Hesitation And Confusion

October 19, 1979

Even to a worker's limited understanding it must be self evident that he cannot be the president of one union on a day when he is officially on record, a member of the rival union. I am sure clarity may not be wanting. But it pains him to give up the position he has so far enjoyed, even if the alteration is only on paper and for a past period and in fact his present or future situation is not hindered. This is typically one of the human problems during one's course of development. Put in other words, the emotions DO NOT endorse what the mind clearly sees. At this point so many solutions are possible for the issue; but, for the person concerned his own development comes to a grinding halt. It is not an inability to understand but an unwillingness to progress. Sri Aurobindo says whenever one faces a defect in another, the only thing he should do is to eliminate such a defect from himself. Below I shall explain the nature of this difficulty and a way out.

Life, work, events, production, organisation live at the level of (force, energy, emotion) vital and are only guided by the mind. The mind's role is just to enlighten, but it is the vital that lives. One must have the vital dynamism to bring about a change in another's (or one's own) vital. One cannot change the vital by throwing on it mental light. Here we have an understanding which we give a man and his mind understands. But it is his vital (emotions) that should accept the knowledge and change accordingly. For that to come about, our knowledge and its force should come from our vital center. To put it in clearer language, our own vital must have the willingness to change in a given situation when our minds receive the illumination, i.e. our vital must be receptive to the knowledge in our minds to the extent of being able to change. Trust I have made myself clear. Now I suggest the following for you to try:

(1) Centre yourself in your vital (naval center) and after a certain clam develops, call Mother to come there. When you feel Mother's presence in your vital pray from that center that it must accept ALL the knowledge your mind has understood;

(2) From there voice another prayer that the person must happily accept the change suggested - (After going to that center if you invoke Mother's joy and try to share it with anyone - that person will respond with the desired effect. The calling of Mother's joy and the act of self-giving in extending that joy to another have a salutary effect on oneself and the other person concerned).