These 421 short stories are vibrant with the presence of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Here is a window into a fascinating world where "All life is yoga." These stories have the power to enlighten and elevate. The reader, while delightfully entranced, may also find his faith strengthened and discover that the flame of aspiration burns brighter in his heart. Gems of spiritual guidance abound throughout this treasure of lovingly collected stories. This is an extraordinary record of the Grace and guidance of the Avatars of the Supermind. Two stories are selected from the book and published below. We will read more stories on Sunday, 23 October 2011 at 6.00 pm for half-an-hour followed by OM Choir.
Auroville and the Russians
I was not involved in Auroville, but one day the Mother said to me, "You know, there is a hitch about the opening ceremony of Auroville. All the communist countries led by Russia are refusing to participate because in the Charter there is one line that says, `We accept to be servitors of the Divine Consciousness.' This concept they cannot accept." She asked me to go to Madras and speak to the Russian Consul-General. I enquired, "Mother, why did you pick on me?" She replied. "You just go, don't ask why." I persisted, "Mother, I don't know what to say. How would I know what to say?" She said, "Yes, I know, that's why you are going. Don't think of what you are going to say. You just go and I'll put the words into your mouth." So I went.
I was really struck by the warmth with which the Consul-General welcomed me. He said, "Auroville is such a beautiful concept, such a wonderful idea, we like it so much, but this one line we cannot accept. This word 'Divine' to us means God and our philosophy says that there is 'No God.' So we cannot accept because of that." Now the Mother put words into my mouth and what I said was not my own idea. I said, "All right, if you don't accept that let us see what you can accept. Do you accept the concept of progress?" He replied, "Certainly, certainly, our whole philosophy is based on progress." I said, "Oh, I'm very happy to know that. I know very little about your communist philosophy, but I am happy to know there is this idea of progress. But progress towards what?" He said, "Why do you have to progress towards anything? You can just go on progressing." I said, "What about the concept of progress towards perfection?" He exclaimed, "Ah! That is a very good idea. Progress towards perfection. Ah! that is wonderful. You have given us a new slogan for our party — Progress Towards Perfection."
He was thrilled with the idea. I added, "Finally we come to an Ultimate Perfection. What do you say to that?" He frowned and said, "Now you are becoming a philosopher. Ultimate Perfection means nothing to me. Just nice-sounding words. It doesn't mean anything, an empty phrase; it just sounds good, without any meaning. What is Ultimate Perfection?" I replied, "Well, I don't know what it means and what it does not mean, but what I know is, we have other words like that — we have 'zero,' we have 'infinity' — they also mean nothing and yet we have to accept them, especially in mathematics. You Russians are great mathematicians. If you remove zero or remove infinity, they will shoot you. You can't do without that." He said, "Ah! you have caught me nicely. It is a fact, you are right. Zero and Infinity also mean nothing. All right, we accept Ultimate Perfection." I said, "That is the Divine." He asked, "Is that so?" I replied, "The Divine is the Ultimate of everything. If you take perfection, it is Ultimate Perfection. You can take it anyway, give it any name, it is the Divine. Why should you object?" He said, "Oh! That puts quite a different picture on it. All right, we accept. We will come."
The story has nothing to do with my wisdom. It was only what came from the Mother. When I came back and reported what I had said, the Mother told me, "Udar, you have done very well. You have said exactly what I wanted you to say."
Auroville Inauguration Ceremony
For the actual ceremony, it was planned that a boy and a girl from each country would bring a piece of earth from their country, walk up the ramp to the central urn and put that earth into the urn. While this was being done, a representative from their country would read out the Charter of Auroville in the language of their own country and accept it on behalf of his country. It was a very beautiful concept. There had to be a Master of Ceremonies to call each country's name by turn and direct the ceremony. They proposed an American actor with a good voice. The Mother said, "I don't know who this American is. I want Udar there."
Thus I was pitch-forked into something I did not want. I had to go and be the master of ceremonies. The whole ceremony was very, very beautiful and it went perfectly, smoothly, without the smallest hitch, without even the smallest hesitation, so much so that the American Consul-General came to me afterwards and asked, "How many times have you rehearsed this ceremony?" I replied, "We have never rehearsed it." He exclaimed, "No?" "No," I emphasised. He commented, "I have seen so many ceremonies but I have never seen anything go so perfectly, without the slightest hitch or hesitation. Absolutely perfect, like a well-oiled machine."
This is how the Mother works and can work if the instruments do not put their own ideas in between.
On the last Sunday of each month, we read excerpts from the above book and share our insights. Do join us, if you have not already....
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