Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest
1. Letters on Personal, Practical and Political Matters
(1890–1926)
Letters and Telegrams to Political and Professional
Associates 1906–1926
To Motilal Roy [24]1
Pondicherry
May 1920
Dear M.
It is only now for the first time since Sirish left
that I get some time to write. It is not possible for me to write all I have to
say, much must wait till you come here; I will confine myself to what is of
pressing importance for the work.
The circumstances under which you have to work have now
changed a great deal and you will have in order to meet it to enlarge your view
and inner attitude on many sides; this I think you are preparing to do, but it
will be as well for me to make it as precise as possible. Up till now you were
working alone in a Bengal which was in a state, first, of the last fragmentary
and chaotic agitations of the old violent spirit of rajasic politics and then of
torpor and inaction; and the thing that had to be done was to get rid of the
errors of the past (errors once necessary for the development, but likely if
persisted in to ruin and frustrate the future), to get at a firm spiritual basis
and found a centre of spiritual unity and action, a sangha, on a small
scale but sure of its principle and capable of a large development. This has 
now been done, but at the moment of its firm effectuation, new
conditions have come in which create a new and larger problem. First, many
imprisoned forces have been set loose and, secondly, the chaos of incertitude,
confused agitation and unseeing unrest which has followed upon the war and is
felt all over the world, is now at work in Bengal. The nature of this unrest is
a haste to get something done without knowing what has to be done, a sense of
and vague response to large forces without any vision of or hold on the real
possibilities of the future of humanity and the nation. The old things are
broken up in their assured mould and are yet persisting and trying to form
themselves anew, the new exist for the most part only in vague idea without a
body or clear action and without any power as yet to form what is lacking to
them. The old politics in India persist in a chaos of parties and programmes
centred round the Congress quarrel and the Reforms, and in Bengal we have a rush
of the commercial and industrial spirit which follows the Western principle and,
if it succeeds on those lines, is likely to create a very disastrous
reproduction or imitation of the European situation with its corrupt capitalism
and the labour struggle and the war of classes. And all that is the very reverse
of our own ideal. The one advantage for us is that it is a chaos and not a new
order, and it is essential that we should throw our spirit and idea upon this
fermentation, and draw what is best among its personalities and forces to the
side and service of our ideal so as to get a hold and a greater mass of
effectuation for it in the near future.
This, as I conceive it, has to be done on two lines.
First, what has already been created by us and given a right spirit, basis and
form, must be kept intact in spirit, intact in basis and intact in form and must
strengthen and enlarge itself in its own strength and by its inherent power of
self-development and the divine force within it. This is the line of work on
which you have to proceed. We have to confront the confusion around us with a
thing that is sure of itself and illumined by self-knowledge and a work that by
its clear form and firm growth will present more and more the aspect of an
assured solution of the problems of the present and the future. The mind of the
outside world may 
be too shallow, restless and
impatient to understand a great, profound and difficult truth like ours on the
side of the idea, but a visible accomplishment, a body of things done has always
the power to compel and to attract the world to follow it. The only danger then
is that when this body of things becomes prominent and attractive, numbers may
rush into it and try to follow the externals without realising and reproducing
in themselves the truth and the power of the real thing that made it possible.
It was that against which I warned you when there came the first possibility of
a considerable expansion. It is your business to enlarge your field of work and
the work itself but not at the cost of any lowering or adulteration of its
spirit. The first condition you have to assure is that all who have the work in
hand or share in its direction must be of the spirit and work from the self
outward; they must be men of the Yoga; but, secondly, all who enter in must have
this imposed on them as the thing to be developed, must learn to develop this
self-realisation first and foremost and the work only as its expression. The
safety of the work lies in a strict adherence to this principle. The majority of
the educated people of Bengal care only to get something done – and are not
troubled by the fact that really nothing sure and lasting does get done or else
only something that is likely to do as much harm as good; they care nothing
about the spiritual basis of life which is India’s real mission and the only
possible source of her greatness, or give to it only a slight, secondary or
incidental value, a something that has to be stuck on as a sentiment or a bit of
colouring matter. Our whole principle is different and you have to insist on our
principle in all that you say and do. Moreover, you have got a clear form for
your work in association and that form as well as the spirit you must maintain;
any loosening of it or compromise would mean confusion and an impairing of the
force that is working in your sangha.
But on the other hand there is another line of work
which is also necessary at the present moment, because the Shakti is moving in
that direction also and the Shakti is the doer of the work,– and that is for
others, like Barin to enter into the fermenting mass and draw out of it elements
that are fit but not 
yet ready to take our
whole idea and first to get into and then occupy existing or newly created means
and activities,– as he is doing with the Narayan,– which can be increasingly
made instruments of our purpose. This work will be attended with all the
difficulties and uncertainties and obstacles which go with a mixed and yet
unformed working,– such as you had at the beginning, but have now got over,– but
we must trust to the divine Shakti to overcome them. The one difficulty that it
is in our power to avoid is that of the relation between those who are working
on these different lines. There the first necessity is that there should be no
clash or spirit of rivalry, sense of division or monopolising personal or
corporate egoism to bring discord among those who receive their inspiration from
the same source and have the same ideal. A spiritual unity and a readiness for
cooperation must be the guiding principle of their relations.
I have already answered to Sirish the first very
natural question that arose in your mind at the inception of these new
conditions, why Barin and others should cast themselves separately into the 
[arūpa] to create रूप [rūpa]_p
out of it, when there is already a form and a body of associated communal work
in the spirit of our ideal and why all should not unite in that form and create
a greater power of associated driving force to bring about a rapid enlargement
and victory of the ideal. The first thing is that the particular form given is
the right thing for those who are already associated together, because it has
arisen naturally out of themselves and by the Will that guides, but it may well
be that the same precise form may not be applicable or intended everywhere. The
spirit, the truth must be the same, but the formations may be different with
advantage to the spirit. To insist on one form only might well bring in that
rigidity which grew upon Indian society and its civilisation in the past and
brought about an imprisonment and decline of the spirit. India was strongest and
most alive when she had many variations of form but one spirit. And I think,–
that at least was the prevision that came on me in the Alipur jail and I do not
yet see a different prospect,– that this will be the case also in the future.
Then, secondly, there is a psychological 
necessity which we cannot at the present moment leave out of consideration. The
sangha at Chandernagore is a thing that has grown up with my power behind and
yours at the centre and it has assumed a body and temperament which is the
result of this origination. But there are others, people of strong personality
and full of shakti, who receive the spiritual force direct from me and are made
themselves to be central spirits and direct radiators of the shakti, and for
these to subordinate themselves to the existing body and temperament would not
be easy for any and in most cases impossible,– such a subordination would not
have grown out of themselves and would only be imposed by nigraha, a
thing contrary to the prakriti,– and it would besides clog up the natural
action of the power in them. And on the other hand to bring them in as
coordinated central figures into the existing form would not be feasible, for it
would mean a disturbing change and new fermentation of forces in the work that
is already being well done on established lines. It would mean, even if at all
successful, a sort of conducting by spiritual committee and that is not the line
on which the Shakti has proceeded at Chandernagore. The more perfect
coordination of all who are at work can only come, as far as I can see, after I
myself go to Bengal and can act by my direct presence. Thirdly, there are a
considerable number of people in the country who are not yet of us, yet can be
given the necessary turn, but owing to temperamental and other causes they would
not be drawn to the existing centre, but could be easily drawn by Barin, Saurin,
Bijoy and others. And in all these and similar cases we must leave freedom to
the guiding Shakti to use her own means and instruments. Finally, there are
things to be done which need to be done, but which I would not like to impose on
your sangha as it now stands, first, because it would disturb the characteristic
frame and ideal temperament of your work, a thing which it is important to keep,
and secondly because it would impose on you unnecessary complications; and these
things can best be done by Barin and others while seeming to work independently
for their own hand. And there are needs also to be met for which these other
activities are required. Of that I can better speak to 
you in person than by letter. This being the situation, the need that remains is
to keep a right relation between those who are working, and that means to extend
the spirit of unity which is our basis so as to embrace all the work and
workers, undeterred by differences of mentality and divergences of action.
In our work we have to fix our relations with three
different kinds of people, first, those who are working for the country but
without any greater idea or spiritual motive, secondly, those who have the
spiritual motive but not the same ideal and inspiration as ourselves, thirdly,
those who have the same ideal and inspiration, but are working in different
bodies and at first on different lines. Our relation to the first class of
people and their work must be based on the fundamental principle of our Yoga to
see God in all and the one Self in all acting through different natures and all
energies, even those which are hostile, as workings of the divine Shakti
although behind the veil of the ahankara and the ignorant mentality.
There are movements at work new and old which are not the definite reality of
the future but are needed at the present moment as part of the transition. It is
in this light for example that I regard many things that are in process in
Europe and I am even moved to give a temporary spiritual support to efforts and
movements which are not in consonance with our own and must eventually fail or
cease by exhaustion of their utility but are needed as transitional powers. This
too is how I regard the work of men like Tilak and Gandhi. We work in the faith
that it is our vision of the future that is the central divine will, the highest
actualisable possibility and therefore the one thing that must be made the
object of our action; but that does not mean that the Shakti is not working in
her own covert way and for her own ends through others. No doubt their movements
are of a western and materialistic inspiration or else an imperfect mixture, and
some day it may be we shall have to give battle to them as certainly we shall
have to overcome the spirit that informs them. But that time has not come yet,
and meanwhile what we have to do is to develop and spread our own vision and
idea and give it body so as eventually to confront the things that are in
possession of the present with 
a realisation of
the things that belong to the future. I think that at this juncture we should
avoid a too direct attack or criticism of them as that only creates avoidable
opposition to our own work. The positive rather than the negative method is the
one we should adopt until we are strong enough to convince by our visible
strength and work the minds that are now attracted by the present power and
activity of other movements,– to assert our own ideal as the true and the right
way but not to invite conflict by a destructive frontal attack on the others.
As for the second class, such as the other spiritual
movements in Bengal, our attitude to most should be that of a benevolent
neutrality and a sympathy for such of their elements as are at all in consonance
with our own ideal. The one thing which we have to get rid of is the idea of
Maya and ascetic abandonment of the life and effort of humanity and also, though
that is social and religious rather than directly spiritual, the clinging to old
forms and refusal to admit new development. The movements that admit life and
Ananda and are ready to break away from the old narrowness of social and other
forms, are so much to the good even though they have not the full largeness of
the integral spiritual idea and realisation. These we must leave to go on their
way and run themselves out or else enlarge themselves till they are ready to
coalesce with us. I do not mean that with regard to either of these classes we
should refrain from all criticism of the insufficiency of ideal or method, but
this should be as far as possible quite general, a discussion and the
enforcement of a greater principle and truer method, distinguishing truth from
error but not too pointedly aggressive against particular things or so expressed
as to seem to hit straight at this or that person or body. To insist on our own
propaganda and work is always necessary and sometimes though not always to meet
any attack on it; but we need not go out of our way to invite conflict. To this
rule there may be particular exceptions; I only indicate what seems to me for
the present the right general attitude.
This once understood, the really important thing
becomes at once our own work and the relation between different workers, and here, as I have said, what we need is the growth of spiritual
unity and a readiness to take the work of others as supplementing one’s own and,
wherever it is called for and possible, to cooperate. There is a danger here
from the subtler forms of egoism. It is not enough to realise unity among those
who are already working with one mind as one soul in many bodies; there must be
unity of spirit with others who are following different ways or working
separately for the present and complete samata with regard to their
action, even if it seems to one wrong or imperfect, and patience with regard to
mental and moral divergences. This should be easy for you, as it means only
getting rid of the remnants of your sattwic ahankara; it may not be so easy for
others who have still a rajasic ahankara to trouble them. But if people like you
and Barin give the example, that difficulty can eventually be got over; if on
the contrary you also allow misunderstandings among yourselves, the work is
likely to be very unnecessarily hampered. I may give as an instance, the matter
about the Prabartak. Certain casual utterances of Saurin’s, made in
answer to queries and not volunteered, have come to you quite misreported as a
sort of intentional campaign to belittle the paper and the other half of what he
said, namely, that the Prabartak was inspired, though not actually written by me
and the spirit and substance were that of my ideal, never reached your ears. I
may add also that the alleged incident to which you took exception, as to his
method of raising money, never actually happened. Again the advertisement or
rather paragraph about Narayana in the Amrita [Bazar]2 was not inserted by Barin, but by someone else according to that other
person’s idea after a conversation with him: Barin was not responsible for the
form nor had he any intention of claiming the Narayana as the sole and direct
mouthpiece of my ideas. It is these misunderstandings which I want to see all of
you avoid and it can be easily done if those who are among the principal
channels of the Shakti preserve the spiritual unity which ought to prevail among
those who derive their inspiration from the same source and follow the same ideal. Others less developed may give cause for offence
owing to their inability to control the rajasic ego still working in them, but
calm, patience, prema and samata are the spirit in which we should
meet such causes of offence; otherwise where is the perfection we seek by our
Yoga? Let me add, while I am on this subject, that Haradhan seems to have been
misinformed about Nalini. As a matter of fact he has mixed with no
দল [dal], nor engaged in any kind of
associated activity while in Bengal. And if he had, it would have been with no
other purpose than to draw others to our Yoga and our way of thinking; but as a
matter of fact he remained inactive.
As for the other matter of the different lines of work,
there is one instance which illustrates the difficulties that may arise. Barin
has taken up the “Narayan” with the idea of gradually and eventually making it
another instrument of propaganda for our ideas, and if he succeeds, that will be
so much the more strength for us. It will not be a mere doubling of the work of
the Prabartak, as it will present our ideas in a different way and so as
to catch minds of a different type from those who are naturally attracted by the
Prabartak which demands from its readers a mind already turned to spiritual
things or at least naturally able to enter into that atmosphere. To others who
are of a less spiritual and intuitive, a more intellectual or literary and
artistic temperament, the articles of the Prabartak written out of an
experience to which they are strangers, are not easily assimilable, and it is
these minds which it may be possible to approach through the “Narayan”. But if
there is not a right understanding, the attitude of the two to each other may be
that of separation and competition rather than of activities supplementary to
each other in the same work. In addition he has now the chance of getting hold
of a strong publishing agency in Calcutta, as Sirish must already have told you,
but he hesitates to take it up from fear that it may be regarded as a rival
agency to the Prabartak Publishing House. He is not afraid of any
misunderstanding between you and him, but of others connected with either work
taking things in the wrong light and bringing in an unwholesome spirit of
competition. This is a thing which might easily
happen, but must not be allowed to happen. I have told him that I would write to
you and ask you to see that there is no misunderstanding in the matter, before
giving him sanction to take up the possibility. Afterwards it will be for you
and him to see that things on both sides are managed in the right spirit. This
agency, if it comes into Barin’s control, will be conducted with the same idea
and method as the “Narayan” and all the profits except what is necessary for the
maintenance and extension of the agency, will come to us and our work. These two
things are the first fields the Shakti has offered to his energy and they are of
a kind for which he is well fitted; their success means for us a great
advantage. A time is now coming in which the Shakti is pressing to break down
the barriers in which we have had hitherto to move and we must be ready to
follow her indications without allowing our personal preferences and limitations
to attempt to dictate to her any mind-made limits.
As for the extension of the work you are doing, I have
spoken in general terms to Sirish and it is not necessary to add anything in
this letter. When you come, I shall perhaps have more to say about it. It is
regrettable that at this moment the physical strain should take an effect on
your body; I trust it is only a part of a temporary invasion of Roga of which
many of us including myself have recently felt some touch. But you must be
careful not to throw too much strain on the physical system. A timely sparing of
the physical system when there is an indication of overstrain is often necessary
before the Shakti has taken perfect possession of the more external parts of the
adhara or the vijnana will is strong enough to set right at once
weakenings and disturbances. There remains the question of your visit to
Pondicherry. I had thought to delay it for a short time until I saw my way more
clearly on certain important matters; but I now believe this is not necessary
and it will be as well for you to come as soon as may be. I hardly suppose that
Nelson’s curious reservation about your visit means anything serious; otherwise
he would have been more positive about it. I take it that they do not like the
idea and would be suspicious about its motive and watch your actions more
narrowly after it; but as they are 
obstinately
determined to be suspicious about anything we do in any case, this by itself
cannot be allowed to be an obstacle. I should suggest therefore that you might
come over after making arrangements for the work in your absence in such a way
that the visit may be a fairly long one.
The work of the Arya has fallen into arrears and I have
to spend just now the greater part of my energy in catching up, and the rest of
my time, in the evening, is taken up by the daily visit of the Richards. I hope
to get over the worst part of this necessity by the middle of June, so that by
the time you come I may have a freer atmosphere to attend to the currents of the
work and the world about me. There is now the beginning of a pressure from many
sides inviting my spiritual attention to the future कर्म
[karma] and this means the need of a greater
outflowing of energy than when I had nothing to do but support a concentrated
nucleus of the Shakti. I doubt however whether I shall be in a fit condition for
meeting the demand till August, especially as I have not been able to get the
physical basis yet put right by the power of the vijnana. After that we shall
see what and how much can actually be done under the new circumstances.
Meanwhile your visit may help to get things into preparatory line both in the
inward motor-power and the outward determination.
A. G.