SECTION THREE Transformation of the Vital THE two movements whose apparent contradiction confuses your mind, are the two ends of a single consciousness whose motions, now separated from each other, must join if the life-power is to have its more and more perfect action and fulfilment or the transformation for which we hope. The vital being with the life-force in it is one of these ends; the other is a latent dynamic power of the higher consciousness through which the Divine Truth can act, take hold of the vital and its life-force and use it for a greater purpose here. The Life-Force in the vital is the indispensable instrument for all action of

SECTION FIVE Transformation of the Subconscient and the Inconscient SO LONG as there is not the supramental change down to the subconscient, complete and full, the lower nature has always a hold on some part of the being. ⁂ The subconscient difficulty is the difficulty now − because the whole struggle in the general sadhana is now there. It is in the subconscient, no longer in vital or conscious physical that the resistance is all massed together. ⁂ The inner being does not depend on the subconscient, but the outer has d epended on it for thousands of lives − that is why the outer being and physical consciousness's habit of

SECTION TWO Transformation of the Mind THERE is no reason why one should not receive through the āhinking mind, as one receives through the vital, the emotional and the body. The thinking mind is as capable of receiving as these are, and, since it has to be transformed as well as the rest, it must be trained to receive, otherwise no transformation of it could take place. It is the ordinary unenlightened activity of the intellect that is an obstacle to spiritual experience, just as the ordinary unregenerated activity of the vital or the obscure stupidly obstructive consciousness of the body is an obstacle. What the sadhak has to be specially warned ag

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Letters of Sri Aurobindo was first compiled and published in four series from 1947 to 1951. Series First, Second and Fourth contained letters on yoga and the Third Series contained letters on Poetry and Literature. Prior to that small selections of leisters were published in The Riddle of This World (1933), Lights on Yoga (1935), Bases of Yoga (1936) and More Lights on Yoga (1948). Some letters were also published periodically in the Ashram Journals: Sri Aurobindo Circle, Sri Aurobindo Mandir, The Advent and Mother India. Series First and Second of Letters of Sri Aurobindo were reissued in 1950 and 1954 respectively. In 1958

PART – IV SECTION ONE The Triple Transformation Psychic ─ Spiritual ─ Supramental THE fundamental realisations of this yoga are: 1. The psychic change so that a complete devotion can be the main motive of the heart and the ruler of thought, life and action in constant union with the Mother and in her Presence. 2. The descent of the Peace, Power, Light, etc. of the Higher Consciousness through the head and heart into the whole being, occupying the very cells of the body. 3. The perception of the One and Divine infinitely everywhere, the Mother everywhere and living in that infinite consciousness. You know the three things on which the rea

SECTION SEVEN Opposition of the Hostile Forces   IT IS a fact always known to all yogis and occultists since the beginning of time, in Europe and Africa as in India, that wherever yoga or Yajna is done, there the hostile Forces gather together to stop it by any means. It is known that there is a lower nature and a higher spiritual nature − it is known that they pull different ways and the lower is strongest at first and the higher afterwards. It is known that the hostile Forces take advantage of the movements of the lower nature and try to spoil through them, smash or retard the siddhi. It has been said as long ago as the Upanishads (hard is the path t

SECTION SIX Difficulties of the Path ALL who enter the spiritual path have to face the difficulties and ordeals of the path, those which rise from their own nature and those which come in from outside. The difficulties in the nature always rise again and again till you overcome them; they must be faced with both strength and patience. But the vital part is prone to depression when ordeals and difficulties rise. This is not peculiar to you, but comes to all sadhaks − it does not imply an unfitness for the sadhana or justify a sense of helplessness. But you must train yourself to overcome this reaction of depression, calling in the Mother's Force to aid you.

Pacsimile of a letter on pp. 1136-1137

SECTION FOUR Transformation of the Physical NO NEED to despise the physical being − it is part of the intended manifestation. ⁂ It is because your consciousness in the course of the sadhana has come into contact with the lower physical nature and sees it as it is in itself when it is not kept down or controlled either by the mind, the psychic or the spiritual force. This nature is in itself full of low and obscure desires, it is the most animal part of the human being. One has to come into contact with it so as to know what is there and transform it. Most sadhaks of the old type are satisfied with rising into the spiritual or psychic realms an