A DECLARATION
Sri Aurobindo withdrew from politics; and, in his Ashram, a most important rule is that one must abstain from all politics―not because Sri Aurobindo did not concern himself with the happenings of the world, but because politics, as it is practiced, is a low and ugly thing, wholly dominated by falsehood, deceit, injustice, misuse of power and violence; because to succeed in politics one has to cultivate in oneself hypocrisy, duplicity, and unscrupulous ambition.
The indispensable basis of our Yoga is sincerity, honesty, unselfishness, disinterested consecration to the work to be done, the nobility of character, and straightforwardness. They who do not practice these elementary virtues are not Sri Aurobindo's disciples and have no place in the Ashram. That is why I refuse to answer imbecile and groundless accusations against the Ashram emanating from perverse and evil-intentioned minds.
Sri Aurobindo always loved deeply his Motherland. But he wished her to be great, noble, pure, and worthy of her big mission in the world. He refused to let her sink to the sordid and vulgar level of blind self-interests and ignorant prejudices. This is why, in full conformity to his will, we lift high the standard of truth, progress, and transformation of mankind, without caring for those who, through ignorance, stupidity, envy, or bad will, seek to soil it and drag it down into the mud. We carry it very high so that all who have a soul may see it and gather around it.
25 April 1954
Comments
Post a Comment