It was a reference, more humorous than anything else, to the possible item in your programme of vairagya overtaking you in the middle and disabling you from carrying it out.Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 4
Letter ID: 950
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
February 26, 1943
□ Hide link-numbers of differed places
I could not quite understand – though partly I did – what you meant by “Yes to the whole programme (with reservations about the vairagya, though!) with the Mother’s blessings and mine.”
If possible throw a few lines of radiant light hereanent below. I know vairagya is a protection and in my case a strong armour – being rather prone to attachments and fame, etc. but it causes a loss or waste of energy. Though I can’t very well complain I have felt the lack of it here however much I may have felt the lack of peace. I have written already a library of poems and songs and music, what?
It was a reference, more humorous than anything else, to the possible item in your programme of vairagya overtaking you in the middle and disabling you from carrying it out.
For the rest, I quite acknowledge the utility of a temporary state of vairagya as an antidote to the too strong pull of the vital. But vairagya always tends to a turning away from life and a
tamasic element in vairagya, despair, depression, etc. often dilapidates
the fire
of the being and may even lead
in some cases to falling between two stools so that one loses earth and misses heaven. I therefore prefer to replace vairagya by a firm and quiet rejection of what has to be rejected, sex, vanity, ego-centrism, attachment, etc. etc.
; but that does not include rejection of the activities and powers that can be made instruments of the sadhana and the divine work, such as art, music, poetry, etc
. Yoga can be done without the rejection of life, without killing or impairing the life-joy and
the vital force.
I will be praying all the time to you and Mother for the tireless grace you have both shed on me and I really want (believe me) to make some return by personal service. I know I am vain (though I am less now I feel) and full of faults and flaws but if your grace is there I can make some headway as you know too. For instance (this I mention deliberately to help Cohayne), Cohayne’s letter to Mother two days ago imploring her to take him in hand. Here is a man of real intelligence, I have exchanged heaps of letters with him and he was a tireless critic and yet the Mother’s grace and yours has worked through me. My only desire of course was that he should serve you – with all others too I love. That is why I trouble you so about them. Please give Cohayne your force and protection – he is a fine fellow you will find. Can I answer him in the affirmative – you must know he is sincere – but now humble truly.
Well, at present it is better not to write anything too positive. Nowadays, especially, the Mother takes people in such circumstances on probation, she does not give them large immediate assurances, but waits to see how they open. If he justifies his aspiration, all will be well.
I have one last request to make to you before I leave. Read the poem in blank verse a la Madhusudan. This ends the series. I know you have not found time to read the second poem – (it was too long?) – I sentcopied by Rani, but this is about the psychic being – a difficult thing to write about – and your Yoga essentially I feel.
1 SABCL, volume 22: the
2 SABCL, volume 22: dilapidates
3 CWSA, volume 29: force
4 SABCL, volume 22: lead
5 SABCL, volume 22: etc.
6 Perhaps there is an artificial implantation in SABCL, volume 22: etc., though these have to find a new spiritual or psychic base, a deeper inspiration, a turn towards the Divine or things divine
7 SABCL, volume 22: or
Current publication:
[A letter: ] Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo to Dilip.- 1st ed.- In 4 Volumes.- Volume 4. 1938 – 1950 / edited by Shankar Bandopadhyay.- Pune: Heri Krishna Mandir Trust; Mysore: Mira Aditi, 2003.- 269 p.
Other publications: