To Barindra Kumar Ghose [5]1Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Letters
Fragment ID: 6453
(this fragment is largest or earliest found passage)
Sri Aurobindo — Ghose, Barindra Kumar
January 1923
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To Barindra Kumar Ghose [5]1
Pondicherry
January 1923
My dear Barin
It is unfortunate that Krishnashashi’s Sadhana should
have taken this turn. As things stand however a general mess
in Calcutta is the
worst possible place for him. If no other arrangement can be made it is better
that he should go for the present to Chittagong, do his Sadhana there and write
to me. It is not possible for me to have him here just now. If his Sadhana
rights itself it may be possible hereafter.
As to the development of egoism in him that is a
thing
which often happens in the first rush of experience and with proper protection
and influence may be got over. The serious features are only the psycho-vital
,
the danger to the body and certain suggestions which are evidently meant to put
him off the right way. I still find it difficult to believe that the menacing
apparitions are primarily due to him, for there is nothing in the atmosphere of
his letters that suggests
a medium of this kind. [Is]6 there a photograph of him [
]7 available that you can send or ask him to send it to
me?
I see that you say in your letter
that all have been
frightened by these apparitions. Insist on what I have already said
about the
necessity of dismissing fear. Sometime or other everybody will have to face
things of this kind and how can they do it if they fear. If they are afraid of
these things, many of which are merely figures or nervous formations, how can
they be spiritual warriors and conquerors, without which there can be no rising
towards supermanhood. I presume they would be brave against physical dangers;
why not then be brave against all psychical dangers
or menace.
If Krishnashashi heeds the instructions I have sent in
my former letter to you (they were made after consultation with Mirra) all may
yet be well. If not I shall have to try to send my
mental protection and see what it can do. He is unfortunately too far away for
me to put a psycho-vital protection about him. Let me know immediately what has
been done and where he goes. I am sending you a letter for him enclosed to you.
As regards Arun’s money I understand that it is for the Calcutta centre and I do not understand why you want to send it here. If he can give the first monthly instalment at once that ought to lighten your difficulties there. I shall be able to arrange with Durgadas’s help and with the money coming from Madras and Gujerat for one year’s expenses here, just sufficient for the two houses. What I want you to do, if you can, is to raise money from Bengal for the next year and for the maintenance of your Bengal centre also for two years, so that there may be no need of hunting for funds for sometime to come.
At present the main difficulty in your attempts to
raise money there is that all remains as potentiality and promise and thins away
before it can come to material realisation. It is possible that if you can
materialise the small amounts this obstacle may break and even the big sums
begin to come in afterwards. Always remember that it is a psychic difficulty, a
state of forces, that is the thing to be changed, because that is the real
obstacle. If another balance of forces can be begun in which there is the actual
materialisation even on a small scale that may well be an opening for better
conditions.
Aurobindo.
1 This letter is preserved only in the form of handwritten, typed or printed copies. Whenever possible, the editors have collated several copies of each letter in order to produce an accurate text. – Ed.
2 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: mass
3 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: the
4 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: psychic vital
5 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: suggest
6 MS (copy) If
7 MS (copy) is
8 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: letters
9 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: have said
10 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: all dangers
11 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: needs
12 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: I
13 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: money is
14 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: is psychic