Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Japan

Three or four times in Japan I saw Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. One time while I was singing, the Mother showed me where she had stood with Tagore and others in front of the statue of the Lord Buddha. At one point the Mother was fanning me with a little Japanese fan. Sri Aurobindo was very, very serious, watching me while I was singing Janani Mirar, my song dedicated to the Mother, and my Sri Aurobindo song. At various places they were looking at me with such compassion and joy. I cannot forget my experiences of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo in Japan.

At one point when I was looking at the statue of the Lord Buddha, I did not see the Lord Buddha — I saw Lord Shiva, only Lord Shiva. I was looking at the figure of the Lord Buddha, but I was seeing Lord Shiva.

We have been to many shrines, many spiritual places in many countries, but this Kamakura statue of the Lord Buddha will always remain by far the most significant shrine.