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Letters to
M.
3 July, 1912
Dear M.
Your money (by letter and wire) and clothes reached safely. The French
Post Office here has got into the habit (not yet explained) of not delivering
your letters till Friday; that was the reason why we wired to you thinking you
had, not sent the money that week. I do not know whether this means anything,
- formerly
we used to get your letters on Tuesday, afterwards it came to Wednesday, then
Thursday and finally Friday. It may be a natural evolution of French
Republicanism. Or it may be some- thing else. I see no signs of the seals having
been tampered with, but that is not an absolutely sure indication of security.
The postman may be paid by the police. Personally, however, I am inclined to
believe in the Republican administration theory,- the Republic always likes to
have time on its hands. Still, if you like, you can send important communications
to any other address here you may know of, for the present (of course, by French
post and a Madrasi address). All others should come by
the
old address, -
you may be sure, I think, no letter will be actually
intercepted, on this side. By the way, please let us know whether Mr. Banomali
Pal received a letter by French post from Achari enclosing another to
Parthasarathi.
I have not written all this time because I was not allowed to put pen to
paper for some time, – that is all. I send enclosed a letter to our Marathi
friend. If he can give you anything for me, please send it without the least
delay. If not, I must ask you to procure for me by will-power or any other power
in heaven or on earth Rs. 50 at least as a loan. If you cannot get it elsewhere,
why not apply to Barid Babu? Also, if Nagen is in Calcutta, ask him whether the
Noakhali gentleman can let me have anything. I was told he had Rs. 300 put aside
for me if I wanted it; but I did not wish to apply to him except in case of
necessity. The situation just now is that we have Rs. 11/2 or so in hand.
Srinivasa
Page-426
is also without money. As to Bharati living on
nothing means an uncertain quantity. The only other man in Pondicherry whom I
could at present ask for help is absent sine die and my messenger to the
South not returned. The last time he came, he brought a promise of Rs. 1000 in a
month and some permanent provision afterwards, but the promise like certain
predecessors has not yet been fulfilled and we sent him for cash. But though he
should have been here three days ago, he has not returned, and even when he
returns, I am not quite sure about the cash and still less sure about the
sufficiency of the amount. No doubt, God will provide, but He has contracted a
bad habit of waiting till the last moment. I only hope He does not wish us to
learn how to live on a minus quantity like Bharati.
Other difficulties are disappearing. The case brought against the
Swadeshis (no one in this household was included in it although we had a very
charmingly polite visit from the Parquet and Juge d’lnstruction) has
collapsed into the nether regions and the complainant and his son have fled from
Pondicherry and become, like ourselves "political refugees" in
Cuddalore. I hear he has been sentenced by default to five years imprisonment on
false accusation, but I don’t know yet whether the report is true. The police
were to have left at the end of Pondicherry but a young lunatic (one of
Bharati’s old disciples in patriotism and atheism) got involved in a
sedition-search (for the Indian Sociologist of all rubbish in the world!) and
came running here in the nick of time for the police to claim another two
months’ holiday in Pondicherry. However, I think their fangs have been drawn. I
may possibly send you the facts of the case for publication in the Nayak or
any other paper, but I am not yet certain.
I shall write to you about Sadhana etc. another time.
Kali
Page-427
[January,1913?]
Dear M.
We
have received from you in December Rs. 60, and Rs.20, and in this month Rs. 10.
According to N’s account Rs. 10 belongs
to November account, Rs. 50 to December; Rs. 20 we suppose to have been sent in
advance for the January account. If so, we still expect from you Rs. 20 this
month. I should be glad to know if there is any prospect of your being able to
increase the amount now or shortly. Up till now we have somehow or other managed
to fill in the deficit of Rs. 35 monthly; but, now that all our regular sources
here are stopped, we have to look to mere luck for going on. Of course if we
were Bhaktas of the old type, this would be the regular course, but as our
Sadhana stands upon Karmayoga with Jnana and Bhakti, this inactive Nirbhara can
only continue so long as it is enjoined on us as a temporary movement of the
Sadhana. It cannot be permanent. I think there will have to be a change before
long, but I cannot see clearly whether the regular and sufficient arrangement
which must be instituted some time, is to come from you or from an unexpected
quarter or whether I have myself to move in the matter. It is a question of
providing some Rs. 450 a year in addition to what you send, – unless, of course,
God provides us with some new sources for the sarirayiitra as He did two
years ago.
All these matters as well as the pursuance of my work to which you allude
in your last (commercial) letter, depend on the success of the struggle which is
the crowning movement of my Sadhana – viz. the attempt to apply knowledge and
power to the events and happenings of the world without the necessary
instrumentality of physical action. What I am attempting is to establish the
normal working of the Siddhis in life i.e. the perception of thoughts, feelings
and happenings of other beings and in other places throughout the world without
any use of information by speech or any other data; 2nd, the communication of
the ideas and feelings I select to others (individuals, groups, nations) by mere
transmission of will-power; 3rd, the silent compulsion on them to act according
to these communicated ideas and feel-
Page-428
ings;
4th, the determining of events, actions and results of action throughout the
world by pure silent will-power. When I wrote to you last, I had begun the
general application of these powers which God has been developing in me for the
last two or three years, but, as I told you, I was getting badly beaten. This is
no longer the case, for in the Ist, 2nd and even in 3rd I am now largely
successful, although the action of these powers is not yet perfectly organised.
It is only in the 4th that I feel a serious resistance. I can produce single
results with perfect accuracy, I can produce general results with difficulty and
after a more or less prolonged struggle, but I can neither be sure of producing
the final decisive result I am aiming at nor of securing that orderly
arrangement of events which prevents the results from being isolated and only
partially effective. In some directions I seem to succeed, in others partly to
fail and partly to succeed, while in some fields, e.g., this matter of financial
equipment both for my personal life and for my work I have hitherto entirely
failed. When I shall succeed even partially in that, then I shall know that my
hour of success is at hand and that I have got rid of the past Karma in myself
and others, which stands in our way and helps the forces of Kaliyuga to baffle
our efforts.
About Tantric Yoga; your experiment in the smasona was a daring
one, – but
it seems to have been efficiently and skilfully carried out, and the success is
highly gratifying. In these Kriyas there are three considerations to be held in
view; 1st, the object of the Kriya. Of course there is the general object of
Mukti-Bhukti which Tantriks in all ages have pursued, but to bring it about
certain subjective results and conditions are necessary in ourselves and our
surroundings and each separate Kriya should be so managed as to bring about an
important result of the kind. Big Kriyas or numerous Kriyas are not always
necessary; the main thing is that they should be faultlessly effective like your
last Kriya or the small one with which you opened your practices. That is the
second consideration viz. the success of the Kriya itself and that depends on
the selection and proper use of the right Mantra and Tantra, – Mantra, the mental part, and
Tantra, the practical
part. These must be arranged with the greatest scrupulousness.
All rashness, pride, ostentation, etc.,
-
the rajasic
Page-429
defects,
-
also, all negligence, omission, slipshod ritual,- the tamasic defects,
must be avoided. Success must not elate your minds, nor failure discourage.
3rdly, Angarakshana is as important as Siddhi. There are many Tantriks in this
Kaliyuga who are eager about Siddhi, careless in Angarakshana. They get some
Siddhi, but become the prey of the devils and Bhutas they raise. Now what is
the use of the particular Siddhi, if the Sadhakas are destroyed? The general
and real object, – Mukti and Bhukti, – remains unfulfilled. Angarakshana is
managed, first, by the selection and arrangement of the right Siddhi- Mantra
and Kriya, secondly, by the presence behind the Sadhaka of one who repeats what
is called an Angarakshana Mantra, destructive of the Pretas and Rakshasas or
prohibitive of their attacks. The last function I have taken on myself; it is
your business so to arrange the Kriya that the Bhutas get no chances for
[praves] or for the seizure and destruction of the Sadhaka. I have found
that my Mantra has been more and more successful in protection, but it is not
yet strong enough to prevent all 
[upadrav] of a dangerous character. It will take some more
[avrtti]
to increase its power. It is for this reason that I do not yet tell you
to go on swiftly in your course of practices. Still there is no harm in quickening
the pace in comparison with the past. Remember always the supreme necessity
of Mauna in Tantric practices. In Vedantic and Puranic exercises expression
is not dangerous, but the goddess of the Tantra does not look with a favourable
eye on those who from pride, ostentation or looseness blab about the Mantra
or the Kriya. In Tantric-Sadhana secrecy is necessary for its own sake. Those
who reveal Mantra or Kriya to the unfit, suffer almost inevitably; even those
who reveal them unnecessarily to the fit impair somewhat the force of their
Tantric action.
Kali
P. S. Please send the rest of this month’s money at once, if you have not
already sent it, and next month’s as early as you can.
Page-430
[1913?]
Dear M.
I write only about 3 points today.
1. Your R. S. Sharma I hold to be a police spy. I have
refused to see him because originally when he tried to force his way into my
house and win my confidence by his extravagances I received a warning against
him from within which has always been repeated. This was confirmed afterwards by
two facts,
-first
that the Madras Police betrayed a very benevolent interest in the success of his
mission, secondly, that he came to Pondicherry afterwards as sub-editor of a new
Pondicherry paper, the Independent, subsequently defunct and replaced by
another the Argus, belonging to the same proprietor who has been openly
acting in concert with the British Police against us in Pondicherry. In this
paper he wrote a very sneering and depreciatory paragraph about me, (not by name
but by allusion) in which he vented his spite at his failure. Failing even so to
get any footing here, for the Swadeshis were warned against him, he returned to
Madras. He seems now to have tried his hand with you at Calcutta and succeeded,
probably, beyond his expectations! I wonder when you people will stop trusting
the first stranger with a glib tongue who professes Nationalist fervour and
devotion. Whether you accept my estimate of him or not, you may be sure that his
Bhakti for me is humbug, – as shown by the above newspaper incident, – and you
must accept at least the facts I have given you and draw any conclusions that
common sense may suggest to you.
2. Do not print Yoga and its Objects unless and until I give you
positive directions. It cannot be printed in its present form and I may decide
to complete the work before it is printed. In any case parts of it would have to
be omitted or modified.
3.
Next, money matters. I could not understand your arithmetic about the Rs. 40 and
how we should gain by not getting it. The only reason why we wrote constantly
for it, was that it was necessary to us in our present financial position, in
which we have to provide anxiously for every need and the failure of any ex-
Page-431
pacted
sum reduces us to difficulties. I had reckoned on the remainder of Madgodkar’s
money to pay the sum sti11 due for the rent of our last house. Fortunately, the
litigation connected with the house has kept the matter hanging; but it may be
demanded from us any day and we shall have to pay at once, or face the prospect
of being dragged into court and losing our prestige here entirely. In future,
let me ask you, never to undertake any payment to us which you are not sure of
being able to fulfil, because of the great disorder in our arrangements which
results.
Our position here now is at its worst; since all efforts to get some help
from here have been temporarily fruitless and we have to depend on your Rs.50
which is insufficient. We have to pay Rs. 15 for rent, other expenses come to
not less, and the remaining Rs. 20 cannot suffice for the food expenses of five
people. Even any delay in your money arriving makes our Manager "see
darkness". That is why we had to telegraph. We did not know then that your
last remittance of Rs. 20 had arrived; and our available money was exhausted.
Our correspondence agent has turned merchant and walked off to Madras
indefinitely; in his absence we had great difficulty in getting hold of your
letter and indeed it is only today that it reached our hands. Narayan will give
you a new address to which please address all letters in future.
There is no "reason" for my not writing to you. I never
nowadays act on reasons, but only as an automaton in the hands of Another;
sometimes He lets me know the reasons of my action, sometimes He does not, but I
have to act, – or refrain from action,
-
all the same, according as He wills.
I shall write nothing about Sadhana etc. until I am out of my present
struggle to make the spirit prevail over matter and circumstances, in which for
the resent I have been getting badly the worst of it. Till then you must expect
nothing but mere
business letters, -if any.
Kali
Page-432
[1913?]
Dear
M.
P.S. has sent to his brother an
address for sending Yogini Chakras. He says it is approved by you. Now we want
to know, not only whether they are religious people there,
-
he says you have assured him of that, – but
whether there is any likelihood of these being taken by the P.O. authorities for
anything else. There are religious people who are openly mixed up with politics.
We do not think it wise to send our purely religious Tantric instruments to any
such. Kindly answer by return post. If the answer is satisfactory and we get the
money promised, we will send the Chakras.
.
15th August is usually a turning
point or a notable day for me personally either in Sadhana or life, – indirectly
only for others. This time it has been very important for me. My subjective
Sadhana may be said to have received its final seal and something like its
consummation by a prolonged realisation and dwelling in Parabrahman for many
hours. Since then, egoism is dead for all in me except the Annamaya Atma, – the
physical self which awaits one farther realisation before it is entirely
liberated from occasional visitings or external touches of the old separated
existence.
My future Sadhan is for life, practical knowledge and Shakti, not the
essential knowledge or Shakti in itself which I have got already, but knowledge
and Shakti established in the same physical self and directed to my work in
life. I am now getting a clearer idea of that work and I may as well impart
something of that idea to you; since you look to me as the centre, you should
know what is likely to radiate out of that centre.
1. To re-explain the Sanatana Dharma to the human intellect in all its
parts, from a new standpoint. This work is already beginning, and three parts
of it are being clearly worked out. Sri Krishna has shown me the true meaning of
the Vedas, not only so, but he has shown me a new Science of Philology showing
the process and origins of human speech so that a new Nirukta can be formed and
the new interpretation of the Veda based upon
it. He
Page-433
has
also shown me
the meaning of all in the Upanishads that is not understood either by Indians or
Europeans. I have therefore to re-explain the whole Vedanta and Veda in such a
way that it will be seen how all religion arises out of it and is one
everywhere. In this way it will be proved that India is the centre of the
religious life of the world and its destined saviour through the Sanatana
Dharma.
2. On the basis of Vedic knowledge, to establish a Yogic – Sadhana which
will not only liberate the soul, but prepare a perfect humanity and help in the
restoration of the Satya Yuga. That work has to begin now but it will not be
complete till the end of the Kali.
3. India being the centre, to work for her restoration to her proper
place in the world; but this restoration must be effected as a part of the above
work and by means of Yoga applied to human means and instruments, not otherwise.
4. A perfect humanity being intended, society will have to be remodelled
so as to be fit to contain that perfection.
You
must remember that I have not given you the whole Yogic Sadhana. What I have
given you is only the beginning. You have to get rid of Ahamkara and desire and
surrender yourself to God in order that the rest may come. You speak of printing
Yoga and its Objects. But remember that what 1 have sent you is only the
first part which gives the path, not the objects or the circumstances. If you
print it, print it as the first of a series, with the subtitle, The Path. I
am now busy with an explanation of the Isha Upanishad in twelve chapters. I am
at the eleventh now and will finish in a few days. Afterwards I shall begin the
second part of the series and send it to you when finished.
I have also begun but on a very small scale the second part of my work
which will consist in making men for the new age by imparting whatever Siddhi I
get to those who are chosen. From this point of view our little colony here is a
sort of seed plot, a laboratory. The things I work out in it, are then extended
outside. Here the work is progressing at last on definite lines and with a
certain steadiness, not very rapid, but still definite results are forming. I
should be glad to have from you clearer knowledge of the results you speak of
over there; for my Drishti is not
Page-434
yet sufficiently free from
obstructions for me to know all that I need to know at this stage.
What you say about the Ramakrishna Mission is, I dare say, true to a
certain extent. Do not oppose that movement or enter into any conflict with it
—-Remember also that we derive from Ramakrishna. For myself it was Ramakrishna
who personally came and first turned me to this Yoga. Vivekananda in the Alipore
Jail gave me the foundations of that knowledge which is the basis of our Sadhana.
The error of the Mission is to keep too much to the forms of Ramakrishna and
Vivekananda and not keep themselves open for new outpourings of their spirit,
-the error of all "Churches" and organised religious bodies.
As
to other work (Tantric), I am not yet in possession of knowledge. The Shakti is
only preparing to pour herself out there, but I don’t know what course she will
take. You must remember I never plan or fix anything for myself. She must choose
her own ("Paddhati") or rather follow the line Krishna fixes for her.
I am glad you have arranged something about money. It is indifferent to
me whether you get it from others or provide it yourselves, so long as my
energies which are badly needed for Sadhana, and for the heavy work laid on me
are not diverted at present into this lower effort in which they would be sorely
wasted. You will be relieved of the burden as soon as this physical resistance
is overcome, but I do not know how soon or late that wilt be. Reward, of course,
those who give to God shall have; but what reward He will determine. Remember
the importance of keeping up this centre for all my future work depends on what
I work out here.
I shall write about
the Sikh pamphlet which is an excellent thing but with one or two blemishes; but
I could not understand who wrote the accompanying letter or what gentleman he
refers to.
The letter you sent me last time from a certain man in Chandernagore is
practically answered here. Biren may have made some mistake about the shoes. It
was intended that they should be got from— The glass case theory is all right,
only the exhi-
bits have got to be maintained.
Kali
Page-435
[Feb. - March, 1913?]
Dear M.
I have received Rs. 60 by wire and
Rs. 20 by letter. It was a great relief to us that you were able to send Rs. 80
this time and Rs. 85 for March. Owing to the cutting off of all other means of
supply, we were getting into a very difficult position. I welcome it as a sign
of some preliminary effectiveness, through you, in this direction, in which
hitherto everything has gone against us; also as one proof of several that the
quality of your power and your work is greatly improving in effectiveness and
success. I need not refer to the other proofs; you will know what I mean. But
just now I find every forward step to be made is violently combated and
obstinately obstructed. Our progress is like the advance of a modern regiment
under fire in which we have to steal a few yards at a run and then lie down
under cover and let the storm of bullets sweep by. I neither hope for nor see
yet any prospect of a more successful rapidity.
I
have been lying down under cover ever since the middle of February after a very
brilliant advance in January and the early part of February. I keep the previous
ground, but can make as yet no sure progress farther. There is only a slow
preparation for farther progress. The real difficulty is to bring force,
sureness and rapidity into the application
of power and knowledge to life,- especially
sureness, for it is possible to bring the force and rapidity, but if not
attended by unfailing sureness of working, they may lead to great errors in
knowledge and great stumbles and disasters in action which counteract the
successes. On the other hand, if sureness has to be gained only by not stepping
except where everything is sure (which is the first stage of action and
knowledge necessary to get rid of rajasic rashness), progress is likely to be
slow. I am trying to solve the dilemma.
I have not kept your last letter and I only remember that you asked me to
write something about your Sadhana. I cannot just now, but I shall try to do it
in my next as I expect by then to be clear of some of my present difficulties.
Page-436
There is the pressing cry for clothes in
this quarter as these articles seem to be with us to remind us now constantly of
the paucity of matter. I have received Bepin Pal’s Soul of India. Can you
add [another?] by getting from Hiranyagarbha,
-
Sister Nivedita’s My Master as I Saw
Him? I am also in need,
- as I wrote
to you once before, – of R. C. Dutt’s Bengali translation of the Vedas. Neither
of these books is urgently required but please keep them in mind and send them
when you can.
Kali
[June-July,1913?]
Dear
M.
Your letter, money etc. have reached
me without delay or mishap. Please make it a rule, in future, not to be anxious
or troubled when you get no answer; when I do not reply, it is not because I
have not received your letters, but because silence was necessary, for my Siddhi,
for yours or for the work that has to be done. At such times, keep calm, repel
any suggestions of perplexity or anxiety and do not allow any disturbing mental
waves to interfere between. A still heart, a clear mind and untroubled nerves
are the very first necessity for the perfection of our Yoga.
I enclose a letter for C. R. Das. Please transmit it and get a reply
written or verbal. You will see, I did not authorise Bhaga to ask him for money;
at the same time, in doing so, he obeyed an unspoken general vyapti from
myself which his mind seems to have got hold of and mixed up with its own
desires and anxieties. I am drawing now towards the close of my internal Yogic
Tapasya and the time is not very distant when I shall have to use its results
for the work God has sent me to do in the world. For that work I shall need
large sums of money. So long as I was only perfecting myself and sending out
Shakti to others, all I needed was enough for the maintenance of myself and
those who are with me. This charge I gave to you and the charge is not
withdrawn; but, as you
Page-437
know,
it covers only the bare physical necessities of our life in Pondicherry. More
than that, you are not likely to be able to afford; and certainly you could not
provide me with the sums I shall need even in the earlier part of my work. To
limit myself to the Rs. 85 a month you can send me, would be to deny myself the
material means for doing what I have to do and to accept stagnation and
quiescence. It is true I am not beginning that work immediately, but, before it
begins, I have to bend circumstances to my will in this very particular so
that the obstacle of paucity of means which has been my chief stumbling-block
for the beginning may be got rid of once for all. My will has to be- come
effective on this point above all and the impediments both subjective and
objective to its mastery have to be eliminated. Therefore I have sent out the
general vyapti I spoke of. Biren’s action was one of the first responses,
but, as it was an impure response, it has created more Golmal than effect. As to
confining the appeal for pecuniary assistance to those who are entirely of one
way of thinking with ourselves, it was a good rule for you to observe; but it
cannot bind me when I begin my larger movement. From whatever quarter money or
help comes to me, it comes from God.
.
With regard to the Tantric books,
the Psalmodist was here, and wrote to you and went away, expecting to return in
a fortnight, but more than a fortnight has passed without his return. He has
written to us to say he has received money from you and we have written to him
to come here. He is expected daily, but he does not arrive. He will, no doubt,
be a good Karmavira in time; but at present he is too rajasic, with intervals of
Tamas, has too much faith in European religions and the arms of the flesh and
too little faith in Yoga and the arms of the spirit. He went northward on his
own initiative. I could have told him his efforts there would be fruitless, but
it is always well for a man to get experience for himself, when he will not take
the benefit of superior experience. Your scheme about the books is impracticable
under present conditions of which you are ignorant. When he comes, we will
consult together and see if any blameless way can be found. But there is a time
for all things and the time for free publication of Tantric works has not
arrived. Still, your
Page-438
particular order may be met.
Your letter to him, if addressed to Pondicherry did not reach us; whether he got
it in Madras or not, I do not know.
Your working, remember, is not yet definitive working; it is still in the
nature of experiment, with some minor results. When your working becomes more
perfect, more proper and the necessary spiritual force can be sent from here,
-
then real Tantra can begin. Meanwhile,
don’t be over-eager; let nothing disconcerting discourage or perplex you.
Eagerness, anxiety and discouragement are all different faces of one defect. I
shall write to you on all matters connected with the Tantra after the Psalmodist
arrives. Also about the Vedanta. If he does not come, I shall write all the
same.
Bejoy was to have seen Ramchandra in Calcutta and given you news of us,
on his way to Khulna; but from your not sending the June money and from Sudhir’s
letter, it seems the interview did not take place or else no report was given to
you. Please send the money. I am going on somehow, but the money I am doing
with, will have to be replaced.
Kali
P.S. The Psalmodist has written announcing his immediate arrival here,
but he has so often disappointed us that I end off this letter, without farther
waiting. If he comes, I shall write to you as soon as anything is settled.
[August,1913?]
Dear M.
I enclose a letter to C. R. Das.
Please let me know as soon as possible whether he has received the MSS. Also let
me have the address of your West Indian friend in that connection which you
omitted to give in your last letter, – of course in the usual formula. Please
explain how you expect him to befriend you if there is any difficulty in the
final stage of the publication. I am too
Page-439
exhausted
to write anything at length this time,
- we shall see afterwards
when I have recovered my physical equilibrium. I expect Rs. 40 for July and the
money for August (current) which will complete our regular account for the
present if C.R.Das sends in the rest of his money as proposed. By the way, his
agents Grind lays & Co. send me Rs. 300 with a note saying that I shall get
Rs. 1000 for the translations. Is the Rs. 300 part of the Rs. 1000 or separate?
I ask this for information only, because you wrote that he intended to give me
one year’s expenses and Rs. 300 extra. I need some extra money badly now for
materials for the work I have now seriously entered on in connection with the
Veda and the Sanskrit language. In that same connection will you please make a
serious effort this time to get hold of Dutt’s Bengali translation of the
Rigveda and send it to me,
- or any
translation for that matter which gives the
European version ?
Kali
[1913]
Dear
M.
.
I send the proofs. Your Rs. 50 for
Narayan etc.’s travelling expenses reached duly and were by him duly spent. He
has promised to repay the sum, but I don’t know when he will be able to do so.
He will see you, he told me, when he first goes to Calcutta from his place; as
his mother was ill, he would not stop to see you on the way. But perhaps other
reasons prevented him just then, for I believe he did stop a day or two in
Calcutta.
Biren is all right, I believe; he said nothing to anybody about that
matter. There were some legitimate doubts in some quarters owing to his unsteady
nature and other defects of character. I thought it right to give them as much
value for practical purposes as was reasonable; therefore I wrote to you.
I do not write to you this time about the despatch of the books, because
that is a long matter and would delay the proofs which have already been too
long delayed. But I shall write a
Page-440
separate
letter on that subject. I have also to write about your Tantric Yoga, but I
think I shall await what else you have to tell me on that subject before doing
so.
Kali
P. S. Don’t delay long in sending the money.
[July-Aug.,19131]
Dear M.
I
subjoin certain explanations about the matter of the Tantric books. I put them
in cipher because there are certain things, as you can understand, not comme
il faut according to the ideas of modern social decorum which ought not to
fall under unfit eyes. It appears that you did not understand my last letter.
However, from henceforth please leave this matter entirely in my hands. You will
see from the explanations given how highly undesirable is the kind of
correspondence you have been carrying on hitherto in another quarter. I have
taken Rs.50 from S., but this sum or part of it (at least Rs.30) ought to be
replaced for expenses attached to that particular transaction. Meanwhile I await
Rs.35 for June and all the July money. I delay other matters in consideration of
the urgency of the accompanying note.
Kali
P.S. I received information of your Tantric Kriyas. It is clear that you
are far from perfect yet. All the more reason why you should not be in a hurry
to progress physically. Get rid of the remnants of sattwic Ahankara and Rajoguna,
for that which we are within, our Karma and Kriya will be without. Kali demands
a pure Adhara for her works, and if you try to hurry her by rajasic impatience,
you will delay the success instead of hastening it. I will write to you fully
about it later.
Page-441
Dear
M.
[April,
1914]
I send you today the electoral
declaration of M. Paul Richard, one of the candidates at the approaching
election for the French Chamber. This election is of some importance to us; for
there are two of the candidates who represent our views to a great extent,
Laporte and Richard. Richard is not only a personal friend of mine and a brother
in the Yoga, but he wishes like myself, and in his own way works for a general
renovation of the world by which the present European civilisation shall be
replaced by a spiritual civilisation. In that change the resurrection of the
Asiatic races and especially of India is an essential point. He and Madame
Richard are rare examples of European Yogins who have not been led away by
Theosophical and other aberrations. I have been in material and spiritual
correspondence with them for the last four years. Of course, they know nothing
of Tantric Yoga. It is only in the Vedantic that we meet. If Richard were to
become deputy for French India, that would practically mean the same thing as
myself being deputy for French India. Laporte is a Swadeshi with personal
ambitions; his success would not mean the same but at any rate it would mean a
strong and, I believe, a faithful ally in power in this country and holding a
voice in France.
Of course, there is no chance, humanly speaking, of their being elected
this time. Laporte is not strong enough to change the situation single-handed.
Richard has come too late; otherwise so great is the disgust of the people with
Bluysen and Lemaire, GaebeIe and Pierre that I think we could have managed an
electoral revolution. Still, it is necessary, if it can at all be done, to stir
things a little at the present moment and form a nucleus of tendency and, if
possible, of active result which would be a foundation for the future and enable
us at the next election to present one or other of these candidates with a fair
chance of success.
I
want to know whether it is possible without your exposing yourself to have the
idea spread in Chandernagore, especially among the younger men, of the
desirability of these candidatures
Page-442
and
the abandonment of the old parochial and rotten politics of French India, with
its following of interested local Europeans and subservience to their petty
ambitions in favors of a politics of principle which will support one of our own
men or a European like Richard who is practically an Indian in belief, in
personal culture, in sympathies and aspirations, one of the Nivedita type. If
also a certain number of votes can be recorded for Richard in Chandernagore so
much the better; for that will mean a practical beginning, a tendency from the
Sukshma world materialised initially in the Sthula. If you think this can be
done, please get it done, – always taking care not to expose yourself. For your
main work is not political but spiritual. If there can be a Bengali translation
of Richard’s manifesto or much better, a statement of the situation and the
desirability of the candidature succeeding,
-
always steering
clear of extremism and British Indian
politics, – it should be done and distributed. I lay stress on these things
because it is necessary that the conditions of Chandernagore and Pondicherry
should be changed, the repetitions of recent events rendered impossible and the
cession of French territory put out of the question. There would be other and
more positive gains by the change, but these I need not emphasise now.
I have just received your letter and the money. I shall delay answering
it for the present, as this letter must go immediately. I shall answer soon,
however. I am only waiting till this election is over to give some shape to the
decision I have arrived at to resume personally my work on the material plane
and it is necessary that there should be some arrangement by which the Vedantic
work can go on unhampered by the effects of errors in Tantric Kriya. For Tantric
Kriya carried on in the old style, to which your people seem to be so
undivorceably attached, can only help so far as to keep up the Yogic flame in
the hearts of a few, while on the other hand it is full of danger to the spirit
and the body. It is only by a wider Vedantic movement leading later to a greater
Tantra that the work of regeneration can be done; and of that movement neither
you nor Saurin can be the head. It needs a wider knowledge and a greater
spiritual force in the Adhara through which it is engineered; it needs, in fact
the
Page-443
greatest
which India contains and which is at the same time willing to take it up. I see
only Devavrata and myself who have the idea, – for the Dayanandas and others are
a negligible quantity, and Devavrata seems to me to have gone off for the moment
on a wrong route and through egoism has even allowed his spiritual force to be
used against us by secret forces in the Sukshma world which he is not yet
advanced enough to understand. Therefore, if God wills, I will take the field.
K.
P. S. GaebeIe has given me strenuous
assurances that Bluysen is not working for the cession of Chandernagore and has
sworn that he (GaebeIe) will ever be a stern and furious opponent of any such
cession as well as a staunch defender of the Swadeshi refugees! Such is the
fervour of electoral promises! He has given a number of the Journal des
Debats in which there is a full account of Bluysen’s interpellations, from
which it appears that both Bluysen and Doumergue were agreed that there can be
no question of cession but only of "rectification of Pondicherry
boundaries". But only then did Bluysen tell us solemnly that the cession
was a "settled fact" and any refugee in Chandernagore must run to
Pondicherry at once. However, I am trying to send you or get sent to Banamali
Pal the copy of the Journal, so that Bluysen may have the benefit of his
public declarations. They are in a sense binding, if anything can bind a French
politician. If you don’t get the Journal, at any rate contrive that the
substance of it as given by me here should be known in Chandernagore, if it is
not known already. For you must remember that Lemaire has made no such
declaration and is not bound at all by any past professions, but has… been an
advocate of the cession.
Page-444
Dear
M.
17 April, 1914.
The political situation here is as
follows. In appearance Bluysen and Lemaire face each other on the old lines and
the real fight is between them. Bluysen has the support of the whole
administration, except a certain number of Lemairistes who are quiescent and in
favour of it. The Governor Martineau, GaebeIe, the Police Lieutenant and the
Commissaire form his political committee. By threats and bribes the Maires of
all the Communes except two have been forced or induced to declare on his side.
He has bought or got over most of the Hindu traders in Pondicherry. He has
brought over 50,000 rupees for his election and is prepared to purchase the
whole populace, if necessary. Is it British rupees, I wonder? The British
Government is also said to be interfering in his behalf and it is certain that a
Mahomedan Collector of Cuddalore has asked his co-religionists to vote for this
master of corruption. A violent administrative pressure is being brought to bear
upon both at Pondicherry and Karikal and the Maires being on his side the
electoral colleges will be in his hands with all their possibilities of fraud
and violence.
Lemaire has for him most of the Christian and Renoncants (except the
young men who are for Richard) and Pierre. But the Pierre party is entirely
divided. Kosia[?] refuses to declare himself, most of the others are Bluysenites,
the Comite Radical has thrice met without Pierre being able to overcome the
opposition against him. Lemaire had two chances, one that if the people could be
got to vote, Pierre’s influence over the mass might carry the day for him, the
other that Nandagopalu might intimidate the enemy and counteract the
administration. But Nandagopalu instead of intimidating is himself intimidated;
he is hiding in his house and sending obsequious messages to GaebeIe and
Martineau. So great at one time was the despair of the Lemairistes, that Pierre
offered through Richard to withdraw Lemaire, if GaebeIe withdraws Bluysen, the
two enemies then to shake hands and unite in support of Richard or another
candidate. Gaebele would have been glad to accept the offer, but he
Page-445
cannot,
he has taken huge sums from Bluysen. The leaders are almost all bought over by
Bluysen and those who remain on Lemaire’s side dare not act. The only weapon
now in Lemaire’s hands is vague threat and rumour, that the Cabinet has fallen,
that Martineau is suspended, that the new Police Captain is his man etc. There
are also rumours of a sudden coup d’ etat by Lemaire on the election day,
of Appaswami being carried off Dr killed, of the Election Committee being in his
hands and it is true that the President is a Lemairiste. But I do not see how
these things are going to be done. There may, of course, be a sudden Lemairiste
rally, but at present it seems as if Bluysen by the help of the Administration
money, the British Government and the devil were likely to win an easy victory.
Laporte had some chance of strong backing at the beginning but his own
indolence and mistakes have destroyed it. He is now waiting on God and Lemaire
into whose shoes he dreams of stepping, – for Lemaire has promised him that if
he gets no favourable answer from France he will desist in Laporte’s favour and
Laporte being a man of faith is sitting quiet in that glorious expectation.
Then
there is Richard. He has neither agent, nor committee, nor the backing of a
single influential man. What he has is the sympathy and good wishes of all the
Hindus and Mahomedans in Pondicherry and Karikal with the exception of the
Vaniyas who are for Bluysen. The people are sick to death of the old candidates,
they hate Bluysen, they abhor Lemaire and if only they could be got to vote
according to their feelings, Richard would come in by an overwhelming
majority. But they are over- awed by the Government and wait for some
influential man among the Hindus to declare for him. No such man is forthcoming.
All are either bought by Bluysen or wish to be on the winning side. Under
these circumstances the danger is that the people will not vote at all and the
electoral committee will be forced to. manufacture in their names bogus votes
for Bluysen. On the other hand an impression has been made at Karikal, where the
young men are working zealously for Richard; some of its communes are going to
support him; some of the leaders who are themselves pledged to Bluysen have
promised to tell
Page-446
their followers that they are free to vote for Richard if they wish;
the Mahomedan leaders of Karikal are for Bluysen or rather for his money, but the mass have resolved to vote neither for Bluysen nor Lemaire, and either not to vote at all or for Richard. At Pondicherry, Villenour has promised to declare for Richard the day before the election so as to avoid prolonged administrative pressure. Certain sections of the community e.g. the young men
among
the Christians and a number of the Mahomedans,-Richard is to speak at the mosque and a great number may
possibly come over and a certain nucleus of the Hindus are certain to vote for him. We count also on the impression that can be given during the next few days. If in addition Chandernagore can give a large vote for Richard, there is a chance not of
carrying Richard but of preventing a decisive vote at the first election, so that there may be a second ballot. If that is done, great
numbers who hesitate to vote for Richard in the idea that Bluysen must carryall before him, may pick up courage and turn the whole situation,
– to say nothing of the chances of Lemaire retiring and his whole vote coming over or a great part of it. There- fore, I say, throw aside all other considerations and let the young men of Chandernagore at least put all their strength on Richard’s side and against the two unspeakable representatives of Evil who dispute the election between them. For if they do not, humanly speaking, Chandernagore seems to be doomed.
I wrote to you in my last doubtfully about Bluysen’s or rather Gaebele’s professions about Chandernagore and the
Swadeshis. Since then, even Martineau has condescended to let us
know
that he is trying to get the British police sent away from
Pondicherry. But all this is either sheer falsehood or late repentance for the convenience of the moment. The damning facts are that Bluysen saw the Viceroy on his last visit, that it is known on this occasion the whole talk was about this cession
of Chandernagore, that on his return he told Bharati the cession of Chandernagore was a settled fact and while before his trip northward, he was gushing over to the Swadeshis, afterwards he roundly
declared that he could not help us openly because the Cabinet was pro-English and he must follow the Cabinet, that he went to Karikal and declared to a .number of people (this has only
Page-447
yesterday come to my knowledge) that Chandernagore was going to be ceded to the British with Bluysen’s consent; that, on his second and present visit, he was entertained by the Collector of Cuddalore on his way and that that Collector has condescended to act as an electoral agent for him with his co-religionists. It is perfectly clear now that the man has
told himself to England,
-
selling and buying himself and others seem to be his only profession in the world. Therefore every vote given for Bluysen in Chandernagore is a vote for the cession of Chandernagore to the British.
On the other hand, if you vote for Lemaire, it means the same thing at a later date. For he was the first to broach the question in the public press in France, he has advised the
suppression of the vote in French India, he has English connections and is an Anglophil. Not only so, but although asked by the Hindus to recant his former views if he wanted their vote, he has refused to do it, and this refusal has contributed largely to the failure of Pierre to carry the Hindus with him. Let these facts be widely known in Chandernagore both about Bluysen and Lemaire, let it be known that Richard is a Hindu in faith, a Hindu in heart and a man whose whole life is devoted to the ideal of lifting up humanity and specially Asia and India and supporting the oppressed against the strong, the cause of the future which is our cause against all that hampers and resists it. If after that,
Chandernagore still votes for Bluysen or Lemaire, it is its own choice and it will have itself to thank for anything that may follow.
I have more to write of these things from the spiritual point of view, but I
shall leave it till tomorrow or the day after as this letter must go at once.
Put faith in God and act. You have seen that when He wills He can bring about
impossibilities. Do not look too much at the chances of success and failure
in this matter.  (Sanskrit
written in Bengali script.) [karmalJyeviidhikiiraste].
Kali
Page-448
5th .May, 1914
Dear M.
The election is over, – or what they call an election,
-
with
the result that the man who had the fewer real votes has got the majority. As (or M. Richard’s votes, they got rid of them in Pondicherry and Karikal by the simple process of reading Paul Bluysen wherever Paul Richard was printed. Even where he brought his voters in Karikal to the poll himself, the results were published “Richard – 0″. At Villenour people were simply prevented from voting for him or anyone else. As for the results they had been arranged on the evening before the election by M. Gaebele and were made to fit in with his figures. The extent to which this was done you can imagine from the fact that at Nandagopalu’s village where there is no single Bluysenite, there
were
only 13 “votes” for Lemaire and all the rest for Bluysen.
The same result in Madanapalli which is strong for Pierre, except in one college where Sada (President of the Cerc1e Sportif) was interpreter and did not allow any humbug; knowing whom they had to deal with, they did not dare to falsify the results. There Bluysen got only 33 votes against 200 and more for Lemaire. In most places, this would have been the normal result, if there had been any election at all. As for Richard, he would probably have got a thousand votes besides the Chandernagore total; as in some five colleges of Pondicherry alone he had about 300 which were transmuted into zero and we know of one village in which he had 91 who were prevented forcibly from voting. Bluysen
normally would hardly have got 5000 in the whole of French India. Of course protests are being prepared from every side and if Bluysen is not supported by the Cabinet which is likely to come in after the election in France, the election may be invalidfited. Otherwise for some time he may reign in spite of the hatred and contempt of the whole population by the terror of the administration and the police. This Madrasi population is so deficient in even the rudiments of moral courage that one cannot hope very much from it.
. .
Meanwhile Richard intends to remain in India for 2 years
Page-449
and work for the people. He is trying to start an Association of
the young men of Pondicherry and Karikal as a sort of training ground from which men can be chosen for the Vedantic Yoga. Everything is a little nebulous as yet. I shall write to you about it when things are more definite.
Since writing the above I have received your last letter. As for the election, we must wait to see whether Bluysen is validated or not. Even if he is not, I do not think Richard can stand again until the new party in Pondicherry is increased and organised and that will have to be done quietly at first. There is, however, just one possibility, that if something happens which it is just now needless to mention, it might be feasible to unite Gaebele and Pierre in a candidature of reconciliation. The idea was raised by Pierre himself and very reluctantly rejected by Gaebele before the elections. Another time it might succeed and even if Richard were not the candidate chosen, he would get a great influence by engineering the settlement. Otherwise we shall have to await a more favourable opportunity. As for Bluysen he has made him- self a byword for every kind of rascality and oppression, and is now the enemy much rather than Lemaire. These things we shall see to afterwards. The young men of Pondicherry and Karikal are sending a protest with signed declarations of facts observed in the election and two hundred signatures to the
Minister, the Chambre and the Temps newspaper. It has also been read aloud by the President in the Commission of Recessment
and produced a great impression, – moral only, of course. In France, the opinion of the “jeunesse” is much valued and joined with the Lemairiste protests, it may possibly have some effect, unless either Bluysen buys the Validation Committee or is
supported by the French “homme d’etat”. There is an ugly rumour that Poincare supports Bluysen; there are always corrupt financial dealings underlying French politics which the outside world does not see. If so, we must put spiritual force against the banded forces of evil and see the result.
Next as to money matters. My present position is that I have exhausted all my money along with Rs. 60 Richard forced on me and am still in debt for the Rs. 130 due for the old rent. I
do not like to take more money from Richard, for he has sold
Page-450
one fourth of his wife’s fortune (a very small one) in order to be able to come and work for India, and the money he has can only
carry
him through the 2 years he thinks of staying here. I
should therefore be impoverishing them by taking anything from them. Of course, they. believe that money will come whenever it is necessary but then God’s idea of necessity and ours do not always agree. As for Rangaswamy, there is a fatality about his money,
-
it is intercepted by all sorts of people and very little
reaches me even on the rare occasions when he sends anything.
I
have no hope therefore, of any regular help from that quarter.
Even in the fact of your being unable to meet him, fate has been against us. On the other hand, Saurin writes that he has been able to “fix” Rs. 1000 a year for me in Bengal. Is this merely the refixing of Das’ promise or something else? As for fixing, any- thing may be fixed orally or on paper, the difficulty is to realise
what
has been fixed. He says also there is Rs. 500 awaiting me,
my share of the garden money. He wants it for his “commerce”, but when I have no money to live on, I can hardly comply. He does not tell me what I am to do to get the money, but only
that
I can get it whenever I want it. I am writing to him to
Meherpur, but if you see him in Calcutta, ask him to get it and send it to me at once. With this money I may be able to go on for a few months till something definite and regular can be settled and worked out. As for the sum I need monthly, so long as S. and the others do not return, I need Rs. 50 monthly for my own
expenses and Rs. 10 not for myself, but still absolutely indispensable. When S. and the others return, that will no longer be sufficient.
I am
writing to S. to try and make some real bandobast about
money before coming back. Please also press Shyam Babu and the others for the money due to me. This habit of defalcation of money for noble and philanthropic purposes in which usually the ego is largely the beneficiary is one of the curses of our movement and so long as it is continued Lakshmi will not return to this country. I have sharply discontinued all looseness of this kind myself and it must be discouraged henceforth wherever we meet it. It is much better and more honest to be a thief for our own personal benefit, than under these holy masks. And always, if one must plunder, it is best to do it as a Kshatriya, not with the
Page-451
corruption of the Vaishya spirit of gain which is the chief enemy in our present struggle. What you have to do, is to try to make some real arrangement, not a theoretical arrangement by which the burden of my expenses may be shifted off your shoulders until I am able to make my own provision. Meanwhile get me Rs. 150 and the Rs. 500 due to me (garden money) and if after- wards we can make no other arrangement, we shall then have to consider the question again. It is this point of equipment, not only for myself but for my work in which the opposition of the Kaliyuga forces is just now the most obstinate. It has somehow to be overcome.
Richard has paid the Rs. 51. I am keeping the sum as the Rs. 50 for last month plus 1. Please cut it off from the sum you would otherwise have sent,
- (not, however, from the Rs. 130 for the payment of the rent). Please also get us some cloths sent from Calcutta, as they are very urgently needed, especially as I may now have to go out from time to time breaking
my old rule of seclusion. I am also in need of a pair of shoes as Bharati has bagged the pair I had.
Then for more important subjects. You write about Biren being here. I do not hold the same opinion about Biren, as Saurin etc. do, who are inclined towards a very black
interpretation of his character and actions. It seems to me that events have corroborated all he said about his relations with certain undesirable persons. Moreover I see that he has taken Yoga earnestly and has made for him a rapid progress. I am also
unaware of anything he has said to others which would help any evil-minded person in establishing a wrong interpretation of your philosophic and social activities. I fail to find in him, looking at him spiritually, those ineffable
blacknesses which were supposed to dwell in him, only flightiness, weakness, indiscretion, childish and erratic impulsiveness and self-will and certain undesirable possibilities present in many young Bengalis, in a certain type indeed, which has done much harm in the past. All these have recently much diminished and I hope even to eradicate them by the Yoga. In fact, the view of his presence here forced on me by that which guides us, is that he was sent here as the representative of this type and that I have to change and purify it. If I can do
Page-452
this in the representative, it is possible in the future to do it in the class, and unless I can do it, the task I have set for myself for India will remain almost too difficult for solution. For as long
as that element remains strong, Bengal can never become what it
.
is intended to be.
You will say, supposing I am wrong and Saurin right, or supposing I fail. In any case he cannot strike your work except by first striking at me, since he does not know anything about you directly or independently of his stay here. Still, there is the possibility (intellectually) of even that happening. That raises a whole question which it is necessary to settle, – the entire
separation of Vedantic Yoga from other activities. You must realise that my work is a very vast one and that I must in doing it, come in close contact with all sorts of people including Europeans, perhaps even officials, ‘perhaps even spies and officials. For instance, there is Biren. There is a French man, named Shair Siddhar
now in Chandernagore, who came to me and whom I had to see and sound. He is a queer sort of fool with something of the knave, but he had possibilities which I had to sound. There is Richard who is to know nothing about Tantricism. There are a host of possible young men whom I must meet and handle, but who may not turn out well. It is obviously impossible for me to do this work, if the close
connection with Tantrics remains and everyone whom I meet and receive is supposed by people there to be a mighty and venerable person who is to be taken at once into perfect confidence by reason of having been for a time in my august shadow. It won’t do at all. The whole thing must be rearranged on a reasonable basis.
First, it must be known among our friends that my whole action is about to be such as I have described, so that they may not again repeat that kind of mistake.
Secondly, those immediately connected with me, must be
aloof physically from Tantricism,
-
because of the discredit it
brings, – and intangible by evil-minded persons.
Thirdly, Biren and others of that kind must be made to understand that Tantra for us is discontinued until further notice which can be only in the far future.
Fourthly, the written basis of Vedantic Yoga has now be-
Page-453
come impossible and must be entirely changed and as far as possible, withdrawn from circulation.
These are details, but important details. There is one matter, however, which has to be settled, that of the Brahmin. The Brahmin, it appears, has made himself impossible as an agent or, at least, he is so considered. Then as for your direct
communication with Sarathi, it is looked upon with dislike by Sarathi’s people and I do not know what Sarathi’s own sentiment in the matter may be. Of course, the reason they allege is obvious enough. There is one of my own people here who might do it, but he is so useful in other important matters that I hesitate to use him as an agent in this. That is why I am in a difficulty and I get no light on the question from above, only the intellect stumbles about between possibilities against all of which there is
an objection, especially from the new point of view,
-
which demands for the present a spotless peace and irreproachable reputation in these matters for the centre of yogic activity here.
Nevertheless, the thing must be done, although as the last legacy of the old state of things. I shall write to you on the old lines about it in a few days, as also about the future of the Tantric Yoga. Judging from what I have heard of the facts, I do not think the
difficulty about S. is likely to materialise,
-
unless there are facts
behind of which I do not know. Unfortunately the manner in which the Tantric Yoga has been carried on is so full of the old faults of the former Tantric Sadhana that a catastrophe was inevitable. The new Yoga cannot be used as a sort of sauce for old dishes,
-
it must occupy the whole place, on peril of serious difficulties in the Siddhi and even disasters. I shall write to you about what I propose to do about Vedantic Yoga and
publication, – as yet it has not been sufficiently formulated to write. At present we have only started a new society here called L’Idée Nouvelle (the New Idea) and are trying to get an
authorisation.
Page-454
Dear Moti Babu (This note is by a
disciple but the signature is illegible.)-
We are in absolute want of clothes. Will you please pay a little attention to
that point and relieve us from this absolute want. K. is going out nowadays and
at least for that we want some clothes.
Do not send it in login’s name, he is going back to Bengal. Send it to David.
Yours,
[June, 1914?]
Dear M.
I have
received from Grindlays Rs. 400. That leaves Rs. 200 out of the Rs.1000 which I
hope will be received by next August. We have also the clothes and shoes but for
myself only the slippers are useful as the shoes are too large. I have written
to Saurin about the garden money and he says he has asked Sukumar to send it.
But I have received nothing as yet. If I get this money and the remaining Rs.
200 from Das that will be Rs. 1100 in hand. With 100 more and 130 on account of
the old rent, say Rs.250 altogether, we shall be provided for bare necessities
for a year during which other conditions may arise. That Rs. 250 ought to come
from Sham Babu and Sharma, but there is little hope ( money once swallowed by a
patriot being disgorged again. His philanthropic stomach digests sovereignly. I
must seek it else- where. If this can be done, the only burden which will fall
on you is to refurnish us with apparel and footwear from time to time. At the
same time an attempt should be made to keep up the arrangement with Das if
possible, for we do not know whether our attempt to provide otherwise will
succeed.
That attempt takes the form of a new philosophical Review
Page-455
with Richard and myself as Editors – the Arya, which is to be brought out
in French and English, two separate editions, – one
for France, one for India, England and America. In this Review my new theory of
the Veda will appear as also translation and explanation of the Upanishads, a
series of essays giving my sys- tem of Yoga and a book of Vedantic philosophy
(not Shankara’s but Vedic Vedanta) giving the Upanishadic foundations of my
theory of the ideal life towards which humanity must move. You will see so far
as my share is concerned, it will be the intellectual side of my work for the
world. The Review will be of 64 pages to start with and the subscription Rs.6
annually. Of the French edition 600 copies will be issued, and it will cost
about Rs.750 a year minus postage. Richard reckoned 200 subscribers in France at
the start, i.e. Rs. 1200 in the year. For the English edition we are thinking
of an issue of 1000 copies, at the cost of about Rs. 1200 annually. We shall
need therefore at least 200 subscribers to meet this expense and some more so
that the English edition may pay all its own expenses. Let us try 250
subscribers to start with, with the ideal of having 800 to 1000 in the first
year. If these subscribers can be got before the Review starts, we shall have a
sound financial foundation to start with. The question is, can they be got? We
are printing a prospectus with specimens of the’ writings from my translation
and commentary on a Vedic hymn, and an extract from Richard’s collections of
the central sayings of great sages of all times called the Eternal Wisdom to
show the nature of the Review. This is supposed to come out in the middle of
this month, and the Review on the 15th August, so there will be nearly two
months for collecting subscribers. How far can you help us in this work? There
is always one thing about which great care has to be taken, that is, there
should be no entanglement of this Review in Indian politics or a false
association created by the police finding it in the house of some political
suspects they search for; in that case people will be afraid to subscribe. My
idea is that young men should be got as agents who would canvas for the Review
all over Bengal, but there so many young men are now political suspects that
it may not be easy to find any who will be free and active and yet above
suspicion. In that case some other method
Page-456
must
be tried. I should like to know from you as soon as possible
how far you
can help us and how many copies of the prospectus we should send to you. If the
Review succeeds, if, that is to say, we get in India 850 regular subscribers,
and 250 in France etc. we shall be able’ to ,meet the expense of the
establishment, translation-staff etc. and yet have enough for each of the
editors to live on with their various kinds of families, say Rs. 100 a month for
each. In that case the money-question will practically be solved. There will of
course be other expenses besides mere living and there may be from time to time
exceptional expenses, such as publication of books etc., but these may be met
otherwise or as the Review increases its subscribers. Therefore use your best
endeavour towards this end.
The second part of my work is the practical, consisting in the practice of Yoga,
by an ever increasing number of young men all over the country. We have started
here a society called the New Idea with that object, and a good many young men
are taking up Vedantic Yoga and some progressing much. You say it has spread in
the North all over. But in what way? I am not at all enamoured of the way in
which it seems to be practised outside Bengal. It seems there to be mixed up
with the old kind of Tantra, sometimes of the most paiśācika and
undesirable kind and to be kept merely as a sauce for that fiery and gruesome
dish. Better no Vyapti at all outside Bengal, if it is not to be purified and
divine Yoga. In Bengal itself, there are faults which cannot but have
undesirable consequences. In the first place, there is the misplacement of
values. Vedanta is practised, or so it seems to be in some quarters, for the
sake of Tantra, and in order to give a force to Tantra. That is not right at
all. Tantra is only valuable so far as it enables us to give effect to Vedanta
and in itself has no value or necessity at all. Then the two are mixed up in a
most undesirable fashion, so that the Vedanta is likely to be affected by the
same disrepute and difficulties on the way of profession as hamper the
recognition of the truth in Tantra i.e. in its real sense, value and effectivity.
There are difficulties enough already, let us not wilfully increase them. You
have seen, for instance, that in recent political trials Yoga pamphlets and
books seem to have been kept together everywhere with the queerest
Page-457
incongruity. That is a thing we could not control, we can only hope that it will
not happen again. But meanwhile the work of publicity and spreading our yoga has
got an unnecessary difficulty thrown in its way. Do not let any add to it by
associating Vedanta and Tantra together in an inexpressible fashion. The Tantric
Yogins are few and should be comparatively reticent – for Vedanta is a wider
thing and men may then help to fulfil it in all kinds of ways. Let the Tantriks
then practise Vedanta silently, not trumpeting abroad its connection with their
own particular school but with self-restraint and the spirit of self-sacrifice,
knowing that they are only one small corps in a march that is vast and so meant
to be world-embracing. The more they isolate themselves from the rest of the
host that is in formation, the more they will be free for their own work and the
more they will help without hampering the wider march.
Then as to the work of the Tantric discipline and Kriya itself. Remember that
Tantra is not like Vedanta, it is a Yoga for material gains, that has always
been its nature. Only now not for personal gains, but for effectivity in certain
directions of the general Yoga of mankind. The question I wish you to ask your-
self, is whether you think that with its present imperfect basis it can really
do the work for which it was intended. I see that it cannot. There have been two
stages; first, the old Tantra which has broken down and exists only in a
scattered way ineffectual for any great aid of humanity; secondly, our new
Tantra which succeeded at first because it was comparatively pure in spite of
the difficulties created by the remnants of egoism. But since then two things
have happened. It has tried to extend itself with the result of bringing in
undesirable elements; secondly, it has tried to attempt larger results from a
basis which was no longer sufficient and had begun to be unsound. A third stage
is now necessary, that of a preparation in full knowledge no longer resting on a
blind faith in God’s power and will, but receiving consciously that will, the
illumination that guides its workings and the power that determines its results.
If the thing is to be done it must be done no longer as by a troop stumbling on
courageously in the dark and losing its best strength by failures and the
results of unhappy blunders, but with the full divine
Page-458
power working
out its will in its instruments.
What is
necessary for that action? First, that the divine knowledge and power should
manifest perfectly in at least one man in India. In myself it is trying so to
manifest as rapidly as the deficiencies of my mind and body will permit, and
also, – this is important, – as rapidly as the
defects of my chief friends and helpers
will permit. For all those have to be taken on myself spiritually and may retard
my own development. I advance, but at every fresh stage have to go back to
receive some fresh load of
imperfection that comes from outside. I want now some breathing time however
brief which will enable me to accomplish the present stage which is the central
of my advance. This once accomplished, all the rest is inevitable. This not
accomplished, the seed of our Yogic movement is externally a failure or a
pitiful small result. That is the first reason why I call a halt.
The second necessity is that others should receive the same
power and light. In the measure that mine grows, theirs, also will increase and
prosper provided always they do not separate themselves from me by the Ahankara.
A sufficient Vedantic basis provided, a long, slow and obscure Tantra will no
longer be necessary. The power that I am developing if it reaches consummation,
will be able to accomplish its effects automatically by
any method chosen. If it
uses Tantric Kriya, it will then be because God
has chosen that means, because He wishes to put the Shakta part of Him forward
first and not the Vaishnava and that Kriya will then be irresistible in its
effect perhaps even’
strange and new in its means and forms. I have then to effect that power and
communicate it to others. But at present the forces of the material Prakriti
strive with all their remaining energy against the’ spiritual mastery that is
being sought to impose on them. And it is especially in the field to which your
Kriyas have belonged and kindred fields that they are still too strong for me.
You will remember what has been written, that the Sadhana shall first be applied
in things that do not matter and only afterwards used for life. This is not an
absolute rule, but it is the rule of necessity to apply for some time now in
this particular matter. I see that I have the necessary powers; I shall communicate them next to you and some others, so that there may
Page-459
be a centre of irresistible spiritual light and effective force when- ever
needed. Then a rapid and successful Kriya can be attempted. This is the second
reason why I have called a halt.
The first and supreme object you must have now is to put forward in yourself and
in others the Vedantic Yoga in the sense I have described. The spread of the
idea is not sufficient, you must have’ real Yogins, not merely men moved
intellectually and emotionally by one or two of the central ideas of the Yoga.
Spreading of the idea is the second necessity, for .that the Review at present
offers itself among other means. The other means is to form brotherhoods, not
formal but real, (not societies of the European kind but informal groups of
people united by one effort and one feeling) for the practice of the Vedantic
Yoga (without any necessary thought of the Tantric). But of this I shall write
to you hereafter.
Finally as to commercial matters. I had arranged things according to the last
idea, but at the last moment an objection was made, that the arrangement was not
a very reasonable one, – an objection which
my reason was forced to admit. It was then proposed to send the Brahmin as a
commercial agent and I so wrote to you. But afterwards when I asked for him to
be sent I was informed that the Brahmin was no longer possible as a commercial
agent as he was now an object of suspicion to the third party. Another man I had
fixed on is so circumstanced that he cannot go now. There the matter stands. As
for your suggestion, these people here never objected to dealing direct with
you, the objection was mine due to the terms and the accidents of your
correspondence. On the other hand every attempt I have made personally to get
the matter settled has been frustrated by Krishna. I have made these
attempts contrary to the inner instructions received and by the light of the
reason. That always fails with me; if it succeeds momentarily, it brings some
coarse result afterwards. The point now is that if you do as you suggest, it
must be so done that there shall not be the least chance of the transaction
interfering with our business here, -
I mean not
any commercial business, but the enterprises (Society, Re- view etc.) we are
starting. The question is not one of direct communication, but of right
handling and specially of the right per-
Page-460
son not only
from the point of view of the buyer and seller but with regard to the third
party who is indirectly interested in the transaction. In any case you must
write to me what you propose to do, before you act.
By the way there was a very shocking and 
(Written in Bengali.)
[aślil] word in your last letter to me with regard to my past activities,
– Bande Mataram, Karmayogin etc. I do not wish to repeat it here. Please
do not use such an indecorous expression in writing in future. In personal talk
it does not matter, but not, if you please in correspondence. As to your request
for details of my life about which you wrote to Bejoy it is a very difficult
matter for there is very little one can write without offending people, as for
example S. Mullick, B. Pal, S. S. Chakraborty and revealing party secrets. However
we shall see what can be done. But let me know what you are writing about me
and how and where you mean to publish it.
A. G.
[July, 1914]
Dear M.
I write today
only about two business matters. As to the Review, I do not think we can
dispense with the 200 subscribers whom you promise. The
only difficulty is that, if there are political
suspects among them, it will give the police a handle for connecting politics
and the Review and thus frightening the public. But this is not a sufficient
reason for the Review refusing so many subscribers or for so large a number
being deprived of the enlightenment it may bring them. Therefore, some arrangement should be made. I should suggest that you should make those subscribers who
are mainly interested in Yoga, and as for those who decline to give up political
opinions of a vehement nature or to conceal them so as not to fall into police
snares, they may without becoming subscribers on our list receive the Review
Page-461
from trustworthy agents appointed by you as our representatives. The agent must
let us or you know the number of copies wanted, send in the money and receive
the Review from us or you in a packet as a declared agent commissioned to sell a
certain number of copies, receiving (nominally) a discount on each copy sold. I
suggest this arrangement but if another would be more convenient, please let
us know. You must organise the subscription matter before starting for your
pilgrimage so that we may have a fair start in August. I shall write a longer
letter to you about Yoga and other matters as soon as I have a little time.
The Psalmodist was here. He asked for the Calcutta address
and I gave it to him. It appears he is sending it to Calcutta in connection with
a business he wants to wind up. It is difficult to understand because he says it
is a commercial secret, but he tells me you will understand if I send you the
accompanying cabalistic figures, – God save us from all
mysteries except those of Tantric
Yoga.
Kali
[July - Aug.,
1914?]
Dear M.
Again a
business letter. Enclosed you will find two samples of paper, taken from a
sample book of the Titaghur Mills which we want made to order, of a certain
size, for our Review. Will you please see at once the agent in Calcutta,
whose address is given, and ask him for all the particulars, the price, whether
the paper of that sample, of the size required, is available or can be made to
order by them, in what minimum amount, within what time etc. and let the Manager
know immediately by the British post.
What about the commercial transaction and my last letter? The Psalmodist’s
brother is asking for reply.
K.
Page-462
P.S. Received your letter. Please let us know how many copies of the Arya you want sent
to you for sale, since you cannot get subscribers. I shall write later. The
divorce from Tantrism is necessary if you are to do the work of the Review or
the other work I wish you to undertake. You must surely see that. Neither
will work if there are any occurrences of the old kind mixing them up together.
(Note
by the Manager of the Arya; signature is not legible) If
it is possible please make some subscribers. Subscribers’ book is nearly as blank
as it was at the time of our purchasing it.
Yours,
29 August, 1914
Dear M.
Before your
letter came, i.e. yesterday, the news was published that the Government had
drawn back from its proposal, and today the Amrita Bazar with its comment
arrived. I presume, therefore, no immediate answer from me is needed. But in
case anything of the kind is raised again, I shall give you my opinion in the
matter.
We gain nothing by preaching an unconditional loyalty to the Government, such as
is the fashion nowadays, or doing anything which even in appearance strengthens
the disposition towards an abject and unmanly tone in politics. Gandhi’s loyalism is not a pattern for India which is not South Africa, and even Gandhi’s
loyalism is corrected by passive resistance. An abject tone of servility in
politics is not "diplomacy" and is not good politics. It does not
deceive or disarm the opponent; it does encourage nervelessness, fear and a
cringing cunning in the subject people. What Gandhi has been attempting in
South Africa is to secure for Indians the position of kindly treated serfs, – as
a
stepping-stone to something better. Loyalty and Ambulance Corps mean the same
thing in India. But the conditions of India
Page-463
are not those of South Africa; our position is different and our aim is
different, not to secure a few privileges, but to create a nation of men fit for
independence and able to secure and keep it. We have been beaten in the first
attempt, like every other nation similarly circumstanced. That is no reason why
the whole people should go back to a condition of abject fear, grovelling
loyalty and whining complaints. The public Nationalist policy has always been
1. Eventual independence.
2. No cooperation without control.
3. A masculine-courage in speech and action.
Let us add a fourth,
4. Readiness to accept real concessions and pay their just price,
but no more. Beyond that, I do not see the necessity of any change.
We recognise that immediate independence is not practicable and we are ready
to defend the British rule against any foreign nation, for that means defending
our own future independence.
Therefore, if the Government accepts volunteers or favours the institution of
Boy Scouts, we give our aid, but not to be mere stretcher-bearers.
That is the side of principle; now let us look at that of policy.
1. I don’t
appreciate Sarat Maharaj’s position. If self- sacrifice is the object, every
human being has the whole of life as a field for self-sacrifice and does not
depend on any Government for that. We can show our sacrificing activities every
moment, if we want. It is not a question of sacrifice at all, it is a question
of military training. If the young men wish to organise for charitable work, the
Government is not going to stop it, even though they may watch and suspect. I
put that aside altogether.
2. The leaders suggested cooperation in return for
some substantial self-government. They are now offering cooperation without any
return at’ all. Very self-sacrificing, but not political. If indeed, Government
were willing to train "thousands of young men" in military service as
volunteers, Territorials or Boy Scouts, whether for keeping the peace or as a
reserve in case of invasion, then we need not boggle about the return. But,
after so much experience, do these addle-headed politicians think the Govern-
Page-464
ment is going to do that except in case of absolute necessity and as a choice
between two evils? When will that absolute necessity come? Only if the war goes
against them seriously and they have to withdraw their troops from India. I
shall discuss that point later on.
3. Meanwhile what have the Government done? After testing the temper of the
people and, you may be sure, watching closely what young men came forward as
volunteers and who did not, they have removed an offer which had already been
whittled down to a mere harmless Ambulance Corps in which the young men have
plenty of chances of getting killed, but none of learning real warfare. Mere
common sense warns us not to trust such an administration and to think ten times
before accepting its offers. We know Lord Hardinge’s policy; (1) sweet words,
(2) quiet systematic coercion, (3) concession where obstinacy would mean too
great a row and too much creation of deep-seated hostility.
Having prefaced so much, let us look at the utility of the
things offered .us or offered by us.
1. Ambulance Corps.
The only possible utilities would be two, (1) to train two thousand young men to
be steady under fire, (2) to train them to act together under discipline in an
easy but dangerous service. Now it is quite possible for us to create courage in
our young men without these means, and 1 hope our best men, or let me say, our
men generally do not need to become stretcher-bearers in an European war in
order to have the necessary nerve, courage, steadiness and discipline. If
therefore an Ambulance Corps is again suggest- ed and accepted, either refuse or
let only those young men go who are enthusiastic, but still light-headed,
self-indulgent or undisciplined. Possibly, the experience may steady and
discipline them. It may be necessary to let this be done; if the circumstances
are such that to refuse entirely would reflect on our national courage or be
interpreted as a backing out from a national engagement .
Boy Scouts, -
Volunteer Corps, – Territorials.
All these are entirely good, provided the police are kept at a distance, and
provided officers as well as men are trained and the Government control is
limited to the giving of military discipline
Page-465
in the first two cases. Even without the second proviso, any of these things
would be worth accepting.
Only in the case of volunteers going to the scene of war, you must see that we
are not crippled by all our best men or even a majority being sent; only enough
to bring in an element among us who have seen actual warfare.
I think any of these things may one day become possible. Since the last year new
forces have come into the world and are now strong enough to act, which are
likely to alter the whole face of the world. The present war is only a
beginning, not the end. We have to consider what are our chances and what we
ought to do in these circumstances.
The War is open to a certain number of broad chances:
I. Those bringing about
the destruction of the two Teutonic empires, German and Austrian.
This may happen either by an immediate German .defeat, its armies being broken
and chased back from Belgium and Alsace-Lorraine to Berlin, which is not
probable, or by the Russian arrival at Berlin and a successful French stand
near Reims or Compiegne; or by the entry of Italy and the remaining Balkan
States into the War and the invasion of Austro-Hungary from two sides.
II. Those bringing about the weakening or isolation of the
British Power. .
This may be
done by the Germans destroying the British Expeditionary Force, entering Paris
and dictating terms to France, while Russia is checked in its march to Berlin by
a strong Austro- German force operating in the German quadrilateral between the
forts of Danzig, Thorn, Posen and Konigsberg. If this happens Russia may
possibly enter into a compact with Germany based on a reconciliation of the
three Empires and a reversion to the old idea of a simultaneous attack on
England and a division of her Empire between Germany and Russia.
III. Those bringing about the destruction of British Power. This may happen by
the shattering of the British fleet and a German landing in England.
In either
of these two last cases an invasion of India by
Germany, Russia or Japan is only a question of time, and
Page-466
England will be unable to’ resist except by one of three means.
1. Universal conscription in England and the Colonies.
2. The aid of Japan or some other foreign power.
3. The aid of the Indian people.
The first is useless far the defence of India, in Case III, and
can only be applied in Case II, if England is still mistress of the seas. The
second is dangerous to England herself, since the ally who helps, may also
cavet. The third means the concession of self-government to’ India.
In Case I, there will only remain four considerable Powers in Europe and Asia,
Russia, France, England, Japan, – with perhaps a
Balkan Confederacy or Empire as a fifth: That means as the next stage a
struggle between England and Russia in Asia. There again England is reduced to
one of the three alternatives or a combination of them.
Of course, the War may take different turns from the above, with slightly
altered circumstances and results; the one thing that is impossible is that it
should leave the world as it was before. In any case, the question of India must
rise at no very long date. If England adopts mare or less grudgingly the
third alternative, our opportunity arrives and we must be ready to take it, – on
this basis,: continuance of British rule and cooperation until we are strong
enough to stand by ourselves. If not, we must still decide how we are to
prepare ourselves, so as not to pass from one foreign domination to a worse.
I want those of you who have the capacity to consider the situation as I have
described it, to think over it, enlarging our old views which are no longer
sufficient, and accustom yourselves to act always with these new and larger
conceptions in your minds. I shall write nothing myself about my views, just as
yet, as that might prevent you from thinking yourselves.
Only, two things you will see obviously from it, first, the necessity of
seizing on any opportunity that arises of organisation or military training (net
self-sacrificing charity, that has already been done); secondly, the necessity
of creating an organisation and finding the means, if no opportunity presents
itself. It will be necessary for someone from Bengal to come and see me before
long, but that will probably not be till October or later.
Page-467
I shall write
to you before long farther on the subject, as , also on other
matters.
K.
[September,
1914?]
Dear M.
I have not written for a long time for several reasons. Our position here since
the war has become increasingly difficult and delicate, as the administration is
run for the moment by certain subordinates who are actively hostile to the
Swadeshis. I have therefore adopted a policy of entire reserve, including
abstension from correspondence with Bengal even with officially unobjectionable
people. Our correspondence now is chiefly limited to Arya business.
Your internal struggle in the Yoga has naturally its causes.
I shall help you as much as possible spiritually, but you must get rid of
everything that gives a handle to the enemy in ourselves. Your letters for a
long time showed a considerable revival of rajasic egoism, contracted, I
suppose, by association with the old Tantrics, and that always brings in our
Yoga disagreeable consequences. If you could make yourselves entirely pure
instruments, things would go much better. But there is always something in the
Prana and intellect which kicks against the pricks and resists the purifier.
Especially get rid of the aham- kartā element, which usually disguises
itself under the idea "I am ,the’ chosen Yantra". -Despise no one, try
to see’ God in all and the Self in all. The Shakti in you will then act better
on your materials and environment.
There is another point. You sent a message about an "Aurobindo Math"
which seemed to show you had caught the contagion which rages in Bengal. You
must understand that my mission is not to create Maths, ascetics and Sannyasis;
but to call back the souls of the strong to the Lila of Krishna and Kali. That
is my teaching, as you can see from the Review, and
my
Page-468
name must
never be connected with monastic forms or the monastic ideal. Every ascetic
movement since the time of Buddha has left India weaker and for a very obvious
reason. Renunciation of life is one thing, to make life itself, national,
individual, world- life greater and more divine is another. You cannot enforce
one ideal on the country without weakening the other. You cannot take away the
best souls from life and yet leave life stronger and greater. Renunciation of
ego, acceptance of God in life is the Yoga I teach, – no other
renunciation.
Saurin has written to you about Bejoy’s detention. M. Richard wrote to the
Madras Government, but with the usual result.
Here one of the Swadeshis, a certain V. V. S. Aiyar has been hauled up for
circulating unauthorised pamphlets from America. n appears the Government of
Pondicherry have established a censorship in the French P.O. and open letters
etc. from abroad. They have intercepted some wonderful pamphlets of the usual
sanguinary order asking India to rise and help Germany, which some fool had sent
to his address from New York. On the strength of this a case has been trumped up
against Aiyar who knew nothing about either the New York idiot or his pamphlets.
The funny thing is that all the time Aiyar seems to be fervently anti-German in
his sentiments and pro-Belgian and pro-Servian! So this wonderful French
administration insists on making him a martyr for the cause he denounces. One
thing I could never appreciate is the utility of this pamphleteering business of
which Indian revolutionists are so fond. Pamphlets won’t liberate India; but
they do seem to succeed in getting their distributors and non-distributors also
into prison. My connection with Aiyar has been practically nil, as in normal
times I only saw him
once in two years. But here all the Swadeshis are lumped together; so we have
to be careful not only that we give no handle to our enemies, but that other
people don’t give them a handle against us, – which is just a little difficult.
You have decided, it seems, to carry on Tantra and Mantra, anu$thiina and
pure Vedanta together! My objection to it was from the standpoint of the Review
and Vedantic work generally. Anu$thiina and the Review do not go well
together. Of course, a
Page-469
synthesis is always possible, but amalgamation is not synthesis.
A. G.
P.S. By the
way, try to realise one thing. The work we wish to do cannot produce its effects
on the objective world until my Ashtasiddhi is strong enough to work upon that
world organically and as a whole, and it has .not yet reached that point. No
amount of rajasic eagerness on my part or on yours or anybody else’s will fill
the place or can substitute itself as the divine instrument which will be
definitely effective. In the matter of the Review Bejoy has found that out by
this time! I have found it out myself by constant experience and warning. You
also, if you wish to profit by my teaching, should learn it also without the
necessity of experience.
[1914 -
19151]
Dear M.
Recently in
the papers there has appeared a case of one Rashbehary Bose, against whom a
warrant of extradition has been granted by the Chandernagore Administrator in
a political case. Although ordinarily we do not concern ourselves with
political matters, this concerns me and my friends, because it is an attack on
the security of our position. If this kind of thing is allowed to go
unchallenged then any of us may at any moment be extradited on a trumped-up
charge by the British police. I must therefore, ask you to interest yourself in
the matter, even though it interferes with your Yoga. The case is clearly a
political one; for the main charges in the Delhi case seem to be (1) a charge
of conspiracy on a clause relating to State (i.e. political) offences (2) a
charge of murder under Sec. 302 read in connection with this State offence
section, therefore an assassination with a political intention; (3) a charge
under Explosives Act which is an extraordinary measure passed in view of certain political conditions. Moreover, all these cases are tried
Page-470
together and form part of the same transaction, i.e. a political conspiracy
directed against the existing form of Government and having for its object the
change or overthrow of that Government. Under the Extradition Treaty between
France and England, – unless that has been
altered by the latest Treaty to which
I have not had access, – there can be no Extradition for (1) a political
offence, (2) an offence of a political character or tendency, (3) on a charge
which, though preferred as for an ordinary offence, is really an excuse or
device for laying hands on a political offender. Rashbehary Bose is reported to
be in hiding either in Chandernagore or the Punjab. If anybody moves therefore,
it can only be a relative or friend on his behalf, – a
relative would be much better. What you have to do is to get hold of someone
entitled to act for him, consult the text of the latest Extradition Treaty
between France and England and, if it is as I have stated, then let it be put in
the hands of a lawyer of the French Court who must move in the matter according
to the French procedure about which I know nothing. I presume he would have to
move the Government in France or failing there, the Court of Cassation in Paris,
but the latter would be an expensive affair. So long as Bose is not handed over
to the British (if he is in Chandernagore), the Court of Cassation has, I should
suppose, the power of cancelling the warrant. I do not know whether it is
necessary first to appeal to the Procureur General in Pondicherry before going
to the Higher Court. On these points of procedure Bose’s representative will
have to consult a French lawyer. In case he is handed over, the Hague decision with regard to Savarkar will come in the way and make the thing almost
hopeless. The French Government might still move on the ground that Bose is a
French subject, but it could only succeed by strong diplomatic pressure which
the present French Government might be unwilling to employ. In any case it might
be worthwhile to get a decree of the Court of Cassation so as to establish the
principle. There is always however, the danger in these political cases, where
justice and law are so seldom observed, of an opposite decision making the
position worse than
before. It
would be worthwhile finding out what exactly was done and on what grounds in
CharuChander Ray’s case and
Page-471
seeing whether these grounds
can be made to apply. If you will give me the exact
facts of the warrant, the charges etc., I may be able to get a letter written to
France so that Jaures or others may move in the matter.
As to your Tantric Yoga, the reasons of your failures are so obvious that I am
surprised you should attribute it all to the Goddess and not to the unpardonable
blunders we have all been making in our Yogic Kriya. Kali of the Tantra is not a
goddess who is satisfied with mere tamasic faith and adoration. Perfection in Kriya is indispensable or at least a conscientious and diligent attempt at
perfection. This has not been made; on the contrary all the defects that have
made Tantra ineffective throughout the Kaliyuga abound in your anuşthana. All
this must be changed, for the warning has been given and it will be wise to give
heed to it. If not, – well, you know what the Gita says about’ those who from
Ahankara hear not. .
The root of the whole evil is that we have been attempting an extension of
Tantric Kriya without any sufficient Vedantic basis. You especially were going
on the basis that if a man had faith, enthusiasm, intellectual and emotional
sincerity and proffered self-surrender, all that was necessary was there and
he could go on straight to difficult Tantric Anusthana. This basis is condemned. A
much stronger .and greater foundation is necessary. It was the basis of the
sattwic Ahankara, which said to itself, "1 am the chosen of Kali, I am her
Bhakta, I have every claim on her, I can afford to be negligent about other
things, she is bound to help and guard me." It is this sattwic Ahankara
which I have long felt to be the great obstacle in our Yoga; some have it in the
Sattwa-rajasic form, others in the Sattwa-tamasic, but it is there in you all,
blinding your vision,’ limiting your strength, frustrating your progress. And
its worst quality, that it is unwilling to admit its own defects, or if it
admits one, it takes refuge in another. Open your eyes to this enemy within you
and expel it. Without . that purification
you can have no success. "To do rajasic Kriya in a sattwfc spirit" is
merely to go on in the old way while pretending to oneself that there is a
change. Going on in the old way is out of the question. That path can only lead
to the pit. I speak strongly because I see clearly, if not yet with absolute
Page-472
vision,
yet without that misleading false light which marred all my seeing till
now and allowed me to be swept in the flood of con- fused Sattwo-rajasic impure
Shakti which came with you from Bengal. .
My first
instruction to you therefore is to pause, stand on the defensive against your
spiritual enemies and go on with your Vedantic Yoga. God is arranging things for
me in my know- ledge, but the process is not yet finished. I shall send you (it
will take two or three letters) the lines on which I wish the Vedantic and
Tantric lines to be altered and developed; afterwards we shall see when we have
recovered these from Shastras, that is, Upanishadic elements, how to work them
out in practice.
Please send me the Rs. 50 with you, as I am again in the position of having to
replace money diverted to current expenses and have very little of any other use
to me. Also try and get the rest of the money from Das. If not, you will have to
find me an additional 20 for the last month and another 20 for next in addition to the monthly
Rs. 50 and deduct the sum of Rs. 20 from Das’s payment when
you do get it.
Kali
P.S. I have a sum of Rs. 10 to pay monthly for a purpose unconnected with our
own expenses and in addition certain additional expenses of my own which I
cannot dispense with; for this reason Rs. 50 is insufficient. I hope Das will be
in a position to send the balance of the money this time.
[1915?]
Dear M.
Your letter and enclosure (SO) reached us all right. We have not received the Rs.
200 due from Das. As for the Rs. 500, that has n6thing to do with ‘the garden
money of my uncle, it is a sum promised to me which Saurin was to have brought,
but it was not paid in time. He tells me he told you about it before he came and
Page-473
he wrote also from here. Our actual expenses here are Rs.115 a month; this can
be reduced if we get another house, but you know that is not easy in
Pondicherry. I note that we are to get Rs. 50 from you in the latter part of
this month.
So much for money matters. It is regrettable that the Government should think
you are mixed up in political matters and that you are on the list of suspects.
But once they get that idea into their heads, it is impossible to change it;
once a suspect, always a suspect is their rule. They are particularly good at
purchasing trouble for themselves and others in this way and just now they
are all fear and suspicion and see revolutions in every bush. The only thing is
to be extremely careful. You should not on any account move out of Chandernagore
so long as the war measures are in force; for in these times innocence is no
defence. It is regrettable that Bengal should be unable to find anything
in the Arya, but not surprising. The intellect of Bengal has been so much
fed on chemical tablets of thought and hot-spiced foods that anything strong and
substantial is indigestible to it. Moreover people in India are accustomed only
to second-hand thoughts, – the old familiar ideas of the six philosophies,
Patanjali etc., etc. Any new presentation of life and thought and Yoga upsets
their expectations and is unintelligible to them. The thought of the Arya demands
close thinking from the reader; it does not spare him the trouble of thinking
and understanding and the minds of the people have long been accustomed to have
the trouble of thought spared them. They know how to indulge their minds, they
have forgotten how to exercise them.
It does not matter very much just now, so long as the people who practise the
Yoga read and profit. The Arya presents a new philosophy and a new method
of Yoga and everything that is new takes time to get a hearing. Of course, in
reality it is only the old brought back again, but so old that it has been
forgotten. It is only those who practise and experience that can at first understand it. In a way, this is good, because it is meant to change the life of
people and not merely satisfy the intellect. In France it has been very much
appreciated by those who are seeking the truth, because these people are not
shut up in old and received ideas, they are on the look-out for’ something which
will change
Page-474
the inner and
outer life. When the same state of mind can be brought about here, the Arya will
begin to be appreciated. At present, Bengal only understands and appreciates
politics and asceticism. The central ideas of the Arya are Greek to it.
Soon after the Arya began, I got a letter from some graduates saying that
what they wanted was "man-making". I have done my share of man-making
and it is a thing which now anybody can do; Nature herself is looking after it
all over the world, though more slowly in India than elsewhere. My business is
now not man-making, but divine man-making. My present teaching is that the world
is preparing for a new progress, a new evolution. Whatever race, whatever
country .seizes on the lines of that new evolution and fulfils it, will be the
leader of humanity. In the Arya I
state. the thought upon which this new evolution will be
based as I see it, and the method of Yoga by which it can be accomplished. Of
course, I cannot speak plainly yet my whole message, for obvious reasons; I have
to put it in a severe, colourless fashion which cannot be pleasing to the
emotional and excitement-seeking Bengali mind. But the message is there, for
those who care to understand. It has really three parts: (1) for each man as an individual
to change himself into the future type of
divine humanity, the men of the new Satyayuga which is striving to be born;
(2) to evolve a race of such men to lead humanity and (3) to call all humanity
to the path under the lead of these pioneers and this chosen race. India and
especially Bengal have the best chance and the best right to create that race
and become the leaders of the future, – to do in the right
way what Germany thought of doing in the wrong way. But first they must learn to
think, to cast away old ideas, and turn their faces resolutely to the future.
But they cannot do this, if they merely copy European politics or go on
eternally reproducing Buddhistic asceticism. I am afraid the Ramakrishna
Mission with all its good intentions is only going to give us Shankaracharya and
Buddhistic humanitarianism. But that is not the goal to which the world is
moving. Meanwhile remember that these are very difficult times and careful
walking is necessary. It is just possible that the war may come to an end in a
few months, for the old immobility is beginning to break down and the forces at
work behind the veil
Page-475
are straining towards a solution. While the war continues, no- thing great can
be done, we are fettered on every side. After- wards things will change and we
must wait for the development.
K.
[ 1915?]
Dear M.
I have not
written for a long time because nothing definite came to me to be written. We
are in a state of things in which every movement fails to come to a decisive
result because every- where and in everything the forces are balanced by
contrary forces. At the present moment the world is passing through an upheaval
in. which all forces possible have been let loose and none therefore has a
triumphant action. Ordinarily, there are certain puissances, certain ideas which
are given a dominant impulsion and conquest, those opposing them being easily
broken after a first severe struggle. Now everything is different. Wherever a
force’ or an idea tries to assert itself in action all that can oppose rushes to
stop it and there. follows a "struggle of exhaustion". You see that in
Europe now; no one can succeed; nothing is accomplished; only that which
already was, maintains itself with difficulty. At such a time one has to act as
little as possible and prepare
and fortify as much as possible, – that is to say, that
is the rule
for those who are not compelled to be in the battle of the’ present and whose
action tends more towards the future.
I had hoped that we should be much more "forward" at this period, but
the obstacles have been too great. I have not been able to get anything active
into shape. Consequently, we have to go on as
before for some time longer. Our action depends on developing sufficient
spiritual power to overcome the enormous material obstacles opposed to us, to
shape minds, men, events, means, things. This we have got as yet in very
insufficient quantity. You have done well in confining yourself to Vedantic
Yoga; you can see for yourself that the Tantric bears no secure and
Page-476
sufficient
fruit without a very strong and faultless Vedantic basis. Otherwise you have a
medley of good and bad Sadhakas associating together and
the bad spoil the Kriya of the good; for a collective
Yoga is not like a solitary one, it is not free from collective influences; it
has a collective soul which cannot afford to be in some parts either raw or
rotten. It is this which modern Tantrics do not understand, their aspiration
is not governed by old Shastra founded on the experience of centuries. A cakra for
instance, must either be perfectly composed or immediately governed
and protected by the spiritual force of some powerful Guru. But our modern minds
are too impatient to see to these things. As for your external difficulties, I
mean with regard to the bad ideas the Government or the police have about you
and the consequent obstacles and pressure, that is a result of past Karma and
probably of some present associations and can hardly be cured. I see people are
interned who have no connection at all with politics or have long cut off
whatever connection they had. Owing to the war, the authorities are uneasy and
suspicious and being ill-served by their police act on prejudgments and often on
false
reports. You have to sit tight, spiritually defend yourself and physically avoid
putting yourself where the police can do you any harm, and so far as possible,
avoid also doing anything which would give any colour or appearance of a
foundation for their prejudices. More can hardly be done. One cannot throw aside
friends because they are suspects; in that case, we should have to begin with
ourselves. If on the ground of such associations we are ourselves more
suspected, – as for instance, the officials make it a grievance against me that
although I am doing nothing political myself, yet I associate with my Madrasi
friends against whom they have chosen to launch warrants for sedition, etc., it
cannot be helped. We cannot suffer political or police dictation in our private
friendships.
What has become of the Prabartak? The last number was very good, but for
a long time we have had no other. Is the administration withholding visa or are
there other reasons for the irregularity? I hope it is not a discontinuance. We
have the Arya here visaed without delay or difficulty.
Page-477
If you have difficulties of any kind, it is well to let me know at once; for I
can then concentrate what force I have more particularly to help you. The help
may not be always or immediately effective, but it will count and may be more
powerful than a general will, not instructed in the particular necessity. You
must not mind if you do not get always a written answer; the un- written will
always be there.
I leave it to the Manager of the Arya to write to you about business
matters.
K.
[ 1919?]
Dear M.
If you want discipline, the first thing of that kind I would impose on you or
ask you to impose on yourselves is self-discipline, ātma-samyama, and
the first element in that is obedience to the law of the Yoga I have given to
you. If you bring in things which do not belong to it at all and are quite
foreign to it, such as "hunger-strikes" and vehement emotional revolt
against the divine Will, it is idle to expect any rapid progress. That means
that you insist on going on your own bypath and yet demand of me that I shall
bring you to my goal. All difficulties can be conquered, but only on condition
of fidelity to the Way that you have taken. There is no obligation on anyone to
take it, -it is a difficult and trying
one, a way for heroes, not for weaklings, – but once taken,
it must be followed, or you will not arrive.
Remember what is the whole basis of the Yoga. It is not founded upon the
vehement emotionalism of the Bhaktimarga to which the temperament of Bengal is
most prone, though it has a different kind of Bhakti, but on samatā and
ātma-samarpana, Obedience to the divine Will, not assertion of self-will, is the very
first mantra. But what can be a more violent assertion of self. will than
to demand the result you desire, whether external or
Page-478
internal,
at once,  (Written
in Bengali.) [ei muhūrtte,
ei kşane] and not in God’s Muhurta, God’s moment?
You say that there is complete utsarga, but it cannot be complete, if there
is any kind of revolt or vehement impatience. The revolt and impatience mean
always that there is a part of the being or something in the being which does
not submit, has not given itself to God, but insists on God going out of his
way to obey it. That may be very well in the Bhaktimarga, but it will not do
on this Way. The revolt and impatience may come and will come in the heart or
the Prana when these are still subject to imperfection and impurity; but it
is then for the will and the faith in your Buddhi to reject them, not to act
upon them. If the will consents, approves and supports them, it means that you
are siding with the inner enemy. If you want rapid progress, the first condition
is that you should not do this; for every time you do it, the enemy is strengthened
and the śuddhi postponed. This is a difficult lesson
to learn, but you must learn it. I do not find fault with you for taking long
over it. I myself took full twelve years to learn it thoroughly, and even after
I knew the principle well enough, it took me quite four years and more to master
my lower nature in this respect. But you have the advantage of my experience
and my help; you will be able to do it more rapidly, if you consciously and
fully assist me, by not associating yourself with the enemy Desire; jahi kamam
dura-sadam, remember that utterance of the Gita, it is a keyword of our Yoga.
As for Haradhan, he should show the way in calm, patience and endurance. He has
been a soldier. How does he think the nations of Europe could have carried this
war to an end, if they had grown so impatient of the fatigue of the trenches,
suffering, disturbance, scarcity, continual postponement of the result, and
declared that either they must have victory in a given time or throw up the
struggle? Does he expect the inner war with our lower selves, the personal habit
of thousands of lives and the human inheritance of ages, to be less arduous or
to be carried out by a rapid and easy miracle? Hunger-striking to force God or
to force anybody or anything else is not the true spiritual means. I do not
object to Mr. Gandhi or anyone else following it for
1 Written in Bengali.
Page-479
quite other than spiritual purposes, but here it is out of place; these things,
I repeat, are foreign to the fundamental principle of our Yoga.
Shuddhi is the most difficult part of the whole Yoga, it is the condition of all
the rest, and if that is once conquered, the real conquest is accomplished. The
rest becomes a comparatively easy building on an assured basis, – it may take longer
or shorter, but it can be done tranquilly and steadily. To prevent the Shuddhi
the lower nature in you and around you will exhaust all its efforts, and even
when it cannot prevent: it will try to retard. And its strongest weapon then is,
when you think you have got it, suddenly to break in on you and convince you
that you have not got it, that it is far away, and so arouse disappointment,
grief, loss of faith, discouragement, depression and revolt, the whole army of
troubles that wait upon impure Desire. When you have once found calm, peace of
mind, firm faith, equality and been able to live in it for some time, then and
only then you may be sure that Shuddhi is founded; but you must not think it
will not be disturbed. It will be, so long as your heart and Prana are still
capable of responding to the old movements, have still any memory and habit of
vibrating to the old chords. The one thing necessary when the renewed trouble
comes, is to stand back in your mind and will from it, refuse it the sanction of
your higher being, even when it is raging in the lower nature. As that habit of
refusal fixes itself, – at first you may not be able to do it, the Buddhi may be
lost in the storm, – you will find that the asuddhi, even though it still
returns, becomes less violent, more and more external, until it ceases to be
anything more than a faint and short-lived touch from outside and finally comes
no more. That is the course it has followed with me, not only with regard to
this kind of disturbance, but with regard to all imperfections. You, since you
have chosen to share my Yoga for mankind, must follow the same way, undergo the
same disturbances.
This is a thing which it is necessary for you to understand clearly. I myself
have had for these fourteen years, and it is not yet finished, to bear all the
possible typical difficulties, troubles, downfalls and backslidings that can
rise in this great effort to change the whole normal human being. How else could
I have
Page-480
been
able to help or guide others on the same way? Those who join me at the present
stage, must share in my burden, especially those who are themselves chosen in
any degree to lead, help and guide. It may be that when I have the complete
Siddhi, – which I have not yet, I am only on the way to it, – then, if it be
God’s will to extend very largely and rapidly my work in this body, those who
come after may have the way made very easy for them. But we are the pioneers
hewing our way through the jungle of the lower Prakriti. It will not do for
us to be cowards and shirkers and refuse the burden, to clamour for everything
to be made quick and easy for us. Above all things I demand from you endurance,
firmness, heroism, – the true spiritual heroism. I want strong men. I do not
want emotional children. Manhood first,
[devatva] (Written in Bengali.)
can only be built upon that. If I do not get it in those who accept my Yoga,
then I shall have to understand that it is not God’s will that I should succeed.
If that be so, I shall accept his will calmly. But meanwhile I go on bearing
what- ever burden he lays on me, meeting whatever difficulties he puts in the
way of my Siddhi. Personally, I am now sure of success in everything except
in the kāya-siddhi, – which is still doubtful, and in my work. The work
can only succeed if I find noble and worthy helpers, fitted for it by the same
struggles and the same endurance. I expect them in you.
Again you must not expect the śuddhi or any part of the śuddhi [or siddhi] to be simultaneous and complete at once in all whom you associate
with you. One may attain, others progress, others linger. You must not expect a
sudden collective miracle. I have not come here to accomplish miracles, but to
show, lead the way, help on the road to a great inner change of our human
nature, – the outer change in
the world is only possible if and when that inner transmutation is effected and
extends itself. You must not expect to establish a perfect sarhgha all at
once and by a single leap. If you make such demands on me, I can only say that I
cannot do what is not God’s will. Go forward calmly and firmly, not attached to
success, not disturbed by unsuccess; my help will then not fail you.
As to your idea of work, it seems to me a little crude in form;
Page-481
but I have no objection to your beginning it, since you feel the pressing
necessity. I shall write to you later on about it at more length. The only
reason why I do not lay great stress on outer work, is that it must always be
kaccha, much embarrassed by difficulties, at best only a preparatory thing, until we
are inwardly and spiritually ready. That is no reason why it should not be
done. Work done in the right spirit will itself become a means of the inner
Siddhi.
Kali
[ 1919 -
19201]
Dear M.
About your scheme of a weekly paper, – as for the name it is not difficult to
find; it could be called the Standard Bearer. But are you quite sure you will
be able to live up to the name and carry the thing on in the requisite manner
? Nolini and Suresh are not likely to be able to write; one does not write at
all in English, the other can do it if he likes, but is even more 
(Written in Bengali.)
[manthargati] than in Bengali. To write for an English weekly would be beyond
his present energies. As for myself, I am at present unable to write or do anything
substantial, because of the extreme pressure of my Yoga, which has entirely
occupied my time, – except for what I am obliged to give to the Arya and even
that I have cut short as much as possible, – for the last few months. This state
of things is likely to go on for the rest of the (English) year; whether it
will be changed in the beginning of the next is more than I can tell with any
certainty. The whole work might fall on your two Chandernagore writers. An English
weekly cannot be conducted like a Bengali monthly or fortnightly. And it is
not going to be a political paper of the ordinary kind which can be filled up
anyhow. It will have to maintain a high reputation to be at all successful.
These things however are for you to consider; you know your own strength
Page-482
and how far the field in Bengal is ready. As to the symbol, none has come to me.
I am not altogether favourably inclined to the Uttar Yogi idea nor anyone else
here. It sounds too like the old style of spiritual pretension, and, when it is
put in a current English production, suggests bujruki. Plain colours and
as few symbols as may be are what we want at the beginning. Indian spirituality
has lost itself in a jungle of symbols and Shlokas and we have to get out of
them on to the plain and straight ways and the open heights, where we can see
the "much work that has still to be done". Why any editor? Let the
Shaktiherself be the editor.
As to articles for the Prabartak, Nolini used to be your mainstay and he is
now in another atmosphere, mainly hitherto of marriage and football, and complains
of an inability to write. As for the other he has produced nothing since he
left here, except a drama for the Bijoli and the answer to his Prabasi articles
was written and sent before he left for Bengal. Moni’s inspiration flows in
channels hardly suitable for the Prabartak. As for my- self it was only as a
result of a solitary inspiration and with much trouble of rewriting that I got
one thing done for you. Since then I have been too much occupied by my Yoga
and not at all visited by any prera1;ui or at least none which lasted long enough
to produce more than a few lines. In this matter I am entirely dependent on
the  (Sanskrit
written in Bengali script.) [yathā
niyukto'smi], as I have no natural control of the language and I have no time
at present for exercising it by constant practice. It seems to me that Prabartak
is getting on well enough as it is, though, if Nolini could write, it could
produce an element of greater variety. You should be able to develop more writers
with the necessary spiritual experience, grasp of the thought and literary ability,
– these things the inner Shakti can bring to the surface if it is called upon
for them, – so that Prabartak will not have to depend on three or four people
only for its sustenance.
There is nothing more, I think, to add immediately, – if
there is, I will keep it for later answering, so that this letter may not be
farther delayed. By the way, with regard to your design for the paper, the only
thing that now suggests itself to me is the
Page-483
Hansa in the Sun, as the free Soul lodged in the vijñāna and the
legend, "In this sign thou shalt conquer", which is appropriate, but
has the disadvantage of being borrowed from Christianity and Constantine. It
would perhaps be better if you could find a Sanskrit equivalent or substitute.
K.
January 2, 1920
Dear M.
I write today
only for your question about Manindranath and the other. We have been imprisoned
in an inferno of rain for the last few days and I have only just been able to
get a reliable answer. They have only to get’ a sauf-conduit from the Chandernagore Administrator and then, as they are called here by the French
Government for government work, nobody can interfere with their going and
coming. This is what I am told and it ought obviously to be so. How are your
people going to vote? Martineau and Flandin are the two candidates at present
and Martineau is impossible.
I note with some amusement the Secretary’s letter to Bejoy,
Chatterjee.
The logic of the Bengal Government’s attitude is a little difficult to follow.
However, I suppose the King’s proclamation will make some difference, but I
fancy the Government of India is the chief obstacle in these matters and they
will perhaps try to limit the scope of this qualified amnesty. Still I hope
that the restrictions on your own movements will be removed before long. We have
received a postcard from Bejoy notifying to the Arya a change of address
which shows that after five long years he has been released from his quite
causeless imprisonment, but he is now interned in or near Ramnagar in Birbhum.
As for me, I do not see, if Lajpatrai is coming to India, how they can object to
my going to Bengal. But, allowed or not allowed, I have not the least intention
of doing that at present or for another year at the earliest. When I do go,
this or that circumstance
Page-484
will make no difference. Mr. Gandhi, like the man in Macedonia with St. Paul,
sent me a message to "come over and help", but I had to say that I was
not ready to join in the old politics and had no new programme formed for a more
spiritual line of
work, and it would be no use my going out till I saw my way.
As to the Standard
Bearer, I cannot write now, as it would take too long and delay this letter.
I shall write afterwards or send word. Your insured packet reached us yesterday.
The increase comes in a good moment, as with Saurin in Bengal the Aryan Stores
is simply marking time and the Arya is in a new economic phase which
means for the moment some diminution of income.
A. G.
In a few days
you will be getting 50 copies of "War and S.D." [War and
Self-Determination]
K. Amrita
Pondicherry May, 1920
Dear M.
It is only now for the first time since Sirish left that I get some time to
write. It is not possible for me to write all I have to say, much must wait till
you come here; I will confine myself to what is of pressing importance for the
work.
The circumstances under which you have to work have now changed a great deal and
you will have in order to meet it to enlarge your view and inner attitude on
many sides; this I think you are preparing to do, but it will be as well for me
to make it as precise as possible. Up till now you were working alone in a
Bengal which was in a state, first, of the last fragmentary and chaotic
agitations of the old violent spirit of rajasic politics, and then of torpor and
inaction; and the thing that had to be done
Page-485
was to get rid of the errors of the past (errors once necessary for the development, but likely if persisted in to ruin and frustrate the future), to get at a firm spiritual basis and found a centre of spiritual unity and action, a samgha, on a small scale but sure of its principle and capable of a large development. This
has now been done, but at the moment of its firm effectuation, new
conditions have come in which create a new and larger problem. First, many imprisoned forces have been set loose and, secondly, the chaos of incertitude, confused agitation and unseeing unrest which has followed upon the war and is felt all over the world, is now at work in Bengal. The nature of this unrest is a haste to get something done without knowing what has to be done, a sense of and vague response to large forces without any vision of or hold on the real possibilities of the future of humanity and the nation. The old thing~ are broken up in their assured mould and are yet persisting and trying to form themselves anew, the new exist for the most part only in vague idea without a body or clear action and without any power as yet to form what is lacking to them. The old politics in India persist in a chaos of parties and programmes centred round the Congress quarrel and the Re- forms, and in Bengal we have a rush of the commercial and
industrial spirit which follows the Western principle and, if it succeeds on these lines, is likely to create a very disastrous
reproduction or imitation of the European situation with its corrupt capitalism and the Labour struggle and the war of classes. And all that is the very reverse of our own ideal. The one advantage for us is that it is a chaos and not a new order; and it is essential that we should throw our spirit and idea upon this fermentation, and draw what is best among its personalities and forces to the side and service of our ideal so as to get a hold and a greater mass o£ effectuation for it in the near future.
This, as I conceive it, has to be done on two lines. First what has already been created by us and given a right spirit, basis and form, must be kept intact in spirit, intact in basis and intact in form and must strengthen and enlarge itself in its own strength and by its inherent power of self-development and the divine force within it. This is the line of work on which you have to proceed. We have to confront the confusion around us with
Page-486
a thing that is sure of itself and illumined by self-knowledge and a work that by its clear form and firm growth will present more and more the aspect of an assured solution of the problems of the present and the future. The mind of the outside world may be too shallow, restless and impatient to understand a great, profound and difficult
truth like ours on the side of the idea, but a visible accomplishment, a body of things done has always the power to compel and to attract the world to follow it. The only danger then is that when this body of things becomes prominent and attractive, numbers may rush into it and try to follow the externals without realising and reproducing in themselves the truth and the power of the real thing that made it possible. It was that against which I warned you when there came the first possibility of a- considerable expansion. It is your business to enlarge your field of work and the work itself but not at the cost of any lowering or adulteration of its spirit. The first condition you have to assure is that all who have the work in hand or share in its direction must- be of the spirit and work from the self outward; they must be men of the Yoga; but, secondly, all who enter in must have this imposed on them as the thing to be developed, must learn to develop this self-realisation first and foremost and the work only as its expression. The safety of the work lies in a strict adherence to this principle. The majority of the educated people of Bengal care only to get something done,
- and are not troubled by the fact that really nothing sure and lasting does get done or else only something that is likely to do as much harm as good; they care nothing about the spiritual basis of life which is India’s real mission and the only possible source of her greatness, or give to it only a slight, secondary or incidental value, a something that has to be stuck on as a sentiment or a bit of colouring matter. Our whole principle is different and you have to insist on our principle in all that you say and do. Moreover, you have got a clear form for your work in association and that form as well as the spirit you must maintain; any
loosening of it or compromise would mean confusion and an impairing of the force that is working in your Sangha.
But on the other hand there is another line of work which is also necessary at the present moment because the Shakti is mo-
Page-487
ving in that direction also and the Shakti is the doer of the work,
-
and that is for others, like Barin to enter into the fermenting mass and draw out of it elements that are fit but not yet ready to take our whole idea and first to get into and then occupy existing or newly created means and activities, – as he is doing with the Narayana,
-
which can be increasingly made instruments of our purpose. This work will be attended with all the difficulties and uncertainties and obstacles which go with a mixed and yet unformed working, – such as you had at the beginning, but have now got over, – but we must trust to the divine Shakti to overcome them. The one difficulty that it is in our power to avoid is that of the relation between those who are working on these different lines. There the first necessity is that there should be no clash or spirit of rivalry, sense of division or monopolising personal or corporate egoism to bring discord among those who receive their inspiration from the same source and have the same ideal. A spiritual unity and a readiness for co-operation must be the guiding principle of their relations.
I have already
answered to Sirish the first very natural question that arose in your mind at
the inception of these new conditions, why Barin and others should cast themselves
separately into the 
(Written in Bengali)
[arūp] to create a 
(Written in Bengali)
[rūp] out of it, when there is already a form and a body of associated
communal work in the spirit of our ideal and why all should not unite in that
form and create a greater power of associated driving force to bring about a
rapid enlargement and victory of the ideal. The first thing is that the particular
form given is the right thing for those who are already associated together,
because it has arisen out of themselves and by the Will that guides, but it
may well be that the same precise form may not be applicable or intended everywhere.
The spirit, the truth must be the same, but the formations may be different
with advantage to the spirit. To insist on one form only might well bring in
that rigidity which grew upon Indian society and its civilisation in the past
and brought about an imprisonment and decline of the spirit. India was strongest
and most alive when she had many variations of form but one spirit. And I think,
– that at least was the prevision
Page-488
that came on me in the Alipur Jail and I do not yet see a different prospect,
-
that this will be the case also in the future. Then,
secondly, there is a psychological necessity which we cannot at the present moment leave out of consideration. The Sangha at Chandernagore is a thing that has grown up with my power
behind and yours at the centre and it has assumed a body and
temperament which is the result of this origination. But there are others, people of strong personality and full of Shakti, who
receive their spiritual force direct from me and are made them- selves to be central spirits and direct radiators of the Shakti, and for these to subordinate themselves to the existing body and
temperament would not be easy for any and in most cases impossible,
-
such a subordination would not have grown out of themselves and would only be imposed by nigraha, a thing contrary to the
prakrti,
-
and it would besides clog up the natural action of the
power in them. And on the other hand to bring them in as coordinated central figures into the existing form would not be feasible, for it would mean a disturbing change and new
fermentation of forces in the work that is already being well done on established lines. It would mean, even if at all successful, a sort of conducting by spiritual committee and that is not the line on which the Shakti has proceeded at Chandernagore. The more perfect coordination of all who are at work can only come, as far as I can see, after I myself go to Bengal and can act by my direct presence. Thirdly, there are a considerable number of people in the country who are not yet of us, yet can be given the necessary turn, but owing to temperamental and other causes they would not be drawn to the existing centre, but could be easily drawn by Barin, Saurin, Bejoy and others. And in all these and similar cases we must leave freedom to the guiding Shakti to use her own means and instruments. Finally, there are things to be done which need to be done, but which I would not like to impose on your Sangha as it now stands, first, because it would disturb the characteristic frame and ideal temperament of your work, a thing which it is important to keep, and secondly because it would impose on you unnecessary complications; and these things can best be done by Barin and others while seeming to work independently for their own hand. And there are needs also
to
Page-489
be met for which these other activities are required. Of that I can better speak to you in person than by letter. This
being the situation, the need that remains is to keep a right relation between those who are working, and that means to extend the spirit of unity which is our basis so as to embrace all the work and workers, undeterred by differences of mentality and divergences of action. In our work we have to fix our relations with three different kinds of people, first, those who are working for the country but without any greater idea or spiritual motive, secondly, those who have the spiritual motive but not the same ideal and inspiration as ourselves, thirdly, those who have the same ideal and
inspiration, but are working in different bodies and at first on different lines. Our relation to the first class of people and their work must be based on the fundamental principle of our Yoga to see God in all and the one Self in all acting through different natures and all energies, even those which are hostile, as workings of the Divine Shakti although behind the veil of the
ahankāra and the ignorant mentality. There are movements at work new and old which are not the definite reality of the future but are needed at the present moment as part of the transition. It is in this light for example that I regard many things that are in process in Europe and I am even moved to give a temporary spiritual support to efforts and movements which are not in consonance with our own and must eventually fail or cease by exhaustion of their utility but are needed as transitional powers. This too is how I regard the work of men like Tilak and Gandhi. We work in the faith that it is our vision of the future that is the central divine will, the highest actualisable possibility and therefore the one thing that must be made the object of our
action; but that does not mean that the Shakti is not working in her own covert way and for her own ends through others. No doubt these movements are of a western and materialistic inspiration or else an imperfect mixture, and some day it may be we shall have to give battle to them as certainly we shall have to overcome the spirit that informs them. But that time has not come yet, and meanwhile what we have to do is to develop and spread our own vision and idea and give it body so as eventually. to confront the things that are in possession of the present with a realisation of the things that
Page-490
belong to the future. I think that at this juncture we should avoid a too direct attack or criticism of them as that only creates avoidable opposition to our own work. The positive rather than the negative method is the one we should adopt until we are strong enough to convince by our visible strength and work the minds that are now attracted by the present power and activity of other movements, – to assert our own ideal as the true and the right way but not to invite conflict by a destructive frontal attack on the others.
As for the second class, such as the other spiritual movements in Bengal, our attitude to most should be that of a benevolent neutrality and a sympathy for such of their elements as are at all in consonance with our own ideal. The one thing which we have to get rid of is the idea of Maya and ascetic abandonment of the life and effort of humanity; and also though that is social and religious rather than directly spiritual, the clinging to old forms and refusal to admit new developments. The movements that admit life and Ananda and are ready to break
away
from the old narrowness of social and other forms, are so much to the good even though they have not the full largeness of the integral
spiritual idea and realisation. These we must leave to go on their way and run themselves out or else enlarge themselves till they are ready to coalesce with us. I do not mean that with regard to either of these classes we should refrain from all criticism of the insufficiency of ideal or method, but this should be as far as
possible quite general, a discussion and the enforcement of a greater principle and truer method, distinguishing truth from error but not too pointedly aggressive against particular things or so
expressed as to seem to hit straight at this or that person or body. To insist on our own propaganda and work is always necessary and sometimes though not always to meet any attack on it; but we need not go out of our way to invite conflict. To this rule there may be particular exceptions; I only indicate what seems to me for the present the right general attitude.
This once understood, the really important thing becomes at once our own work and the relation between different.
workers, and here, as I have said, what we need is the growth of spiritual unity and a readiness to take the work of others as
Page-491
supplementing one’s own and, wherever it is called for and possible, to cooperate. There is a danger here from the subtler forms of egoism. It is not enough to realise unity among those who are already working with one mind as one soul in many bodies; there must be unity of spirit with others who are
following different ways or working separately for the present and complete samatā with regard to their action, even if it seems to one wrong or imperfect, and patience with regard to mental and
moral divergences. This should be easy for you, as it means only getting rid of the remnants of your sattwic Ahankara; it may not be so easy for others who have still a rajasic Ahankara to trouble them. But if people like you and Barin give the example, that difficulty can eventually be got over; if on the contrary you also allow misunderstandings among yourselves, the work is likely to be very unnecessarily hampered. I may give as an instance, the matter about the Prabartak. Certain casual utterances of Saurin’s made in answer to queries and not volunteered, have come to you quite misreported as a sort of intentional campaign to belittle the paper and the other half of what he said, namely, that the Prabartak was inspired, though not actually written by me and the spirit and substance were that of my ideal, never reached your ears. I may add also that the alleged incident to which you took exception, as to his method of raising money, never actually happened. Again the advertisement or rather paragraph about Narayana in the Amrita Bazar was not inserted by Barin, but by someone else according to that other person’s idea after a
conversation with him. Barin was not responsible for the form nor had he any intention of claiming the Narayana as the sole and direct mouthpiece of my ideas. It is these misunderstandings which I want to see all of you avoid and it can be easily done if
those who are among the principal channels of the Shakti preserve the spiritual unity which ought to prevail among those who derive their inspiration from the same source and follow the same ideal. Others less developed may give cause for offence owing to their inability to control the rajasic ego still working in them, but calm, patience, prema and
samatā are the spirit in which we should meet such causes of offence; otherwise where is the perfection we seek by our Yoga? Let me add, while I am
Page-492
on
this subject, that Haradhan seems to have been misinformed about Nolini. As
a matter of fact he has mixed with no 
(Written in
Bengali.) [dal], nor engaged
in any kind of associated activity while in Bengal. And if he had, it would
have been with no other purpose than to draw others to our Yoga and our way
of thinking; but as a matter of fact he remained inactive.
As for the other matter of the different lines of work, there is one instance which illustrates the difficulties that may arise. Barin has taken up the Narayana with the idea of gradually and eventually making it another instrument of propaganda for our ideas, and if he succeeds, that will be so much the more strength for us. It will not be a mere doubling of the work of the Prabartak, as it will present our ideas in a different way and so as to catch minds of a different type from those who are
naturally attracted by the Prabartak which demands from its readers a mind already turned to spiritual things or at least naturally able to enter into that atmosphere. To others who are of a less spiritual and intuitive, a more intellectual or literary and artistic temperament, the articles of the Prabartak written out of an
experience to which they are strangers, are not easily assimilable, and it is these minds which it may be possible to approach through the Narayana. But if there is not a right understanding, the attitude of the two to each other may be that of separation and
competition rather than of activities supplementary to each other in the same work. In addition he has now the chance of getting hold of a strong publishing agency in Calcutta, as Sirish must already have told you, but he hesitates to take it up from fear that it may be regarded as a rival agency to the Prabartak Publishing House. He is not afraid of any misunderstanding between you and him, but of others connected with either work taking things in the wrong light and bringing in an unwholesome spirit of com- petition. This is a thing which might easily happen, but must not be allowed to happen. I have told him that I would write to you and ask you to see that there is no misunderstanding in the matter, before giving him sanction to take up the possibility. Afterwards, it will be for you and him to see that things on both sides are managed in the right spirit. This agency, if it comes into
Page-493
Barin’s control, will be conducted with the same idea and method as the Narayana and all the profits except what is necessary for the maintenance and extension of the agency, will come to us and our work. These two things are the first fields the Shakti has offered to his energy and they are of a kind for which he is well fitted; their success means for us a great advantage. A time is now corning in which the Shakti is pressing to break down the barriers in which we have had hitherto to move and we must be ready to follow her indications without allowing our personal preferences and limitations to attempt to dictate to her any mind-made limits.
As for the extension of the work you are doing, I have spoken in general terms to Sirish and it is not necessary to add anything in this letter. When you come, I shall perhaps have more to say about it. It is regrettable that at this moment the physical strain should take an effect on your body; I trust it is only a part of a temporary invasion of raga, of which many of us including myself have recently felt some touch. But you must be careful not to throw too much strain on the physical system. A timely sparing of the physical system when there is an
indication of overstrain is often necessary before the Shakti has taken perfect possession of the more external parts of the Adhara or the
vijñāna will is strong enough to set right at once weakenings and disturbances. There remains the question of your visit to
Pondicherry. I had thought to delay it for a short time until I saw my way more clearly on certain important matters ; but I now believe this is not necessary and it will be as well for you to come as soon as may be. I hardly suppose that Nelson’s curious reservation about your visit means anything serious; otherwise he would have been more positive about it. I take it that they do not like the idea and would be suspicious about its motive and watch your actions more narrowly after it; but as they are obstinately
determined to be suspicious about anything we do in any case, this by itself cannot be allowed to be an obstacle. I should suggest
therefore that you might come over after making arrangements for work in your absence in such a way that the visit may be a fairly long one.
The work of the Arya has fallen into arrears and I have to
Page-494
spend
just now the greater part of my energy in catching up, and the rest of my time,
in the evening, is taken up by the daily visit of the Richards. I hope to get
over the worst part of this necessity by the middle of June, so that by the
time you come I may have a freer atmosphere to attend to the currents of the
work and the world about me. There is now the beginning of a pressure from many
sides inviting my spiritual attention to the future
कर्म
(Written
in Devanagari.) [karma] and
this means the need of a greater out flowing of energy than when I had nothing
to do but support a concentrated nucleus of the Shakti. I doubt however, whether
I shall be in a fit condition for meeting the demand till August, especiaI1y
as I have not been able to get the physical basis yet put right by the power
of the Vijnana. After that we shall see what and how much can actually be done
under the new circumstances. Mean- while your visit may help to get things into
preparatory line both in the inward motor-power and the outward determination.
A. G.
Pondicherry September 2, 1920
Dear M.
My impression about your marriage idea is that you are going too fast. What
you say about the commune and the married couple is quite right as our ideal
or rather as one side of our ideal, but there is here a question of time and
tactics. In our work, especially in the preparatory and experimental part of
it, there must be not only spiritual hardihood,
साहस
(sāhasam) , but skill and prudence,
कौशलं
(kauśalam). The question is whether it is necessary or wise and advisable to
engage in a battle with society at the moment on a point which it considers
to be vital but which is to us subordinate. Our first business is to establish
our communal system on a firm spiritual, secondly on a firm economical foundation,
and to spread it wide, but the complete
Page-495
social change can only come as a result of the other two. It must come first in spirit~ afterwards in form. If a man enters into the commune by spiritual unity, if he gives to it his life and labour and considers all he has as belonging to
all, the first
necessity is secured. The next thing is to make the movement economically self-sufficient, and to do that requires at the present moment all the energy you can command. These two things
are, the one a constant, the other an immediate necessity. The
institution of a communal ceremony of marriage can only be a future necessity, it involves nothing essential at the moment. The idea is that the family in future is not to be a separate unit, but a sub-unit of the communal whole. It is too early to decide exactly what form the family life will
take, it may take many forms, not always the same. The principle is the important thing. But this principle can be observed whatever the form of the marriage,
ceremony they may have gone through at the time of personal union, whether recognised or not by the present social system. An external necessity does not arise in the present case, as Khagen is not marrying outside his caste.
It remains to be seen whether this step, though not necessary, is advisable. In the first place by your action you declare your commune to be an entirely separate thing from the rest of Hindu society; you will be following in the way of the Brahma Samaj or more exactly in that of Thakur Dayananda. That means
a violent scission and a long struggle, which is likely greatly to
complicate your other work and put difficulties in the way which need not have been there. My own idea was for our system to grow up in the
society, not out of it, though different from it, first bringing in a new spiritual idea, a field in, which
opposition
and intolerance cannot now long endure,
-
secondly, justifying
itself on the outward plane by becoming a centre of economical regeneration and new power for the country, a work in which we shall have sympathy more than
opposition and getting forward with other matters according to need and opportunity and with a considerable freedom and latitude, meeting social orthodoxy with the plea of re-embodying the old free Hindu idea in new forms rather than with the profession of a
violent rejection both of the past and the present. In this process a clash will be
inevit-
Page-496
able sooner or later, but a deliberate precipitation of the conflict in so extreme a form as you suggest was not within my intentions. That was to come, but only when we were strong and had already a hold on the country, so that we might have a strong support as well as
enemies.
Your point is that the commune should not depend either
on Government or society for the validity of the union. It seems to me sufficient if that is spiritually insisted on or at most given an outward indication. I would suggest that the exchange of gar- lands should be done before the commune, as it was done in the old svayamvara before the assembly. The conventional marriage can then be added as a concession to the present society, as in old times the
sampradāna by the father was added to the svayamvara although in fact the svayamvara itself would have been quite valid without it. If a case should arise in future where the mutual giving would be necessary by itself, we might then go to the more extreme course. This would, it seems to me, satisfy everything immediately necessary or advisable, first, the
assertion of free choice as the principle of marriage, secondly, the formal inclusion of the-couple in their united life in the commune, apart from any conventional marriage ceremony, thirdly, the
justification of a continuity between our movement and the great past of India. The movement of course is not to stop with the forms of the past or a modernisation of them, but this sort of
preliminary advance under cover will prepare more easily its future advance into the open, which we can afterwards make as rapid as we choose. At the same time it will have the advantage of
awaking less vehement opposition at a moment when it seems to me we are not yet ready for a frontal attack in the social field and a decisive battle. If a battle becomes necessary, of course we must not flinch from it, but I should myself prefer to have it after I have reached the proper stage in my Yoga and after I return to Bengal. At present I have so many calls upon an energy which is still largely occupied with pushing forward to its own
perfection that I do not quite like the idea of the heavy drain on it such a struggle would entail. This at least is my present view on the matter.
The Standard Bearer is, I am afraid, subject to the criticism
Page-497
passed on it; the criticism is general and I felt it myself. It is a sort of weekly Arya; but the Arya style and method are not what is wanted for a weekly paper. What you need to do is to make the ideas easy to the people and give them a practical
direction. At present you give only a difficult philosophy and abstract principles. I shall write more about this matter hereafter as soon as I find time.
A. G.
Pondicherry No~. 11, 1920
Dear M.
It has become necessary for me to give a categorical denial to all the rumours and ascriptions of opinion which irresponsible people are publishing from time to time about me. The
Janmabhumi nonsense is especially idiotic and I do not understand how anyone with brains in his head could have accepted such childish rubbish as mine. Please. write an article in the next issue of the Standard Bearer saying that in view of the conflicting rumours that have been set abroad, some representing me as for the Reforms and others as for Non-Cooperation, you (that is the Standard Bearer) have written to me and received the following reply which you are authorised to publish. “All these assertions are without foundation. I have made no
pronouncement of my political views. I have authorised nobody whether publicly or privately to be the spokesman of my opinions. The rumour suggesting that I support the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and am opposed to Non-Cooperation is without basis. I have nothing to do personally with the manifesto of Sir
Ashutosh Chaudhuri and others citing a passage from my past writings. The recorded opinions of a public man are public property and I do not disclaim what I have written; but the responsibility for its application to the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms and the present situation rests entirely with the
signa-
Page-498
tories to the manifesto. The summary of my opinions in the Janmabhumi, representing me as an enthusiastic follower of Mahatma Gandhi, of which I only came to know the other day, is wholly unauthorised and does not ‘render justice to my views’ either in form or in substance. Things are attributed to me in it which I would never have dreamed of saying. It is especially adding insult to injury to make me say that I am ready to
sacrifice my conscience to a Congress mandate and recommend all to go and do likewise. I have not stated to anyone that ‘full
responsible self-government completely independent of British control’ or any other purely political object is the goal to the attainment of which I intend to devote my efforts and I have not made any rhetorical prophecy of a colossal success for the
Non-Cooperation movement. As you well know, I am identifying myself with only one kind ‘of. work or propaganda as regards India, the endeavour to reconstitute her cultural, social and economic life within larger and freer lines than the past on a spiritual basis. As regards political questions, I would request my friends and the public not to attach credence to anything purporting to be a
statement of my opinions which is not expressly authorised by me or issued over my signature.”
I shall write to you about other matters in another letter.
A. G.
P. S. Please ask Mani Naik to see my sister before he comes here. She wants to send with him certain utensils
for our use.
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|