APRIL, 1943 16th April, 1943 General Tokezyswaki : Polish leader came through Umadevi, a Polish lady. 17th April, 1943 General Tokezyswaki saw Mother at 3-30 for nearly an hour. 1. Synthesis of Elements of different cultures. 2. Nearly 3500 Polish refugees in India. 3. One or two hours to himself for reading about this literature. Sri Aurobindo : "Such men will find great difficulties after the war because the peace seems much more difficult – war is difficult enough". Page – 313  From the notes. 18th April, 1943 In Russia before the war there were 18 million in prison – 1/10th of the population!

7th February, 1939 Disciple : Bose has called his leftist Conference. I wonder what programme they are going to formulate. Sri Aurobindo : That is what they are not going to say. The only thing they are to do is to give an ultimatum to the British Government. After that they will break some laws or ask the Ministers to resign on the States' issue, if they have not done so by that time. Disciple : The States' question will be an all-absorbing matter and the split in the Congress may be avoided. Sri Aurobindo : But it is not definite what the princes will do. They are under the thumb of the British Government. Only a man like Holkar and Nabha may side wit

18th December, 1938 (4-30 P. M.) Disciple  :  It is surprising that Swami Nikhilananda should write about you. (There was an article in the Hindu by Swami Nikhilananda) Sri Aurobindo  :  It is Nistha (Miss Wilson) who arranged for its publication through him, her friend, before she came here. (After some silence) It is peculiar how they give an American turn to everything (Ref. to the article) Disciple : How is it that the Americans seem to be more open? Sri Aurobindo : Yes, because they are a new nation and have no past tradition to bind them. France and Czechoslovakia Page – 29 also are open. Many are writing from there to do yoga. Disciple : Nisth

30th December, 1939 Disciple : The Hindu Mahasabha this year has got a large number of delegates from the two provinces with Muslim majority. Sri Aurobindo : The two provinces with a Muslim majority? Disciple : Do you think that the Hindu Mahasabha if it is organized would weaken the Congress? Sri Aurobindo : The Congress may allow the Mahasabha to settle the question with the Muslims by organizing the Hindus instead of nationalist Hindus quarreling among themselves. If the Congress can do something effective then it would be all right. Disciple : There are some people who object to "Vande Mataram" as a national song. And some Congress men support the remov

NOVEMBER, 1940 28th November, 1940 Letters from Kabul and from Ella Maillard; change in attitude to Gabriel; effective representation of Ella. Gandhi's will – or political will was read (brought by Abhaya Deva) distributed to Gandhi Seva Sangh – spoken orally and taken down; after hearing the whole letter Sri Aurobindo said : Something in him takes delight in suffering for its own sake. Even the prospect of suffering seems to please him though he puts in a lot of ethics with his justification, the fact is that something in him enjoys suffering. 2. Secondly, if he knows that to the British Government 50 Gandhis would not matter – wha

15th December, 1939 Disciple X was laughing and Y was present. Sri Aurobindo turned his head inquiringly as to mean: What is the cause of the laughter. Disciple : My presence acts as a catalytic agent, so I myself do not know the cause nor what is the joke. Sri Aurobindo : That is how the subliminal self acts, without your knowledge, while your surface consciousness is ignorant about it. Disciple : But to return to N's question. If one takes the standpoint of reason and wants to decide about the validity of spiritual experience he will find the experiences also differ. So how can experience be a criterion. Sri Aurobindo : Experience is not a criterion; it is

23rd December, 1938 We have assembled as usual, and are eager to resume the talk. But nobody could begin without some hint or gesture from Sri Aurobindo. He was lying calmly in his bed. A disciple made an approach to Sri Aurobindo half-hesitatingly. This made another disciple roar with laughter.  (Sri Aurobindo heard the laughter) Disciple : X. is roaring with laughter. Sri Aurobindo : Descent of Ananda? This primary breaking of the ice made the atmosphere a little encouraging So, X catching the chance shot the following question with a beaming face : Disciple : Because the hostile forces offer resistance to the Divine manifestation in the world and s

JANUARY, 1939 1st January, 1939 Disciple : How can one succeed in meditation? Sri Aurobindo :  By quietude of the mind. Above the Mind there is not only the Infinite in itself but infinite sea of peace, joy, light, etc. – above the head. The golden lid – Hiranmaya patra – intervenes between that which is above Mind and what is below. Once one can break that lid those elements can come down at any time one wills, and for that, quietude is necessary. There are people who get those things without quietude, but it is very difficult.  Disciple : It is said that there is also a veil in the heart, is it true? Sri Aurobindo :  Yes, a veil or a wall, if you like. Th

SEPTEMBER, 1940 15th September, 1940 Disciple : Has the individual no reality except as a puppet? Sri Aurobindo : That is Shanker's stand. Disciple : Another question is "If the Divine is already there and does everything then why yoga?" Because Sri Krishna says to Arjuna in the Gita that you have only to become Nimitta – instrument. So the Christian's criticism is that the Individual is meaningless – without any justification or fulfillment. Gita is preaching pure mechanism or unconsciousness. Sri Aurobindo : But Gita does not say that you are "compelled" to become the Nimitta. It says "Bhava" – “become!" but it does not say that you have no existence

3rd January, 1939 There was hearty laugh over the thesis of a Marathi writer with Socialistic tendencies who tried to prove that Swami Ramdas was a socialist! Disciple : Some of the Sadhaks seem to become too delicate, – a small cut or even smell of burning ghee upsets them. Sometimes other people who cannot understand this say this is mere feinting. Sri Aurobindo :  They used to brand the body with hot iron to see if the man was in trance or not! They thought perhaps that it might be only deep trance and not Nirvikalpa Samadhi! (Laughter) Disciple : Can it be that the man would not feel anything? Page – 83 Sri Aurobindo :  There are cases of people who