As part of his duties, a junior engineer took up a minor irrigation work in a hamlet in his jurisdiction called Mulasoor. The work would widen the catchment area and improve the irrigation facilities of the village. A resourceful local farmer was good enough to occupy about sixty acres of purambok lands and had been cultivating them for a long time. This new irrigation work would submerge ‘his lands' and he would lose the advantages of his encroachment. It was 1953. The pay of the engineer at that time was Rs. 185/- and that of the Deputy Collector Rs.

Pilgrimage is the pious privilege of a heart that adores the sacred soil of a Saint. Man, when he is favoured with fairly good luck in life, finds himself condemned to comfortable middle class. Those who have a flame inside look on such a life as a failure. An American was an editor of an international management quarterly based in London for fifteen years. He came to Pondicherry in pursuit of his management projects. That gave him an opening to publish four books on his subject. Those who hosted him were devotees. He found they were reticent about The Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

Spirituality is for the sannyasa says the tradition. Prosperity is for the householder. Spirituality in daily life is perennial prosperity is one sidelight of Mother's writings. She never spoke of prosperity. I do not speak of anything other than Prosperity. In 1929, the world was hit by the worst ever economic crisis. In the USA poor houses were opened in every corner to feed the unemployed.

Resourceful men in an Indian metropolis speak of great opportunities in life. They are advantages that never existed twenty-five years ago. One cannot sufficiently estimate their value. For bright, dynamic, wide-eyed young men who look for adventures in life, they are inestimable advantages modern society ceaselessly offers. It is for the patient and painstaking, not for those who are looking for money spinners.

Goodness in men is classified and graded in our ancient literature. Evil too is so graded. The acme is the evil genius. Villefort is not one such. But he would not hesitate to utterly ruin Dantes, if that was necessary for his own security. Dantes brought a letter from Napoleon on Elba to Villefort's father, a Bonapartist. Villefort was a Royalist and a magistrate. That letter, if known to the government, would ruin Villefort. So he clapped Dantes in prison.

The Mother says in the most hopeless situation, however daunting it is, this mantra, Om Namo Bhagavathe will calm down one's nerves and restore an atmosphere of Peace.  Man has minor and major problems. They arise from human relations, job situations, property, money affairs, etc. There are other problems where one's basic convictions are involved. Nehru said of Rajaji, "When you discuss with Rajaji, he removes all your mental defences." It is dangerous. What would a man live on if he loses all his convictions?

Mother calls our body the noblest of instruments. At the same time, it is stupid, She says. Body is docile. It wants to obey. Its faith and humility are touching. That is what Mother says of Her body. Its obedience is unquestioning. Whatever the mind says, the body does. And the mind is often perverse. Obeying mind's perverse orders, body falls ill, is Mother's definition. So, when there is any ailment, She advises us to speak to the body, "You idiot, shut up!"  several times.

Spiritually awakened people, when they meditate, see a light between their brows or in their heart. Vivekananda saw it. When Mother gave Darshan to the sadhaks or devotees, She sometimes used to concentrate on them. At those moments, a spot of golden light would appear on the devotee's shoulder. Golden light is the Light of the Supermind. Mother used to paint all Ashram buildings pale blue. It was Sri Aurobindo's colour, the colour of the Overmind, a plane that gave birth to the Avatar of Krishna.

Journals, magazines and newspapers are successful because of a dynamic management or a long tradition of high standards. A newspaper is an organisation, as any other business organisation, but it becomes live when we cater to its personality as a journal. This is to speak in generalities. Editors are highly educated, vastly informed people who constantly exercise their minds on the news. Fresh views and new ideas arise in them in view of their vast experience. It is a delight to hear them. Famous heads of state call such journalists and ask them to interview them.

People take note of a rising star when his coffers are receiving cascades of fortune. Common prudence sees that the continuous RISKS he takes make him a notable. A man risks his all - maybe a small fortune - and succeeds and comes by a few crores. Should he desire to rise, life at every step demands that he risk his all at the moment. Men who once successfully risked their all and rose, refuse further risks and level off. A rising star is one who constantly risks. That is what makes him an entrepreneur. Unemployed people clamour for jobs.