The Creator in His dreaming has created
this immortal thing in creation,Figuring as a common creature,
forgetful of his Self:A mystic reason makes Him hide
His own form and nature,Ever at labour in working out
the Impossible:To transfigure Nature, to establish the
Transcendent here on the bosom ofmaterial Earth,
To feed the divine sacrificial Firewith this human body,
With this bounded frame.Lo, the timeless hero-worker
with his flaming faith,Indifferent to the rude impacts of Reality,
Dreaming the victorious Mother'swonder-dreams,
Shaping in his heart of heartsthe golden garden of Paradise —
A faultless, sleepless, pureself-dedication
Has built this life into a piece ofIMMORTALITY.
```AFN 1. Translated from Bengali by Nolini, 19 September 1962.↩
> True humour springs not more from the head than from the heart. It is not contempt; its essence is love. It issues not in laughter, but in still smiles which lie far deeper.
> — Thomas CarlyleAmrita: The reason is very simple. Will you believe me if I tell you?
Motakaka: Certainly. By all means.
Amrita: It is because I am wanting in capacity, competence and authority.
AFN 3. Translated from Bengali.↩
Satinath: Naturally she will be nervous. In the old days Sri Aurobindo was there to remove all your anxieties. But who is there for her now?
Amrita: Why, Satinath, the Mother is there for her. You are right in saying that Sri Aurobindo came very close to us, but we could not catch hold of him. Similarly, the Mother has come very close to us, but she has been caught — you can say, very tightly and badly caught!Amrita: Yes. Alas, I can compete with or equal Nolini only in this respect. Perhaps this time I am the winner.
Priti: I am sorry, but here also Nolini-da has won.
Amrita: How and why?
Priti: You have only a cold, but he has a cold and a cough as well.
Amrita: Since I have lost in this competition also, I have no hope of defeating Nolini in anything in this life.
AFN 5. Translated from Bengali.↩
Amrita: That is no surprise, for our minds are also filled with the same ink.
Motakaka: Wonderful! I wish to tell you that I do not want to have even one more drop of ink in my mind than you have in yours. In that case, Mother will grant me liberation without fail.
Amrita: Liberation? In my philosophy liberation is an escape. That is deception. After staying at the Ashram for so long, do you want to deceive the Mother? For God's sake, do not deceive her!
AFN 6. Translated from Bengali.↩
Amrita: Who else should be the judge of Nolini's English, if not I?
Chinmoy: It is not a matter of English. He wants to know if your ideas are properly conveyed after the necessary corrections have been made.
Amrita: Nolini understands my ideas far, far better than I myself do. Go and tell him that I am not competent to correct his English, but I do have the audacity to correct his Bengali.
AFN 7. Translated from Bengali.↩
Amrita: Have you read the book?
Chinmoy: Quite a few years ago I read it. Unfortunately, I cannot appreciate it.
The following day Amrita returned the book to Chinmoy with this remark:
> I found nothing striking in the book. Go and return it to Sisir.
Chinmoy: Did you ever care to read W. McMordie's English Idioms or A.C. Dey's Hidden Treasure?
Amrita: McMordie's English Idioms I do not remember ever reading, but Hidden Treasure I saw once in Nirod's hands. It was simply impossible for me to find the treasure, however, for it was too deeply hidden. In any case, return this book, and bring the two books you mentioned from Sisir.
Chinmoy went to Sisir.
Sisir: We do not have Hidden Treasure, but I appreciate the book. In my time, also, the book was in great demand. Suniti, please see if McMordie's English Idioms is in the Library.
Suniti looked for the book, but could not find it. On hearing that neither of the books were available at the Centre of Education, Amrita, with a broad smile, said:
> Chinmoy, I know that there are seven wonders in the world, but today I have come to learn that there are not seven, but eight!
AFN 8. Translated from Bengali.↩
Amrita: Ah, it is a fine envelope. So big!
Laljibhai: As it is for the Mother, it must be sent properly.
Amrita: When it comes back from the Mother, it is to be kept sacredly.
Laljibhai: Ah, Amrita-ji, you have become a poet. I said properly, and you said sacredly. It is a good rhyme. It seems that you have become a poet overnight.
Amrita: So you see, how bright my future, how bright! Unfortunately, nobody cares to know the poetic genius in me.> Who says it is a letter? You must teach me English.
[At that time Nolini happened to enter Amrita's room.]
Sadhak: Nolini-da, Amrita-da always cuts jokes with me.
Nolini: What else can he do? Why do you forget that this is his nature?
Amrita: I must say that it is not my nature, but my poor fate.
AFN 10. Translated from Bengali.↩
Rajen: Amrita-da, I know him, I know his parents, I know his grandparents, I know his great-grandparents. Their nature will never be transformed. They are all rogues.
Amrita: Rajen, it seems to me that the transformation of nature is a little difficult. Otherwise, by this time my nature would have been totally transformed.
AFN 11. Translated from Bengali.↩
Amrita: Go on. Why do you stop?
Ananta: Spirituality is not as cheap in America as here. You must realise that it is very difficult for me to stay here, and at least you must say that, of late, I have made much progress.
Amrita: Who says that you have not? And I say, just because Ananta the Great was born in America, one day she will become more spiritual than Pondicherry.Amrita: Amal, you, too, need a dictionary!
Chinmoy: Not in the least. He is a walking dictionary.
Amrita: Amal, what Chinmoy says is perfectly true.
Amal: Amrita, I am not a walking dictionary, but a limping dictionary. As I need a cane to move about, so do I need an Oxford or a Cambridge for my mental support.
Amrita: Then the limping dictionary certainly needs only a pocket dictionary.Amrita: That is fine. Wonderful, wonderful!
Nolini: But you know, for a long time I have not been able to increase one thing.
Amrita: What is that?
Nolini: My height. No improvement.
Amrita: I know a good cure for it.
Nolini: A cure to increase my height?
Amrita: Yes. Just raise your heels slowly and secretly, but more secretly than slowly.Amrita: Chinmoy, I am dying of thirst. You know my name is Amrita, which means nectar. Since I am not fortunate enough to drink amrita, I have to depend on your water.
Chinmoy: I am sure, Amrita-da, you have drunk amrita quite a few times during your meditation.
Amrita: You are mistaken. Amrita is meant for the cosmic gods, and not for this mortal.
AFN 15. Translated from Bengali.↩
Our Amrita is he who covers the scars
Of other souls even from their own sight.He comes to us all veiled under varied forms.
In every guise his is a unique light.Him we adore because his snow-white heart
Believes in his Ideal true, its endless range.No sacrifice to him is ever too great
In the cause of creation's fire-pure change.A million seekers may sit at their Master's Feet.
But Amrita's life makes Him a reality.Compassion-Sun belongs to the Master alone.
A flame, this soulful child, through Eternity.This kingly soul is far above the law,
Yet obeys the law to be at our hearts' doors.Reality and Unity — his boat
Plies quick between these two supernal shores.Delight shoots through his life because he knows
How to do good to others at each hush-gap.His loving heart feeds not the dark despair.
He expects nothing save the Mother's Lap.September 19, 1964
```Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry-2
Monday, June 10, 1968
My dear Chinmoy,
You have become a big man but you are still “My dear Chinmoy” - are you not?
The Mother gave for you a photograph of Sri Aurobindo - this will adorn your “Grihas”. I am enclosing herewith the said photo.
Yours affectionately,
AmritaFrom:Chinmoy Kumar Ghose,Amrita: the fount of nectar-delight, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1972
Sourced from https://srichinmoylibrary.com/afn