Sri Aurobindo
Autobiographical Notes
and Other Writings of Historical Interest
Part Four. Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram and Yoga 1927–1949
On the Ashram’s Finances1
Many would like to know how the Ashrama here is
maintained. As a matter of fact there is as yet no regular source of income; it
has been carried on in the past by the contributions of a few who are in
sympathy with the work and can afford to give some help. But these means are not
likely to be sufficient for the future. I understand that Sri Aurobindo’s work
has to pass through three stages, the first when he was finding out the
spiritual path and laying the foundations of his sadhana, a second, now begun,
for creating a nucleus of spiritual workers and a number of institutions as the
basis for his work, and last, the full work in India and abroad which will be
very wide. For Sri Aurobindo’s Sadhana is not merely for himself or a few
disciples; it is a foundation for a great spiritual work for India and for all
the world. In the first stage, the personal wants of Sri Aurobindo and the few
disciples who lived with him being few and simple, much help was not needed; for
there were no other expenses. But now in the second stage of his work this is no
longer the case. The Ashrama will have to buy the houses it is now renting in
order to prevent any possibility of dispersion. Numbers of disciples are
beginning to stream in and, however economical the style of living, the cost of
maintenance is greatly increasing and will go on increasing; the institutions to
be started will need equipment and funds for maintenance. All this means large
financial means which must come in from now onward and go on growing in the
future. The members of the Ashrama expect that if the means are forthcoming, the
second stage of the work will be not only carried on but thoroughly consolidated
in the next two or three 
years and the third
started. There ought surely to be no difficulty about satisfying this condition.
In India Sri Aurobindo’s is still a name to conjure with and, when the need is
known I think those who have the power among the thousands who have faith in him
and revere him, will not fail to send in their assistance.
1927
1 On 6 May 1927 an article by Jatindranath Sen Gupta entitled “Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram: Daily Life of Inmates: A Visitor’s Account” was published in the Hindu of Madras. Sen Gupta noted in his first paragraph: “Though everywhere in India and even outside India there is a keen desire to know what is really going on inside this Ashram at Pondicherry, not only very few get the opportunity of knowing what is going on here, but, on the other hand, all sorts of false and ugly rumours have been assiduously spread by interested persons.” Sen Gupta’s piece was the first article about the Ashram to be published anywhere. It seems also to have been the first published writing in which the name “Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram” was used. Sri Aurobindo saw and approved of the article as a whole, and wrote one paragraph for it himself. This paragraph, concerning the financial arrangements of the Ashram as of May 1927, is reproduced here. This was the only time Sri Aurobindo made a public appeal for funds. Later he specifically disallowed this approach.