Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother: Last Installment

Dyuman 1

Dear Friends,

Chunibhai Patel (19.6.1903—19.8.1992) was a Gujarati sadhak who was renamed ‘Dyuman’ (“the luminous one”) by Sri Aurobindo on 24 November 1928. He visited Pondicherry for the first time on 11 July 1924 and surrendered himself to Sri Aurobindo. He became an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram in May 1927. He was in charge of the Dining Room and looked after the Granary. A dedicated worker to the core, the Mother made him one of the Founder-Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust on 1 May 1955. He became the Managing Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust in 1991.

We are happy to announce that Overman Foundation has received permission from Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust to publish Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother in its online forum. We are extremely grateful to Shri Manoj Das Gupta, Managing Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, for giving us the said permission. We are also thankful to Shri S. Ravi, co-editor of Mother India journal and teacher at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education for providing these letters to us.

The first five installments of Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother—consisting of letters written between 12 June 1929 and 7 December 1935 were published in the online forum of Overman Foundation on 23 June, 27 June, 21 July, 4 August and 26 August 2015 respectively. The last installment of the said correspondence—containing letters written between 9 December 1935 and 30 December 1936 has been published in the online forum of Overman Foundation. Please note that these letters are not included in the Collected Works of the Mother.

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

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Mother and Dyuman on 5.7.1970.jpg 1The Mother with Dyuman

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My dear Mother,

The D. R. lady-workers have become such a nuisance: they have begun to spoil the D. R. in many ways. Any number of ladies are now eating 6 to 8 slices of bread. And when they cannot eat them, they take them home, asking for more and more. Then just at the time of work they all fall ill or have some other work, so they cannot do the work in the D. R.

It is all quite true, but there is only one answer: patience and compassion.

9 December 1935

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My dear Mother,

One conviction has always remained unshaken in me: man or no man, sadhak or no sadhak, the Divine shall manifest. The Truth exists by itself, the Sun shines because it shines.

My dear Mother, may my exterior nature get deepened by my interior faith; may the intensity which is inside come out and remain in the exterior being.

Yes, the truth consciousness must pervade all the being, dominate all the movements and quiet the restless physical mind. These are the preliminary conditions for the manifestation.

Always with you.

13 December 1935

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My dear Mother,

B has put forth a proposal to get the milk in the morning in two trips instead of one. The dairy servant would have to carry the milk-can on his head in the dark. The Aroumé servants would have to be made free for the first boiling, which would disturb the kitchen work. Since it is only a matter of a few days, I do not see why so many people should be inconvenienced permanently.

C is much displeased with me because I do not agree with him in his ideas and he is insisting on them.

You are quite right in this affair and it is quite unreasonable to ask for these two trips. But B is very sensitive — he is getting more and more nervous. He says he has lost his peace. He needs affection and kindness. I suppose if you approach him in a friendly way, things will become all right.

23 December 1935

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My dear Mother,

I am puzzled over the relation between the D. R. workers and me; the whole misunderstanding today burst out after my appearing at the D. R. to help them for lunch.

You need not bother about what they think or say. Do quietly what is to be done and leave the rest to me.

All love and blessings to you my dear child.

24 December 1935

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My dear Mother,

I take the present circumstances at Aroumé as a test of my confidence in You. Under no circumstances must I lose my balance or my concentration on You.

Yes, let us become more and more strong, quiet and patient. All this confusion is bound to come to an end.

Always with you.

28 December 1935

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My dear Mother,

It seems that the physical mind has now seen how to stand back during attacks in calmness, quietness and peace, given to the Divine alone. I wish it would put into practice what it has seen.

Yes, when it has understood clearly it is bound to put it into practice.
Always with you my dear child.

19 January 1936

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My dear Mother,

In the beginning of August 1933 the number of inmates was 120. Since then the number has remained between 135 and 150. But the work we used to do in those days we are not doing now. We are not willing to work, so we are obliged to have more and more workers. We did not grow within, which brings about the clashes we have with each other. If more inmates had worked in peace and harmony, we would have been much nearer to the goal.

It is because the forces are working in the subconscient which is, in its nature, full of unwillingness and laziness. We have now to wait patiently until it gets transformed.

24 January 1936

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My dear Mother,

In the market I generally walk on the foot-path. Several times I have been able to avoid accidents. Our negligence, hurry and carelessness always bring troubles — too many for You. May we learn to be quiet, careful and on guard always.

Yes, we must never give a chance to the adverse forces to do their mischief — they take advantage of the slightest unconsciousness.

27 January 1936

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My dear Mother,

The work of preparing luchis did not trouble me. What troubled me most was to see people who hardly ate anything else, finish all the luchis or, in order to take them home, took slices of bread. That night we decided never to give so much to eat at one time, but to give special dishes as side dishes. Still I do not understand how so many people got sick. For the first time I feel the seriousness of the responsibility of a hundred and fifty stomachs!

If they behaved normally without vital upsettings and greeds their health would be all right.

My dear Mother, I am completely given to You with a prayer: Peace, peace, peace in the Ashram, peace in each and every heart.

Yes, peace is indeed a very much needed thing and without peace nothing can be achieved.

Always with you, my dear child.

31 January 1936

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My dear Mother,

When I stand up for the work, not caring for personal things, the result is that everyone finds me “severe, strict, unbearable, iron-fisted, hard as a rock”. The present condition at work is becoming more and more of an impasse. In desperation I sometimes speak out: “Either drive me out or these things must change.”

People will always talk like that when there is a discipline to be maintained. You ought not to mind it as you have my love and trust.

1 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

When I saw D’s hair quite dry today, I asked her: “Have you no oil?” She replied: “No.” I know that D has nothing to keep her head cool; she washes it daily since the last few days, and this is not good for the hair.

I was just preparing some hair lotion to give her. But you must tell her that I had decided to give her hair lotion before you spoke of it.

7 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

Whatever may be the causes of F’s anger, let him remain calm, quiet, fully controlled and self-restrained; let him not burst out.

Surely it ought to be like that and I told him so when he came to see me. I told him that the first thing is to remain quiet, composed, peaceful — he simply answered that it was impossible for him — and I had nothing else to say.

With all my heart I wish for the growth of the movement that has taken place in me: to remain quiet under any circumstances, to turn to You and call Your Peace.

Yes, let this movement grow in you and a great strength will grow also to face all difficulties.

Always with you, my dear child.

10 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

Today I was very sorry, so sorry that I could not tell You during the day about the misbehaviour of the D. R. workers. One thought was in my mind: “I have failed miserably in serving the Mother, I am unfit and useless for the D. R.”

Whatever it may be, my dear Mother, I live in Your trust, which is my constant companion even in deep sorrow.

I do not see why you should be sorry because the people of D. R. misbehave. You cannot be responsible for their character. And if they choose not to change their ways and refuse to progress, it is surely not your fault. So you must not listen to the wrong suggestions speaking of failure and unfitness, and remember always that I am quite satisfied with you, your progress and your work.

14 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

Darshan is coming, but I am having a strong reaction against eating and preparing food. Today the preparing of luchis was mere play and not much work, but still I am tired of eating.

Tired of eating? When you have so many people to feed! It is not the time for this kind of reaction. I was glad to see that all these outsiders will have a good impression of our cooking.

Many Aroumé workers have the impression that I tell G everything. It is false.

What do you care about the impressions they have? Let them think whatever they like, it does not matter.

They accuse me of knowing all the Ashram gossip and passing it on to her. In fact I know nothing of all this.

What does it matter!!

I wish with all my heart for harmony, peace and a clear understanding with the kitchen workers.

This peace and harmony and clear understanding can be possible only when you will remain perfectly untouched by false accusations and strongly peaceful yourself in front of them.

18 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

H has sent a note to me: “I cannot continue to help J in washing plantains — I am very weak and feel very tired.”

Yes. Once more she has gone wrong — and by diminishing her work she will become weaker and weaker. It is the work done heartily that was keeping up her health.

19 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

J lost his temper on the 20th and 21st over nothing; at each step he shows that he wants to rule and govern.

Did you hear him yourself? Were you there when he lost his temper? He is quite capable of doing it, but as a rule never believe the reports of anybody.

22 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

K speaks of having her work back — so I understand from her chit.

Why that particular work and not any work that is to be done? If people could stop speaking of the work as their work it would put an end to a lot of trouble.

26 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

This afternoon I felt a conspiracy in the atmosphere formed by hostile forces to trouble me through the Aroumé workers and send me away from here. But, dear Mother, I know that nothing can send me away, for I am in Your hands.

I know that nothing can take you away from here — but the best is to attach no importance whatever to these suggestions and also to the bad will of the workers. If you remain perfectly calm and quiet, these attacks will lose all their strength.

With love and blessings.

27 February 1936

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My dear Mother,

My mind has become very active. It catches all sorts of nasty suggestions, two of which are prominent: “Relieve me from Aroumé” and “Can’t You manage to send me away from here?”

What is this nonsense? Surely you will not listen to that!

I do not think that any part of my being will ever accept them, and yet I pray for Your help and protection.

Yes, the help and protection are always with you — but you must quiet your mind or get out of it, look at it from above and control all these absurd suggestions.

Always with you my dear child.

2 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

Whatever the suggestions may be, I know that they are all hostile influences trying to disturb the sadhana. The work at Aroumé needs a very clear mind and vital, free from all likes and dislikes.

When the mind is struck by such adverse suggestions, you must not get nervous or fear but consider them as mere nonsense and push them away as you would push away a fly or a mosquito and then remain very quiet until the attack is over.

All love and blessings to you my dear child.

2 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

I am getting a negative reaction from the workers about the special dish they have to prepare on Wednesdays. After each cooking of this kind, I find unhappiness, disharmony and bitterness among the workers.

Perhaps it gives them more work and they dislike it. It can be stopped if it is a source of difficulties.

When will a largeness and vastness come into the mind and heart? When will a good feeling come and not the feeling of a scorpion bite?

This can come only when the consciousness of the workers will shift from the mental-vital to the psychic.

5 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

How is it that L has learnt to utter such ugly things about You? Why such a grudge? Where is the reason for dissatisfaction? She has freedom in work, freedom to move about where she likes. In the kitchen she was required to be exact and regular — but now!

The more a mind is ignorant, the more easily it judges everything it does not know or is incapable of understanding.

12 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

Whenever I have been stiff, harsh, stubborn or rough, it was all ego. And I see before me many people, both men and women, hurt by that ego. I ask Your Grace for pardon. May my consciousness grow and become a part of Your Consciousness.

Yes, my dear child, your aspiration is sure to get fulfilled and your consciousness to unite with the Divine Consciousness.

Always with you.

16 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

People are unsatisfied with the food. Was it not good?

It was very good.

Were there not a variety of dishes? Was the food not clean and well-cooked?

All was all right.

Then why were people unsatisfied?

Because it is almost a principle with most of them to be unsatisfied.
According to them we are not spending enough for food and because of economy we are not giving the proper food, etc., etc. You have read M’s note to you — he wrote a much more violent letter to us, and so many of these letters we have received! I felt quite disgusted with it. And what I meant is that I do not want the kitchen workers to take any extra trouble for such ungrateful people.

I pray to You with a quiet force of aspiration for a complete victory over these lower vital and physical forces of desire, etc.

Yes, all these lower movements have to be conquered if ever anything divine is to be established upon earth.

All trust, love and blessings to you, my dear child and faithful worker.

18 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

What shall become of the soup? People are always complaining about it and about the vegetable we use for dinner after straining the soup. It is cow’s fodder for them. Shall we stop it?

No, this soup is very good and wholesome. It is better to continue.

I have received the nick-name “miser” from those nearest to me. My one consolation has always been Your trust. And whenever I have been called this name, I have gone within me and found that my being is sincere and stands purely for You.

Yes, it is true and you are not at all a miser. Simply you are not wasteful — people cannot tolerate that; they want to waste and waste and waste always (naturally so long as it is not their own money that is concerned).

19 March 1936

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My dear Mother,

Let me tell You very honestly, wherever N has worked he has been treated kindly; nobody has treated him as kindly as You have, and yet he has proved himself ungrateful to everybody. If he finds happiness elsewhere, he can go; but I think he will not.

Each one carries his capacity of happiness in himself, but to tell the truth, I am convinced that those who cannot be happy here can be happy nowhere.

Personally, I was happy nowhere before, it is only here that I am happy. Since 1924 not a single doubt has passed in me. My Mother is the supreme Truth — this remains unchallenged.

Yes, my dear child, you are mine and I am always with you, present near you and in you.

14 April 1936

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My dear Mother,

How is it that my co-workers think so badly of me that I am deprived of even an ordinary human courtesy? Things are getting worse. Perhaps there would be a lighter air if I were not there.

Do not take these things so much to heart. If you give them no importance they will have none — and if a man truly misbehaves it is he who must feel for it, not you.

My dear Mother, I am completely given to You.

Let this consecration be for you the means of a complete liberation. My help and protection are always with you on the way — my dear child.

22 April 1936

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My dear Mother,

P is going through a bad disturbance, but the cause is not known; she does not want to speak. May her normal consciousness come again to the front, the consciousness that feels the loving Presence of her dear Mama.

Yes, surely it is not good when there are already so many difficulties, to open one’s door also to disturbance. At the time of the battle the soldiers are expected to pick up all their courage and endurance.

Always with you, my dear child.

28 April 1936

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My dear Mother,

I understand that we have come here and are allowed to stay here with the clear understanding that we accept Your word, Your guidance and follow You in every way. This is the simple beginning of Yoga.

My dear child, I wish that many would think and feel like you — it would make things so much easier!

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

29 April 1936

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My dear Mother,

My yoga means a complete union with You and I know not any yoga except that.

Yes, my dear child, you are mine completely and I am always with you, around you, in you.

29 April 1936

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My dear Mother,

B said to me in a cutting tone: “Who sweeps the back of the ladies room in the D. R.? It is so dirty — since the last four days no one has swept there.” I kept quiet; but when I went to check I saw that it was as clean as it could be and it is swept every day.

Did you tell her: “I went and saw and it is quite clean. Why do you say that it is dirty? Remember what Mother has said: first sincerity and truthfulness.”

5 May 1936

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My dear Mother,

C has stopped working in the kitchen and D is trying to do the same. E, F and G are the only ones left to work there. I pray for peace, peace, peace.

Well! The fewer the number the greater the chance of peace, I suppose.

9 May 1936

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My dear Mother,

When disturbances or bad suggestions come, my being clearly speaks to them and says: “If I submit myself to you, you gain strength and enter into the atmosphere. Go away, you have no place here.” And they do go away. By calling the Divine Force and remaining completely quiet and undisturbed, the bad force is sure to go away defeated.

Yes, this is just the right attitude that is sure to bring the victory.

My dear child, I am always with you and my strength is constantly in you.

13 May 1936

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My dear Mother,

H is now quite unable to eat and feels sick. Is her nausea not due to the weakness that must have come by her not eating for so long?

Certainly it is that and purely nervous, and the less she eats the more she will be unable to eat.

She says: “Look here, I have full strength in spite of not eating.” This I do not believe. The attitude in her letter to You does not seem to be quite good. If she does not want to eat in the D. R. she can eat at home. But it would be good if she would take at least one spoonful of food.

Yes, her attitude in this in not helpful — she has not sufficient trust to overcome her own fixed idea and she does not open to the Force that would give her the capacity of eating and overcoming this attack.

J too boasts of her strength in spite of not eating. To me it looks all false.

You are quite right.

She could wreck her body if this condition gets prolonged, and there would be complete chaos in the work.

Yes, what you say is quite true — but the mischief is that both J and L do not accept at all what is told to them, on this subject at least.

May the physical consciousness open more and more to the Divine Light and come under its direct influence.

Yes, it is the only solution.

My love and blessings are always with you.

20 May 1936

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My dear Mother,

The number of persons not doing Ashram work is increasing and increasing. Perhaps they think it is a good sign of their sadhana.

The progress in sadhana comes from the rectification of the inner and outer attitude, not from the nature of the work one does.

With my love.

2 June 1936

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My dear Mother,

With all my heart I wish for peace, happiness and harmony in the Ashram. This is my humble prayer on the eve of my birthday: let jealousy, disharmony and anger pass away and peace be established in every heart.

Let this year bring you the power of being constantly aware of my Presence for, indeed, I am always with you, in all trust and affection.

18 June 1936

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My dear Mother,

From my very boyhood, my attitude has been one of disgust towards life and its things. But now I accept all life and whatever things come from You.

Yes, I am in the things also and that is why they must be treated with care.

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

2 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

The cause of the outburst between M and N was nothing of importance. If we do not rise above personal feelings and stand for the work, how is the work to be done!

It is the control over oneself that is the first thing needed, and especially the control over one’s tongue! If people could learn to keep silent how many troubles would be avoided!

3 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

I do not understand the troubles in the D. R. — there are angry outbursts for nothing.

The spirit of quarrels is still in the Aroumé atmosphere. Unless the workers make an effort to throw it away, it will always attack them and create some mischief or other.

10 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

There are plenty of thoughts suggesting my failure both as a sadhak and as a worker and of my being unfit and unworthy.

You know that these thoughts are quite wrong and come from a hostile force. All thoughts of that kind must be rigorously driven away, for to receive them is an unfaithfulness towards the Divine.

The child does not worry about his growth, he simply… grows.

Love and blessings to my dear child.

15 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

Until now it has never happened that I have lost money. But the money is stolen; even before I came here to my room it had been stolen. It looks to me like somebody is making mischief.

It is unconscious movements from the subconscient which allow this mischief to happen. But when these movements come to the surface they can be enlightened and then the mischief has no more hold.

Always with you.

19 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

I saw M delivering a long speech to N and it did not look pleasant. N told me afterwards that it was about the Ashram lemons — they are small in size and without juice, etc.

I suppose there is only to pay no attention to his speech. The best thing is not to answer, not to discuss and not even to listen!…

These are the days for peace; I pray for peace and some tolerance.

When the heart and the mind are at peace the rest naturally follows.

26 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

What is the matter with P? He looks all right, he moves about and yet he is unable to go for his food!

As far as I know it is a dangerous illness: laziness.

And R also.

R is truly unwell with fever, etc…

30 July 1936

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My dear Mother,

I hope that we shall pass these busy days quietly. No doubt attacks will come to me, yet I have eternal hope.

To be calm and quiet is the first necessity, and for that do not worry too much about details during these days. I am sure each one will do his best and more can be asked from nobody. Evidently this “best” must progress and become better but that takes time and cannot be expected at once.

Always with you, my dear child.

5 August 1936

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My dear Mother,

This noon food for 69 persons was sent to their rooms.

I have nothing to say, if you want to do it — but I find that it is those who are doing nothing all day who ought to go for their food in Aroumé.

20 September 1936

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My dear Mother,

I wish the day would come when You can use me as an instrument in worlds other than this material world. You go into other worlds, worlds of the subconscient, and fight there and conquer and spread the kingdom of light. Is it not possible for us to be Your soldiers even in those dark lands?

There is nothing impossible in the realisation of what you are asking for — a patient, strong, steady and absolutely sincere aspiration can conquer all obstacles — but it takes time.

Always with you.

3 October 1936

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My dear Mother,

There is a rivalry between S and T — each claims to be the head of the Granary. One comes and tells me something and the other comes and tells me something else. How to pull on, dear Mother?

You might remind them that both yoga and work suffer by such miserable little currents.

10 October1936

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My dear Mother,

Dr. U will talk with V about her treatment tonight; there is some fear in her mind. The same fear was in X. All these people may be talking and gossiping on the subject and supporting the fear in one another. This whole recent wave of illness in the Ashram is perhaps due to this fear and nothing more.

You are quite right. It is all due to fear and nothing else. It is a wave of fear and falsehood that has passed over the Ashram and each one is answering according to his or her nature. Very few are those who can stand firm on the rock of their faith and trust in the Divine and reject the wave altogether.

11 October 1936

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My dear Mother,

It is my humble confession that a wave of fear and falsehood attacked me. This wave wanted me to be very angry with Y. But to all the suggestions and attacks of the hostile forces, I had one answer: “It is impossible; I know all of you very well. How can I be faithless to the love of my dear Mother?” And in gratitude my heart took shelter more and more in Your Love.

I am indeed very happy to hear that you have passed successfully through the experience. Your answer to the attack was the right one. You have only to keep up this attitude and after several attempts the attacks are bound to stop.

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

12 October 1936

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My dear Mother,

Z wrote me a letter. She wants to come here and is thinking of using a trick. She will agree to marriage on one condition: that her family allows her to come to Pondicherry before the wedding; then she will not return to Gujarat. She puts this trick idea before You and asks for Your advice.

I do not approve of tricks like that — they can only bring trouble.

13 October 1936

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My dear Mother,

When You ask me about something, how should I answer You? I was not pleased with my answer today. Not only today but almost always I feel a shortcoming.

The best thing to do is to give me the correct, precise and complete information about the matter. It is what I am asking from you, to have a ground for my decision.

Love and blessings to my dear child.

30 October 1936

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My dear Mother,

What shall I say about B’s disturbance today in the D. R.? The reports differ and I wait for a little more clarity. In any case a life of peace and harmony is also worth living, and anger thrown out falls back upon the thrower and clouds his soul.

I know nothing more silly than this habit of always quarreling — it is miles away from yoga.

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

5 November 1936

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My dear Mother,

This evening’s meditation has resulted in a great renunciation of the past. My soul has gone to the future and given itself to You to be a perfect instrument in Your hands for the new creation that You are bringing down upon the earth.

Yes, it is the future realisation that counts.

My being gives itself to You in all devotion and faithfulness.

And the gift is received with my heart’s best affection.

Always with you, my dear child.

7 November 1936

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My dear Mother,

A weak point is opening in me. I am becoming over-sensitive to the slightest thing and my first reaction is: “Send me away, relieve me from this work.” My faithfulness to You does not in the least tolerate this weakness, and yet I cannot deny its presence. Some months back You told me: “You have not taken full refuge in me; there is something which is not yet worked out.” This is true, and this is what brings up all the trouble from the subconscious.

My very dear child,

It is a very great progress that you have become of this weak point in you — for now it will be relatively easy to overcome it.

The first step is not to identify yourself with it — to consider it as some wrong influence from outside, something to be pushed away. And if in spite of that it touches you, call me, call me ceaselessly until you are cured. At the same time it will give strength to the weak point and you will see that little by little it will become strong.

Always with you, certain of the victory.

11 November 1936

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My dear Mother,

My horoscope says that I shall be friendly towards nobody; even my friends will abuse me and give me up. But this prediction will prove wrong; there will be peace in my heart, sweetness in my speech, gentleness and harmony in every expression. My entire being will live in the Divine, for the Divine and by the Divine.

Surely, by yoga the horoscope can be mastered — we are no more bound to it — and we can change our nature as well.

Surely, you are my child and will become so more and more perfectly.

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

19 November 1936

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My dear Mother,

A very humble confession. I have always denied the sex-instinct in me, refused to accept it. There was a very strong will in me which simply controlled it, crushed it, pushed it out from the surface consciousness. Yet for all the negation it was there, acting in some form or other.

My dear Mother, my being now accepts its past silliness and in all humbleness it opens itself to You. May this blot be removed and my entire being be Yours.

I am very glad that you have found it out. This is a very great step towards the cure.

Always with you, in the effort and the success.

2 December 1936

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My dear Mother,

Truly I am a pretender and a hypocrite. I showed myself to be what I was not and brought a good many troubles to You by my behaviour, especially because I have to work mainly with ladies. Would the solution be to remove myself from the field of work?

No solution at all. It is not you that you must remove but the difficulty. The weakness must be overcome and my force will be with you and do what is necessary to remove altogether the obstacle, if you let it do so.

My entire being has become grateful today. I was put to a real and true test. If I were not placed in such close contact with the ladies, I would not have found out my weakness. But I must confess, I could not remain sincere to the core. I hope that it is not too late.

Surely it is not too late and the victory is certain.

In spite of all this, I have always felt some unknown protection around me, even before I came here.

Yes, the protection has always been upon you.

All love and blessings to you, my dear child.

3 December 1936

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My dear Mother,

May I remain given to You.

There is surely no question about that — but surely also you could not believe that sadhana could be done without facing some difficulties. As your aspiration is sincere, whatever was in the subconscient standing in the way of the Divine Realisation, has come to the surface in order to be transformed. There is nothing there to make you sad or depressed — on the contrary you ought to rejoice over these occasions to make progress and never forget to lean for support and help on my love, force and blessings.

15 December 1936

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My dear Mother,

The clouds passed away this morning and once more I find myself in the consciousness of zeal, courage and confidence.

I am very glad about this good news, glad but not astonished for I expected as much.

Love and blessings to you, my dear child.

16 December 1936

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My dear Mother,

The year ends and a new year begins. May the new year bring to us God-realisation.

Yes, the Light must illumine the consciousness and the shadows of Ignorance must be dissolved in all.

Love and blessings to my dear child.

30 December 1936

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Mother,

There are plenty of moods and fancies among the inmates, many unnecessary harassings. I undergo all possible pinching, tortures and troubles, but our goal is something else — it is the Divine Life.

You are quite right in not allowing the moods and fancies of the people to affect you. You must soar above all that in the constant feeling of the Divine’s Presence, Love and Protection.

With you always.

[Undated]

Faith is the condition to be frank with the Divine.

A complete frankness with the Divine will allow your faith to be steady.

[Undated]

*

(Dyuman’s Photograph with the Mother: Courtesy Ms. Tara Jauhar)

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6 Replies to “Dyuman’s Correspondence with the Mother: Last Installment

  1. The correspondence between Duman Bhai and the Mother is aglow with the intense aspiration and and the ready response of the Divine! It is life Divine in making! Grateful for sharing !

  2. Dear Anurag,

    Happy to note your sincere efforts in bringing out valuable correspondence for the benefit of spiritual fraternity. Accept our heartfelt congratulations for your efforts.

  3. From Shyam Kumari’s book “How They Came to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother”, Volume I, pp. 44-45:

    The following extracts of letters written by Sri Aurobindo about Dyuman were shown to the Mother. She liked them so much that she called not only Dyuman but also Amrita, Champaklal, Pavitra, Nolini and Udar and read out to them these glowing testimonials from the Lord. After reading what Sri Aurobindo had written, the Mother added: “It is still true.”

    • “Your spirit of economy is very precious and extremely helpful to us, the more so as it is rare in the Ashram where the push conscious or subconscious is towards the other extreme.” (6 March 1932)

    • “The strength of Dyuman’s character is his essential straightness of aim, fidelity to the highest he sees and intensity of will to receive the Light and serve the Truth.” (10 April 1934)

    • “You have done very well indeed and shown yourself as always a good and faithful instrument of the Mother’s force.” (18 July 1935)

    • “If Dyuman and a few others had not made themselves the instruments of the Mother and helped her to reorganise the whole material side of the Ashram, the Ashram would have collapsed long ago under the weight of mismanagement, waste, self-indulgence, disorder, chaotic self-will and disobedience. He and they faced unpopularity and hatred in order to help her to save it.” (1936)

    • “Loyalty, fidelity, capacity, strength of will and other qualities you have in plenty—a full calm and equality not only in the inner being where it can exist already, but in the outer nervous parts is a thing you have to get completely.” (27 September 1936)

  4. Here is another letter about Dyuman written by Sri Aurobindo:

    “I do not know why there should be so much difficulty about the instructions, — you have been doing this work for many years and must surely know the lines on which it has been conducted by Dyuman and what to do in most cases. In the others where there is no guide in past experience, you have to do your best and in case Dyuman’s instructions are incomplete and you have to act on your own judgment, you can point it out to him if he finds fault with what is done.

    “For the rest your judgment about his method of work does not agree with the Mother’s observation of him and his work. She has found him one of the ablest organisers in the Ashram and one of the most energetic workers who did not spare himself until she compelled him to do so, one who understood and entered completely into her views and carried them out not only with great fidelity but with success and capacity. She has known more instances than one in which he has organised so completely and thoroughly that the labour has been reduced to a minimum and the efficiency raised to a maximum. I may say however that the saving of labour is not the main consideration in work; there are others equally important and more so. As for the principle that everyone should be allowed to do according to his nature, that can apply only where people do independent work by themselves; where many have to work together, it cannot always be done—regularity and discipline are there the first rule.

    “I do not understand your remark about the Mother. The whole work of Aroumé [the building housing the present Dining Room], of the Granary, of the Building Department, etc. was arranged by the Mother not only in general plan and object but in detail. It was only after she had seen everything in working order that she drew back and allowed things to go on according to her plan, but still with an eye on the whole. It is therefore according to the Mother’s arrangement that people here are working. When it was not so, when Mother allowed her sadhaks to do according to their own ideas or nature, indicating her will but not enforcing it in detail, the whole Ashram was a scene of anarchy, confusion, waste, disorderly self-indulgence, clash and quarrel, self-will, disobedience, and if it had gone on, the Ashram would have ceased to exist long ago. It was to prevent that that the Mother chose Dyuman and a few others on whom she could rely and reorganised all the departments supervising every detail and aiding the heads to enforce proper methods and discipline. Whatever remains still of the old defects is due to the indiscipline of many workers and their refusal to get rid of their old nature. Even now if the Mother withdrew her control, the whole thing would collapse.

    “You are mistaken in thinking that Dyuman conceals things from the Mother or does as he pleases without telling her. She knows all and is not in a state of ignorance. What you write in your second letter is nothing new to her. There were hundreds of protests and complaints against Dyuman (as against other heads of departments), against his methods, his detailed acts and arrangements, his rigid economy, his severe discipline and many things else. The Mother saw things and where there was justification for change, she has made it, but she has consistently supported Dyuman, because the things complained of, economy, discipline, refusal to bend to the claims and fancies and wishes of the sadhaks, were just what she had herself insisted on—without them he could not have done the work as she wanted it done. If he had been loose, indulgent, not severe, he might have become popular, but he could not have been her instrument for the work. Whatever defects there might be in his nature, were the Mother’s concern; if there was too much rigidity anywhere, it was for her to change it. But she refused to yield to complaints and clamour born of desire and ego; her yielding would only have brought the old state of things back and put an end to the Ashram.” (7 January 1937)

    [Source: Shyam Kumari’s book “How They Came to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother”, Volume I, pp. 45-46]

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