On Thoughts and Aphorisms
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On Thoughts and Aphorisms
JNANA (Knowledge)
First period of commentaries (1958)
Aphorism
1 Knowledge and Wisdom: allied powers 1 
“The truth seen in a distorted medium” 2 Truth compared to white light 3
2 Inspiration: a slender river of brightness 3 Inspiration, reason and the senses 5 “How to develop the capacity for inspiration?” 6 Best method to profit from Sri Aurobindo’s writings 7
3 Reason trembles before higher truths 7 Supramental revolution 9
4 Knowledge and work 9 Silence of perfect receptivity 10
5 Obstacles to realisation 10 Fear, doubt and scepticism 11 Nature’s way of progressing 12
6 Mind receives shock from aphorisms 14 Role of reason 14 Danger of abandoning reason 15 True wisdom 16
7 What men call knowledge 17 Appearances and “reversal of consciousness” 18 “How to have the experience?” 19
8 Intolerance of religions 20 Mechanism of intolerance 21 Experience, individual and universal 21 Relationships are like a mirror 22 True perfection in oneself 23
9 “How do we know what the soul sees?” 23 Mind and vital: obstacles to the soul 24 Hearing the soul 25
10 Only the soul can know the soul 26 What would make humanity progress most 27
11 “What is the mental personality?” 27 What Sri Aurobindo calls Immortality 28 Conditions for indefinite survival of body 28 Perfection of psychic personality and body 29 Physical culture 30 Sadhana of the body 31
12 You can prove anything with the mind 32 Supreme has a sense of humour 33 Best way to learn more 34 Grace and seeing 35
JNANA (Knowledge)
Second period of commentaries (1960 – 61)
13 Hallucinations 39 “The miracles of human reason” 39
14 Hallucination: term of Science 40 “Coincidence” 40
15 Hallucination and vision 41
16 Planes of the mind 42
17 Identification with Divine 43 Physical mind and knowledge of God 44
18 Idea of illusion is itself an illusion 44 World is real; perception of it is false 45
19 Does reason alone see things as ugly? 45 Relativity of beauty and ugliness 46
20 Beauty of the hideous 46
21 Forgiveness and the Divine 47
22, 23 “God gave me a good blow” 47 Nothing and no one to forgive 48
24 Origin of misfortune 48
25 Wisdom and suffering 49
26 Everything happens by the Grace of the Lord 50
27 “To play with Krishna” 51 God as Torturer 51
28 War and evolution 52 Descent of Supermind and war 53
29 Divine and personal will 53
30 Purity of instinct and the mental ego 54
31 Progress and despair 55 Experience of a life of failure 56
32 The Atheist is God 57
33 Divine perfection and receiving blows 57
34 The blessing of misfortune 58
35, 36 Christ and Krishna 59 Men cherish suffering and hatred 59
37 Existence of Brindavan and Krishna 60
38 Evolution and the death of Christ 61 Christ as Avatar 61
39 History and legend 62
40 Four great events in history 62 “The colloquy at Kurukshetra will yet liberate humanity” 63
41 Role of the Gospels 64
42 Existence of heaven and hell 64 Hell as a state of consciousness 65
43 Contradiction intensifies aspiration 65
44 Creation of falsehood on the mental plane 66
45 Role of logic and reason 67
46 Sri Aurobindo’s experience in prison 68
47 Conquest and transformation of the mind 69
48 “The beauty of the hideous” 69 Words and experience 70
49 Curing evil and ugliness 70
True collaboration 72 Love and transformation 72 Spreading love 72 Secret of the divine incarnation 73 Receptivity of divine love 74
50 Not a single sin that is not our sin 74
Collective human psychological consciousness 75 Sin is something not in its right place 76 Revolt is the feeling of an impotent will 77 Meaning of omnipotence 77 Hatred of the virtuous 78
51 Nature of self-deception 79
Anger is a deformation of vital power 81 Giving favourable explanations to all movements 81
52 Philanthropy and service of the Divine 82 Love of Divine and man 82
53, 54 Religions and immortality 83
Physical immortality 84
55 Kali and supreme Realisation 84
56 Knowledge and debate 85
Proving what one feels to be true 85
57 The truly natural state for man 86
Mind and individualisation 87
58 The Mother’s memory of earthly paradise 88
Symbol of the tree of knowledge 89 First human forms 90 Evolution and the fall 91 Story of the serpent 92 Jehovah as the supreme Asura 92 Spoiling of earth’s atmosphere 94
59 Giving a beating to God 94
Nature of idols 95 Teaching of Sri Aurobindo and religion 95
60 Memory of past lives 96
Development of the individual 97
61 Experience of the Infinite 97
62 Folly is distorted mask of Truth 98
No absolute falsehood 98 “The destruction of a universe” 98 Beyond Nirvana and Existence 100
63, 64, 65 The weakness of God 100
Idea of “God the Creator” 102 Nothing other than God 102 The Divine Play 103 Perfection 104 Ways of approaching the Divine 104
66 Cruelty as an expression of the Divine 105 Sadism and tamas 106 Ananda and cruelty 106 Pralayas of various universes 106 Equilibrium and perfection 107 Supermind puts things in their place 107
67, 68 Sin and the ego 108
JNANA (Knowledge)
Third Period of Commentaries (1962 – 66)
69 Capacity to express the supramental world 111
Equality and the supramental 112 Two conditions for supramental realisation 113 Problem of physical transformation 113 Will of the Self 114 Supramental life and the mind 115 Individualisation 117 Widening the body 117 Occult creation of new body 117
70 Role of adverse forces in creation 118
Offering of the earth consciousness 119 Consciousness of supreme Love 119 Origin of Falsehood 120 Do not try to be among the pure 121
71 Thought and Truth 121
Seeing the Truth in its entirety 122 Mind always sees successively 122
72 Premonitory dreams 123
The subtle physical and the material plane 125 Seeing others in the subtle physical 125 Sources of vision 126 Universal mental vision 126 Sincerity and the power of prediction 127 Changing events in the subtle physical 128 Experiences of extended consciousness 129 Methods of developing subtle senses 131 Seeing at a distance 132
73 Wisdom and knowledge 133
74, 75 Inadequacy of scientific and spiritual approach 134
Door to the total Knowledge 135 More than one Avatar needed for supramental realisation 137 The Mother’s vision of physical world 138 Four dimensional world is superficial 138
76 Destruction of Europe by a child 139
Aphorism contains true prediction 140
77, 78 Knowledge by inspiration 141
Knowledge and transformation 142 Transformation of the body 143 Organs replaced by chakras 144
79, 80 There is no error 145
A thing is and is not at the same time 146 Play of the Lord 146 Man makes play tragic 147 World of the “living” and the “dead” 147 Worry and the play 148 Error and infinite possibility 149 Way to get out of tragedy 150 Dealing with the old consciousness 151 Physical presence of the Lord 152 Vibration that contains everything 153
81, 82, 83 God’s laughter 154
God never takes his works seriously 154 Virtue and perfection 155 Limitations of taking life seriously 155 Only way to make life perfect 155 Dissolving suffering and pain 156 Avoid people who take life seriously 156 We must learn how to play 157
84, 85, 86, 87 What men call miracles 157
Sri Aurobindo performed miracles in the mind 159 What would be a true miracle? 160 Miracle belongs only to the finite world 161 Thirst for the marvellous 162 Miracles and aspiration 163
88, 89, 90, 91, 92 Nature of opposites 164
Opposition and progress 165 Bringing creation out of inertia 166 Simplicity 167
93 Pain is the touch of our Mother 168
Teaching the body to bear pain 169 Pain and fear 169
94 The Mother’s experience of renunciation 170
Progress and the power of dissolution 171 Renunciation and self-centred consciousness 172 Rapture and power 173 Rapturous state of consciousness is dangerous 173
95 Perfect renunciation and satisfaction of desire 174
Vibrations of desire and the divine Will 175 Lack of receptivity and desire 176 Difference of vibratory quality 176 Physical is a field of vibrations 177 Response of cells to supreme Force 178 Perception of the totality of vibrations 179 Action, desire and the vibration of Will 179
96 Scriptures are diminution of experience 180
97 Truth and individual experience 181
98 Revelation is the memory of Truth 181
Revelation is always personal in form 182 Experience, idea and words 182 Explosion of truth-power 183
99, 100 Understanding and Scriptures 184
101, 102 Sun-consciousness and earth-consciousness 185
Truth-Consciousness and appearance of world 186 Only way to change the world 187 Consciousness of the Lord 187 Perfect sense of Oneness 189 “Relation of consciousness” 189 Intervention of the vibration of harmony 190 Action of the Truth-Consciousness 191 Falsehood replaced by Light 192
103, 104, 105, 106, 107 Vivekananda and Sannyasa 193
To be free from all attachment 194 Fear of being mistaken 195 Renunciation and elimination 195 Modern hyper-activity 197 Why the Ashram was created 197 Aspiration more intense in the outer world 198 Man needs extremes 199 Manifestation of divine Love 199 Power of pure Love 200 Aspire intensely, but without impatience 200 Haste in which men live 201 Sincere realisation 202
108 Narada and Janaka 202
Gods have no psychic being 202 Shiva will come with the supramental world 203 Man alone possesses a psychic being 203
109 Sri Aurobindo is a part of the Lord 204
Falsehood of the creation 204
110 Wonders of physical science and the soul 205
Science cannot predict the future 206 Power of the soul over Matter 207 Experience and understanding 208 Perceiving the new 209 The refusal to know 210
111, 112 Power of silence 211
Acceptance of the apparent denial of Truth 212 Demand for the Divine to show his power 213
113, 114 Vibration of hate and love are the same 213
Purity of the central vibration 214 Morality is a choice between distortions 215
115, 116 “There is no end and no beginning” 216
“Memory of eternity” 217 Life of the earth 218 Consciousness and limits 219 Human mind needs to build a dwelling-place 220 “Error” of material world was indispensable 221 There is no manifestation without progress 222 Consciousness of the dead on earth 223 Seeing and hearing by consciousness 224 “Are you ready for anything?” 225 Consciousness of the body 226 Perfection of sight and hearing 227 Action of human will on the Mother’s body 228
117, 118, 119, 120, 121 An irresistable Power governing everything 228
Nature of Will from above 230 Resistance and divine Action 231 How the Force acts 232 Stopping the resistance 233
122, 123, 124 Nature of opinion 233
Action and opinion 234 Conditions for intervening in someone’s action 235 How opinions are formed 236
JNANA (Knowledge)
Fourth Period of Commentaries (1969)
125, 126 Overcoming the laws of Nature 241
127 Psychic being and the laws of Nature 241
128, 129 “The nature which exceeds the body” 242
130 The role of human aspiration and effort 242
131, 132 Disappearance of all human moral notions 243
133 Titans are stronger than the gods 243
134, 135, 136 Suffering and delight 244
137 Pleasure and pain depend on inner attitude 245
138 Relationships and psychic contacts 245
139 Who is the superman? 246
140 Human ego and the superman 246
141 The qualities of the superman 247
142 Qualities needed for growth of being 247
143, 144 Art reveals what Nature hides 248 Photography and modern art 248
145 The secret soul of Nature 248
146, 147, 148, 149, 150 Shakespeare, the universalist 249 Action by contrast and negation 250
151 Proof and coincidence 250 Refusal to learn 251
152, 153 Material, immaterial and supramental consciousness 251
154, 155, 156 Mind and creation 252
157, 158 Sri Aurobindo: “the last Avatar” 253
159 Worship of gods and goddesses 253
160, 161 Knowledge and delight 254 “Intellectual culture” 254
162 Out of man the superman emerges 254
163, 164 Law and freedom 255
165 Self-imposed discipline 256
166 The law of sin and virtue 256 Law and progress 257
167 Ignorance and the Divine goal 258
168, 169 The symbol of the Cross in Yoga 258
170, 171 Failure of Christ and Mahomed 259
172 Freedom, desire, ignorance and egoism 259
173, 174 The human way of understanding 260
175 Meaning of failure 261
176, 177 The perfect cosmic vision 261
178 The prison is the ego 262
179 To live for God 263
180 Experiencing eternity 263
181, 182 The less you speak the better 264
183, 184 Perfection and harmony 264
185, 186 Consciousness beyond good and bad 265
187, 188 Vice and virtue used for evolution 265
189, 190, 191 Attitude towards poverty 266
192 Individual classed according to his nature 266
193, 194, 195, 196 Poverty and society 267 Ideal of the Ashram and Auroville 268
197, 198 Conditions for happiness 269
199, 200 Effective remedy for human egoism 269
201, 202 Messages to man 270
203, 204 Conditions for greatest progress of humanity 271
205 The first step of the superman 271
KARMA (Works)
Fourth period of commentaries (1969 – 70)
206 Escape from the consequences of past errors 275
207 Escape from evil and suffering 275
208, 209 Ego and beatitude 276 Self-forgetfulness and self-giving 276
210, 211 Anger and vengeance 276
212 Only tragedy: failure to find one’s soul 277
213 Tragedy and evolution 277
214, 215 Nature of genius 278
216 Inspiration and madness 278
217 Mastering and conquering violence 279
218, 219, 220, 221 Unity of mankind 279
222, 223, 224 Qualities of a converted Asura 280
225, 226, 227 Altruism can kill the soul 280
228, 229, 230 God’s command to slay 281
231, 232, 233, 234 Virtues 281
235, 236, 237 Instruments and prisons of the soul 282
238, 239, 240 Humanity advances by great and noble failures 283
241, 242 Atheism and religion 283
243, 244, 245, 246, 247 God and temptation 284 Giving oneself completely to the Divine 285
248, 249, 250 Becoming conscious of the Divine Will 285
251 Only choice to be made 286
252, 253, 254 God is circling about 286
255, 256, 257 “Blind faith” 287
258, 259, 260, 261 Reason, faith and instinct 288 Goal of the spiritual life 289
262, 263, 264 Perceiving the Divine Command 289
265, 266, 267, 268, 269 Motives for action 290
270, 271 Persistence in effort 291
272, 273 Truth is a difficult conquest 291
274, 275, 276 Value of asceticism 292
277, 278 Soul and action 292
279 Total consecration to the Divine 293
280, 281 Soul and the alleviation of suffering 293
282 Purity and action 294
283, 284, 285 Sorrow and evolution 294
286, 287, 288 Man’s possibility of union with the Supreme 295
289, 290 To radiate love in all circumstances 295
291, 292 Human judgments 296
293, 294 Three varieties of self-deceit 296
295, 296 World is capable of manifesting the Divine 297
297, 298 Beauty and ugliness 298
299, 300, 301, 302 Living according to the Truth 298
303, 304, 305 Women and spirituality 299
306 Asceticism and action in the world 300
307 God laughed at Shankara 300
308, 309, 310 Essential qualities develop through suffering 300
311, 312 Attitude towards transformation 301
313, 314 Wisdom lies in the union of opposites 301
315, 316 All carry in their souls the divine end 302
317, 318 Everything exists from all eternity 302
319 The will of Brahman 303
320, 321 Anarchic state: true divine state of man 303
322, 323, 324 Successful communism 304 Vedanta and communism 304
325, 326 “Freedom, equality, brotherhood” and the ego 304
327, 328 Perfection of the individual and society 305
329, 330, 331 Greatness of an action 306
332, 333, 334 National and human unity 307
335, 336 Sri Aurobindo’s work and human unity 307
337, 338 Artist: imitator and creator 308
339 The Divine is beyond good and evil 308
340 Reaction perfects and hastens progress 309
341, 342, 343 Democracy, Socialism and Anarchism 309 All human governments are a falsehood 310
344, 345 Perfection of soul and outer environment 310
346, 347, 348 True saintliness 310
349, 350, 351 Knowing God’s will 311 “The soul that is naked and unashamed” 311
352, 353, 354, 355, 356 Truth is above all opposites 312
357 True governor of humanity 312
358, 359, 360, 361 Effects of the supramental consciousness 313
362 India and religious conventions 314
363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369 Sincerity: condition for hearing the Lord 315
370, 371, 372, 373 Grace leads whatever you do 316
374, 375, 376 Death and the ego 317 “Someone who belongs to the Divine” 318
377, 378 Liberation from the ego 318
379, 380, 381 Excess in any direction is a violence 319
382 Medicines and natural health 320
383, 384, 385 The barbarism of modern humanity 320
Disease and Medical Science
386, 387, 388, 389 Disease and the mind 321 The healing power of Grace 322
390, 391, 392, 393 The role of mind and faith in medicine 322
394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399 Divine health and disease 323
400, 401, 402, 403 Mental faith in drugs 324
404, 405, 406, 407 Medicine and the body 325
BHAKTI (Devotion) Fourth period of commentaries (1969 – 70)
408, 409, 410, 411, 412 Knowing God as a woman 329
413 To commit adultery with God 330
414, 415, 416, 417, 418, 419, 420 The joy of being God’s enemy 330
421, 422, 423, 424 “The four stages of pain” 332
425, 426, 427 Love for only the Divine 333
428 Love for Krishna and Kali 333
429, 430 Enjoying Nature with the soul 334
431, 432, 433, 434 God and the world 334 Wisdom: capacity to admit all theories 335
435, 436, 437, 438 The love of Krishna 335
439, 440, 441, 442, 443, 444 God as lover 336
445, 446, 447, 448, 449 Sri Aurobindo reveals the secret of existence 337
450, 451, 452, 453, 454, 455 Curing jealousy 338
456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 461 God and Satan 339
462, 463 The Divine’s way of dealing with virtue 340
464, 465 The world will manifest divine joy 340
466, 467, 468 The mind and God 341
469, 470, 471 Man must accept all as Grace 341
472 Beware of all mental constructions 342
473 The Divine accepts all sincere aspiration 343
474, 475 God and hell 343 Delight may be intolerable for humans 344
476 The seven beatitudes of life 344
477, 478, 479 Conditions for the world becoming heaven 344
480, 481 Falsehood of ordinary human consciousness 345
482, 483 Krishna stealing the robes of the Gopis 345
484 Krishna and sin 346
485, 486, 487, 488, 489 Realising true Unity 346
490, 491, 492 Keeping the Divine contact in all circumstances 347
493, 494 Ways of seeing God 348
495, 496 Value of suffering and pain 349
497, 498, 499 Pain: the training of delight 349 One true wisdom 350
500, 501, 502, 503 Role of suffering and pain 350
504 Divine Love needed in our sorrowful age 351
505 Science, the God-lover and God-knower 351
506 To be able to laugh at this world 351
507 Human science and occultism 352
508 The Mother’s experience concerning transformation of the body 352
509, 510, 511, 512 True way to understand the Scriptures 353
513, 514 Service to the Divine 353
515, 516 Doing good to human beings 354 Liberation from all conventional morality 354
517, 518 Weakness and the Divine 355
519 The Titan’s four strides to immortality 355
520 Understanding the universe 356
521 Perceiving the Divine 356
522, 523 Suffering and bliss 356
524 The soul, mind and pain 357
525, 526 Compassion and the Divine Consciousness 357
527, 528 Love and pity 358
529, 530 Compassion and pity 358
531, 532, 533 Constancy in effort and faith 358
534 Love, human and divine 359
535 “Divine mind” 360
536, 537 One drop of true knowledge can create a revolution 360
538 The essence and potency of Maya 361
539, 540 Seeing God in Huxley and Haeckel 361
541 Seeing God in the torturer and the slayer 362
Notes are paraphrased from the “Publisher's Note” and “Note on the Texts”.