Living in The Presence

  The Mother : Contact


My Second Birthday At The Ashram


My birthday on 14th December in 1952. I went to the Mother at half past eleven. The staircase leading up to Her was full with people waiting for their turn. I too sat down and waited near Sri Aurobindo's room. I was holding flowers in one hand and in the other a box containing the salwar- kameez I had stitched and embroidered for the Mother. All the young girls who were at the Ashram then, would always make something for the Mother with their hand and offer it to Her on their birthday. I used to offer Her a salwar-kameez that I stitched and embroidered. That year I had got from Calcutta some Salam-chumkis in golden zari to use for making the embroidered design on the Mother's kameez. The cloth for the kameez and the salwar I had got from Pondicherry: red velvet and red silk respectively. Whenever I could manage some time from my daily activities, I went to Vasudha-ben's embroidery department and worked on getting the salwar-kameez ready. No dress that the Mother wore was machine-stitched. It was always made by hand. When the Mother wore the red-bordered Banarasi zari silk sari, she indeed looked like a goddess. That is why I had selected the colour red this time. I spent a lot of time and care to prepare this offering and put into it all my love and devotion for Her.

    After some time, my name was called out. I got in and found the Mother standing in Her room. On seeing me, she lovingly smiled.

    The Mother - Bonne Fete, mon enfant! (Happy birthday, my child)

    I offered the flowers and the box to Her. She opened the box and looked at the salwar-kameez very attentively.

    The Mother - Is this for me?

    I - Yes, Mother.

    The Mother - Did you make it?

    I - Yes, Mother, I've made it.

    The Mother - (very sweetly) It's very beautiful.

    The Mother - (looking at the design more closely) It's very beautiful. Next time, though, don't give me anything in red.


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    The Mother looked at me very lovingly. She also looked at the flowers I had brought for Her, one by one, and then with Her left hand She took the flower called Promise of Realisation and moving the flower from one hand to the other She again concentrated on me for a short while. Then, keeping the flower in Her left hand, She placed Her right hand on my head and remained in a meditative state. I too closed my eyes and tried to be as conscious as I could in Her Presence. Only those who have had this opportunity of being with the Mother in this concentrated silence can understand the significance and importance of this experience. It cannot be expressed in words as it is a matter of deep personal experience. Then, I felt the Mother remove Her hand from my head and place the flower Promise of Realisation very meaningfully in my hand and then she said something marvellous to me in French, "O my dear child, a portion of the goddess of Beauty is present in you." I did not understand what this sentence really meant that day.

    Then, giving me the flowers one by one, she began explaining, "Here is Sincerity, Transformation, Peace. And here are your book and flowers. Aurevoir, mon enfant!" (See you again, my child)

    Bowing down to Her, I said, "Aurevoir, Douce Mere!" (See you again, Sweet Mother)

    Blessed by Her, I returned home and spent the birthday in quiet remembrance of Her.

    When the Mother went back from the Playground to the Ashram at night, I would go and stand next to Nirod-da's room beside the door leading to the staircase, in order to have one final darshan of Her. On my birthday too, I went and stood there. A while later, Pavitra-da drove the Mother back to the Ashram. Getting down from the car, She went straight under the covered corridor to Debu's room (Debu is Pranab-da's brother) while all of us waited in a line. Then, She came out of Debu's room and headed for the staircase next to Nirod-da's room. I was standing right opposite the door opening to the staircase. When She came near the staircase


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door, She looked at me and smiled, then got in, turned around and continued to look at me. I went up to Her carrying some flowers I had brought to put on the Samadhi. Offering these to Her, I bowed down to Her. She gave me a flower and holding my head with Her palms on either side, She blessed me. She then kissed me on my forehead and said, "Aurevoir, mon enfant! À demain!" (Aurevoir, my child! See you tomorrow!) "À demain, Douce Mère!" I replied.

    Slowly the Mother climbed up the stairs while I remained quite hypnotized staring in Her direction. A silent prayer welled up in my being, "Make me yours, O Mother! Make me yours!"


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