Correspondence 1948 July 10, 1948 I was very much astonished by your letter and the Mother also. There was nothing for her to be angry about with you and she had no such feeling; there was nothing to offend her in such an utterly trifling matter as your not taking salad prepared with olive oil. Mother merely understood from it that you wanted uncooked vegetables and as she could not give salad in that form she ordered Ravindra to give you uncooked vegetables such as tomatoes and carrots. That was all that happened and her conduct would have been utterly absurd if she had become violently offended over it or wanted to punish you for it or for that reason to

Correspondence 1942 * January 22, 1942 To Dilip With love and special blessings on the occasion of his birthday. “A few consecrate all of themselves and all they have – soul, life, work, wealth; these are the true children of God.” To one of them. Mother * February 17, 1942 (Gist of Dilipda’s letter to Sri Aurobindo of 8.2.42) 1 enclose a letter of my friend Gnan Ghosh 7 dated 5.2.42 where he describes the sufferings of Hashi 8 during her last days. I was much moved by this dark tragedy especially as I had hoped against hope that she would eventually recover. I am often reminded now-a-days of he

Correspondence 1945 * January 2, 1945 There is no change with regard to sex whatever. Babies may be allowed in the Ashram but the manufacture of babies – there is an industry which has no sanction or license. Married people (that is not new) or families may be living here, but on the old condition of the complete cessation of marital activities. The ban on sex here stands, unchanged by an iota. Asit and Manju are not sadhaks. Asit is a very good boy, but that is not enough to make a sadhak. There is needed a call, a strong predisposition or a clear and decided will; he has none of these things. Mother found that he was not fit as yet for sa

Correspondence 1941 January 3, 1941 We were very glad to read your letter of this morning and to hear of this fine experience – for there can be no finer experience than this state of true bhakti. It is a real and great progress that you have made. As for Colonel Pandalal and his wife I gather that they have not as yet asked to come. It might be better to let the wish to come rise in them of itself. January 1941? Your programme is all right. We will remember your prayer on your birthday. When you are informed of the time of your broadcast do not forget to let us know, we wish to listen to it here. With our lo

Correspondence 1938 * August 21, 1938 Congratulations on the song and blessings for the offering. You will have to endorse as indicated by the paper accompanying the cheque at the place where the pencil line is put on the back of the cheque and return, otherwise the Indo-Chine [bank] will jib. * August 28, 1938 I have a gold watch – my father’s – keeps fine time and all that kind of thing. But if Mother wants to sell it off she can do so. It was a costly thing of yore – might fetch Rs. 150 or thereabouts. Will Mother keep for you or her to use it? It keeps good time. But, I repeat, if you want to sell it off

Sri Aurobindo to Dilip Volume 4 1938-1950 Edited by Shankar Bandyopadhyay

Correspondence 1944 * February 1944 (...) do accept this time, you and Mother, as he has changed a lot – even in eating. I thought so, but I am glad to be confirmed by you. I will have more money to offer Mother but I am keeping some money in hand as they threatened me a few days ago for income tax as a French citizen. Who? French administration or English? And when did you become a French citizen? Sotuda saved me here in the past and he may do so again. But in case he faiis I may have to pay a iot. Your force is necessary. I have written to Sotuda. I enclose also a letter of Ambalal. 19 I have rep

Dadaji, Stationed Beyond Darkness To know the truth about a man, he must be judged by his dealings and behaviour with his subordinates and not his friends, for no man thinks it necessary to keep up appearances before those who work under him. Unfortunately the same rule does not apply to a spiritual leader vis-a-vis his disciples. A great spiritual personality is so often surrounded by a collective ego-wall of mediocre followers that truth-seekers cannot help but hesitate to approach the Master. I often feel that all these legends grow around a luminary not because the disciples have too much faith but because they lack faith in the

Foreword Sri Aurobindo was surely one of the most remarkable personalities to emerge anywhere in the world in the 20th century. A brilliant scholar in England in his youth, he returned to India after 14 years and immediately became deeply involved in the freedom movement. When Lord Curzon implemented the controversial decision for the partition of Bengal – the Bang Bhang – Sri Aurobindo left his academic assignment in Baroda and moved to Calcutta where for five years he shone like a meteor in the darkening sky. In 1910, after an epiphany in the Alipore Jail he left for Pondicherry where he lived for the next 40 years until he passed away in 1950. During those 40 years he