Amal Kiran's Correspondence with The Mother

Notes on the Texts

Series Two—Amal Kiran. Originally named K. D. Sethna, Amal Kiran lived in the Ashram for two long periods: from 1927 to 1938 and from 1954 to 2011. His correspondence covers both periods (as well as the fifteen years in Mumbai between periods). During the first period, Amal was head of the Furniture Service and had a number of personal and family problems; his exchanges of this period reflect these concerns. During the second period, his primary work was editing the monthly review Mother India; much of his correspondence during this period is related to his work as editor.

Most of the Mother’s important replies to Amal have already been published, but they have always appeared here and there by subject, never together. A large number first appeared over the years in issues of Mother India. A smaller number first came out in 1980 in Amal’s book, Our Light and Delight. All these replies were then published in 1980, in Words of the Mother I–III, Volumes 13–15 of the Collected Works of the Mother, but in those volumes they were arranged by subject.

The present book comprises all the entries mentioned above and many more. Prepared from Amal’s manuscripts, it includes a number of personal letters about his family and friends never published before. It also includes the Mother India texts sent by Amal to the Mother for approval of publication. All these texts, presented in chronological order, chronicle Amal’s written exchanges with the Mother over several decades. What emerges is a sense of the relationship between the Mother and her bold, spirited, intelligent disciple. The correspondence is in English, with a very few exceptions. It is presented here for the first time in this form.