Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Second Series

Fragment ID: 20795

I quite agree with you in not relishing the idea of another attack of this nature. I am myself, I suppose, more a hero by necessity than by choice – I do not love storms and battles, at least on the subtle plane. The sunlit way may be an illusion,– though I do not think it is,– for I have seen people treading it for years; but a way with only natural or even only moderate fits of rough weather, a way without typhoons surely is possible – there are so many examples; durgam pathastat may be generally true and certainly the path of Laya or Nirvana is difficult in the extreme to most (although in my case I walked into Nirvana without intending it or rather Nirvana walked casually into me not so far from the beginning of my yogic career without asking my leave). But the path need not be cut by periodical violent storms, though that it is so for a great many is an obvious fact. But even for these if they stick to it, I find that after a certain point the storms diminish in force, frequency, duration. That is why I insisted so much on your sticking – for if you stick, the turning-point is bound to come. I have seen some astonishing instances recently of this typhoonic periodicity beginning to fade out after years and years of violent recurrence.

These things are not part of the normal difficulties, however acute, of the nature but special formations – tornadoes which start (usually from a particular point, sometimes varying) and go whirling round in the same circle always till it is finished.... To dissolve it ought to be possible if one sees it for what it is and is resolved to get rid of it – never allowing any mental justification of it, however logical, right and plausible the justification may seem to be – always replying to all the mind’s arguments or the vital’s feelings in favour of it, like Cato to the debaters, “Delenda est Carthago” – “Carthage has to be destroyed”, Carthage in this case being the formation and its nefarious circle.

Anyway the closing idea in your letter is the: right one. “The Divine is worth ferretting out even if oceans of gloom have to be crossed.” If you could confront the formation always with that firm resolution, it should bring victory.