Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1936

Letter ID: 1519

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

January 10, 1936

Is it true that poetry leads to the realisation faster than music, painting, etc.?

What the deuce is meant by leading to the realisation?

About poetry or any literary work, you have said that very often one’s inner being comes to the front, and that is used by a higher Power. Is that the reason then why Poetry is such a quick process?

Don’t recognise the quotation or recall the context. But the inner being can come to the front under any provocation, why of Poetry alone?

Venkataram says that he feels something when he takes up music – something different from what he feels in his other activities.

It all depends on what the something is.

Will you now say something about art, or do you think it risky?

Very.

Whatever little experience I have of sadhana through works, makes me incline to the view that work as sadhana is the most difficult thing.

Why argue from your personal experience great or little and turn it into a generalisation? A great many people (the majority perhaps) find it the easiest of all.

In poetry, though I may be unlucky as regards experiences, while I write, I try to think of you even if mentally. I can even say that it is only by thinking of you that I can compose poetry.

Many find it easy to think of the Mother when working; but when they read or write, their mind goes off to the thing read or written and they forget everything else. I think that is the case with most. Physical work on the other hand can be done with the most external part of the mind, leaving the rest free to remember or to experience.

In that case Music should have the greatest gift.

Why?

I won’t dilate any more, but ask you to do it.

Why should I dilate either – at the risk of bursting? Besides tonight I have other dilatations (I can’t call them delectations) occupying