[During the 1950s Mother used to give Darshan every morning from her
balcony. This was known as Balcony Darshan. In the evening She was present in the Playground to receive the
salute at the March Past and conduct the Concentration at the end of the Marching.]
Sweet Mother, every day we go for
the Balcony Darshan, and here at the Playground we come for the March Past and
the Concentration. What should be our approach to each one of these things?
The most indispensable thing in
every case is receptivity.
At the Balcony, for example. When I
come on the Balcony I make a special concentration, you notice that I look at
everybody, don't you; I look, see, pass my eyes over every one, I know all who
are there, and where they are, and I give each one exactly what he needs; I see
his condition and give him what is necessary. It can go fast, because otherwise
I would keep you there for half an hour, but I do it, that's what I do. That's
the only reason why I come out, because otherwise I carry you in my
consciousness. I carry you in my consciousness always, without seeing you, I do
what is necessary. But here it is a moment when I can do it by touching the
physical directly, you see; otherwise it is through the mind that it acts, the
mind or the vital. But here I touch the physical directly through the sight,
the contact of sight; and that's what I do—each time.
[Questions
and Answers 1955, Vol. 7, p. 257 (27 July 1955)]
Here are some photographs of March Past of the earlier days when the Mother herself took the salute.
2 December 1950 - March past
Groups at Attention - 15 August 1954
Guard of Honour
1 July 1958
Here is a
video of the special March Past at the Playground dated 4 April 2009
celebrating the 100th year of Sri Aurobindo’s arrival at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxY7hryfAao