Those who have worked in the Matrimandir know that when they go out for more than two or three days, an inner longing develops to return to it. Having experienced the touch of the Spirit in their own inner Spirit, they cannot stay away longer than a few days from their centre of inspiration. Asians, Indians who set foot in a Western country, especially America, feel they have gone to a paradise on earth. Someone toured the world in pursuit of preaching his religion. He was impressed beyond expression by the prosperity of the West. He said, "The prosperity of the West is phenomenal, but in America there is a great vibration which I am unable to explain." The USA in many ways is trying several experiments in social evolution. So she is in the evolutionary vanguard. The secret of the great vibration the missionary felt lies there.
An American lady who had stayed here for years in Pondicherry in Mother's atmosphere had to return to the USA, as her visa had expired. She had to stay there several years before she could return. While here she had not conducted herself as a devotee strictly following Mother's rules. She lived in her own personality, but lived in Mother's atmosphere. Out there in USA, life is materially rich, abundant, with clean and quiet cities, but she longed to return to the old atmosphere in India. When she returned she heaved a sigh of relief, but resumed her own old personality, taking no effort to follow Mother in any one particular, except to read all of Mother's writings with interest in the original French. After five years there was a call from her family to visit them.
She undertook the trip for three weeks. Though her personality had remained the same in the last five years, she was working for Mother, i.e. she moved from Her atmosphere to Her work, but the personality remained the same. There was no effort to change her own personality as Mother desires. To her great surprise, she found her native USA even richer than before, the shops were bigger, towns quiet and clean, money flowed more freely than ever. But this time, the inner emptiness felt in that earthly material Paradise was so choking that after a week, she almost decided to return. She did stay for the three weeks, but every passing day increased the yearning for return.