Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 2. 1937
Letter ID: 1966
Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar
June 11, 1937
I forward X’s letter. He supports in this letter, very strongly, his belief in human affections. Y came to me just now and recounted her discussion with X on the subject, and her having lost all faith in human love and affections, as a result of her past experiences. Is Y far wrong?
Obviously not. On X’s own argument, if his experience justifies him in believing in human affection, Y’s justifies her in not believing in it.
... One can’t say that there is no truth at all in human feelings and sentiments.
There is a “truth” in everything, the question is what kind of truth and how much of it.
I don’t know what you have written to X about it; he says that he has your support.
I don’t think I wrote anything about that. It was about his power to persuade others and also about his helping a certain person in her illness by prayer.
... The fact is that wherever he has gone, the Goddess of Love has, as if, enjoined all to pour love upon him; so he is a confirmed believer in these things.
What is the fact is that he has vital attractiveness of a magnetic character and naturally1 it works in people when he wants it to do so.
By his charm and personality, atheists seem to have become theists, materialists inclined to Yoga, favourable towards Pondicherry, etc., etc.
It is to be seen how far that goes.
Well then, there is an element of truth in affection...
I don’t believe it was the affection that did it. It is the dominating vital force in X. People who were not affectionate by nature, have attached people to them and dominated their minds and lives – e.g. Napoleon.
He also says that he has been betrayed often by friends and suffered much. Is it then his robust optimism that upholds him?
It is a difference of temperament and vital expansiveness.
My questions are: why doesn’t he remain content with these affections? Why does he intend to come here for Yoga?
That is another X.
... If human affections were everything or occupy such a big place in life, why did Buddha and Ramakrishna leave the world? How does Sri Aurobindo leave everything? How do patriots die unknown, unnamed, for their country?
Because they can look beyond their small self to a bigger self or to the Self of All...
Please give a satisfactory reply to all these questions.
I am not going to perorate on this problem but I shall write something brief if you send the book again.
1 Doubtful reading.