At Sri Aurobindo's Samadhi
Very peacefully I came down the staircase after visiting Sri Aurobindo’s room. As soon as I came down, one lady started screaming with joy: “Oh, Chinmoy, Chinmoy!”I had completely forgotten her name. She said, “This is what greatness has done! Because you have become so great, you don’t remember my name, but I do remember your name.” Her name is Vishwabani. She deals with flowers. She said, “Now come here. I have flowers for you, and these flowers you have to offer to Sri Aurobindo at the Samadhi.”
She gave me flowers, and she asked me the spiritual names of the flowers. I was only able to tell her “Protection” for one flower, and for another flower I was doubtful. It was either “Divine Love” or “Power,” but the red hibiscus for Kali has different varieties and I was not sure. I said “Power.” She said, “No, this is ‘Divine Love’, not ‘Power’.” Then she asked me the names of six or seven other flowers, but I had totally forgotten. Very seriously she told me the names.
How could I forget the spiritual names that Mother and Sri Aurobindo had given to the flowers? How many things I have forgotten!
Then she gave me some sandalwood incense. The incense sticks were at least four times as large as the ones in America. They were so thick! She told me, “Now, most devotedly go there and pray and meditate. The way you used to meditate in those days, go and meditate. Although you have become very great, I know, go and bow down most devotedly to Sri Aurobindo’s Samadhi.”
She is older than I am, so she commanded me. With such affection she was barking at me.
So I went to the Samadhi with the flowers. True devotion captured my entire being; it was absolutely overflowing. I meditated at the place where Mother’s message is written. The first two or three lines on the marble I remembered: “To THEE who hast been the material envelope of our Master, to THEE our infinite gratitude…” I had forgotten the rest. In those days I knew it by heart. Every time I used to bow down, I would recite it, sometimes in French and sometimes in English. Most of the time I used to do it in English because I liked the English version better.
This time I tried to recite it, but I had completely forgotten the words. So I looked at the marble inscription and read it out very soulfully:
