-04_A Small Talk

So I am going to tell you a story or perhaps stories. These stories, many of them, I have narrated on many occasions to your elders, that is to say, your predecessors who are now quite grown up and are at present among gentlemen. Here is the story:

Once upon a time there was a little girl, quite young, very nice, very pretty, living in her family with her parents, particularly in the company of her grandfather. This grandfather was rather old but extremely nice and kind and gentle like herself. He loved very much the child, indeed the grandfather adored his grand-daughter and the child reciprocated the feeling.

It happened however, that the old man fell ill, very ill. It was quite natural, for he was an old man. All people, friends and family members alike, came to see him and gathered in the sick man's room. "How is he now?" The doctors were there. The little girl stood somewhat away from her grandfather's sick bed. She was sad, very sad indeed. All on a sudden she looked up towards her grandfather's bed and saw – strange, strange to say – quite near the bed another little girl standing – a little girl looking like herself in appearance and every way – her double as it were. She herself was standing on the other side of her grandfather's bed, a little away. The other one was standing exactly like herself quite near the bed on the other side. She was amazed and questioned herself. "What has happened? I am here, but my image, a reproduction of mine is over there." She 

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approached her grandfather, the image also approached close to him. But nobody else noticed anything; she only knew it and for others she was alone. She asked: "But who are you?" The other one answered: "I will tell you later on." And she disappeared. Subsequently the old man recovered, and the little girl also recovered her grandfather as .before. But she continued wondering and questioning about her queer experience. There was no answer for sometime. But she was sure that it was due to her double's presence that she got back her grandfather. The fact could not be doubted. The vision was absolutely real there could be no question about it.

Later on and soon enough occasions came when she met again and again the same person whenever there was any difficulty or danger ahead, to help her out of it. It was explained to her in course of time that this person who appeared to be the very image of herself was none else but herself, her real inner person.

In this connection some of you will surely remember the famous poem – "Nuit de Décembre" – of the famous French poet Alfred de Musset where he speaks of a strange companion who used to visit him from time to time at critical moments of his life, come and sit by his side, – some unknown person dressed in black who however resembled him as though his own twin brother:

Un pauvre enfant vêtu de noir

Qui me ressemblait comme un frère

This story of a double person in oneself, one being the guide and mentor and friend and helper, is a phenomenon not very rare. Everybody, everyone of you have his companion, this friend who protects you, who loves you indeed. If you want

you can see him, at least feel him, and this person is absolutely like you in appearance, your own self, the same face and figure as if reflected in a mirror when you stand before it; and then so real and living. He speaks to you, gives you good advice, and so loving and adorable! One way of finding him and coming in contact with him, seeing him and feeling his presence is to be always good, to be good and do good things, never to have bad thoughts, always to be clean in mind and decent in behaviour. This will draw your friend to you as if pulled by a magnet and you will feel him within you, near you, and the hidden comrade will reveal himself. This hidden friend is the Presence of the Mother, the Mother is always with you, with every one of you as I have been saying always.

I may say, each one of you carries three persons in him, you are a triple personality: first of all your outside appearance, as you stand before the others, groomed and dressed, hiding as it were within the trappings, your clothes, but behind you is the bare and naked body, that is, your natural appearance. You have then quite another character than the former personality so clothed; but there is something else, very different, also behind that natural body. The body however includes, or represents indeed the whole of your present nature: your body, your vital and your mind make one complex – the unit of your common normal personality. But these two are outer robes, hanging loose around another person, behind and within, hanging loose and standing aloof even like a clothing enveloping your body. It is that being which is your true being of whom I was telling you so long, the intimate brother and friend of yours, indeed your own true self, incarnating the Mother's presence and the Mother's love. It is only a matter of opening out your coat or coating!