Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part One. Autobiographical Notes
2. Sri Aurobindo’s corrections of statements in a proposed biography
Political Life, 1893–1910
General Note (referring
especially to the Alipur Case and Sri Aurobindo’s politics)
There seems to be put forth here and in several places
the idea that Sri Aurobindo’s political standpoint was entirely pacifist, that
he was opposed in principle and in practice to all violence and that he
denounced terrorism, insurrection etc. as entirely forbidden by the spirit and
letter of the Hindu religion. It is even suggested that he was a forerunner of
Mahatma Gandhi and his gospel of Ahimsa. This is quite [incorrect]1 and, if left, would give a wrong idea about Sri Aurobindo. He has
given his ideas on the subject, generally, in the Essays on the Gita, First
Series (Chapter IV?) where he supports the Gita’s idea of
dharmya yuddha and criticises, though not expressly, the Gandhian ideas
of soul-force. If he had held the pacifist ideal, he would never have supported
the Allies (or anybody else) in this War, still less sanctioned some of his
disciples joining the Army as airmen, soldiers, doctors, electricians etc. The
declarations and professions quoted in the book are not his, at the most they
may have been put forward by his lawyers or written, more prudentially than
sincerely, by colleagues in the Bande Mataram. The rule of confining
political action to passive resistance was adopted as the best policy for the
National Movement at that stage and not as part of a gospel of Non-violence or
Peace. Peace is part of the highest ideal, but it must be spiritual or at the
very least psychological in its basis; without a change in human nature it
cannot come with any finality. If it is attempted on any other basis (mental
principle, or gospel of Ahimsa or any other) it will fail, and even may leave
things worse than before. He is in favour of an attempt to put down war by
international agreement and international force,– what is now contemplated in
the “New Order”,– if that proves possible, but that would not be Ahimsa, it
would be a putting down of anarchic force by legal force, and one cannot be sure
that it would be permanent. Within nations this
sort of peace has been secured, but it does not prevent occasional civil wars
and revolutions and political outbreaks and repressions, sometimes of a
sanguinary character. The same might happen to a similar world-peace. Sri
Aurobindo has never concealed his opinion that a nation is entitled to attain
its freedom by violence, if it can do so or if there is no other way; whether it
should do so or not, depends on what is the best policy, not on ethical
considerations of the Gandhian kind. Sri Aurobindo’s position (and practice) in
this matter was the same as Tilak’s and that of other Nationalist leaders who
were by no means Pacifists or worshippers of Ahimsa. Those of them who took a
share in revolutionary activities, kept a veil over them for reasons which need
not be discussed now. Sri Aurobindo knew of all these things and took his own
path, but he has always remained determined not to lift the veil till the proper
time comes.
It follows that the passages which convey the opposite idea must be omitted in the interests of Truth or rewritten. Nothing need be said about the side of the Nationalist activities of that time in connection with Sri Aurobindo.
1 MS correct