Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 4

Letter ID: 1026

Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar

October 25, 1945

Mother was not thinking at all about Chamanlal and Golconde, as a matter of fact she did not know (I myself did not know till this morning) that you were seriously upset about the matter, so there was no possibility of her being hard to you on that account. As usual on these occasions, you have been putting into her mind things which were not there, but which you thought were or must be there.

Mother did not take the initiative in putting Chamanlal into Golconde. As soon as she heard about his complaints, she tried to arrange for him the Gala House with orders that he should be given the electric fan, free access for his friends and everything else he asked for. She found the room was already engaged, and while she was wondering what could be done, he decided to go away. I fail to see how, in view of that, she can be [said] to have insulted your friend.

As for Golconde, it is in that [house] [?] of all the [eight or nine] houses in the Ashram that she has been trying to carry out her idea [?] physical things, their harmony and order and proper treatment, she has not been imposing it elsewhere except in the matter of cleanliness and hygiene, which are surely not objectionable. I may say that you are mistaken in thinking that everybody who stays in Golconde is in a state of misery or revolt. On the contrary there are many who have asked for it and are put there at their own request every time they come. And they are not Europeans. Mother highly appreciated and praised the old Indian way of living, its simplicity, harmony and order when she saw it exemplified by Chandrashekhar Aiyar and his brother in the Ashram but that is not the way of living of most [people] [nowadays] which is a mixture. Chairs, tables, electric fans, etc. are European introductions, but I don’t suppose those who have got accustomed to them would like to give them up or return to the true simplicity of Indian life. That however, is by the way. But I fail to see why you should treat this external trifle as of so stupendous importance. Mother should be free to carry out her idea in this corner of her kingdom all that is to be seen is that those who evidently do not like it should not stay in Golconde.

All I want to impress on you is that your idea about the Mother being displeased or hard [or] [?] is quite unfounded. Also, your idea you are always harping on that I shall eventually cast you away or abandon you is entirely gratuitous, I shall not do so, now or hereafter.

For heaven’s sake, throw away all that and try to get back to the peace you had and can have again if you will to have it.