Preparing for the Miraculous

the development of Sri Aurobindo’s thought 39and where is his rule? Berlin and Nuremberg [where the trialof the top Nazi criminals was taking place] have markedthe end of that dreadful chapter in human history. Otherblacknesses threaten to overshadow or even engulf mankind,but they too will end as that nightmare has ended.”The threat, however, seemed to increase, for in April of thefollowing year Sri Aurobindo wrote: “Things are bad, aregrowing worse and may at any time grow worst or worsethan worst if that is possible.” 16Something at the root of things was blocking the Work.And Sri Aurobindo had stated irrevocably: “I have no intentionof giving my sanction to a new edition of the oldfiasco.” 17 Once more he stood up for the future against allthe past and the whole of the manifestation on Earth. Whatwas the old fiasco, repeated time after time? “A partial andtransient spiritual opening within with no true and radicalchange in the external nature.”A new spiritual approach with no lasting material effect,leaving the Earth and humanity as they were. Yearsago, in his Essays on the Gita, Sri Aurobindo had alreadywritten: “Not till the Time-Spirit in man is ready, can theinner and ultimate prevail over the outer and immediatereality. Christ and Buddha have come and gone. But it isRudra who still holds the world in the hollow of his hand.And meanwhile the fierce forward labour of mankind tormentedand oppressed by the Powers that are profiteers ofegoistic force and their servants cries for the sword of theHero of the struggle and the word of the prophet.”Now here he stood – after a life of sacrifice and battle “tobring the fire to man,” the burning sun of the Supermind –16 Sri Aurobindo: op. cit., pp. 168-169.17 Sri Aurobindo: Letters on Yoga, p. 1306.