Sri Aurobindo : conversations
Talks with Sri Aurobindo is a thousand-page record of Sri Aurobindo's conversations with the disciples who attended to him during the last twelve years of his life. The talks are informal and open-ended, for the attendants were free to ask whatever questions came to mind. Sri Aurobindo speaks of his own life and work, of the Mother and the Ashram, of his path of Yoga and other paths, of India's social, cultural and spiritual life, of the country's struggle for political independence, of Hitler and the Second World War, of modern science, art and poetry, and of many other things that arose in the course of conversation. Serious discussion is balanced with light-hearted banter and humour. By recording these human touches, Nirodbaran has brought out the warm and intimate atmosphere of the talks.
THEME/S
DR. MANILAL: Where can the souls of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda be? Have they taken birth again?
SRI AUROBINDO: You have to enquire at the Foreign Office of the World. (Laughter)
DR. MANILAL: You said Vivekananda came to you in jail.
SRI AUROBINDO: When he came he could not yet have taken birth again.
DR. MANILAL: But now?
SRI AUROBINDO: He may have or he may be in the silent Brahman unless the Brahman has sent him down. According to the Puranas he may be in Saptaloka.
DR. MANILAL: The Puranas can't be believed! Plenty of unreasonable stories!
SRI AUROBINDO: Why not? What about the Upanishads? There are also such stories.
DR. MANILAL: Then the Puranas are true?
SRI AUROBINDO: Except for the stories which are meant only to illustrate truths.
DR. MANILAL: Now I will ask a big question. People say that you can by your Power bring your injured leg to its normal condition if you wish to do it.
SRI AUROBINDO: I don't wish anything. If it is meant to come, it will.
NIRODBARAN: But suppose you wanted it?
SRI AUROBINDO: You mean if it is possible to do it? Quite possible.
NIRODBARAN: Then why not do it?
SRI AUROBINDO: It can't be done in a day. It requires much concentration for which I have no time.
DR. MANILAL: But wouldn't it be profitable in the long run?
SRI AUROBINDO: But I have other things to do.
NIRODBARAN(after a lull): He doesn't seem to be satisfied with the answer.
DR. MANILAL: Can it be brought back to normality?
SRI AUROBINDO: It has to be seen. But why is it a big question? It seems to be a small question to me.
NIRODBARAN: Perhaps the result will be big especially from the medical point of view. Dr. Manilal now finds that from the medical point of view there is no chance. So he wants to satisfy his conscience by knowing if Yogic Force can do it.
SRI AUROBINDO(addressing Dr. Manilal): Perhaps your self-interest stands in the way. If the leg becomes all right, you will ask me to resume the daily correspondence and eight hours' Darshan again.
DR. MANILAL: Would it not be possible to cure everything in the wink of an eye by the Supramental Force? (Laughter)
SRI AUROBINDO: It will have to be the supreme Supramental Force. I am not a Tirthankar.
DR. MANILAL: In Jainism (laughter by all) a story is told of a Yogi curing his leprosy with his own saliva.
SRI AUROBINDO: Christ is also said to have cured someone's blindness with his saliva.
DR. MANILAL: But he was crucified.
SRI AUROBINDO: What of it?
DR. MANILAL: Didn't he suffer then?
SRI AUROBINDO: He didn't say no to the crucifixion.
DR. MANILAL: Why didn't he prevent it!? Wasn't it due to his past Karma?
SRI AUROBINDO: How can it be when he said he was the Son of God? He said he had come down to be crucified for your sins. He took upon himself (with emphasis) all your sins.
DR. MANILAL: They say Gandhi is an incarnation of Christ.
SRI AUROBINDO: Incarnation? What can be said is that there are things in his teachings which are similar to Christ's.
DR. MANILAL: What about the Congress? Will it succeed? (Laughter)
NIRODBARAN: You seem to be jumping the subject.
SRI AUROBINDO(after a while): Not exactly. Gandhi provided the transition.
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