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
SRI AUROBINDO: Radhakrishnan finds contradictory statements in Buddhism about the Self. In one place, he says, it doesn't recognise the Self and in another it takes the Self as the sole refuge and giver of enlightenment.
PURANI: Yes, that is a famous quotation. But we thought that Buddhism doesn't recognise the Self.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes, perhaps it means the phenomenal self.
SATYENDRA: Krishnaprem gives a different interpretation to Buddhism. He says Nirvana is only a half-way house.
SRI AUROBINDO: That agrees with my experience.
SATYENDRA: In one of his letters I saw that he didn't agree with you about some idea of Buddhism. I don't remember exactly what it was.
SRI AUROBINDO: What I might have said or now say about Buddhism is based on the current idea about Buddhism. Krishnaprem puts his own interpretation.
NIRODBARAN: He follows the Mahayana school.
SRI AUROBINDO: Mahayana is nearer to the Advaita school.
SATYENDRA: Even Mahayana teachings may be a modern interpretation. Nobody knows what Buddha said.
SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. My impression is that even Mahayana has no clear idea about the ultimate concepts.
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