Talks by Nirodbaran.Pdf

Talks by NIRODBARAN at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education H ELI as .:•:BO a KS ' CHENNAI Published in 2012 by Helios Books Co. Private Ltd. Ghatala Towers, 19, Avenue Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai- 600034 Tamil Nadu, India www.heliosbooks.com ISBN 978-93-82540-01-4 Copyright© Sudha 2012 Edited by Ranganath R. and Sudha All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher of this book. �otations of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in rhis book© Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry Printed and bound in India by Saibonds Print Systems Pvt. Ltd. Typeset in Garamond Premier Pro 11 pr. by Helios Books Layout by Helios Books Cover design by]. Menon Other books by Nirodbaran Talks with Sri Aurobindo - Vo l. 1 and Vo l. 2. Vo l. 3 Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo - Vols. 1 & 2 Sri Aurohindo'sHumour Twelve }ears with Sri Aurobindo Sweetness and Light Sun-Blossoms - Fiftypoems, with corrections and comments by Sri Aurobindo PUBLISHER'S NOTE hen Nirodbaran came to Sri Aurobindo Ashram, after completing his medical studies in UK, to practise integral yoga,W he was surprised to findthat poetry was one of the vocations taken up by some disciples as a means of sadhana. Sri Aurobindo encouraged and even in.spired them in their effortsthro ugh suggestions for improvement and guidance in the art of poetics. Helped by Sri Aurobindo's active interest, Nirodbaran began writing poetry and indulged in "eccentric innovations" without knowing anything about English metrical forms. Writing in a mystic-surrealistic vein, his poems gradually progressed towards "overhead poetry". Afterguiding him continuously in his poetic efforts, Sri Aurobindo declared one day that the poet was born! The genesis of this book came about in this manner: Somewhere around 1968-69, a teacher had the bright idea of asking Nirod-da to speak to the students of Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education about Sri Aurobindo. It was deemed that his talks would help prepare the students for Sri Aurobindo's birth-centenary. Nirod da had been in close personal contact with Sri Aurobindo for twelve years. Before that, he had a voluminous correspondence with Sri Aurobindo for five years. It was for these reasons that the students were eager to hear him speak about Sri Aurobindo. Nirod-da agreed and he spoke to the students every We dnesday from 10:40 a.rn. to 11 :30 a.rn. Very soon, word went round that Nirod-da's talks about Sri Aurobindo were very interesting and elevating, and the class started to grow. The audience swelled, and soon the venue had to be shiftedto the 'Hail of Harmony' so that all who wanted to attend could do so. Someone suggested that the talks should be recorded because they often contained fresh information about Sri Aurobindo, hitherto unknown to many. Since there was only a single cassette, it was used forreco rding the talk in every class, and then, after transcription, the same cassette would be used for the next class. Nirod-da delivered, on TALKS BY NrRODBARAN ==� * ·=====�,.- the whole, around 1 SO talks, all of which were patiently recorded and transcribed by Sudha and Kokila. Nirod-da's well-known book Twelve Years with Sri Aurobindo was written from the notes taken during these talks. Even before the writing of the book was completed, Nirod-da started reading it out to the Mother, who would listen to it with great interest about fourtime s a week. She herself wrote a small piece for the book, which said: "Thanks to Nirod, we have the revelation of an altogether unknown side of what Sri Aurobindo was. It is extremely interesting and very instructive." When Nirod-da completed all he had to say about Sri Au robindo, he continued the classes and he spoke about his correspondence with Sri Aurobindo, quoting profusely from the letters he had received fromthe Master. He also spoke about the other sadhaks in the Ashram as well as his own experiences. But the focus of his talks was always Sri Aurobindo. Helios Books is very glad to publish these talks, not only because of the light they throw on some of the lesser known facets of Sri Aurobindo, but also because they reveal the inimitable humour of both Sri Aurobindo and Nirodbaran and their special relationship that we are privileged to witness. We thank the editors, Ranganath R. and Sudha, fortheir painstaking work in prep aring this book. 14May 1969 ast week I had read to you th e life story of a remarkable yogi, which all of you had enjoyed and cherished. [Mahatma KLrishnashr am's story). It seems that our photographer, Vidyavrata,1 has met this yogi and that much ofthe story is true. He doesn't talk with visitors, and to the chagrin of Vidyavrata, he doesn't allow himself to be photographed! He was a witness to the Sepoy Mutiny in 18 5 7, so now you can calculate his age! Now that we're in this mood of storytelling and you children like nothing better, I intend to tell you a story. I feel a little sense of guilt for pushing the Lord from our midst by this digression, but I hope He won't mind, forHe has a sense of humour. The story is about a sadhak2 who is half-baked and half-boiled, like the bun you receive in the Dining Hall; ungainly, charred, crusty, but with some soft stuffin the centre. He is a very ordinary person like any one of you. He doesn't live in close oneness with nature. He is fond of good clothes, laughs, sometimes weeps; eats and sleeps like everybody else, has a good taste, a sense of humour, enjoys good food and tea. When invited by generous ladies, he is ready to taste rasagullas and pantuas3 made by them. He enjoys good company, likes sweet faces, sudden graces. He has a bit ofa poet in him, liftshis eyes to the stars at night and, saying Amen, goes to bed. You see now that he's like any one of you.4 "Thenwhy bother us with such a story?" you may ask. But I believe that one's life is very interesting if one can look at it with detachment; it may even appear very comical. The comical part appears when this sadhak, like M. 1 One of the early sadhaks who came to the Ashram in the thirties. He was almost the official photographer of the Ashram. He used to go out frequently. and had once been to see Shri Krishnashram. 2 A sadhak is one whose aim in life is to attain the divine consciousness. He is engaged in sadhana, which is the fixed discipline to be followedin his chosen path. 3 Indian sweets. 4 N irod-da is referring to himself. 1 TA LKS BY NIRODBARAN �� * ---- �-· Seguin's goat,5 says: "Jl faut du large."6 At times, "magic casements" have opened "on the foams of perilous seas"7 and the voice of the Master has seemed to say from behind the rocks: "Beware, beware, don't make a foolof yourself. Beware!" We ll, now I will tell you about the Master and his asinine disciple! I will be a little sentimental and personal, but as we have become a close and intimate circle, meeting regularly for three years, sentimentality and personality can be permitted. My book, Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo, has made history. The younger generation may take time to appreciate it, but these elderly friends,who have a background of culture and experience, will look at it more lovingly and appreciatively. This is the one book that has made me what I am and what I want to be in this and other lives to come. The book runs to about three hundred and fifty pages without the preface, and contains letters written to one person only. Except another sadhak who corresponded with Sri Aurobindo, nobody else has received so many letters. The correspondence started in 1934, firstin a meagre manner and later in fullswing, and ran into three hundred and fiftypages in a few years. But mind you, not from any sense of pride do I say this, but rather from utter shame - though I used to walk on air when I received the letters, and life was a song - it is still a song, but a sad one! I am really ashamed for having taken up so much of His precious time. In a human way, you can see how much of His time has been wasted in satisfying one person's curiosity and in humouring him. But this correspondence was intended formy soul's development. The book, in the form of questions and answers, gives no idea of what and how much I used to write. The letters were often eight to ten pages each, and He used to read all that at night. The only 5 From a French story forchildren, written by Alphonse Daudet in 1869. Seguin has a goat who is treated well and has all it wants, but pleads for some liberty and wants to get to the mountain. Seguin warns it of the dangers on the mountain, including the wolf. When the goat escapes, it cakes co che mountain and roams wildly, happy until che evening, when the wolf kills it. 6 "The rope needs to be loosened." 7 John Keats, "Ode to a Nightingale� 1819, Stanza VIL 2 TA LKS BY NIRODBARAN � � - consolation I have for all this youthful enthusiasm and effervescence is that He found my letters interesting (though interesting has many meanings!).

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