Mirra Alfassa, revered as The Mother, stands at the very heart of the Ashram’s concrete formation and collective life. When Sri Aurobindo withdrew into seclusion, the disciples and the emerging community were placed under her charge, and what had been an informal circle of seekers gradually took shape as an organized ashram. She established daily routines, disciplines, and administrative systems, guiding the transition from a small group of disciples to a structured spiritual community. In this way, the Ashram became not merely a place of retreat, but a carefully ordered field for the practice of Integral Yoga in every aspect of life.

Her role was at once practical and profoundly spiritual. She assumed responsibility for the day-to-day affairs of the community—housing, food, work distribution, finances, and correspondence—while also creating a wide range of departments such as gardens, workshops, and cultural activities as fields of karma yoga. These varied activities were not seen as mundane chores but as opportunities to align outer work with inner discipline. Under her direction, the Ashram’s organization sought to rest on sincerity and inner consecration rather than external compulsion, so that the very fabric of communal life could serve as a means of spiritual growth.

At the same time, The Mother was the principal spiritual guide for the sadhaks. She offered personal guidance, prescribed disciplines, answered questions, and led collective meditations, shaping the atmosphere and rules of the Ashram according to the demands of Integral Yoga. As the accessible spiritual authority, she interpreted Sri Aurobindo’s vision in practical terms, helping seekers to work on the transformation of their physical, vital, and mental nature. In her presence and guidance, many perceived the active force of the Divine Mother at work, giving a living, experiential dimension to the teachings.

Her work also extended into the field of education and the preservation of the teaching. She initiated and guided the Ashram’s educational activities, which took form as the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, emphasizing the integral development of the whole being. Alongside this, she collaborated closely with Sri Aurobindo on his writings and their publication, ensuring the continuity and transmission of his philosophical and spiritual work. Through these combined efforts—organizational, spiritual, educational, and cultural—The Mother translated a high spiritual vision into a living, evolving community dedicated to the realization of a divine life on earth.