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
NIRODBARAN: Nolini Sen writes that Meghnad Saha wants to come here.
SRI AUROBINDO: To embrace X? (Laughter)
NIRODBARAN: Sen has a deep respect for Saha. He says he is very sincere, honest, open-minded, generous.
SRI AUROBINDO: Perhaps not open-minded.
PURANI (giving a letter to Sri Aurobindo): Sundaram has written to you, asking what his duty is in connection with the war. He is much puzzled.
SRI AUROBINDO: You may tell him that God's Front is the Spiritual Front, which is still lagging much behind. Hitler's Germany is not God's Front. It is the Asuric Front, through which the Asura aims at world-domination. It is the descent of the Asuric world upon the human to establish its own power on the earth.
NIRODBARAN: It seems Hitler says that by the end of June he will proclaim a New Order from a city in France.
SRI AUROBINDO: A New Order for what? And from which city? Vervains?
NIRODBARAN: Or Amiens?
SRI AUROBINDO: Amiens will be made unsuitable for him by the R.A.F., if they know he is there.
NIRODBARAN: He will dictate the terms of peace also.
SRI AUROBINDO: Dictate by the end of June?
NIRODBARAN: Yes.
PURANI: And everything will be over by August 15.
SRI AUROBINDO: He expects everything to go according to schedule.
EVENING
PURANI: Ramakrishna's new temple at Belur is supposed to be the biggest on the eastern side.
SRI AUROBINDO: What does the eastern side mean?
PURANI: On this side of the temple of Jagannath.
SRI AUROBINDO: Hindu temples are usually not big. Whom do they worship at Ramakrishna's temple?
PURANI: I think there is a life-size photograph of Ramakrishna and the sign OM somewhere.
SRI AUROBINDO: That is Vivekananda's creed.
PURANI: Yes, but I am not sure of the details.
SRI AUROBINDO: In Ramakrishna's temple there ought to be at least an image of Kali.
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