Sri Aurobindo
Writings in Bengali
Translated into English
Patrawaly: Letters to N. and S
1. Obstacles and Difficulties
There is no connection between the tamasic surrender and the tamasic ego. The tamasic ego seems to think: “I am a sinner, I am weak, there will be no progress for me, the sadhana is impossible for me, I am unfortunate, the Divine does not accept me, death is my only salvation, the Mother does not love me but she loves all others,” etc., etc. The vital nature likes to hurt itself by demonstrating its own smallness1. It wants to satisfy its ego-sense in a negative way, by showing itself as the worst person, the most unhappy, wicked and tortured of all. The rajasic ego is exactly the opposite. By saying, “I am great,” etc., it likes to exaggerate about itself.
1 1961 ed.: meanness