Childhood Stories

This World Is So Small!

I come from a tiny village. It is called East Shakpura. “Shakpura” means “full of vegetables,” so my life is full of vegetables! But before I joined the spiritual life at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, I ate meat three or four times a week, and fish every day. It is very common for Bengalis to eat fish every day.

Today a Bengali gentleman came here to Aspiration-Ground. I lifted him and his wife. He lives six or seven miles away from here. His cousin studied at the same village high school where I studied, and he remembers me so well! We were class friends. His name is “Sudisen.” ²¹ He came from East Shakpura, only four or five blocks away from my house. For our matriculation we had to study up to tenth grade. I studied with him in grades three, four and five. I was at that time nine, ten and eleven. Ten, when it was time for the sixth grade, I went to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

“Sudisen” remembers me so well. Now his cousin lives here in Queens. Look at the connection, from when I was a little boy. This world is so small, so small!

25 May 2002 Aspiration-Ground, New York