Section Three HIS PATH AND OTHER PATHS SRI AUROBINDO'S TEACHING AND  METHOD OF SADHANA The teaching of Sri Aurobindo starts from that of the ancient sages of India that behind the appearances of the universe there is the Reality of a Being and Consciousness, a Self of all things, one and eternal. All beings are united in that One Self and Spirit but divided by a certain separativity of consciousness, an ignorance of their true Self and Reality in the mind, life and body. It is possible by a certain psychological discipline to remove this veil of separative consciousness and become aware of the true Self, the Divinity within us and all. Sri Aurob

Section Seven REMINISCENCES AND OBSERVATIONS LAST WORD IN HUMAN NATURE Lies? Well, a Punjabi student at Cambridge once took our breath away by the frankness and comprehensive profundity of his affirmation: "Liars! But we are all liars!" It appeared that he had intended to say "lawyers", but his pronunciation gave his remark a deep force of philosophic observation and generalisation which he had not intended! But it seems to me the last word in human nature. Only the lying is sometimes intentional, sometimes vaguely half-intentional, sometimes quite unintentional, momentary and unconscious. So there you are!... Of course you are right about the lies

II. LIFE IN BARODA: 1893-1906  APPOINTMENTS IN BARODA STATE . He was first put in the Land Settlement Department, for a short time in the Stamps Office, then in the Central Revenue Office and in the Secretariat. Afterwards without joining the College and while doing other work he was lecturer in French at the College and finally at his own request was appointed there as Professor of English. All through, the Maharaja used to call him whenever something had to be written which needed careful wording; he also employed him to prepare some of his public speeches and in other work of a literary or educational character. Afterwards Sri Aurobindo became the Vice-Principal of the

Section Three DIFFICULTIES OF THE PATH-FINDERS THE DIFFICULT PATH Nobody has found this Yoga a Grand Trunk Road, neither X nor Y nor even myself or the Mother. All such ideas are a romantic illusion. August,1935 THE BURDEN OF HUMANITY We have had sufferings and struggles to which yours is a mere child's play; I have not made our cases equal to yours. I have said that the Avatar is one who comes to open the Way for humanity to a higher consciousness — if nobody can follow the Way, then either our conception of the thing, which is also that of Christ and Krishna and Buddha also, is all wrong or the whole life and action of the Avat

Section Nine SOME EARLY LETTERS This Section consists of some letters written by Sri Aurobindo during the early period of his stay at Pondicherry after his arrival there in 1910. Part I includes letters relating to his personal Sadhana written during 1911 to 1916. Part II contains two letters written in 1920 in reply to appeals to him from two Indian nationalist leaders to come back to British India to resume leadership of Indian politics. Part III contains three letters written in 1922 relating to the plan that he had then conceived to extend his work outside after his long retirement in inner Sadhana. SOME EARLY LETTERS I. EARLY SADHA

SECTION FOUR SADHANA FOR THE EARTH-CONSCIOUSNESS SRI AUROBINDO AND SUPERMAN I don't know that I have called myself a Superman. But certainly I have risen above the ordinary human mind, otherwise I would not think of trying to bring down the Supermind into the physical. 15-9-1935 OBJECT OF SEEKING THE SUPERMIND These egoistic terms are not those in which my vital moves. It is a higher Truth I seek, whether it makes men greater or not is not the question, but whether it will give them truth and peace and light to live in and make life something better than a struggle with ignorance and falsehood and pain and strife. Then, even if

Section Five THE MASTER AND THE GUIDE CONDITIONS OF ACCEPTANCE AS DISCIPLES I do not very readily accept disciples as this path of Yoga is a difficult one and it can be followed only if there is a special call. If he wishes to accept my Yoga the conditions are a steady resolve and aspiration towards the truth I am bringing down, a calm passivity and an opening upward towards the source from which the light is coming. The Shakti is already working in him and if he takes and keeps this attitude and has a complete confidence in me, there is no reason why he should not advance safely in the Sadhana. 9-12-1922 As for the Zamindar he seems to expect so

PART TWO SRI AUROBINDO ON HIMSELF AND ON THE MOTHER Section One LEADERS OF EVOLUTION SRI AUROBINDO AND THE MOTHER AS AVATARS Q: We believe that both you and the Mother are Avatars. But is it only in this life that both of you have shown your divinity? It is said that you and she have been on the earth constantly since its creation. What were you doing during the previous lives? A: Carrying on the evolution. Q: I find it difficult to understand so concise a statement. Can't you elaborate it? A: That would mean writing the whole of human history. I can only say that as there are special descents to carry on the evolution to

NOTE Sri Aurobindo was very emphatic in stating that only he could write truly about himself; but he never wrote any comprehensive or systematic account of his life. Only in his correspondence with his disciples and others he sometimes explained points by incidentally referring to some event in his own life or some experience in his own Yogic development. Also on a few occasions he corrected misleading statements concerning him published in some journals and books and gave notes about some points in his life to three of his biographers who had submitted their manuscripts to him for verification. All this material has been compiled and presented in a systematic arrangement

section TWO BEGINNINGS OF YOGA AN EARLY EXPERIENCE Q: X says that it is written somewhere that you had a realisation in 1890. Is it true ? A: A realisation in 1890? It does not seem possible. There was something, though I was not doing Yoga and knew nothing about it, in the year of my departure from England; I don't remember which it was but probably 1892-93.... I don't remember anything special in 1890. Where did he see this written? 22-8-1936 GLIMPSES OF SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITY Q: Is it true that only those who had, before beginning their Sadhana, a clear knowledge of their spiritual possibility through a definite glimpse