Savitri Era Religious Fraternity: Suffering on the cross or in a solitary cell in the jail

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The Cross their Payment for the Crown they Gave (C)—Sri Aurobindo Narrates his Vasudeva Experience in the Jail: Uttarpara Speech
by RY Deshpande on Thu 23 Apr 2009 05:00 AM IST Permanent Link Cosmos

After his acquittal in the Alipore Bomb Case on 6 May 1909 Sri Aurobindo was given an emotional reception at Uttarpara on 30 May 1909. This historical event should mark an important landmark not only in his life but also of the country for whose freedom and for whose values and ideals he spared no effort and did as an assigned task coming from the divine Instructor whom he obeyed implicitly, obeyed even at his personal risk of serious nature. In his speech at Uttarpara Sri Aurobindo disclosed some of the self-transforming and world-transforming things that had happened during the one-year period of incarceration. The speech was first published in his weekly Karmayogin, June 1909.

Sometime during this incarceration he wrote a remarkable poem inviting those who heard the call of the country to join him even if that should entail hardship. Against him were beating the wind and the storm, even as he was sporting with solitude and had made misadventure a friend; it is under these countries that the challenge was thrown to the brave and the upright. He declared himself to be the Spirit of freedom and pride and only they who could be kinsmen to danger could join him and walk by his side. Only those souls who are full of wisdom and strength, the brahmateja and kshātrateja, will be in a position to accept this remarkable invitation, invitation for the righteous conduct of life even in its difficult and trying circumstance.

But why should the great suffer? Or is their suffering only an outward thing, for show to the trusting? Is there any real content in it? In other words, do they really have pain and grief and ache, the agony of harrowing experience? This will be a ridiculous question when one knows in every detail the crucifixion of Christ. Sri Aurobindo himself wrote in a letter to his brother Barin about the severe and painful work he was engaged in. In another context he answered Nirodbaran about these matters as follows:

“The Divine does not need to suffer or struggle for himself: if he takes on these things it is in order to bear the world-burden and help the world and men; and if the suffering and struggles are to be of any help, they must be real. A sham or falsehood cannot help. They must be as real as the struggles and sufferings of men themselves—the Divine bears them and at the same time shows the way out of them. Otherwise his assumption of human nature has no meaning and no utility and no value. It is strange that you cannot understand or refuse to admit so simple and crucial a point. What is the use of admitting Avatarhood if you take all the meaning out of it?” [Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo by Nirodbaran, p. 175]

Perhaps suffering on the cross or in a solitary cell in the jail are much smaller aspects than the inner wounds they have to bear. Who has any idea about them? None. But let us first read the speech Sri Aurobindo gave at Uttarpara on 30 May 1909.

Savitri Era Religious Fraternity

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Suffering on the cross or in a solitary cell in the jail

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