Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1933

Letter ID: 1096

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

April 7, 1933

It is very difficult to say what kind of dreams they are. They are incomplete, incoherent and indistinct. But I remember one: some chickens were going about with their mother, and some crows’ appeared, suddenly one of them caught hold of a chicken and flew away. How on earth could such a dream take place and what significance could it have?

Naturally, these dreams have no value except when they are symbolic; but it counts only as the beginning of an inward going movement.

It is probable that you have begun to go inside and first get into touch with a world very near to the physical and are seeing things there.

I quite realise that there should be no craving for anything. But when a cup of tea is offered can it be harmful to our sadhana? I thought it all depends on the attitude.

Yes, but the attitude of craving can be encouraged by taking. If there is the right attitude one can take, but one will not perhaps care to!

I do not quite understand what is meant by “your vital forces went to her leaving you for the moment empty”.

There is always an interchange of vital forces going on between people. If you sit near one who is weak and depressed and needs vital force, you may have your forces pulled from you by his or her need and yourself feel depressed or weak or empty.