Art is nothing less in its fundamental truth than the aspect of beauty of the Divine manifestation. Perhaps, looking from this standpoint, there will be found very few true artists; but still there are some and these can very well be considered as Yogis. For like a Yogi an artist goes into deep contemplation to await and receive his inspiration. To create something truly beautiful, he has first to see it within, to realise it as a whole in his inner consciousness; only when so found, seen, held within, can he execute it outwardly; he creates according to this greater inner vision. This too is a kind of yogic discipline, for by it he enters into intimate communion with the inner worlds. A man like Leonardo Da Vinci was a Yogi and nothing else. And he was, if not the greatest, at least one of the greatest painters, although his art did not stop at painting alone.
- 28th July 1929
Amal Kiran writes: "I was discussing with Sri Aurobindo on the subject of rebirth and lines of manifesting consciousness and put him the query: "Is it true that the same consciousness that took the form of Leonardo da Vinci had previously manifested as Augustus Caesar? If so, will you please tell me what exactly Augustus stood for in the history of Europe and how Leonardo's work was connected with his?" The answer was:
“Augustus Caesar organised the life of the Roman Empire and it was this that made the framework of the first transmission of the Graeco-Roman civilisation to Europe—he came for that work and the writings of Virgil and Horace and others helped greatly towards the success of his mission. After the interlude of the Middle Ages, this civilisation was reborn in a new mould in what is called the Renaissance, not in its life-aspects but in its intellectual aspects. It was therefore a supreme intellectual, Leonardo Da Vinci, who took up again the work and summarized in himself the seeds of modern Europe.”
- 29 July 1937
('Questions & Answers 1929-1931', Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry and ‘Life, Poetry and Yoga’, K.D. Sethna (Amal Kiran), The Integral Life Foundation, U.S.A)
- 28th July 1929
Amal Kiran writes: "I was discussing with Sri Aurobindo on the subject of rebirth and lines of manifesting consciousness and put him the query: "Is it true that the same consciousness that took the form of Leonardo da Vinci had previously manifested as Augustus Caesar? If so, will you please tell me what exactly Augustus stood for in the history of Europe and how Leonardo's work was connected with his?" The answer was:
“Augustus Caesar organised the life of the Roman Empire and it was this that made the framework of the first transmission of the Graeco-Roman civilisation to Europe—he came for that work and the writings of Virgil and Horace and others helped greatly towards the success of his mission. After the interlude of the Middle Ages, this civilisation was reborn in a new mould in what is called the Renaissance, not in its life-aspects but in its intellectual aspects. It was therefore a supreme intellectual, Leonardo Da Vinci, who took up again the work and summarized in himself the seeds of modern Europe.”
- 29 July 1937
('Questions & Answers 1929-1931', Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry and ‘Life, Poetry and Yoga’, K.D. Sethna (Amal Kiran), The Integral Life Foundation, U.S.A)
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