The Mother : Contact
THEME/S
On 9th August of 1942, the three of us, my brother, Ma and I, reached Pondicherry. It was necessary to get permission from the Mother for Sri Aurobindo's and Her darshan. In those days the Ashram was not a large community and even the visitors who came from outside for darshan were not very many. Nothing like today. The Ashram made arrangements for the Visitors' accommodation only after the Mother had given permission for attending the darshan. A sadhak named Yogananda would fetch the visitors from the station and accompany them to their assigned place of accommodation. If the visitor was coming for the first time, he would also explain the other organisational details and help in the other necessary arrangements for the Dining Room coupon, etc. That year, we were provided accommodation in the ground floor of a two-story house behind the Governo's House. Amiyo-da, his mother, his brothers and sisters used to stay on the upper floor
In the evening, after our bath, we got ready to go to the Ashram. Yogananda had already informed us that the Mother's darshan took place in the evening. But we forgot to ask him about the exact time. Evening had set in when we came out of the house. I was most eager to have a glimpse of the sea and asked my brother if we could go by the sea-front to the Ashram. On my insistence he agreed. Ma, my brother and I were walking along the sea when we passed by a fountain spewing coloured water in a place called 'Selva Park'. I had never seen such a beautiful fountain. The glass tubes in different forms and shapes had different coloured water inside them and the shapes were of a bird, a kitten and even a mouse! Admiring this wonderful sight, I did not realize how much time I had
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we began climbing the stairs on the double! We reached the landing (where today is hung the message 'Cling to Truth') and from there I could see, standing on the last step above us near a door, a heavenly goddess! I had never seen anything like this before! She was wearing a white silk sari and her head was covered like a married Indian woman's. A diamond crown glittered on her head. How beautiful Her face looked and her complexion was the colour of a pink rose! Her divine smile was indescribable! This was the Mother I had seen in my dream in Calcutta! With that marvelous smile of Hers She stretched out both Her arms towards me. I ran up the stairs and fell at the Mother's Feet. Like soft lotus were her rose-coloured Feet! How long I remained with my head on those Feet, I do not recollect. Then the Mother raised me up with both Her hands. Then. . ..then She lifted my chin and kissed me on my forehead! I have no memory of what happened afterwards or how I came down. My memory is an utter blank. I just know that I was to be blessed with many more darshans of the Mother but the grace of that first darshan, that kiss on my forehead, that first exchange of looks, that experience will remain to me most significant. Perhaps on that day, at that very instant, I had received my initiation from the Mother.
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