Blessed are those

Sri Aurobindo is here (Amal Kiran)

Amal Kiran interviewed by Sudhanshu Mohanty,

published in 'The Golden Chain' magazine (August 2002)

This Errant Life

This errant life is dear although it dies;

And human lips are sweet lips though they but sing

Of stars estranged from us; and youth's emprise

Is wondrous yet, although an unsure thing.

Sky-lucent Bliss untouched by earthiness!

I fear to soar lest tender bonds decrease.

If Thou desirest my weak self to outgrow

Its mortal longings, lean down from above,

Temper the unborn light no thought can trace,

Suffuse my mood with a familiar glow.

For 'tis with mouth of clay I supplicate:

Speak to me heart to heart words intimate,

And all thy formless glory turn to love

And mould Thy love into a human face.

- K.D. Sethna (Amal Kiran)

"A very beautiful poem, one of the very best you have written. The last six lines, one may say even the last eight, are absolutely perfect. If you could always write like that, you would take your place among English poets and no low place either. I consider they can rank- these eight lines - with the very best in English poetry. "- The Secret Splendour, P. 70

Sri Aurobindo's comment about the poem S.M : "What did Sri Aurobindo tell you the first time you met Him?"

A: "Nothing! He did not tell me anything. I just looked at his face. I was all the time watching His face, His beard, and His

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moustache and was thinking to myself that I can choose this man as my Guru. Then I came away. Later, I asked the Mother, 'What did Sri Aurobindo say about me?' She replied, 'He said you have a good face.'

S.M. "What was your experience on 29.2.1956, the day of the Supramental Manifestation?"

A: "That night I was travelling by train from Pondicherry to Madras. (It was as if I was the only hindrance in the way of the Supramental Descent.) I was asleep. I dreamt that the Mother was sitting in a chair and people were filing past to get Darshan. I was desperately trying to get my slippers off my feet - specially the left foot (it is lame). I was struggling in my sleep but in vain. Then suddenly, I woke up and I saw the Mother standing in the railway compartment. I am not somebody given to see visions, so I closed my eyes and opened them again and She was still standing there, smiling. Not a silhouette or something but really in flesh and blood. Then again, I closed my eyes and opened them to make sure but I couldn't see Her any more. Later I recounted to Her the experience. She reminded me of our conversation of some 17-18 years back when I had requested Her to promise to tell me of the Supramental Descent when it took place. I was overwhelmed with gratitude that She remembered a promise of such a long time back and that too made to a person like me."

Then he talked about how he took up the editorship of Mother India as wished by Sri Aurobindo. "I was completely new to the job. I asked the Mother on what topic to write. She said that Sri Aurobindo wanted me to write on politics. — 'But I don't know anything on the subject and much less about Indian politics.' 'Well!' She replied, 'I also do not know anything about it. But Sri Aurobindo is there. He will do everything.'

Courtesy: Golden Chain Fraternity, Puducherry

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