into things as they are here, I shall be very glad to call you here at once.
That would be altogether for you to decide in full freedom according to the
needs of your nature.Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Two. Letters of Historical Interest
3. Other Letters on Yoga and Practical Life 1921–1938
On Yoga and Fund-raising for the Ashram, 1921–1938
To Durgadas Shett [23]1
Pondicherry
24.5.38
Durgadas
I was glad to receive your letter and have news of you after so long a time. In your letter at the end you express your wish to live independently in a solitary place if you can get the help you need for that. I shall willingly give you all help for that. Will you let me know at once more in detail where or to what kind of solitary place you wish to go and what help you need (special and standing monthly expenses included) and I will see immediately to provide you.
If you wish at any time to come over here to the Asram for a period or permanently, you have only to let us know. It is not a solitary place – there are now some 170 people living a collective existence though each has his separate room and can, if he likes, live a retired life there; but it is not an independent and solitary life such as one can have when living apart in one’s own individual way. Whenever you feel inclined, you might come here and see what it is and whether, in its present form, it will at all suit you. Later on, when we have the means, I hope to have a more elastic organisation when different ways of living, separate or close, may be possible.
As for what I wish about you, it had always been my
intention as soon as I could do so in a way satisfactory to you and suitable, to
ask you to join the life and work that I am preparing. I have not asked you so
far because there is only this Asram where people are being prepared and nothing
but the small internal work of the Asram itself – I did not want to start
anything larger before everything was spiritually and otherwise ready. But if at
any time you feel inclined and able to fit yourself
into things as they are here, I shall be very glad to call you here at once.
That would be altogether for you to decide in full freedom according to the
needs of your nature.
Sri Aurobindo
1 A member of a wealthy family of industrialists based in Chandernagore, Durgadas Shett (1895–1958) sent significant amounts of money to Sri Aurobindo through Motilal Roy before 1922. In 1934 his family property was distributed, and he gave most of his share to Sri Aurobindo. Afterwards he lived an austere life; at times he was dependent on Sri Aurobindo for cash for ordinary expenses.