Growing up with the Mother

Correspondence Concerning Family

In April 1955, my brother Jitendra met with a serious accident during wrestling, and had to stay for a whole month in the Madras General Hospital where my elder brother Narendra and I stayed with him throughout and nursed him. I did, however, return every Wednesday for the Mother’s class. Since I could not leave Jitendra and return to the Ashram for the Darshan on 24th April, the Mother sent me a card.

The following letter was written to the Mother from Madras.

Mother,

I shall try my best to make the best out of circumstances, so that when I come back you will find me a better child. Mother, I want to become a worthy instrument for your work. I always remember that you told us so many times that if one knows how to make the best out of things, one can progress in all circumstances. Mother, I am trying my best to remember you constantly. It is more difficult because I constantly have to concentrate on Jitendra and I don’t have much time to think. But I try always to remember that it is your work I am doing. It is difficult, but I think I am progressing. I can definitely feel your help and Grace and Jitendra can also feel it.

This is important. I have answered on your letter itself.

My dear child, I wish you could be here... for several reasons. But I know that Jitendra would feel very bad if you came back— and still his condition is very serious. So we shall have to pass through the difficulty, keeping faith and courage. Of course, I am with you and always will be.

Give my love and blessings to Jitendra and tell him that my force and help are always with him.

With my love and blessings.

May 1955

* * *

Sweet Mother,

My brother (Promesse) has started working in the Sports Ground at night along with some other boys. I do not know if this is all right for him after all the studies during the day and the physical education activities in the afternoon. He does not even take rest after lunch. He says he does not feel tired. Last night he returned from the Sports Ground at midnight, but he says that in future he will return earlier.

Mother, if you think it is all right, then I can let him continue.

If he does it with pleasure, it does not matter much at his age, provided it does not last for too many days. In any case, as soon as he feels tired, he must take rest.

Blessings.

Tara, my dear child.

Here is a card for your father on his birthday.

I have not been able to ask him to come on the 13^th as it will be absolutely impossible for me to see him and to give him the time that he expects from me.

The work continues to increase but the hours remain the same.

My love and my blessings are always with you.

11 August 1965

* * *

During the Indo-Pakistan war in September 1965, my sister-in­law, Anupama who was pregnant, wanted to come to Pondicherry but had some hesitation.

My dear Tara,

Here is a card for Anupama.

They can come to Pondicherry — but those who are afraid, are afraid everywhere. And one who has faith is safe wherever he may be.

9 September 1965

* * *

A generous heart always forgets the past offences and is ready to re-establish harmony.

I am sure your father has a generous heart and will return home to re-establish the disturbed harmony.

Let us all forget all that is dark and ugly in the past in order to make us ready to receive the luminous future.

With love and blessings.

My brother Jitendra’s first son was born on 29.11.67 at 11:29 a.m. I took a list of names to the Mother and She selected “Pranjal”.

Pranjal being placed on the Mother’s lap on 29-2-68 at around 11.29 a.m. (when he was exactly three months old)

Sweet Mother,

Jitendra’s second son was born yesterday, November 17th, at four o’clock in the morning. I would like you to choose a name for him. I brought some suggestions.

18 November 1969

From the names above, Mother chose the name “Riju”

* * *

Sweet Mother,

Today it is exactly nine years since Narendra left his body. Where is he now? Has he been reborn?

Narendra’s psychic being has entered into rest and is still there.

Blessings.

19 March 1970

* * *

Narendra with the Mother, 25.10.54

Sweet Mother,

When the psychic being has left the body and entered into rest, is it possible to have any contact with it? I often dream of Narendra and usually these dreams are very vivid. Is it because there is a contact with him, or does it come from my subconscious?

Most probably these are subconscious activities which have risen to the surface during your sleep.

The psychic rest is inactive, by definition.

But if you remember any of your dreams very exactly, you can tell me and I will see.

Blessings.

20 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother,

In my recent dreams of Narendra, I always see him in a very familiar setting, such as in our house, or at the Playground, or in the Ashram. And when I see him, I always have the impression that he has come back after a long time, from very far away. I never see him for very long, it is always just for a few moments, and even then he never speaks. Twice I asked him where he had been, but he just smiled without answering.When I wake up in the morning, I remember him very clearly, although I have no recollection of the rest of the night’s dreams.

In this case, your dreams seem to indicate that he has recently taken a new body without my being informed of it, which is quite possible.

It cannot be among the children I have seen, because I would have recognised him, but there are so many others.

Blessings.

21 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother

Isn’t there any way to find out definitely whether a particular psychic being has taken a new body or not?

There is a way.

You must go consciously into the psychic world and see whether you find the psychic being in question. If you see it, the matter is settled. If you don’t see it, you must concentrate on it in order to make contact, and ask it to show you which human body it is in. This can be a long and delicate task.

Would you like to try to do it?

Blessings.

23 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother,

I would very much like to try this experiment if You guide me.

I am ready to help you.

The first step is to consciously unite with your psychic being. Have you tried? If so, tell me what happened to you.

Blessings.

Sweet Mother,

My mind is in such a turmoil these days that I don’t feel any contact with my psychic being. I don’t think that I have a psychic being any more.

Don’t be sad, my dear child; your psychic being is still there, for if it had gone away, your body would not be able to live.

You may no longer be very conscious of its presence because your mind has become rather noisy, so you are no longer quiet enough to feel the psychic presence. But this can be cured. And since you told me that you would like to try, yesterday I chose this quotation from Sri Aurobindo to send to you:

“Aspiration, constant and sincere, and the will to turn to the Divine alone are the best means to bring forward the psychic.”

Fix a time every day when you can be free and undisturbed; sit comfortably and think of your psychic being with an aspiration to enter into contact with it. If you don’t succeed immediately, don’t be discouraged; you are sure to succeed one day. I only ask that you let me know what time you have chosen so that I can help you more consciously.

With all my love and blessings.

25 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother,

I will try to do it every day from 12.45 to 1.00 p.m. I will write to you if I succeed in doing anything. Help me, sweet Mother.

Good; it is a convenient time for me and you can be sure that I will help you.

Blessings.

Sweet Mother,

I am curious to know what you are going to do when you say that you will help me during my concentration every afternoon.

I am going to concentrate on you and if something of your consciousness responds, I will lead it to the psychic world to take up the search.

But I must tell you that during the night of the 25^th to the 26^th , between three and four in the morning, I saw a little boy who seemed to be about two years old; I took him with me and put him on your lap, saying, “Here, he is (Narendra).” The child was very sweet and very conscious, but I know nothing about his parents nor, of course, about his present name.

But all the same, I hope that this will make the meeting more likely and if I see him physically, I will recognise him. Blessings.

27 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother,

Are you sure that Narendra will come back to the Ashram in his next birth?

No, it is not at all certain.

Do beings who have been in contact with You in one life always come back to You in their new lives?

The number of beings who consciously return to a place of their choice is very small.

Those who have returned are mainly the beings who, before leaving their body, asked to return in a new one.

But everything is possible.

Blessings.

28 March 1970

* * *

Sweet Mother,

Parul told me that for several months Narendra knew that he was going to die and often he told her that he would definitely come back here when he was reborn.

Then this child whom I saw and put on your lap is sure to come here, and we will recognise him.

Blessings.

31 March 1970

After writing the sentence above, the Mother went into a long trance, then asked me if there was any small child in the Ashram to whom I felt very close. I told Her that I did not have any contact with very small children in my work, so I did not feel close to any child. She told me that if there was any child to whom I felt close, maybe we could find out who it was. I then told Her that while in Delhi the previous year, when I had gone for my sister Purnima’s wedding, I did feel very close to Jitendra’s elder son, Pranjal. The Mother asked me to bring his photograph.

Photograph of Pranjal shown to the Mother

The next day, I showed Pranjal’s photograph to the Mother. She immediately recognised him as the child She had put on my lap and identified him as Narendra’s soul.

* * *

Sweet Mother,

How is it possible to remember one’s past lives?

It is through contact with the psychic that one gets fragmentary memories of past lives—the memory of events in which the psychic took part.

This happens spontaneously when these same elements of the psychic become active again.

Any deliberate mental effort is liable to produce misleading imaginations.

Blessings.

3 April 1970

* * *

Viresh is my sister Purnima’s elder son. The following three questions are about him.

Sweet Mother,

Many people who see little Viresh say that there is something very special about him. I would like to know your impression.

There is certainly a conscious soul in him, but at the moment I don’t know who he is. Later on, it will be clearer.

Blessings.

Viresh, my sister Purnima’s son, was born in Pondicherry on 5^th March, 1971. I would often talk about the child to the Mother when I went to see Her.

Sweet Mother,

This morning you said that the 16th was a special date for Viresh. Is it only the 16 of September or every 16 ? Could you tell me what is special about this date?

It is the 16th of every month. We will know why when we know who he is.

5 September 1971

* * *

Sweet Mother,

I would like to know why you gave the significance “Bold” for Viresh’s name.

I gave the name “Bold” because that is the impression his character gave me.

Blessings.

9 September 1971

* * *

On his first birthday I got another occassion to request the Mother to photograph Her with the child. I went along with my mother and Purnima and took several photos of Viresh with the Mother.

Viresh with the Mother on his first birthday on 5.3.72