Living in The Presence

  The Mother : Contact


The Day After


When I started working With Prithwisingh-da, I remained in the Publication department every day from 1.30 to 4. Except for Sundays, there were no other holidays. On Sundays, after lunch at the Dining-room, I would go to the Ashram and sit quietly beside Dyuman-bhai's room. It was marvellous to sit in the Ashram at that time of the day. The place was almost empty and the Samadhi, with hardly anyone around,

Page 42

looked even more beautiful with all the coloured flowers. The smoke of incense from the two incense-holders floated upward in the air towards the branches of the Service tree. Maybe one or two persons would come to bow down at the Samadhi at that time. I used to see Nirod-da pacing to and fro silently, a little away from the Samadhi, while Tehmi-ben worked quietly sitting on the threshold of the Bulletin office, next to Dyuman-bhai's room. At half past noon, she too went away. Around this time, the Ashram became almost empty. Sometimes I was the only one sitting there.

    The day after my birthday, a Sunday, I was sitting in front of Dyuman-bhai's room. That day Tehmi-ben was not there in front of the Bulletin office. An elderly Bengali lady and a young man sitting with her were chattering on at a distance. In those days, anybody breaking the silence and profound tranquility of the Ashram by talking loudly was considered most irksome. I went on looking in their direction, hoping to make them understand that their chatter was disturbing the prevailing peace. Every time I looked towards them, I noticed that they looked at me and said something to each other. So I stopped looking at them and tried to still my mind. All of a sudden, I noticed that the lady was standing next to me! She asked me, " What's your name, dear? Are you Bengali?" I told her my name. She continued talking, "I've liked you ever since I saw you. You are just the type of girl I am looking for my son to marry. That, over there, is my son. Is your mother here? I would love to go and talk to her. I would like to make a marriage proposal." I was flabbergasted! I could never have imagined that a human being could think of such things sitting near the Samadhi! I stood up exasperated and very bluntly told the lady, "Our mother here is the Divine Mother. I will tell Her about you." And with a visible huff I marched off.

    That day was a Sunday. The Mother did not see me on Sundays. I was to go to Her, as usual, on Monday evenings. However, after this particular Monday darshan, my evening darshans stopped and She asked me to come, from then on,


Page 43

on Sunday mornings with other people who would go to see Her in Her room individually.

    On that Monday evening, then, after the meditation, I went to the Mother and told Her briefly about this ridiculous incident. I was still new to the Ashram and did not know how to speak with the Mother. The Mother laughed heartily on hearing my story and then She remarked, still laughing, "Why didn't you tell her that you were already married! That you were married to the Divine!"


Page 44












Let us co-create the website.

Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.

Image Description
Connect for updates