Letters on Himself and the Ashram - Sri Aurobindo Ashram

872 Pages·2010·2.6 MB·English

by  Sri Aurobindo

35
Letters on Himself
and the Ashram
VOLUME35
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SRI AUROBINDO
©SriAurobindoAshramTrust 2011
Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department
Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry
PRINTEDININDIA
Letters on Himself
and the Ashram

Publisher’s Note
This volume contains letters in which Sri Aurobindo referred
to his life and works, his sadhana or practice of yoga, and the
sadhanaofmembersofhisashram.Manyofthelettersappeared
earlier in Sri Aurobindo on Himself and on the Mother (1953)
and On Himself: Compiled from Notes and Letters (1972).
These previously published letters, along with many others,
appear here under the new title Letters on Himself and the
Ashram.
Thelettersincludedinthepresentvolumehavebeenselected
from Sri Aurobindo’s extensive correspondence with members
of the Ashram and outside disciples between November 1926
and November 1950. Letters he wrote before November 1926
are published in Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings
of Historical Interest, volume 36 of THE COMPLETE WORKS
OF SRI AUROBINDO. That volume also contains remarks by Sri
Aurobindoonhislifeandworksthatwerewrittenascorrections
of statements made by biographers and others, public messages
on world events, letters to public figures, and public statements
on his ashram andpath of yoga.
The letters on the sadhana of members of the Ashram se-
lected for publication in Part Four of the present volume differ
from those published in Letters on Yoga, volumes 28–31 of
THE COMPLETE WORKS, in that they are framed historically by
events and conditions in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram between
1926and1950.ThedatesandthequestionsofSriAurobindo’s
correspondentsthataccompanymanyofthelettersinthepresent
volumemakethehistoricalcontextclear.Thelettersincludedin
Letters on Yoga were also written to Ashramites and outside
disciples during the 1926–1950 period, but they deal with Sri
Aurobindo’syogainamoregeneralway,andthusarelessinneed
of the contextualisation provided by the questions and dates.
The letters in the present volume have been arranged by
the editors in five parts, the last of which includes mantras
andmessages.Thetextshavebeencheckedagainstallavailable
handwritten, typed and printed versions.
CONTENTS
PARTONE
REMARKSONHISLIFEANDWORKSANDON
HISCONTEMPORARIESANDCONTEMPORARYEVENTS
Section One
Reminiscences and Remarks on Events in His Outer Life
His Life andAttempts to Write about It 5
His Name 8
Life in England, 1879–1893 9
Life in Baroda, 1893–1906 13
Political Career,1906–1910 17
Outer Life in Pondicherry, 1910–1950 28
Section Two
General Remarks on His Life
Remarks on His Life in Pondicherry after 1926 35
His Temperament and Character 44
Heredity, Past Lives, Astrology 55
SectionThree
Remarks on Himself as a Writer and on His Writings
On Himself as a Writer 63
Writing for Publication 67
On His Published Prose Writings 74
The Terminology of His Writings 141
SectionFour
Remarks on Contemporaries and on Contemporary Problems
Remarks on Spiritual Figures in India 161
Remarks on European Writers on Occultism 183
Remarks on Public Figures in India 184
Remarks on Public Figures in Europe 203
Remarks on Indian Affairs,1930–1946 205
Remarkson the World Situation, 1933–1949 209
CONTENTS
PARTTWO
HISSADHANAORPRACTICEOFYOGA
Section One
Sadhana before Coming to Pondicherry in 1910
Ordinary Life andYoga 227
Early Experiences 231
The Realisation of January 1908 239
Experiences in Alipur Jail, 1908–1909 263
Section Two
Sadhana in Pondicherry, 1910–1950
The Early Years inPondicherry, 1910–1926 269
The Realisation of 24 November 1926 270
The Sadhana of 1927–1929 273
GeneralRemarkson the Sadhana of the 1930s 277
The Supramental Yoga and Other Spiritual Paths 298
Remarks on the CurrentState of the Sadhana,
1931–1947 319
SectionThree
Some Aspects of the Sadhana in Pondicherry
Inner Vicissitudes and Difficulties 371
Unusual Experiences and States of Consciousness 383
PARTTHREE
THELEADERANDTHEGUIDE
Section One
The Guruand the Avatar
The Guru 395
The Question of Avatarhood 399
Section Two
Help and Guidance
Help from the Guide 437
Guidance through Correspondence 450
CONTENTS
SriAurobindo’s Force 479
Therapeutic Forceand Healing 497
Lights, Visions, Dreams 515
Darshan 520
Contact with People Outside the Ashram 526
PARTFOUR
THEPRACTICEOFYOGAINTHEASHRAMANDOUTSIDE
Section One
The Practiceof Yoga in the Ashram, 1926–1950
Entering Sri Aurobindo’s Path 539
Admission, Staying, Departure 559
The Ashramand Its Atmosphere 630
Sadhana inthe Ashram 634
Discipline in the Ashram 672
Rulesin the Life of the Ashram 676
The Ashramand Religion 696
Human Relations and the Ashram 705
Work in the Ashram 742
Life and Death in the Ashram 759
Miscellaneous Matters 794
Section Two
The Practiceof Yoga in the Ashramand the Outside World
The Ashramand the Outside World 811
Yoga Centres and Movements 814
PARTFIVE
MANTRASANDMESSAGES
Section One
Mantras
On Mantras 825
Mantras Written by SriAurobindo 829
CONTENTS
Section Two
Messages
MessagesWritten for Special Occasions 837
NOTEONTHETEXTS 847