How much they loved India!⁹

Mother Teresa begged and begged the Indian Government for years to give her a pass to travel for free from one place to another in India. They would not give it to her. Then she said, “Let me be a stewardess! Only allow me to travel.” She had no qualification, but she said, “Any kind of job you want to give me on the plane, I am ready to do. Any kind of work I will do; only please allow me to travel for free. I have no money. I want to go from one place to another to serve the poor people.”

Finally Prime Minister Indira Gandhi saved her. She did a very good thing. She was the one who said, “Anywhere in India you can go with a free ticket. You do not have to pay.” She could not fly first class or business class; she had to travel in economy class. But at least she could fly. I am so grateful to Indira Gandhi for saving Mother Teresa.

Mother Teresa had some enemies. In her book she wrote that she thought love could conquer everything, but eventually she saw that love could not conquer everything.

Some people do not suffer much before they become well known throughout the length and breadth of the world. But in the case of Mother Teresa, her suffering was simply unimaginable. How much she loved India and how much she suffered!

The same thing happened with Sister Nivedita. How much they both loved India! And they suffered so much.

At least in Mother Teresa’s case, she got appreciation and it lasted for a long time. In the evening of her life she got name, fame, appreciation and admiration from Indians. But poor Sister Nivedita got all her appreciation after her passing. She said, "I am not in politics. I only mix with people and bring news about how to save the country, to save my India." She brought information to Sri Aurobindo also. She used to mix with the English people and get secret information to help India. She said, “Mine is not the so-called politics. Mine is a service to Mother India.” Sad experiences she got everywhere, although she gave tremendous service to India.

Sister Nivedita wrote a book about her Master, Swami Vivekananda, and Sri Aurobindo said, “Her own blood she used to write the book.” Sri Aurobindo had such appreciation for that book, The Master As I Saw Him.

An Irish lady did so much for India! Her father knew what she would do. On his deathbed he said to his wife, “When the time comes, do not prevent her from doing what she would like to do.”

At what time life changes for the better, we do not know. In Ireland, before she came to India, Sister Nivedita’s boyfriend had a serious car accident and he died. Immediately she turned towards God. Some say that if her boyfriend had not died, God knows whether she would have taken to the spiritual life. I do not believe it! When the time comes for the spiritual life, a boyfriend or girlfriend is not important. When the time arrived, Sister Nivedita accepted the spiritual life.

Sister Nivedita helped so many great Indian figures. When they were about to be arrested by the British, she would go and tell them. When Sri Aurobindo was about to be arrested for a second time, immediately she came and warned him. For a few months she was editing Sri Aurobindo’s newspaper. She copied Sri Aurobindo’s style so that the British Government would not suspect anything.