Selection From The Works of Sri Aurobindo
How to Read Sri Aurobindo
I advise always to read a little at a time, keeping the mind as tranquil as one can, without making an effort to understand, but keeping the head as silent as possible, and letting the force contained in what one reads enter deep within. This force received in the calm and the silence will do its work of light and, if needed, will create in the brain the necessary cells for the understanding. Thus, when one re-reads the same thing some months later, one perceives that the thought expressed has become much more clear and close, and even sometimes altogether familiar. It is preferable to read regularly, a little every day, and at a fixed hour if possible; this facilitate the brain-receptivity.
The Mother
The Mother
There are two powers that alone can effect in their conjunction the great and difficult thing which is the aim of our endeavor,- a fixed and unfailing aspiration that calls from below and - a supreme Grace from above that answers.
But the supreme Grace will act only in the conditions of the Light and the Truth; it will not act in conditions of Falsehood and Ignorance. For if it were to yield to the demands of the Falsehood, it would defeat its own purpose.
Sri Aurobindo
Written in 1927 and First published in 1928, this book has run into several edition and translations. It is perhaps the most widely read and followed book of Sri Aurobindo.The rest of the Book, except the opening portion , was originally written as letters; it describes the nature of the effort to be put in by the aspirant and the action of the Divine Power that acts in response .
By readiness, I did not mean capacity but willingness. If there is the will within to face all difficulties and go through, no matter how long it takes, then the path can be taken.
Sri Aurobindo
Bases of Yoga
"You have only to aspire, to keep yourself open to the Mother, to reject all that is contrary to her will and to let her work in you - doing also all your work for her and in the faith that it is through her force that you can do it. If you remain open in this way the knowledge and realisation will come to you in due course."
Sri Aurobindo
"These are extracts from letters written by Sri Aurobindo to his disciples in answer to their queries. They have been put together and arranged so as to be of some help to aspirants for the understanding and practice of the Yoga."
It is said that Sri Aurobindo in a past life took an active part in the French Revolution. Is it true?
You can say that all through history Sri Aurobindo played an active part. Especially in the most important movements of history he was there and playing the most important, the leading part. But he was not always visible.
- The Mother
The Life Divine
......spirituality is not a high intellectuality, not idealism, not an ethical turn of mind or moral purity and austerity, not religiosity or an ardent and exalted emotional fervour, not even a compound of all these excellent things; a mental belief, creed or faith, an emotional aspiration, a regulation of conduct according to a religious or ethical formula are not spiritual achievement and experience. These things are of considerable value to mind and life; they are of value to the spiritual evolution itself as preparatory movements disciplining, purifying or giving a suitable form to the nature; but they still belong to the mental evolution,—the beginning of a spiritual realisation, experience, change is not yet there. Spirituality is in its essence an awakening to the inner reality of our being, to a spirit, self, soul which is other than our mind, life and body, an inner aspiration to know, to feel, to be that, to enter into contact with the greater Reality beyond and pervading the universe which inhabits also our own being, to be in communion with It and union with It, and a turning, a conversion, a transformation of our whole being as a result of the aspiration, the contact, the union, a growth or waking into a new becoming or new being, a new self, a new nature.
Sri Aurobindo
The Last six chapters of " The Life Divine " In 1957-58 Mother in her "Wednesday classes " took these six chapters of The Life Divine and after reading ,commented on the text
The Synthesis of Yoga
Extract from letter of Sri Aurobindo dealing with "The Synthesis Of Yoga "The synthesis of Yoga was not meant to give a method for all to follow. Each side of the Yoga was dealt with separately with all possibilities, and an indication as to how they meet so that one starting from Knowledge could realise Karma and Bhakti also and so in each path. It was intended when the Self-perfaction was finished, to suggest a way in which all could be combined, but that was never written.
Sri Aurobindo
It should be noted that The Synthesis of Yoga as a whole was never completed and that only the first part , The Yoga of Divine Works , was issued during Sri Aurobindo's lifetime in a thoroughly revised form. Therefore We are giving here all the chapters of The yoga of Divine Works
What Sri Aurobindo represents in the world's history is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme.
The Mother
Savitri - a Legend and a Symbol (epic poem)
The Mother wrote that Savitri is:
"The daily record of the spiritual experiences of the individual who has written."
"A complete system of yoga which can serve as a guide for those who want to follow the integral sadhana."
"The yoga of the Earth in its ascension towards the Divine."
The 'Author's Note' to the poem:
"The Tale of Satyavan and Savitri is recited in the Mahabharata as a story of conjugal love conquering death. But this legend is, as shown by many features of the human tale, one of the many symbolic myths of the Vedic cycle. Satyavan is the soul carrying the divine truth of being within itself but descended into the grip of death and ignorance; Savitri is the Divine Word, daughter of the Sun, goddess of the supreme Truth who comes down and is born to save; Aswapati, the Lord of the Horse, her human father, is the Lord of Tapasya, the concentrated energy of spiritual endeavour that helps us to rise from the mortal to the immortal planes; Dyumatsena, Lord of the Shining Hosts, father of Satyavan, is the Divine Mind here fallen blind, losing its celestial kingdom of vision, and through that loss its kingdom of glory. Still this is not a mere allegory, the characters are not personified qualities, but incarnations or emanations of living and conscious Forces with whom we can enter into concrete touch and they take human bodies in order to help man and show him the way from his mortal state to a divine consciousness and immortal life."
Sri AurobindoLines from Savitri for Today
Collected Poems
Sri Aurobindo's collected poems are a testament to his literary genius and deep philosophical insights. The collection includes a variety of poetic forms, such as sonnets, lyrical poems, narrative poems, and metrical experiments. These poems have been arranged in chronological parts, reflecting the progression of Sri Aurobindo's thought and expression over the years. The collection is a treasure trove for readers interested in the intersection of poetry, philosophy, and spirituality.
Sri Aurobindo
The Future Poetry
Sri Aurobindo's principal work of literary criticism.
It was first published in a series of essays between 1917 and 1920; parts were later revised for publication as a book.In this work, Sri Aurobindo examines the essence of poetry, its rhythm, movement, style, and substance. He discusses the historical development of English poetry and posits that future poetry will be more connected to the common mind and motives of humanity. Aurobindo emphasizes the need for poetry to express the deeper soul of man and the universal spirit.
Thoughts and Aphorisms
In or around 1913, Sri Aurobindo wrote 552 aphorisms in a single notebook.
In the notebook, the aphorisms were written in nine groupings, three of which are headed Jnana, three Karma and three Bhakti.
The manuscript, entirely handwritten, was revised once or twice by Sri Aurobindo. The original writing is mostly clear, but the revision is sometimes cramped and difficult to read.
Essays on the Gita
"Essays on the Gita" by Sri Aurobindo offers a profound exploration of the Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism's most revered texts. This masterful work delves into the spiritual philosophy and self-discipline articulated in the Gita, highlighting its synthesis of three essential aspects: Love, Knowledge, and Works. Aurobindo emphasizes the Gita's relevance, asserting that it addresses fundamental spiritual challenges and serves as a guide for humanity's quest for perfection and spiritual well-being. Far from a mere academic study, these essays aim to reveal the Gita's living message and its transformative potential for seekers of truth.
Originally published in the monthly review Arya between 1916 and 1920, these essays were later revised and compiled into a book. Aurobindo's work aims to reveal the Gita's living message and its transformative potential for seekers of truth