The Mother: A Brief Biography

The Mother: A Brief Biography

Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual collaborator, the Mother was born in Paris on February 21, 1878. Mirra, as the child was called, was spiritually conscious from her early childhood. She spontaneously followed an inner discipline which was accompanied by numerous psychic and spiritual experiences. She took interest in literature and philosophy and practiced painting, music and had remarkable capacities in the field of occultism. In 1906 and 1907 the Mother voyaged to Tlemcen, Algeria, where she studied occultism for two years. Returning to Paris, she founded a group of spiritual seekers. Between 1911 and 1913 she gave many talks to various groups in Paris.
She first met Sri Aurobindo in 1914, and at once recognized in him the figure of the great guide of whom she had repeated visions. She remained in Pondicherry for eleven months helping Sri Aurobindo in the publication of the “Arya”. Because of the war, she had to return to France. After a stay of four years in Japan, she returned to Pondicherry on April 24, 1920, to resume her collaboration with Sri Aurobindo in his spiritual work and never left Pondicherry again. With her arrival the number of disciples around Sri Aurobindo gradually increased. This informal grouping eventually took shape as the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
From 1926, when Sri Aurobindo withdrew into silence, she was in charge of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry and all its concerns, giving great attention to the physical and spiritual development of each ashramite as well as to the development of each collective service, each commercial unit and an international school.
She launched the project of Auroville in 1968.
The Mother later withdrew from the day to day activities of the Ashram and devoted more time to the “Yoga of the Cells”.

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