Guidance from Sri Aurobindo - Volume 2

TAMASIC SURRENDER

      The weakness of not being able to detach myself at once from the ordinary nature and its actions is obvious. It is lessening, though, after reading your answer, "Detachment is absolutely necessary." But even during the engrossed state, my inner consciousness was rarely allowed to lose itself and suffer. Perhaps there was always one part of my being that kept itself separate. I pray to the Mother to see the plight of her child, and know how much he is depressed by being dragged away from her, to feel his heart and know how the vital has filled it with agony and pain. How long shall he have to remain in such a burning separation? Will she not take him again into her heart? It is because of that hope that his body is still on the earth. Who says that the bitter tears shed by her child are in vain?

      I wanted to stress two things, that is why I have written so much about them.

      (1) There must be no tamasic (inert, passive) surrender to the Mother — for that will bring as its reaction a passive inert helplessness before the lower or hostile forces or suggestions, an unresisting or helplessly resisting acquiescence or sufferance of their inroads. A passive condition can bring much peace, quietude, joy even, but it disperses the being instead of concentrating it in wideness and the will becomes atrophied. Surrender must be luminous, active, a willed offering to the Mother and reception of her Force and support to its workings, at the same time a strong vigilant will to reject all that is not hers. Too many sadhaks cry before the attacks of their lower nature "I am helpless, I cannot react, it comes and makes me do what it wants."

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This is a wrong passivity.

      (2) One must not get into the habit of a state in which one is always in a struggle with suggestions and forces. People very easily fall into this and make it a habit — the vital part takes a sort of gloomy satisfaction in crying out "I am attacked, overborne, suffering, miserable! How tragic is my fate! Why do you not help, O Divine? There is no help, no divine Grace! I am left to my misery and downfall etc. etc. etc." I do not want one more sadhak to fall into this condition — that is why I am calling Halt! before you get entangled into this kind of habit of constant struggle. It is what these forces want — to make you feel helpless, defeated, overborne. You must not allow it.

      What is the cause of my present state of helplessness and hopelessness? What is all this?

      It is the habit of responding to the old thing and giving it when it insists the same consent as you give to the Mother's Force when you are clear. Passivity to the entering force — that is the only answer to your "what is all this".

      What is the connection between the inertia which is a static tamasic state and the hostile forces which are dynamic powerful things?

      The inertia simply prepares the ground — when there is the inert passivity, the adverse Force tries to take advantage of it to push in its own suggestions.

      "Surrender of oneself and all one is and has on every plane of the consciousness." Kindly explain the last five words.

      The mind, psychic, vital, physical etc. are different planes, among them also there are several different planes.

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      Is not surrendering oneself to the Divine a process? Is not a complete self-giving achieved only when the sadhana is sufficiently developed?

      It is never too early to make the complete surrender. Some things may need to wait but not that.

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