Sri Aurobindo's Talks of 1926

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This record of Sri Aurobindo's talks with about a dozen disciples between May and September 1926 was noted down from memory by one of the participants, Anilbaran Roy. The talks were informal, open-ended discussions in which the disciples were free to ask questions and make comments. In his remarks Sri Aurobindo spoke on a wide range of topics, including:

• his own life and work and spiritual practice

• his method of Yoga and other spiritual paths

• the condition of India under British rule

• Indian politics and the struggle for freedom

• Indian religion, education and culture

• Western influence on life in India

• Western religion, science and social life

• the future of humanity

In his account Anilbaran Roy has managed to capture the power of Sri Aurobindo's incisive remarks and to convey his genial temperament and keen sense of humour. It is a valuable record that informs us of Sri Aurobindo's viewpoint on many important issues at the time.

Anilbaran Roy was born on 3 July 1890 in the village of Guir in the Burdwan District of Bengal. After his early schooling, he went to Calcutta where he attended Scottish Church College and St. Xavier's College; upon graduation, he continued his studies at Calcutta University, where he received Master's degrees in English and Philosophy as well as a degree in law. For several years he taught courses in Philosophy at Hetampur College and Weslian College.

In 1921, at the age of thirty-one, Anilbaran gave up a promising academic career to join the Non-Cooperation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi. Two years later he joined the Swarajya Party of Chittaranjan Das to work for India's freedom. In 1924 he was arrested by the British Government, along with Subhas Chandra Bose and others, and imprisoned for two years in Alipore Central Jail and Baharampur Jail. While in jail, Anilbaran corresponded with Sri Aurobindo and began to practice Yoga under his guidance.

After release from jail in 1926, Anilbaran went to live with Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry. He was part of a small community of about two-dozen seekers who had gathered around an acknowledged spiritual master. For the next forty years he remained in Pondicherry as a member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, which was founded at the end of 1926. An introspective sadhak, he spent much of his time in quiet spiritual practice, but he also had an active intellectual life and wrote several books and numerous articles for newspapers and journals.