People in distress visit their kula deivam in the hope of praying for redress. It is piety that takes them there. They are urged by faith to go there. The reality of life is so great that one cannot forget the work on hand, which we describe to ourselves as our duties. Spiritual life defines them as earthly responsibilities and heavenly impulses. One does not go with the other. That is how human life is fashioned. Many people come back from their place of worship, usually a temple or a saintly person sacredly revered and exclaim, "My god, I have forgotten the issue for which I came to pray." They are truly pious. The faith is pure even in the imperfect circumstances of domestic muddle. Going home, they find their problem has solved itself. What happened is in a moment of faith coming to the surface, they forgot their problem.
A problem has life as long as we dwell on it. The moment we forget it, we refuse to charge it with our energy. It dissolves. When the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita or for that matter any scripture is read out, it spreads the atmosphere of the Spirit. In an American university where there was no formal discipline in a class, the lecturer quoted a passage from Sri Aurobindo. Suddenly the atmosphere became charged, discipline came on its own, there was an attention which had never been there. We say that the atmosphere gained weight. Classes where The Life Divine is explained or taught are common among the devotees. It is also discussed at various levels. In these circumstances, a conscious attempt is made to explain the concepts. It is usually explained through an argument which is elaborated by an explanation. Sometimes an example or analogy or parallel is employed. Devotees enjoy sitting there and are happy at the end of it. Sometimes they feel a thrill.
In one such meeting it was decided to speak out the gist of a chapter in the beginning and the chapter should be read out later. The reader or the other participants could stop at any point for clarification. It was proceeding on some good lines, to the satisfaction of all concerned. One day one of them decided to invoke Sri Aurobindo's Presence in their midst. A mild blue light covered the reader. His face brightened. Suddenly the person who had invoked Sri Aurobindo saw HIM in his heart. But there was no Mother. Instead of his listening, the devotee wished that Sri Aurobindo listen from inside. The atmosphere was quickly saturated with intense bluish light. No one could keep his eyes open. It was Sri Aurobindo who was listening to the reading. What used to take an hour was completed in half an hour. No one could speak. It looked as though they were under a spell. Who heard what, what entered the soul and what escaped the ear no one knows. Everyone was full to overflowing. The body was tingling with an unusual energy. A spiritual Atmosphere of intensity was created. Perhaps it is this atmosphere that cures illnesses.