Darshan

10

"From Sports, Your Aptitude

Has Changed to Literature"

Raju

Since my childhood, I have been inclined for higher values in life and for spiritual life. I remember one sadhu going around our villages in Andhra Pradesh, asking people money (biksha) for building Ram temple. I was seven or eight years old then. I joined him and went around a few villages assisting him.

I was aware that some great guidance was indirectly leading my path. This inner urge developed in such a way that I wanted to see Avatarapurusha in his physical body.

I went to Shirdi. I had no money to buy food. The manager of the mandir offered me food. I said that I would take food only after working and he gave me some work.

At that time a rich man from Coimbatore came there and offered money. First I refused, but on being persuaded, took just enough to buy the book "Bhagavat Gita", which I wanted to read.

There I had a vision of Shirdi Baba. He told me: "This is not your place. Your guru is a jagatguru and I will guide you to him."

Once I was staying in Kurnool with my friend. When we went out, I heard two people talking among themselves and they were telling that at Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo was doing tapasya. I at once wanted to go to Pondicherry. I did not know about the Mother then. I left for Madras with my friend and from there I left for Pondicherry. In those days one needed a passport to go to Pondicherry. I did not know that, but somehow I arrived here without passport.

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Shri Kameswarji, one of the Ashram inmates introduced me to the Mother. On his advice, I wrote a letter to the Mother in Telugu. Amrita took it to Her. Next day morning, I was allowed to stand near Kameswarji for balcony Darshan. I believe that Mother told Kameswarji "He is not able to stand on his feet. What work will he do?" I was given work in the Dining Hall. This was during March, 1947. I

I had the grace of going to Sri Aurobindo's Darshan on April 24, 1947 for the first time. Then, and also whenever I went for Darshan, I saw Sri Aurobindo, a smiling person full of Peace.

From 1947 onwards I stayed in Ashram under Her care. I will now recollect a phenomenon for you: it is the Mother's meeting with people. She readily used to give free access to children especially, and elder people and sadhaks. We used to write letters and She gave replies. The Darshan schedules were not regular but the bhava behind Her action i.e. caring for the people who were with Her always continued under all circumstances directly or indirectly. Likewise when I found that I. could not work somewhere, She would gently put me somewhere else. Like that I worked with Khirod and Pranab.

Her early morning Darshan to us used to be between 6 to 6.30 in the morning— the balcony darshan. We used to stand on the street and She looked on all of us, pouring Her blessings. The day starts like that and then we go to our different workplaces. She used to personally meet us in the Meditation Hall of the Ashram—where you can now see a big photo of Her. There used to be a platform on which Her chair and foot-rest were placed. By that chair, in a tray, different flowers were kept. Mother gave special significance to flowers. Champaklal, Dhyuman and Kamalaben were mostly there assisting Mother. We used to go in a line carrying flowers in our hands; Mother received them directly from our hands, put them by Her side, and carefully selected particular flowers from the tray and turned and gave it to us with so much love, care, and compassion. These things cannot be explained in words. Sometimes She went into trance, sometimes attended outside calls, sometimes distress calls and all that used to take from a few minutes to

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half an hour, and you had to wait for your turn, till She was back. Some nights in the meditation hall, She used to sit on the chair in the same way and give blessings to all of us.

During Wednesday evenings—at playground—She used to give classes to children and we also used to attend. One devotee Padma who knows shorthand used to take notes and give to us. We used to make the draft which she corrected and sent to the Mother.

During 1971, Navajata started the 'All India Magazine' in English and Mother gave its Telugu publication work to me. She had said: "From sports, your aptitude has changed to literature"; it then turned to printing and publication. Now also, I look after printing and publication work of 'Arka', a Telugu magazine.

This world shall be God's visible garden-house,

The earth shall be a field and camp of God;...

Book XI

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