Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 3
Here is Khagendranath’s1 letter. He has raised a question. He is under a misconception: he thinks I am for bhava only and belittle expression. Still as he is a Rabindrian, his wholehearted welcome of Suryamukhi is of value. I have written to him explaining that I don’t belittle expression at all and don’t mean any Rishi must be a Valmiki or a Vyas. Yet he is greatly attracted by the originality – please note, for which your inspiration is no doubt responsible. When I despair of yoga, I derive some consolation at least that in poetry and music something has been achieved which without yoga would have been impossible. Grant it to me that I may never claim the authorship of such achievement egoistically but only as a servant to whom it has pleased you to grant a little of your vibhuti [divine power] and Mother’s. I do mean it and am really not egotist about my poetry and music. I try always to discourage my vanity, as you know. Still it appears in some form or other, and causes me so much suffering... However.
It is these small movements that are so hard to get rid of because by their smallness they evade control and are terribly repetitive.
The Megaphone Co. has offered to record father’s 
drama Sajahan. I have asked Sachin [cousin] to wire to me what would be reasonable. Send a little of your force as money would be welcome now particularly, in these days of slump when books sell so little. By the way, in the Puja installment my publishers have not only not paid me any royalty but I owe them Rs. 327. As you know I was offering at Mother’s feet Rs.275 in all and now the houses are out Rs.150 + 135. (I was deducting taxes, etc. that is minus Rs. 40, which makes it Rs.245) I was counting on extra incomes like Gramophone films, etc. to be able to offer Rs.100 a month. So for the next six months I will be able to offer only Rs.50 a month. If in the next installment I receive something like Rs.500 (which I hope to) then I will be able to offer Mother again Rs.100 a month. I am sorry – but books sell badly now-a-days. Now at the Pujas Suryamukhi and Dola may sell a little decently, then the deficit will be made up. So just now the Gramophone royalty will be a real godsend. A little force won’t be amiss.
Very well. I will try to send the Force.
I do not know why your correspondent puts so much value on general understanding and acceptance – Rabindranath’s theory of the Visvamanava [universal man], I suppose. Really it is only the few that discern the true value of things in poetry and art and if the “general” run accept it is usually because acceptance is sooner or later imposed on them by the few. There may be exceptions of course of a wide spontaneous acceptance because something that is really good happens to suit a taste or a demand of the general mind of the moment. Poetic and artistic value, do not necessarily command mass understanding and acceptance.
I have been writing something on pleasure and sociability but could not finish it tonight – nor is the part I have written complete in itself so far as it goes. It is because I have tried to deal with the question in its fundamental aspect before coming to the point of how to deal with it in sadhana. I shall continue tomorrow.
As to Yogananda’s idea, it sounds to me very strange. All discord, disharmony, quarrelling must spoil the work which depends on harmony and cooperation and it must spoil the atmosphere by bringing in rajasic forces of the lower nature. How can the Mother’s force then favour these things. Let us suppose that personal relations have to be transcended – but, if so, is dislike and repulsion the proper and spiritual way to do it – they can only create a new and contrary relation. Personal relations could only be overcome by transcending them and passing into the sole relation with the Divine. But as a matter of fact Yogananda himself has disliked or quarrelled with many people, even with his closest friends here. Each time the Mother’s force has worked not to make the rift definitive but to mend it, to remake, to renew the good relation of friendships, to substitute better relations for antagonism and dislike. Then?