Calcutta for a few days. The Holy Mother enquired if the Brahmacharin could manage that work, and when he agreed, she asked him to learn the work from the regular attendant. On the very first day as he was carrying Radhu's food, the vessels slipped from his hands and all the food was spilt. He could not decide what to do. He took the empty vessels to the Holy Mother. The consequence was that Radhu had to go without food that day. The Holy Mother was much vexed. Later she said, "As a monastic this boy may be quite good. But in my establishment I need dexterous workers. My work cannot be done by a 'foot-of-the-tree' monk. And again there are people who perform wonderful deeds under momentary excitement. But a man's true worth can be known only by observing the attention he bestows on his daily inconsequential actions." As the regular attendant returned within a day or two, the Brahmacharin had no chance to stay.
Yet another day one boy of Koalpara escaped from Police observation and came to the Holy Mother at dusk, wishing to be initiated. As the police kept a watch on the Ashrama of that place, the head of the Ashrama told him to go away. The Holy Mother came to know of this and told me, "See, the boy has come with such eagerness, braving so many difficulties. If you could arrange to keep him in somebody's home for this night, then in the morning I shall initiate him and ask him to go." As desired by her, I found him accommodation elsewhere for the night.
Next day quite early in the morning I was going to Radhu's house with the Holy Mother. The boy had bathed in readiness for initiation, and cutting across the fields, approached the Holy Mother. She asked me to bring some water from a nearby pond and I brought a tumbler full of it. The Holy Mother was looking around for something, and I asked her if I could get her a seat. She replied, "Yes. But you need not go, again. Bring some hay and we two will sit." I did accordingly. They spread the hay and sat down on the ground. Asking me to move away, the Holy Mother purified herself by sipping water and initiated him.
One day at dusk, the Holy Mother said in the course of a conversation, "I can no longer see or hear of anybody's faults, my dear. It all happens according to one's Prarabdha, the effect of past deeds. Where a ploughshare has to hit, at least a needle must prick. They speak of the faults of A-. Where were they at that time? How much he served me! In those days I was boiling paddy in my