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The Mother and Sri Aurobindo
Integral Yoga in Their Own Words, One Quote at a Time!
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 Today, we would like to tell you a story of two souls – simple, beautiful and interesting! One soul is of ninety-five years old in her physical life while the other one is just of seven years! What is so interesting about them, then? It is, of course, their dedication to the Mother – their lives are so much devoted; you just call it very amazing! Let us take an example of the life of the Grand Maa, Mahalaxmi Ba. In a bed of a Nursing Home, unable to move by herself, she is the happiest, ever smiling, most talkative person in the whole Nursing Home! Her eyes are shining like a pearl, with full of smile and wit! Reason? A life time gift from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.  Yes, that is very true. In early 70’s, at her very first visit to the Ashram in Pondicherry, she was told first to go to the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo before the Darshan of The Mother. As she bow down on Samadhi, suddenly all inner obstructive layers were opened up and her soul bathed in an immense joy, it was so acute that after the Darshan of the Mother she lied down for all day without food. Her whole life is changed after this. You see her in Nursing Home, nothing of that physical atmosphere or people around her or her own pain and disability of the age can disturb her – she is as it is, in inner joy and cheerful mood! A true gift at the Samadhi of a great Joy of life – permanently opened up her Psychic Being, the Chaitya Pursha, who is the spark of the Divine itself!  Well, by the wall of her bed there are pictures of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo and a blessing card given to her by the Mother on her birthday and on Darshan. My friend, Shri Pankajbhai asked her: “Does the Mother come in your dream?” Her witty reply was: “She is right here by my bed, 24 hours all seven days, giving me constant Darshan, why she needs to come in dreams?!” So this is Mahalaxmi Ba – you can visit her at the Nursing Home in Perth Amboy, in the state of New Jersey, USA. * * * The other soul of a young pretty little girl is also shining with the same dedication to the Mother. ‘The Mother first’ is the motto in her life even at this young age! The glorious personality of the Mother is like constantly on her little heart and in thoughts. This makes her smile so special and her heart very peaceful like an early spring flower of Tulip! She moves and plays around like a chirping bird in the trees! She is Devna. She also lives in New Jersey, USA. Let us see her story.  In her family, there was a discussion going on. To move to a new house so that parents have the jobs nearby and children have a much better public school. Well, this little girl felt the crisis. She has to leave the school, her beloved teachers and friends of the school as well as in neighbor! Her heart was heavy and the mind was blank – ‘what to do now’ was a real painful situation. She was unable to express her concerns! May be she was silently praying to the Mother. The Divine did not change her situation but of course it changed her by putting new light and vibrations that changed her way of thinking. Once, while learning math with her mother, a brilliant positive thought came across her little mind and in that she found her solution! Afterwards she wrote down a small story. A story of an Apple, not an ordinary but the smart one! By the way in USA, an apple is a symbol of knowledge and growth. Let us enjoy it – Story Title: The Smart Apple Once there was a tree with a shiny apple. One day, a girl came to the tree. The tree said, “You may take this apple – but be very careful, don’t drop it. Mother will take care of you. This apple is smart. You will be smart in the school. No matter what school it is, you will still be smart!” When the family members saw and read this story, they just stunned! And they surprised so much when she was asked why there is an underline for the word ‘Mother’! she said she has mentioned the great Mother which is in the large picture in the prayer-room!     Yes, that was not her physical mind and its thoughts and reasoning and a beautiful imagination but the Psychic Light coming from the far above which has given such a solution for her crisis. Inner growth always brings a psychic solution which easily solves the pains and problems of day today life and takes the person towards new growth. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother mention the psychic growth as the first step for their yoga. Only the Psychic Being is the true guide and Guru. It changes our physical life and put us into immense harmony, love, joy, and light of the Divine which we see here in both stories. A true prayer always asks to the Divine for its Force, Love and Joy and not for any personal benefits, so that one can stand in any type of situation. Enjoy 'The Smart Apple' story reading in her own words: click the image- 
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Indian Coffee House In Pondicherry, from Ashram, when you go beyond the canal on Jawarharlal Nehru Street, after three cross roads you reach to a Cafe` on your left - yes, that is Indian Coffee House. Exact address is 125, Nehru Street, Heritage Town, Puducherry. Well, it is simply a Coffee House, what else about it !  Indian Coffee House during 1973-74 - Picture taken by 'John van der Woude'. Well, the Coffee House has its own special values and is known for - - it is one of the heritage buildings in Franch-indian style of Pondicherry. - it serves excellent traditional fine coffee. - it is operated by coffee workers' co-operative society. - It is a chain restaurant from the Coffee Board of India. - it is on Nehru Street with a large picture of Sri Nehru ji without his trademark cap - 'Nehru Topi'! - of course, the birth-place for the movie 'Life of Pi' too! Ask anyone in Pondy and will say it is just a different ! Why? It is because of its variety of visitors- Ashram residents, Aurovillians, Pondicherrians, expats and tourists. Some addicted to its coffee, some to its French Toasts and some to its traditional south indian Vada Sambhar and Dosai! Some, like me, love its old style high-ceiling, greenish walls, lazy fans, mixed smell of Coffee & Sambhar with the many noise of utensils, customers and outside traffic; with the slow sips of coffee! A perfect atmosphere for a writer! Frankly speaking, for most of them, it is coffee and conversation that matters - and you can sit here as much as you can! Well, well ! we are very near to its very brilliant historical point - ...that food, Conversations and free limitless time for sitting and to add, the surrounding bazaar full of items for livelihood and to catch some silent moments at Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother - believe me, all these made those very early Aurovillians this Coffee House, a must place to visit for their life on the far-off land of south India which is not yet much changed - even in this 'wi-fi era', it is the same! These early Aurovillians used to visit this Cafe` right in the morning or in the afternoon for coffee and breakfast on their only vehicle - bicycles, tying their younger kids on their back! Those warriors of the Divine Work upon the earth didn't have much money to entertain themselves with items of luxury and had no warmth of relatives and society. They were very simple, doing the very basic work of life so that they could devote most time to build a solid Divine Truth on this land as per the Mother's Dream, putting everything behind, even not cared for the great education and wealthy remarkable future of their young children! If India has written many attacks and wars with the invaders to her history, she must also write this bold helping hands of the foreigners to restore, rebuilt and rebirth to a new form of her great ancient heritage of spirituality! This cafe` on Nehru Street of Pondicherry - Indian Coffee House had not only provided these early Aurovillians just coffee and food to suit to their pockets but the humble staff of this cafe`always at their help. Never disturbed their children playing all over in cafe`, instead making them happy with some colorful free toffees! They used to keep an eye on these children when these foreigners were shopping around in the bazaar for grocery, chairs, traditional coir bed, or new a bicycle. The language was the barrier so the manager used to serve a free dish of many items of food to the whole group to acknowledge the taste. Well, that free time to sit in the restaurant at your wish was a real boon! The maps were laid down on the tables and the whole group engrossed in many discussions for hours - some maps were of the civil-drawings and plans of the buildings to built and some were of boundaries for growth and vegetation planting. Their gestures showed that they were discussing even very minute detail as if they had taken this task as a holy devotional prayer! Even today, it is the same practice and procedure among Aurovillians for bringing down a new plan. The result of these early activities at this Cafe` over a cup of coffee and food brought a slow but very sturdy growth of Auroville. Indian Coffee House became a silent witness and helper of the evolution for the dream of Auroville, a difficult and massive work to be accomplished for the Divine Truth in the very stagnant material life. It has its solid share and footprints in the history of Auroville. Even today, it is the landmark and meeting point for Aurovillians. My father, Dinubhai K. Dave, trained during 'A.B.Purani Era' in Gujarat, India and had worked some years in the Ashram type School of Late Sri Labhshankarbhai Vyas 'Navsarjan Vidhyalaya' at Nargol, Gujarat (his son and Ashram Student, Kiranbhai Vyas running a great Yoga Center near Paris in France - http://www.tapovan.com) used to talk to and told me many things which I was not able to understand. That was the time during 1977-79. Afterward, whenever I had visited Pondy, I paid a visit, (even in last January of 2016), this Cafe` too and remember those days. A salute to this Cafe` to be a mute witness of early Aurovillians' hardships, meetings, discussions, hopes, frustrations, their unforgettable activities and the great dream they were devoted too. Never forget to visit this simple Coffee House to pay your homage ! Thanks, Vijay Dave (vijaydave255@gmai.com - 67 Gloucester Road, parsippany, New Jersey, USA) |
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