Nirodbaran

Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo

Second Series

1. Spirituality

The Ashram and its Yoga

V. Departures from the Ashram 2-9-1935

When somebody leaves the Ashram, I feel a kick, a shock, a heartquake.

May I ask why? People have been leaving the Ashram since it began, not only now. Say 30 or 50 people have gone, 130 or 140 others have come. The big Maharathis, X,Y,Z, departed from this too damnable Ashram, where great men are not allowed to do as they like. The damnable Ashram survives and grows. A and B and C fail in their yoga – but the yoga proceeds on its way, advances, develops. Why then kick, shock and heartquake?

As for X, he has been going some dozen or dozen and a half times, only pulled back with great difficulty. Wants immediate siddhi in perfect surrender, absolute faith, unshakable peace. If all that is going to take time, can't do the Yoga. Feels himself unfit. Not being allowed to reach the Paratpara Brahman at once, had better rush out into the world and dissipate himself into the Nihil. Besides got upset by every trifle and, as soon as upset, lost faith in the Mother – and without faith no Yoga possible. Reasoning, sir, reasoning – the mighty intellect in its full stupidity. Understand now?

I hold the view that the Supramental is descending concentratedly and that those who resist, who are between two fires, have either to quit or to submit.

Even if it were so, that is their own business. The Divine is driving nobody out except in rare cases where their staying would be a calamity to the Ashram; if they cannot bear the pressure and rush  away, listening to the “go away, go away” push and suggestions of the Hostile can it be said then that it was the Divine who drove them away and the push and suggestion of the Hostile is that of the Divine? A singular logic! The “go, go,” push and suggestion have been successfully there ever since the Ashram started and even before when there was no Ashram. How does that square with your theory that it is due to the concentrated descent of the Force?

Why should I stop the business – that is to say postpone the possibility for another millennium because A or B gets shaky or many others look homeward? Will that postponement change the lower nature or get rid of the Asuras?

What occult secret? It is a fact always known to all Yogis and occultists since the beginning of time, in Europe and Africa as in India, that wherever Yoga or Yajna is done, there the hostile Forces gather together to stop it by any means. It is known that there is a lower nature and a higher spiritual nature – it is known that they pull different ways and the lower is strongest at first and the higher afterwards. It is known that the hostile Forces take advantage of the movements of the lower nature and try to spoil through them, smash or retard the siddhi. It has been said as long ago as the Upanishads (hard is the path to tread, sharp like a razor's edge); it was said later by Christ “hard is the way and narrow the gate by which one enters into the kingdom of heaven” and also “many are called, few chosen”  – because of these difficulties. But it has also always been known that those who are sincere and faithful in heart and remain so and those who rely on the Divine will arrive in spite of all difficulties, stumbles or falls. That is the occult knowledge pertinent here.

I have expatiated – but in the line of common sense, not occultism.

21.04.1937