They will not allow me to touch their feet¹

When I was very little, I used to pinch my brother Mantu! It was the custom for me to touch my brother Mantu’s feet, but at times I would pinch him or push him aside. He never, never said anything. I used to go to our mother and cry that he had struck me, although I could not prove it. Our mother would scold him, but then he would show with his hand who was the real culprit. By the time my mother was about to scold me, I was not available!

Nowadays when I am with my family members, they will not allow me to touch their feet. My aunt is ninety-seven and a half years old. They are praying in our family that she will be able to observe her centenary. Four or five years ago when I went to visit, her daughter said, “Can you imagine? Chinmoy has become so proud that he does not bow to you.”

My aunt said, “Oh no, no, he did!”

Her daughter asked, “When?”

My aunt said, “He did bow already.”

My cousin said, “He is your nephew. How many times over the years you have blessed him! What is wrong with him that he cannot touch your feet?”

My aunt said, “Oh no, I cannot bless him.”

My cousin asked, “Why not?”

My aunt said, “I cannot bless him. He is not the same person.”

Last year when I went, as soon as she heard my voice she was so happy. I did not wait for her to ask me; I put my hands on her head and blessed her most powerfully. She was so thrilled that I was blessing her. All my life she had blessed me. Now she was so excited that I was blessing her.

Sri Chaitanya knew when he was in a high consciousness, when he had become one with Lord Krishna. Again, at times he lost that oneness. When he lost his oneness with Lord Krishna, he would cry and cry and cry to get back that consciousness. But when he became inseparably one with Sri Krishna, he would cry, “Mother, Mother, come and touch my feet.” The son asked his physical mother to touch his feet! He knew that, at that time, he was not himself; he was one with Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna told him to ask his mother to come and be blessed.

Sri Aurobindo’s father-in-law was an old man, many years older than Sri Aurobindo. The father-in-law is supposed to be respected. His daughter died on the train on the way from Calcutta to Pondicherry, when she was going to be with Sri Aurobindo. Alone the father-in-law came. When he saw Sri Aurobindo, he touched Sri Aurobindo’s feet.