- TABLE OF CONTENTS -
Publishers Note
Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Prayer to Vyasa
Prayer to the Guru
Prayer to Lord Krishna
Gita Mahatmya
Gita Dhyanam
1. The Yoga of the Despondency of Arjuna
2. Sankhya Yoga
3. The Yoga of Action
4. The Yoga of Wisdom
5. The Yoga of Renunciation of Action
6. The Yoga of Meditation
7. The Yoga of Wisdom and Realisation
8. The Yoga of the Imperishable Brahman
9. The Yoga of the Kingly Science & the Kingly Secret
10. The Yoga of the Divine Glories
11. The Yoga of the Vision of the Cosmic Form
12. The Yoga of Devotion
13. The Yoga of Distinction Between The Field & the Knower of the Field
14. The Yoga of the Division of the Three Gunas
15. The Yoga of the Supreme Spirit
16. The Yoga of the Division Between the Divine and the Demoniacal
17. The Yoga of the Division of the Threefold Faith
18. The Yoga of Liberation by Renunciation
book
book
chapter
Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo
KEYS (10k)
6 Sri Aurobindo
3 A B Purani
NEW FULL DB (2.4M)
2 Sri Aurobindo
1:True knowledge is not attained by thinking. It is what you are; it is what you become. ~ A B Purani, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO , #KEYS
2:You can say that the Supermind is harder than diamond and yet more fluid than gas. ~ A B Purani, Evening Talks with Sri Aurobindo by A B Purani p. 478., #KEYS
3:The miraculous or extraordinary powers acquired by Yogis on the vital plane are not all true in the physical. There are many pit-falls in the vital. These vital powers take up even a man like Hitler and make him do things by suggesting to him - "It shall happen". There are quite a number of cases of Sadhaks who have lost their Sadhana by listening to these voices from the vital-world. And the humour of it all is that they all say that they come either from the Mother or from me! ~ Sri Aurobindo, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO RECORDED BY A B PURANI (page no-614), #KEYS
4:DISCIPLE: It is said that the psychic is a spark of the Divine.SRI AUROBINDO: Yes.DISCIPLE: Then it seems that the function of the psychic being is the same as that of Vedic Agni, who is the leader of the journey?SRI AUROBINDO: Yes. Agni is the God of the Psychic and, among the other things it does, it leads the upward journey.DISCIPLE: How does the psychic carry the personalities formed in this life into another life?SRI AUROBINDO: After death, it gathers its elements and carries them onward to another birth. But it is not the same personality that is born. People easily misunderstand these things, specially when they are put in terms of the mind. The past personality is taken only as the basis but a new personality is put forward. If it was the same personality, then it would act exactly in the same manner and there would be no meaning in that. ~ Sri Aurobindo, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO RECORDED BY A B PURANI (page no 665-666), #KEYS
5:In a letter the question raised was: "Is not all action incompatible with Sri Aurobindo's yoga"? Sri Aurobindo: His idea that all action is incompatible with this yoga is not correct. Generally, it is found that all Rajasic activity does not go well with this yoga: for instance, political work. The reasons for abstaining from political activity are: 1. Being Rajasic in its nature, it does not allow that quiet and knowledge on the basis of which the work should really proceed. All action requires a certain inner formation, an inner detached being. The formation of this inner being requires one to dive into the depth of the being, get the true Being and then prepare the true Being to come to the surface. It is then that one acquires a poise - an inner poise - and can act from there. Political work by Rajasic activity which draws the being outwards prevents this inner formation. 2. The political field, together with certain other fields, is the stronghold of the Asuric forces. They have their eye on this yoga, and they would try to hamper the Sadhana by every means. By taking to the political field you get into a plane where these forces hold the field. The possibility of attack in that field is much greater than in others. These Asuric forces try to lead away the Sadhaka from the path by increasing Kama and Krodha - desire and anger, and such other Rajasic impulses. They may throw him permanently into the sea of Rajasic activity. ~ Sri Aurobindo, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO , #KEYS
6:Instruction about Sadhana to a disciple: Disciple: What is the nature of realisation in this yoga? Sri Aurobindo: In this yoga we want to bring down the Truth-consciousness into the whole being - no part being left out. This can be done by the Higher Power itself. What you have to do is to open yourself to it. Disciple: As the Higher Power is there why does it not work in all men - consciously? Sri Aurobindo: Because man, at present, is shut up in his mental being, his vital nature and physical consciousness and their limitations. You have to open yourself. By an opening I mean an aspiration in the heart for the coming down of the Power that is above, and a will in the Mind, or above the Mind, open to it. The first thing this working of the Higher Power does is to establish Shanti - peace - in all the parts of the being and an opening above. This peace is not mere mental Shanti, it is full of power and, whatever action takes place in it, Samata, equality, is its basis and the Shanti and Samata are never disturbed. What comes from Above is peace, power and joy. It also brings about changes in various parts of our nature so that they can bear the pressure of the Higher Power. Knowledge also progressively develops showing all in our being that is to be thrown out and what is to be retained. In fact, knowledge and guidance both come and you have constantly to consent to the guidance. The progress may be more in one direction than in anotheR But it is the Higher Power that works. The rest is a matter of experience and the movement of the Shakti. ~ Sri Aurobindo, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO RECORDED BY A B PURANI (28-09-1923), #KEYS
7:Disciple : What part does breathing exercise - Pranayama - play in bringing about the higher consciousness?Sri Aurobindo : It sets the Pranic - vital - currents free and removes dullness of the brain so that the higher consciousness can come down. Pranayama does not bring dullness in the brain. My own experience, on the contrary, is that brain becomes illumined. When I was practising Pranayama at Baroda, I used to do it for about five hours in the day, - three hours in the morning and two in the evening. I found that the mind began to work with great illumination and power. I used to write poetry in those days. Before the Pranayama practice, usually I wrote five to eight lines per day; and about two hundred lines in a month. After the practice I could write 200 lines within half an hour. That was not the only result. Formerly my memory was dull. But after this practice I found that when the inspiration came I could remember all the lines in their order and write them down correctly at any time. Along with these enhanced functionings I could see an electrical activity all round the brain, and I could feel that it was made up of a subtle substance. I could feel everything as the working of that substance. That was far from your carbon-dioxide!Disciple : How is it that Pranayama develops mental capacities? What part does it play in bringing about the higher consciousness?Sri Aurobindo : It is the Pranic - vital - currents which sustain mental activity. When these currents are changed by Pranayama, they bring about a change in the brain. The cause of dullness of the brain is some obstruction in it which does not allow the higher thought to be communicated to it. When this obstruction is removed the higher mental being is able to communicate its action easily to the brain. When the higher consciousness is attained the brain does not become dull. My experience is that it becomes illumined. ~ Sri Aurobindo, A B Purani Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo, #KEYS
8:Disciple: If the Asuras represent the dark side of God on the vital plane - does this dark side exist on every plane? If so, are there beings on the mental plane which correspond to the dark side? Sri Aurobindo: The Asura is really the dark side of God on the mental plane. Mind is the very field of the Asura. His characteristic is egoistic strength, which refuses the Higher Law. The Asura has got Self-control, Tapas, intelligence, only, all that is for his ego. On the vital plane the corresponding forces we call the Rakshashas which represent violent passions and impulses. There are other beings on the vital plane which we call pramatta and piśacha and these; manifest, more or less, on the physico-vital plane. Distiple: What is the corresponding being on the higher plane? Sri Aurobindo: On the higher plane there are no Asuras - there the Truth prevails. There are "Asuras" there in the Vedic sense,- "beings with divine powers". The mental Asura is only a deviation of that power. The work of the Asura has all the characteristics of mind in it. It is mind refusing to submit to the Higher Law; it is the mind in revolt. It works on the basis of ego and ignorance. Disciple: What are the forces that correspond to the dark side of God on the physical plane? Sri Aurobindo: They are what may be called the "elemental beings", or rather, obscure elemental forces - they are more "forces" than "beings". It is these that the Theosophists call the "Elementals". They are not individualised beings like the Asura and the Rakshasas, they are ignorant forces working oh the subtle physical plane. Disciple: What is the word for them in Sanskrit;? Sri Aurobindo: What are called bhūtas seem most nearly to correspond to them. Disciple: The term "Elemental" means that these work through the elements. Sri Aurobindo: There are two kinds of "elementals": one mischievous and the other innocent. What the Europeans call the gnomes come under this category. ~ A B Purani, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO 15-06-1926, #KEYS
9:Disciple: What are the conditions of success in this yoga?Sri Aurobindo: I have often told of them. Those go through who have the central sincerity. It does not mean that the sincerity is there in all the parts of the being. In that sense no one is entirely ready. But if the central sincerity is there it is possible to establish it in all the parts of the being.The second thing necessary is a certain receptivity in the being, what we call, the "opening" up of all the planes to the Higher Power.The third thing required is the power of holding the higher Force, a certain ghanatwa - mass - that can hold the Power when it comes down.And about the thing that pushes there are two things that generally push: One is the Central Being. The other is destiny. If the Central Being wants to do something it pushes the man. Even when the man goes off the line he is pushed back again to the path. Of course, the Central Being may push through the mind or any other part of the being. Also, if the man is destined he is pushed to the path either to go through or to get broken,Disciple: There are some people who think they are destined or chosen and we see that they are not "chosen".Sri Aurobindo: Of course, plenty of people think that they are specially "chosen" and that they are the first and the "elect" and so on. All that is nothing.Disciple: Then, can you. say who is fit out of all those that have come?Sri Aurobindo: It is very difficult to say. But this can be said that everyone of those who have come in has some chance to go through if he can hold on to it.Disciple: There is also a chance of failure.Sri Aurobindo: Of course, and besides, the whole universe is a play of forces and one can't always wait till all the conditions of success have been fulfilled. One has to take risks and take his chance.Disciple: What is meant by "chance"? Does it mean that it is only one possibility out of many others, or does it mean that one would be able to succeed in yoga?Sri Aurobindo: It means only that he can succeed if he takes his chance properly. For instance, X had his chance.Disciple: Those who fall on the path or slip, do they go down in their evolution?Sri Aurobindo: That depends. Ultimately, the Yoga may be lost to him.Disciple: The Gita says: Na hi kalyānkṛt - nothing that is beneficial - comes to a bad end.Sri Aurobindo: That is from another standpoint. You must note the word is kalyān kṛt - it is an important addition. ~ Sri Aurobindo, EVENING TALKS WITH SRI AUROBINDO RECORDED BY A B PURANI (20-09-1926), #KEYS
*** NEWFULLDB 2.4M ***
1:Evening Talks With Sri AurobindoA.B. Purani... ~ Sri Aurobindo, #NFDB
2:Evening Talks With Sri AurobindoA.B.Purani31-8-1926Disciple : A difficulty is with regard to time and space : they are always taken together as if they were inseparable, but space is reversible for man while time is not. ~ Sri Aurobindo, #NFDB
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38 Integral Yoga
33 A B Purani
4 Satprem
2 The Mother
33 Evening Talks With Sri Aurobindo