AT THE FEET OF THE MOTHER
Ask Alok da

alokda

Da, whenever I see some incident or read something, thoughts come to my mind and I feel like telling people about it. Like yesterday was Vat Savitri Purnima—I saw in the market that small branches of the banyan tree were being sold, and women were buying them and doing puja with them. Then I started thinking, how can we worship the banyan tree after breaking it? I started wondering about the real meaning behind it—it doesn’t seem right. After all these thoughts, I felt like writing about it and posting it on WhatsApp status, but then I didn’t. These kinds of thoughts keep coming to me, and I feel like sharing them with others, but when I try to write, I stop. So I end up telling Mummy, Didi, or Kunal. But Alok da, how should I write or tell people—or should I not say anything? Then I worry people might misunderstand and think I’m criticizing tradition. Like breaking the banyan tree might become a ritual and the true meaning of Vat Savitri Purnima could be lost or misunderstood. Alok da, I keep getting such thoughts on different topics, that something should be this way or that way, but I can’t put them into words. So how do I express these thoughts or feelings—or is it okay if I don’t? But if someone talks about the same topic at the time, I do speak up. I just can’t write it. And one more thing—when it was my parents’ birthday, I thought I would write a WhatsApp status expressing my feelings for them, but in the end I only wrote ‘Happy birthday, Divine bless you, love you.’ I couldn’t write or even say my true feelings in front of them. So how should I express my thoughts and emotions? Or is it okay if I don’t?

You should write in a diary to the Divine and express yourself freely in front of God. Later, if He feels it is necessary and

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I have two questions about keeping an inner contact with the Mother and the Lord. Since a while ago, I have been observing something in myself. When I am free and watching some content for entertainment, I cannot watch it for too long. I feel an inner discomfort and my heart and mind crave to go back to the Divine. I feel much better when I read something from the Mother and Sri Aurobindo or when I listen to your talks. The problem is I want to be in contact with the Mother and feel her Presence but I don’t want to be completely disengaged from life either. Is there a way to reconcile both or should I avoid such activities?🧘✨🕯️💎

It is a sign of spiritual conversion that many of the old things which we enjoyed earlier begin to lose interest or simply drop off

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Detachment helps us disengage from the ego-self and the distortions of desires so that all the higher Divine powers including Love can have its fullest and undistorted play. However, detachment from the egoistic engagement with life and people only gives us half the secret. It helps us experience these powers in their impersonality. It does not give us the law of their action or the secret of personal relationship which is also an aspect of creation. That requires the awakening of the true will in us so that Love (and everything else) can find its right place and its fullness in the Divine Play. Could you explain what you mean by writing “the law of their action”? 🪁🔄🪷💧

Yes. I had also read JK among many others during the early phase of agnosticism and the intellectual exploration. That is when I understood the

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In various tribal-dominated regions of India, Christian conversion has occurred—and continues to occur—on a large scale. However, Christianity’s influence can be clearly seen in the changes that have taken place in the lifestyle of many tribal communities. On the other hand, even while living within the Hindu cultural sphere, many tribal people remain deeply rooted in certain orthodox practices and superstitions. To lead a higher moral life, what is the right path to follow? Kindly provide guidance in perspective of tribals🌿🐆🏹🔥

Change will come and is bound to come. It is not only an evolutionary necessity but also the pressure of Time. As to the path

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I have a parent with mental illness–what I think is borderline personality disorder. I know labels are not always beneficial –but her behaviors line up with this disorder and have helped me get a grip on what is going on. The main facet of this is she is very fixated on me, and if I do not call or reach out, she calls me evil, a bad daughter, threatens suicide. It has gone on for a long time and I am at the point of really creating distance with her as my body feels it cannot handle any more threat. Is the soul behind the person with mental illness–does it just stay completely behind the veil because the vital being has taken over?⛈️🌪️🌫️🔒

It is wonderful to see the way you are taking all this with the perfect attitude of an understanding benevolence as well as detachment and

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