'Mine! Mine!'

26 February 2001, on the way to Mananthawadi

What consternation among the devotees travelling on the North India Tour with Mother when She began passing out their lunch plates on the first day. For though She was reading the names on the plates, She was handing them out in random directions-rarely in the directions of their owners! At first people tried to correct Her, to tell Her where the rightful owners were seated.

But She put a stop to that, saying, "'Mine! Mine!' We're always thinking of mine! We have to overcome such possessiveness if we want to progress in spiritual life!" And She directed all of us to eat from whatever plates we received, and then at the end wash them and return them to the people whose names were on them. Even a small thing like lunch plates can be an opportunity for satsang when you are in the presence of a Mahatma.