Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part One. Autobiographical Notes
2. Sri Aurobindo’s corrections of statements in a
proposed biography
Early Spiritual Development
Meeting with Vishnu Bhaskar Lele [2]
What Lele asked him was whether he could surrender
himself entirely to the Inner Guide within him and move as it moved him; 
if so he needed no instructions from Lele or anybody else. This Sri
Aurobindo accepted and made that his rule of sadhana and of life. Before he met
Lele, Sri Aurobindo had some spiritual experiences, but that [was] before he
knew anything about Yoga or even what Yoga was,– e.g. a vast calm which
descended upon him at the moment when he stepped first on Indian soil after his
long absence, in fact with his first step on the Apollo Bunder in Bombay; (this
calm surrounded him and remained for long months afterwards,) the realisation of
the vacant Infinite while walking on the ridge of the Takht-i-[Sulaiman]1 in Kashmir, the living presence of Kali in a shrine in Chandod on the
banks of the Narmada, the vision of the Godhead surging up from within when in
danger of a carriage accident in Baroda in the first year of his stay etc. But
these were inner experiences coming of themselves and with a sudden
unexpectedness, not part of a sadhana. He started Yoga by himself without a
Guru, getting the rule from a friend, a disciple of Brahmananda of
[Ganganath]2; it was confined at first to the
assiduous practice of Pranayama (at one time for 6 hours or more a day). There
was no conflict or wavering between Yoga and politics; when he started Yoga, he
carried on both without any idea of opposition between them. He wanted however
to find a Guru. He met the Naga Sannyasi in the course of his search, but did
not accept him as Guru, though he was confirmed by him in a belief in Yoga-power
when he saw him cure Barin in almost a moment of a violent and clinging
hill-fever by merely cutting through a glassful of water cross-wise with a knife
while he repeated a silent mantra. Barin drank and was cured. He also met
Brahmananda and was greatly impressed by him; but he had no helper or Guru in
Yoga till he met Lele and that was only for a short time.