The meaning Of The Cross

You know that I am in contact with a few Ethiopians (I think it's the country that has remained the most Christian all over the earth). There's a boy who's a secretary in the embassy in Delhi (Ethiopia's embassy), and he's quite taken, quite, and then ... (laughing) it was his birthday two days ago, and he came with a gift .... Something in wood (in ebony), big like this, with my photo on one side, Sri Aurobindo's photo on the other side, and in between ... a silver cross. And on the cross, at the junction of the two branches, there was on one side my symbol, and on the other side, Sri Aurobindo's symbol .... What's in his head?! ...
Horrible!
And naturally, as soon as I saw him, he put that on my knees .... It was big like this. <497>
As soon as I saw him, it instantly came (gesture of massive descent), like that, like an answer to the will to transform Christianity And it was so powerful, there was such a powerful vibration that I felt it was BEING done ....
The cross is the symbol of transformation, you know: Matter (transversal gesture) penetrated by the Spirit; and the junction is the transformation. A tremendous Force came, like that, for this cross to become truly ... the flower of transformation.
But I didn't tell him anything! And he himself doesn't know, I mean, he never thought about it, it's instinctively that he did that.
He wrote to the Emperor about Auroville, and there was a reply Did I show it to you? (Mother looks for a piece of paper) It's all the way at the bottom ....
"I have written to my Emperor Haile Selassie I, about Auroville International Township aim, and Ethiopia to be the second country to support this idea. He has written me a good letter. In his letter he has appreciated and admired your work very much. I wish you to bless him for peace of mind, good health to live long-peace for his people."
They don't commit themselves too much! Anyway, there's a goodwill.
(Mother puts the letter near her, under a pile of files)
I keep all that near me because it keeps the contact.

THE AGENDA,DECEMBER 31,1969