Our Light and Delight

OUR LIGHT

AND DELIGHT

Foreword

This book took shape originally in response to the Mother's birth-centenary. The first article appeared in the special issue of Mother India dated 21 February 1978. The last was expected to coincide with the issue of January 1979 completing the twelve months of commemoration. But there was so much to tell and the public appreciation so warm that the idea of a set period was put aside and the flood of recollection allowed to go on until it came to a natural stop in July of the same year. Occasionally, side by side with the regular series other articles were written, bearing on the Mother and her work: they have been brought together in a Supplement.

The most concrete sign of welcome to the series came when my friend Harshad V. Mehta spontaneously expressed his wish to bring it out in book-form. This was the Mother's Grace indeed. But the loan available could be only a bright start, not a full covering of the course. Harshad happened to speak to his friend Maganbhai V. Patel. To his surprise his inspiration found an amplified echo in that old yet still visionary and adventurous heart. At once a plan was made to take up the major share of the expenses. Half of it was even offered as a gift, but I insisted on everything being a generous loan.

Thus the book was launched and the business of printing entrusted to the economical Andhra Bhavan Press at Pondicherry, which has carried out the project with constant goodwill and care.

My grateful acknowledgments are due to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust for permission to quote from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

The deepest thanks go to the Mother and the Master themselves for fostering through the years all my stumbling efforts to be their child and for filling my life sufficiently with their wonderful ways to enable me to remember and try conveying something of the varied interchange between the divine consenting to be human and the human toiling to be divine.

A. K.

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