Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
CONTENTS
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PART ONE |
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AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NOTES |
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Section One |
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Life Sketches and Other Autobiographical Notes |
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Section Two |
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Corrections of Statements Made in Biographies and Other Publications |
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General Note (referring especially to the Alipur Case and Sri Aurobindo’s politics) |
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PART TWO |
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LETTERS OF HISTORICAL INTEREST |
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Section One |
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Letters on Personal, Practical and Political Matters,1890 – 1926 |
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Letters Written as a Probationer in the Indian Civil Service, 1892 |
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Letters Written While Employed in the Princely State of Baroda, 1895 – 1906 |
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To the Dewan, on the Government’s Reply to the Letter on the Curzon Circular |
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Letters and Telegrams to Political and Professional Associates, 1906 – 1926 |
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Section Two |
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Early Letters on Yoga and the Spiritual Life, 1911 – 1928 |
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Section Three |
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Other Letters of Historical Interest on Yoga and Practical Life, 1921 – 1938 |
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PART THREE |
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PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONSON INDIAN AND WORLD EVENTS, 1940–1950 |
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Section One |
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Public Statements, Messages, Letters and Telegrams on Indian and World Events, 1940 – 1950 |
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On the Integration of the French Settlements in India, 1947 – 1950 |
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Section Two |
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Private Letters to Public Figures and to the Editor of Mother India, 1948 – 1950 |
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Notes and Letters to the Editor of Mother India on Indian and World Events, 1949 – 1950 |
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PART FOUR |
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PUBLIC STATEMENTS AND NOTICES CONCERNINGSRI AUROBINDO’S ASHRAM AND YOGA, 1927 – 1949 |
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Section One |
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Public Statements and Notices concerning the Ashram,1927 – 1937 |
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Section Two |
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Public Statements about Sri Aurobindo’s Path of Yoga, 1934 and 1949 |
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Notices for Members of the Ashram 1928 1937
Notices of May 1928
[1]
It has been found necessary to change some of the forms and methods hitherto used to help by external means the individual and collective sadhana. This has to be done especially in regard to the consecration of food, the collective meditation and the individual contact of the sadhaka with the Mother. The existing forms were originally arranged in order to make possible a spiritual and psychic communion on the most physical and external planes by which there would be an interchange of forces, a continuous increase of the higher consciousness on the physical plane, a more and more rapid change of the external nature of the sadhakas and afterwards an increasing descent of the supramental light and power into Matter. But for this to be done there was needed a true and harmonious interchange, the Mother leading, the sadhakas following her realisation and progress. The Mother would raise all by a free self-giving of her forces, the sadhakas would realise in themselves her realisations and would by the force of an unfaltering aspiration and a surrender free from narrow personal demand and self-regarding littleness, consecrated wholly to the divine work, return her forces for a new progress. At first partly realised, this rhythm of interchange has existed less and less. The whole burden of the progress has fallen physically on the body of the Mother; for the forces it gives it receives little or nothing in exchange; the more its consciousness advances in the light, the more it is pulled back towards the unchanged obscurity of an unprogressive external nature. These conditions create an intolerable and useless strain and make the forms used at once unprofitable and unsafe. Other means will have to be found hereafter for the purpose.
Page – 532 Meanwhile modifications of form will have to be made in several details and others suppressed altogether. 26 May 1928
[2]
Meditation on all days of the week except Wednesday and Friday. Flower offering on Tuesday and Thursday; none on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
May 1928
[3]
Meditation at 7.0 a.m. as before. All fixed or daily times for sadhakas seeing the Mother are cancelled. Every day the Mother will call those whom she wants to see. Any others who need to see her will inform Nalini early in the morning or the night before and write the reason for their request which will be acceded to or otherwise dealt with according to circumstances and possibilities. The soup will be distributed in the evening in the downstairs verandah of Sri Aurobindo's house. All who take it must be present at 8.30 and remain seated in silence till the Mother comes. Before the distribution there will be a few minutes concentration all together. The night meditations are cancelled for a time. __
On the 1s..t of each month the distribution from the stores will be made in the store-room in the presence of the Mother at 8 P.M. ==
May 1928
Page – 533
[These notices were written by Sri Aurobindo, typed by his secretary and posted on the Ashram notice-board.]
[1]
NOTICE
All who wish to be present at the drawing of the lottery, must come to the verandah downstairs in Sri Aurobindo's house after soup on Saturday, the 7th. Tickets will be distributed to them there.
September 5, 1929
[2]
NOTICE
It is not advisable that all should give up milk immediately. If it is to be done, it can only be when arrangements have been made for a substitute. The only objection to the milk was that two cows were sick and their unhealthy milk was being mixed with the rest. But these two have now been sent away and there is no farther danger.
September 17, 1929 [3]
Notice
There have been several instances recently in which members of the Asram have been rude and overbearing in their behaviour to the French police when they come to the Asram in connection with the registration of new arrivals. There can be no possible excuse for this kind of conduct, especially as the police authorities have agreed to our own proposals in the matter and we have undertaken to help them with all necessary information. Sri Aurobindo has already given a warning against
Page – 534 making trouble for the Asram with the authorities; it ought not to be necessary to repeat it. Especial care must be taken during these days when many are arriving from outside. If the police come for information, they must not be sent rudely away; they should be asked to wait and information must immediately be given to Purani who will deal with the matter.
1 August 1929
[4]
This Asram, maintaining almost a hundred people, has to be run at a heavy expense; it is therefore the understanding that while those who have nothing (the majority) are admitted free and nothing is asked from them, the few who have something are expected to give what they have. If they wish to have the charge of their whole spiritual and material future taken over by us, it is at least fair that they should make the offering of all their possessions.
December 1, 1929 Sri Aurobindo
[5]
An unique opportunity presents itself for the acquisition of a land of great value, specially prepared and large enough to supply all that the Asram needs of rice, of vegetables and more and also to maintain cows and a dairy so that the Asram can consume its own milk. The land is offered at an extraordinarily favourable rate. Originally offered at 66,000, it is now to be had at Rs 25,000. The Mother wants to know if there is anyone in the Asram or connected with it or sympathetic with it who can get or procure the sum needed so that we may not lose the opportunity for this purchase.
3.3.33 Sri Aurobindo
Page – 535
[6]
In view of the approaching intended visit of Mahatma Gandhi the sadhaks are reminded that it is contrary to the rule of the Asram to join in any public demonstration such as meetings, lectures, receptions or departures. It is expected that they will observe strictly this rule.
3-2-34 Sri Aurobindo
[7]
Notice
As the Mother needs complete rest, there will be no pronam or evening darshan. All interviews are countermanded until farther notice and no books or letters are to be sent to her.
Sri Aurobindo
For today also it will be better if the sadhaks send no work to me.
14.6.34
[8]
Notice.
There will be no pronam or interviews today. No books or correspondence are to be sent. The answers to yesterday's correspondence to which Sri Aurobindo had no time to attend last night, will be sent today or tomorrow as soon as he has time.
Sri Aurobindo
Tuesday. 17 July. [1934]
Page – 536 [9]
NOTICE
1. All letters in the evening should henceforth be sent in by 8.30 and all books by 9.30. After these times only communications on urgent matters such as illness etc can be received. Those who send in books and letters after the fixed hours cannot be sure of their communications being dealt with and must not expect an answer. 2. From now to the 15t.h August and afterwards sadhaks . are asked to limit their letters as much as possible to what is necessary and important. 3. Those who send books daily to the Mother (apart from departmental reports) are asked to send them only twice a week or at most thrice on fixed days. These recommendations have to be made because at present there is an excess of work for the Mother which prevents both sufficient rest and the concentration necessary for more important things that have to be done. The correspondence has come to engross all the time not given to Pranam and interviews and interferes with or entirely prevents more important sides of the work. It is necessary to impose a more reasonable proportion and set right the balance. It is to be hoped that the sadhaks will themselves cooperate willingly in getting this done.
July 17, 1934. Sri Aurobindo
[10]
Notice about the Rosary terrace1 __________ Those who are not inmates of this compound cannot come on the Rosary terrace without special permission from the Mother.
4 August 1934
1 The heading of this notice was written by the Mother. — Ed.
Page – 537
[11]
NOTICE
1. Those who are waiting for the Pranam before the Mother comes down, should remain quiet and silent so that all who wish to prepare themselves by concentration may be able to do so and the right atmosphere may be created for the Meditation. 2. No one should come out or go in from the time the Meditation has begun up to its ending. 3. Laughing, whispering or talk should not be indulged in in the Pranam hall while the Pranam is going on. 4. No one should look upon the Pranam either as a formal routine or an obligatory ceremony or think himself under any compulsion to come there. The object of the Pranam is not that sadhaks should offer a formal or a ritual daily homage to the Mother, but that the sadhaks may receive along with the Mother's blessing whatever spiritual help or influence they are in a condition to receive and assimilate. It is important to maintain a quiet and collected atmosphere favourable for that purpose.
11 August, 1934 Sri Aurobindo
[12]
NOTICE
From today onward till a week after the 24th the sending of books and correspondence is suspended. Only urgent communications (e.g. medical reports), necessary information and things of importance that cannot wait should be sent during this time. 16 November 1934 Sri Aurobindo
Page – 538 [13]
NOTICE
Correspondence can be resumed from Monday the 3d December. At the same time I am obliged to remind the sadhaks of what I had written in my notice before the 15th August last. Since then the situation is no better. On the contrary the volume of correspondence, books and reports had considerably increased and the Mother had often less than four hours rest out of the twenty-four. This is a strain that cannot be allowed to continue. I must therefore again ask the sadhaks to use more discretion in this matter so that it may not be necessary to multiply the non-correspondence days or make restrictive rules so as to limit the amount of correspondence.
1.12.1934 Sri Aurobindo
[14]
Until farther notice sadhaks are requested not to go to the Dispensary for medicines or treatment without special permission or order from the Mother. late 1934
[15]
Notice
When the Ashram is shown to visitors, the Dispensary must be omitted from the parts shown hereafter. late 1934
[16]
NOTICE
As usual in view of the coming Darshan, books and regular correspondence have to be suspended until after the 21st. Notice will be given when they can be resumed. Medical reports are not to be discontinued. Letters giving
Page – 539 urgent or necessary information or communications of importance that cannot be delayed can be sent. But all such correspondence should as a rule be as brief as possible.2 7.2.35 Sri Aurobindo
[17]
NOTICE
The withdrawal of the previous notice about correspondence does not mean that books, letters etc. can be sent as before. Only what is necessary or important should be sent for the present. 20-3-35 Sri Aurobindo
[18]
NOTICE
In view of the approach of the darshan day books and correspondence are suspended from Saturday the 27th July until farther notice. This notice is necessary because correspondence for 2 or 3 months had become as heavy as before. Are excepted medical reports and such departmental reports as the Mother may direct to continue; also communications on matters of urgent importance. Those who are accustomed to write regularly about their sadhana may continue to write once a week during this period if they find it necessary.
July 26, 1935 Sri Aurobindo
2 When this notice was taken down, Sri Aurobindo wrote to his secretary on the bottom of the typed copy: Nolini Tajdar has taken off this notice — but I do not want all the floods of books and correspondence back again. You should put up a notice that the withdrawal does not mean that all the books and correspondence can come as before. Only what is necessary or important should be sent for the present. In response to this Nolini drafted the notice of 20 March 1935. — Ed.
Page – 540 [19]
NOTICE
As at this time the number of those taking meals increases greatly, all are requested to keep regularly to the fixed hours. The arrangement for late comers can be allowed only for those who are detained by the Mother's work and for no one else. 7.8.1935
[20]
NOTICE
In view of the coming Darshan correspondence is suspended for the rest of the month except for urgent or indispensable communications. Medical reports to be sent as usual and any other departmental reports the continuance of which the Mother may think necessary. Sri Aurobindo November 10, 1935
[21]
NOTICE
The withdrawal of the previous notice about correspondence does not mean that books, letters etc. can be sent as before. Only what is necessary or important should be sent for the present. In future letters and personal books should be sent in by 7 P.M. and not later. It may be necessary, as there is no longer sufficient time in the afternoon, to discontinue the afternoon mail except for urgent answers.3 December 2, 1935 Sri Aurobindo
3 This is an enlarged version of the notice of 20 March 1935 (see notice 17 above). Sri Aurobindo added the last two paragraphs by hand. — Ed.
Page – 541
[22]
The attention of the sadhaks is called to the terms of the Notice of the 2d December. It is quite impossible for us at the present time to go on again dealing with masses of correspondence which keep the Mother after her day's work still occupied up to the small hours of the morning and myself answering letters all the night. Under such conditions the really important work we have to do cannot be done. The sadhaks are asked to restrict their correspondence to what is necessary only, to a minimum. The rule that no letters should be sent after 7 pm must also be observed. We cannot have personal books and letters pouring in till late at night. It is also necessary to recall the fact that Sunday is a complete non-correspondence day. Latterly this rule seems to have been too much ignored, often forgotten altogether. Sri Aurobindo
[23]
NOTICE
In view of the coming darshan correspondence is suspended till farther notice. Departmental and medical reports as usual. July 31, 1936 Sri Aurobindo
[24]
It has become necessary to remind the sadhaks of two of the rules about correspondence which are now being disregarded — (1) that Sunday is a non-correspondence day. (2) that letters have to be given in by 7 pm or at the latest before 8 pm. Only departmental books and reports can be sent in later, but these also not too late.
Page – 542 If letters continue to come in at all hours, it will become impossible to deal with the correspondence. August 31, 1936 Sri Aurobindo
[25]
NOTICE
In view of the coming darshan correspondence is suspended; subject to the usual exceptions (medical reports etc), throughout the month of November. November 1, 1936 Sri Aurobindo
[26]
NOTICE
It has been found necessary to extend the non-correspondence period; it will continue until further orders.
28.2.37 Sri Aurobindo
[27]
NOTICE
During the Darshan time from today correspondence should be suspended. August 1, 1937 Sri Aurobindo
Page – 543 |