15th December 1938 Disciple : You told me Dr. R. uses mental intuition. So there may be various levels of intuition. Sri Aurobindo : By mental intuition I mean the Intuition which comes from Above. Don't get mixed in the mind. I don't say that mental intuition is not correct but it is always limited because of the mixture. There is also the vital influence which very often becomes mixed up with one's desires. Disciple : How to get the intuition? By calmness of mind? Sri Aurobindo : Calmness is not enough. Mind must be silent. Disciple : It will then take a long time. Sri Aurobindo : Can't say. Can take a short time, or a long time. Disciple : Bu

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 pla

13th January, 1939 The Mother was present when X put the following question to her. Disciple : Mother, is it a sin to kill bugs, mosquitoes, scorpions etc.? "Ask Sri Aurobindo"; The Mother replied smiling. "When I came here I used to drive them away by yogic force. Sri Aurobindo did not approve of it." Sri Aurobindo : Because one is making friendship with them in that way. What is the sin? If you don't kill them they will go and bite some other people and won't it be a sin to you? Disciple : But they have life, Sir? Sri Aurobindo : Yes, they have. Page – 118  Disciple : And, if one kills them? Sri Aurobindo : Well, what happens? Discip

6th January, 1939 Disciple : What are the methods in Sadhana for removal of the ego? Sri Aurobindo : There are two methods of effacement of the ego :   Page – 97 1. By realization of the spirit above and of its nature of purity, knowledge etc. 2. By humility in the heart. Disciple : What is the difference? Sri Aurobindo : The second method does not remove the ego but makes it harmless' it would therefore help one spiritually. Complete removal of the ego takes place when one identifies oneself with the Spirit and realizes the same Spirit in all. Also when the mental, vital and physical nature is known to be derivative from the Universal Mind, universa

1941 OR 1942 Undated Disciple : Does the feminine aspect (of the Divine) correspond to love, Devotion and surrender? Sri Aurobindo : No, not necessarily. Disciple : Does not Satchidananda love? Sri Aurobindo : No, that is Krishna Prem's idea, perhaps. Disciple : There is no reason to associate these with the feminine aspect because he associates these with it. Disciple : Receptivity includes these things; it is only a way of representing the inner life of the woman. Sri Aurobindo : Because the female is passive, dependent, (passively active) while the male is active, strong and self-reliant. Disciple : The Vaishnavas look upon all soul

MAY, 1939 6th May, 1939 Arjava died on the 5th May – at Bangalore. He was treated by Dr. Brunitzer. Post mortem examination revealed pericardiatis, six ounces of water from the right side of the heart. Disciple : Our Dr. X sticks to his Rheumatism theory. The French doctor started with typhoid, but it was negatived by blood examination. Dr. Brunitzer, in the beginning said that it was Septisemia. Disciple : So, even after the post mortem nobody was wiser. How is this possible that even after the post mortem, they don't accept the diagnosis? Sri Aurobindo : You can see that Dr. X is not ready to admit anything other than what he believes. He takes into P

14th January, 1939 The topic of opathy came up. It was said that it has cures for religious depression and anger also. Disciple : Anger, the scientists say, is due to the reaction of glands. But can "egoism" be cured like that? Disciple : If it can be cured, I would be the first to apply for it. Disciple : "The fact you are conscious about the "ego" makes half the cure–is it not?" he said turning to Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo : Not necessarily. But it is the first step. Disciple : And what is the second? Sri Aurobindo : To detach oneself from all these things; to think as if all these things belong to the other being, or some one else. As one goes

21st January, 1939 Disciple : In the political problem of India the States present a great obstacle – particularly to the political unity of the country. Sri Aurobindo : It can be achieved as Germany did with her many States. Page – 217 Disciple : There is a great rush for public career now a days – in fact there is a competition for it. But there are the low tendencies also visible. How to combat this tendency? Sri Aurobindo : By creating a tradition of respect for character, by throwing out dishonest men from public life. Politicians can lie but not be corrupt. Parliamentary form of democracy is not necessarily suited to India. As it is, anybody sta

2nd January, 1939 Disciple : I think the Mother is testing me. Mother : That is not the habit here. It is the play of the forces, or rather the play of adverse forces, that tries to test the Sadhak. If you refuse to listen to them or remain firm, then they withdraw.  People here have plenty of difficulties already. Why, add new ones? To say that we purposely test them is not true. We never do it, never. Mother came in for meditation and went away early at 6-45. But she did not go to the evening meditation before nearly 7-25 or 7-30. Disciple : How far is it desirable for the Ashram to be self-sufficient? Sri Aurobindo :  Self-sufficient in what way? Dis

25th June, 1940 Disciple : We say everything happens, happens according to the Divine Will i. e. nothing happens without it. So the defeat of France happened according to the Divine Will i. e. according to Sri Aurobindo's will! Sri Aurobindo : "Everything" does not mean every individual act or event. You can say Sri Aurobindo's will on another level of consciousness willed it. For instance, you can't say that I willed to break my leg!! People think of God as a kind of super-dictator. The Divine Will lays down general lines –  but in actual play (Lila) it consents to limitations that are self-imposed. It has also to pay the price in the play of forces. Otherwise you can