Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo

28 December 1938.

At about 5.30 P.M. "X" burst into a peal of laughter  to which Sri Aurobindo reacted by asking : "What is that dynamic explosion?" There was no reply, only a silence of suppression. But at 6.30 P.M. the laughter  was repeated and instead of Sri Aurobindo asking anything X himself complained to Sri Aurobindo that "Y" was making him laugh. The reply was : "Take care that he may not make you go off like a firework!"

All assembled by the side of the cot and there was complete quiet. One member yawned and another yawned in response. The result was a subdued bubble of laughter.

Sri Aurobindo could hardly fail to notice it. He asked : "What is the joke?"

Disciple : "X" is mocking at my yawning.

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Sri Aurobindo : He does not know that yawning may be a fatal symptom.        

There was reference to a letter from another Sadhak relating his symptom of yawning at night.

Disciple : What medicine has been given to him for his perennial sickness?

Disciple : That is a secret.

Sri Aurobindo : That reminds me of the science of Augurs in Greece. There used to be Government Augurs who used to be called in to interpret omens and signs; and from that a college of Augurs came into existence. There – in the college the professors used to be quite grave and serious, – they gave lectures on Augury with grave faces; when afterwards they met together they used to laugh among themselves.

By the way, we have got mutilated news to-day; they have dropped two important words. Instead of saying "the Italians are marching" (into Djibuti). If the Italians march into Djibuti the French can march into Tripoli as counter-attack.

Disciple : The French can also organize the Abyssinians against Italy.

Sri Aurobindo : There won't be time for that.

Disciple : The Italians do not seem to be good soldiers.

Sri Aurobindo : No, I will be greatly surprised if they can defeat the French. In that case Mussolini must have changed the Italian character tremendously.

Disciple : They had a hard time in Abyssinia.

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Sri Aurobindo : Yes. It was by their superior air-bombs, mustard-gas poisoning that they succeeded.

Disciple : But they will be aided by the Germans.

Sri Aurobindo : Yes, Italy can't do without Germany.

Disciple : Fisher (the historian) says that German army in the last war was the greatest and the best army ever organized in the world.

Sri Aurobindo : Yes. They are the most organized and able soldiers in the world except the Japanese. But the Japanese are numerically less and financially poorer.

Even so during the last war the Germans could not throw up any remarkable military genius like Foch. If Foch had been the Commander-in-chief before, the war would have ended much earlier.

The Balkans and the Turks are also good fighters.

Disciple : What about the Sikhs and the Gurkhas?

Sri Aurobindo : They are unsurpassed but the war depends not on fighters but on generals.

Disciple : The British consul here says that the Chinese are no good as soldiers and the Russians are good in defensive warfare. The Germans are trying to expand in the Ukraine. After that Hitler might come to central Europe.

Sri Aurobindo : Yes. But that will at once combine Russia, Poland, Rumania and Yugoslavia. These small minor powers will be afraid of their own safety.

Disciple : I don't understand why Germany joins Italy in attacking France. According to European astrology Hitler's stars are with him till Dec. 1938.

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Sri Aurobindo : Why! Hitler himself has said in his "Mein Kemp" that Germany is not safe without the destruction of France. And France says the same thing about Germany. They have chosen this time, perhaps, because they think that France has been weakened by the general strike. But they lost sight of the fact that the invasion will bring the whole France to-gether.

Disciple : I read in the paper to-day that a group of people in England are shouting that America belongs to them – as a counter move to Italian claims.

Sri Aurobindo : Yes, they can claim Germany, and also Denmark and Italy too for that matter.

Disciple : The way these people are preparing seems that war is inevitable.

Sri Aurobindo : But we thought they would not do anything till early next year. They are trying to strike now, perhaps, because they think that France has been divided by the General strike. But war will bring the whole nation together at once. In any case, we find that the Germans are enjoying Christmas.

Disciple : England, most probably, will have to ally herself with France.

Sri Aurobindo : You have seen what Chamberlain has said? "England is not obliged to help France in case of war with Italy". But if Italy combines with Germany one can't say.

Disciple : In case there is a general war India will have an opportunity for independence.

Sri Aurobindo : How?

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Disciple : She will refuse to co-operate. I think the resignation of the Congress Ministries were due to the threat of war in Europe.

Sri Aurobindo : Yes It was in order to conciliate the Indians.

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