The Question of Avatarhood   The Guru and the Avatar   About the question of the Avatar, I do not think it is useful to press in the matter. It has become very much the tendency, especially in Bengal, to regard the Guru as the Avatar. To every disciple the Guru is the Divine, but in a special sense —  for the Guru is supposed to live in the divine consciousness, to have attained union and when he gives to the disciple, it is the Divine that gives and what he gives is the consciousness of the Divine who is within the Guru. But that and Avatarhood are two different things. It is mostly in East Bengal recently that those have come who were

Admission, Staying, Departure   "Acceptance" and "Admission"   Reply that residence in the Asrama is only allowed to sadhakas who have been accepted into Sri Aurobindo's path of Yoga, and not to all of them. This path is a special way of Yoga, difficult and different from others; only those are accepted who have a special call to it. 8 February 1930   *   Many thanks for [a transcript of the preceding letter]. Permit me to ask as to the qualifications of persons who can be accepted and admitted into the holy ashram as sadhaks.   There are no specific qualifications except the call to lead a

The Sadhana of 1927 ­ 1929 The Sadhana of 1927 - 1929   Sadhana on the Physical Level   Last night during my meditation I saw a cat —  probably one of the Mother's cats, the one which sleeps on the staircase — come and enter the room where I was meditating. But I at once opened my eyes. Would you very kindly let me know the meaning of this cat and why I opened my eyes.   If it is the cat Bushy, she has some strange connection with the siddhi in the physical consciousness. It was she who ushered us into our present house running before us into each room. The change to this house marked the change from the sadhana on the vital t

His Name   "Aurobindo"     But look at the irony of human decisions and human hopes. My father who wanted all his sons to be great men and succeeded in a small way with three of them in a sudden inspiration gave me the name Aurobindo, till then not borne by anyone in India or the wide world, that I might stand out unique among the great by the unique glory of my name. And now look at the swarm of Aurobindos with their mighty deeds in England, Germany and elsewhere! Don't tell me it is my fault because of my indiscretion in becoming famous. When I went to the National College in the Swadeshi days which was my first public step towards the ignominies

Experiences in Alipur Jail 1908 - 1909   Pain and Ananda   As for divine rapture, a knock on head or foot or elsewhere can be received with the physical Ananda of pain or pain + Ananda or pure physical Ananda —  for I have often, quite involuntarily, made the experiment myself and passed with honours. It began, by the way, as far back as in Alipur jail when I got bitten in my cell by some very red and ferocious looking warrior ants and found to my surprise that pain and pleasure are conventions of our senses. But I do not expect that unusual reaction from others. And I suppose there are limits, e.g. the case of a picketer in Madras or D

Remarks on Indian Affairs 1930 - 1946   The Civil Disobedience Movement   I have received a letter from my father. He says he read Pandit Sunderlal's speech published in a newspaper, in which he has reportedly stated that you have asked your disciples to join the Civil Disobedience Movement.   You can write to your father that Sri Aurobindo has given no such orders to his disciples. The statement of Sunderlal has no foundation. 4 May 1930   Indian Independence and the Muslims   The Hindu mentality in politics is such that they would a thousand times prefer British rule to any M

'Letters on Himself and the Ashram' by Sri Aurobindo Page 1 of 50 Section Two   General Remarks on His Life   Remarks on His Life in Pondicherry after 1926   On His Retirement   What harm would there be if you would talk for a few minutes to each sadhak at least once a year?   There would be no gain from it and my retirement is necessary for the inner work. 25 May 1933   *   When will you come out of your retirement?   That is a thing of which nothing can be said at present. My retirement had a purpose and that purpose must first be fulfilled. 25 Augu

Part Four   The Practice of Yoga in the Ashram and Outside       Section One   The Practice of Yoga in the Ashram 1926 ­ 1950       Entering Sri Aurobindo's Path   Acceptance as a Disciple, 1926 ­ 1949   His aspiration may be satisfied if he makes himself fit. Let him continue to read the Arya and practise daily meditation. In the meditation he should concentrate first in an aspiration that the central truths of which he reads should be made real to him in conscious experience and his mind opened to the calm, wideness, st

Part Three The Leader and the Guide     Section One   The Guru and the Avatar   The Guru   The Guru and the Divine   It is not usual to use the word Guru in the supramental yoga, here everything comes from the Divine himself. But if anybody wants it he can use it for the time being. November 1929   *     The relation of Guru and disciple is only one of many relations which one can have with the Divine, and in this Yoga which aims at a supramental realisation, it is not usual to give it this name; rather, the Divine is regarded as the Source, the

Remarks on the Current State of the Sadhana, 1931 - 1947   1931   I am surprised at Tagore's remark1 about the two years; he must have greatly misunderstood or misheard me. I did tell him that I would expand only after making a perfect (inner) foundation here, but I gave no date. I did give that date of two years long before in my letter to Barin,2 but I had then a less ample view of the work to be done than I have now —  and I am now more cautious about assigning dates than I was once. To fix a precise time is impossible except in the two regions of certitude —  the pure material which is