The Holy Mother

Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies of Philosophy, Madras University

Numerous spiritual aspirants all over the world would have felt a deep personal loss when they heard the passing away of the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. Although one knows that all that is made must at one time or another disappear; although one is convinced that spiritual guidance may come through non-physical means, one feels nevertheless forlorn when the physical frame through which spiritual light had been radiating is suddenly withdrawn. A long life spent in collaboration with one of the great spiritual leaders of this country in his mission of spreading the benefits of integral Yoga has come to an end. The one who was the Mother to thousands of Sadhakas is no longer in the realm of physical existence.

Great as was the vacuum apparently created by the demise of Sri Aurobindo in 1958, it was soon filled by the Mother who assured the world that although SriAurobindo had left his body, he had not left earth’s atmosphere and that he would be there to see the work begun, completed. One may apply the same words in the case of the Mother, too. In fact, the universal salvation ‘Sarvamukti’ is the ultimate goal, the cumulative guidance of all the saints and sages must be available to humanity till the end.

The Mother was the focal point of an immense organisation in Pondicherry. Even a casual visitor to the Ashram was struck by the perfect order that prevailed there by the precision and thoroughness that marked every aspect of the Ashram life. One saw how the inward life could be pursued unhampered in modern establishment of vast dimensions, and how through disinterested dedication and real quest for spiritual progress, the most ordinary functions of corporate life could be lifted beyond their limitations.

Both Sri Aurobindo and the Mother taught that the aspirant should overcome the external conditions that prevail in the world through his inner horizon. One of the sayings of the Mother is to this effect: “He who lives to serve the truth is not affected by outward circumstances.” One may reasonably expect the Ashram affected as it is, by this latest outward circumstance, to grow out of it and continues its service in the cause of spirituality, in the way laid down by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

There was the occult side to their lives which is after all not so important. These leaders, like all the other great ones, have warned their followers against the lure of the occult. Most people, who are in the pursuit of the occult, have as their aim, the acquisition of super-normal power and the gaining of temporal and earthly advantage by the exercise of such power.

But this has nothing to do with spirituality. It is the realisation of the non-dual spirit that should be the goal of every aspirant and not occult display.

Apart from the rapid advance in one’s spiritual life, the Mother has placed before the aspirants many corporate goals. In fact, the latter are but aids to spiritual progress. One of the basic corporate objectives is to make available to children the ideal type of education. Many of the woes from which the world suffers today are the fruits of mal-education. Sri Aurobindo set down the principle of true education in the Words. “The child’s education ought to be an outbringing of all that is best, most powerful, most intimate and living in his nature. The mould into which the man’s actions and development ought to run is that of his innate quality and power. He must acquire new things, but he will acquire them best, most wholly, on the basis of his own developed type and in-born force. The chief aim of education should be to help the growing soul to draw out that in itself which is best and make it perfect for a noble use.” The education pattern generally in the world at present is far from being in consonance with the true aim of education. The Mother started in the Ashram the new experiment in education and bestowed upon it her constant and personal care. Not only should this experiment succeed there, but it must become pervasive and even universal, in order that a new human race could evolve.

Related to Sri Aurobindo’s concept of education is the ideal of human unity that he placed before man. Human progress is intimately connected with the evolution of ‘one world.’

While physical barriers between countries also nations have almost been banished, the mental barricades are still there making for strife and disharmony largely because of wrong education. The nations should realise that they are all members of one human race. What should govern their conduct towards one another is the principle of free and harmonious mutuality? It was to serve as a model to the world in harmonious living that the Mother conceived of and laid the foundations for Auroville. When the experiment is completed, it will undoubtedly serve as a living memorial to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

India has been the chosen land for showing to the world in a consistent and eminent way, the value of inward life. This does not mean that there have not been slidings on the part of the nation and periods of oblivion, stupor and sloth. But there have appeared in this country, from time to time, great seers and saints who have repeatedly held aloft before the people, the glory of the life of the spirit. To this luminous line of true leaders belongs Sri Aurobindo. In 1914, the Mother met him and in 1920, she came to live in Pondicherry. Since then, India became her spiritual home. The greatest homage that we could pay to her is by striving to become worth, of the precious heritage that is India’s.
–Courtesy Akashvani

“Only he who loves can recognise love. Those who are incapable of giving themselves in a sincere love, will never recognise love anywhere, and the more the love is divine, that is to say unselfish, the less they can recognise it.”
–Mother