Living in The Presence

New Birthday Dress

This was a long time ago. I mentioned earlier that on my birth day, I used to offer the Mother something I had made myself. Let me tell you about one such birthday. That year, I had made a salwar-kameez for Her. I packed it in a beautiful box, selected some flowers and went up to see the Mother. I was wearing a thick cotton Saree with a fine blue border given to me from Prosperity and a white blouse. I waited my turn to go into the Mother's room. When my name was called I got in. The Mother looked closely at the salwar-kameez and liked it very much. "I will wear it this evening," She told me lovingly. After selecting flowers and two books by Sri Aurobindo to give me, She asked me, "Haven't you got a new birthday dress?" I said, "Yes, I have, Mother, but I wanted to wear something given by you." The Mother said, "Why, that new dress was not given by me?" As soon as the Mother said this, something resonated within me. As if a closed door had suddenly opened, and a new light shone on my mind and consciousness. This was the Mother's light, the divine Light. Instantly, I realised that whatever you get in life, the beautiful and the auspicious, everything is a gift from the Divine. This realisation was my greatest gift, my richest treasure of that day.

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