In this episode, Amita-di shares vivid memories of her journey from 1930s Burma to the spiritual atmosphere of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
Episode Highlights:
Life in Rangoon: Memories of a 3-year-old "writing" circles in notebooks and the early discipline of a meditative household.
First Spiritual Impressions: A child’s-eye view of a Ramakrishna Mission Puja and the "royal blue" waters of Burma.
The "French Lesson" from the Balcony: A charming story of the Mother prompting a young Amita-di's recitation from the balcony above.
The Tiger Stripes of Poetry: Discovering Sri Aurobindo’s imagery and the "sound" of English verse at age eight.
A.B. Purani & Early Ashram Life: Memories of "Mota Kaka," the original dining room, and the "storehouse of knowledge" that was Purani-ji.
The Mother’s Reception: How the Mother personally prepared rooms for visitors with "spotless" care and specific floral rapport.

In the second part of his interview with Amita-di, Narad (Richard Eggenberger) explores her lifelong journey into the world of art and education within the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Amita-di shares delightful and profound anecdotes of her early years, including:
The Banana Lesson: Her first drawing lessons at age nine under Sanjiban-da and the Mother's clever way of keeping a sleepy child awake with a green banana.
Painting with the Mother: How the Mother coached her on technical skills like highlight and shading, while pushing her to capture the "inner center of consciousness" rather than just outward forms.
Teaching the Children: Amita-di’s unique pedagogical methods—combining music with art to teach students how to paint "phrases" and emotions.
Art as Observation: Sri Aurobindo’s perspective on drawing as a means to increase the power of observation and eye-to-hand coordination.
A Vision of Love and Death: The story behind her abstract painting inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s poem Love and Death.
This episode provides a rare glimpse into the Mother’s role as a supreme teacher and artist, showing how she nurtured the creative sparks in her disciples to turn every act into an offering.
#SriAurobindoAshram #TheMother #AmitaDi #AshramEducation #SpiritualArt #ArtAppreciation #SavitriBhavan #Auroville #IntegralYoga #SriAurobindo

In the debut episode of Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Early Years, Narad (Richard Eggenberger) interviews Amita-di, a long-standing inmate of the Ashram.
Amita shares her personal journey of arrival and her early experiences of living under the direct guidance of The Mother. This episode captures the unique atmosphere of the Ashram's formative years and the intimate bond between the Master, the Mother, and their disciples.

In this episode:

• Amita’s first arrival at the Ashram.
  
• Her initial impressions and meetings with The Mother.
  
• The atmosphere of the early Ashram community.