Champaklal Speaks

Preface to the First Edition

Champaklal does not write. He may draw, he may paint, he may design new perspectives drawing encomiums from even such a profound artist as the Mother, but writing, no. He will tell you that he is not used to it.

Champaklal will not speak either. For did not Sri Aurobindo ask him as long back as in 1934 to be careful in what he speaks? He wrote to him: Be more guarded in your speech. You are in a special position and one of great trust and whatever you say is taken up and commented on, so you must be careful that nothing should go out from you which ought not to be said or known. To talk less and not be too unguarded in your speech should be part of your discipline of sadhana.

And yet who would leave him alone? Certainly not one like myself who has been used to his casual remarks revealing unsuspected depths, opening new dimensions, while waiting by his side for my turn to be called by Mother. For years I have listened and grown wiser.

For many of us he has been a model in more ways than one. I recall an occasion when someone said to Mother: Make me your child, like Champaklal. Mother replied: If you want to become like that you must undergo a very hard discipline. Ask him how hard a discipline I have given him.

Much later she was to tell Champaklal: When people ask for work and want to live with me, I give them your name and say, 'First you become unselfish like Champaklal.'

Some years ago I had occasion to write a birthday tribute to him under the title, "The man I love". I seek the indulgence of the reader to reproduce it here as I cannot improve upon it:

Someone had asked Mother for the meaning of her message, "Cling to Truth". What is truth was the query.

The Mother turned to each one who was around and looked for the answer; She passed from person to person till the turn came of this one. He replied:

There is no need to define truth; if one is sincere, one knows what truth is.

Exactly, said the Mother who was pleased with the straight answer.

That is my man. Straightforward in nature, he always goes straight to the heart of things. He may protest that he is not learned in philosophy and other such high subjects. But that is his virtue. Give him any piece of writing, make him listen to any discourse, he will immediately react to the right note if there be one.

Raso vai sah. Nothing is too high or too low for him. He will listen to the talk of a child with as much concentration and glow on his face as to a profound conversation by the Mother, music, painting (classical and futurist), handwork, manual labour — all claim his impartial and entire attention when they come before him. He exercises no preferences; to him all is samam brahma, the watchword of every yoga.

He will again protest that he does not know yoga and say that he is only a worker whose Mantra is Service. True, he is the embodiment of Service and the manner and the extent to which he has been privileged to serve both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother for over five decades has no parallel. Neither food nor sleep has a claim over his time. But the quantum of service has no value for him. Did he not one day say to the Mother in the anguish of his soul: Mother, all these years, I have served as I wanted to serve; now I want to serve as you would want me to do.

And why has he chosen to serve? Because it is his spiritual Dharma. In his very childhood he perceived that Service to the Divine was the mould of his soul. He serves the Divine in and as the Guru, the Mother Supreme; but he also serves the Divine in the endless humanity that comes to the Mother's Feet. Yes, he serves you and me also. He will never allow a wrong to pass unrighted, however humble be the victim involved. I have always held that he is the one man in our world here who stands for principles and who will fight for them, no matter what the consequences be.

No doubt certain elements tend to exploit his nature and at times do succeed. But that is not because he is really deceived. He deliberately allows the benefit of the doubt to others, sees some good or deliverance coming to them through whatever apparent evil.

All of us know he will not suffer fools and knaves for a moment; they call out his wrath in an ample measure. But Rudra soon yields to Shiva. He feels immediately sorry for his temper and makes up for it abundantly and gracefully. Like a child, bālavat, he will tell you how anger has been his curse, how he cannot help it until you begin to feel sorry for creating a situation that caused the flare-up!

Can you help loving such a man? So evolved, so privileged, and yet so transparent, so humble!

I have watched him from a distance, come into closer contact with him for some time, and what I have seen, felt and experienced made me exclaim one day, in his presence, to a friend: He is the one man who can be an ātmaratih (one whose delight and contentment is in the Self) of the Upanishad. He is so impersonal in attitude, he is attached to nothing.' He, however, came down on me. He started cataloguing all his supposed defects, and vehemently disclaimed what I said. I was moved by his humility and strengthened in my conviction.

Why don't you tell us his name, you might ask. Is it really necessary to do so? Is there any other like him?

So that is Champaklal. Dear to all of us, as much on his own account as the rare recipient of the Grace of Sri Aurobindo and Mother for full five decades as their blessed child and privileged servitor. When I commenced work upon the book Breath of Grace containing testaments of some of the disciples of the Masters, some years ago, it was but natural that I should approach Champaklal first. But he was understandably reluctant to talk. I respected his feelings, admired his reticence and did not press him further. But my aspiration to record at first hand the impact of the Personalities of Sri Aurobindo and Mother on the spiritual world of today and to convey some idea of the God's Labour they have put in for the elevation of man had its response ultimately and early this year he agreed to share with me his reminiscences, letters and notes. I was most grateful and took up pen and paper that very moment.

1. Not even the standards by which he lays great store normally. In moments of crises, I have seen him overpass them, in deference to the Divine Will, without the least regret. He has not studied Sri Aurobindo's Essays on the Gita, to be sure, but he acts spontaneously in the spirit of the Master's Call.

It has taken quite a few months to collect and sort out the vast material that is strewn in his innumerable papers, note-books, diaries etc. Everywhere the problem was what to say and what not to say at the present moment. However, with his patient co- operation and unobtrusive guidance some kind of shape has emerged. The material gathered and classified as approved by him — those who know his meticulous nature will appreciate my mention of this fact of approval — has been arranged as follows:

Recollections and Diary notes;

Spiritual Games that the Mother played with sadhaks;

Birthday Messages;

Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother;

Letters on Champaklal;

Some letters written by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother mostly to devotees connected with Champaklal;

Some valuable notes and memos left by the Mother with Champaklal now and then;

Quotes from the Mother's observations, remarks and replies, recorded by him.

A few years ago, when he received from Mother some colour pencils, Champaklal casually drew some patterns and wrote therein the Names so dear to him. On seeing the paper, Mother remarked that it would be very good for a book-cover. And naturally enough that design has been chosen for the cover of this book.³ And it is apposite too. For what Champaklal Speaks is nothing but Mother Sri Aurobindo, Mother Sri Aurobindo.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. M. P. Pandit

6.9.1974