JANUARY, 1940 4th January, 1940 Disciple : I had a talk with G about Rigveda and on the Aryan-Dravidian question. He gave me one or two arguments to support his contention. According to him the fact of different children in the same family having different colours is a positive argument that race of the parents is a mixed one. Secondly, in the Rigveda itself there is mention of dark-skinned people and "Anasa." I said "Anasa" figures only in one Rik out of more than ten thousand Riks and it may not mean "nose-less" or "flat-nosed." Sri Aurobindo : "Anasa" is not flat-nosed, it means nose-less. Disciple : I consulted the Rigveda and found that it ref

23rd January, 1939. Disciple : My friend X is hesitating to put you a question; but he is puzzled by what he thinks as the contradiction in what you said yesterday about Gunas. Disciple : You said that a man like Hitler does what he does because of the action of the Gunas, the modes of nature. In other-words he does what the Cosmic Spirit makes him do and yet he is individually responsible for his actions. It seems contradictory. Sri Aurobindo : That is generally the case when you state some Truth you have to express it in contradictory terms (laughter). Truth is not always consistent, but the contradiction you notice does not mean that there is no responsibility, or

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

22nd June, 1940 About the report of military correspondent that the French thought in terms of French fortress and positional war. They did not believe the importance of tanks and aeroplanes even though they knew that the tanks decided their victory last time. Page – 276  Sri Aurobindo : And Gamlin had to go because he was so much accustomed to the idea of fortress that he did not know what to do when the Germans came in through Flanders. Gamlin and Daladier both are so evidently weak that one is surprised how they were regarded as strong men. Government after Government in France was appointing Daladier as Foreign Minister, while he did nothing in fact f

AUGUST 1940 3rd August, 1940 There was a letter from K. P. to Dilip in which he expressed his opinions and ideas about the present war, His points were : –    1. The war is already fought and decided on the inner planes. 2. Mankind is responsible for the rise of the Asuric forces. 3. Each much fight the lower forces and side with the Divine in himself. After reading the letter Sri Aurobindo said : It is quite alright that the struggle between the forces is worked out on other planes before it is projected here. Disciple : He means like the Gita where Sri Krishna says that Kauravas were already killed. Disciple : So the result is already de

7th January, 1939 Disciple : Can the ego be removed by the psychic attitude and by the realization of Self? Sri Aurobindo : Psychic humility takes away the egoism but not the ego; removing of the ego of the natural individuality is not the work of the psychic. The psychic depends upon and maintains the natural individuality. The psychic is there, so that the natural individuality would turn to and progress towards the Divine. Disciple : How is the ego removed? Sri Aurobindo : Ego is removed by the realization of the Spirit; that is, by attaining to the spiritual consciousness Above, which is independent of Nature, which is self-existent. That Spirit is One in all

MARCH, 1939 12th March, 1939. Disciple : Did you notice Jawaharlal's article in the Hindu? He can't forget Subhas not acknowledging his report from Europe and also his international politics. Sri Aurobindo : That again shows Nehru is an idealist. If he has the clarity of mind to see – as he has – that socialism can come in India only after independence, it should be equally clear to him that India can do something in international politics only after she is free. Disciple : The Congress wants to do something in international field. Sri Aurobindo : It is a hazy idea. All you have been able to do for China is to send an ambulance unit. It is not like Englan

OCTOBER 1943 From notes 4th October 1943 1. C. Rajagopalachari in the Puja issue of the 'Amrit Bazar' has pleaded for the reconstruction and revival of the Cripp's proposal !! Sri Aurobindo found it 'late' but C. R. had got back his clarity of mind. As to the actual revival when Wavell comes the difficulties are 1. I. C. S. and Congress on two sides and 2. Jhinna on the third. 2. Anil Baran's article about Bengal flood situation created a great stir in the Ashram. Sri Aurobindo's plea was for organization by the people. Mere Government regulation or work would not do. The ministry is people's and so their dishonesty, want of public spirit and want of tradition

5th February, 1939 Disciple : In the Life of Nivedita which Lizelle is writing, she has found many letters, in one of which she mentions that you gave her charge of editing, Vande Mataram, after you left Calcutta.  Sri Aurobindo : No. I was the Karma Yogin – not Vande Mataram, I saw her before I left Calcutta for Chandernagore. It was from her that I got the news of my contemplated arrest. Then I wrote an article "My Political Will" – that stopped the arrest. Disciple : It seems, she traveled to India once under assumed name to evade arrest in 1910 or 1911. Sri Aurobindo : She died at Darjeeling; she did not die under assumed name. Page – 208  (The

8th January, 1939. Disciple : Can one way that snoring is the protest of the subconscient against somebody's presence? (Laughter ) Sri Aurobindo : Against whom? against whose presence when one snores alone! (Laughter) Disciple : We read in the papers about the conversion of John Middleton Murry to theism. It was Hitler's statement after the purage that he "embodies justice and law", Page – 107 that, he dispenses with "trials"– which made Murry consider him as the Anti-Christ. It seems Gandhian non-violence has also appealed to Hitler. He wants to become a village pastor and stop the flow of villagers to the cities. Gandhi has written about Hitler's regime