Nirodbaran

Talks with Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1

10 December 1938 – 14 January 1941

13 January 1941

Evening

Dr. Manilal: There are four principles of Jainism, Sir.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes, what are they?

Dr. Manilal: Dana, Sila, Tapa and Bhavana. Bhavana is aspiration. This concerns our Yoga, Sir.

Sri Aurobindo: Only this one?

Dr. Manilal: Why only one, Sir? Dana also.

Sri Aurobindo: Dana is charity. We don’t insist on charity to others. Ours is self-dana.

Dr. Manilal: And Sila, Sir?

Sri Aurobindo: What is Sila? Virtue? We don’t insist on virtue. Virtue is a moral principle, not spiritual.

Dr. Manilal: Morality is a consequence of spirituality.

Sri Aurobindo: Not necessarily. Tapa is asceticism. We have nothing to do with asceticism.

Dr. Manilal: No, Sir.

Sri Aurobindo: So aspiration is the only common factor.

Dr. Manilal: Yes, Sir.

Shastri has recently been showing signs of unbalance. A few days ago Nirodbaran was asked by the Mother to go and see him about his health. He had not been sleeping well nor eating properly. He had been observing silence for a long time, in spite of the Mother’s disapproval. The inevitable consequence happened: he lost his mental balance and this evening he came right inside the Ashram only to inquire if the Mother and Sri Aurobindo had called him. After that he seemed to have disappeared. News came later that he was wandering about in the bazar.

Dr. Manilal: I don’t know anything about this story. What’s the matter with him?

Sri Aurobindo: First descent of the Supermind! (Laughter) Yes, that’s what he said. He asked others to be valiant warriors and to write to Atreya to become one of his commanders-in-chief. (Laughter)

Nirodbaran: Is it the result of the Inconscient?

Sri Aurobindo: No, the usual story. Going into silence and shutting himself up thinking that he is doing great Yoga and that everybody is inferior to him. This kind of silence is not good for our Yoga.

Dr. Manilal: Radhanand also observes silence.

Champaklal: No, not this kind. He has communication with selected people.

Sri Aurobindo: Radhananda is quite a different case. He knows what he is about. He had been doing Yoga for ages before he came here. All the cases I have seen of this nature have been due to one of two causes: excessive indulgence in sexual perversity or ambition.

Dr. Manilal: Which was it in Shastri’s case?

Sri Aurobindo: Ambition. He wanted to be a great Yogi. What happens in such cases is that they open to some intermediate zone before the vital is prepared.

Dr. Manilal: G is said to have had the Overmind experience. Is it true, Sir?

Sri Aurobindo: True, if he had it. (Laughter. Dr. Manilal thought that he had it, so Sri Aurobindo added:) The question is whether he had it. (Laughter) It is very easy to get into some vital plane and think oneself to have had all sorts of things.

Dr. Manilal: I remember now, Sir, that Sila in Jainism is not virtue but ekapatni vrata, being faithful to one’s wife.

Sri Aurobindo: We have no wives, so we are not required to keep that commandment. (Laughter)

Dr. Manilal: There are five other principles which can be said to be common with us.

Sri Aurobindo: What are they?

Dr. Manilal: Truth.

Sri Aurobindo: Yes.

Dr. Manilal: Brahmacharya.

Sri Aurobindo: Certainly.

Dr. Manilal: Aparigraha.

Sri Aurobindo: Expected to be common, but isn’t. (Laughter)

Dr. Manilal: I forget the other one.

Nirodbaran: Ahimsa.

Dr. Manilal: Yes, the most important.

Sri Aurobindo: That we half observe – for instance, the killing of mosquitoes and bugs is allowed!