Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1936

Letter ID: 1545

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

February 10, 1936

You have hit me well by asking me whether I do my doctoring for the sake of happiness. But it was forced on me, Sir!

Most people do things because they have to, not out of the happiness they find in the things. It is only its hobbies and penchants that the nature finds some happiness in, not usually in work – unless of course the work itself is one’s hobby or penchant and can be indulged in or dropped as one likes.

We are puzzled over this word “Rishi”. Dilipda and myself agree that a Rishi is something more than a Yogi.

Why always this less and greater?

Kanai places a Yogi higher than a Rishi. He says, “But then Sri Aurobindo has called Bankim a Rishi”...

A Rishi is one who sees or discovers an inner truth and puts it into self-effective language – the mantra. Either new truth or old truth made new by expression and realisation.

Raman Maharshi has seen the Truth, can he be called a Rishi?

He has experienced certain eternal truths by process of Yoga – I don’t think it is by Rishilike intuition or illumination, nor has he the mantra.