Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Letters
Fragment ID: 22126
A&R.– 1978, December, p. 192
1. Sri Aurobindo is the author of The Yoga and Its Objects. It must be by an error of the printers that his name has been omitted. 2-3. But the book represents an early stage of Sri Aurobindo’s sadhana and only a part of it is applicable to the Yoga as it has at present taken form after a lapse of more than twenty years.
The Yogic Sadhan is not Sri Aurobindo’s own writing, but was published with a note by him, that is all. The statement made to the contrary by the publishers was an error which they have been asked to correct. There is no necessity of following the methods suggested in that book unless one finds them suggestive or helpful as a preliminary orientation of the consciousness – e.g. in the upbuilding of an inner Will etc.
4. A book giving some hints about the Yoga compiled from letters to the sadhaks is about to be published1, but it cannot be said to be complete. There is no complete book on the subject; for even The Synthesis of Yoga, published in the Arya but not yet republished in book form, gives only the theory of different components of the Yoga (Knowledge, Works, Devotion) and remains besides unfinished; it does not cover the more recent developments of the Yoga.
5. There are no conditions for receiving the influence of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother except faith, an entire sincerity in following the spiritual path and a will and capacity to open oneself to the influence; but this capacity usually comes as the result of sincerity and faith.
6. It is quite possible to follow the Yoga while remaining outside the Ashram. There are many both in Northern and Southern India who do it.
7. You can submit your doubts for elucidation to Sri Aurobindo, if brief answer’s are sufficient, as he has little time. If longer and more detailed answers are necessary, it could only be done through one of his disciples.
1 The reference is doubtless to Liglus on Yoga, first published in February 1935