Visions of Champaklal

“True Child” of The Mother – Champaklal

"Our normal consciousness is at such a low level that it becomes a hindrance to the growth of the Psychic Being, the soul. The “true child” of the Mother, Champaklal, as the Mother herself has called him, is a creative, living symbol of the growth of the Psychic Being—without any interference from mental thinking. In this case, the journey of his soul to the higher levels of consciousness became possible by penetrating prayer, deep meditation and continuous contact with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, who are, to Champaklal, manifestations of God.

Champaklal was born in Patan, Gujarat, on 2-2-1903. Even as a young boy he lost interest in everything except God. He did not like going to a school for formal education. Perhaps his mind, even at that young age, did not want to be conditioned by the standards of the text books and wanted to soar above the ordinary phenomena of the world; it wanted wisdom and “the Light that illumines” and the knowledge of eternal Truth.

At the age of 15, Champaklal met a devotee of Sri Aurobindo, who asked him to follow the Yoga of Sri Aurobindo. His desire to see Sri Aurobindo grew very strong and along with a few other devotees he first arrived at Pondicherry on April 1, 1921. During his stay of eight days in Pondicherry, he met Sri Aurobindo every day and he used to have very interesting conversations with him. Champaklal told Sri Aurobindo during one conversation that he sometimes felt peace and saw light also at times, to which Sri Aurobindo replied, “You see, the peace which you feel shows that God is near you. Light shows that you can meet him in that peace. Gradually, you will be able to stay in this.”

The forecast came true and finally in 1923 Champaklal came to Pondicherry to offer himself in the service of the Divine. He dedicated himself to the practice of Integral Yoga under the guidance of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The Integral Yoga as developed by Sri Aurobindo aims to enhance the experience of God-Consciousness in men, matter and nature..

He served both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother for over five decades in a manner that is unprecedented. He had the rare privilege of living with them as their attendant. He won the hearts of many people with his sincerity, straightforwardness, humility and love. He endeared himself so much to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that be became their blessed child. They poured their Grace on him not only during the five decades when he untiringly served them but even after they had left their physical bodies Champaklal has been breathing their Grace always and ever. The Mother had affectionately called him, besides “My True Child”, “My Lion” and “a part of my being”.

For Champaklal, art has a spiritual value as a process and a discipline that can lead to the attainment of the Divine. The training, the constant living immersed in the atmosphere surcharged with the presence of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and the single-minded practice of spiritual disciplines under their direct supervision resulted in awakening more keenly his subtle perceptions and in his flowering as an artist. His paintings, which are given in this book and on the cover page, are born out of his visions reflecting his consciousness and inner perception of Reality. The Mother wrote about his drawing of the lotus, “Full of light... There is a luminosity in it, in the colouring.”