Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 1. 1935

Letter ID: 1426

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

September 16, 1935

By the way, vomiting seems to be a very common complaint at present.

I notice that these things come by epidemics in the Ashram. One starts, others follow suit.

H is having vomiting too. Yogic force on the brain?

Jehoshaphat! What has the brain got to do with vomiting? Throwing up excess of Yogic knowledge? That might be with H the philosopher, but it does not fit the others.

I propose, if you approve, to take the three ladies P, K and Sh to the hospital for a screen-examination.

Not advisable. I believe if you could give these people (P, Sh etc.) some nervous balance, their ailments would walk off into blazes.

B.P.’s blood-exam has to be done in the hospital, but it doesn’t seem necessary now. He has no other complaints. His sores seem to me like scabies, so we’ll try sulphur ointment, otherwise calomel ointment.

All right.

Now, lend your ears, Sir, to my ailment! I was disappointed by your answer yesterday about the Supermind, for it is far from what you had in your mind when you made the promise...

I am disappointed that you could not appreciate the splendidly coloured prospects held out there. But what had I in my mind and what was this promise? Apart from the colours, my two other answers were, though figurative, yet very much to the “point”.

Today I caught sight of an atrocious incident in the paper, at Rajshahi, Bengal. I am sure you have read it.

Didn’t. Have no time to read Bengal papers.

... You know very well that it is the confounded Raj that is behind and has fomented this communal incident.

It looks as if it were going to be like that everywhere. In Europe also.

I won’t say a word about this race, you know my feelings.

Which race?

With the coming of independence I hope such things will stop. Now I would like to ask you something. In your scheme of things do you definitely see a free India? You have stated that for the spreading of spirituality in the world India must be free. I suppose you must be working for it! You are the only one who can do something really effective by the use of your spiritual Force.

That is all settled. It is a question of working out only. The question is what is India going to do with her independence? The above kind of affair? Bolshevism? Goonda-raj? Things look ominous.

Supposing you were able to create a race of Supermen, then there would be two strata: Supermen and men.

There will also be cats. Look at the Ashram!

Then the Supermen will no longer concern themselves with the lives and histories of men just as men are at present indifferent to the lives of animals?

Men are not indifferent to lives of animals – at least not in Europe. Look at the open-air zoos – hospitals for animals – refuges for unwanted cats and dogs – live-farms, etc., etc.!

But what will happen when the supramental comes down is a matter for the supramental to decide – no use laying down laws for it beforehand with the mind. It is the Truth-consciousness, sir – it will act according to the divine Truth behind things.