Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1937

Letter ID: 1846

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

February 8, 1937

Did you write: “... I will give him a club on the head...”? He will die, Sir, but if he doesn’t, a doctor will be needed!

Clout, clout. A clout is a harmless thing – at most you will have to put a bandage.

I read the script in Sunday Times, by Dr. Hutchinson. It is not only hot, but a little top-heavy it seems. If the doctors’ function is only to give consolation, I fear many patients visiting us will leave, cursing us. Take B’s case of piles. Will simple consolation suffice?

It depends on the effectivity of your consoling words and confidence in giving drugs. Your words and cheery care may so raise B’s morale that it will affect his piles and, if it can’t do altogether that, your medicine may give so much confidence to the piles that they will walk in and give up the ghost. But it’s all a confidence trick in reality. If the piles are crass and refuse confidence, well –

I asked V if he agreed to this “consolation” treatment. He said, “Certainly!” Then I asked him, “How is it then that your old malady has come back which was supposed to have been cured by R?”

Well, that’s the point. How did R or how does anybody cure? By his medicines or by his “confidence” imparted to the subconscient of the patient?

He answered, “But one doctor may fail and, besides, there is the Force!” Well?

The Force is another matter. Your President Hutchinson or Henderson (or what the deuce was his name?) wasn’t thinking in terms of Force.

But doesn’t R cut short the course of a disease, doesn’t his medicine help to alleviate the patients’ sufferings?

Sometimes. But how?

Anyway, what is your opinion?

My opinion is that Allah is great and great is the mystery of the universe and things are not what they seem, etc.!