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Comfort and Happiness
Each one carries his capacity of happiness in himself but I am convinced that those who cannot be happy here can be happy nowhere. 14 April 1936 People must be happy when they are here, otherwise they cannot have the full advantage of the exceptional opportunity.
I am always happy to receive and to help those who wish for harmony and conciliation, and are ready to correct their mistakes and to progress. But I can be of no help to those who throw all the blame on the others for they are inapt to see the truth and to act accordingly. But it goes without saying that those who are here and are ready to face some difficulties in order to remain here, will always be welcome.
You have answered the trustful welcome given to you by an arrogant and uncomprehending attitude, judging everything from the viewpoint of an ignorant and presumptuous morality which could only alienate from you the sympathy so spontaneously extended to you as to all those who come here in quest of the spiritual life. But in order to profit by one’s stay here, a minimum of mental humility and generosity of soul is indispensable. Page – 131 People who feel miserable here and find that they have not the comfort they require ought not to stay. We are not in a position to do more than we do, and after all our aim is not to give to people a comfortable life, but to prepare them for a Divine Life which is quite a different affair.
The reason for people to come and settle here is surely not to find comfort and luxury this can be found anywhere if one is lucky enough. But what one can get here, that is not got in any other place: it is the Divine Love, Grace and Care. It is when this is forgotten or disregarded that people begin to feel miserable here. Indeed whenever somebody feels unhappy and discontented, it can be taken as a sure sign that he is turning his back on what the Divine is always giving and that he has gone astray in pursuit of worldly satisfaction. 13 January 1947 In spite of what the ignorant men believe, it is the inner vibrations that are responsible for the exterior events. Most of the people who live in the Ashram forget too easily that they are not here to live a quiet and pleasant life, but to do sadhana. And for doing sadhana a certain control upon one’s inner movements is indispensable. 1 October 1959
It is only those who have come for sadhana and really do sadhana who can be happy and satisfied here. The others have constant trouble because their desires are not satisfied. 2 October 1959 Page – 132 If you want to be happy here, you must come with the will to do the yoga of self-perfection; for if you do not come for that, you will be shocked at every moment by things that are contrary to your habits and to the principles of ordinary life, and it will not be possible for you to stay here, because these things are necessary for the work and organisation here and cannot be changed. 30 September 1960 We are not here to make our life easy and comfortable; we are here to find the Divine, to become the Divine, to manifest the Divine. What happens to us is the Divine’s business, it is not our concern. The Divine knows better than we do what is good for the progress of the world and of ourselves. 19 August 1967 Here sensibleness is indispensable and the integral yoga is based on balance, calm and peace and not on an unhealthy need to suffer. 2 May 1969
Sri Aurobindo said that the physical was to be taken into the yoga and not rejected or neglected. And almost all here thought they were doing yoga in the physical and fell a prey to physical “needs” and desires. To speak frankly, I like better that mistake than [that of] the so-called ascetics who are full of contempt, bad will and scornful feeling for others. No time to say all that could be said on the subject. Page – 133 |