01 | What Is Yoga

All Yoga starts from the perception that what we are now or rather what we perceive as ourselves and so call is only an ignorant partial and superficial formulation of our nature. It is not our whole self, it is not even our real self; it is a little representative personality put forward by the true and persistent being in us for the experience of this brief life; we not only have been in the past and can be in the future but we are much more than that in the present secret totality of our being and nature. Especially, there is a secret soul in us that is our true person; there is a secret self that is our true impersonal being and spirit. To unveil that soul and that self is one of the most important movements of Yoga.  – Sri Aurobindo

02 | New Birth

“What is called “new birth” is the birth into the spiritual life, the spiritual consciousness; it is to carry in oneself something of the spirit which, individually, through the soul, can begin to rule the life and be the master of existence...” – The Mother

04 | The Soul and How to Find It

The soul is something of the Divine that descends into the evolution as a divine Principle within it to support the evolution of the individual out of the Ignorance into the Light. It develops in the course of the evolution a psychic individual or soul individuality which grows from life to life, using the evolving mind, vital and body as its instruments. It is the soul that is immortal while the rest disintegrates; it passes from life to life carrying its experience in essence and the continuity of the evolution of the individual.  – Sri Aurobindo

06 | Numbers and Astrology

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the significance of numbers, dates and astrology.

“It is not completely true that man’s life is governed by the stars. The conjunctions of the stars are an indication of the forces, especially vital and physical forces. They exert a certain influence on man and the course of his life. It was, perhaps, the Chaldean occultists who found the inner basis of these calculations. Now, only tradition remains. Astrology is not yet an exact science; it is not purely mental. It is the man whose mind can touch the forces that are behind the stars who can make correct predictions. What is important for man is the inner life and on that the stars have little influence.” Sri Aurobindo

07 | True Leadership

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on management, hierarchy and leadership.

"...the individuals who will most help the future of humanity in the new age will be those who will recognise a spiritual evolution as the destiny and therefore the great need of the human being. Even as the animal man has been largely converted into a mentalised and at the top a highly mentalised humanity, so too now or in the future an evolution or conversion - it does not greatly matter which figure we use or what theory we adopt to support it - of the present type of humanity into a spiritualised humanity is the need of the race and surely the intention of Nature; that evolution or conversion will be their ideal and endeavour. They will be comparatively indifferent to particular belief and form and leave men to resort to the beliefs and forms to which they are naturally drawn. They will only hold as essential the faith in this spiritual conversion, the attempt to live it out and whatever knowledge - the form of opinion into which it is thrown does not so much matter - can be converted into this living. They will especially not make the mistake of thinking that this change can be effected by machinery and outward institutions; they will know and never forget that it has to be lived out by each man inwardly or it can never be made a reality for the kind. They will adopt in its heart of meaning the inward view of the East which bids man seek the secret of his destiny and salvation within; but also they will accept, though with a different turn given to it, the importance which the West rightly attaches to life and to the making the best we know and can attain the general rule of all life." - Sri Aurobindo

08 | Fear and Its overcoming

"It is true that what one fears has the tendency to come until one is able to look it in the face and overcome one’s shrinking. One must learn to take one’s foundation on the Divine and overcome the fear, relying on the help to carry one through all things even unpleasant and adverse. There is a Force that works even through them for the seeker and carries him towards his goal." Sri Aurobindo

"Fear is an impurity, one of the greatest impurities, one of those which come most directly from the anti-divine forces which want to destroy the divine action on earth; and the first duty of those who really want to do yoga is to eliminate from their consciousness, with all the might, all the sincerity, all the endurance of which they are capable, even the shadow of a fear. To walk on the path, one must be dauntless, and never indulge in that petty, small, feeble, nasty shrinking back upon oneself, which is fear. An indomitable courage, a perfect sincerity and a sincere self-giving, so that one does not calculate or bargain, does not give with the idea of receiving, does not trust with the idea of being protected, does not have a faith which asks for proofs – it is this that is indispensable in order to walk on the path, and it is this alone which can truly shelter you from all danger." The Mother

09 | Human Unity

In a profound sense it is the call and attraction of the future that makes the past and present, and that future will be more and more seen to be the growth of the godhead in the human being which is the high fate of this race that thinks and wills and labours towards its own perfection. This is a strain that we shall hear more and more, the song of the growing godhead of the kind, of human unity, of spiritual freedom, of the coming supermanhood of man, of the divine ideal seeking to actualise itself in the life of the earth, of the call to the individual to rise to his godlike possibility.  – Sri Aurobindo

10 | Death and Rebirth

Even if Science – physical Science or occult Science – were to discover the necessary conditions or means for an indefinite survival of the body, still, if the body could not adapt itself so as to become a fit instrument of expression for the inner growth, the soul would find some way to abandon it and pass on to a new incarnation. The material or physical causes of death are not its sole or its true cause; its true inmost reason is the spiritual necessity for the evolution of a new being. – Sri Aurobindo

11 | Concentration

Concentration does not mean meditation; on the contrary, concentration is a state one must be in continuously, whatever the outer activity. By concentration I mean that all the energy, all the will, all the aspiration must be turned only towards the Divine and His integral realisation in our consciousness.  – The Mother

12 | Illness – Causes and Cure

The body should reject illness as energetically as we reject falsehood in the mind.  – The Mother

13 | The Inward Movement in Yoga

Man lives mostly in his surface mind, life and body but there is an inner being within him with greater possibilities to which he has to awake – for it is only a very restricted influence from it that he receives now and that pushes him to a constant pursuit of a greater beauty, harmony, power and knowledge. The first process of Yoga is therefore to open the ranges of this inner being and to live from there outward, governing his outward life by an inner light and force. In doing so he discovers in himself his true soul which is not this outer mixture of mental, vital and physical elements but something of the Reality behind them, a spark from the one Divine Fire. He has to learn to live in his soul and purify and orientate by its drive towards the Truth the rest of the nature. There can follow afterwards an opening upward and descent of a higher principle of the Being.  – Sri Aurobindo

14 | Plans and Parts of the Beingy

"Men do not know themselves and have not learned to distinguish the different parts of their being; for these are usually lumped together by them as mind, because it is through a mentalised perception and understanding that they know or feel them; therefore they do not understand their own states and actions, or, if at all, then only on the surface. It is part of the foundation of Yoga to become conscious of the great complexity of our nature, see the different forces that move it and get over it a control of directing knowledge. We are composed of many parts each of which contributes something to the total movement of our consciousness, our thought, will, sensation, feeling, action, but we do not see the origination or the course of these impulsions; we are aware only of their confused pell-mell results on the surface upon which we can at best impose nothing better than a precarious shifting order. The remedy can only come from the parts of the being that are already turned towards the Light. To call in the light of the Divine Consciousness from above, to bring the psychic being to the front and kindle a flame of aspiration which will awaken spiritually the outer mind and set on fire the vital being, is the way out." Sri Aurobindo

"Essentially there is but one single true reason for living: it is to know oneself. We are here to learn – to learn what we are, why we are here, and what we have to do. And if we don’t know that, our life is altogether empty – for ourselves and for others. And so, generally, it is better to begin early, for there is much to learn. If one wants to learn about life as it is, the world as it is, and then really know the why and the how of life, one can begin when very young, from the time one is very, very tiny – before the age of five. And then, when one is a hundred, one will still be able to learn. So it is interesting. And all the time one can have surprises, always learn something one didn’t know, meet with an experience one did not have before, find something one was ignorant of. It is surely very interesting. And the more one knows, the more aware does one become that one has everything to learn. Truly, I could say that only fools believe they know. That indeed is a sure sign, someone coming and telling you, 'Oh! I know all that; oh! I know all that'; he is immediately sized up!" – The Mother

15 | The Ego

An entire removal of this separative ego-sense is an essential aim of our Yoga. If any ego is to remain in us for a while, it is only a form of it which knows itself to be a form and is ready to disappear as soon as a true centre of consciousness is manifested or built in us. That true centre is a luminous formulation of the one Consciousness and a pure channel and instrument of the one Existence. A support for the individual manifestation and action of the universal Force, it gradually reveals behind it the true Person in us, the central eternal being, an everlasting being of the Supreme, a power and portion of the transcendent Shakti.  – Sri Aurobindo

16 | Love

"Each time an individual breaks the narrow limitations in which he is imprisoned by his ego and emerges into the open air, through self-giving, whether for the sake of another human being or his family, his country or his faith, he finds in this self-forgetfulness a foretaste of the marvellous delight of love, and this gives him the impression that he has come into contact with the Divine. But most often it is only a fleeting contact, for in the human being love is immediately mixed with lower egoistic movements which debase it and rob it of its power of purity." – The Mother

17 | Sri Aurobindo Ashram

"Our aim is not, either, to found a religion or a school of philosophy or a school of Yoga, but to create a ground and a way of spiritual growth and experience which will bring down a greater Truth beyond the mind but not inaccessible to the human soul and consciousness. All can pass who are drawn to that Truth, whether they are from India or elsewhere, from the East or from the West. All may find great difficulties in their personal or common human nature; but it is not their physical origin or their racial temperament that can be an insuperable obstacle to their deliverance.” – Sri Aurobindo

18 | Auroville – City of Dawn

This is a collection of messages, talks and answers from the Mother which relate to Auroville. At the beginning there are some words of Sri Aurobindo on humanity and its present condition and need. "Auroville wants to be a universal township where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity." – The Mother

19 | Sleep and Dreams

The Mother said, “You can become conscious of your nights and your sleep just as you are conscious of your days. It is a matter of inner development and discipline of consciousness.” This book contains guidance for making sleep more conscious, thereby replacing subconscient dreams with conscious experiences. The ultimate goal is to transform sleep into a state of yogic repose, a state in which one can enter into the inner worlds and act there as in the physical world. So if curiosity has begun to take over and you want to know why you sleep, or what happens when you sleep, where you go, whom you meet, why you behave in a manner so different, what the symbolism of all those fantastic voyages really is ... this is the book for you. Sleep and dreams are not just an ordinary by-product of a hard day’s work, but an opportunity for growth and progress. Sri Aurobindo’s integral Yoga cannot be suspended when the hour strikes midnight ... no, it must go on and so it does. The question then is, how do we become aware of this “night school of sadhana”? Read and find out.

20 | Significance of Birthdays

"The Birthday is truly a special day in one‘s life. lt is one of those days in the year when the Supreme descends into us – or when we are face to face with the Eternal – one of those days when our soul comes in contact with the Eternal and, if we remain a little conscious, we can feel His Presence within us. If we make a little effort on this day, we accomplish the work of many lives as in a lightning flash. That is why I give so much importance to the birthday – because what one gains in one day is truly something incomparable. And it is for this that I also work to open the consciousness a little towards what is above so that one may come before the Eternal. My child, it is a very very special day, for it is the day of decision, the day one can unite with the Supreme Consciousness. For the Lord lifts us on this day to the highest region possible so that our soul which is a portion of that Eternal Flame, may be united and identified with its Origin." – The Mother

21 | Art

"True art is the expression of beauty in the material world; and in a world entirely changed spiritually, that is to say, one expressing completely the divine reality, art must act as a revealer and teacher of this divine beauty in life; that is to say, an artist should be capable of entering into communion with the Divine and of receiving inspiration about what form or forms ought to be used to express the divine beauty in matter. And thus, if it does that, art can be a means of realisation of beauty, and at the same time a teacher of what beauty ought to be, that is, art should be an element in the education of men’s taste, of young and old, and it is the teaching of true beauty, that is, the essential beauty which expresses the divine truth. This is the raison d’etre of art. Now, between this and what is done there is a great difference, but this is the true raison d’etre of art." – The Mother

22 | Surrender and Grace

"Self-surrender to a supreme transmuting Power is the key-word of the Yoga." – Sri Aurobindo

23 | Meditation

"What do you call meditation? Shutting the eyes and concentrating? It is only one method for calling down the true consciousness. To join with the true consciousness or feel its descent is the only thing important and if it comes without the orthodox method, as it always did with me, so much the better. Meditation is only a means or device, the true movement is when even walking, working or speaking one is still in sadhana." – Sri Aurobindo

24 | Sri Aurobindo – His Life and Work

Sri Aurobindo was very emphatic in stating that only he could write truly about himself; but he never wrote any comprehensive or systematic account of his life. Only in his correspondence with his disciples and others he sometimes explained points by incidentally referring to some event in his own life or some experience in his own Yogic development. Also on a few occasions he corrected misleading statements concerning him published in some journals and books and gave notes about some points in his life to three of his biographers who had submitted their manuscripts to him for verification. Some of this material has been compiled and presented in a systematic arrangement. In addition, statements by the Mother about Sri Aurobindo and his life and work were added.

"Besides, it would be only myself who could speak of things in my past, giving them their true form and significance." – Sri Aurobindo

25 | Sri Krishna

"Krishna is the immanent Divine, the Divine Presence in everyone and in all things. He is also, sovereignly, the aspect of Delight and Love of the Supreme; he is the smiling tenderness and the playful gaiety; he is at once the player, the play and all his playmates. And as both the game and its results are wholly known, conceived, willed, organised and played consciously in their entirety, there can be room for nothing but the delight of the play. Thus to see Krishna means to find the inner Godhead, to play with Krishna means to be identified with the inner Godhead and to share in his consciousness." The Mother

26 | Bhagavadgita

"Sri Aurobindo considers the message of the Gita to be the basis of the great spiritual movement which has led and will lead humanity more and more to its liberation, that is to say, to its escape from falsehood and ignorance, towards the truth. From the time of its first appearance, the Gita has had an immense spiritual action; but with the new interpretation that Sri Aurobindo has given to it, its influence has increased considerably and has become decisive." – The Mother

27 | Sadhana of the Body

The first part of this book deals primarily with the fundamentals of physical education, with the disciplines and attitudes helpful to developing a strong, healthy, and conscious body capable of the spiritual endeavor required for the transformation.

In the second part of this book the final stages of the Mother’s Yoga of physical transformation is taken up. Traditionally yoga implies union of the soul with the Divine. The ground of experiences are therefore in the inner being and the spiritual realms. These inner experiences, though enriching and liberating for the soul, leave the body unchanged and subject to all the age old habits of Nature. For the first time we see, in the Mother’s experiences, a supreme heroic effort to liberate and divinise the body itself. Though the Mother’s main Mission of Supramental Manifestation was completed an 29th February 1956, She continued further, in Her immense Love and Compassion for Earth and humanity to make the journey to the Future still shorter and eaier. From April 1962, the yoga took a crucial and decisive turn, whence the Mother completely withdrew into Her room to dive deep into the body’s nether mysteries. Only the eye of faith or an inner revelation received as a gift of Grace can tell us how far she went blazing into the Inconscient Night. Success and failure have no meaning there since each inch forward is a great Victory.

28 | Prayer and Mantra

To tell the truth, if you live only a moment, just a tiny moment, of this absolutely sincere aspiration or this sufficiently intense prayer, you will know more things than by meditating for hours. (The Mother)

Prayer

There is a general tendency among certain intellectuals to undermine prayer as something religious and inferior. However a look at the spiritual history of man­kind reveals that prayers have always been an integral part of spiritual living. There is a rationale and a process behind prayers, a mystic truth of profound implications that the mind does not always recognise but the heart readily discovers. In this book we take up the different aspects of Prayers as part of our spiritual evolution and growth in the light of Integral Yoga.

Mantra

Sri Aurobindo reveals that ‘The Mantra, poetic ex­pression of the deepest spiritual reality, is only possible when three highest intensities of poetic speech meet and become indissolubly one, a highest intensity of rhythmic movement, a highest intensity of in­terwoven verbal form and thought-substance, of style, and a highest intensity of the soul’ s vision of truth.’ It is a cry of the soul that leaps in ecstasy and adoration at the vision of Truth. The higher firmament is the secret birthplace of the mantra of which the soul becomes a wit­ness as it ascends out of the limited scope of the mortal mind into the limitless seeing of the infinite. The mantra, therefore, is much more than merely some Sanskrit words replete with profound meaning. The mantra can be in any language for it is born out of the Silence that weaves the stars. Its depth goes beyond the mere meaning or the idea to the sound-vibrations that climb on wings of aspiration and love and carry the hearer towards the Home of Truth or reveal to him something of the Glory that hides behind the many masks of creation. In this Book we seek to bring out the truths about the mantra as re­vealed to us through the mantric speech and writings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

29 | Sadhana

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother with some advices on yoga practice.

"Sri Aurobindo came upon earth to announce the manifestation of the supramental world and not merely did he announce this manifestation but embodied also in part the supramental force and showed by example what one must do to prepare oneself for manifesting it. The best thing we can do is to study all that he has told us and endeavour to follow his example and prepare ourselves for the new manifestation. This gives life its real sense and will help us to overcome all obstacles. Let us live for the new creation and we shall grow stronger and stronger by remaining young and progressive."  The Mother

30 | The Beauty of the Future

"To find highest beauty is to find God; to reveal, to embody, to create, as we say, highest beauty is to bring out of our souls the living image and power of God."  Sri Aurobindo

"Sri Aurobindo came to tell the world of the beauty of the future that must be realised. He came to give not a hope but a certitude of the splendour towards which the world moves. The world is not an unfortunate accident, it is a marvel which moves towards its expression. The world needs the certitude of the beauty of the future. And Sri Aurobindo has given that assurance." The Mother

31 | Aspiration

"Aspiration is the call of the being for higher things – for the Divine, for all that belongs to the higher or Divine Consciousness." Sri Aurobindo

"This taste for supreme adventure is aspiration – an aspiration which takes hold of you completely and flings you, without calculation and without reserve and without a possibility of withdrawal, into the great adventure of the divine discovery, the great adventure of the divine meeting, the yet greater adventure of the divine Realisation." The Mother

32 | Money

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother about the nature and value of money, the relationship between business and spirituality and the true attitude of the disciple towards money.

"Money represents a great power of life which must be conquered for divine uses. Therefore you must have no attachment to it but also no disgust or horror of it."  Sri Aurobindo

33 | Savitri

It is a help, in reading the poem, to approach it with as calm and silent a mind as possible, and to relate to it with as much receptivity as one can. It will then create its own mantric effect upon the mind, and lead in fact to a meditation. Indeed, the Mother once said, ‘To read Savitri is ... to practise yoga, spiritual concentration. One can discover there all that is needed to find the Divine.’

34 | The Divine Mother

A compilation from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the four aspects – Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati - and the twelve attributes of the Divine Mother – sincerity, humility, gratitude, perseverance, aspiration, receptivity, progress, courage, goodness, generosity, equanimity, peace.

"The Mother comes in order to bring down the supramental and it is the descent which makes her full manifestation here possible.

There is one divine Force which acts in the universe and in the individual and is also beyond the individual and the universe. The Mother stands for all three, but she is working here in the body to bring down something not yet expressed in this material world so as to transform life here – it is so that you should regard her as the Divine Shakti working here for that purpose. She is that in the body, but in her whole consciousness she is also identified with all the other aspects of the Divine Force.

It is the work of the Cosmic Power to maintain the cosmos and the law of the cosmos – transforming it by a slow evolution. The greater transformation comes from the Transcendent above the universe, and it is that transcendent Grace which the embodiment of the Mother is there to bring into action."   Sri Aurobindo

35 | Consciousness

The word “Consciousness” is among the most used word in both spiritual and scientific literature. At the same time it is also among the most misunderstood term. Yet Consciousness is central to everything in life. An understanding of what Consciousness is, both intellectu­ally and spiritually, is important to understand life and creation, the spiritual journey and the evolution of life itself. Given its immense importance in Sri Aurobindo’s yoga and the metaphysics of creation, this issue of ALL LIFE IS YOGA focus on this key word so that Light can be cast upon that which is actually the very source of Light!

36 | Yoga and Religion

The time of religions is over. We have entered the age of universal spirituality, of spiritual experience in its initial purity.  The Mother

The Truth of the Divine which is the spiritual reality behind all religions and the descent of the supramental which is not known to any religion are the sole things which will be the foundation of the work of the future.  Sri Aurobindo

37 | Evolution of Soul and Nature

“In a profound sense it is the call and attraction of the future that makes the past and present, and that future will be more and more seen to be the growth of the godhead in the human being which is the high fate of this race that thinks and wills and labours towards its own perfection. This is a strain that we shall hear more and more, the song of the growing godhead of the kind, of human unity, of spiritual freedom, of the coming supermanhood of man, of the divine ideal seeking to actualise it self in the life of the earth, of the call to the individual to rise to his godlike possibility....” Sri Aurobindo

“If a spiritual unfolding on earth is the hidden truth of our birth into Matter, if it is fundamentally an evolution of consciousness that has been taking place in Nature, then man as he is cannot be the last term of that evolution: he is too imperfect an expression of the Spirit, Mind itself a too limited form and instrumentation; Mind is only a middle term of consciousness, the mental being can only be a transitional being. If, then, man is incapable of exceeding mentality, he must be surpassed and Supermind and superman must manifest and take the lead of the creation. But if his mind is capable of opening to what exceeds it, then there is no reason why man himself should not arrive at supermind and supermanhood or at least lend his mentality, life and body to an evolution of that greater term of the Spirit manifesting in Nature.”  Sri Aurobindo

“Each time we try not to be ordinary men, not to live the ordinary life, to express in our movements, our actions and reactions the divine Truth, when we are governed by that Truth instead of being governed by the general ignorance, we are apprentice-supermen, and according to the success of our efforts, well, we are more or less able apprentices, more or less advanced on the way.”  The Mother

“A spiritual evolution, an evolution of consciousness in Matter in a constant developing self-formation till the form can reveal the indwelling Spirit, is then the key-note, the central significant motive of the terrestrial existence. This significance is concealed at the outset by the involution of the Spirit, the Divine Reality, in a dense material Inconscience; a veil of Inconscience, a veil of insensibility of Matter hides the universal Consciousness-Force which works within it, so that the Energy, which is the first form the Force of creation assumes in the physical universe, appears to be itself inconscient and yet does the works of a vast occult Intelligence.” Sri Aurobindo

“Spiritual rebirth means the constant throwing away of our previous associations and circumstances and proceeding to live as if at each virgin moment we were starting life anew.” The Mother

38 | Nature

This book is an attempt to develop a deeper insight and love for nature through her infinite moods and expressions; the rocks, the trees, the animals, the sun, the wind, the rain and the storm and to perceive in them the vibrant energy, the secret consciousness, the Divine presence.

39 | Creation and Creator

"The Lord and the world, even when they seem to be distinct, are not really different from each other; they are one Brahman."  Sri Aurobindo

40 | The Sunlit Way of Yoga

"I had a clear vision of the two kinds of opposites in nature (not only in nature but in life) which almost everyone carries within himself: one is the possibility of realization, the other is the path chosen to attain it. There is always (it’s probably inevitable) the stormy path of struggle, and then there is the sunlit path. After much study and observation, I have had a sort of “spiritual ambition” (if it can be called that) to bring to the world a sunlit path, to eliminate the necessity for struggle and suffering: something that aspires to replace this present phase of universal evolution with a less painful phase." The Mother

The 1st part contains text excerpts from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The 2nd part is the complete edition of the Mother’s work “The Sunlit Path”. The 3rd part contains excerpts from Sri Aurobindo’s main work “Savitri”.

41 | Truth and Falsehood

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Sri Aurobindo on truth, falsehood, error and the reason for evil on earth.

"We have come not for Peace but for Victory, because in a world governed by the hostile forces Victory must come before Peace."  The Mother

42 | Yoga and the Future of Humanity

Sri Aurobindo on Yoga, evolution, supermind, humanity and future.

"Yoga must be revealed to mankind because without it mankind cannot take the next step in the human evolution."  Sri Aurobindo

43 | Work

This compilation highlights the unique role of work in the Integral Yoga. The book is organised into four sections that cover topics such as how to prepare yourself, have the right attitude, and then offer your work; how to face the difficulties in your daily work environment; and how to move away from the illusions of ego-centred work toward becoming a true instrument for the Divine’s work.

44 | Sri Aurobindos Vision

In response to a request from All India Radio, Sri Aurobindo gave a message to mark 15 August 1947, the day of India’s independence. This message to his countrymen spoke of five dreams that he had worked for, and which he now saw on the way to fulfilment. The realisation of these dreams would mark the beginning of a new age, not only for India but for the entire world, “for the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of humanity”.

"I know and have experienced hundreds of times that beyond the blackest darkness there lies for one who is a divine instrument the light of God’s victory. I have never had a strong and persistent will for anything to happen in the world – I am not speaking of personal things – which did not eventually happen even after delay, defeat or even disaster."  Sri Aurobindo

"Sri Aurobindo has come on earth not to bring a teaching or a creed in competition with previous creeds or teachings, but to show the way to overpass the past and to open concretely the route towards an imminent and inevitable future." The Mother

45 | Divine Protection

Life upon earth is an adventure and has its own share of charm and dangers. The seeking for safety and security in this ‘delightful and dangerous world’ is therefore quite a legitimate need. As always, Nature has already provided for us certain safety measures. However we are often unaware of these inbuilt means of our defence. In addition there are inner means that can be developed methodically which can further augment our protection. Finally, to someone who has turned towards the Divine making his whole life an offering at the sacred altar, there is a further and special protection that helps his journey. Nevertheless, all these means act usually within limits and except for rare instances need certain inner conditions for their full working. In this issue we share the Light that the Mother and Sri Aurobindo have shed on this complex subject of Protection.

46 | The Basis of Approach to the Works of Sri Aurobindo

“Sri Aurobindo came upon earth to announce the manifestation of the supramental world. And not only did he announce this manifestation but he also embodied in part the supramental force and gave us the example of what we must do to prepare ourselves for this manifestation. The best thing we can do is to study all he has told us, strive to follow his example and prepare ourselves for the new manifestation.

This gives life its true meaning and will help us to overcome all obstacles.

Let us live for the new creation and we shall grow stronger and stronger while remaining young and progressive.”  The Mother)

47 | Anger

"All quarrels proceed from egoism which pushes its own opinion and affirms its own importance, considering that it is right and everybody else wrong and thus creates anger and sense of injury etc. These things must not be indulged, but rejected at once." Sri Aurobindo

48 | Remembrance of Sri Aurobindo 1

“I would like us to meditate on the remembrance of Sri Aurobindo, on the way to keep it alive in us and on the gratitude we owe him for all that he has done and is still doing in his ever luminous, living and active consciousness for this great realisation which he came not only to announce to the Earth but also to realise, and which he continues to realise.”  The Mother)

49 | Visions and Symbols

Sri Aurobindo on visions and symbols and their truth and meaning in Yoga practice.

50 | Mental Culture and Sadhana

“In this Yoga one is supposed to go beyond every mental idealistic culture. Ideas and ideals belong to the mind and are half-truths only; the mind too is, more often than not, satisfied with merely having an ideal, with the pleasure of idealising, while life remains always the same, untransformed or changed only a little and mostly in appearance. The spiritual seeker does not turn aside from the pursuit of realisation to mere idealising; not to idealise, but to realise the Divine Truth is always his aim, either beyond or in life also – and in the latter case it is necessary to transform mind and life which cannot be done without surrender to the action of the Divine Force, the Mother.”  Sri Aurobindo

51 | Remembrance of Sri Aurobindo 2

“Whenever the first play of energy is exhausted and earth grows old and weary, full of materialism, racked with problems she cannot solve, the function of India is to restore the youth of mankind and assure it of immortality. She sends forth a light from her bosom which floods the earth and the heavens... Such a time is now at hand.”  Sri Aurobindo

52 | Two Ancient Laws of Living

Two ancient laws of living – know thyself and forget thyself.

Long back, a college student visited Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan where he met Dr. Gurdial Malik, eminent scholar and Tagore’s personal secretary. In response to a request for his autograph, Dr. Malik complied adding the message “Know Thyself”. Emboldened, the student then met Tagore with his autograph book. The great man looked at Dr. Malik’s observation, smiled a bit and wrote “Forget Thyself” along with his signature. 

These two ancient laws of living are profound in wisdom; in this eBook we present some passages excerpted from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on these two counsels.

53 | Control of Speach

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the importance of control of speech.

"There is a silence behind life as well as within it and it is only in this more secret, sustaining silence that we can hear clearly the voice of God."  Sri Aurobindo

54 | Remembrance of Sri Aurobindo 3

The Mother on Sri Aurobindo‘s Eternal Presence and the Mother and Sri Aurobindo on Integral Yoga - its gate and path.

“We must not be bewildered by appearances. Sri Aurobindo has not left us. Sri Aurobindo is here, as living and as present as ever and it is left to us to realise his work with all the sincerity, eagerness and concentration necessary.”  The Mother

55 | Life and Yoga

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the secret of life and the Divine Worker.

Yoga, says the Gita, is skill in works and by this phrase the ancient Scripture meant that the transformation of mind and being to which it gave the name of Yoga brought with it a perfect inner state and faculty out of which the right principle of action and the right spiritual and divine result of works emerged naturally like a tree out of its seed.   Sri Aurobindo

56 | Times of Transition

The Mother cautioned us in 1971 that ‘We are at one of these “Hours of God”, when the old bases get shaken, and there is a great confusion; but it is a wonderful oppor­tunity for those who want to leap forward. This eBook focuses on some lines of change initiated and being carried to their fulfillment by the tapasya of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

57 | Catastrophes and Accidents

The Mother on catastrophes and accidents.

58 | Introduction to The Synthesis of Yoga

“The Synthesis of Yoga” has five section: [1] Introduction – The Conditions of the Synthesis (46 pages); [2] The Yoga of Divine Works (232 pages); [3] The Yoga of Inte­gral Knowledge (256 pages); [4] The Yoga of Divine Love (62 pages) and [5] The Yoga of Self-Perfection (356 pages).

“The Synthesis of Yoga” first appeared in seventy-seven monthly installments in the philosophical review Arya, begin­ning with its first issue, August 1914, and continuing until its last, January 1921. It was left incomplete when the Arya ceased publication in January 1921. During 1932, and possibly some­what before and after, Sri Aurobindo undertook a full-scale revision of “The Synthesis of Yoga” with a view to publishing it as a book. At this time he revised all the chapters of “The Yoga of Divine Works”, and nine chapters of “The Yoga of Integral Knowledge”. During the 1940s, he revised the entire first part of “The Synthesis of Yoga” while preparing it for publication. But other parts of the book were never revised by him.

Sri Aurobindo’s note in the last issue of the 4th year of Arya gives some idea of his purpose in writing The Synthesis of Yoga and his overall plan for the work. We reproduce below an excerpt.

“Truth of philosophy is of a merely theoretical value unless it can be lived, and we have therefore tried in the “Synthesis of Yoga” to arrive at a synthetical view of the principles and methods of the various lines of spiritual self-discipline and the way in which they can lead to an integral divine life in the human existence. But this is an individual self-development, and therefore it was necessary to show too how our ideal can work out in the social life of mankind. In the “Psychology of Social Development” we have indicated how these truths affect the evolution of human society. In the “Ideal of Human Unity” we have taken the present trend of mankind towards a closer unification and tried to appreciate its tendencies and show what is wanting to them in order that real human unity may be achieved.”  Sri Aurobindo

He wrote to a disciple in 1936:

“Each side of the Yoga was dealt with separately [in “The Syn­thesis of Yoga”] with all its possibilities, and an indication [was given] as to how they meet so that one starting from knowledge could realise Karma and Bhakti also and so with each path. It was intended when the [section on the yoga of Self-Perfection was finished, to suggest a way in which all could be combined, but this was never written.” Sri Aurobindo

In this book we publish a selection of passages from “The Synthesis of Yoga” – though not fully representative of the complete book, yet which would be helpful specially to the aspirants of Yoga.

59 | Forget Your Difficulties

From the time of Her final coming to Pondicherry and establishment of Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1920, the Mother constantly received a chain of devotees, Ashramites and visitors from all over the world who had conversation with Her and asked questions also on all aspects of life. Mother always very lovingly replied to them in the simplest possible language, at the same time containing profound and penetrative wisdom, guidance and direction. This publication presents gems of helpful guidelines from the loving Mother – a book of valuable reference and guidance in day to day life, spurring towards nobler aspiration and higher consciousness.

60 | Spiritual Peace

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on peace.

The one thing that is most needed for this sadhana is peace, calm, especially in the vital – a peace which depends not on circumstances or surroundings but on the inner relation with a higher consciousness which is the consciousness of the Divine, of the Mother. Those who have not that or do not aspire to get it can come here and live in the Asram for ten or twenty years and yet be as restless and full of struggle as ever, – those who open their mind and vital to the Mother’s strength and peace can get it even in the hardest and most unpleasant work and the worst circumstances.  Sri Aurobindo

61 | Towards a Beautiful Future

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on the supramental world.

To celebrate the birth of a transitory body can satisfy some faithful feelings. To celebrate the manifestation of the eternal Consciousness can be done at every moment of the universal history. But to celebrate the advent of a new world, the supramental world, is a marvellous and exceptional privilege.   The Mother)

62 | Let Us Prepare for the Hour of God

Be simple, be happy, remain quiet, do your work as well as you can, keep yourself always open towards me – this is all that is asked from you. 

The Mother

63 | Yogic Equality

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on yogic equality (Samata).

64 | Constant Remembrance of The Mother

“The Mother is the consciousness and force of the Divine – or, it may be said, she is the Divine in its consciousness-force.” (Sri Aurobindo

65 | Human Relations

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on human relations.

“And finally, the best friend one can have – isn‘t he the Divine, to whom one can say everything, reveal everything? For there indeed is the source of all compassion, of all power to efface every error when it is not repeated, to open the road to true realisation; it is he who can understand all, heal all, and always help on the path, help you not to fail, not to falter, not to fall, but to walk straight to the goal. He is the true friend, the friend of good and bad days, the one who can understand, can heal, and who is always there when you need him. When you call him sincerely, he is always there to guide and uphold you – and to love you in the true way.”  The Mother

66 | The Secret of Karmayoga

“Strive exclusively to hear the command of the Supreme Lord, and if you are perfectly sincere, He will find a way to make you hear and recognise this command with certainty.” (The Mother

67 | Bonne Année Happy New Year

“Lord, the year is dying and our gratitude bows down to Thee. Lord, the year is reborn, our prayer rises up to Thee. Let it be for us also the dawn of a new life.”  The Mother

68 | Flowers - The Smile of The Divine

“...look at a rose, a thing that contains such a concentration of spontaneous beauty – not man-made: spontaneous, a blossoming; one has only to see it to be sure that there is a Divine. It is a certainty. One cannot... it is impossible not to believe.”  The Mother)

69 | A Primer for Sadhana

Question: “Tell me, Mother, what am I?” The Mother: “Outwardly, you are an unconscious child striving to become conscious. Inwardly, you are an eternal soul attempting to manifest in a body.”