Guru's first meeting with Mother Teresa

We were told Mother Teresa was staying at a church in Rome, very close to the Coliseum. It was near a church but it was a convent. It was so simple. There was no running water or heat, and the nuns lived with such simplicity. Guru was so excited and so delighted.

When Guru got there, Kailash was driving, and I got to be in the car with Guru. There were about 50 disciples who were already there waiting. They wanted us all to gather at the back entrance of the convent. It was quite beautiful. There were beautiful trees and a view of Rome.

The nuns said Mother would be coming very soon to see Guru and that she was so excited to meet Guru. I walked around to the front to see how everything was going. There was a Cardinal with a huge black Cadillac. The Cardinal was very upset and was walking back and forth by his Cadillac very impatiently. Probably he had been waiting for quite a while. Mother had just come back to the convent a little bit before we arrived from the airport. I am sure he was thinking he would see her right away. 

What happened was that Mother Teresa did not go to the front to greet him. Instead of seeing the Cardinal who had been waiting for a really long time, she went to the back to greet Guru and all of us. Everyone was very happy.

I will always remember that when she saw Guru, she took Guru’s hand and started massaging Guru’s hand and fingers. She was so affectionate and loving to Guru. She had a private meeting with Guru first, and then a public meeting with all of us.  
She went with Guru into her small private meeting room first. She spoke very intimately and sweetly with Guru. Guru said, “At one moment she was my mother of compassion and the next she was my sister of affection.”

She would massage Guru’s hand and would put her hand on Guru’s knee where he had terrible pain.  She intuitively felt where Guru had pain and she started massaging his knee.  She was telling Guru many stories that are very sacred and also some very secret stories. 

Then she came out to be with all of us. She was so happy. She spent about an hour with Guru. It was overwhelming and very sweet. 

Later Guru said, “Nobody has understood me like this. Of the most famous people, Mother Teresa has understood my philosophy and my spirituality more than any.”

The moment I come
And stand in Mother Teresa's blessingful presence,
I see nothing but waves of smiles
Flowing from her compassion-flooded eyes.

Sri Chinmoy 1

• 1. Mother Teresa: Humanity’s Flower-Heart, Divinity’s Fragrance-Soul, part 1, Agni Press, 1997