have come here prompted by a certain feeling. Perhaps you have in your mind the thought of the Divine Mother of the Universe."
Disciple: Are you the Mother of all?
Mother: Yes.
Disciple: Even of these birds and animals?
Mother: Yes, of these also.
Disciple: Then why should they suffer so much?
Mother: In this birth they must have these experiences.
One evening I had the following conversation with the Holy Mother in her room.
Mother: You all have come to me, because you are my own.
Disciple: Am I your 'own'?
Mother: Yes, my 'own'. Is there any doubt about it? If a man is the very 'own' of another, they remain inseparably connected in the successive cycles of time.
Disciple : All address you as
Apani,1 but I could not do so. The word
Tumi comes spontaneously and naturally.
Mother: That is good, indeed. It denotes an intimate relationship.
In the course of our talk I said to her, "You must have taken the responsibilities of those whom you have initiated with the sacred Mantra. Then why do you say when we request you to fulfil a desire, 'I will speak to the Master about it?' Can't you take our responsibility?" I had as yet not felt the urge to be initiated. Hence this question.
Mother: I have, indeed, taken your responsibility.
Disciple: Please bless me, O Mother, that I may have purity of mind and attachment to God. Mother, I had a classmate in school. I would have been happy if I could bestow upon Sri Ramakrishna a fourth of the love which I cherished for my chum.
Mother: Ah me! That is true, indeed! Well, I shall speak to the Master about it.
Disciple: Why do you only say that you will speak to the Master? Are you different from him? My desire will certainly be fulfilled by your blessings alone.
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1 Apani—There are three words in Bengali by which one can address another.
Apani is used when a person addresses his superior entitled to respect.
Tumi is used to address an equal and is a term of intimacy and endearment.
Tui is used to address inferiors, servants, etc.