Chapter 98The Mother’s Attitude towards Music and · The Mother’s Symbol

from herself about approaching people for money. You must make X understand that this is not done and cannot be done. If he feels moved to do this as work for the Mother, the knowledge that it is needed should be enough. It is not a question of a public appeal for funds, but of getting friends and sympathisers to help. You will see from the Mother’s letter the spirit in which it should be done.

circa 29 April 1938

* siding or visiting the Asram without paying; she expects payment only from visitors who can pay. She did object strongly to the action of some rich visitors (on one occasion) who came here, spent money lavishly on purchases etc. and went off without giving anything to the Asram or even the smallest offering to the Mother, that is all.

21 October 1943

* My book is going into a second edition. The publisher pro-mises to send me what he owes me (to be offered to the Mother, of course). So far he hasn’t sent me a pice. I wonder how much he will send in the end? Do you think I am getting too commercial?

If you give the money to the Mother, that can’t be commercial; commerce implies personal profit, and here your profit is only spiritual.

2 April 1944 X showed me the play of numbers in his account book today. The total was Rs. 7 As. 7 Ps. 7. Today is also the 7th day of the 7th month of the year and after I decided to write to you about this I saw that the number on the door of the house where I was working was also 7. Elsewhere one does not come across such a play of numbers. I think it occurs here because the numbers (perhaps the occult beings of numbers) feel at ease in our atmosphere — as do the sparrows in the main building! — and they play with the numbers if one plays upon them and