Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1935

Letter ID: 1379

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

July 19, 1935

Kindly enlighten us a little more regarding the emanations. How do they support the personal relation or contact with us when we have neither the former nor feel the latter? Do they do these things even when we are not conscious, and how do they act either? I thought all personal relations were with the Mother direct, not through a deputy.

It is terribly difficult to write of these things, for you are all as ignorant as blazes about these things and misunderstand at every step. The Emanation is not a deputy, but the Mother herself. She is not bound to her body, but can put herself out (emanate) in any way she likes. What emanates, suits itself to the nature of the personal relation she has with the sadhak which is different with each, but that does not prevent it from being herself. Its presence with the sadhak is not dependent on his consciousness of it. If everything were dependent on the surface consciousness of the sadhak, there would be no possibility of the divine action anywhere; the human worm would remain the human worm and the human ass, the human ass, for ever and ever. For if the Divine could not be there behind the veil, how could either ever become conscious of anything but their wormhood and asshood even throughout the ages?

When K says that he feels the Mother’s physical touch, with whom does he have the contact – the Mother or the emanation?

With the Mother – the emanation helping – which is its business.

By the way, are these brackets about emanations absolutely unbreakable or can they be withdrawn in favour of a few, e.g. J, D, and put back again?

You have already spoken to J, she says. That does not matter; but they are not to be thrown down for others. It would only create useless mental froth and bubbles.

I dreamt I had written 4 very beautiful sonnets; are they to actualise?

Let us hope so.