At the feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo

Now I am publishing a number of letters from me and answers from Sri Aurobindo on different topics. They are much more numerous than what I have included in my original Bengali book. We had no personal contact with Sri Aurobindo except on the four occasions of the Darshan. Therefore all our external communications with him regarding sadhana and other incidental questions were made through these letters.

His answers used to carry his presence and the best way to speak about him is to present his correspondence. Some of the answers have been published in his collected works. Even so, I cannot resist the temptation of reproducing at least a few among the many written in his own hand. They carried his blessings and form a part of my most invaluable treasures.

It has not been possible always to publish an entire letter of his since it contained personal touches which were not meant to be shared by others. There are many answers without my questions because Sri Aurobindo would simply send his answers, keeping back our own notes. I have not taken the risk of reconstructing my questions by ransacking my memory of the past. There were several letters of mine which were written in exercise books. Sri Aurobindo’s answers were given in their margins or in other available empty spaces. Most of the correspondence I am quoting has been taken from these exercise books. It dates to the years 1930-38. In 1930 the letters were few; the number went on increasing year by year, till the letters stopped completely after the accident to Sri Aurobindo’s right leg on the night of 23rd November 1938. On a superficial reading, many of them may look repetitive, but each really carries a special import of its own. I may add that even when I wrote to the Mother, the answers often came from Sri Aurobindo.