Talks with Sri Aurobindo Volume 2 by Nirodbaran Sri Aurobindo Ashram Pondicherry Pre Note Talks with Sri Aurobindo is a thousand-page record of Sri Aurobindo's con- versations with the disciples who attended him during the last twelve years of his life. The talks are informal and open-ended, for the attendants were free to ask whatever questions came to mind. Sri Aurobindo speaks of his own life and work, of the Mother and the Ashram, of his path of Yoga and other paths, of India's social, cultural and spiritual life, of the country's struggle for political independence, of Hitler and the Second World War, of modern science, art and poetry, and of many other things that arose in the course of conversation. Serious discussion is balanced with light-hearted banter and humour. By recording these human touches, Nirodbaran has brought out the warm and intimate atmosphere of the talks. NOTE These talks are from my notebooks. For several years I used to record most of the conversations which Sri Aurobindo had with us, his attendants, and a few others after the accident to his right leg in November 1938.Besides my- self, the regular participants were Purani, Champaklal, Satyendra, Mul- shankar and Dr. Becharlal. Occasional visitors were Dr. Manilal, Dr. Rao and Dr. Savoor. As these notes were not seen by Sri Aurobindo himself, the responsibility for the Master's words rests entirely with me. I do not vouch for absolute ac- curacy, but I have tried my best to reproduce them. faithfully. I have made the same attempt for the remarks of the others. NIRODBARAN i Table of Contents Pre Note...........................................................................................................i NOTE...............................................................................................................i 1940.................................................................................................................1 1 March 1940.............................................................................................1 2 MARCH 1940.........................................................................................6 3 MARCH 1940.........................................................................................8 4 MARCH 1940.......................................................................................12 5 MARCH 1940.......................................................................................16 6 MARCH 1940 ......................................................................................18 7 MARCH 1940.......................................................................................24 8 MARCH 1940.......................................................................................25 9 MARCH 1940.......................................................................................27 10 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................30 11 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................35 12 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................36 13 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................39 14 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................43 15 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................46 16 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................47 17 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................50 18 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................53 19 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................55 20 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................57 21 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................59 22 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................61 23 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................64 24 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................66 25 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................67 26 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................68 27 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................69 29 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................69 31 MARCH 1940.....................................................................................70 1 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................73 2 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................76 ii 3 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................78 4 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................79 5 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................81 6 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................83 7 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................85 8 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................85 9 APRIL 1940...........................................................................................88 10 APRIL 1940.........................................................................................90 11 APRIL 1940.........................................................................................91 12 APRIL 1940.........................................................................................94 14 APRIL 1940.........................................................................................96 15 APRIL 1940.........................................................................................99 16 APRIL 1940.......................................................................................101 17 APRIL 1940.......................................................................................102 18 APRIL 1940.......................................................................................104 5 MAY 1940...........................................................................................106 6 MAY 1940...........................................................................................112 7 MAY 1940...........................................................................................115 8 MAY 1940...........................................................................................117 9 MAY 1940...........................................................................................118 10 MAY 1940.........................................................................................120 11 MAY 1940.........................................................................................123 12 MAY 1940.........................................................................................125 13 MAY 1940.........................................................................................127 14 MAY 1940.........................................................................................128 15 MAY 1940.........................................................................................129 16 MAY 1940.........................................................................................131 17 MAY 1940.........................................................................................135 18 MAY 1940.........................................................................................137 19 MAY 1940.........................................................................................140 20 MAY 1940.........................................................................................143 21 MAY 1940.........................................................................................145 22 MAY 1940........................................................................................148 23 MAY 1940.........................................................................................150 24 MAY 1940.........................................................................................154 25 MAY 1940.........................................................................................158 26 MAY 1940.........................................................................................161 27 MAY 1940.........................................................................................164 iii 28 MAY 1940.........................................................................................166 29 MAY 1940.........................................................................................169 30 MAY 1940.........................................................................................175 31 MAY 1940.........................................................................................176 1 JUNE 1940..........................................................................................179