Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 4

Letter ID: 1058

Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar

July 11, 1949

It is not really surprising that people should be able to draw help from you and feel themselves helped and this can happen even though you yourself may not consciously have the idea or the feeling of extending any help to them. You have a very strong vital with a great communicative and creative power which is not shut up in itself but expansive and naturally flows out on those around it. Even ordinarily in the world people easily turn to such a strong and expansive vital and draw upon it for strength and assistance. In your case this is enhanced by your psychic being having the habit of using your vital force for communication to the outside world as it has been habitually doing in your creative activities, poetry and other forms of writing or speech, song and music: apart from artistic qualities and appeal these have an appeal and influence which comes from that inner power which has breathed itself into them and formed their substance. It has again been greatly increased by the practice of Yoga and the feeling of bhakti which comes out of you when you write your songs and sing them.

In your work for us you have the knowledge that our force stands behind you; it is always there and can increase your power to help others, not only when you are doing the work but at other times or whenever they turn towards you with the idea or faith that the help they need can come from you.

As for the zamindar he seems to expect some diksba of the traditional kind from me, but this I do not give. He will have to be told that I do not and that my method is different. It may be a little difficult to explain to him or for him to understand what it is. Perhaps he may be told that those who come to have the Yoga are not accepted at once and there is sometimes a long period of trial before they are. We can see how he takes it and decide afterwards if he persists in his desire to come here.

For your going to Calcutta it depends mostly on your own inner movement and whether you feel inclined to undertake this work. This celebration and the force or the tendency which is trying to push it to the front is part of something that is trying to bring about a new turn in the country and its future; its success depends upon the temper and spirit of the people who have taken charge over there and also on the feeling in the country and how far it is ready to break away or prepare[d] to break away from the old moorings. If you feel moved to take the journey and make the venture, we will give you our sanction and our full blessings will be with you.