Aurobindo (Lectures)

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Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

You know the Aurobindo. He was trying to get superconsciousness. The superconsciousness you cannot get. That is not possible. Superconsciousness is for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

So Kṛṣṇa is the super or the supreme because His consciousness is spread all over the universe. You cannot hide anything from Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. You cannot hide. Sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ (BG 15.15). After all, you are making your plan with your heart and soul. The soul is there and the heart is there, mind is there. Now we are making plan. But you cannot hide the plan from the consciousness of Kṛṣṇa. He is sitting there. That is superconsciousness. One, you know the Aurobindo. He was trying to get superconsciousness. His philosophy is superconscious. Everyone who is here knows about Aurobindo. The superconsciousness you cannot get. That is not possible. Superconsciousness is for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Perhaps you know Śrī Aurobindo. He's, he's also speculated very nicely on the mental platform. Mental platform cannot give us the actual freedom or the happiness. Therefore Lord says, "One should give up all mental speculation and should be satisfied in the understanding that 'I am consciousness, and there is Supreme Consciousness, and I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness. Therefore let me dovetail my consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness.' "

Lecture on BG 2.55-58 -- New York, April 15, 1966:

So the Lord says that kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān. The mental speculation, so long we are on the platform of mental speculation, we should understand that we are on the material plane, because mind is material. Mind is not spiritual. So mano-gatān. The special word is used here, mano-gatān. Whatever we create in our mind, that is material, all creations. Mind is the leader of the senses. So the activities of the mind—thinking, feeling and willing—are expressed through our senses. And these sensual activities are known as our living condition. Therefore the Lord says, "When one shall be free from mental speculation, then he's to be understood that he is in the perfect stage of spiritual consciousness." Mental speculation. So by mental speculation we cannot understand what is our position. Generally, people, they indulge in mental speculation. Different philosophy of the world, they are established on the principle of mental speculation, especially in Europe, Aristotle, Schopenhauer, Kant. They're more or less... And, imitating the Western philosophers, in India also, recently, the persons who are very well known... Perhaps you know Śrī Aurobindo. He's, he's also speculated very nicely on the mental platform. Mental platform cannot give us the actual freedom or the happiness. Therefore Lord says, "One should give up all mental speculation and should be satisfied in the understanding that 'I am consciousness, and there is Supreme Consciousness, and I am subordinate to the Supreme Consciousness. Therefore let me dovetail my consciousness with the Supreme Consciousness.' " Last day also, we discussed on this point. And the point is very clearly manifested in the teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā, that Arjuna mentally speculated in the beginning that "Whether I should take up this fighting or not?" But at the ultimate issue he gave up his mental speculation and agreed with the Lord that "Yes, I shall fight."

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

I inquired from the inmates of the Aurobindo Ashram, "What do you do?" "We think of Aurobindo." Because Aurobindo thinks that he is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.8.19 -- Mayapura, September 29, 1974:

Sādhu-guru test means they do not change the words of Kṛṣṇa. They do not say, "Now I have manufactured something. Kṛṣṇa says that 'You can see Me in the taste of water.' I can say that you can see in this way: 'You see me and you will see Kṛṣṇa.' " Just (as) the Māyāvādī says, "You think of me." In the Aurobindo Ashram, there they have no other business. The disciples are advised that "Whatever you like, you can do. You should always think of Aurobindo." Just like Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru (BG 18.65). I inquired from the inmates of the Aurobindo Ashram. So I (inquired,) "What do you do?" "That we think of Aurobindo." They are... Because Aurobindo thinks that he is Kṛṣṇa. As Kṛṣṇa says, man-manā bhava mad-bhaktaḥ, so they advise that "You think of me." So the inmates, they think and smoke biḍi and cigarette. That's all. I have seen it. So these things are going on. Mūḍha-dṛśā. If we want to remain mūḍha-dṛśā, then it will be difficult for us to see Kṛṣṇa. We have dedicated our life to see Kṛṣṇa, to talk with Kṛṣṇa, to play with Kṛṣṇa, to have Kṛṣṇa as our son, to have Kṛṣṇa as our friend, to Kṛṣṇa as our lover. If this is our ambition, then we should not remain a mūḍha-dṛśā, foolishly...

Kṛṣṇa consciousness means superconsciousness.

Lecture on SB 2.3.18-19 -- Bombay, March 23, 1977, At Cross Maidan Pandal:

Guest (3): May I know the distinction between Kṛṣṇa consciousness and supramental consciousness described by Śrī Aurobindo?

Prabhupāda: Yes, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means superconsciousness. Kṛṣṇa You are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7). Just like father and son. Father knows, "He is my son," and the son knows, "He is my father." So this father, paternal consciousness, is there. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is real consciousness, but we color it with other consciousness. That is polluted. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement means to purify your consciousness.

sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ

tat-paratvena nirmalam

hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-

sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate

(CC Madhya 19.170)

When you become free from all designations of this world—sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam—and you become purified, without any contamination, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then your real business, real life, begins.