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: While talking of the Burma rebellion and the Chittagong Armoury raid, Dutt came out with the belief that by such uprisings India can get independence.
SRI AUROBINDO: How will India do it?
NIRODBARAN: D asked Dutt what Surya Sen would have done if the British army had attacked. Dutt replied, "Where is the British army? It is a myth. There is only the Indian army and they won't shoot their own people. If in a few more places rebellion had occurred and succeeded, the country would have been converted."
SRI AUROBINDO: Would a few places like that convert the whole of India? Besides, what about the British navy and the British aeroplanes? England can bring her own army from home. Even as regards the Indian army, it would only be a part of it that would refuse to fight.
NIRODBARAN: Dutt says that during the Non-cooperation movement, the Gharwallis refused to shoot their own people.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, yes, but there are other troops that will shoot.
PURANI: The Gharwallis were afterwards court-martialled.
NIRODBARAN: Dutt also told a story of how at one time foreign governments were sought who were interested in India's struggle with the British. Actually, during the Bengal movement it seems a ship of ammunition from Germany was captured by the British Government.
SRI AUROBINDO: That was at the time of Rashbehari Ghose, perhaps in 1905 or 1908. The idea of revolution at that time was intelligible. But now, after the First World War, with so much development of the means of warfare, it is impossible.
NIRODBARAN: Dutt is going to write a review of your Life Divine.
SRI AUROBINDO: Is he a philosopher?
NIRODBARAN: I don't think so. Sisir Mitra seems to have asked him to do it.
PURANI: He can begin with a story.
SRI AUROBINDO: And end with a story. (Laughter)
PURANI: Barin appears to have written well about the Mother in Khulna Basi. (Sri Aurobindo smiled.)
NIRODBARAN: Is what he says about the Mother true? He says that what would have taken you ten years in sadhana was done in one year by your contact with her.
SRI AUROBINDO: I may have said something like that—not these very words but the same substance.
1 A few days back, in meditation, Nirodbaran had seen that all were puzzled about the diagnosis of an imaginary case. Then he heard Sri Aurobindo say, "Are you sure it is not typhoid?"
2 The Lord who forgives and forgets.
3 The Lord of violent force.
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