COMPILER'S NOTE

Because of the vast range of his writings, no compilation from Sri Aurobindo can claim to be comprehensive in every way. The present, however, is a cross-section of the words of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that have a direct bearing on India's past, present, and, more than anything else, on her incalculably glorious Future — a Future with which is indissolubly bound up the Future of the whole world, of all humanity.

The extracts have not been given their dates of publication as they are immortal truths of perennial value, and apply today as they did when they first came out from the Seer-vision of the Mother and the Master. Today, in this 'Hour of God', India, especially her growing youths, need them more than ever before. In fact, some of the extracts are addressed right to the youths of India.

The extracts, collected from various sources, have been grouped under proper titles in order to ensure some coherence among their basic ideas. Besides, this may help the reader to have an over-all perception of what the contents of the compilation suggest towards the reconstruction of India's national life for its larger fulfillments in the future.

The works used in the compilation and in the sketches are: Sri Aurobindo—Bhavani Mandir, Collected Poems and Plays, On Education, On Nationalism,

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On Yoga, Savitri, Speeches, The Foundations of Indian Culture, The Hour of God, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of the Karmayogin, The Life Divine, The Messages of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Mother, The National Value of Art, The Renaissance in India, Yoga and its Objects, Bande Mataram (Daily and Weekly), Mother India (Monthly), Sri Aurobindo Pathamandir Annual, The Standard Bearer (Weekly), Bulletin of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (Quarterly), Prayers and Meditations of the Mother, Words of the Mother. Sisirkumar Mitra's Evolution of India, Resurgent India, The Liberator — Sri Aurobindo, India and the World.

The first two sections of Part Two, on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, are by the compiler.

The pictures in the compilation are as examples of Sri Aurobindo's revealing exposition of Indian art included in it. Grateful acknowledgements are due to Archaeological Survey of India; Department of Archaeology, Government of Tamil Nadu; Department of Tourism, Government of West Bengal; Institut Francais d'Indologie, Pondicherry; Shrimati Anjani Dayanand, Chief Secretary, Government of Pondicherry; Ashram Photographers; for providing photographic prints for reproduction.

The compiler is happy that this book is coming out just a year before the First Birth Centenary of Sri Aurobindo on 15 August 1972, and for this he is grateful to Shri Navajata, General Secretary, Sri

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Aurobindo Society and Auroville, who asked him to do this service to the Mother.

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