29th December, 1938 To-day a question of a doctor (disciple) was conveyed by one of the disciples. Disciple : What is the connection between the causal body and the psychic being? Sri Aurobindo : The psychic being is what is called Chaitya Purusha in the heart, while the Causal body is at present Superconscious. They are not the same. Disciple : It is the Superconscious existence that later on is called "Self" in Vedanta. According to some people Raman Maharshi has realized the Self. Sri Aurobindo : From what Brunton (Paul) has written it does not seem so. He speaks of the "voice in the heart" that would mean the Psychic Being. At this point Mother came

18th February, 1939 Disciple : The maxim "from each according to his capacity and to each according to his need" seem to be basis of Socialism. Page – 216  Sri Aurobindo : Who is to decide the need? In the actual working of Socialism there is a great divergence – some tackle only key industries like Electricity and nationalize them; while others go into the minutest detail. Disciple : Even the Communists in Russia have introduced divergence in wages – to encourage workers to do more work. Sri Aurobindo : Yes, But that comes to the same thing – only instead of the Capitalist it is the State that pays the higher wages. Communism one can understand; a

JANUARY 1941 4th January, 1941 Sri Aurobindo : Inconscient, what is inconscient? There is nothing below the Inconscient. It is from the Inconscient that Matter takes form. Everything has its basis in the Inconscient. As the work is going on in the Inconscient the difficulties from there arise, – various diseases, etc. It is the stuff of all material world. Inconscient has its own power. It has concrete thoughts and ideas of its ignorance and in order to combat them, one has to bring down concrete higher Force. Disciple : What about "In tune with the Infinite" in which he says : "I am infinite power. It is pouring and pouring in me." Sri Aurobindo : What ab

10th January 1939 Disciple : My friend "X" has begun to give medicine to some of my patients. Sri Aurobindo : So, you have your "o-Allo" alliance or axis! Talk on opathy was going when the Mother came. Mother : Do you know about a school of opathy in Switzerland which is very famous in Europe? It prepares medicines also. They have books in which symptoms are grouped together and remedies are indicated for a group of symptoms. It is a very convenient method; only, you have to have the book; or good memory. But are you allowed to practice opathy without license? Disciple : Oh, yes. No license is required in India. Disciple : But Dr. S was telling that using

26th December, 1938. Four disciples were seated on the carpet talking in low whispers at about 5. 30 P. M. One of the group broke into suppressed laughter  in the course of the talk. At 6. 30 P. M. we all assembled by the side of Sri Aurobindo, He looked round and referring to the laughter  asked : "What was the divine descent about?" Disciple : X. had his usual outburst of laughter. Sri Aurobindo : Oh, it was the descent of Vishnu's ananda. Disciple : It is very peculiar how I break out into uncontrolled laughter  so easily. Formerly, I used to weep at the slightest provocation. I think because I live in the external consciousness only I laugh so easily. Is i

APRIL 1940 25th April, 1940 R was talking to C in the train that his difficulty was about accepting Mother, because he said they used to meditate together and therefore he found it difficult to accept her. Disciple : Nobody ever meditated with the Mother before the Ashram came into existence in 1926. Sri Aurobindo : Yes, even then in the beginning there were very few people. Disciple : Mother used to meditate with Sri Aurobindo only. Sri Aurobindo : Yes, but that was individual. She was coming to me and her position was special even from the very beginning. There was no comparison between others and Mother. There were people in the Ashram who thought that Mo

MARCH, 1940 Undated Disciple : Does this article show any change in Barin's attitude? Sri Aurobindo : It depends. He says what is uppermost in his mind, and what suits him at the moment, according to his moods. But it may be a change in his attitude, but difficult to say if there is any progress. The change may be due to his having failed in every thing after going from here and the Ashram growing out since. That may have impressed him. It may be due to mental causes also. Disciple : He admits that he had fallen from the path and his attitude towards Mother. Disciple : Somebody said that he used to speak highly of the Mother. Disciple : No, he was critical.

May, 1940 20th May, 1940 Disciple : Why Hitler says that he wants to finish this campaign before August 15th*? Sri Aurobindo : That's a clear indication, if an indication was necessary, that he is the enemy of our work. Disciple : Is it that he fears that descent might take place on August 15th which might make his work more difficult? Sri Aurobindo : This force does not believe in Divine descent, but it is a sort of challenge that, "I will finish my first decisive victory before August 15th". That shows the nature of the conflict. Disciple : It does not seem to be only one being. It seems to be a camp. Sri Aurobindo : yes. But this is the leading (s

17th January, 1939 Photographs of Harnath (Pagal) and Kusum Devi were shown to Sri Aurobindo. A declaration from Matushri Page – 138 Kusum Haranath – that she was the Supreme Power and that Harnath was one of her forms, was read. Sri Aurobindo : That is the Tantric doctrine. Disciple : But Harnath was a Vaishnava. Sri Aurobindo : Yes, but the doctrine she has proclaimed is not Vaishnava doctrine, it is Tantric. Disciple : Is it true? Sri Aurobindo : In principle it is true; for the Supreme Shakti is the Divine Consciousness and all the gods are from her. It is she who gives out the gods – Shiva and others. It is said that even Shiva cannot act u

22nd  January, 1939 Sri Aurobindo opened the topic by asking : –"What about D's fast?" He was told yesterday that D was going to fast on his birth-day i.e. to-day. But he had forgotten all about it. Disciple : I hear he has taken bread and butter in the morning and at mid-day a light meal. Sri Aurobindo : Fasting with bread and milk! Disciple : There are people who believe that bread and milk can be taken while fasting. (Laughter) Sri Aurobindo : That is also the custom in Bengal, I believe. That reminds me of a story. Nevinson went to see Tilak and met him in Dhoti. While describing the meeting he said :  Mr. Tilak received me naked in his cloth. (Laugh