{"id":1660,"date":"2013-07-13T01:36:20","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=1660"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:36:20","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:20","slug":"61-yoga-centres-and-movements-vol-35-letters-on-himself-and-the-ashram","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/03-cwsa\/35-letters-on-himself-and-the-ashram\/61-yoga-centres-and-movements-vol-35-letters-on-himself-and-the-ashram","title":{"rendered":"-61_Yoga Centres and Movements.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n\t\t\tYoga Centres and Movements <\/font><\/b>
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nCentres
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tWe have the idea of concentrating our activities and joining ourselves more closely to the Pondicherry Ashram by starting
\na lodge someplace in Gujarat where we can meet at least once a month.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tNo “Lodge” or formal society; these methods are not suitable for this sadhana. If they like to meet or meditate together of
\ntheir own accord and without starting any fixed association or propaganda, that is another matter.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t    <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tYou might write to Rangpur (to X <\/i>or Y <\/i>\u2014  the one who wrote
\nabout the friction with Z<\/i>, I don’t remember which it was) that it is not at all clear from his letter or
\nA<\/i>‘s why this friction should
\nat all have taken place. Each has the right to go on his own way according to his lights and there should be no sectarian spirit.
\nThis does not mean that one should allow several different influences at the same time; for that only brings confusion. Those
\nwho take this Yoga must follow only the path which leads to the supramental realisation and accept no other influence than that
\nof myself and the Mother, otherwise they will not go in a straight line to the goal but are likely to be confused or divided, to wander
\ninto circuits or bypaths and lose the guidance. But they need not try to oppose the convictions of others, who are not following
\nthis way but another. Religions quarrel and collide with each other, but we are not creating a religion, we are following a path
\nof spiritual realisation, into which those only need come who are drawn to it and have the call.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n4 January 1932 <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>814<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nWrite to X <\/i>that it was his own mistake. He must not mix up the things of Yoga with activities that have nothing to do with
\nYoga. What have the coming in front of the psychic being and the supramental to do with the founding of a school Samiti,
\na magazine and the rest of it? These are ordinary outward activities. The psychic being and the supramental are matters
\nof a profound and difficult Yoga. These terms ought not to be cheapened by being tacked on to these small superficial things.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nNo doubt all activities can be carried on with a spiritual consciousness, but it is the Yogi alone who can do that. To
\ninvite people who have no spirituality in them and are no Yogis to get the psychic being in front and aspire to the supramental
\nhas no meaning whatever and is merely a mental propaganda which is unrealisable and hopelessly out of place.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n16 May 1933 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t  <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tShould not the Sadhanbari be regarded as the seed-type of an Asram in the making? The question arises from the fact that
\nthere is a tendency in almost all here at the Sadhanbari \u2014  and in others in Chittagong at large
\n\u2014  to think that it (the Sadhanbari) is merely a resting-place \u2014  a temporary foothold \u2014  and that the sooner one leaves for the Yogasram at Pondicherry
\nthe better. What really is the immediate and ultimate use of mofussil centres?
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIt is quite a mistake to suppose that everybody has eventually to come and join the Pondicherry Asram. That is not the Mother’s
\nintention, nor is it physically possible. The work to be done is not supposed to be confined to Pondicherry.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tOn the other hand cannot this tangential turn of thought prove to be an index of aspiration to live physically near the Mother,
\nwhich under certain conditions is productive of great results \u2014  results which cannot be achieved anywhere else?
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tWhere that is necessary, it will be done \u2014  but it does not follow that everybody has to come and stay here permanently.
\n   <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>815<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n

\nHow can sadhaks profit psychically when they live spiritually in close contact with each other?
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIt depends on themselves. If they grow psychically and spiritually and live within and above, instead of in the mind and vital and
\nbody, then there can be a psychic and spiritual solidarity created useful for the divine work. At present that does not exist, except
\nin future potentiality. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n18 April 1935
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t  <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tFor some time there have been a lot of clashes here in our
\ncentre. [Details given.<\/i>] The other day X <\/i>called me aside and told me that if people had no confidence in him, he would
\nrather not associate with us, but remain alone. Most people here are against
\nX<\/i>, who is filled with self-praise, and always
\ncriticises the Sadhanbari. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tThere is absolutely no hope of mutual harmony and confidence
\nin Chittagong and it is idle to talk of it when the hearts of the sadhaks are full of all kinds of egoism, mutual dislike, jealousy,
\nrivalry, suspicion, fault-finding and all sorts of uncleanness. It is only through the psychic and in a psychic atmosphere that
\nharmony can come; a sadhana based entirely on the vital ego cannot create it.
\nX <\/i>is right in drawing back and keeping to
\nhimself. When things have gone so far that the sadhaks of the Sadhanbari are forming visions of him as a dangerous devil, it
\nis absurd to want to go on as if there were nothing. <\/span> <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tSome people here feel that
\nX <\/i>has been bringing impurity of
\nthought and action into our centre. I give you some examples. . . .
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tAll these are simply self-created vital formations due to the atmosphere of suspicion and dislike which
\nY<\/i>‘s campaign has
\ncreated around X<\/i>. In such an atmosphere it is not truth that manifests but the feelings of the vital that take form in shapes
\nand images.  
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>816<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nYou may recall that you refused to let Z <\/i>stay with X<\/i>, as you thought it might not be good for
\nZ<\/i>‘s sadhana.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tI can say nothing and am not willing to say anything in these matters. I discouraged
\nX <\/i>from allowing Z <\/i>to stay with him
\nbecause I did not think the results will be good in view of what had happened at Rangpur
\n\u2014  that was the reason why
\nX <\/i>refused
\nto lodge him without an express order from here. But, seeing the results of my intervention, I refuse to intervene in any other
\nmatter. The Chittagong sadhaks must themselves settle their own affairs.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n30 October 1936 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nAssociation Not a Necessity
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tI am feeling the want of association with co-sadhaks here. I am trying to adapt myself to the new place but I do miss
\nmy friends, especially as I can’t discuss spiritual matters with anyone here.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tYou must be able to stand alone with only the force of the Mother supporting you. The association should not be a necessity, but only instrumental for action.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n8 September 1934
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nGroup Meditations
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n(1) It is not advisable to sit with others; for if any force is
\nbrought down, it may very easily be a mixed force. The difficulties in his nature may be prematurely raised and he may add to
\nthem the difficulties of those with whom he sits.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n(2) Indications given by letter may not be rightly grasped
\nor rightly practised; even if mentally understood, they may not be very helpful. The important thing is to open to the Influence.
\nThat indeed was the reason why in the old systems personal initiation by the Guru was considered indispensable. The best
\nthing will be for him to come here for a short time, say in November (the 24th) and receive the direct touch and influence.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n(3) Meanwhile he can try to prepare himself by personal meditation if he likes. The method is to quiet the mind and,
\n   <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>817<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n

in order to do so, to concentrate on an aspiration for faith in the Divine Power, peace and calm in the mind, single-minded
\nsincerity in the heart, and a conscious opening to the Light and Truth and Power.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n14 September 1928 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t  <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tAn acquaintance has written a letter asking for the Mother’s permission to join our group meditation here.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIs he practising Yoga \u2014  does he do meditation by himself? It would as a rule be better if people tried by themselves first and
\njoined the collective meditation only when they had begun to have experiences or some kind of opening.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nThis is not an absolute rule, however. If the other sadhaks find no inconvenience, he may come as a trial and see if it helps
\nhim, and if the others find it does not disturb the harmony of the atmosphere or bring in any inertia, he can continue.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n3 February 1932 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t*<\/span><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t  <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tYou [Sri Aurobindo’s secretary<\/i>] can write conveying the permission to meditate with
\nX <\/i>and the others. You can also write
\nbriefly to her explaining the principle of this Yoga (its practice) which is to open oneself to the Divine Power which is always
\nsecretly there above, aspire and call down its peace, calm, purity, wideness into one’s own consciousness and its working which
\nwill change the nature and fill it with a higher light and Ananda. One’s own part is to so aspire and open oneself and to reject all
\nthat belongs to ego, desire and the lower nature. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n21 December 1932
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nGroup Movements <\/b> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tThe Mother does not think that a group movement of that
\nkind could be effective for the purpose or produce any serious impression on the welter of strong blind forces that are now at
\nwork in the world. It can only be a mental ripple on the surface like so many other mental idealistic efforts of the day. All these
\n  
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>818<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nsuffer from the fundamental defect that they work within the existing plan of things with no superior force that can dominate
\ntheir disharmonies or oblige them to transform themselves by any irresistible compulsion of Light from above. Even if the
\nmeditation of these groups became less mental, that defect would not disappear. Individuals among them might rise to the spiritual
\nheights just above mind, others might be helped to rise nearer towards them; but nothing fundamental would change in the
\nworld as a whole.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nThe Mother does not think any intervention or farther organisation of these groups would be helpful. Publicity of the kind suggested would be disastrous,
\n\u2014  it would be sure to lead
\nto vulgarisation and corruption, what purity or virtue there is in the movement would disappear. It is better to let it go on in
\nsilence with the momentum you gave to it and observe where that leads it. If there are any elements of utility in it for future
\nwork, those will be taken up when the time comes; if not, it must be left to fade away of itself. But it should be in the quiet
\nand silence you first assigned to it \u2014  not as a public movement, for then it would soon cease to be at all pure and genuine.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n28 November 1936  
\n  
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>819<\/font><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yoga Centres and Movements   Centres   We have the idea of concentrating our activities and joining ourselves more closely to the Pondicherry Ashram by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-35-letters-on-himself-and-the-ashram","wpcat-37-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1660\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}