III NON - VIOLENCE 28-3-1923 Disciple : There are some followers of the school of non- violence in Indian politics who want to prove that the Gita preaches non-violence. They depend on the Mahatma's interpretation of the Gita. Sri Aurobindo : Non-violence is not in the Gita. If, as some people, including- the Mahatma, say, the Gita signifies a spiritual war or battle only, then what of Apariharyerthe and Hanyamane same – "inevitable circumstance" and "body being killed" ? What of the Shoka – the sorrow – , for those who are dead ? To me such a reading seems the result of a defect in their mental attitude. They have not got the intellectual rectitude which can wait

V VEDIC INTERPRETATION 1923 The topic was Vedic interpretation. Sri Aurobindo   : The third and the fourth Mandala contain many subtle suggestions about the symbolism of the Veda. The hymns of Dirghatamas in the first Mandala are clearly mystic. The experience of the Rishis is common in general principles but it varies in detail. These details are hard to fix because you do not find any parallel to them in other hymns. And so, some­times you become helpless. The general idea of the functions of Agni is the same. He is kavi-kratu –  "one with a seer-will" or "one possessed of the seer-will". You have also to see the connection of Agni with Satya, the Truth. The goo

IV SADHANA 9-4-23 Disciple : Can one practise the Supramental yoga while remaining in the ordinary life ? Sri Aurobindo : It is true that the Supramental yoga accepts life but that does not mean life as it is at present, because the Supramental wants perfection and at present life is not perfect. Many fields of life are at present dominated by Ignorance. We want to change the whole mould of life. We want to gain the Supramental state in human evolution as the next higher step from the Mind. Now that there are signs of its coming we must try to bring it down into the physical being. It is comparatively easy to ascend to the Supermind. But, then, those who go up gener

INTRODUCTION The question which Arjuna asks Sri Krishna in the Gita (2nd Chap.) occurs pertinently to many about all spiritual personalities. "What is the language of one whose under­standing is poised ? How does he speak, how sit, how walk ?" Men want to know the outer signs of the inner attainment—the way in which a spiritual person differs outwardly from other men. But all the tests which the Gita enumerates are inner and therefore invisible to the outer view. It is true also that the inner or the spiritual is the essential and the outer derives its value and form from the inner. But the transformation about which Sri Aurobindo writes in his books has to take place in nature

Chapter II CONGRESS – POLITICS 7-3-1924 The Khilafat ended two days back (5th). Disciple : The Khilafat is steam-rollered. Sri Aurobindo : It is quite right that it should be gone ; the new republic seems thorough and solid in its working Disciple : I doubt if the Turks were right in taking the step because now the opinion of other Muslim countries would go against them. Sri Aurobindo : Opinion can go to the dogs ! It was not by opinion that Kamal defeated the Greeks ! Disciple : But would he be now popular in Turkey ? Sri Aurobindo : He does not care for popularity. Disciple : The allegiance of other Muslims to the Khilafat has all along b

VI EDUCATION May 1923 Sri Aurobindo : Does any one know anything about the Montessori method of child-education ? Disciple : The principle is to base education round the spontaneous activities of the child, i.e., primarily, round its sense-activities which have to be intelligently guided by the teacher. In fact, the child learns, the teacher does not teach in the old sense. Group-life furnishes occasions to inculcate social virtues in the child's mind.  Freedom of the child is the corner-stone of her system. The training centres round child-life by guided activities of the senses, i.e. the nervous system. Sri Aurobindo : The principle is all right. There are, I believe

XII MISCELLANEOUS The talk turned to the Andamans and the punishment of prisoners and jail-discipline. 6-10-1925 Sri Aurobindo : Was passive resistance by X effective in the Andamans ? Disciple : We were the first to resort to it and it had some effect because, I think, it was new there. Then batch after batch tried it but without much result. Sri Aurobindo : Were they organised ? Disciple : Oh yes ! Sri Aurobindo : What were the demands ? Disciple : The status of political prisoners, better food, ventilation, clothing. Sri Aurobindo : That is the difficulty. This kind of passive resistance fails to bring pressure upon the other party after som

VII MIRACLES (A) 26-3-1924 Disciple : The Puranas state that the span of life is different in different cycles. Is it a fact ?  For instance, Rama is said to have lived eleven thousand years. Sri Aurobindo : That is nothing ! (Laughter) Disciple : It seems so, for his father, Dasharatha, lived for eighty thousand years. Sri Aurobindo : So Rama was short-lived ! (Laughter). But what about their statures ? There is a story about Revati. Her father wanted to get her married and wished to consult Brahma, the creator, about it. So he went to the Brahma-loka and he was entertained with a song by an Apsara. After the song was over Brahma asked him about the object of

IX MOVEMENTS 30-4-1923 Arunachal Mission of Bengal wrote a letter to Sri Aurobindo. There is going to be a world-peace organ of the Mission. The founder has been rendering spiritual help to all the movements of peace under its inspiration. Somebody is working at Rome on behalf of the Mission. Disciple : There are according to news-paper reports four­teen Avatars – incarnations – in Bengal ! Sri Aurobindo : Yes, and X suggested a committee of all the Avatars (Laughter). It was a nice idea, no doubt, but it may not turn out to be peaceful ! (Laughter) Disciple : X wanted to convert Arya into something like an Indian academy. Disciple : He also wanted to bring in

ON MEDICINE Medicine _I 11-11-1923 A telegram from a mentally deranged Sadhaka became the topic of this evening. The Sadhaka in question wanted to die. The suggestion of death, it was thought, was due to some hereditary poison in the blood. These kinds of poisons often attack the brain. Sri Aurobindo : It is these people who also get a sense of "sin" and the tendency to repent and humble themselves before others. Also they have very big ideas about themselves. They think they are very important in the universal scheme. (A pause) This yoga, to be done well, requires perfect balance. Therefore, those who have merely a general call for yoga should not go in for it ; bec