Mudaliar from Salem had come there. He called my uncle over and said, “Do you know of any of our boys with an engineering degree? My friend is starting a company in Madras with French technology. I am a director of the company. The company is sending six engineers to Paris for training. The Managing Director has allotted one such job to me. The only condition is that candidate should have first class in Mechanical Engineering. I wish to offer the opportunity to one of my relatives. Though I have made money, there is no boy with that kind of education among my relatives. If you can get me any boy of that description from our people, I would happily appoint him.” My uncle answered, “There is one in my house fully meeting the requirements. I shall bring him to you at Salem.”

The boy told me, “My uncle is unable to believe this, nor can I. Of course, there is nothing here for me to lose, but it is hard to believe. My uncle and I felt we should take your advice.” In reply I said, “Always it is hard to believe things when they come from Mother. As you speak, I see Mother’s light on your face. This is truly Grace. Accept it with gratitude to Mother.”

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27. WALTER

Walter, a 65 year old American businessman, first came to India in 1972 to visit his son and daughter-in-law who had come a year earlier to join the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

In 1956 W and his family were living in a house about 20 miles north of New York City. The house had a large yard and a driveway about 150 feet long going from the street to the garage, which was at the back of the house. One night during the winter there was a heavy snowfall. The next morning all the roads were completely covered with snow. The city sent ploughs around to clear the roads as was their custom. W and his family went out early to shovel the snow off the driveway so that he could take the car out and drive to work. While W was lifting a heavy shovelful of snow, suddenly he felt a sharp, intense pain in the middle of his back and he fell over on his stomach into the snow. His family rushed to him and carried him into the house to his bed. He was moaning in unbearable pain and could barely move without crying out. A doctor was called to the house and gave medication so that W could sleep. Later he was taken to the hospital and underwent intensive examination. The doctors discovered that one of the disks in his spinal cord had slipped out of line and was pressing on the spinal nerve. They operated to correct the injury. After that W had to remain in bed for 6 months at home. Frequently his family would awake in the night hearing him cry in pain.

After six months the doctors said he could return to work but for the rest of his life he would have to wear a large girdle 18 inches wide wrapped around his waist. The girdle was fitted with long flat metal rods in the back to hold his back firmly in place. For 18 years W had worn the girdle. Once or twice he tried to live without it for a day or two and immediately the pain would return.

W first visited the Ashram in 1972. At that time his son invited him to have the Darshan of Mother in Her room, but W declined. Again W visited Pondicherry in 1973 and again his son asked him if he would like to see Mother. W said to his son, “You know I don’t believe in all this religion and spirituality business. I have never bowed before anyone in my life and I am not about to do so now.” His son replied, “No one said you have to bow to Mother if you don’t want to. You can behave exactly as you please.” Finally W decided to see Mother. He was taken to Her room and Mother was very happy to see him. Without even thinking, W went down on his knees before Mother and She held his hand for several minutes.”

When W came downstairs from Mother’s room, his face was bright red and he was glowing with a big smile. He went up to his son and said, “You never told me it would be like this. There is nothing else you can do except kneel before Mother. When She looked in my eyes I felt my heart swelling so big that I was afraid my chest would burst.”

Again in 1974 W came to the Ashram and stayed in a guest house with his son for two weeks. One night W had a dream that he was standing in the Ashram surrounded by a crowd of people and he was presented a special medal or award. The next morning he forgot the dream, but a few hours later an Ashramite came and gave him a present. It was a silver pin with the symbol of Sri Aurobindo. The man explained that Mother herself had worn this pin on her head dress many times. Suddenly W remembered his dream and he was overcome with emotion and could not even speak to thank the man for 15 or 20 minutes.

A few days later, W’s son noticed that his father wasn’t wearing his girdle. In reply to his son’s enquiry, W said he felt so relaxed and peaceful that he wanted to remove it for a day or two and see what happened. The old pain did not return and so he stopped wearing the girdle for the rest of his visit. When he returned to the USA, W’s wife was amazed to find her husband without his girdle on. Still W did not put it on and the pain did not return. Now W is 73 years old. He is retired and works very actively in his garden growing flowers and trees. He has never worn the girdle for a single day in the last 9 years.

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28. DAMODARAN

He is a small landholder owning six acres of dry land. After years of hard work, he had earned this property. Along with that, his status had also grown in the village. He was one of the important leaders of the village though he was only middle aged. He took an active part in politics too. Any government scheme that came to the village would seek his cooperation for implementation. With the progress of the nation, his village too received the benefits of education, roads, electricity, bank aid, and the cooperative movement. He was also an important beneficiary of all these schemes. During these years of progress, his dry lands received electricity, a borewell, crop loans, hybrid seeds, etc. He was a rising star of the village, but with a small base, often shaky because of the uncertainties of agricultural life.

One year circumstances were very favourable. He received government loans in time to raise crops. He could cultivate all his six acres in the primary season for groundnut, but the price was not helpful. So his great hopes of paying off some of his old loans remained unfulfilled. For the second season of groundnut, not many villagers would take the risk as pests would be virulent during this season and water supply would not be fully assured. Only those assured of all resources and capable of taking risks would cultivate groundnut in the second season, which extended into the peak of summer. As the prices during this lean season were always attractive, the season retained its charm for the farmers.

This farmer went for groundnut in the second season. He could do that because he was assured of water supply from his borewell. Favoured by conducive circumstances, he was again able to cultivate all the six acres. The crop was good. Luckily there was no pest. If only the customary high price of this off-season were available, he could turn a corner in his life. In that sense this crop was a deciding one. If all went well, his rising position in the village would become an accomplished fact. Otherwise he could slide down and all his energies would go to keep him from sliding down. Just when every circumstance was favourable, his borewell failed to supply water after the bottom of the hole became stuck with clay preventing water from being pumped out. Normally this could be repaired in a month or six weeks, if everything went well.

This was the peak of summer in the month of May. Soil dries up in minutes after watering due to the heat. During such emergencies, the adjacent farmers used to help save the situation. Unfortunately for him, in his area all lands were dry. He was the only one who owned and operated a borewell. The situation was bleak. An excellent crop was now to wilt before the very eyes of the owner. Indeed, it was a pathetic situation. There was nothing for the farmer to do, not even a line of hope for thought.

Around 10 p.m. this man with this background presented himself at my house, having travelled from his village. His face was dark and sullen, expression pitiable. Before narrating all these details to me, he prefaced it saying, “My hopes were great till yesterday. Now they are dashed to pieces. I feel stung. Life is merciless. No one is in a position to offer me even words of consolation. My heart is heavy. Please be patient with me and let me explain my plight. I may feel somewhat unburdened, if you listen.”

He spoke. I listened. He went over every little detail of his misfortune with animation, speaking in a choked voice. When he finished, I noticed he was no longer pitiable, or sorrow-laden. He was somewhat relaxed. Perhaps he had found some relief in speaking. I spoke in turn, inspiring confidence in him. I said as he was a hard-working person and had done meticulously everything he could do in his power, his crop would not wilt. He was intrigued and listened intently. I repeated that God helped those who helped themselves, and he was one like that. It was a riddle to him, but his eyes began to sparkle with a trace of hope.

He had heard of the Ashram but never visited the Samadhi nor did he know of Mother and Her personality. I mentioned in one brief sentence, “Your crop is sure to be saved if you pray to Mother.” All that he had to do was not to exercise his mind how it would be saved. I told him to go to the Samadhi and pray that his crops must be saved. He endorsed my suggestion wholeheartedly and vigorously. I saw his grief vanish and that meant to me that his crops would certainly be saved.

The next night it rained. It was a good rain. His crops would be saved, if only that rain extended to the village. I felt that the rain had come to save his crop and extended itself up to my place.

Ten days later he came with a beaming face twice in size. He said, “Your words put strength in me. I had no question in my mind. I felt I was lifted out of depression. Straight from here I went home and then left for Pondicherry. I scarcely knew which bus I took or who was by my side. There was only one thought in my mind. It was my crop’s future. I reached the Ashram and went to the Samadhi. That was the first visit for me. I did not know what to do. I stood nearby and voiced a prayer. I forgot myself. I don’t know what words I uttered. My body was still and mind disappeared. I don’t know how long I remained there like that. When I came to myself, I saw people meditating around. There were flowers on the Samadhi. I felt extremely peaceful, relieved and relaxed. Slowly I walked away. Until I reached home again, I was in a kind of daze. In my condition, I forgot the crop too. The next night it rained. It poured and poured non-stop. My heart was filled with gratitude. I offered Mother deeply-felt gratitude. The next morning when I visited the fields, the crop had a sparkle on the leaves. Surely no amount of watering could have had this effect. Luckily the crop needed only one more watering before harvest. The yield was slightly bigger than expected. The price too was better than last year.”

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29. OPPORTUNITIES AND OBSTACLES

Often I hear from devotees, “My prayer is always answered, most of the time at once. Sometimes the answer is delayed, but occasionally I get into a familiar situation. Mother grants me some unheard of rewards, more than I have been thinking of. I am overjoyed. Then one after another difficulties crop up. I am afraid of losing what has come. I pray. Things take a positive turn. A couple of days later again fresh difficulties arise. Each time difficulties arise I pray. Things change. What has come is so far out of my way that I am unable to remain calm. Constantly new problems arise. Things alternate and the end is constantly postponed. I am torn between two sides. The anxiety is so great that I even say to myself that it is better it comes to an end, let the opportunity be cancelled, I don’t mind. I am unable to stand this constant anxiety.”

I would like to explain what a devotee can do on such occasions to help bring about the best result. I shall quote the experiences of some devotees and comment on them.

“I am an American who has come to Pondicherry for a short visit to the Ashram. I have read Mother’s works and am devoted to Her in my own way. A visit to the Samadhi is uplifting, fills me with a peace I have not known before. I feel like sitting there for hours on end. My general tension comes down and disappears. My mind falls silent. My heart is full, full of pleasant, happy feelings. A strange fulfilment creeps over me. A friend engaged me in conversation and casually, without any intention, I mentioned to him that I have a pain in the back. At once he asked me why I should not pray to Mother for the pain to be removed. It never struck me. During my next visit to the Samadhi, I thought of taking it up as a prayer. This pain is very painful, being a back pain at the base of the spine. Several years ago when I was lifting a heavy bundle from my car’s trunk, I sprained my spine. I had medical treatment, but doctors say it cannot be fully cured. Day and night I live with it, though it is now within tolerable limits. My father has had it for over 15 years. Perhaps it runs in the family. I have learned to live with it. As a result, my general posture is slightly slanted to avoid the most painful position. It is much less now than in the beginning, but even at this level it is really painful. I wouldn’t wish this suffering even on my enemy.

“I visited the Samadhi the next day, concentrated, meditated and after some time, remembered to pray to Mother that my pain should go away. I fell into deep meditation. When I came to myself, I stood up and walked to my room. My friend came to visit me that evening. As our conversation began to touch upon many issues, we came to my pain. Suddenly it dawned on me that for the first time since it began, my pain had not been there at all that day. I was unable to believe my senses. How is it that I did not notice it for the whole day? Mother had given me a gift, really a wonderful gift. My mind began to work. I thought of all the works I used to shun because of this pain. Now I could do them. I had an intimate friend who had this pain. I could tell her too about this. I could tell my father too. I thought, but I hesitated because there in America people may think I am crazy if I speak like this. My mind was full of a million thoughts.

To my surprise, I found that the pain started coming back after two days. Again I prayed at the Samadhi. It left, but this time it left only half way. What a tragedy after that wonderful relief! I was unable to control my thoughts. I didn’t want to lose this relief. My mind has been on fire, not being able to go either way. I just do not know what I should do to make my relief permanent.”

Let me quote another man also:

“I am a retired government servant who at the time of retirement was sanctioned a pension of Rs.45 per month. After retirement I started selling casurina firewood for a living. Over the past 15 years I have progressed in my business and purchased lands and raised casurina myself. Now I have a good property and I am 75. I would like to sell the casurina lands and take rest, but the 27 acres are worth only Rs.10,000 in the market. I could sell it if someone offered me Rs.27,000. I have been trying to sell the lands for the last five years. Once a buyer agreed for Rs.27,000, but the sale did not come through. After great efforts, a buyer came to me, anxious to buy it at my price of Rs.27,000. At this point I was invited to Mother’s Darshan by another old man of 70. When I returned home, to my utter astonishment, my lands had become very valuable. A fertilizer company wanted the lands. I finalised the bargain at Rs.81,000. The man was writing the agreement but stopped in the middle. He said he would come back in a week. Two months have passed. He has never come back. I am almost mad. Every car that I pass looks like his car. Every person who comes to my house looks like that man. I have lost sleep and my peace of mind. What an opportunity came my way and how quickly it faded away. My mind considers thousands of possibilities. Finally I have decided to give up and go to the man who had offered me Rs.27,000. This opportunity has become like a torture and I would rather not have it.”

Surely the man’s plight is pitiable. It is one thing not to have the opportunity. It is another thing to get it and lose it. On these occasions, the more the mind thinks, the more the opportunity is cancelled. What can we do? Is there anything that can be done to save the situation? Is there anything we can do to control our thoughts?

A girl of 31 says, “No one who has looked at my face or even photograph has wanted to see me again. So far dozens of grooms have come and gone. The last man, a man of property, a graduate, came to our house with his parents, saw me and agreed to marry me. This was a surprise to me. Between now and the wedding my one fear is that the groom’s party may cancel it. My mind runs in all directions. The anxiety is so great.”

An engineer says, “I am working in a simple situation. People who are starting a factory for Rs.1.5 crores have offered me a share. This is too great an opportunity for me to lose. My one fear is they should not change their minds before the documents are signed.”

We can give a dozen more examples. As a rule, on these occasions the mind is activated, one is beside himself, daydreams, builds castles, plans for the future, and again, as a rule, the expectations cancel the opportunities or shrink them to a tenth of what was first offered.

I would say that Mother gives, but Man cancels. This is to reverse the proverb that Man proposes and God disposes. It is true that I would suggest that one should keep the mind calm so that Mother can act effectively. It is not reasonable for me to advise a person in this situation to keep his mind calm, knowing it is nearly impossible. Is there a way out? There is.

We know it is Mother who brought this great opportunity to us. We also know that She cannot act through impatience, anxiety, excitement or nervousness. We know Mother acts best in calm, quiet steadiness, firm faith, and great patience. People who are in such anxious conditions should try to understand this truth and resolve to be calm and unthinking. They must resolve not to be excited, not to activate the thoughts in a hundred directions. If thoughts persist, one should try not to indulge in the thoughts. Mind will become partially calm. In some cases, this resolution makes the mind fully calm, too. If, in spite of this resolution, the mind is still restive, pray to Mother for calm and patience. She certainly gives it. One by one the difficulties recede and the originally given opportunity always emerges in full measure. All who have consulted me, including those mentioned in this article, have happily and fully solved their problems in this way.

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30. MANIVEL

Today I received a letter from a devotee in which he says his daughter, who is an M.Sc., has secured a job in his own native town on the day he got my letter. He is an ardent devotee for many years working in the government as an non-gazetted officer with a spotless record of service.

All his four children are brilliant and often top the list in the college. Being a non-gazetted officer, he was unable to offer them the very best in life, but he did his very best to give them higher education. Several years ago when his son passed PUC with shining scores, he was faced with his son’s burning desire to join engineering college and his inability to support him in a college for five years. The government rules work in a strange fashion. As his salary crosses the income limit prescribed for eligibility for scholarship, his son could not apply for scholarship! Prior to studies is the hurdle of admission. Scores of applicants with distinction compete for seats. If merit alone were the criterion, his son would surely win.

There are other considerations. As a government official, he knew many influential persons. But in matters of getting a favour, though it may be a deserving case, these contacts do not yield results. Still he called on a local VIP. When he arrived there, many bigwigs were waiting to meet the VIP. He was not willing to wait and make his representation too. Reluctantly, however, he waited his turn. The VIP was polite enough to promise to do his best for his son. Not finding any warmth in the promise, he returned home. He later met me and described his plight. He is an ardent devotee, but at that moment of despair to console him with a reference to prayer or faith could be embarrassing. He left remarking, “I have faith in Mother. Let us see.” I was happy he said that.

When the results were out, his son had been selected. He called on me with great joy and constantly exclaimed his surprise at the selection of his son, saying “Mother is truly great.”

He often used to meet me and narrate his experiences with Mother. Once when he was cycling home, he saw a woman loudly wailing, surrounded by a crowd. He stopped to see what it was. The child of the woman was lost and she had given up hope of finding the child after half a day of search. The more he heard about the details, the more he was moved. He thought he would cry if he listened any more. He moved to one side of the road next to a house, parked his cycle and called Mother to relieve the distress of this hapless mother. He was so absorbed in his prayer that he almost forgot what was going on around him. His eyes began to close and he felt lost inside. Suddenly there was a shout which jerked him back to awareness. He rushed towards the crowd to know if anything untoward had happened to the woman. On the contrary, someone who had found the child brought it to where the mother was and hence the shouts of joy.

He was introduced to me thirty years ago when he came to my native town to work in the taluq office We used to meet at the house of a common friend. My friend used to describe to me, after he left, how efficient this man was at the taluq office. He earned a reputation at the office for efficiency, integrity and, above all, for his soft behaviour towards friends and a great willingness to work hard. Later, for several years we had not met. Our contacts renewed after about seven or eight years when both of us moved to another town and ran into each other.

That was at the prime of his life and mine too. He was promoted in his job and was working hard to build up a career winning the good remarks of his superiors. So we met rarely. One Sunday morning he appeared at my house with worry writ large on his face.

He explained to me that things were not going smoothly at the office and his next promotion was at stake. I was wondering how such a person could ever miss a promotion. He said that in circumstances like this anything could happen. It was impossible to predict, he said, who would be promoted and who would be denied. He added, “I am frustrated by life around and knowing how I am denied the promotion. This is clear injustice. But what worries me more is what is in store for the future. I was not even selected for the list of candidates from which the promotees will be selected. I appealed against that decision. The government has rejected my appeal. The implication of this rejection causes me greater worry. It means I am ineligible for any future promotion.”

He came to me that day to find out whether someone in Madras could be approached to rectify the mistake and have justice restored to him. That was a decade when, among youth, it was a fashion to be an atheist. At that time he was an admirer of those ideals. Those were the first years of my coming to the Ashram. He was not one to whom I could speak about spirituality, much less prayer. I did not have the courage to propose to him that his prayer to Mother would restore justice to him. But that was a moment when such an idea could be spoken. Maybe he would listen to me. I mustered courage at last and briefly explained to him Sri Aurobindo’s role in national freedom, his yoga and the powers of Mother, giving a few examples. I ended up suggesting that he could visit the Samadhi. He seemed to listen with approval.

After ten days, he called on me with excitement to say that his name was there in the selected list of Deputy Tasildars and he would soon be posted elsewhere. I asked him to clarify whether it was the list from which selection was to be made. He corrected me by saying that his name was in the selected list.

He explained that he had visited the Samadhi on the very day he met me earlier and felt uplifted. He came away with a feeling that his cause would be upheld. “I never expected that things would move so fast and so well. I don’t understand how it all happened. For me it is very surprising,” he said. That was how he became a devotee long ago.

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31. SRI AUROBINDO, THE WRITER

The Life Divine, the magnum opus of Sri Aurobindo, says the American Sri Aurobindo Library, has been acclaimed as the greatest book of our times. It goes on to say that The Life Divine is a landmark in human thought and aspiration. Sri Aurobindo was also the author of the epic English poem Savitri, which runs into 24,000 lines of blank verse.

As Sri Aurobindo attained Mahasamadhi before the Nobel Prize committee could implement its decision to award him the prize for literature, the prize was never awarded that year.

Sri Aurobindo says that his is not merely a philosophy or an ideal towards which one strives, but a Force in action. The Force enters into those who are open to it and urges their march towards the Supreme. And to authors his writings have a special message. He was unique as a writer in the entire history of the Eastern and Western civilized world, in that he started writing five of his major books simultaneously in 1914 and he wrote them in installments for his monthly journal ‘Arya’, completing all of them in 1921. They are only a sixth of his total writings which run into 30 volumes. History tells us that neither Aristotle nor Shakespeare nor Vyasa nor Shankara undertook such a phenomenal effort of writing at the highest level of human thought.

Writers are endowed with several faculties such as imagination, a right turn of phrase, inspired language, a knack for a striking plot, a capacity to maintain the readers’ interest, suspense, vivid images, descriptive narratives, etc. When a writer reads Sri Aurobindo’s writings or takes to his teachings, His FORCE enters the writer and energizes all his faculties. The writer finds that his imagination is more active, the right phrase comes to his pen more easily and more often, his ordinary writing becomes inspiring and his inspired moments creative, his dull plots change structure to become striking, his readers never tire of reading his writings, more images constantly present themselves and are live with energy, and descriptions become long and very interesting.

It is common knowledge with the devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that after their Force enters the lives of devotees, in whatever profession they are, the devotees steadily rise in their profession, often ending at the top. That is true of writers too, only that being writers, the effect is two-fold in their lives. The writer’s main faculty is thinking and the Force’s main expression is light. The light of His Force shows in the mind of the writer as higher capacity of the already existing faculties and also it creates new ones. On this score alone, the writer becomes a better member of the profession. In its general expression of inherent progress, the Force takes the writer to higher levels of his work.

In life, the writer finds his unpublished works are solicited for publication, long awaited recognition sails to him, rewards are announced for unexpected works, his services are sought for by the profession and the public at large, and above all, the intrinsic value of his thought, so far unrecognised, is now fully appreciated. He becomes a creative writer credited with wider recognition at all levels of the society.

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32. LOST SPEECH

I was returning home from the Ashram. In the bus I met a friend who was also returning home from Pondicherry. By way of conversation I asked him on what assignment he had visited Pondicherry. He said he was returning from JIPMER Hospital where his brother was an in-patient for the last three weeks. I had never known that he had a brother, but I continued my general enquiries about how old he was and why he was hospitalised. To my utter surprise he explained the developments. “My brother is 17 years of age and he is in the 10th standard. Some three weeks ago he noticed some difficulties in his speech, but he had not clearly explained it to the other family members. It seems he knew that some throat trouble was developing and while speaking it manifested itself. It is not clear whether he himself was fully aware of it or not. One day we found him not answering our questions. As he is generally reticent and not given to talking, we were not initially struck by his not answering. After some time it dawned on us that he could not talk. Everyone in the family was upset. Some made light of it saying it may be a passing phase. Others were frightened. My brother himself did not make light of it. He was frightened beyond measure. In minutes his fright spread all through the family and there was overhanging gloom generating indefinable fear. After prolonged consultations within the family and with well-informed friends, it was decided to take him to Jipmer Hospital. The face of the boy became gloomier and gloomier, as he listened to the various stories of loss of speech narrated in his presence by the never-ending stream of visitors. Some said in these cases speech suddenly disappeared but reappeared with the same suddenness. This cheered the boy up. There was a faint smile on his face. Others cited cases of speech lost and only restored with a stammer. This was worse. No one was able to control their narration. Anyway, all of us hoped that as his speech had been lost abruptly, it may be restored in a spurt. There was hope, fear, gloom and, above all, a gnawing uncertainty.

“We had him admitted to Jipmer Hospital. Now it was the turn of the doctors, nurses and co-patients to tell stories of lost speech. During the first week, the visiting doctors explained that the boy was under observation. We all anxiously awaited the results of observation. Doctors continued to visit but did not give us any explanation. In the second week we learned from the hospital staff that there was no known medical therapy for loss of speech. This smashed our hopes and we wondered why he was being kept in the hospital. Some of us felt that being hospitalised makes the patient feel that medical attention was being given and this helped to keep up his hopes. This appeared reasonable. We decided to continue in the hospital but our hopes were lost. We did not communicate our hopelessness to my brother. A few days later, one doctor suggested that in such matters one can only pray to God. We have all prayed to several gods ever since the boy was afflicted. What more is there for us to do?”

This is a friend of a friend. I know him well enough, but he was introduced to me by someone else and my relationship with him is limited. I know only one incident in his life. My friend and this man were boyhood friends. My friend graduated, but this man stopped with SSLC. After that he tried to join in a clerk’s post somewhere. As he had not been selected by the Madras Public Service Commission, to secure a permanent post was ruled out. He was very efficient, in spite of his not being selected by the service commission. He secured a government clerk’s post on a leave vacancy for a month. He was so efficient, so amiable, alert, and cooperative that his boss was unwilling to part with him at the end of the month. He secured another temporary job for fifteen days. Here too, his boss and colleagues were impressed by him, but how could the temporary job be continued. He disposed of twenty files on one occasion in hours, whereas the man whom he had replaced could not handle that much in a day. This sweet treatment and short employment continued. There was no office in the district that he had not served in; there was no department he missed. He was now well versed in the rules of all the government departments and respected for it, but his jobs continued to be of short duration of months or weeks as they were all leave vacancies. About ten years had passed like this. My friend was sore over this misfortune of his boyhood friend. He once explained to me that the very first prayer he addressed to Mother after coming to the Ashram was that his friend should get a permanent job. Soon a new rule was introduced by which anyone who had put in a total of ten years temporary service could be made permanent. And so he earned his permanency. My friend also explained to me that he had never spoken about his prayer to his friend.

As soon as the bus reached our town, I took this friend to a quiet corner and started talking in a serious tone. He was also seriously listening. I said, “It so happens that today is August 14 and tomorrow is Mother’s Darshan. If you choose to pray to Mother, your brother will get his speech back.” He agreed. I continued, “Please come to Mother’s public Darshan tomorrow and pray that your brother’s speech must be restored. Take a flower petal from the Samadhi and give it to your brother. If you can persuade your brother too to pray, it will be good.”

The Darshan was on a Thursday. I saw him in the Darshan. Visitors who had come to my house for Darshan all left on Friday or Saturday. On Sunday night I was sitting up late with a friend who still remained on an important work for Mother. At 11 p.m. we finished our discussions and went upstairs to sleep. No sooner had I lay down on the bed than my wife came up saying someone wanted to see me. Who could come at 11 p.m. and on what business? Surely, it must be something important. I decided to go down and meet the visitor. It was none other than the friend whom I had met on the bus and later at the Darshan. I asked if there was any news from the hospital. He replied, “I came here to meet you at 6 p.m. to convey the glad news that my brother spoke one full sentence in a spurt this afternoon. This gave all of us hope and I thought I should first inform you. As you were not here, I returned home thinking I could meet you tomorrow. My brother and all others returned home from Pondicherry at 10 p.m., and I found his speech was fully restored late in the evening. I thought you won’t mind being disturbed at this hour, if I bring this news to you.”

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33. LESSEE

When I decided to buy a cashew garden on the hill-top known as Caper Hills, my studies concerned the soil, climate, variety of cashew, the characteristics of the cashew plant, its present yield, its greatest capacity to yield, etc. These were all studies in cultivation of a crop. My friends and relatives were constantly reminding me that scientific studies of a crop may be important, but there was something more important, viz. the human factor. I was proposing to buy a piece of property officially described in the government records as forest. Wolves and jackals still lived there in good number. One has to carry drinking water from outside as there was no possibility of finding water anywhere on the whole property. Leave alone drinking water, life was not safe. The physical safety of a person was in danger in those places. All of them constantly asked me how I was going to feel safe and secure in such a place and how I was going to protect the property in such an atmosphere. I was well aware of these dangers, especially after I paid a few visits there before purchasing it. As I had in mind an idea of founding a modern farm, I was planning to create an organisation there in the coming years. When dozens of people were trained and employed, several supervisors recruited working under a farm manager and a crew of watchmen going around, the dangers described by the well-wishers would be overcome. Until then, it is surely a risk and an adventure. And no success can ever be gained without risks. Therefore, I overlooked the good advice given by many and purchased the garden.

The very first thing I did there was to appoint the man who was in charge of that garden for the last 20 years as my lessee. Before I took the effort to contact this man, he was on the look-out for the buyer and tried to explain to me the advantages of keeping him in continued charge of the garden. I spoke to him at length of my plans to found a modern farm there. Promptly he reacted to the idea saying that nothing of that kind would work there, as property of any description—equipments, sprayers, etc.—or, for that matter, anything of value could not be kept safely.

My original plan was to clear the jungle, level the land, put up bunds in every place that needed them, plough the fields as often as necessary and saturate the soil with manure. All this work needed a great deal of investment and a long wait of three to four years for results to show. I was prepared for the effort, investment and long wait, as I had calculated the income of the garden would rise several fold in four years, dwarfing the effort. Those were days when an acre of cashew was giving Rs.50 return collected as jungle produce. No one ever spent any money on cashew trees, except the wages for collecting the nuts. Even for groundnut cultivation, only Rs.250 was spent, while my planned expenditure for modernising cashew cultivation was Rs.300 to 400 per acre. If only I succeeded in completing all the improvements, the rewards would far outstrip my investment. But that was four years away according to my calculation. My work started as planned and proceeded season after season to greater heights of success, confirming at every stage the calculation of results I expected. Two full years had been completed. The same lessee continued as my manager. He did all the work and spent all the money himself. I visited every morning to check the work.

The lessee, who was the manager, contrary to all warnings, proved to be loyal. He was interested in the progress of the work; rather, he was excited about the future prospects for the garden and for himself. He almost identified himself with the work. My friends quipped that I was lucky to get a good man as lessee, as otherwise their fears would have come true.

Though the lessee was very good and honest, our relationship was not without those subtle moments when he would hint that my safe operations on the field were only because he was there. Often visitors would allude to the fact that I was lucky in my lessee. But I had seen occasions when the lessee would put me face to face with field situations that only local people could overcome, whereas I, as an outsider, could not. That he did very rarely to drive home to me his importance for me. Once in a threatening situation I took the lead and decided to handle the situation myself and the situation did come under my control. In a flash the Rudra in him came out and he asserted himself against the pilferers. By and large he was a good man.

My third year arrived with the third season for me in the garden. The trees were fantastic, with flowers as no other garden around looked. People commented that my expected results came a year or two earlier. They said my three years investment, including the original purchase value could be retrieved in that one year. The flower laden trees spoke for themselves, and it looked as if everyone had spoken the truth.

Before I could lay the foundation for a modern farm, create an organisation, put up a few buildings, appoint an educated manager, I felt caught unawares by this prospect of a great yield. Had the yield waited another year or two, I could have prepared myself to handle it all with an organisation at my disposal to handle the collection of nuts, ward off intruders, drive away cattle, etc. Now I entirely depended upon the goodwill of my lessee. If he continued to be good, there would be no problem. He suddenly showed signs of greed. He knew I was at his mercy. As the enthusiasm all around was great because of the success of the work sooner than expected, this issue did not occupy my mind more than as an information.

Just then my jutkawalla, who was close to my lessee, brought the news that the lessee had changed his attitude. It seemed he had told my jutkaman, “Give the garden to me on lease. Ask him to sit at home. Let him not worry. I shall give the lease honestly at the end of the season.” It came to me as a jolt. What everyone warned me against had come true for no fault of mine. Had the success waited longer, I would have been right. It was well known in the ten gardens around us that no lessee gave the owner more than half the lease amount and there was no way of collecting it from these poor people. Mine was a new situation. It was not easy to fix the lease amount as the yield expected was five to ten times. No one in the village was able to assess the yield because it was new to them. The only reasonable course would be to collect the produce and at the end of the season to reward the lessee suitably after realising the real extent of produce. If I gave in now, even if I succeeded in creating an organisation later, the lingering results of having given in to the lessee would be there. Perhaps my giving in might stand in the way of creating an organisation. The lessee seemed to be actuated by greed and the trump was in his hand. It weighed on my mind heavily. In those days, I never used to pray to Mother for any particular reward or results. When faced with a problem, I used to meditate. The weight would be lifted from the mind and the problem would melt away. In fact, in the early years of my coming to the Ashram, there were very few problems at all in my life.

This time I meditated, but the weight did not fully lift itself from the mind. I went to the Samadhi and meditated again. There was greater relief, but not full relief. This was a new experience for me and I had to solve this problem before I met the lessee again. As I was visiting the garden every day the time left was short. In those days Mother Herself was issuing passes to a few people to visit Sri Aurobindo’s room. I obtained one and visited the room. I meditated and came out. Champaklal, who had attended on Sri Aurobindo for 25 years, called me and asked if there was anything important at home that made me visit the room. In trying to answer him, I recollected that I had a problem with my lessee which had gone out of my mind till then.

The next day I met my lessee. He had lost his usual smile and appeared serious. We retired to a secluded spot. I began the conversation asking him for news. Quickly he answered it was I who should bring him news. I started an explanation of what I had done in the garden and came to the harvest. I said we must settle between ourselves the terms for that year’s harvest. He stopped me short and burst out, “You have spread thigh high manure in this place. You have spread knee deep currency notes here. All the money I spent with my own hands. And now when the results come, it should go entirely to you. I am not one who will ask for more than my due. Give what you please. No one will give more than you. I am not one who will lay hands on your share.” I felt he was speaking my thoughts and was moved to see tears in his eyes. I proposed a rate per bag. He readily agreed and jumped up laughing. He said, “Come, let’s go. There is a lot of work to do.”

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34. ONE CRORE

Om is a North Indian businessman. He is a craftsman par excellence. He carves out of soft stone very attractive artwork in the shape of boxes, vases, etc. His goods sell like hotcakes all over Europe. Buyers come to him, pay the price in advance, sit in his factory for the order to be produced and take it with them. Otherwise, if they ordered from their own countries, they may not get the goods in time or may not get them at all. Such is the demand. Such is its beauty.

One of our Society’s American members bought a small shipment of goods from him. Later he visited Om in his place. Om was nice, friendly, cordial and treated our friend as if he were an old friend or family member. Our American friend bought occasionally and in small quantities. Naturally, as a business contact, we were of little value. After a few months of our member’s visit, Om wrote saying he was going to visit us in Pondicherry. Strange! We are absolutely of no business significance to him. He has no other friends here. Why on earth should Om call on us here, we all wondered.

He came. He was very pleasant. He had not heard of the Ashram or the Mother up there in the North. Now that he had come, our friends spoke to him about Mother, suggested that he could visit the Ashram. He paid his visit to Sri Aurobindo’s room and made an offering of Rs.1,000.

Just before he was about to leave, he asked our American member if he could meet me. When I met him his face looked sad for some reason. I spoke briefly to him about his future life and business. I told him great things were in store for him, perhaps things he could never believe. He was happy and took leave. On reaching Madras before he took the plane, he called his office in North India on the phone. To his great disappointment, he learned that the tax officers had visited his office for some enquiry. From there he sent word to me asking why this disturbance should come to him just after a visit to the Ashram. I explained in a letter that I had expected great things for him, but this incident shows even greater things await him. I continued, “Mother lays great importance on keeping accurate accounts, because that helps more money to flow in. Perhaps you can improve your accounting system. Only when greater things are in store and Mother wants the devotee to be better organised, such things happen.”

Two years passed. He again visited us here in Pondicherry. This time the sadness on his face was not there. For him it was an important visit because a shipment of Rs.50,000 worth of goods sent to us had arrived in America all damaged due to poor packaging. We had earlier written to him about this. We sent our purchase officer to his factory to inspect the packaging. In spite of this, a lot of breakage took place. Om was disturbed at this happening and came here to settle the matter. He said to our friends, “I send shipments all over the world without the buyer’s inspection and they are all right. Because your officer was there, I left it to his care. But this has happened and I am sorry. I offer to reimburse the entire Rs.50,000.”

Om was not at all responsible. It was entirely the fault of our officer. This attitude of Om’s cannot be seen anywhere in business. He had come 1500 miles to explain this to us and make this offer! I am sure he is a rare individual. We owned the fault entirely and it was a job for our friends to refuse his return of money. He was firm. Now that he was firm, my friends came to me and told me. I went to meet him. He explained to me, “I was a successful businessman earning ten lakhs a year, but I lived the life of a businessman. Your member visited me. After that my business expanded very much. Now I believe great good has come to me after his visit. Therefore, I do not want him to suffer any loss from my shipment. Two years ago you said great things awaited me. All that has come true since then.”

I was amazed at this young man, his gratitude, his attitude of friendliness to us, whom he knew very little of. This time I spoke to him at length and finally summed up, “It is excellent of you to return Rs.50,000 for the breakage. Truly it is not your fault. It will be equally nice if we do not accept the money. I shall accept your good will but please withdraw the offer of money.” He was happy and reconciled.

After he left I explained to my friends that Mother reaches devotees in the measure of their receptivity. Om’s feelings of gratitude were noble. Surely Her blessings would reach him in a large measure, even if he did not actively think of Her.

Three more years passed. Now our friends in USA suddenly received a special order for Om’s goods. After placing the order, another American friend visited him in his office. I give below the story he brought in Om’s own words:

Om said, “I am very sorry your company in America does not buy much from me. My goods are in great demand. People from Holland, Australia, and America constantly come here for goods. They pay cash on delivery. They pay any price I ask. It is enough they get the goods. In your case, you buy rarely and in small quantities. I wish you constantly buy at least a small quantity to keep in touch. None of you ever come here, whereas every other buyer constantly comes here. I would like to sell to you. When I take your invoice and change the prices to ten percent lower, everyone in the office is intrigued. My son, who is now in business with me, often asks why I do that. I believe good things started coming to me in life ever since your friend first set foot into my factory. Later in Pondicherry I was told that great, unbelievable things awaited me. At that time, I could not imagine at all what those things could be. It has happened to me just now this year. My goods are made out of a special stone, which is not easily available. I spotted a very good source and applied for quarry license. To my great dismay Tata and Birla companies entered the competition. The license became a hot issue and went from one office to another. Finally the issue entered the courts and went up to the Supreme Court. Am I a match for these industrial giants? I won, of course, after a great struggle and expense. I firmly believe I could win against these industrial houses only because I carried Mother’s Blessings with me. To tell you the truth, I will earn a net income of one crore a year from these new mines allotted to me.”