II

CORRESPONDENCE

WITH PUNAMCHAND

To

Punamchand

I. Separation of Purusha and Prakriti to establish tranquillity of heart and mind.

(a) Separated Purusha, calm, observing Prakriti.

(b) Prakriti in the heart and mind attending calmness.

II. Offering of all the actions, all that is done in your life as a sacrifice to the Lord.

III. Realisation of the higher Divine Shakti doing all the works.

(a) Living with the constant idea that it is the Shakti which does the work.

(b) Feeling of the Divine Shakti descending from above the mind and moving the whole being.

1921

SRI AUROBINDO

Punamchand

As regards the amount of Rs. 500/- monthly from Vithaldas and your note in the account, I presume it is clearly understood that this sum has nothing to do with the account. It must be kept quite separate and remitted here every month as soon as it is received; it must on no account and in no circumstances be detained or used for any other purpose whatsoever.

As to the expenses shown in the account, you asked originally for Rs. 70/- a month in Bombay or Rs. 30/- in Patan; but the actual expenditure has been for months above Rs/-. 200. This is an enormous amount and, as I have already pointed out, it is swallowing up all you collect. I do not see how you expect to be able to maintain this rate of expenditure for an indefinite period or what purpose it serves.

SRI AUROBINDO

Punamchand

The ornaments offered by Chandulal's mother. Certainly, you can accept and send them. I do not know why

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you felt any scruple in this matter. Whatever is given with Bhakti can and ought to be received and not rejected whether it is money, things of value or useful things. There may be exceptions, as for instance where the gift is of a quite unsuitable or cumberous kind, but this is obviously not the case here.

(2) The talk with Haribhai.

Think no more about it except to retain the lesson. Your mistake was to interfere with your ignorant mind in a matter which had been decided by the Mother, as if it could know better than she did. As usually happens when the physical mind acts in this way, it made wrong reasoning and foolish blunder. It was as if you gave Haribhai a choice between giving money or giving the clothes and other articles. He was to give both and there was no question of a choice between them; nor could this kind of balancing and reduction on one side or the other be good for his spiritual progress. The fact that other clothes were coming from a Mill could make no difference; that was quite another list and did not meet the same needs. As for the other possibilities you speak of, they have nothing to do with previous arrangements and present requirements; they are only a possibility of the future. I write this much only to show you how mistaken these mental movements are; but you need not worry about it any longer.

(3) The 'Four Aspects' is half written and will be finished in a few days. It has been decided to publish these four writings with the February message in Calcutta. Motilal Mehta can use them instead of the August 15th utterances.

October 3, 1927

SRI AUROBINDO

Pondicherry

1st January 1928

To

Punamchand M. Shah .

I have received your letter and am sending this answer with Haribhai. I do not consider it necessary or advisable to make a public appeal for the sum of money I have asked you to raise for me in Gujarat. If a public appeal is to be made, it can only be when the time comes for my work to be laid on larger foundations and I can create the model form or outward material organisation of the new life which will be multiplied throughout India and, with India as a spiritual nucleus and centre, in other countries.

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Then larger sums of money will be indispensable and a public appeal may become advisable.

At present I am making a smaller preliminary foundation, a spiritual training ground and the first form of a community of spiritual workers. Here they will practise and grow in this Yoga and learn to act from the true consciousness and with the true knowledge and power. Here too some first work will be undertaken and institutions founded on a small scale which will prepare for the larger and more definite work of the future. I need money to buy land and houses, to get equipment for these first institutions and to accommodate and maintain an increasing number of sadhaks and workers. A public appeal is not necessary to raise the sums that are at present indispensable. I prefer to make it only when I have already created sufficient external form that all can see. It will be easy for you to raise privately the money I now want if you are inspired to get into touch with the right and chosen people.

As you can judge, even this preliminary work will be a matter not of one but several lakhs, but I have named one lakh as the minimum immediately needed in order that we may start solidly and go on without being hampered at each step for want of funds. If you can raise more than the initial minimum, so much the better. The work will proceed more easily and quickly and with a surer immediate prospect. Preserve the right consciousness and attitude, keep yourself open to the Divine Shakti and let her will be done through you.

SRI AUROBINDO

Write to Punamchand asking what are the 500/- that reached us today. Whenever he sends money, he should inform us at the same time what it is and who has given it.

Write to him also with regard to the letter he wrote about the detective's visit and his proposals. He has only to send regular accounts with details of sums, names etc. to me and he is on safe ground. He can simply answer that all monies given are accounted for and full details sent to me. If on the other hand he is loose in his accounts and dealings with money, he gives room for this kind of rumour and creates a wrong atmosphere. Nor in the absence of accounts can I myself have any ground to go upon if I am

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questioned whether I received or not the sums paid to him for me. In this connection note that he has not sent, as promised, the accounts for the last few months, since his arrival and return we have received nothing.

16.4.1929

SRI AUROBINDO

Pondicherry, September 1931

He (Punamchand) can let Narayanji have Veda translations, but I do not want them 'widely circulated because they are a first draft, not final. Messages and letters he may have. But the evening talks must not get about. I have not seen these reports and therefore they are not authorised, and there must be any number of things in them which either ought not to be public or for which in the form they have there, I cannot accept responsibility.

SRI AUROBINDO

Re: Punamchand

(1) To give up his Bombay work and stay here.

(2) To return to Bombay. If so, for what work and on what conditions ?

For (1)-

1 doubt whether he will be able, after the very different conditions to which he has been accustomed in Bombay, to settle down to the discipline of the Ashram which itself is very different from what it was when he was last here. And where to put them, if they stay ?

For (2) —

On the other hand, if he goes back, how is he to live? It is out of the question for us to send him money and he must not even think of it. In future also we cannot make ourselves responsible for any loans he may contract; that too must be understood clearly.

If he collects money and spends all or most of what he gets on his own expenses, that is about the worst thing that can be done. It discredits him in people's eyes and discredits the collection and the Ashram. As soon as it is known people cease to give money.

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Moreover, what is the meaning of a collection in which all the money realised goes to collection expenses and nothing goes to the fund for which the collection is made.

There is therefore only one possible solution, for him to fix a maximum amount for his expenses and find some one (now that Vithaldas is no more) who will give him that sum monthly. All other amounts must be strictly sent here and on no account must his expenses exceed the sum fixed. This seems to me the only solution if he goes back to Bombay.

For the work—

It seems no longer possible for him to collect money in the way he and Dikshit' first did — approaching anybody and everybody for contributions. The one thing he might possibly do, is what he has done with Narayanji and Ramanarayan — to make the acquaintance of people, get them interested in the Ashram and its work, and prepare them for coming here for us to see what can be done with them; if he can get them meanwhile to contribute, so much the better. But they must be men who can give assistance either in a large sum or as a substantial assistance to the monthly expenses.

SRI AUROBINDO

How can he expect me to protect him if constantly he is going out of my protection?

THE MOTHER

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WITH CHAMPAKLAL

Champaklal

Write to Punamchand that now that Vithaldas has seen the Mother, he should communicate his experience or his difficulties direct to her. It is not desirable that in matters of the Sadhana Punamchand or anybody else should come in between, even as a channel of communication. The Mother's force must go direct undisturbed by any other influence.

December 1928

SRI AUROBINDO

Champaklal

As regards the Vedic "Dictionary" write to Punamchand that I do not want anything of this kind to be made out of my un- finished work. If it is to be done, it will be in the future and must be only under my express directions and supervision. December 1928

SRI AUROBINDO

Mother gave me the/allowing extract from the Prayers in April 1930:

10 decembre 1914

.

0 divin Maître, avec quel ardent amour jesuis Ton serviteur! ...

avril 1930

THE MOTHER

(After writing, she explained to me in English what was in French.)

11.2.52

Mother, Nolini informed me that Mother will see me on the 13th. I see that Mother is always so busy. What Mother wants to give, she can give even without seeing. Instead of giving me time on the 13th, Mother may utilise the few minutes for other important work.

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I have kept some time to play1 for you (at 11 a.m.) and I will do it.

THE MOTHER

26.6.32

I pray to the Mother for the book of Prières et Meditations, if possible.

A rule has been made that the book is to be given only to those who know French or are studying French. The Mother cannot make an exception for you, for then she would have to make an exception for everybody.

27.6.1932

SRI AUROBINDO

(However, I was to receive the book a few months later even though I did not know French even then. What was interesting was that she had numbered my copy 5 and kept it for me.2 The inscription read:

21-9-32

No. 5 à Champaklal

Mira

During meditations I find that my head and trunk bend down again and again. I am conscious but I cannot help it. Should I stop coming for meditations ?

It does not matter.

You must not stop coming to meditation.

SRI AUROBINDO

I have learnt that Mother does not like people coming for Pranam without taking their bath. Is that true?

1 Music. In those days Mother used to call some persons and play music for them.

2 During those days Mother used to give certain numbers to sadhaks;

they had an occult significance. My number was 5.

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No. People say all sorts of nonsense.

SRI AUROBINDO

Three oil paintings are at present kept on the floor. Can I have them hung up on the walls?

Mother thinks you should leave them where they are. Mother does not like to have new nails in the wall.

28.4.34

SRI AUROBINDO

P. was telling me that if the portrait¹ is left as it is, it may fade away and that it would be better to have it fixed with fixing solution. I like to know from Mother what she would like me to do.

No, it will not fade — it is pencil, not charcoal and there is no need of fixing it.

4.2.35

THE MOTHER

I once received a telegram from some one who was in great difficulty. I sent it to Mother for reply. Sri Aurobindo wrote:

Keep faith quietude openness to divine power. Ashirvada.

¹ My portrait done by Mother.

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WITH X

Do not worry about what has been done.

Let the past pass away.

From today you are reborn.

13.4.29

THE MOTHER

From today

... will be perfectly

Strong, Sincere, Straightforward

21.4.29

THE MOTHER

I certainly cannot sanction your departure on so wrong and trivial a ground. You must be aware, as you admitted at first, that you are yourself to blame. When the Mother after a long and exhausting morning's work still gave you time, it was very wrong of you to reward her by speech of an insulting character. And it was wrong of you to resent her kind letter and her reference to the adverse force which you yourself have called the "devil" and from which you have prayed insistently to be delivered. I shall add that if you allow yourself to be ruled in this way by self-will and an abnormal sensitiveness, you will always create trouble for yourself, no matter where you go.

I could only sanction your departure if I came to the conclusion that you are still too young and raw and ill-balanced to bear the pressure for change which is inevitable in the atmosphere of the Ashram. But before this attack, you were progressing very well with a rapid growth in consciousness and character. It ought not to be difficult for you to get over this attack and settle down to a self-development of your undoubted possibilities on the right line. It would be a pity if you threw away the chance by obstinate persistence in the result of a moment's pique.

I prefer not to give any decision till after the 15th. You will do well to wait till then and see if your present feelings do not change.

August 4, 1929

SRI AUROBINDO

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I did not agree to your going for the same reasons as the last time. First, there was no good reason why you should go; a fit of quite causeless jealousy and pique could not be considered a sufficient ground for your wanting to leave us. You started your "revolt", as you call it, because the Mother took D. to a private sale to buy things for her: you continued it because the next day (it being the first of the month) and the day after she was too busy with accounts and other affairs to occupy herself with you as you wanted. There could not be more absurd ground for wanting to go away.

What you seem to claim from the Mother is impossible. No one can be given the right to control or question her actions and decisions or to dictate whom she must or must not take with her or what time she shall give to one or another. The Mother can do her work only if she is free always to do what she sees to be right and her decisions are accepted by all concerned. This is now generally understood in the Ashram and no one makes this kind of demand; it is not possible that you alone out of eighty people should have the right to do it.

In fact, you have been given privileges of close daily personal contact with the Mother which very few in the Ashram have and which all would be only too glad to have. It is not because you have a greater claim than theirs. If it were a matter of ordinary claim, there are many who would precede you. Some have been here since the beginning; some are more advanced than most in the spiritual life; some occupy a responsible position in the work of the Ashram; yet many of them cannot come to the Mother separately every morning or meet her again in the afternoon as you have been allowed to do. This privilege was given you because she felt that you had a special need other care and of help and support from her. For she does not act for her personal satisfaction or decide out of personal preference, but according to the necessities of the work and the true need of each one in the Ashram. And she gave you as much as she could consistently with the call of her work and the time at her disposal. But instead of being satisfied and happy, you create in your mind flimsy grounds for "revolt" and "quarrel". You did this once and it was excused as a mistake which you recognised and would try not to repeat. It is discouraging to see you start the same folly, all over again as if you had understood and learned nothing.

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You have not been asked to do any yoga; you were too young and unripe for that. You have therefore no reason to complain of being asked to do something beyond your power. But, without doing any yoga, it was quite possible for you, merely by your work and by daily contact with the Mother and her silent influence, to grow quietly and easily and happily in consciousness and character and capacity until you were ready. But if you refuse to learn self-control and discipline, (these are not matters of yoga, but what everyone has to learn unless he wants to waste his life and bring his capacities to nothing,) and if you cannot be content and happy with the much that is given you, you yourself will make your own life here impossible.

My second reason for not agreeing to your departure was that I did not believe that you really wanted to go or that what spoke of going was the true.... But if your desire to go is serious and deliberate, if you cannot be happy here with us, then it would not be right for me to keep you against your will. That is a thing which I never do with any one.

My third reason was that I could only sanction your going if I saw that you were too young or otherwise unfit to bear the pressure of the Ashram atmosphere. I know that there is in you the capacity if you choose to exercise it. But a certain attitude towards this life and towards the Mother is needed which you seem unwilling to keep. If you cannot be satisfied, if you are constantly revolting and discontented and unhappy, if you again and again violently insist on going away, if you are constantly driven by something in you into these outbreaks which might have been excusable when you were a young child but are no longer proper to your age, it will be difficult for me to avoid coming to the conclusion that, as yet at least, you are not ready, not for the Yoga, but even for living here.

One thing I wish to make clear. Neither myself nor the Mother wish you to leave us. I do not approve or sanction your going, still less do I decide that you must go. But if your desire to go is real, insistent and imperative, if you cannot be happy here and feel that you would be happier elsewhere, then I shall be obliged to withdraw my refusal.

This is the situation. Try to get back to your self, your real self, the real ... and see if he wants to go, if it is true that he cannot be satisfied by what the Mother gives him. It is

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upon that that the decision will rest.

Pondicherry

SRI AUROBINDO

September 3, 1929

I shall answer your letter, but meanwhile do not allow these things to worry you. Don't allow them to run in your mind or to get on your nerves. And don't let unpleasant feelings last in you; throw them away. After all, these incidents are very small things in themselves, and it is only when one gives them too much importance that they can take hold of the mind and give trouble.

The important point is not who was in the right or in the wrong;

when these things happen, there is always some mistake or a wrong feeling on both sides. The one important thing is your inner condition. You have the Mother's love and my help and spiritual support; why should anything said or done or not said or not done by others disturb you ? I want you to be, whatever happens, calm and at peace within and happy. It is the only way to keep the devil at a respectful distance.

9.10.29

SRI AUROBINDO

In answer to your letter about your clash with P.

If anybody in the Ashram tries to establish a supremacy or dominating influence over others, he is in the wrong. For it is bound to be a wrong vital influence and come in the way of the Mother's work. If you feel anything of the kind in anybody, your are quite right to resist it and throw off the influence; to accept it would be bad both for him and you.

But there should be no quarrel or ill-feeling or keeping up of resentment or anger; for that too is not good for either.

Certain things must be said in fairness to P. He can have had no conscious intention of injuring you with the Mother; for, if it were there the Mother would have seen it. And you may be sure that nothing of the kind could shake her confidence in you; she has seen your work, she knows your capacity, and she can judge it for her- self without being swayed by the words of others.

He may not be very communicative about the contents of the "magic cupboard", but he did not intend to keep you in ignorance.

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Once he showed you in the Mother's presence the things that came from Europe and he must have thought that you knew already what was there.

He says that he never intended to order you about, and I am sure he thinks what he says. If you felt something wrong of this kind in his manner, it is evidently something of which he was not himself conscious.

As to the work, part of what you ask is quite just and reasonable. You must be kept informed of what is there with P.; otherwise you will be hampered in your work. You should also be consulted as to your requirements when an order is sent. As to the plans, the Mother, as you know, arranges them with you whenever any work has to be done. But I suppose you are thinking of the plans for the new house of which P. showed you a map. These are his suggestions and, as his rooms and offices and the electrical installation for his work with the motors will all be there, he has a voice in the matter. Nothing is definitely settled and nothing can be till the house is ready; then it will be the Mother who will decide everything and you will certainly be taken into confidence.

On the other hand, all orders must actually be drawn up and sent by P.; for it is part of the business with France and that is his department; none else can do it. Moreover, you are not right in asking that you alone should draw up plans, for that would be to prevent the Mother from taking advantage of P's scientific training and knowledge and his long experience.

You must remember that just as the Mother uses your capacities and gives them their field, she must be able to do the same with the capacities of others. If she gives charge of a department of work to one, that must not stand in the way of her consulting or using others. Thus Benjamin and Chandulal are in charge of the building work, but the Mother consults P. too because of his scientific knowledge as an engineer and he has the right to make suggestions or criticisms or indicate any possible improvements, although he is not in charge. So too the Doctor is not in charge of the dispensary, but he is associated with the medical work and the Mother makes use of his expert knowledge and experience, when- ever necessary or puts in his hands the treatment of a case of illness. It must be the same between you and P.

It will be best if you fix in your mind and keep to the true rules

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