Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Letters
Fragment ID: 6508
(this fragment is largest or earliest found passage)
Sri Aurobindo — Shah, Punamchand Mohanlal
June 2, 1928
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To Punamchand M. Shah [5]1
Punamchand
I am surprised to see from your letter that you have
received from Vithaldas an offer of Rs 500 a month towards the expenses of the
Asram and that you have not immediately accepted it. In fact the language of the letter would almost mean that it was rejected almost with impolite
disdain; but
I suppose this could
be a wrong impression. It is precisely help of this kind
that we are feeling the most need of just now. For so long as this monthly
deficit is not filled, we are obliged to spend on our
monthly upkeep sums that
ought to go for capital outlay and under such circumstances the very foundation
of the Asram from the pecuniary point of view remains insecure. If the monthly
expenses are secured, the Asram will be put on a safe foundation and the work
for bringing the lakh and other large sums can go forward on a much sounder
basis. Besides the forces will not be diverted from their proper work by the
harassment of daily needs. Therefore, recently, it is just contributions of this
kind that we have been pressing for as the first necessity. Vithaldas seems to
have received an inspiration from this pressure and made a magnificent answer.
And you do not immediately seize on this response! This is an example of what I
meant when I warned you to keep yourself open to the Mother’s force and not to follow
merely your own ideas and plans. Now the only thing to do is to speak to
Vithaldas at once and
see whether he keeps to his offer. If so, you should
accept it at
once. The sooner we get the money the better. Our deficit is really
more than Rs 800, for the number of disciples is constantly increasing
and the
expenses also. If Vithaldas can be relied upon to give regularly Rs 500 a
month, the gap will be almost filled and once that is done, the obstruction we
have felt hitherto in this
matter is likely to disappear and the rest to come in
with greater ease. If you have not already accepted his
offer and made
arrangements for
the regular transmission of the money, then act
at once.
The Mother does not want to buy saris for herself with
the money raised; in the present state of the finances the idea is altogether
out of the question. The income and expenses must be balanced; money must be
found for the work of building up the Asram. All the rest comes after.
Sri Aurobindo
Pondicherry
June 2. 1928
1 Punamchand Mohanlal Shah (born 1898), of Patan, Gujarat, met Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry in 1919. Four years later he became a member of his household. Between 1927 and 1931, he spent much of his time in Gujarat trying to collect money for the newly founded Ashram. In August 1927 Sri Aurobindo wrote three letters to Punamchand on fearlessness, work and money, which were published in 1928 as chapters 3, 4 and 5 of The Mother. Here thirteen other letters to Punamchand on fund-raising and other subjects are reproduced.
2 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: language reported in your letter could mean
3 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: a polite
4 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: would
5 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: the
6 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: not follow
7 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: Vithaldas and
8 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: accept at
9 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: is increasing
10 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: the
11 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: Vithaldas’s
12 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: then realize its importance and act
13 Champaklal’s Treasures, 2008 ed.: and the expenses