{"id":4209,"date":"2013-07-13T01:54:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=4209"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:54:11","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:54:11","slug":"09-the-four-austerities-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/12-on-education-volume-12\/09-the-four-austerities-vol-12-on-education-volume-12","title":{"rendered":"-09_The-Four-Austerities.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n

\n <\/font><\/span>The Four
\nAusterities and the Four Liberations<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\n1<\/font><\/p>\n

 <\/span>T<\/font><\/span>o
\npursue an integral education that leads to the supramental realisation, four
\nausterities are necessary, and with them four liberations.<\/span><\/p>\n

Austerity is usually
\nconfused with self-mortification, and when someone speaks of austerities, we
\nthink of the discipline of the ascetic who, in order to avoid the arduous task
\nof spiritualising the physical, vital and mental life, declares it incapable of
\ntransformation and casts it away ruthlessly as a useless encumbrance, as a
\nbondage and an impediment to all spiritual progress, in any case as something
\nincorrigible, as a load that has to be borne more or less cheerfully until
\nNature, or divine Grace, delivers you from it by death. At best, life on earth
\nis a field for progress and one should take advantage of it as best one can in
\norder to reach as soon as possible the degree of perfection which will put an
\nend to the ordeal by making it un- necessary.<\/span><\/p>\n

For us the problem is
\nquite different. Life on earth is not a passage or a means; by transformation it
\nmust become a goal and a realisation. Consequently, when we speak of
\nausterities, it is not out of contempt for 
\n<\/span>the  <\/span>body  <\/span>nor  <\/span>
\nto detach ourselves from it, but because of the need for control and mastery.
\nFor there is an austerity which is far greater, far more complete and far more
\ndifficult than all the austerities of the ascetic: it is the austerity which is
\nnecessary for the integral transformation, the fourfold austerity which prepares
\nthe individual for the manifestation of the supramental truth. For example, one
\ncan say that few austerities are as strict as those which physical culture
\ndemands for the perfection of the body. But we shall return to this point in due
\ntime.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before starting to
\ndescribe the four kinds of austerity required, it is necessary to clarify one
\nquestion which is a source<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 48<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

of much misunderstanding
\nand confusion in the minds of most people. It is the question of ascetic
\npractices, which they mistake for spiritual disciplines. These practices, which
\nconsist of ill-treating the body in order, so they say, to liberate the spirit
\nfrom it, are in fact a sensuous distortion of spiritual discipline; it  <\/span>is  <\/span>
\na  <\/span>kind 
\n<\/span>of perverse  <\/span>need  <\/span>for 
\n<\/span>suffering  <\/span>which  <\/span>drives 
\n<\/span>the ascetic to self-mortification. The sadhu’s recourse to the bed of
\nnails or the Christian anchorite’s resort to the whip and the hair-shirt are the
\nresult of a more or less veiled sadistic tendency, unavowed and unavowable; it
\nis an unhealthy seeking or a subconscious need for violent sensations. In
\nreality, these things are very far removed from all spiritual life, for they are
\nugly and base, dark and diseased; whereas spiritual life, on the contrary, is a
\nlife of light and balance, beauty and joy. They are invented and extolled by a
\nsort of mental and vital cruelty towards the body. But cruelty, even with regard
\nto one’s own body, is nonetheless cruelty, and all cruelty is a sign of great
\nunconsciousness. Unconscious natures need very strong sensations, for without
\nthem they can feel nothing; and cruelty, which is one form of sadism, brings
\nvery strong sensations. The avowed purpose of such practices is to abolish all
\nsensation so that the body may no longer stand in the way of one’s flight
\ntowards the spirit; but the effectiveness of this method is open to doubt. It is
\na recognised fact that in order to progress rapidly, one must not be afraid of
\ndifficulties; on the contrary, by choosing to do the difficult thing at every
\nopportunity, one increases the will-power and strengthens the nerves. Now, it is
\nmuch more difficult to lead a life of moderation and balance, in equanimity and
\nserenity, than to try to contend with over-indulgence in pleasure and the
\nobscuration it entails, by over-indulgence in asceticism and the disintegration
\nit causes. It is much more difficult to achieve the harmonious and progressive
\ndevelopment of one’s physical being in calm and simplicity than to ill-treat it
\nto the point of annihilation. It is much more difficult to live soberly and
\nwith- out desire than to deprive the body of its indispensable nourishment<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 49<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

and cleanliness and boast
\nproudly of one’s abstinence. It is much more difficult to avoid or to surmount
\nand conquer illness by an inner and outer harmony, purity and balance, than to
\ndisregard and ignore it and leave it free to do its work of destruction. And the
\nmost difficult thing of all is to maintain the consciousness constantly at the
\nheight of its capacity, never allowing the body to act under the influence of a
\nlower impulse. This is why we shall have recourse to the four austerities which
\nwill result in four liberations within us. The practice of these austerities
\nwill constitute a fourfold discipline or tapasya which can be defined as
\nfollows:<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Tapasya of love<\/span><\/p>\n

2) Tapasya of knowledge<\/span><\/p>\n

3) Tapasya of power<\/span><\/p>\n

4) Tapasya of beauty<\/span><\/p>\n

These terms have been
\nlisted from top to bottom, so to say, but their order should not be taken to
\nindicate anything superior or inferior, or more or less difficult, or the order
\nin which these disciplines can and ought to be practised. The order, importance
\nand difficulty vary with each individual and no absolute rule can be formulated.
\nEach one must find and work out his own system according to his personal needs
\nand capacities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Accordingly, only an
\noverall view will be given here, presenting an ideal procedure that is as
\ncomplete as possible. Each one will then have to apply as much of it as he can
\nin the best possible way. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThe tapasya or discipline of beauty will lead us, through austerity in physical
\nlife, to freedom in action. Its basic programme will be to build a body that is
\nbeautiful in form, harmonious in posture, supple and agile in its movements,
\npowerful in its activities and robust in its health and organic functioning.<\/span><\/p>\n

To achieve these results,
\nit will be good, as a general rule, to make use of habit as a help in organising
\none’s material life, for the body functions more easily within the framework of
\na <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 50<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

regular routine. But one
\nmust know how to avoid becoming a slave to one’s habits, however good they may
\nbe; the greatest flexibility must be maintained so that one may change them each
\ntime it becomes necessary to do so. <\/span><\/p>\n

One must build up nerves
\nof steel in powerful and elastic muscles in order to be able to endure anything
\nwhenever it is indispensable. But at the same time great care must be taken not
\nto demand more from the body than the effort which is strictly necessary, the
\nexpenditure of energy that fosters growth and progress, while categorically
\nexcluding everything that causes exhaustion and leads in the end to physical
\ndecline and disintegration.<\/span><\/p>\n

A physical culture which
\naims at building a body capable of serving as a fit instrument for a higher
\nconsciousness demands very austere habits: a great regularity in sleep, food,
\nexercise and every activity. By a scrupulous study of one’s own bodily needs \u2013
\nfor they vary with each individual \u2013 a general programme will be established;
\nand once this has been done well, it must be followed rigorously, without any
\nfantasy or slackness. There must be no little exceptions to the rule that are
\nindulged in "just for once" but which are repeated very often \u2013 for as soon as
\none yields to temptation, even "just for once", one lessens the resistance of
\nthe will-power and opens the door to every failure. One must therefore forgo all
\nweakness: no more nightly escapades from which one comes back exhausted, no more
\nfeasting and carousing which upset the normal functioning of the stomach, no
\nmore distractions, amusements and pleasures that only waste energy and leave one
\nwithout the strength to do the daily practice. One must submit to the austerity
\nof a sensible and regular life, concentrating all one’s physical attention on
\nbuilding a body that comes as close to perfection as possible. To reach this
\nideal goal, one must strictly shun all excess and every vice, great or small;
\none must deny oneself the use of such slow poisons as tobacco, alcohol, etc.,
\nwhich men have a habit of developing into indispensable needs that gradually
\ndestroy the will <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 51<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

and the memory. The
\nall-absorbing interest which nearly all human beings, even the most
\nintellectual, have in food, its preparation and its consumption, should be
\nreplaced by an almost chemical knowledge of the needs of the body and a very
\nscientific austerity in satisfying them. Another austerity must be added to that
\nof food, the austerity of sleep. It does not consist in going without sleep but
\nin knowing how to sleep. Sleep must not be a fall into unconsciousness which
\nmakes the body heavy instead of refreshing it. Eating with moderation and
\nabstaining from all excess greatly reduces the need to spend many hours in
\nsleep; however, the quality of sleep is much more important than its quantity.
\nIn order to have a truly effective rest and relaxation during sleep, it is good
\nas a rule to drink something before going to bed, a cup of milk or soup or
\nfruit-juice, for instance. Light food brings a quiet sleep. One should, however,
\nabstain from all copious meals, for then the sleep becomes agitated and is
\ndisturbed by nightmares, or else is dense, heavy and dulling. But the most
\nimportant thing of all is to make the mind clear, to quieten the emotions and
\ncalm the effervescence of desires and the preoccupations which accompany them.
\nIf before retiring to bed one has talked a lot or had a lively discussion, if
\none has 
\n<\/span>read  <\/span>an  <\/span>exciting or intensely interesting book,
\none should rest a little without sleeping in order to quieten the mental
\nactivity, so that the brain does not engage in disorderly movements while the
\nother parts of the body alone are asleep. Those who practise meditation will do
\nwell to concentrate for a few minutes on a lofty and restful idea, in an
\naspiration towards a higher and vaster consciousness. Their sleep will benefit
\ngreatly from this and they will largely be spared the risk of falling into
\nunconsciousness while they sleep. <\/span><\/p>\n

After the austerity of a night spent wholly in
\nresting in a calm and peaceful sleep comes the austerity of a day which is
\nsensibly organised; its activities will be divided between the progressive and
\nskilfully graded exercises required for the culture of the body, and work of
\nsome kind or other. For both can and <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 52<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

ought to form part of the
\nphysical tapasya. With regard to exercises, each one will choose the ones best
\nsuited to his body and, if possible, 
\n<\/span>take guidance from an expert on the subject, who knows how to combine and
\ngrade the exercises to obtain a maximum effect. Neither the choice nor the
\nexecution of these exercises should be governed by fancy. One must not do this
\nor that because it seems easier or more amusing; there should be no change of
\ntraining until the instructor considers it necessary. The self-perfection or
\neven simply the self-improvement of each individual body is a problem to be
\nsolved, and its solution demands much patience, perseverance and regularity. In
\nspite of what many people think, the athlete’s life is not a life of amusement
\nor distraction; on the contrary, it is a life of methodical efforts  <\/span>and 
\n<\/span>austere habits,  <\/span>which leave
\nno room for useless fancies that go against the result one wants to achieve. <\/span><\/p>\n

In work too there is an
\nausterity. It consists in not having any preferences and in doing everything one
\ndoes with interest. For one who wants to grow in self-perfection, there are no
\ngreat or small tasks, none that are important or unimportant; all are equally
\nuseful for one who aspires for progress and self-mastery. It is said that one
\nonly does well what one is interested in doing. This is true, but it is truer
\nstill that one can learn to find interest in everything one does, even in what
\nappear to be the most insignificant chores. The secret of this attainment lies
\nin the urge towards self-perfection. Whatever occupation or task falls to your
\nlot, you must do it with a will to progress; whatever one does, one must not
\nonly do it as best one can but strive to do it better and better in a constant
\neffort for perfection. 
\n<\/span>In this way everything without exception becomes interesting, from the
\nmost material chore to the most artistic and intellectual work. The scope for
\nprogress is infinite and can be applied to the smallest thing. <\/span><\/p>\n

This leads us quite
\nnaturally to liberation in action. For, in one’s action, one must be free from
\nall social conventions, all moral prejudices. However, this does not mean that
\none should <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 53<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

lead a life of licence
\nand dissoluteness. On the contrary, one imposes on oneself a rule that is far
\nstricter than all social rules, for it tolerates no hypocrisy and demands a
\nperfect sincerity. One’s entire physical activity should be organised to help
\nthe body to grow in balance and strength and beauty. For this purpose, one must
\nabstain from all pleasure-seeking, including sexual pleasure. For every sexual
\nact is a step towards death. That is why from the most ancient times, in the
\nmost sacred and secret schools, this act was prohibited to every aspirant
\ntowards immortality. The sexual act is always followed by a longer or shorter
\nperiod of unconsciousness that opens the door to all kinds of influences and
\ncauses a fall in consciousness. But if one wants to prepare oneself for the
\nsupramental life, one must never allow one’s consciousness to slip into laxity
\nand inconscience under the pretext of pleasure or even of rest and relaxation.
\nOne should find relaxation in force and light, not in darkness and weakness.
\nContinence is therefore the rule for all those who aspire for progress. But
\nespecially for those who want to prepare themselves for the supramental
\nmanifestation, this continence must be replaced by a total abstinence, achieved
\nnot by coercion and suppression but by a kind of inner alchemy, as a result of
\nwhich the energies that are normally used in the act of procreation are
\ntransmuted into energies for progress and integral transformation. It is obvious
\nthat for the result to be total and truly beneficial, all sexual impulses and
\ndesires must be eliminated from the mental and vital consciousness as well as
\nfrom the physical will. All radical and durable transformation proceeds from
\nwithin outwards, so that the external transformation is the normal, almost
\ninevitable result of this process. <\/span><\/p>\n

A decisive choice has to
\nbe made between lending the body to Nature’s ends in obedience to her demand to
\nperpetuate the race as it is, and preparing this same body to become a step
\ntowards the creation of the new race. For it is not possible to do both at the
\nsame time; at every moment one has to decide whether one wants to remain part of
\nthe humanity of yesterday<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 54<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

or to belong to the superhumanity of tomorrow.<\/span><\/p>\n

One must renounce being
\nadapted to life as it is and succeeding in it if one wants to prepare for life
\nas it will be and to become an active and efficient part of it. One must refuse
\npleasure if one wants to open to the delight of existence, in a total beauty and
\nharmony. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThis brings us quite naturally to vital austerity, the austerity of the
\nsensations, the tapasya of power. For the vital being is the seat of power, of
\neffective enthusiasm. It is in the vital that thought is transformed into will
\nand becomes a dynamism for action. It is also true that the vital is the seat of
\ndesires and passions, of violent impulses and equally violent reactions, of
\nrevolt and depression. The normal remedy is to strangle and starve the vital by
\ndepriving it of all sensation; sensations are indeed its main sustenance and
\nwithout them it falls asleep, grows sluggish and starves to death.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, the vital has
\nthree sources of subsistence. The one most easily accessible to it comes from
\nbelow, from the physical energies through the sensations. <\/span><\/p>\n

The second is on its own
\nplane, when it is sufficiently vast and receptive, by contact with the universal
\nvital forces. <\/span><\/p>\n

The third, to which it
\nusually opens only in a great aspiration for progress, comes to it from above by
\nthe infusion and absorption of spiritual forces and inspiration. <\/span><\/p>\n

To these sources men
\nalways strive more or less to add another, which is for them at the same time
\nthe source of most of their torments and misfortunes. It is the interchange of
\nvital forces with their fellows, usually in groups of two, which they most often
\nmistake for love, but which is only the attraction between two forces that take
\npleasure in mutual interchange. <\/span><\/p>\n

Thus, if we do not wish
\nto starve our vital, sensations must not be rejected or diminished in number and
\nintensity. Neither should we avoid them; rather we must make use of them with
\nwisdom and discernment. Sensations are an excellent instrument of knowledge and
\neducation, but to make them serve these<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 55<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/span>ends, they must not be used egoistically for
\nthe sake of enjoyment, in a blind and ignorant search for pleasure and
\nself-satisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

The senses should be
\ncapable of enduring everything without disgust or displeasure, but at the same
\ntime they must acquire and develop more and more the power of discerning the
\nquality, origin and effect of the various vital vibrations in order to know
\nwhether they are favourable to harmony, beauty and good health or whether they
\nare harmful to the balance and progress of the physical being and the vital.
\nMoreover, the senses should be used as instruments to approach and study the
\nphysical and vital worlds in all their complexity; in this way they will take
\ntheir true place in    <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is by enlightening,
\nstrengthening and purifying the vital, and not by weakening it, that one can
\ncontribute to the true progress of the being. To deprive oneself of sensations
\nis therefore as harmful as depriving oneself of food. But just as the choice of
\nfood must be made wisely and solely for the growth and proper functioning of the
\nbody, so too the choice of sensations and their control should be made with a
\nvery scientific austerity and solely for the growth and perfection of the vital,
\nof this highly dynamic instrument, which is as essential for progress as all the
\nother parts of the being.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is by educating the vital, by making it more
\nrefined, more<\/span><\/p>\n

sensitive, more subtle and, one should almost say, more
\nelegant, in the best sense of the word, that one can overcome its violence and
\nbrutality, which are in fact a form of crudity and ignorance, of lack of taste.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

In truth, a cultivated
\nand illumined vital can be as noble and heroic and disinterested as it is now
\nspontaneously vulgar, egoistic and perverted when it is left to itself without
\neducation. It is enough for each one to know how to transform in himself the
\nsearch for pleasure into an aspiration for the supramental plenitude. If the
\neducation of the vital is carried far enough, with perseverance and sincerity,
\nthere comes a time when, convinced of the greatness and beauty of the goal, the
\nvital gives up petty and illusory sensorial satisfactions in order to win the
\ndivine delight.<\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n


\nBulletin<\/font><\/i>, February 1953 <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

2 <\/span><\/p>\n

The question of mental
\nausterity immediately brings to mind long meditations leading to control of
\nthought and culminating in inner silence. This aspect of yogic discipline is too
\nwell known to need dwelling upon. But there is another aspect of the subject
\nwhich is usually given less attention, and that is control of speech. Apart from
\na very few exceptions, only absolute silence is set in opposition to loose talk.
\nAnd yet it is a far greater and far more fruitful austerity to control one’s
\nspeech than to abolish it altogether. <\/span><\/p>\n

Man is the first animal
\non earth to be able to use articulate sounds. Indeed, he is very proud of this
\ncapacity and exercises it without moderation or discernment.  <\/span>The world is deafened with the sound of
\nhis words and sometimes one almost misses the harmonious silence of the plant
\nkingdom.<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides, it is a
\nwell-known fact that the weaker the mental power, the greater is the need to use
\nspeech. Thus there are primitive and uneducated people who cannot think at all
\nunless they speak, and they can be heard muttering sounds more or less loudly to
\nthemselves, because this is the only way they can follow a train of thought,
\nwhich would not be formulated in them but for the spoken word.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also a great
\nmany people, even among those who are educated but whose mental power is weak,
\nwho do not know what they want to say until they say it. This makes their speech
\ninterminable and tedious. For as they speak, their thought becomes clearer and
\nmore precise, and so they have to repeat the <\/span>
\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 57<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

same thing several times
\nin order to say it more and more exactly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some need to prepare
\nbeforehand what they have to say, and splutter when they are obliged to
\nimprovise, because they have not had time to elaborate step by step the exact
\nterms of what they want to say.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, there are born
\norators who are masters of the spoken word; they spontaneously find all the
\nwords they need to say what they want to say and say it well.<\/span><\/p>\n

None of this, however,
\nfrom the point of view of mental austerity, goes beyond the category of idle
\ntalk. For by idle talk I mean every word that is spoken without being absolutely
\nindispensable. One may ask, how can one judge? For this, one must first make a
\ngeneral  <\/span>classification of the
\nvarious categories of spoken words. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nFirst, in the physical domain, we have all the words that are spoken for
\nmaterial reasons. They are by far the most numerous and most probably also the
\nmost useful in ordinary life. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nA constant babble of words seems to be the indispensable accompaniment to daily
\nwork. And yet as soon as one makes an effort to reduce the noise to a minimum,
\none realises that many things are done better and faster in silence and that
\nthis helps to maintain one’s inner peace and concentration. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIf you are not alone and live with others, cultivate the habit of not
\nexternalising yourself constantly by speaking aloud, and you will notice that
\nlittle by little an inner understanding is established between yourself and
\nothers; you will then be able to communicate among yourselves with a minimum of
\nwords or even without any words at all. This outer silence is most favourable to
\ninner peace, and with goodwill and a steadfast aspiration, you will be able to
\ncreate a harmonious atmosphere which is very conducive to progress. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIn social life, in addition to the words that concern material life and
\noccupations, there will be those that express sensations, feelings and emotions.
\nHere the habit of outer silence <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 58<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/span>proves of valuable help. For when one is
\nassailed by a wave of sensations or feelings, this habitual silence gives you
\ntime to reflect and, if necessary, to regain possession of yourself before
\nprojecting the sensation or feeling in words. How many quarrels can be avoided
\nin this way; how many times one will be saved from one of those psychological
\ncatastrophes which are only too often the result of uncontrolled speech.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nWithout going to this extreme, one should always control the words one speaks
\nand never allow one’s tongue to be prompted by a movement of anger, violence or
\ntemper. It is not only the quarrel that is bad in its results, but the fact of
\nallowing one’s tongue to be used to project bad vibrations into the atmosphere;
\nfor nothing is more contagious than the vibrations of sound, and by giving these
\nmovements a chance to express themselves, one perpetuates them in oneself and in
\nothers. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nAmong the most undesirable kinds of idle talk must also be included everything
\nthat is said about others. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unless you are
\nresponsible for certain people, as a guardian, a teacher or a departmental head,
\nwhat others do or do not do is no concern of yours and you must refrain from
\ntalking about them, from giving your opinion about them and what they do, and
\nfrom repeating what others may think or say about them. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIt may happen  <\/span>that the very nature
\nof your  <\/span>occupation makes it your duty to report
\nwhat is taking place in a particular department, undertaking or communal work.
\nBut then the report should be confined to the work alone and not touch upon
\nprivate matters. And as an absolute rule, it must be wholly objective. You
\nshould not allow any personal reaction, any preference, any like or dislike to
\ncreep in. And above all, never introduce your own petty personal grudges into
\nthe work that is assigned to you. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIn all cases and as a general rule, the less one speaks of others, even to
\npraise them, the better. It is already so difficult to know exactly what is
\nhappening in oneself \u2013 how can one know with certainty what is happening in
\nothers ?So you must <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 59<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\ntotally abstain from pronouncing upon anybody one of those final judgments which
\ncannot but be foolish if not spiteful. <\/p>\n

\nWhen a thought is expressed in speech, the vibration of the sound has a
\nconsiderable power to bring the most material substance into contact with the
\nthought, thus giving it a concrete and effective reality. That is why one must
\nnever speak ill of people or things or say things which go against the progress
\nof the divine realisation in the world. This is an absolute general rule. And
\nyet it has one exception. You should not criticise anything unless at the same
\ntime you have the conscious power and active will to dissolve or transform the
\nmovements or things you criticise. For this conscious power and active will have
\nthe capacity of infusing Matter with the possibility to react and refuse the bad
\nvibration and ultimately to correct it so that it becomes impossible for it to
\ngo on expressing itself on the physical plane. <\/p>\n

This can be done without
\nrisk or danger only by one who moves in the gnostic realms and possesses in his
\nmental faculties the light of the spirit and the power of the truth. He, the
\ndivine worker, is free from all preference and all attachment; he has broken
\ndown the limits of his ego and is now only a perfectly pure and impersonal
\ninstrument of the supramental action upon earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are also all the
\nwords that are uttered to express ideas, opinions, the results of reflection or
\nstudy. Here we are in an intellectual domain and we might think that in this
\ndomain men are more reasonable, more self-controlled, and that the practice of
\nrigorous austerity is less indispensable. It is nothing of the kind, however,
\nfor even here, into this abode of ideas and knowledge, man has brought the
\nviolence of his convictions, the intolerance of his sectarianism, the passion of
\nhis preferences. Thus, here too, one must resort to mental austerity and
\ncarefully avoid any exchange of ideas that leads to controversies which are all
\ntoo often bitter and nearly always unnecessary, or any clash of opinion which
\nends in heated discussions and even quarrels, which are always the result of
\nsome mental narrowness that<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 60<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

can easily be cured when one rises high enough in the mental
\ndomain.<\/span><\/p>\n

For sectarianism becomes
\nimpossible when one knows that any formulated thought is only one way of saying
\nsomething which eludes all expression. Every idea contains a little of the truth
\nor one aspect of the truth. But no idea is absolutely true in itself. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThis sense of the relativity of things is a powerful help in keeping one’s
\nbalance and preserving a serene moderation in one’s speech. I once heard an old
\noccultist of some wisdom say, "Nothing is essentially bad; there are only things
\nwhich are not in their place. Put each thing in its true place and you will have
\na harmonious world."<\/span><\/p>\n

And yet, from the point
\nof view of action, the value of an idea is in proportion to its pragmatic power.
\nIt is true that this power varies a great deal according to the individual on
\nwhom it acts. An idea that has great impelling force in one individual may have
\nnone whatsoever in another. But the power itself is contagious. Certain ideas
\nare capable of transforming the world. They are the ones that ought to be
\nexpressed; they are the ruling stars in the firmament of the spirit that will
\nguide the earth towards its supreme realisation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lastly, we have all the
\nwords that are spoken for the purpose of teaching. This category ranges from the
\nkindergarten to the university course, not forgetting all the artistic and
\nliterary creations of mankind that seek to entertain or instruct. In this
\ndomain, everything depends on the worth of the creation, and the subject is too
\nvast to be dealt with here. It is a fact that concern about education is very
\nmuch in vogue at present and praiseworthy attempts are being made to make use of
\nnew scientific  <\/span>discoveries in  <\/span>the 
\n<\/span>service  <\/span>of  <\/span>education.  
\n<\/span>But even  <\/span>in  <\/span>this matter, austerity is demanded from
\nthe aspirant towards truth.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is generally admitted
\nthat in the process of education a certain kind of lighter, more frivolous, more
\nentertaining productions are necessary to reduce the strain of effort and give<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 61<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

some relaxation to the
\nchildren and even to adults. From a certain point of view, this is true; but
\nunfortunately this concession has served as an excuse to justify a whole
\ncategory of things which are nothing but the efflorescence of all that is
\nvulgar, crude and base in human nature. Its coarsest instincts, its most
\ndepraved taste find in this concession a good excuse to display and impose
\nthemselves as an inevitable necessity. They are nothing of the kind, however;
\none can relax without being dissolute, take rest without being vulgar, enjoy
\noneself without allowing the grosser elements in the nature to rise to the
\nsurface. But from the point of view of austerity, these needs themselves change
\ntheir nature; relaxation is transformed into inner silence, rest into
\ncontemplation and enjoyment into bliss. <\/span><\/p>\n

This generally recognised
\nneed for entertainment, slackening of effort and more or less long and total
\nforgetfulness of the aim of life and the purpose of existence should not be
\nconsidered as something altogether natural and indispensable, but as a weakness
\nto which one yields because of lack of intensity in the aspiration, because of
\ninstability in the will, because of ignorance, unconsciousness and sloth. Do not
\njustify these movements and you will soon realise that they are unnecessary;
\nthere will even come a time when they become repugnant and unacceptable to you.
\nThen the greater part of human creation, which is ostensibly entertaining but in
\nreality debasing, will lose its support and cease to be encouraged. <\/span><\/p>\n

However, one should not
\nthink that the value of spoken words depends on the nature of the subject of
\nconversation. One can talk idly on spiritual matters just as much as on any
\nother, and this kind of idle talk may well be one of the most dangerous. For
\nexample, the neophyte is always very eager to share with others the little he
\nhas learnt. But as he advances on the path, he becomes more and more aware that
\nhe does not know very much and that before trying to instruct others, he must be
\nvery sure of the value of what he knows, until he finally becomes wise and
\nrealises that many hours of silent concentration<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 62<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

are needed to be able to
\nspeak usefully for a few minutes. Moreover, where inner life and spiritual
\neffort are concerned, the use of speech should be subjected to a still more
\nstringent rule and nothing should be said unless it is absolutely indispensable.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a well-known fact
\nthat one must never speak of one’s spiritual experiences if one does not want to
\nsee vanishing in a flash the energy accumulated in the experience, which was
\nmeant to hasten one’s progress. The only exception which can be made to the rule
\nis with regard to one’s guru, when one wants to receive some explanation or
\nteaching from him concerning the content and meaning of one’s experience.
\nIndeed, one can speak about these things without danger only to one’s guru, for
\nonly the guru is able by his knowledge to use the elements of the experience for
\nyour own good, as steps towards new ascents. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is true that the guru
\nhimself is subject to the same rule of silence with regard to what concerns him
\npersonally. In Nature everything is in movement; thus, whatever does not move
\nforward is bound to fall back. The guru must progress even as his disciples do,
\nalthough his progress may not be on the same plane. And for him too, to speak
\nabout his experiences is not favourable: the greater part of the dynamic force
\nfor progress contained in the experience evaporates if it is put into words. But
\non the other hand, by explaining his experiences to his disciples, he greatly
\nhelps their understanding and consequently their progress. It is for him in his
\nwisdom to know to what extent he can and ought to sacrifice the one to the
\nother. It goes without saying that no boasting or vainglory should enter into
\nhis account, for the slightest vanity would make him no longer a guru but an
\nimposter.<\/span><\/p>\n

As for the disciple, I
\nwould tell him: "In all cases, be faithful to your guru whoever he is; he will
\nlead you as far as you can go. But if you have the good fortune to have the
\nDivine as your guru, there will be no limit to your realisation."<\/span><\/p>\n

Nevertheless, even the
\nDivine, when incarnate on earth, is subject to the same law of progress. His
\ninstrument of manifestation,<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 63<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

the physical being he has
\nassumed, should be in a constant state of progress, and the law of his personal
\nself-expression is in a way linked to the general law of earthly progress. Thus
\neven the embodied god cannot be perfect on earth until men are ready to
\nunderstand and accept perfection. That day will come when everything that is now
\ndone out of a sense of duty towards the Divine will be done out of love for Him.
\nProgress will be a joy instead of being an effort and often even a struggle. Or,
\nmore exactly, progress will be made in joy, with the full adherence of the whole
\nbeing, instead of by coercing the resistance of the ego, which entails great
\neffort and sometimes even great suffering.<\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion, I would
\nsay this: if you want your speech to express the truth and thus acquire the
\npower of the Word, never think out beforehand what you want to say, do not
\ndecide what is a good or bad thing to say, do not calculate the effect of what
\nyou are going to say. Be silent in mind and remain unwavering in the true
\nattitude of constant aspiration towards the All-Wisdom, the All-Knowledge, the
\nAll-Consciousness. Then, if your aspiration is sincere, if it is not a veil for
\nyour ambition to do well and to succeed, if it is pure, spontaneous and
\nintegral, you will then be able to speak very simply, to say the words that
\nought to be said, neither more nor less, and they will have a creative power.<\/span><\/p>\n


\nBulletin<\/font><\/span><\/i>, April 1953<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

3 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\nOf all austerities the most difficult is the austerity of feelings and emotions,
\nthe tapasya of love.<\/span><\/p>\n

Indeed, in the domain of
\nfeelings, more perhaps than in any other, man has the sense of the inevitable,
\nthe irresistible, of a fatality that dominates him and which he cannot escape.
\nLove (or at least what human beings call love) is particularly regarded<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 64<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

as an imperious master
\nwhose caprice one cannot elude, who strikes you according to his fancy and
\nforces you to obey him whether you will or not. In the name of love the worst
\ncrimes have been perpetrated, the greatest follies committed. <\/span><\/p>\n

And yet men have invented
\nall kinds of moral and social rules in the hope of controlling this force of
\nlove, of making it amenable and docile. But these rules seem to have been made
\nonly to be broken; and the restraint they impose on its free activity merely
\nincreases its explosive power. For it is not by rules that the movements of love
\ncan be disciplined. Only a greater, higher and truer power of love can subdue
\nthe uncontrollable impulses of love. Only love can rule over love by
\nenlightening, transforming and exalting it. For here too, more than anywhere
\nelse, control does not consist of suppression and abolition but of transmutation
\n\u2013 a sublime alchemy. This is because, of all the forces at work in the universe,
\nlove is the most powerful, the most irresistible. Without love the world would
\nfall back into the chaos of inconscience. <\/span><\/p>\n

Consciousness is indeed
\nthe creatrix of the universe, but love is its saviour. Conscious experience
\nalone can give a glimpse of what love is, of its purpose and process. Any verbal
\ntranscription is necessarily a mental travesty of something which eludes all
\nexpression in  <\/span>every way.  <\/span>Philosophers, 
\n<\/span>mystics,  <\/span>occultists, have all
\ntried to define love, but in vain. I have no pretension of succeeding where they
\nhave failed. But I wish to state in the simplest possible terms what in their
\nwritings takes such an abstract and complicated form. My words will have no
\nother aim than to lead towards the living experience, and I wish to be able to
\nlead even a child to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

Love is, in its essence,
\nthe joy of identity; it finds its ultimate expression in the bliss of union.
\nBetween the two lie all the phases of its universal manifestation. <\/span><\/p>\n

At the beginning of this
\nmanifestation, in the purity of its origin, love is composed of two movements,
\ntwo complementary poles of the urge towards complete oneness. On one hand there<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 65<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

is the supreme power of
\nattraction and on the other the irresistible need for absolute self-giving. No
\nother movement could have better bridged the abyss that was created when in the
\nindividual being consciousness was separated from its origin and became
\nunconsciousness. <\/span><\/p>\n

What had been projected
\ninto space had to be brought back to itself without, however, annihilating the
\nuniverse which had thus been created. That is why love burst forth, the
\nirresistible power of union.<\/span><\/p>\n

It brooded over the
\ndarkness and the inconscience; it was scattered and fragmented in the bosom of
\nunfathomable night. And then began the awakening and the ascent, the slow
\nformation of Matter and its endless progression. It is indeed love, in a
\ncorrupted and darkened form, that is associated with all the impulses of
\nphysical and vital Nature, as the urge behind all movement and all grouping,
\nwhich becomes quite perceptible in the plant kingdom. In trees and plants, it is
\nthe need to grow in order to obtain more light, more air, more space; in
\nflowers, it is the offering of their beauty and fragrance in a loving
\nefflorescence. Then, in animals, it is love that lies behind hunger and thirst,
\nthe need for  <\/span>appropriation,  <\/span>expansion, 
\n<\/span>procreation,  <\/span>in short, behind
\nevery desire, whether conscious or not. And among the higher species, it is in
\nthe self-sacrificing devotion of the female to her young. This brings us quite
\nnaturally to the human race in which, with the triumphant advent of mental
\nactivity, this association reaches its climax, for it has become conscious and
\ndeliberate. Indeed, as soon as terrestrial development made it possible. Nature
\ntook up this sublime force of love and put it at the service of her creative
\nwork by linking and mixing it with her movement of procreation. This association
\nhas even become so close, so intimate, that very few human beings are illumined
\nenough in their consciousness to be able to dissociate these movements from each
\nother and experience them separately. In this way, love has suffered every
\ndegradation, it has been debased to the level of the beast. <\/span><\/p>\n


\nPage \u2013 66<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

From then on, too, there
\nclearly appears in Nature’s works the will to rebuild, by steps and stages and
\nthrough ever more numerous and complex groupings, the primordial oneness. Having
\nmade use of the power of love to bring two human beings together to form the
\nbiune group, the origin of the family, after having broken the narrow limits of
\npersonal egoism, changing it into a dual egoism. Nature, with the appearance of
\nchildren, brought forth a more complex unit, the family. And in course of time,
\nwith multifarious associations between families, individual interchanges and
\nmingling of blood, larger groupings were formed: clans, tribes, castes, classes,
\nleading to the creation of nations. This work of group formation proceeded
\nsimultaneously in the various parts of the world, crystallising in the different
\nraces. And little by little. Nature will fuse these races too in her endeavour
\nto build a real and material foundation for human unity. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIn the consciousness of most men, all this is the outcome of chance; they are
\nnot aware of the existence of a global plan and take circumstances as they come,
\nfor better or for worse according to their temperament: some are satisfied,
\nothers discontented. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nAmong the contented, there is a certain category of people who are perfectly
\nadapted to Nature’s ways: these are the optimists. For them the days are
\nbrighter because of the nights, colours are vivid because of the shadows, joy is
\nmore intense because of suffering, pain gives a greater charm to pleasure,
\nillness gives health all its value; I have even heard some of them say that they
\nare glad to have enemies because it made them appreciate their friends all the
\nmore. In any case, for all these people, sexual activity is one of the most
\nenjoyable of occupations, satisfaction of the palate is a delight of life that
\nthey cannot go without; and it is quite normal to die since one is born: death
\nputs an end to a journey which would become tedious if it were to last too long. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nIn short, they find life quite all right as it is and do not care <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 67<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

To know whether it has a purpose or a goal; they do not worry
\nabout the miseries of others and do not see any need for progress.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nNever try to \u201cconvert\u201d these people; it would be a serious mistake. If they were
\nunfortunate enough to listen to you, they would lose the balance they have
\nwithout being able to find a new one. They are not ready to have an inner life,
\nbut they are Nature\u2019s favourites; they have a very close alliance with her, and
\nthis realisation should not be needlessly disturbed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nTo a lesser degree, and above all, in a less durable way, there are other
\ncontented people in the world whose contentment is due to the magic effect of
\nlove. Each time an individual breaks the narrow limitations in which he is
\nimprisoned by his ego and emerges into the open air, through self-giving,
\nwhether for the sake of another human being or his family, his country or his
\nfaith, he finds in this self-forgetfulness a foretaste of the marvellous delight
\nof love, and this gives him the impression that he has come into contact with
\nthe Divine. But most often it is only a fleeting contact, for in the human being
\nlove is immediately mixed with lower egoistic movements which debase it and rob
\nit of its power of purity. But even if it remained pure, this contact with the
\ndivine existence could not last for ever, for love is only one aspect of the
\nDivine, an aspect which here on earth has suffered the same distortions as the
\nothers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nBesides, all these experiences are very good and useful for the ordinary man who
\nfollows the normal way of Nature in her stumbling march towards the future
\nunity. But they cannot satisfy those who want to hasten the movement, or rather,
\nwho aspire to belong to another line of more direct and rapid movement, to an
\nexceptional movement that will liberate them from ordinary mankind and its
\ninterminable march, so that they may take part in the spiritual advance which
\nwill lead them along the swiftest paths towards the creation of the new race,
\nthe race that will express the supramental truth upon earth. These rare souls
\nmust reject all forms of love between human beings, for how ever<\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 68<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\nbeautiful and pure they may be, they cause a kind of short-circuit and cut off
\nthe direct connection with the Divine. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nFor one who has known love for the Divine, all other forms of love are obscure
\nand too mixed with pettiness and egoism and darkness; they are like a perpetual
\nhaggling or a struggle for supremacy and domination, and even among the best
\nthey are full of misunderstanding and irritability, of friction and
\nincomprehension. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nMoreover, it is a well-known fact that one grows into the likeness of what one
\nloves. Therefore if you want to be like the Divine, love Him alone. Only one who
\nhas known the ecstasy of the exchange of love with the Divine can know how
\ninsipid and dull and feeble any other exchange is in comparison. And even if the
\nmost austere discipline is required to arrive at this exchange, nothing is too
\nhard, too long or too severe in order to achieve it, for it surpasses all
\nexpression.<\/span><\/p>\n

\nThis is the marvellous state we want to realise on earth; it is this which will
\nhave the power to transform the world and make it a habitation worthy of the
\nDivine Presence. Then will pure and true love be able to incarnate in a body
\nthat will no longer be a disguise and a veil for it. Many a time, in order to
\nmake the discipline easier and to create a closer and more easily perceptible
\nintimacy, the Divine has sought, in his highest form of love, to assume a
\nphysical body similar in appearance to the human body; but each time, imprisoned
\nwithin the gross forms of Matter, he was able to express only a caricature of
\nhimself. And in order to manifest in the fullness of his perfection he waits
\nonly for human beings to have made some indispensable progress in their
\nconsciousness and in their bodies; for the vulgarity of man’s vanity and the
\nstupidity of his conceit mistake the sublime divine love, when it expresses
\nitself in a human form, for a sign of weakness and dependence and need. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nAnd yet man already knows, at first obscurely, but more and more clearly as he
\ndraws nearer to perfection, that love alone can put an end to the suffering of
\nthe world; only the ineffable <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 69<\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/span>joy of love in its essence can sweep away from
\nthe universe the burning pain of separation. For only in the ecstasy of the
\nsupreme union will creation discover its purpose and its fulfilment. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nThat is why no effort is too arduous, no austerity too rigorous if it can
\nillumine, purify, perfect and transform the physical substance so that it may no
\nlonger conceal the Divine when he takes on an outer form in Matter. For then
\nthis marvellous tenderness will be able to express itself freely in the world,
\nthe divine love which has the power of changing life into a paradise of sweet
\njoy.<\/span><\/p>\n

This, you will say, is
\nthe culmination, the crown of the effort, the final victory; but what must be
\ndone in order to achieve it ? What is the path to be followed and what are the
\nfirst steps on the way ? <\/span><\/p>\n

Since we have decided to
\nreserve love in all its splendour for our personal relationship with the Divine,
\nwe shall replace it  <\/span>in  <\/span>our 
\n<\/span>relations  <\/span>with  <\/span>others by a total, unvarying, constant
\nand egoless kindness and goodwill that will not expect any reward or gratitude
\nor even any recognition. However others may treat you, you will never allow
\nyourself to be carried away by any resentment; and in your unmixed love for the
\nDivine, you will leave him sole judge as to how he is to protect you and defend
\nyou against the misunderstanding and bad will of others. <\/span><\/p>\n

You will await your joys
\nand pleasures from the Divine alone. In him alone will you seek and find help
\nand support. He will comfort you in all your sorrows, guide you on the path,
\nlift you up if you stumble, and if there are moments of failure and exhaustion,
\nhe will take you up in his strong arms of love and enfold you in his soothing
\nsweetness. <\/span><\/p>\n

To avoid any
\nmisunderstanding, I must point out here that because of the exigencies of the
\nlanguage in which I am expressing myself, I am obliged to use the masculine
\ngender whenever I mention the Divine. But in fact the reality of love I speak of
\nis  <\/span>above  <\/span>and beyond 
\n<\/span>all gender,  <\/span>masculine  <\/span>or 
\n<\/span>feminine;  <\/span>and when it
\nincarnates in a human body, it does so indifferently in<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 70<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/span>the body of a man or a woman according to the
\nneeds of the work to be done. <\/span><\/p>\n

In summary, austerity in
\nfeelings consists then of giving up all emotional attachment, of whatever
\nnature, whether for a person, for the family, for the country or anything else,
\nin order to concentrate on an exclusive attachment for the Divine Reality. This
\nconcentration will culminate in an integral identification and will be
\ninstrumental to the supramental realisation upon earth. <\/span><\/p>\n

This leads us quite
\nnaturally to the four liberations which will be the concrete forms of this
\nachievement. The liberation of the feelings will be at the same time the
\nliberation from suffering, in a total realisation of the supramental oneness. <\/span><\/p>\n

The mental liberation or
\nliberation from ignorance will establish in the being the mind of light or
\ngnostic consciousness, whose expression will have the creative power of the
\nWord. <\/span><\/p>\n

The vital liberation or
\nliberation from desire gives the individual will the power to identify itself
\nperfectly and consciously with the divine will and brings constant peace and
\nserenity as well as the power which results from them. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, crowning all the
\nothers, comes the physical liberation or liberation from the law of material
\ncause and effect. By a total self-mastery, one is no longer a slave of Nature’s
\nlaws which make men act according to subconscious or semi-conscious impulses and
\nmaintain them in the rut of ordinary life. With this liberation one can decide
\nin full knowledge the path to be taken, choose the action to be accomplished and
\nfree oneself from all blind determinism, so that nothing is allowed to intervene
\nin the course of one’s life but the highest will, the truest knowledge, the
\nsupramental consciousness.<\/span> <\/i><\/p>\n


\nBulletin<\/font><\/span><\/i>, August 1953<\/font><\/span> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 71<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

 The Four Austerities and the Four Liberations  1  To pursue an integral education that leads to the supramental realisation, four austerities are necessary, and with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[118],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4209","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-12-on-education-volume-12","wpcat-118-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4209","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=4209"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4209\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4209"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4209"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4209"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}