Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 4

Letter ID: 1006

Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar

June 20, 1944

We have no objection to your doing this for a week, as you propose; I understand that it is not a retirement, but a cessation of social visits. My objection to retirement is that so many have “gone morbid” by it or gone astray into zones of false vital experiences; secondly, that absolute retirement is not necessary for the spiritual life. It is different however for people like Radhananda who are to the manner born or at least perfectly trained. A “restriction of publicity” is quite another matter. Also to be capable of solitude and to have the Ananda of solitude can always be helpful to sadhana, and a power of inner solitude is natural to the Yogi.

We will give our help and hope you will succeed – at least, you will have established a precedent for withdrawing whenever you want in the future.