Work as Sadhana Under the Mother's Guidance

Through this book we get to know how the Ashram grew and developed from early times and, along with it, the importance of work as a means of sadhana for the individuals living here—the sadhaks and sadhikas, young and old. Chitra-di has made a precious collection from journals, memoirs, and reports of personal experiences of many people who have lived their lives in the Ashram. They have told of their work, which they did under the guidance of the Divine Mother, and their stories bring out their beautiful interactions with the Mother: her loving guidance and concern for the person as well as the minute sense of perfection in the execution of the work. She was Mahasaraswati incarnate as described by Sri Aurobindo:

A mother to our wants, a friend in our difficulties, a persistent and tranquil counsellor and mentor, chasing away with her radiant smile the clouds of gloom and fretfulness and depression, reminding always of the ever-present help, pointing to the eternal sunshine, she is firm, quiet and persevering in the deep and continuous urge that drives us towards the integrality of the higher nature.

It would be impossible to mention all the names of the people who have shared their treasured interactions with the Mother. I might not be able to do justice to them. Yet I am tempted to mention one particular person because I knew her quite closely. She was my teacher, gentle and loving. The advice the Mother gave her is quite similar to what the Mother told us years later. I was touched by the frank account Suprabha-di has given about the work of teaching:

Though I was not very much interested in teaching, the Mother always encouraged me in that. She used to say that to teach others one learnt ten times more than while just studying. The Mother told us about Her stay in Japan during which [time] She used to take classes. These were so interesting that students of other classes would flock into Her class.

We too in our time have seen this aspect of the Mother, firm and compassionate. As we grew up and completed our studies in the Higher Course, some of us wanted to pursue further studies in the Advanced Course. We expressed our wish to the Mother. She agreed provided we first started to work in some Ashram Department. We were quite surprised. We thought she would be happy that we wanted to further our knowledge, our education.

The first quotation by the Mother printed in this book, “Let us work as we pray, for indeed work is the body's best prayer to the Divine”, is one we have grown up with. We saw it every day at the Dining Room. We read it automatically, every time we passed through that room. When the Mother told us that we should first start working before continuing our studies, this quotation flashed in our minds and the next time we passed by it, we paid more attention. “Work” was the key word in the quotation, and it would be the key word for our future life.

The following writing from Sri Aurobindo will give a correct insight into the importance of work in his yoga:

One cannot be said to be in the full yogic condition – for the purposes of this Yoga – if one cannot take up with willingness any work given to one as an offering to the Divine. At one time I was absolutely unfit for physical work and cared only for the mental, but I trained myself in doing physical things with care and perfection so as to overcome this glaring defect in my being and make the bodily instrument apt and conscious. It is the same for some here.

What a humble statement from one whose life was wholly given for the purpose of yoga! He then continues to explain:

A nature not trained to accept external work and activity becomes mentally too top-heavy, physically inert and obscure.… I am speaking of course from the point of view of the ideal—the rest depends upon the nature.

In his book of memoirs, Champaklal Speaks, Champaklalji notes some other examples of Sri Aurobindo’s “doing physical things with care and perfection”:

Sri Aurobindo was himself recording the reading of the electricity meter which was fitted in the bathroom upstairs.…

In the Meditation House, Sri Aurobindo used to arrange one vase of roses every day and keep it on a small table in Mother's dressing room.… At nightfall he would take all the flower vases from the rooms and leave them on a table…in the passage.… Mother did not like flowers to remain in the room at night.

In this connection I will mention someone we knew closely. This person had come here at quite a young age, but as he had a cervical spine injury his physical activities were very much restricted. So he spent most of his time reading. He loved history and thus became quite proficient in the subject. It was suggested he could teach History in our school. To everybody's surprise the Mother vehemently opposed it. On the contrary, she sent him to work at Cottage Industries. The physical work there was not heavy but it helped him to regain the nervous coordination of his hand movements, and slowly his condition began to improve, as did his general health. Such wisdom and consideration was beyond our understanding. The work the Mother chose for him was salutary for his physical well-being. Of course, later he did teach History and other subjects in our school.

As I read through the book and learnt about the different departments and how young girls were sent to work there according to their inclination and interest, I could not but think about our days—how the Mother chose different work areas for us. She sent some of us to teach. She told us that for those who could teach, it was the best means for their progress. It would be our field of growth. To someone who was scientifically minded, she proposed work in the Handmade Paper Unit, which, she told her, would be very interesting. She sent another girl to work in Auroville, then in its birth throes, and explained to her with what attitude she should work there. Some other girls were sent to the Embroidery Department; another was trained to keep accounts.

In this book we get a glimpse of the various departments in the Ashram burgeoning under the Mother's minute supervision. Of course many members did multiple jobs. They worked at the Press, taught at the school, were captains in the evening! It was the same in our time too. Our lives moved in a flow of activities dedicated to the Mother, and we were happy. We never thought work to be chores.

Even our mothers would find time to work somewhere in the Ashram. In spite of their household work, they would find time to work at some department. As a child I have seen my mother go to the Cycle Department from where filtered water was distributed. As she sat there for two hours there were times when nobody came to take water. So she made use of that time to learn French from M. Benjamin who worked there too. My mother wanted to learn French so she would be able to read the Mother's writings in the original. The Mother kindled such aspiration in most people and encouraged them wholeheartedly.

The Mother took keen interest in sports and games and physical education. A strong physical and a healthy mind are essential for doing the sadhana:

Under the guidance of the Mother, the Ashram expanded manifold. She kept an eye on all things, big and small, important or seemingly insignificant. Nothing was left out of Her view.…

In this way the Mother moulded us. Under Her care and protection, through unlimited freedom and opportunities given by Her, we, Her children, grew.

This book is not just a happy chronicle of the past to be read with fondness. No, it is very relevant to this day. As a matter of fact, the problem of explaining to people about working with the right attitude is what might have inspired Chitra-di to write this book—she is associated with the distribution of work in the Ashram for ashramites, volunteers, and visitors. Unfortunately, everybody's attitude towards work is not the same, as Chitra-di notes:

[O]ne observes differences in the actual performance. The attitude in the work varies with each individual and it is that which gives its real value to the work done.

Some people do the job because it is a routine they have to follow in order to stay here…They do their duty and expect much in return. They seem to consider their own needs only.

I have myself heard some volunteers remark, “We are not ashramites, these regulations don't apply to us!”, and so they take liberties which disrupt the regular discipline of the work.

When we are allowed to serve the Mother, isn't it a grace conferred on us? By serving the Mother we are not doing a favour to the Mother or the Ashram. The gain is ours. The moment we say we want to offer our services to the Mother, no matter the intention, the Mother takes us into her arms. Her unlimited, unconditional Love and Protection bind us to her and Sri Aurobindo forever. Their grace is infinite. Need we more?

One could suggest to all those who come to work in the Ashram to read this book as a way of understanding the place and value of work here. It is a must-read book for all of us to have the right attitude in our service to the Mother.

—Krishna Dundur

Krishna-di completed her studies at SAICE in 1965 and was made a teacher by the Mother. She continues to teach here with great pleasure. It was her privilege to have had Sri Aurobindo’s Darshan and to have participated in the work of building the Samadhi.

Reviewed in July 2020