Champaklal's Treasures

Why Champaklal Does Not Like?

Once it happened that some photographs were before Mother' for autograph. I pointed to the photo of Sri Aurobindo (the one without the chair at the back) and said: Mother, I do not like this photo at all.

Mother looked at me with surprise and asked: What?

C: Yes, Mother, I do not like it.

Mother became a little serious in expression.

I went down and brought another photograph of Sri Aurobindo (the one with the chair in the background) and said: Mother, I like this one.

Mother held the photo in her hand, went on looking at it for a very long time. I moved away to my place at a little distance.

At that time Amrita was with Mother with some papers. She turned to him and said: There is vital force, a living life in this; that is why Champaklal likes it. In the other photo there is supramental light but no life. That is why he does not prefer it.

1923: Inmates of the Ashram

Top: Rajangam, Tirupati* Khitish*Nolinida* Satyen* Kanai* Bejoy* Purani* and Nagaratnam (a local devotee)

Centre: Punamchand* Champaben, Mrs. Kodandaraman, Mr. kodandaraman

Bottom: Champaklal, Moni* Amrita,* Manmohan.

The interesting part of the story is that when I began looking at that photograph (which I had not liked earlier) subsequently, that dislike disappeared completely.