At the feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo

24 May 1932

MYSELF: Mother Beloved, I am always waiting for your directions. Why are you not correcting me, Mother? Sri Aurobindo has given me permission to take the course of following implicitly the directions given by you; so kindly do not forget, Mother Gracious, that I am eagerly waiting to have your directions.

SRI AUROBINDO: YOU can certainly put aside the mental or vital sense of responsibility and take the course of following implicitly the directions given you by the Mother — keeping however the need of psychic assent and a certain inner vigilance.

One thing only you must be careful about that there should be nothing inert or tamasic in this self-giving to the guidance and it should not be made by any part of the vital into a plea for not rejecting the suggestions of lower impulse and desire.

There are always two ways of doing the Yoga — one by the action of a vigilant mind and vital seeing, observing, thinking and deciding what is or is not to be done. Of course it acts with the Divine Force behind it, drawing or calling in that Force — for otherwise nothing much can be done. But still it is the personal effort that is prominent and assumes most of the burden.

The other way is that of the psychic being, the consciousness opening to the Divine, not only opening the psychic and bringing it forward, but opening the mind, the vital and the physical, receiving the Light, perceiving what is to be done, feeling and seeing it done by the Divine Force itself and helping constantly by its own vigilant and conscious assent to and call for the Divine working.

Usually there cannot but be a mixture of these two ways until the consciousness is ready to be entirely open, entirely submitted to the Divine’s origination of all its action. It is then that all responsibility disappears and there is no personal burden on the shoulders of the sadhak.

(24.5.32)