{"id":786,"date":"2020-05-02T04:21:58","date_gmt":"2020-05-02T04:21:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vserver3.auroville.com\/?p=786"},"modified":"2021-04-15T10:06:48","modified_gmt":"2021-04-15T05:36:48","slug":"stories-of-the-early-days-thomas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventure.auroville.com\/index.php\/2020\/05\/02\/stories-of-the-early-days-thomas\/","title":{"rendered":"Meeting The Mother: Thomas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

That she did something is clear. That I waited to be caught is also very clear. I needed that Mother. That I am still here, in Auroville, is due to my daily encounter with her.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

I was an actor in Germany and I sort of had a career, but I knew that it was not what I believed I could do. My career was nice, I had money, but it was not fulfilling. I travelled all over Europe and the US, and eventually made it to India. In Sarnath I met two Australians who were coming from Pondicherry. Here for the first time somebody spoke about the Mother to me \u2013 in a derogatory way. Still, somehow the only thing I heard them say was, \u2018She is in Her body\u2019. I finally went to Pondicherry. When I arrived in 1970, I was told that I could only see the Mother on my birthday. But in the end I did not have to wait. The next morning, bang bang bang<\/em> on the door. \u201cShe wants to see you.\u201d (laughs<\/em>)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before standing in front of her, I was so proud, full of myself. But I came in and everything was over, everything was done, there was nothing left of me. I was flat on the ground immediately. What I wanted all my life finally happened. In front of her I collapsed. I am not sure how long it lasted, I am sure it only took seconds. My whole life passed, I realized that I was very small. I stayed in that state for quite some time, at least it appeared to me like that. Then I heard a voice saying, \u2018She wants your hands.\u2019 I reached out to her to give them and then came her beautiful smile: \u2018I am there.\u2019 I was thinking: without her I cannot go one step anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next morning I was still in Park Guest House. Before waking up I had the experience of Mother being physically inside me. It was strange, it was the Mother inside of me turning like a wheel. In my chest or in my heart. I broke down again, cried and cried\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After that day I didn\u2019t have other experiences \u2013 not one.\u00a0 I am hanging in mid-air ever since. Everything else, she has given to me. I know what she is giving me every day. I take care of this place, I touch the soil every day, knowing that it is sacred soil, Mother\u2019s soil. As much as I can I will be responsible for it. I get all my existence out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the Mother I don\u2019t have to adjust. To the world, to Auroville, yes. Auroville is and will be a success, at least in terms of tourism. But did we come for that? It is one thing to dream, another to wake up. But a lighthouse has been ignited, and it is not in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is an excerpt from the book \u2018Turning Points\u2019 by Auroville Press.
To read more about Thomas\u2019 journey, have a look at the book here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“It is one thing to dream, another to wake up. But a lighthouse has been ignited, and it is not in vain.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":788,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[68,67,71,132],"class_list":["post-786","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","tag-early-days","tag-pioneers","tag-the-mother","tag-turning-points"],"yoast_head":"\nMeeting The Mother: Thomas » The Auroville Adventure<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Read about Thomas's story of meeting The Mother and his experience of Auroville in the early days. 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