{"id":1686,"date":"2013-07-13T01:36:32","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=1686"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:36:32","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:36:32","slug":"51-discipline-in-the-ashram-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\/51-discipline-in-the-ashram-vol-35-letters-on-himself-and-the-ashram","title":{"rendered":"-51_Discipline in the Ashram.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n\t\t\tDiscipline in the Ashram <\/font> <\/b>
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

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

\nDiscipline Defined
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tWhat is discipline? <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tTo act according to a standard of Truth or a rule or law of
\naction (dharma) or in obedience to a superior authority or to the highest principles discovered by the reason and intelligent
\nwill and not according to one’s own fancy, vital impulses and desires. In Yoga obedience to the Guru or to the Divine and the
\nlaw of the Truth as declared by the Guru is the foundation of discipline.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n12 June 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\tWhat is discipline and how does it apply here, in our Yoga?
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIt is not the discipline of Yoga, but the discipline of an organisation, the exterior material discipline one has to accept if one is to be part of an organisation.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n9 July 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\tWhat is discipline? <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tTo live and act under control or according to a standard of what
\nis right \u2014  not to allow the vital or the physical to do whatever they like and not to let the mind run about according to its
\nfancy without truth or order. Also to obey those who ought to be obeyed.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nJuly 1933 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nNeed of Self-Discipline
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIn the outside world there is a mental and social control and also the absorption in other things. Here you are left alone with your
\nown consciousness and have to replace the mental and outward  
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>672<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n\tcontrol by an inner self-control of the spirit. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n1 December 1933
\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\tIf there was a perception of the difficulties in the adhar, it ought
\nto have moved you to a more strenuous effort, a deeper call on the help and Grace. To indulge in a bout of gross material
\nself-indulgence was a quite imbecile solution. It is true that the Grace is there for all who aspire and, however one may stumble,
\nif there is a sincere repentance and a will to atone, there need be no cause for despair.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nBut I must remind you that that is only the individual aspect. There is here an Asram, a group of seekers of the Divine
\nTruth with a collective existence and aim; a work is being done for the Divine against great difficulties and in the midst of a
\nhostile and censorious world which is only too glad of any pretext for assailing it and, if possible, injuring its fair fame
\nand success. A conduct like this deals a wound to the work and the collective effort towards a higher life. Your proposed
\nescape from your own fall by suicide would not have been a solution and would only do a still greater injury to the divine
\nWork which is, as much as individual realisation, our spiritual endeavour.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nI trust that you are sincere in saying that these things are finished for ever. If you had not confessed, the Mother would
\nhave been obliged to deal severely with you; but as you have confessed, this lapse may be considered as annulled, provided
\nit is never repeated. A greater frankness and sincerity in laying yourself open to the Mother will help you avoid such aberrations
\nin future.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nThere is no reason why you should not succeed in your
\nsadhana if, having seen the defects of your lower nature, you take a firm resolve in future and keep it to be more strict with
\nyourself, more trustful in the Divine Grace, more sincerely open to the Mother.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n10 September 1933 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t <\/p>\n

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

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>673<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\n

\nSome [personal<\/i>] rules I have been following \u2014  not reading newspapers, not eating outside, and so forth
\n\u2014  now seem like
\nmental dogmas. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tRules like these are intended to help the vital and physical to
\ncome under the discipline of sadhana and not get dispersed in fancies, impulses, self-indulgences; but they must be done simply, not with any sense of superiority or ascetic pride, but as a mere matter of course. It is true also that they can be made the
\noccasion of a too great mental rigidity \u2014  as if they were things of supreme importance
\nin themselves <\/i>and not only a means. Put
\nin their right place and done in the right spirit, they can be very helpful for their purpose.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n8 May 1934 <\/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\tI have read your letter. What you write is true; X <\/i>has said these things in order to help you and put you in the right way. A
\ncertain inner and outer discipline is necessary in order that one may grow into the spirit of the Yoga and the natural impulses of
\nthe vital cannot be a guide to action there. One has to perceive what one should or should not do and impose this discipline on
\noneself; for that X<\/i>‘s advice and guidance can be of great help to you.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n20 October 1936 <\/font> <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nImportance of Obedience
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tIn regard to obedience, X <\/i>told Y<\/i>, in a depreciatory way, that it was not that important, that asking for permission to do things was not necessarily surrender, but often was hypocritical.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nIt seems to me that one obeys rules because if one was to
\ndo the opposite, one would go out of your protection. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIt is precisely that \u2014  one immediately goes out of the protection.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tAs far as I can see, right action and right movement (after asking you what is right) are rather the first bases of sadhana.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tYes, quite right.  
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>674<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\nPlease cast some light on this, so that I can explain it to Y<\/i>.
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t 
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n\tIt is a deficiency of psychic perception and spiritual discrimination that makes people speak like that and ignore the importance of obedience. It is the mind wanting to follow its own way of
\nthinking and the vital seeking freedom for its desires which argue in this manner. If you do not follow the rules laid down by the
\nspiritual guide or obey one who is leading you to the Divine, then what or whom are you to follow? Only the ideas of the
\nindividual mind and the desires of the vital: but these things never lead to siddhi in Yoga. The rules are laid down in order
\nto guard against certain influences and their dangers and to keep a right atmosphere in the Asram favourable to spiritual
\ndevelopment; the obedience is necessary so as to get away from one’s own mind and vital and learn to follow the Truth.
\n\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n8 June 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\tAll your comments seem to rise from the fact that you object to discipline, rule and order. That seems to be the general mind of
\nthe Asram. Each must be allowed to follow his own inclination, convenience or “common sense”. Those who insist on stemming
\nthe chaos of vital indiscipline and disorder are martinets like X<\/i> or capricious and tyrannical like the Mother.
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nOctober 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\tWhat most want is that things should be done according to their desire without check or reference. The talk of perfection
\nis humbug. Perfection does not consist in everybody being a law to himself. Perfection comes by renunciation of desires and
\nsurrender to a higher Will. <\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\n5 August 1934
\n  
\n<\/font>
\n<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n 
\n\t\t\t<\/span> <\/p>\n

\n
\nPage \u2013 <\/font>675<\/font><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Discipline in the Ashram   Discipline Defined   What is discipline?   To act according to a standard of Truth or a rule or law…<\/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-1686","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\/1686","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=1686"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1686\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1686"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1686"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1686"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}