Mother Teresa's path was a unique one. While she never deviated from her faith, she reached out to millions of her special constituency, the deprived and the dying, recognising their faces to be the face of her God.
A few weeks ago I visited one of Mother Teresa's Sisters who was admitted for surgery in the PGI hospital in Chandigarh. Haryana Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati and the Principal Secretary to the Governor accompanied me that morning to Sister Ann Vinita's bedside. Attending to her in the hospital were two companion Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. In the course of conversation, one of them said that she was really happy to meet me. She went on to explain that as a young woman in Kerala, she had admired Mother Teresa's work, but it was when she chanced to read my biography of Mother Teresa that she decided to join the Order. That a young Catholic woman should have read a book written by one, who while he was unmistakably close to Mother Teresa yet did not share her faith, stunned me into silence. It made me reflect on a number of issues related and unrelated: of the strength of secular values; and of true compassion knowing no religious, ethnic, caste or geographical boundaries, and indeed being able to transcend altogether the formal contours of religious practice.
Mother Teresa understood her environment acutely. She was no evangelist in the 19th century mould. She remained true to her religion till her last breath, but chose not to impose it on others. Never once during my 23-year-long association with her did she ever suggest that her religion was the only path, or that it was in any way superior. Yet she often reminded those around her of the power of prayer. If I occasionally remarked on some initiative she had taken as a “good idea,” she would reply with a teasing smile that if I learned to pray I would get a few good ideas too! She often urged those who came to her that they must be good Hindus or Muslims or Christians or Sikhs, and in that process must learn to “find God.”
It was indicative of her success that she understood that in an overwhelmingly non-Christian India, her path had to be a unique one. So while she never deviated from her faith, she reached out to millions of her special constituency: the poorest of the poor, the leprosy sufferers, abandoned children or the hungry and dying, recognising their faces to be the face of her God. Their religious persuasion, or even its absence, hardly concerned her. In her ability to have found the middle path in an environment that could have easily become hostile, lay her genius. I once asked the legendary Chief Minster of West Bengal, Jyoti Basu, what he an atheist and a Communist could possibly have in common with a Catholic nun for whom God was everything. With a smile, he replied: “We share a love for the poor.” India revered her and gave her abundantly of its honours, including the Bharat Ratna. On August 26, 2010, a five- rupee coin was released to commemorate her birth centenary.
Over the years I witnessed many incidents that I called “co-incidences” and which others might well call “miracles.” One day in the 1980s at Mother House in Kolkata, a rare medicine was needed to save the life of a child. In those days it was not manufactured in India. When hope was almost lost, and as the Sisters prayed, a carton of assorted leftover medicines was donated by an unknown benefactor. Right on top was the very drug that was needed. The child's life was saved.
On another occasion, Mother Teresa arrived in Delhi from abroad. I was at the airport to receive her. Her flight was late. As she got off, anxiety was writ over her face. “You must get me on the flight to Calcutta. There is a dying child here; I am carrying a new medicine.” I told Mother that was impossible. Her flight had been late, and the last Calcutta-bound Indian Airlines flight was boarding. Mother Teresa's own luggage was also yet to come. But as word spread at the airport, the seemingly impossible happened. The first few items of luggage on the conveyer belt happened to be her cardboard cartons (she never owned a suitcase!). Someone informed air traffic control of Mother Teresa's efforts. The pilot happened to be a Calcutta man. Suddenly I was asked if I could drive Mother Teresa in my car to the tarmac — and she caught her flight. I rang her the next morning. The child had been administered the medicine on her arrival, and was now out of danger. “It is a first-class miracle,” said Mother Teresa.
Far from once not believing in miracles, I am now in little doubt that Mother Teresa's life itself was a miracle. Witness the facts: as a child of 14 in her native Albania, her imagination was stirred by the stories she heard from the Jesuit Fathers of their work in distant Bengal; at 18, still a teenager, her mind was made up. She took leave of her own beloved mother and joined the Loreto Order of teaching nuns, her only means in the year 1928 of reaching India. It was an age when missionaries seldom returned home, and she was embarking on a life in a world of which she knew nothing. She was sent to Darjeeling for training. She learned to speak Bengali fluently. After almost 20 happy years as a teaching nun, she audaciously sought (and finally received) permission from the Vatican to become the first nun in the history of the Church to step outside convent walls, not as a lay person, but as a nun with her vows intact, to start a mission of her own. She had no helper, no companion, and no money to speak of. Imagine the Calcutta of 1948, overflowing with refugees after Partition, homelessness, poverty and disease everywhere. She wore no recognisable nun's habit; instead a sari, akin to that worn by municipal sweepresses, that cost one rupee. This is where she started her life's arduous mission.
We know where she left off. By the time she passed away in 1997, she had created her presence in 123 countries. She ran a multinational run by 5,000 nuns of her Order, without the help of government grants or Church assistance. She had been awarded every conceivable prize of distinction. She was as warmly received in palaces and chancelleries as she was in the slums and streets of the world's cities. People sometimes accuse her of converting others to her faith: surely then there was no need for her to set up a branch in the heart of the Vatican. She cajoled Pope John Paul II to carve out a soup kitchen next to his grand audience chamber. Anyone today can witness the queues of Rome's poor, who are fed their only hot meal every evening. A former British Prime Minister told me not long ago that when Mother Teresa visited him at Downing Street she always managed to get his aides overruled, and got everything she wanted — because it was always for ‘her poor.' In any event, by now it was difficult for Prime Ministers to say ‘no' to her, for she was recognised as the conscience-keeper of her age.
As a Hindu, armed only with a certain eclecticism, I found it took me longer than most others to understand that Mother Teresa was with Christ in each conscious hour, whether at Mass, or with each of those whom she tended. The Christ on her crucifix was not different from the one who lay dying at her hospice in Kalighat. There could be no contradiction in her oft-repeated words that one must reach out to one's neighbour.
For Mother Teresa, to love one's neighbour was to love God. This was what was essential to her, not the size of her mission or the power others perceived in her. “We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful,” she explained. Mother Teresa exemplified that faith — in prayer, in love, in service, and in peace.
(Navin Chawla, a former Chief Election Commissioner of India, is the author of Mother Teresa: The Authorised Biography.)
Keywords: social service, Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa was an exemplary human being-an embodiment of all true virtues that go to make a true sanyasin.She relinquished worldly desires at a very young age to become a catholic nun but instead of staying back within the four-walls of a nunnery, she chose to serve the deserving poorest of the poor,lepers,the weak and the sick spread over the length and breadth of our subcontinent by establishing her own Mission a ;she was ably assisted by her own chosen sisters of the mission.She believed and preached "Where there is Love there is God",Indeed she qualified to be ordained as a saint.Such people live in our memory as long as this world exists and remains to be worshipped irrespective of religion and religious affiliations by one and all.
I had the privilege to visit the Mother House two years back. It was a spiritual experience for me. My eyes were simply getting filled as I was reading her words kept in the museum. surely God lives amidst us. Sometimes He/She takes human forms. One was Mother.....
A wonderful article. Mother is a grace to the world. A perfect example
for all of us to follow.
Thanks for woderfull article, Mother Teresa is great human being beyond comparison
At the outset, I express my sincere thanks to THE HINDU for the efforts put by them in releasing such a heartiest & inspiring article on Mother Teresa. GOD sent His only son to the world because GOD LOVES the World. GOD sent a teenage girl from Albania to India to serve & help to the poorest of poor, abandoned children, aged, sick, dying in the streets, because of GOD's LOVE to the world, and she had became the Mother of millions in the world. As a citizen of this world, we are bound to follow her path.
Inspiring Article. The two lines that i would remember forever from this article are "if I learned to pray I would get a few good ideas too!" and "We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful". Also I feel sincere will/efforts are backed by almighty as in the case of the Delhi airpot incident described in the article.
Love in action is God. If only we can love "our neighbours" the World would be a far better place to live. Our generation is fortunate to see a personality like Mother Theresa who practiced what she believed.
In 1973 while i was in Bombay, morning i used to walk from VT station to my office i witnessed several times humman beings negleted and dying on the footpath. Today we will not see such things in Bombay. Thanks to Mother for her charity will take care of such people.
It is an excellent article. Faith and her work was never contradicted. All of us called to love our neighbours especially the poor. Whatever religions we belong to let us work for the poor to build our country. The faith that we profess may bring us closer to one another.
The unexhaustible work of mother Teresa toward the service of mankind is beyond all appraisal.We respect her till the fullest.
Beautiful and Inspiring! Thank You. May India never forget The Mother.
Like white light blind us, white skin blinds our thinking. While a selfless service to lepers and tribals by Baba Amate in Maharastra was many times divine than the Lady's work , the thinkers and intellectuals went gaga over her.At the end of the day she came here for spreading the gospel while Dr.Amte showed that humanity irrespective of religion is possible.
"We are called not to be successful but to be faithful".
In a world full of news that at times makes the blood curdle, Mr. Navin Chawla's article on the great Mother Teresa fills the heart with hope in the possibility of becoming human. The article is very soothing to the soul. I am reminded of a line in a hymn that summarizes, in essence, why the world is in such a pathetic state: "The world stands in liberation, my Lord, it still has to learn to love." Mother Teresa knew how to love. I believe we, too, can!
I cannot wait to buy a personal copy of her biography by Mr. Chawla. Very special thanks to THE HINDU for publishing this highly inspiring article.
Mother teresa ,the mother of india,taught us to love all irrespective of religion.colour,status,language and geograpical ares which are threat to india in the future.people evaluating us based on what we are doing not on the words and mother teresa did the first without expecting anything.
Mother Teresa is truly religious and human. Thanks to Shri. Navin Chawla for this article. Good job by THE HINDU. Expecting more Master pieces like these instead of sensationalizing every damn issue.
well...what more can we say of Mother Teresa. Not every man is called a Father and not every woman is called a Mother. Here we have 'Mother' Teresa, true in every sense of the word. May the example of Mother Teresa lead us all to be friendly and comforting to the unfortunate children of our neighbourhood.
If she was alive today she would not have required the OB vans or the screaming reporters to make her presence felt.Her acts were such that they needed no publicity but those people who needed publicity had to act with her.Mr.Chawla's book is popular for two reasons.First,its about Mother Theresa and the second,those were facts than fiction written in it.The Hindu has again paid a fitting tribute to the Mother.
To Mr Kartik, Maybe the emptiness and sadness all around her made her feel empty at times. But what is magnificent is the God that she trusted in never gave up and continued to strengthen her. Her feeling of silence and emptiness shows that she was truly a mortal being.
"She often urged those who came to her that they must be good Hindus or Muslims or Christians or Sikhs, and in that process must learn to 'find God'." I miss you AMMA(MOTHER)
Only good people can understand the virtues of others. In a world where people look others activities with suspision the relation between mother and Mr. Navin Chawla is marvellous. Likewise the relation between mother and Jyothi Basu. Here Mr. Chawla has done a great work. Thankyou for The Hindu for publishing this peotic story
I have no words to express my gratitude to the Hindu for publishing such great artcicle on Mither Teresa, it is very touching the heart of every one. I have decided to present the book of the auto biography of Mother Teresa to my daughter-doctor and daughtr-chartered accountant and recommending them to lead a simple charitable life like Mother Teresa
It is important to note that her beliefs and convictions in God were not as strong and 'true' as the article suggests. One need only look at her personal letters to get a glimpse of the inner conflicts she waged against, while maintaining a very different outwardly appearance. For example, she once wrote, "Jesus has a very special love for you. As for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great that I look and do not see, listen and do not hear." Mother Teresa to the Rev. Michael Van Der Peet, September 1979.
No words to express. She is beyoond words. Tears started rolling out when completed the article. Many thanks to Mr. Navin and The Hindu
Most people keep Mother on their shelf.I have preserved her in my heart.
A wonderful experience of Mother Teresa.I am touched by her life and her conviction and faith in God. All those who read this article will develop great respect and love for the person of Mother and will be triggered to follow her footsteps.
I read the comment of Hari in which he advocates that Mother Teresa's goodness is media created and refers to a sick fellow such as Christopher Hitchens who is an atheist and a well know critique and devil incarnate. India has a place for God whether you follow Hinduism,Islam or Christianity.With all humility let me say this we saw what Mother Teresa did and media just did what it can do and not anyway partial as suggested by Hari. God Bless all of you
good article about MOTHER TERESA she was called living saint when she was alive and even after death she remains saint. Can you and I think of when she has done for the poor and ill without any expectation? She said once that she found CHRIST in each suffering person that is want made her special
Love you mother! Thank you for being present in our times and showing us the way!
A very touching article by Mr. Navin Chawla. An inspiring role model to follow in multicultural and multi religious India.
Great personality of our times. She also must be the only Christian in the world who was not bent upon proving that Christianity is the best religion and the only way to live.
It is really great to come from one country and serve derpived,dying and downtrodden people in other country ..The greattest thing is she has never forced any one to be biased on a particular community. She has just adviced to know the god in any way . We should be greatful for such kind n generous heart and should put into actions atleast some of her activities to make her soul peaceful :)
Refreshing....I can find similarities between: Anna Hazare and Mother Teresa. Both fought for Poor. The former took refuge in Gandhi and the latter took refuge in Christ. Both stood for their ideals. Both of their paths are different. Anna took political solutions where as Mother Teresa took charity solutions. Both have mass support from Indian people. Both have their own critics. Mother Teresa found her place....we have to wait until Anna finds his....
I strongly believe only Christ in her living made this possible as that is the only unique thing in her!
Truthful article, great journalistic work by Hindu!
she was a manifestation of God in human form.
There is now an ongoing process of the canonization of Mother Teresa by the Vatican. But to us, especially the poor and weak, Mother will always be a saint, whether canonized or not, because she is a saint in her deeds. A saint not of any particular religion but of humanity.
Indeed true that a personality like Mother Teresa provides the society with a faith and hope in life.At a time when we have forgotten compassion ,this aricle helps to open up our eyes to the most subtle virtues in life.Thanks for this great article.
Mother showed the whole world that if you believe in something you can achieve it , we need not sell our soul only a belief in what you do and truth will get you there. Mother has show that leaders don't need technology, money etc.. to have followers who will give up everything they have and follow the path of pain and suffering to serve fellow humans . Mother has shown humans still do have compassion, kindness and feelings that are shown towards other fellow humans. People or organization who have the audacity to criticise Mothers activities should first look at themself in the mirror and ask what they have done for their fellow human beings.
Thanks to THE HINDU for publishing this article written by Naven and reminding us of a simple soul who showed us there is light at the end of the tunnel.
This article provides a partial view of Mother Teresa (the myth that the media has created). Please read "The missionary position" by Christopher Hitchens and then make up your mind on who she really was.
Mother is god gift.Never once come again like mother. i am very thank to Navin ji for this article.i request to all keep world love and Peace.
When I was a teen I only knew Naven Chawla as a biased election commissioner and I was even sceptical whether to read this article or not. But my opinion about you really changed after reading it. There is always something to learn from everyone. I accept I didn't have desperate interest to know about Mother Teresa in the past. But now, my curiosity increased to read more about the legend. I would like to buy a copy of your book and read it. You impressed me. Thank you.
Mother Teresa was asked once if she had any universal proved talisman to operationalise her absolute faith in love. She said simply that she has pursued one method all her life - to reduce constantly and diligently the distance between one's thought and action. How well said Our problem is that the mind always trumps the hand.
Mother has set an example for the people all around the globe. We will follow her path wholeheartedly and will make the world lively and full of peace and harmony.
@Nitin: Only a tree with fruits in it will get the stones. Please do not be the stone thrower, instead be the gardener. I don't understand how people dare critcize a lady who is truly above criticism!
Only a person who understands the true meaning of religion will advise others "to pray and find GOD in your own religion". Truly she was mother to everybody.Just like Ramakrishna Paramhamsa found his 'Mother' at Dakshineshwar, all the people who were touched by her benevolence must have seen their mother in her. That she treated every person who came to her with love and without slightest intention of conversion indeed speaks volume of her devotion to humanity. Sadly such a trend is now missing and people are more interested in abusing the name of Christ by seeking to convert people to Christianity using the most unchristian means.
Mr.Navin Chawla has done a wonderful piece of putting together his memories about Mother Teresa. India needs a lot more of such pieces in these testing times of civil rage.
That was really an Awesome article by Navin Chawla ji.Mother only believed in "Service to mankind is service to God".She established charity and also done service to many people of all the kinds.Upto her last breath she was very true for her religion and also proved that service to this society doesnt depend upon your caste or creed that you posses.Even our Government recognized her esteemed service and gave her BHART RATNA.It is nt wrong to say that even that was a n't great jewel to be presented on that great Mother's head.Her service to this Mankind cant be measured.I being the young generation of this country want to follow her path and want to do my part of service to this society.Last but nt least i want to thank navin ji and "THE HINDU" for publishing such a good article.THANK YOU!!!!
Wonderful account of Mother Teresa's miracles. All of us should share this article with people around us. The essence of all the religions is LOVE and PEACE. May all human beings start looking at life the way Mother Teresa did!
very few in the world r like mother Teresa . Her divine soul is immortal and the work that she had done for Indian people is always remembered by Indians I do not have any words to expressed my felling about ur divine article thank u very much.
Miracle man\women never appear frequently.We must derive inspiration from them to serve unpriveleged section of society.At the same time we must not paralyze our all actions with much more expectations from a unpredictable miracle.In day to day life our concerted efforts must exert vigorous concentration to instill intense desire amongst poor people to know causes and remedies of their poverty.Educate them common principles of healthy and prosperous living which is no less than miracles of those divine persons.
wonderful article, mother Teresa is our national asset which will be forever in our heart and her lessons will guide us all to be faithful and teach us to help poor, Indian government has awarded her a Bharat Ratna, but her actual achievement is our faith on her lessons.
Just fell into tears !!!! What a great personality the mother was.!!! How beautiful the world would have been if she was here..
Excellent article!! @Nitin : Do not consider wikipedia as Gospel of truth. The articles are often written by amatuers like us!
The author has penned a beautiful tribute which brings alive Mother Teresa. She was a phenomenon unmatched even by the charismatic late Lady Diana. Mother's concern for the poor was so overwhelming that the wealthy and the powerful were willing to loosen their purse and contribute to the Missionaries of Charity. Many years after Mother has departed, no one has been able to reach that exalted place.
Good Article. Navin Chawla wanted to inform Indians that he is a Hindu at a time when gossips around mentions that he is a Christian in Hindu name like YSR,Ambika Soni, Ajit Jogi, Jagdish Tytler etc. Navin Chawla's emphasis was this point only and he has succeeded in that sense. We would see more such attempts from others 'under suspicion' as well.
I, first of all thank The Hindu for publishing this article in the right time, when there is a huge demand for love of mankind. Mother Teresa believed religion as a synonym of love but she preached only love, not Christianity! That's the miracle!
Mr. Nitin, your own comments are welcome, but unfortunately you believe 'Wiki' ..., Wiki - is nothing but most unreliable source. I would recommend you to make a visit to Calcutta and then take into accounts of what you see out there and then come back here to give your opinion. In the present stage of political-turmoil, I find only one leading News carrier to make perfect sense and balance. Good job 'The Hindu' for striking this balance.
Even after dedicating whole of her life and many others who joined her in the cause, Calcutta is still in the same condition. I am afraid what are we trying to learn from her..
It's difficult for me to make comments in aspects of religion because I was educated in a country without religion, however, I do learned from family that one should be kind and be helpful to others as well as to the society. I love mother Teresa because her kindness had surpassed boundaries of nation and religion, which is the most precious part of human.
Whether India wanted Mother Teresa or not, Mother Teresa wanted India; she would not have found the 'God like'adoration anywhere else in the world.
It is really a heart-touching article. congrats
Very nice....Interesting article .............good to know about some info reg THE NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA......good job by THE HINDU..........
Excellently written. Kudos to THE HINDU for publishing master pieces like these instead of sensationalizing every damn issue. Keep up the good work.
Anyone reading her biography will realize how much we owe to our fellow beings. The love she showed by way of service is the basis on which Christianity itself is founded. There is no greater virtue than love. In a nation like ours which is multi-cultural and multi-religious, it is one trait that will unite us.Rather than building up imaginary walls of caste, belief, status, we should all realize that reaching out to one another is what makes us all human. Feelings of hate, superiority etc., ceases to make us one.
An angel sent by god himself indeed, nothing short of it. For those who want to feel the real meaning of service, love and prayer, one should at least follow the teachings of our great mother. There has, will and always be only one Mother Teresa.
Some persons will live even after death. Mother Teresa is one such character. Christian maissionaries who are interested in forcible conversions should learn from her.
Thankyou thehindu for this beautiful article!!!
Excellent Article ! Those who spread the christianity should learn from this Great Lady ! I whole heartedly thank 'The Hindu' for publishing such wonderful Articles ! Pl keep it up! Great work !!!!!!
Wonderful presentation of a reality that consoles people around the world. Mother Teresa is truly religious and human. We need to copy her values to strengthen humanity and the world at large. Thanks to Shri. Navin Chawla for this article.
from wiki...
Mother Teresa has not been without her critics, however, including prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens who believes her reputation is misguided and due to people failing to examine what she actually did. Other critics are cultural critic Michael Parenti, Indian-English physician Aroup Chatterjee and the World Hindu Council (Vishva Hindu Parishad). They accuse her of proselytizing, failing to provide accounts which Hitchins could have audited and which would have allowed donors to investigate how their money was used, allowing her hospice to be primitive and run down despite obtaining vast sums of donated money which could be used to build, for example a new teaching hospital in Calcutta. Mother Teresa is further accused of strongly opposing contraception and abortion, believing in poverty's spiritual goodness and alleged 'secret baptisms of the dying' though the baptism may not have valid according to Roman Catholic teachings.
The immense power of love is seen, in the life of Mother Theresa,whose entire life was spent in the service of the needy.The article ignites a spark, to go for the Mother's autobiography.A true Hindu,Christian,Jew or follower of Islam,need not beat one's chest in the public place to proclaim ones faith, much less shed/draw blood.
Mother Teresa's service reflected how poorly the people who ran this country treated it's poor masses. While we had abundance of natural wealth in this country, the food, medicine, education, shelter and housing was meant only for the privileged ruling class. Selfless service of mother was awesome and was cherished by all but people forgot why there were poverty and misery for the poor people. It doesn't matter whether the author is Hindu or non Hindu. Navin Chawla's comment about him being a Hindu in context of mother who worshipped Christ is out of context, A Hindu worships Christ as well, for him..Kristu and Krisna are the same, we abide by the hymn "Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudam Vadanthi" All that exists is one but Sages call by different names. For a Hindu there is no difference in divinity of Yeshu (Christ) or divinity of son of Yeshoda (Krishna).
Her's was a remarkable personality. With Christ in her was the only explanation.
Mother's words 'one should find God in one's own religion' are golden words. By finding her God in the poor and suffering she fulfilled her life's goal. If she wanted, she could have used the Mission of Charity to convert to 'make a harvest' as even a Pope wanted in India. In her eventful life from the age of 14 till her death she filled her life with true meaning without 'saving the souls' as many labour. This is another of Mother's Miracles.
She has always been a idol to millions of people and will continue to be. We should be very of proud of her activities.
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