August 15, 1976 © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1976 Published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Publication Department Printed at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry PRINTED IN INDIA INTRODUCTION   This second volume of letters consists of my correspondence with Sri Aurobindo during the third year of sadhana, 1935. The letters of the first two years, 1933 and 1934, have been collected in Volume I. As with the letters of that book, here too many are published for the first time. However, the major portion appeared in the Ashram journal Mother India over a number of years.       For those who have not seen Volume I it may be well to rep

OLD YOGAS AND OUR YOGA         It seems someone wrote to you: "I thought there is quite a difference between divinisation and supramentalisation, one being only one of the steps to the other." I would like to understand exactly the difference between divinisation and supramentalisation. Is not the latter implied ill the former? Is not the Divine greater than the Supermind ?       The Divine can be realised in any plane according to the capacity of that plane, as the Divine is everywhere. The Yogis and Saints realise the Divine on the spiritualised mind plane, that does not mean they become supramental.         Did the ancient Yogis make no distinction be

MOTHER'S ROLE IN OUR SADHANA         Why do we hear that the Mother experiences this or that? Has she still to go on experiencing?       Experiencing what? She has her own experiences in bringing down the things that have to be brought down — but what the sadhaks experience she had long ago. The Divine does the sadhana first for the world and then in others.         Sometimes a sadhak feels as if not only he but also the Mother goes through a certain experience in us. The poet Harin often speaks of such a happening as "I am thrilled by Thee and Thou art thrilled by me. I am happy by Thee and so Thou art by me", etc. I cannot understand how such experi

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND YOGA       My friends wonder why I take so little food. But why should I eat much just to satisfy the body's appetite?       Food is necessary for the maintenance of the body which is the instrument of the sadhana, so it must be taken in sufficient quantity for that. It is not to satisfy the appetite but for this purpose that you must take sufficient food.         I think you said some time ago that the absence of my appetite was due to the inertia and the resistance of the lower vital. I wonder what sort of connection exists between the appetite and inertia.       All ill-health is due to some inertia or weakness or to some r

HIGHER PLANES OF CONSCIOUSNESS         Is not the higher mind the first plane above our mind?       That is right. It is the first of the planes above the ordinary human mind.         Is the forehead (inner mind centre) a part of the higher mind?       No, it indicates the mind generally. The higher mind is above.         What is characteristic of the higher mind?         It is a mind of thought and knowledge and spiritual perception but spontaneously seeing the truth.         Could one cross the higher planes without establishing peace and silence? If so, would one feel the vibrations?       I do not see how it can be done

THE TRUE YOGIC CONSCIOUSNESS       DETACHMENT AND LIBERATION         Now it is as if the Mother were carrying me into herself, leaving behind only a projection of her Force which works in my external nature.       That was what was needed — on one side the dwelling in the Mother, on the other the consciousness of her Force working in the physical being.         My actions are beginning to be felt (not merely thought to be) as being performed by her Force while I remain merged in her consciousness.       It is very good. That was what was needed.         I feel myself far from the ignorance and falsehood and close to the Mother. Not that

THE VITAL BEING       How to liberate myself from the vita! strife and struggle?       Allow no demand of the human vital to rise up — clamour of egoistic revolts— or if one rises see that you or no part of you identifies itself with it.         How is it that in spite of my rejection the suggestions are still troubling me and even stopping the sadhana?       There must be something in your consciousness (probably the vital physical) in which these things can still find a response, otherwise they would be felt but they would not stop all sadhana.         Does the cause of the fall from the state of light and truth belong to my own vital or is it from outs

MIND   MENTAL DEVELOPMENT         How is thought itself to become quiescent? By the descent of silence in the whole mind down to the physical.         When an impulse comes, the mind feels perplexed and the heart is anguished. They cannot exercise control over it.       The mind and the heart would do better to remain quiet and wait on a higher Force than theirs to do what is necessary.         Should I not persist in making my mind surrender all its workings to the Mother?       A persistent but quiet aspiration for the surrender of the physical mind and vital is the best way.         The mind does not remain now in my control or think properly.

ILLNESS IN YOGA Sciatica       Poor Nature! When it found it impossible to disturb my sadhana by some subtle psychological means it resorted at last to physical means —pushing up my dormant sciatica!       I hope it will soon be pushed out — meanwhile it need not disturb anything in the inner realisation.         I feel the pain only in the lower abdominal parts and the thighs.       That is all right then. Sciatica is of course an illness of the lower part of the body — the legs especially. But it should go out from there.         The pain is increasing. I have started using the Mother's Force on it.       If you get rid of it by the For

PEACE AND SILENCE         Could the lower forces be easily managed by living in the silence?       If the silence has strength in it — is not too neutral.         Does the presence of silence always include peace?       When the silence is there, there ought to be peace — if not anything deeper at least a mental peace in the inner being.         Could one stabilise the silence from the beginning? It can be done sometimes — though entire stability is not usual in the beginning.         Does the silence need any supporting in order to sustain it for long?       What do you mean by supporting? Usually the silence when it is there is suffi