Darshan

16

Moments to Cherish (Varadharajan)

Varadharajan

When Dr. Beena suggested to me that we should have a programme "Remembering the Mother" wherein those who had personal darshan of the Mother could share their remembrance, J was reminded of an incident with the Aspiration group that was meeting the Mother.

First, four to five people were meeting the Mother. When more wanted to go, She said: "I am going to ask you an indiscreet question: how many are sincere?" Well, if sincerity was the test for going to the Mother, I did not know how many of us would pass. But Her love and compassion was so great, She allowed us to go to Her. To speak of the Mother with the right attitude and correctly, is as difficult as being sincere. I invoke Her presence, Her grace to present everything in the right way and also in the right spirit.

I was given the work of dealing with the local people. I had asked what should be our attitude in dealing with the villagers. She had replied that the villagers have so long been treated as inferiors that they do not trust us and that if the Divine were to take the attitude of superiority, then the whole of mankind would be crushed in one moment.

I felt that She gave Her force to all equally, including animals and plants. Once She said that She had been told that in Aspiration there was a big number of cats and dogs. "You know, I have nothing against cats and dogs. I have kept some also at one time. I have been obliged to ask not to keep dogs. There are some diseases, rather serious and dogs and cats carry them. It is always impossible to avoid rabies and then it becomes dangerous and you will have to kill them which is not a pleasant

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business." She added, "All I am asking you to do is not to allow the number to increase in any case. One day you will come to me all in tears saying life has become impossible." All of us laughed. She was compassion incarnate.

At one time, two villagers had given through me one or two rupees each as offering to the Mother. The Mother asked me "Do they know of my existence?" I was very much moved—the Supreme Divine asking that question. I said, "Yes, Mother." She took out two blessing packets and said in Her liquid voice: "You will give them that (meaning the blessing packets). You tell them: 'The Mother is sending them for you. Keep that upon you, it will help you.'"

While in Aspiration I felt that the Mother is the Supreme Divine and there was a kind of reverential distance between Her and me. As time passed by, I began to feel that She is not only the Divine Mother but also the human Mother. The nearness grew, with the result that I felt that I could ask Her anything. Once I felt that I would do something which would make the Mother and me happy. This prayer of the Mother on 31.3.1917 came to me. "Thou hast heaped Thy favours upon me, Thou hast unveiled to me many secrets. Thou hast made me taste many unexpected and unhoped for joys, but no grace of Thine can be equal to this Thou grantest to me when a heart leaps at the touch of Thy Divine Breath." I wrote something on a piece of paper and gave it to Champaklalji. He read it and took the Mother's hand. The hand moved and with a single finger touched my heart. I concentrated with as much love and affection to give my whole heart to Her and my heart leaped to Her. And She responded beautifully. It physically confirmed to me what I had read.

In the Aspiration group, Bhagawandas used to put his head on the Mother's lap. Though I had long been wanting to do likewise, my being in the Aspiration group gave me the necessary push to place my head on Her lap, which is always in my memory.

Sometime during the early years, there was a lot of misunderstanding, parochialism and all such things between the local people and Auroville. There was a sort of crisis. Nobody could give a satisfactory solution. I felt that the Mother alone could give it, as it was a policy decision regarding their status

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in the context of Auroville. Also we had to tell those people what Auroville stands for. And I was really sorry that all this was happening in spite of the Mother pouring Her love in abundant measure. It was around September, 1970 and the Mother was not seeing anybody. Yet She had to be approached as the crisis had come near to physical violence. Andre-da, the Mother's son was one of those few persons who were meeting Her. I wrote a note about the situation and he agreed to take it to the Mother. I thought the Mother may give a blessing packet. Once my note reached the Mother it was alright for me.

Andre-da told me that the Mother had asked him to read the note. And in that note, among other things, I had written: "We see in society today that the rich are becoming richer and the poor poorer." I had added, "Auroville wants to show a new way of life." Keeping the first sentence intact, She added to it, "It is against this calamity that Auroville wants to fight." Even at that age and amidst her multifarious activities, She went through the entire note giving meticulous attention to the details.

As the last sentence in the note, I had written, identifying myself as a representative of the Tamil population, (as my work was connected with the Tamil people), "It is certain that the Tamil people will do all they can to realise human unity." I felt certain, because the Tamil spiritual culture is such a rich one. On that paper, the Mother wrote a big "Blessings". It was so BIG that it was a special one.

There was a time when Tamilnadu was not very receptive, but today there is a great opening in Tamilnadu towards the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Nowadays one has to wait for a long time as thousands of devotees from all over Tamilnadu come for darshan.

Thank you all.

A prayer, a master act, a king idea

Can link man's strength to a transcendent Force.

Book I,

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