Page 5 - All India Magazine Sep-2021

The Animal Species

Psychic element
Sri Aurobindo: It is again man's ignorance that makes
him think that he is the greatest being in creation. Many
dogs have got a much finer psychic being than many men!
Would you believe if I were to tell you that there is
a psychic element in the love-making of animals ? Take
our cat. Big-boy. When he makes love to Bite-bite he is
physical; when he makes love to Baby, he is vital; when
he makes love to Mimi, he is emotional and senti mental ;
and when he makes love to Girly, he is psychic !

Disciple : Then how is it that man is regarded as the
highest being in creation ?

Sri Aurobindo: It is the egoistic ignorance of man that
makes him think so. He is high because there is in him
the possibility of evolving a divine life. You can say also
that he is high because he has developed a mind and the
mind gives him a chance of conscious evolution. But it
does not necessarily follow that because man is a mental
being he has used his mind for his evolution. Exactly be-
cause he has a mind, man has an infinite capacity to be
devilish. He brings to the help of his devil a mind, and
the devil himself can't be so bad as man with his mind
when he puts it at the service of his vital being.

Disciple : But then there is the great difference between
man's body and the animals.

Sri Aurobindo : That is all; and even that is not so much as
you try to make it out to be.

All India Magazine, September 2021 5