Divine Possibility
— Selected Writings of Sri Aurobindo
| Price: Rs 130 Pages: 143 Dimensions (in cms): 14x22 ISBN: 978-93-5210-281-5 | Soft Cover |
| Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry | |
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About Divine Possibility
The brief passages collected in this compilation cover the central features of Sri Aurobindo’s vision of life and his method of spiritual practice, the Integral Yoga. Drawn from letters to his disciples and from his major prose works such as The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, and The Human Cycle, the selections focus on all aspects of life and sadhana and in their profundity demonstrate a beauty and elegance of expression characteristic of Sri Aurobindo’s style.
REVIEW
Divine Possibility begins with the highest ideal that Sri Aurobindo has placed before humanity—the ascent towards a divine life. To exceed our human limitations and to awaken the divine possibilities within is the great and difficult task before us. However, Sri Aurobindo assures us that “to follow after the highest in us may seem to be to live dangerously…but by that danger comes victory and security.” (p. 4)
The first chapter contains passages that hint at the nature of the Divine, the divine conscious force (the Divine Mother), and the Supermind. Here, Sri Aurobindo encourages us to approach the Divine Mother for help and guidance, for only she can liberate us from our lower nature and remake us into a higher divine Nature. To seek the divine is to become the divine. Sri Aurobindo beautifully describes this ‘becoming’ in the following words, “When the Ananda comes into you, it is the Divine who comes into you; just as when the Peace flows into you, it is the Divine who is invading you, or when you are flooded with Light, it is the flood of the Divine Himself that is around you.” (8-9)
The selections in the second chapter further our understanding of the all-encompassing nature of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. We learn that “[t]his Yoga implies not only the realisation of God, but an entire consecration and change of the inner and outer life till it is fit to manifest a divine consciousness and become part of a divine work.” (13) The chapter also outlines the prerequisites for an aspirant of the Integral Yoga. In a letter to a disciple Sri Aurobindo writes:
The goal of Yoga is always hard to reach, but this one is more difficult than any other, and it is only for those who have the call, the capacity, the willingness to face everything and every risk, even the risk of failure, and the will to progress towards an entire selflessness, desirelessness and surrender. (15)
Chapters Three, Four, and Five prescribe the means and methods to advance along the path. Equality and Peace form the twin foundation of this yoga. Samatvam yoga ucyate Equanimity is yoga, the mantra from the Gita comes to mind as one delves deeper into the content of the third chapter. The result of this equality is a resting peace that begins to settle into the being. Chapter Four presents freedom, personal effort, and opening as the necessary conditions for this yoga. Chapter Five enlists sincerity, faith, aspiration, love and devotion, and self-giving as the five essential practices to proceed on the path. The Mother calls these the five psychological perfections to be achieved by the sadhaks of the Integral Yoga.
Chapter Six gives us an introduction to the divine Mother, without whom even a single step ahead in this journey would be impossible. Sri Aurobindo instils the need for an absolute reliance on the Mother’s force with these words: “There is no method in this Yoga except to concentrate, preferably in the heart, and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force transform the consciousness.” (40) Further, in one of his letters on the Mother, Sri Aurobindo writes that the Mother’s embodiment “is a chance for the earth-consciousness to receive the supramental into it and to undergo first the transformation necessary for that to be possible”. (39)
Chapter Seven briefly explains the purpose of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram—an entity unlike any other; the sole aim of the Ashram is to prepare the earth for the age of spiritual transformation.The members of the Ashram continue to strive to fulfil the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, long after the masters have left their physical bodies.
Chapter Eight touches upon the three-fold path of the Gita—the way of knowledge, the way of works, and the way of bhakti. Sri Aurobindo brilliantly revives the age-old teachings of the Gita in a way that appeals to the modern mind.
Chapter Nine provides us with a nuanced understanding of the different parts of our being. To integrate all these parts under the influence of the psychic is a great step ahead in this yoga.
Chapters Ten to Thirteen serve as practical guides on topics concerning daily life. The tenth chapter advises us on the means to maintain the physical life with selections on food, sleep, illness, sports, and exercise:
If our seeking is for a total perfection of the being, the physical part of it cannot be left aside; for the body is the material basis, the body is the instrument which we have to use. Śarīram khalu dharmasādhanam, says the old Sanskrit adage,—the body is the means of fulfilment of dharma. (72)
Chapter Eleven deals with the intricacies of human relationships. While the twelfth chapter expounds upon the difficulties of human nature and the attitude with which they should be met, Chapter Thirteen emphasises maintaining a steady focus on inner growth instead of dwelling on the difficulties of the outer nature. This chapter also explains the importance of courage, discipline, patience, and cheerfulness in this sadhana.
The next two chapters delve into topics of general interest. Here readers can find Sri Aurobindo’s views on subjects such as religion, morality, evolution, beauty, karma, destruction, war and peace, and death. It gives us a glimpse of Sri Aurobindo’s vast intellect and his ability to write on varied topics with the utmost clarity and ease.
The concluding chapter is a delightful read on "God’s ways of working"—the playful manner in which he is leading everyone towards their destined goal. “God is our wise and perfect Friend; because he knows when to smite as well as when to fondle, when to slay us no less than when to save and to succour.” (133)
Overall, this book comprising selected writings of Sri Aurobindo is a useful aid for aspirants. It offers guidance and inspiration to a seeker of the Integral Yoga in a simple and concise manner. In his epic poem Savitri, Sri Aurobindo writes, “Heaven’s call is rare, rarer the heart that heeds.” I hope that using the guidance in this book, many of us will be inspired to realise the ideal of life that Sri Aurobindo has envisioned for us.
—by a member of the editorial staff at SABDA
Selections from The Divine Possibility
Death is the question Nature puts continually to Life and her reminder to it that it has not yet found itself. If there were no siege of death, the creature would be bound forever in the form of an imperfect living. Pursued by death he awakes to the idea of perfect life and seeks out its means and its possibility. CWSA 13:205
…if it is to be of real service, the intellect must consent to pass out of the bounds of a finite logic and accustom itself to the logic of the Infinite. CWSA 21:337
Reviewed in August 2024
The first chapter contains passages that hint at the nature of the Divine, the divine conscious force (the Divine Mother), and the Supermind. Here, Sri Aurobindo encourages us to approach the Divine Mother for help and guidance, for only she can liberate us from our lower nature and remake us into a higher divine Nature. To seek the divine is to become the divine. Sri Aurobindo beautifully describes this ‘becoming’ in the following words, “When the Ananda comes into you, it is the Divine who comes into you; just as when the Peace flows into you, it is the Divine who is invading you, or when you are flooded with Light, it is the flood of the Divine Himself that is around you.” (8-9)
The selections in the second chapter further our understanding of the all-encompassing nature of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. We learn that “[t]his Yoga implies not only the realisation of God, but an entire consecration and change of the inner and outer life till it is fit to manifest a divine consciousness and become part of a divine work.” (13) The chapter also outlines the prerequisites for an aspirant of the Integral Yoga. In a letter to a disciple Sri Aurobindo writes:
The goal of Yoga is always hard to reach, but this one is more difficult than any other, and it is only for those who have the call, the capacity, the willingness to face everything and every risk, even the risk of failure, and the will to progress towards an entire selflessness, desirelessness and surrender. (15)
Chapters Three, Four, and Five prescribe the means and methods to advance along the path. Equality and Peace form the twin foundation of this yoga. Samatvam yoga ucyate Equanimity is yoga, the mantra from the Gita comes to mind as one delves deeper into the content of the third chapter. The result of this equality is a resting peace that begins to settle into the being. Chapter Four presents freedom, personal effort, and opening as the necessary conditions for this yoga. Chapter Five enlists sincerity, faith, aspiration, love and devotion, and self-giving as the five essential practices to proceed on the path. The Mother calls these the five psychological perfections to be achieved by the sadhaks of the Integral Yoga.
Chapter Six gives us an introduction to the divine Mother, without whom even a single step ahead in this journey would be impossible. Sri Aurobindo instils the need for an absolute reliance on the Mother’s force with these words: “There is no method in this Yoga except to concentrate, preferably in the heart, and call the presence and power of the Mother to take up the being and by the workings of her force transform the consciousness.” (40) Further, in one of his letters on the Mother, Sri Aurobindo writes that the Mother’s embodiment “is a chance for the earth-consciousness to receive the supramental into it and to undergo first the transformation necessary for that to be possible”. (39)
Chapter Seven briefly explains the purpose of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram—an entity unlike any other; the sole aim of the Ashram is to prepare the earth for the age of spiritual transformation.The members of the Ashram continue to strive to fulfil the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, long after the masters have left their physical bodies.
Chapter Eight touches upon the three-fold path of the Gita—the way of knowledge, the way of works, and the way of bhakti. Sri Aurobindo brilliantly revives the age-old teachings of the Gita in a way that appeals to the modern mind.
Chapter Nine provides us with a nuanced understanding of the different parts of our being. To integrate all these parts under the influence of the psychic is a great step ahead in this yoga.
Chapters Ten to Thirteen serve as practical guides on topics concerning daily life. The tenth chapter advises us on the means to maintain the physical life with selections on food, sleep, illness, sports, and exercise:
If our seeking is for a total perfection of the being, the physical part of it cannot be left aside; for the body is the material basis, the body is the instrument which we have to use. Śarīram khalu dharmasādhanam, says the old Sanskrit adage,—the body is the means of fulfilment of dharma. (72)
Chapter Eleven deals with the intricacies of human relationships. While the twelfth chapter expounds upon the difficulties of human nature and the attitude with which they should be met, Chapter Thirteen emphasises maintaining a steady focus on inner growth instead of dwelling on the difficulties of the outer nature. This chapter also explains the importance of courage, discipline, patience, and cheerfulness in this sadhana.
The next two chapters delve into topics of general interest. Here readers can find Sri Aurobindo’s views on subjects such as religion, morality, evolution, beauty, karma, destruction, war and peace, and death. It gives us a glimpse of Sri Aurobindo’s vast intellect and his ability to write on varied topics with the utmost clarity and ease.
The concluding chapter is a delightful read on "God’s ways of working"—the playful manner in which he is leading everyone towards their destined goal. “God is our wise and perfect Friend; because he knows when to smite as well as when to fondle, when to slay us no less than when to save and to succour.” (133)
Overall, this book comprising selected writings of Sri Aurobindo is a useful aid for aspirants. It offers guidance and inspiration to a seeker of the Integral Yoga in a simple and concise manner. In his epic poem Savitri, Sri Aurobindo writes, “Heaven’s call is rare, rarer the heart that heeds.” I hope that using the guidance in this book, many of us will be inspired to realise the ideal of life that Sri Aurobindo has envisioned for us.
—by a member of the editorial staff at SABDA
Selections from The Divine Possibility
Death is the question Nature puts continually to Life and her reminder to it that it has not yet found itself. If there were no siege of death, the creature would be bound forever in the form of an imperfect living. Pursued by death he awakes to the idea of perfect life and seeks out its means and its possibility. CWSA 13:205
…if it is to be of real service, the intellect must consent to pass out of the bounds of a finite logic and accustom itself to the logic of the Infinite. CWSA 21:337
Reviewed in August 2024
