Master’s presence

29th October, 1910

It was early in the morning. I was seated near the Mother’s bed. She began to talk to me about the Master.

Disciple: Does the Master really live in the picture ?

Mother: Of course, he does. The body and the The Master’s pre- shadow are the same.1 And what is his picture but a shadow ?

Disciple : Does he live in all the pictures ?

1 It is for this reason that one does not walk over the shadow of an elder. One day, while living at Jayrambati, I was returning: home after my bath. The Mother was also coming back from the tank. I was walking by her side, and now and then I stepped over her shadow. The Mother asked me to walk on her other side. At first I did not know that I had been walking over her shadow.

Mother: Yes. If you pray to him constantly before his picture, then he manifests himself through that picture. The place where the picture is kept becomes a shrine. Suppose a man worships the Master there (pointing to a plot of land north of the Udbodhan), then the place is associated with his presence.

Disciple: Well, good and bad memories are associated with all places.

Mother: It is not exactly like that. The Master will pay special attention to such a place.

Disciple: Does the Master really partake of the food that you offer him ?

Mother: Yes, he does.

Disciple: But we do not see any sign of it.