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   When the topic of Japa and meditation came up, the Mother said, "There should be a regular time for the practice of Japa and meditation. For no one knows when the auspicious moment¹ will come. It comes suddenly-one has no hint of it before hand. Therefore, regularity in spiritual practice should be observed, no matter how busy one may be with worldly matters."

   Disciple: The demands of work or illness prevent me from always being regular in my spiritual practice,

   Mother: Illness is not within man's control. And if you are really tied down with work, then simply remember God and make salutation to Him.

   Disciple: What time should one set aside for Japa and meditation?

   Mother: To call upon Him at the conjunction of day and night is the most auspicious. Night disappears and day arrives, or day disappears and night arrives-this is the conjunction of day and night. The mind remains pure at these times.

   When asked about the weaknesses of the mind, the Mother said, "Son, it is Nature's law, just as you find the full moon and the new moon. Similarly the mind is possessed of noble thoughts at times and haunted by evil thoughts at other moments."

   When the Mother used to go to Baghbazar from Jayrambati, she would ask me to visit Jayrambati occasionally to keep myself abreast of the happenings there, I tried to obey this order as far as practicable. But because of the Mother's absence from Jayrambati I didn't enjoy my visits there and so wrote to the Mother to this effect. On her return to Jayrambati, in the course of a conversation she said. "Oh N-! listen to what Ranni² says," During her last visit to Calcutta, the Mother had retained the service of  the female cook and engaged her to assist the eldest aunty Subashini,

   

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¹ One day the Mother told this proverb in connection with success in an endeavour. An auspicious moment can do that which cannot be achieved by money or men.

² Ranni or Radhuni, meaning 'female cook.'

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