Concentration The movement that stores up and concentrates is no less needed than the movement that spreads and diffuses.  13 April 1935 * Concentration does not aim for any effect, but is simple and persistent. Concentration on a precise goal is helpful to development. The more we concentrate on the goal, the more it blossoms forth and becomes precise. The Yogi knows by his capacity for a containing or dynamic identity with things and persons and forces.  11 April 1935 * “Knowledge can only come by conscious identity, for that is the only true knowledge,― existence aware of itself.” ¹―Sri Aurobindo There is always some

SPEECH AND PRACTICE It is not enough to know, you must practise. It is not enough to pretend, you must be.  15 November 1940 * On the path of Truth, in order to know more you must put into practice what you already know. A little bit of sincere practice is worth much more than a lot of written or spoken words.  July 1953 * A drop of practice is better than an ocean of theories, advices and good resolutions. 1968 Speak less, act more. Talk little, be true, act sincerely. To listen is good, but not sufficient ― you must understand. To understand is better, but still not sufficient ― you must act.  24 November 1969 *

NARROWNESS AND ONE-SIDEDNESS The whole trouble comes from the fact that you cannot harmonise with someone unless he is in agreement with your own ideas and his opinion and way of doing things are in conformity with yours. You must widen your consciousness and understand that everyone has his own law. It is necessary to find the ground of understanding and harmony in a happy combination of individual wills and not to try that all may be the same in an identical will and action. One of the chief obstacles to the establishment of a progressive harmony is our eagerness to prove to an opponent that he is wrong and we are right. I am happy about your new arrangement; let us h

Progress and Perfection in Work You will become more and more perfect in your work as the consciousness grows, increases, widens and is enlightened.              7 October 1934 * In all action, all work done, the degree of perfection depends upon the degree of consciousness. To work in the Divine's way is not easy for a blind and egoistic person like me. By that I mean: to work unegoistically and to keep myself open to your force so that it may work unhampered in me. Am I right? Yes, it is correct. Judging by that standard I have no right to work for you at all; but it is also not desirable, perhaps, to cease

Faith and the Divine Grace FAITH Faith is spontaneous knowledge in the psychic. Faith is a certitude which is not necessarily based on experience and knowledge. Faith ― confidence in the Divine and the unshakable certitude of the Divine's Victory. It is good to have this unshakable faith ― it makes your path easier and shorter. True faith does not depend on circumstances. Faith in spiritual power must not depend on circumstances. A faith based on material proofs is not faith ― it is a bargaining. Page ― 82 Faith first, knowledge afterwards. They who have faith will go through. It i

Weaknesses FEAR Fear is always a very bad adviser. It is the fear ― more or less conscious ― which does almost all the mischief. Without fear nothing can happen. Do not fear, keep your confidence, all these troubles will leave you. With my love and blessings. Stop fearing and the bothers will stop also. A child of mine cannot fear. Blessings. My protection is always with you and nothing bad can happen. But you must take the decision to shake off the fear and then my force can work fully.  27 October 1937 * Do not torment yourself, do not worry; above all try to ba- Page ― 258 nish all fear; fear is a dangerous

Difficulties THE CAUSE AND UTILITY OF DIFFICULTIES The difficulties are always due to a resistance, some part or several parts of the being refusing to receive the force, the consciousness and the light put upon them and revolting against the divine influence. It is rare that somebody can surrender entirely to the Divine's Will without having to face one or another of these difficulties. But to keep steady one's aspiration and to look at oneself with an absolute sincerity are the sure means to overcome all obstacles. Surely all these troubles come from a resistance somewhere, something that opposes the work of transformation. Always circumstances come to reveal

17 July 1957 Has no one any questions on the text?…I have nothing special to tell you this evening, and if you are not curious to know what the new perfections of the body could be…           Mother, in the physical education we practise here our aim is a greater and greater control over the body, isn’t it? So, as Sri Aurobindo has said in what we read last time, that the Hatha-yoga and Tantric methods give a very great control over the body,¹ Why don’t we introduce these methods into our system? These are occult processes for acting on the body – the Tantric ones, at any rate – while the modern methods of development follow the ordinary physical