be achieved on the material plane has been definitely conquered and
made sure. Under these conditions her return here would be of no use to her; she
must remain in Europe until we write from here that things are changed and her
return advisable.Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest
2.Early Letters on Yoga and the Spiritual Life 1911–1928
Draft Letters, 1926–1928
About Marie Potel [3]1
The conditions have greatly changed since she went away
and are not at present such as would make her return at all useful to her or
otherwise advisable. I remain in my retirement and have no intention of coming
out from it at any early date. On her side the Mother is also retiring more and
more. There is no longer a daily meditation and she does not now give a regular
day to the sadhakas, but sees them only from time to time. This movement of
retirement is likely to remain and increase until what has to be achieved on the material plane has been definitely conquered and
made sure. Under these conditions her return here would be of no use to her; she
must remain in Europe until we write from here that things are changed and her
return advisable.
1 Marie Léon Potel (1874 – c. 1962) met the Mother in France in 1911 or 1912. She was perhaps the first person to regard the Mother as her master and spiritual Mother. Potel came to the Ashram in March 1926 and remained until March 1928.{{1}}Circa 1928. The subject of this letter almost certainly was Marie Potel, who left the Ashram in March 1928.