Lele's advice to Sri Aurobindo

A few weeks after he met Lele, Sri Aurobindo was supposed to give a very important speech in Bombay. Many people would be present, and the event was very significant. Unfortunately, Sri Aurobindo was not getting any inspiration for the speech; no ideas were coming into his mind. Because of his spiritual practice under Leles guidance, his mind had become calm and silent. Quite naturally, Sri Aurobindo was extremely worried.

Lele encouraged Sri Aurobindo to go ahead and give the speech. Lele told him that everything would be fine. Then Lele advised Sri Aurobindo, “Just be on the stage and bow to Lord Narayan. As soon as you bow, you will see that you will be able to get your entire speech.”

Sri Aurobindo believed Lele, and he did exactly as his Master advised. Then he gave a most wonderful and soul-stirring speech. After that time, Sri Aurobindo followed the same advice for all the speeches that he offered. His most famous and historic speech was delivered at Uttarpara on 30 May 1909, just after his acquittal in the Alipore Bomb Case. Ten thousand people were in the audience. In that immortal speech, Sri Aurobindo described in detail all his spiritual experiences during the time he spent in Alipore Jail.

Many years later, Sri Aurobindo said, “I got three things from Lele: the silent Brahman consciousness with its infinite wideness — an experience which was concrete; the power to speak and write without using the mind; and the habit of putting myself under the guidance of a Power higher than the mind.”