The letters reveal Nirod's unique relationship with his guru. The exchanges are suffused with a special humour.
Sri Aurobindo : corresp.
Nirodbaran's correspondence with Sri Aurobindo began in February 1933 and continued till November 1938, when Sri Aurobindo injured his leg and Nirod became one of his attendants. The entire correspondence, which was carried on in three separate notebooks according to topics - private, medical, and literary - is presented in chronological order, revealing the unique relationship Nirod enjoyed with his guru, replete with free and frank exchanges and liberal doses of humour. Covering a wide range of topics, both serious and light-hearted, these letters reveal the infinite care Sri Aurobindo devoted to the spiritual development of his disciple.
THEME/S
Guru, D has suddenly stopped writing to me though it's two weeks since he went to Calcutta... I wrote in one of my short replies' that' I have nothing to write about. He might have taken it in a different light. But is he really as sensitive as all that? God!
Quite possible with D. He might think that you mean "what a nuisance it is to have to write to this fellow" or "what can I find to write to a fellow like you?" Must be careful with D—and in fact with most people, if you can judge from the sadhaks here.
April 2, 1938
Tomorrow I shall write D a mild, sweet letter. Alas, Guru, what you say is so true, so true! One has to be a perfect and complete Yogi—no joke, not a word in excess... Do you believe that people here are more sensitive than people outside? Some persons think that the Asram is a "rotten" place with jealousy and hatred rampant among the sadhaks.
Outside there are just the same things—The Asram is an epitome of the human nature that has to be changed—but outside people put as much as possible a mask of social manners and other pretences over the rottenness—What Christ called in the case of the Pharisees the "whited sepulchre". Moreover there one can pick and choose the people one will associate with while in the narrow limits of the Asram it is not so possible—contacts are inevitable. Wherever humans are obliged to associate closely, what I saw described the other day as "the astonishing meannesses and caddishnesses inherent in human nature" come quickly out. I have seen that in Asrams, in political work, in social attempts at united living, everywhere in fact where it gets a chance. But when one tries to do Yoga, one cannot fail to see that in oneself and not only, as most people do, see it in others, and once seen, then? Is it to be got rid of or to be kept? Most people here seem to want to keep it. Or they say it is too strong for them, they can't help it!
Dr. Sicar once told me, after that stove incident, that this Asram lacks "fraternity", while the Ramakrishna Mission is ideal in that way.
I am afraid not. When I was in Calcutta it was already a battlefield and even in the post-civil-war period one hears distressing things about it. It is the same with other Asrams...192
D was disgusted with the sadhaks here, and N also wrote about it, and many others think that the world outside is not so bad.
If so, then I suppose they will stay there?
D finds the world outside much better, to which I would reply that here we don't believe in appearances.
D associates only with the people who like and praise him and even so he does not know what they say behind his back. For a man who has knocked about so much he is astonishingly candid and easily deceived by appearances.
—And life is precisely inner here...
Is it? If people here were leading the inner life, these things would soon disappear.
Since we have to lead a life in a concentrated atmosphere, all the ugly things become at once prominent, and add to it the action of the Force on the subconscient for purging of all dross.
No doubt. Also in this atmosphere pretences and social lies are difficult to maintain. But if things become prominent, it is that people may see and reject them. If instead they cling to them as their most cherished possessions, what is the use? How is the purging to be done with such an attitude?
April 3, 1938
I shall be very careful with D, and even if I have nothing to write to him, I shall write rubbish!
Right! Rubbish is usually better appreciated than things worth saying.
Formerly I heard that X didn't much appreciate D's singing, but now—just see! Is it a change in D or a "pretence" of X?
Everybody agrees that D's singing has undergone a great change—so it may be that.
Doesn't X, a great intellect, realise that whatever D has achieved, has been done because of some inner gain through your Force?
A man may have a great intellect and yet understand nothing about spiritual things or spiritual force. X's knowledge in these matters does not seem to go beyond closing his eyes and feeling nice and peaceful.
I wonder why these people don't understand the work you are doing.
How the deuce do you expect them to understand something quite foreign to their own nature and experience?
I suppose they don't recognise your spirituality. Otherwise how to explain X's and others' love for Buddha and their miscomprehension regarding you?
Love for Buddha is an established tradition, so anybody can follow it. Even the Europeans praise Buddha.
I read the other day a talk between a Moslem and Sarat Chatterjee about our Asram. The Moslem says that the whole Asram has grown up from abnormal circumstances as it were; by which he means that you fled away from the political field; "defeated, discouraged, disheartened", a failure, in one word, and started on Asram.
Have read it. The Moslem was K.N., if I remember right—flaring atheist and God-beater. So what do you expect?
And he says that the Asram, judging by the ideals it stands for, is a great enemy to the society... It doesn't recognise the "individual entity"; somebody gets "Light" and everything has to be done according to his dictates.
Very bad that. To do according to the dictates of the masses i.e. ignorance multiplied to the millionth is so much better!
April 4, 1938
"They are, at thy touch, reborn Into new shapes and thoughts; And my soul's prayer adorn With their bright starry dots."
This is decoration with a vengeance dottily so. One might just as well write
"And my soul's verandah adorn With starry-red rose-pots."
Then the soul of Donne would rejoice. But Donne should be doffed here.
Do you find any meaning in my stanza?
Yes, except that the dots have too much meaning.
April 5, 1938
You have spoken of the original inspiration becoming "mentalised". Could you tell me how it gets mentalised?
This mentalisation is a subtle process which takes place unobserved. The inspiration, as soon as it strikes the mental layer (where it first becomes visible) is met by a less intense receptivity of the mind which passes the inspired substance through but substitutes its own expression, an expression stressed by the force of inspiration into a special felicity but not reproducing or transmitting the inspired beat itself.
P has a dry cough. Some sedative cough mixture will do her good. She wants your approval before we give her medicine.
[Mother:] Yes, I told her already to go to you for medicine.
April 6, 1938
Guru, this property business has been redirected to me. All I understand about it is that the zamindars are now claiming our property. Chand and 'his mother are also partners. Shall I ask Chand to do what he thinks best or approach my people to do something? My people won't do anything, I fear, and I don't rely on Chand either; he is lazy, except for his own matters.
I can't say your exposition of the matter 'is clear. It is your family property? If so, your family ought to look after it. However you can tell Chand as you propose.
"Dressed in white robes she came A figure Of purity..."
This is not very impressive, these two lines—sounds too much like a lady's visit.
"O rare figure of Light I pray for thy measureless boon: The yearning of the night For the splendour of thy moon."
It breathes-a little of Intuition, perhaps?
Good Lord, no! This is not intuition,—it is mind manufacture.
April 7, 1938
"Murmuringly I roll Along a grey beech..."
What the deuce? Why a beech and not an oak or pine-tree? Or do you mean beach?
Guru, I bade the mind keep quiet and allow intuition to flow in and by golly, it has! what?
By Jove, yes!
April 8, 1938
I cherished a wish to flourish as a story-writer long before the English and Bengali Muse sat on me. Now English poetry has caught me and Bengali poetry has gone to sleep. It seems my English poems are much better and deeper than the Bengali ones... Should I try my hand at story-writing?
Your Bengali poems seem to me to be very good, though less vividly original than the English, except at times. Don't know anything about your stories. Why not keep to poetry at present, writing English usually and Bengali when you can?
April 9, 1938
By the way, you are sitting comfortably over Nishikanta's poem. He will make my life uncomfortable when he comes back, saying I have done nothing for him!
To be able to be comfortable is so rare in this world of discomfort! However I may see whether I can sit up one day and look into the thing.
P's cough is less, but she feels rather weak. Shall we wait a few days more for screen-exam or take it tomorrow?
[Mother:] It is better to wait one or two days more.
April 10, 1938
As far as I can see P's is a simple case of bronchitis neglected for 15 days! Still as one should always exclude T.B. and screen-exam helps in that, I proposed it.
[Mother:] Yes, but be very careful not to frighten her.
April 12, 1938
I hesitate to write in this high tone: "I am the Light of the One, Voice" etc. It sounds high and grand. Some don't like this tone at all. D is one. They call it insincere. A poetsadhak has no justification for using this tone?
If such poems are put as a claim, or vaunted as a personal experience of Yoga, they may be objected to on that ground. But a poet is not bound to confine himself to his personal experience. A poet writes from inspiration or from imagination or vision. Milton did not need to go to Heaven or Hell or the Garden of Eden before he wrote Paradise Lost. Are all D's bhakti poems an exact transcription of his inner state? If so, he must be a wonderful Yogi and bhakta.
April 14, 1938
N.P. showed me Sri Aurobindo's letter to him regarding his ailment. How interesting to know all these factors! We think the Divine can cure us, even magically, if he wanted, but don't see that it is our own resistance that comes in the way. But suppose we had given one injection of morphia, the pain would have subsided and he would have gone to sleep. The subconscient would have failed to act then. I suppose morphia will act on the body and thus stop the subconscient which acts through the body?
The morphia stuns locally or otherwise the consciousness and its reaction to the subconscient pressure and so suspends the pain or deadens it. Even that it does not always do—Manilal took five morphine injections in succession without even diminishing his liver inflammation pains. What became of the power of the drug over the subconscient in that case? The resistance was too strong just as the resistance of N.P.'s subconscient to the Force.
If the patient had been outside and a doctor had cured him, how would he have conquered this subconscient resistance? If you have no time, could I have a few lines on this subject, from Sri Aurobindo?
In much the same way as Coué's suggestion system cured most of his patients, only by a physical instead of a mental means. he body consciousness responds to the suggestion or the medicine and one gets cured for the time being or it doesn't respond and there is no cure. How is it that the same medicine for the same illness succeeds with one man and not with another or succeeds at one time with a man and afterwards doesn't succeed at all? Absolute cure of an illness so that it cannot return again depends on clearing the mind, the vital and the body consciousness and the subconscient of the psychological response to the Force bringing the illness. Sometimes this is done by a sort of order from above (when the consciousness is ready, but it cannot always be done like that). The complete immunity from all illness for which our Yoga tries can. only come by a total and permanent enlightenment of the below from above, resulting in the removal of the psychological roots of ill health—it cannot be done otherwise.
P is about the same. Pavitra has sent us a bottle of Pneumogein, and one of Pulmoserum. Shall we try Pulmoserum as it contains Codein which may be more useful?
[The Mother drew a line indicating "Shall we try" and underlined "Pulmoserum".]
Yes.
April 16, 1938
Dr. André asked me if I had any communications from Sri Aurobindo on medical things. May I show him yesterday's letter?
[Mother:] Yes.
April 17, 1938
[Mother:] K is complaining of weakness. I told him to ask you for a tonic (not medicine).
I hope Dilipda is writing to you!
Telegraphing—Musical conference and still greater musical conference!
April 18, 1938
Guru, the Muse is too whimsical. Still, I suppose, there is some way, what?
I don't know that there is, except to catch the inspiration by the hair when it comes, and keep it till the poem is done.
If I could know what time you send in the Force or what's your best time, I could get an optimum result.
I have no best or worst time—it depends on God's mercy.
Sitabala's boil looks like a carbuncle... We have a good anti-vaccine for it, to be applied locally, which we had tried in Parkhi's case. But it gave him a severe general reaction—fever 104°. So, should we try?
[Mother:] It may not be prudent to try.
April 19, 1938
Purani brought Mrs. Sahmeyer here. She had an accident in Moscow: suspected fracture of a rib on the left side, but the doctor said none;—without X-ray. The pain subsided, but it has recurred here. I said X-ray is best. But who will pay or shall we pay considering her as an Asram member?
[The Mother cancelled "Sahmeyer" and wrote below "Sammer ".193]
It is better to pay—I will pay—Nothing must be asked from her—
April 20, 1938
"Through the night's pendulous haze Stars wane and glow..."
Pendulous! You might just as well write "suspensive".
In the last stanza, instead of "whorl", shall I put "unfurl"?
Good heavens, no! Don't unfurl.
The rest of the poem I leave at your mercy, Sir!
I have had no mercy upon it, as you can see. I have not put double lines because it would be an encomium on my own ravages, but you can consider the lines to be there.
You seem to be in an illusion as regards my inspiration! Do you think it comes in a rush or that I feel its glow?
Never nursed such a thought.
No, Sir, no—or exceedingly rarely! I have to wrestle, Sir!
So have I.
April 21, 1938
"A withering ball Of fire on the wide canvas of time Fades to a dot..."
What's this ball of fire on a canvas? Have you reflected that the canvas would be burned away in no time?
We have caught a parrot which can't fly. What to do with it?
[Mother:] Feed it with grains and fruit until it can fly away.
April 22, 1938
"With myriad titan hosts That gather and conspire..."
Look here, I say! You seem unable now to write a poem without dragging in the word "myriad"!!
April 24, 1938
Then you will see no "myriad", Sir, though "many" is peeping like a coward! But I don't understand why you are so wry over "myriad". In that case, heaven, spirit, luminous, shadow, dream, etc. have to go and I shall be left with what?
"Myriad" is an epithet, not a key-word like heaven, spirit or dream. An epithet recurring in every poem (even if it were luminous!) ends by sounding poor.
April 25, 1938
Guru, I feel rather dry and barren! The other poem you have uplifted twice.
Excuse me, no! You uplifted once, I repeated the operation Changed back the second uplift to a mere lift.
[Chand's wire:] Inspectors contact uncongenial Trying avoid.
What the hell! He seems to have plenty of money to waste on unnecessary telegrams! Why wire about the Inspector's contact?
H had pain in the eyes last night... Looks like a mild attack of iritis. If you want, we can take him to the ost. tomorrow.
Mother You can wait one or two days.
April 26, 1938
"Mystery's heavenly fane" all right?
Get rid of this fane, please. So long as we keep it, all emendation will be in vain.
"The flames of a timeless dawn..." Can "flames" be made singular?
No, it can't be singularised, as intuition will then walk of in a huff.
"... the wan shadows are cast From its sleepless whirl..."194
... End of 1st stanza all right? and the repetition in the last stanza?
I can't make out for the life of me what Pare these wan shadows and why they poke their pale noses in here!
As you wrote it it is a dream-poem. I have tried by a few alterations to wake it up—now, I think it is truly excellent as a vision-poem. It must be "thy sky" [instead of "the sky"]—for otherwise it is the ordinary sky and since Science has shown us that that does not exist—it is only a hallucination of blue colour created by azotes or some other such chemical entity, anything written about the ordinary sky can only be either unconvincing or purely decorative. So!
Repetition all right and very effective.
April 28, 1938
[Chand's wire.] "Progressing again debt case Tomorrow."
Voila, another, Sir! I wrote to him not to waste money on unnecessary registered letters and telegrams, but Chand is Chand! So!
Well, well, let us accept the inevitable প্রকৃতিং যান্তি ভূতানি195 means All animals follow their nature.
K—[18.4.38] Melatone didn't give him much good effect. As it looks like nervous fatigue, Kola may do him good. If you have any more Nergine, he could resume it, perhaps.
[Mother:] I have no nergine.
April 29 1938
"Haunted by wild desires..." Wild is all right?
No, too wild!
H has slight pain in the eyes today. [Maybe iritis due to T.B. Prescribed cod-liver oil.] If you have no objection, we can try salicylates by mouth.
[The Mother drew a line indicating "salicylates".]
It is so bad for stomach!
April 30, 1938
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