IX         EXPERIENCES AND VISIONS         Q: What is the difference between concentration and meditation in our Yoga?       A: Concentration, for our Yoga, means when the consciousness is fixed in a particular state (e.g., peace) or movement (e.g., aspiration, will, coming into contact with the Mother, taking the Mother's name); meditation is when the inner mind is looking at things to get the right knowledge.         Q: You wrote that "the Mother is always in concentrated consciousness in her inner being". What is meant by "concentrated consciousness" ?       A: The higher consciousness is a concentrated consciousness, concentrated in the Divine U

     IV         SINCERITY         Q: Is it true that it is only through the power of absolute sincerity that one can get full transformation and reach the Supramental Truth?       A: Yes.         The Mother has said: "If you are not sincere do not begin Toga." Does this imply that if after entering Toga a person finds that his sincerity is not complete, he should leave it?       A: No. It is only if he is fundamentally insincere that he should leave it.         Q: How can a sadhak know whether he is fundamentally insincere?       A: If he sees that he is full of ego and doing sadhana for the sake of the ego only and has no real turn

    X        WORK       Q: When people join the Ashram to do sadhana and live under the Mother's protection, is it not necessary for them to do some Ashram work to progress in their sadhana?       A: They should do.         Q: Should they ask the Mother for work or wait till she herself gives them work ?       A: If they have the true spirit in them, they will ask for work.         Q: Sometimes when a sadhak asks the Mother's permission to do a work of his choice and the Mother gives it, can it be said that it is the work done for the Mother?       A: The sadhak ought to be ready to do any work that is needed, not only the work he prefers.

  This book is compiled from the answers Sri Aurobindo gave in writing to some elementary questions about Yoga put to  him during the years 1933-36.      I         THE CALL AND FITNESS         Q: How can one know if he is fit for the spiritual life before taking up Toga?       A: How can anyone know before he puts his step on the path? He can only know whether he has the aspiration or not, whether he feels a call or not.         Q: You have said that to enter the path of Toga "all one needs to know is whether the soul in one has been moved to the Toga or not". But how to

 XIII         SEX—FOOD—SLEEP       Q: Is it true that sexual desire is the greatest obstacle in Toga?       A: One of the greatest, at least.         Q,: Does sexual desire increase by taking more food and decrease by taking less?       A: It is rather certain kinds of food that are supposed to increase it—e.g., meat, onions, chillies, etc.         Q: Are greed, anger, jealousy etc., the companions of the sexual desire?       A: They usually go with sexual desire, though, not always.         Q: The Mother has said "the strength of such impulses as those of the sex lies usually in the fact that the people take too much notice