Letters to a Young Disciple

A sadhak of integral Yoga who stops short at the Impersonal is no longer a sadhak of integral Yoga.... In the integral knowledge the realisation of the Self and of the impersonal Sachchidananda is only a step though a very important step or part of the integral knowledge. It is a beginning, not an end of the highest realisation.

People believe that drawing down of the higher things is not a desirable movement — there should be an effortless descent.

But that is made an excuse for not doing any active sadhana at all — hence a general tamas and inertia in the Ashram, people taking things easily as if they had only to wait and chat and eat and read and sleep and whatever was necessary would descend of itself some day or other.

Sri Aurobindo: "Certainly very few [sadhaks] seem to realise what a possibility has been given them here — all has been turned into an opportunity for the bubbling of the vital or the tamas of the physical rather than used for the intended psychic and spiritual purpose."

If a sadhak has a profound, self-existent and dynamic love for the Mother, he always remembers her.

Yes. In the full development, even this is not necessary — for it ceases to be necessary to remember the Divine, since one is always conscious of Her.

Now that Mother has stopped giving daily Pranam, one should feel sorry that he does not receive her touch each day, as before. That would show a great and intense love for the Mother.

Not necessarily, though it may be so with some. With others it may be only that they miss some vital force they were drawing out of the Mother. If the sadhana goes on whether you see the Mother or not, that would rather show that the psychic connection is permanently there and active always ....

What is the real cause of the Mother’s illnesses?

It is due to attacks. As the material is not yet conquered, the Mother’s body has to bear the attacks which come daily and to which the sadhaks freely open the doors.

... atmosphere of dullness and unrest is created by the sadhaks themselves — if they were opened to the Mother as they should be, they would live in the calm and peace and not in unrest or dullness.

When there is not enough work in “Building”, can I spend my time reading or drawing?

Your work is your sadhana, and it is by doing your work in a spirit of consecration that you can make most progress. I think it would be better not to tire yourself too much by reading or drawing.