144. The Grace of the Copious Rainfall

In this century, there were three occasions of excessive rainfall. One was in 1914. That was the year when the Divine Mother first came to India to meet Sri Aurobindo. Her arrival was heralded by the material Grace of rainfall. Another was in 1950.

Any good act is announced by life by expressions of Grace which we call good omens. As soon as he took to Spirit, someone desired to enter agriculture. It was the end of 1959. The year 1960 witnessed the third record year of rainfall. The season's rains precipitated almost by the end of October. November was a phenomenal month. In that one month, there were 27 inches of the annual amount of 40 inches. It rained every day and on one particular day the rain was 16 inches, a thing unheard of. All schools were closed, not so much because of the rains but because of the leaking roofs. There was not one building old or new, concrete or mortar, that was not copiously leaking. As houses begin to leak, inmates moved to non-leaking corners. Soon there were none.

The gathering cyclones on the Bay were constantly announced by the radio and newspapers. Now that the walls had been soaked for more than 30 or 40 days, any wind of even a mild speed would bring down innumerable houses. No hut would be spared. One day a cyclone was definitively announced. The adventure of agriculture was a coconut garden on the seashore. If a cyclone struck, he would lose the entire property he had recently acquired.

He tried to evoke the Spirit and found his inner planes CALM. But the external threat was real. During the night, he was able to sleep. Early morning news announced that the cyclone had gathered in strength but had moved away to 150 miles north. The sun shone for the first time the next day in that memorable November.