I called upon God with eagerness and intensity and prayed to him to prevent my loss of intelligence.
At the Feet of The Mother
Bengali Writings
Most of the pieces in Bengali were written by Sri Aurobindo in 1909 and 1910 for Dharma, a Calcutta weekly he edited at that time; the material consists chiefly of brief political, social and cultural works. His reminiscences of detention in Alipore Jail for one year (“Tales of Prison Life”) are also included. There is also some correspondence with Bengali disciples living in his ashram.
The contact of human life and each other’s company, after fifteen or sixteen days of prison life, made the other prisoners extremely happy.
The nature of the case was a little strange. Magistrate, counsel, witnesses, evidence, exhibits, accused, all appeared a little outré.
On the whole during this trial at every stage I could find, in the British legal system, how easily the innocent could be punished, sent to prison, suffer transportation, even loss of life.
...Let me first speak about the companions of my days of trouble, the boys who had been accused along with me.
... my spiritual life, sādhanā, was proceeding at a rapid pace. I had tasted a little of Equality, Non-attachment and Peace, but these states had not been yet fully stabilised.
"He whose mind is undisturbed in the midst of sorrows and amid pleasures is free from desires." - Gita
The main principle of the Aryan discipline is the sattwic temperament. He who is sattwic is pure; normally all human beings are impure.
The theory of re-incarnation which has been always held in the Aryan religion as a part of the knowledge acquired through yoga, had lost its position among the educated folk, due to the influence of western learning.