Darshan (1): A Special Year

The year 2020 is indeed a very special year. It marks the hundredth year of the Mother’s second and final coming to Pondicherry on the 24^th April 2020. Since then She stayed here, living near Sri Aurobindo concentrating all Her being on the one goal that She beautifully expresses in Her reminiscences:

The reminiscences will be short.
I came to India to meet Sri Aurobindo. I remained in India to live with Sri Aurobindo. When he left his body, I continued to live here in order to do his work which is, by serving the Truth and enlightening mankind, to hasten the rule of the Divine’s Love upon earth.

The Mother [CWM 13:45]
21 February 1968

Given the cyclical nature of time, we can hope that this year would give a special thrust to this work of Hers to awaken and enlighten mankind not merely to be free from the fundamental Ignorance that sticks to us so tenaciously but also to help mankind move along the pathways of transformation and the eventual divinisation of life. It is for this that She came armed with the victorious power of Divine Love. If there is one hope for earth and mankind, it is in this change of man to something beyond man. To engage in this divine project for the next millennium, if we may say so, would indeed be one of the best ways to serve Her. To become progressively a radiant centre for Her Light and Love and Sweetness and Peace and Bliss, to work with all the sincerity that we can command towards turning our life into a means and instrument for the divine manifestation would indeed be the best possible consummation of all our efforts. This, as we know, as Sri Aurobindo reminds us is too daunting a task. It is impossible for man to divinise himself by his own unaided effort, even if it be the most intense tapasya. It is only by Her Grace and Love and on our side by a progressive opening and receptivity, by an increasing faith, sincerity and surrender hat we can truly participate in this great and difficult endeavour. It is a joint venture so to say with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother jointly conceiving, initiating, willing and executing this project. On the other hand there is the needed collaboration of man, for it is in and through man that this evolution next is being worked out. Man can accept or refuse his fate and it is in this choice that there lies concealed the scroll of his destiny.

This year also marks a very special arrangement of events. This year the Mother’s room will open four times, the maximum number of times perhaps for the Darshan. The 21^st February (Her birthday), the 29^th February (Day of the Lord as the Mother put it or the Supramental Manifestation in 1956, also known as the Golden day), the 24^th April (the day of Her final arrival whence hopefully the Mother’s Room will open for a special darshan) and the 17^th November (the day of Her withdrawal from the physical body). That would mean that the Mother’s room will open four times this year for the devotees and disciples.