At the feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo

13 February 1932

MYSELF: Very often I see that I feel greatly disturbed in the face of a difficulty and fall into a condition from which rising seems impossible. But surprisingly enough I get back strength by your Grace and say to myself: “Since Mother and Sri Aurobindo have said so, I will surely succeed.” With this inner urge I stand up and step forward, all fresh and fine. I have written to you what happened this time and what experience I gained. I was shown almost miraculously how difficulties turn into opportunities if we accept them in the right way. What a joy it was!

SRI AUROBINDO: The attitude you have taken is the right one. It is this feeling and attitude which help you to overcome so rapidly the attacks that sometimes fall upon you and throw you out of the right consciousness. As you say, difficulties so taken become opportunities — the difficulty faced in the right spirit and conquered, one finds that an obstacle has disappeared, a fresh step forward has been taken. To question, to resist in some parts of the being increases trouble and difficulties — that was why an unquestioning acceptance and obedience to the direction of the Guru was laid down as indispensable in the old Indian Yoga — it was demanded not for the sake of the Guru, but for the sake of the shishya.

(13.2.32)