Who does not know Champaklal, the faithful disciple and lover of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother whose stories of service to the twin Avataras are legion. He was the living embodiment of the fire of yoga, of aspiration and devotion fusing into divine service. He was born to serve Them and it seems that like Hanuman he came along with the Divine Avatara with a very specific work. 2nd February (1903) marks his birthday. Therefore we share some glimpses of his outer life but mainly those of his vast and luminous inner life through his visions.
Messages and Prayers given to Champaklal
Be simple,
Be happy,
Remain quiet,
Do your work as well as you can,
Keep yourself always open towards me.
This is all that is asked from you.
The Mother
In the night as in the day be always with me.
In sleep as in waking let me feel in me always the reality of your presence.
Let it sustain and make to grow in me Truth, Consciousness and Bliss constantly and at all times.
Sri Aurobindo
‘Champaklal, smile always,
smile in difficulties,
smile in pain,
smile in suffering,
smile in sorrow,
smile always, smile always,
smile.’
The Mother
Letters of Sri Aurobindo to Champaklal
It is said that N is an advanced sadhak. Is his action appropriate? What is the reason behind all these happenings?
The Mother never speaks of advanced sadhaks — it is the sadhaks themselves who have invented the phrase. Whenever they used it in their letters to me, I have thrown ridicule on the phrase and said I have no knowledge of there being two classes in the Ashram, one of advanced sadhaks and the other of non-advanced sadhaks. So the question about N does not arise. If a sadhak whoever he may be, speaks or acts out of anger, rajasic violence or any other unyogic impulse, his speech or action is contrary to the spirit of the sadhana.
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I cannot understand whether I am doing yoga or not. Can it be said that I am doing your integral yoga?
Everyone who is turned to the Mother is doing my Yoga. It is a great mistake to suppose that one can “do” the Puma Yoga, i.e. carry out and fulfil all the sides of the Yoga by one’s own effort. No human being can do that. What one has to do is to put oneself in the Mother’s hands and open oneself to her by service, by bhakti, by aspiration; then the Mother by her light and force works in him so that the sadhana is done. It is a mistake also to have the ambition to be a big Purna Yogi or a supramental being and ask oneself how far have I got towards that. The right attitude is to be devoted and given to the Mother and to wish to be whatever she wants you to be. The rest is for the Mother to decide and do in you.
* * *
I do not understand my present condition. I am puzzled as to where I am going, what am I doing? Please guide me.
I do not quite know what is the drift of your questions. It sounds as if you had been allowing yourself to be influenced by a vague and confused atmosphere of discouragement and barren questioning which has caught many in the Ashram. Otherwise there is no ground for any such feelings. Where you are? In the Mother’s presence here and close to me. Where you are going? Towards union with the Divine through dedication and service. What you are doing here? Service and self-giving to the Divine. The rest depends, as the Mother writes to you, in the simplicity and fullness with which you give yourself and serve. If there is anything more special in your thoughts that has disturbed you, it is better to say clearly what it is. But do not listen to the thoughts spoken or silently suggested that are moving about the Ashram, and of which I have spoken, for these are a poison that will only bring discontent and depression.
25.5.1935
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Even though I know that I am very near to you and Mother by Thy Grace, why do I still doubt whether I am progressing or not?
It is the doubt that most or many are raising now in the Ashram. “Where am I? Where am I going? Am I really doing the Yoga? it seems to me I am getting nothing. There is no progress anywhere. All is dry and mechanical. What is the use of being here?” These are the thoughts that have been moving about in the atmosphere of the Ashram and when you get such thoughts, it means that they are coming to you as suggestions from the atmosphere. If they are in the minds of those you move with, it is natural they should try to enter you, but even otherwise they can come to you, just as people catch cold because the germs are in the atmosphere.
* * *
An inner (soul) relation means that one feels the Mother’s presence, is turned to her at all times, is aware of her force moving, guiding, helping, is full of love for her and always feels a great nearness whether one is physically near her or not – this relation takes up the mind, vital and inner physical till one feels one’s mind close to the Mother’s mind, one’s vital in harmony with hers, one’s very physical consciousness full of her. These are all the elements of the inner union, not only in the spirit and self but in the nature.
… This is the close inner relation as opposed to an outer relation which consists only in how one meets her in the external physical plane. It is quite possible and actual to have this close inner relation even if physically one sees her only at pranam and meditation and once a year perhaps on the birthday.
29.6.1935
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If one went to the Himalayas, the likelihood is that one would make oneself fit for inactive meditation and quite unfit for life and the Mother’s service – so in the next life the character would be like that. This is simply the influence of old ideas that have no application in this yoga. It is here in the life near the Mother, in the work itself that one must become fit to become a perfect instrument of the Mother.
15.5.1934
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Visions of Champaklal
Vision at Lower Part of Matrimandir
It happened unexpectedly that on 7th December 1978 I went to Matrimandir (Auroville). I wanted to go down into the lower part of Matrimandir and have a look at it. The person who had taken us to Auroville told us that we were not to go down there as it was prohibited. I therefore stood along with the others on the raised border.
My eyes remained fixed on the upper part of Matrimandir. It was time for us to return, but I could not move from there. Little by little my eyes began to close. I saw that I was sitting with the others in the meditation room situated in the upper part of Matrimandir. The room was full and everything there was peaceful. In the atmosphere the fragrance of various flowers was felt by turns, and it made one joyful. Suddenly I saw that someone was cutting down the heads of those who were seated in meditation, and the strange thing about this was that no blood was flowing after the severance of the heads. In its place a shining white liquid was flowing and it was spreading over all Auroville. I saw that each head cut down did not remain a head, but turned into a glorious golden light. It appeared that there were no heads but many suns that were going up and up one after another.
7.12.1978
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Golden Figure Enveloping Auroville
Unexpectedly, again on 4th January 1979 I had an occasion to go to Matrimandir….
The Matrimandir that I saw this time was superb, wonderful beyond imagination. I saw above Matrimandir, standing in space, a huge figure reaching the heavens and enveloping the whole of Auroville. It could be described only as extremely majestic and grand, immeasurably vast, stupendous, exceedingly resplendent, scintillating, golden, radiant and with an absolutely fascinating form. One by one innumerable hands arose from each part of the body of that figure. Little by little, the figure began to rise up and up and, as it did so, hands appeared on its lower part also. After a while the figure gradually began to descend. At this time all its palms were open and spread out in space. A crystalline liquid was spreading forth everywhere from those palms. It was a very bright glistening liquid and it covered all Matrimandir and then, from Matrimandir itself, streams of that crystalline liquid began to emerge and the whole of Auroville was turned into a large lake filled with that liquid.
Far off countless men, boys and girls were visible on all the four sides and they were watching with joy the crystalline lake. At last they began to enter into the lake one by one. Some of them were floating above while some were merged inside; but the liquid was so transparent that all the persons were visible.
Then that multi-handed figure came out of the lake, but this time, instead of hands, all its body was full of eyes. Afterwards the figure in the form of a golden light began to ascend, and mid-way it became stationary. Then, like rays from the sun, golden light spread out from the figure and began to spread all around.
Then lo! there was no lake. In its place, there was a big beautiful garden. At different places, the buildings were bright with that golden light. The atmosphere was full of fragrance of many kinds spreading out from many flowers. Along with this was heard the ringing of many bells accompanied by sweet music.
4.1.1979
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Mother in a Golden Body
On 16th April 1979, just before we left Calcutta, I was sitting in Umeshbhai’s drawing room. I saw the Mother standing in space, just in front of me, looking at me. The Mother’s look was very intimate and full of compassion. She looked at my forehead with very penetrating eyes. I began to feel vibrations in my forehead and all over inside my body. After some time I felt as if a fire was burning inside and everything became very hot. With this there was a throbbing in the whole body. In spite of this fire burning inside, my external body was very cool. It is very difficult to put in words what was going on within me. I looked at the Mother. She was smiling. Her smile seemed meaningful. I noticed that Her body was expanding more and more, in all directions. The whole space was covered by Her. There was nothing except Her – no sky, no earth – there was only the Mother with Her Virat Kaya (Stupendous Form). I am now surprised as to how I was able to see this form of Hers. Then this gigantic figure was no more there and I could only see bright cool golden Light. I saw the Mother coming out from it with Her transparent golden body which appeared to be made of Light only. I saw a golden hammer in Her hand. This hammer also seemed to be made of bright golden Light only. In Her other hand, there was a luminous golden lotus. The Mother looked again at my forehead. This time my forehead expanded and became vaster and vaster as if there was no end! The Mother lifted Her hammer, turned it around in space and struck it hard on my forehead. Something came out from my forehead and vanished in space. Inside me there was a movement like an electric current going up and down again and again. This lasted for a few seconds. The body was extremely cool. Then I saw the golden Light inside all the parts of my body. This golden Light began to radiate from my body and spread around in space. It was going farther and farther. The Mother came very near to me and with both Her palms covered my eyes and – forehead – just as She used to do when She was in her physical body. The vision was over. It gave me a feeling of a great change in myself.
16.4.1979
