Nurturing the Intellect: Developing Observation, Judgment, and Imagination

The development of the intellect is crucial for individuals to navigate the complexities of the world with clarity and depth. A well-nurtured intellect empowers individuals to observe the intricacies of their surroundings, exercise sound judgment, and unleash the power of imagination. By cultivating these three interconnected faculties—observation, judgment, and imagination—individuals can expand their intellectual horizons, foster critical thinking, and enhance their overall cognitive abilities. This article explores the significance of nurturing the intellect and offers practical insights into developing observation, judgment, and imagination.

The Power of Observation:
Observation is the cornerstone of intellectual growth. It involves keenly perceiving the details, patterns, and subtleties present in one’s environment. By encouraging individuals to be mindful observers, educators and mentors lay the foundation for intellectual development. From a young age, fostering the habit of closely observing the world around us helps to sharpen our senses, heighten awareness, and cultivate curiosity. Through active engagement with our surroundings, we become attuned to nuances, recognize underlying connections, and acquire a wealth of information. Regular practice of observation expands our intellectual capacity and prepares us for higher levels of cognitive development.

The Art of Judgment:
Judgment is the intellectual faculty that enables individuals to analyze, evaluate, and make informed decisions. It requires the careful assessment of evidence, discernment of facts, and the ability to weigh different perspectives. Nurturing judgment involves fostering critical thinking skills and cultivating the capacity to differentiate between valid and flawed arguments. By providing opportunities for individuals to analyze complex situations, deliberate on multiple options, and consider potential consequences, educators foster the development of sound judgment. Through guided exercises and discussions, learners can refine their analytical abilities, enhance their discernment, and make informed choices.

Unlocking the Power of Imagination:
Imagination is the transformative force that propels the intellect beyond the boundaries of the known. It is the ability to envision possibilities, create mental images, and explore ideas beyond the constraints of immediate reality. Nurturing imagination involves encouraging individuals to think creatively, embrace curiosity, and explore innovative solutions. Engaging in activities such as storytelling, art, and brainstorming exercises fosters the imaginative faculties. By allowing the mind to wander, ponder “what if” scenarios, and contemplate abstract concepts, individuals unlock the immense power of imagination. This imaginative capacity ignites innovation, fuels problem-solving, and opens new pathways to intellectual growth.

Integration and Synergy:
Observation, judgment, and imagination are interconnected faculties that rely on one another for holistic intellectual development. Observation sharpens the senses and provides the raw material for judgment and imaginative exploration. Judgment provides the critical analysis and discernment necessary to evaluate observations and inform imaginative pursuits. Imagination, in turn, fuels creativity, broadens perspectives, and challenges existing notions, thereby enriching the process of observation and judgment. By integrating these faculties and encouraging their synergistic interplay, individuals can harness the full potential of their intellect.

Practical Strategies for Intellectual Development:

  1. Encourage active engagement with the environment through field trips, hands-on experiments, and real-world experiences.
  2. Foster critical thinking skills through debates, problem-solving activities, and the examination of multiple viewpoints.
  3. Provide opportunities for creative expression, such as storytelling, art, and role-playing exercises, to stimulate imagination.
  4. Promote reflection and self-assessment to enhance metacognitive skills and foster a growth mindset.
  5. Create a supportive learning environment that values curiosity, encourages questioning, and embraces intellectual exploration.

Nurturing the intellect is a lifelong endeavor that enriches individuals’ cognitive abilities and equips them with essential tools for personal and intellectual growth. By developing observation, judgment, and imagination, individuals unlock their intellectual potential and cultivate a deeper understanding of the world. Educators and mentors play a pivotal role in guiding individuals towards intellectual development by providing opportunities for active observation, critical thinking, and imaginative exploration. Through consistent practice and cultivation of these faculties, individuals embark on a transformative journey towards intellectual excellence and the pursuit of knowledge.

The Art of Reasoning: Developing Logical Thinking Skills


Logical reasoning is a fundamental skill that empowers individuals to think critically, analyze information, and draw valid conclusions. It forms the basis of sound decision-making and problem-solving abilities. While formal study of logic exists, the true art of reasoning lies in cultivating logical thinking skills through practical experience and observation. By immersing oneself in the process of drawing inferences from facts and understanding the reasons behind successes and failures, individuals can develop a strong foundation for logical reasoning. This article explores the importance of developing logical thinking skills and offers practical insights into nurturing this invaluable cognitive ability.

The Foundation of Logical Reasoning:
The development of logical thinking skills begins with a solid foundation built upon accurate facts and complete data. Just as a structure relies on a strong base, logical reasoning depends on reliable information. Encouraging individuals to gather factual data, observe cause-and-effect relationships, and draw logical conclusions fosters the development of this foundation. By emphasizing the importance of starting with accurate facts, educators and mentors can instill a commitment to thoroughness and attention to detail in individuals, reducing the likelihood of errors and fallacious reasoning.

Training Through Practical Experience:
The art of reasoning is best cultivated through practical experience. Rather than focusing solely on theoretical studies, individuals should actively engage in reasoning exercises that involve real-world scenarios. Encouraging young minds to draw inferences, consider various possibilities, and evaluate the strength of their conclusions nurtures their ability to think logically. By examining both successful and failed reasoning attempts, learners can identify patterns, evaluate the reliability of their data, and recognize the impact of biases and assumptions on their conclusions.

Observation and Analysis:
Logical reasoning requires keen observation and critical analysis. Individuals must develop the habit of observing phenomena closely, noting similarities, differences, and patterns. This observation is not limited to the physical realm but extends to the realm of ideas and concepts. By training the mind to discern subtle nuances and identify logical connections, individuals enhance their ability to analyze information and make well-founded judgments. The cultivation of analytical skills through deliberate practice enables individuals to become more discerning and insightful thinkers.

Eliminating Biases and Considering Alternatives:
An essential aspect of logical reasoning involves the elimination of biases and the consideration of alternative perspectives. The human mind has a natural inclination to confirm existing beliefs or preconceived notions. However, developing logical thinking skills requires individuals to overcome this bias and approach information objectively. By encouraging open-mindedness and exploring diverse viewpoints, individuals learn to critically evaluate multiple possibilities and consider different explanations. This practice not only minimizes errors but also broadens their understanding of complex issues.

The Role of Formal Logic:
While practical experience and observation form the foundation of logical reasoning, formal study of logic can complement and enhance these skills. Once individuals have become proficient in reasoning through practical application, they can explore the formal principles and structures that underpin logical thinking. By introducing formal logic at a later stage, learners can readily grasp the concepts and systems, perceiving them as a systematic representation of their existing reasoning abilities. This approach allows individuals to consolidate their logical thinking skills and refine their understanding of logical principles.

The art of reasoning is an invaluable skill that empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of life with clarity and precision. By developing logical thinking skills through practical experience, observation, and analysis, individuals can strengthen their ability to draw valid conclusions and make informed decisions. Encouraging the elimination of biases and the exploration of alternative perspectives enhances critical thinking abilities. The formal study of logic can further augment logical reasoning skills, providing a structured framework to support and refine these cognitive abilities. Embracing the art of reasoning equips individuals with a powerful tool for intellectual growth and problem-solving in various facets of life.

Psychic Education and Spiritual Education


Sri Aurobindo discusses the distinction between psychic education and spiritual education, as well as the ultimate goal of supramental education.

Psychic education focuses on the development of the psychic being, which is the immortal and evolving essence within each individual. It involves going beyond egoism, breaking down barriers between individuals, and living a life in harmony with the universal consciousness. Psychic education aims at the realisation of an endless and progressive life in the universe of forms.

Spiritual education, on the other hand, goes beyond the psychic being and aims at a transcendent and formless experience. It involves the dissolution of the ego and identification with the Absolute, God, or the Only Reality. It is a liberation from all forms and an aspiration for the infinite and eternal.

While psychic identification can be a lasting state, spiritual identification with the formless is often momentary, as it would result in the dissolution of the material form. However, the effects of this experience have profound and lasting repercussions on the consciousness.

Yet, Sri Aurobindo emphasizes that true liberation does not lie in individual escape or an abolishment of creation. Instead, it lies in a transformation and transfiguration of matter, a total transmutation of human nature. This transformation will bring about a new species beyond man, a divine race, that manifests a new force, consciousness, and power upon the Earth.

This supramental education, which progresses from above downwards, will work upon the various states of being and eventually reach the physical. It will result in the transfiguration of the entire being, leading to the emergence of a divine race and a new world. Sri Aurobindo highlights that the signs of supramental presence may not be immediately visible in physical appearances, as the physical transformation is the last to change. The supramental force can be at work in an individual long before its effects become perceptible in their bodily life.

In summary, Sri Aurobindo presents a vision of education that goes beyond mental development, encompassing psychic and spiritual growth. Ultimately, it leads to the emergence of a new species and a transformed world through supramental education.

Physical education

Sri Aurobindo highlights the significance of physical education and its role in the comprehensive development of an individual. The physical aspect of human consciousness is governed by method, order, discipline, and process. While matter may lack plasticity and receptivity, it can be transformed through detailed organization that is both precise and comprehensive. The interdependence and interpenetration of all domains of being should be taken into account in this organization.

Physical education encompasses three main aspects: control and discipline of bodily functions, integral and harmonious development of all body parts and movements, and correction of defects and deformities. This education should commence from birth and continue throughout life, as it is never too early or too late to begin.

From the very first days of a child’s life, certain aspects of physical education can be applied, such as establishing good habits regarding food, sleep, and hygiene. Parents should have a minimum knowledge of the human body, its structure, and functioning, and gradually teach children to observe and control the functioning of their internal organs. Bad habits related to positions, postures, and movements should be corrected early on, as they can have long-term consequences.

Children should be taught the importance of simple and healthy food, eating according to hunger, and developing a taste for nourishing substances without indulging in greed or gluttony. The child’s instinctive knowledge of what is good and necessary for their body should be respected, while also distinguishing between desires and needs. It is essential to avoid using food as a means of coercion or punishment.

Cleanliness and hygienic habits should be instilled in children without instilling fear of illness. While there should be no fear of illness, children should understand that being ill is a sign of weakness and inferiority, not virtue or sacrifice. The importance of a well-built, robust, and balanced body should be emphasized, avoiding the romantic notion that brilliance is found in weak bodies. Feigned illness to manipulate others’ attention and sympathy should not be encouraged.

Regular exercise and outdoor games should be an integral part of a child’s education, as they contribute to good health and physical development. Medicine should be used sparingly, and the natural healing power of the body should be respected and supported through healthy habits.

Sufficient sleep is crucial for a child’s development, with the number of hours varying according to their age. Pushing children to constant activity or depriving them of rest and relaxation is detrimental to their developing nervous system. Children should be given time for relaxation and taught the art of relaxing muscles and nerves. Activities should be freely chosen rather than imposed, and the hours of rest necessary for proper bodily function should be maintained.

The education of children should also emphasize the importance of physical strength, balance, and beauty. Every human body has the potential to establish harmony among its parts and movements, and a rational method of physical culture from an early age can help manifest this beauty. The ideal of beauty should be cherished for its own sake, not merely to please others or seek admiration.

Even if physical education has been neglected during childhood or youth, it can begin at any age and continue throughout life. However, correcting bad habits, rigidities, and malformations may require additional patience and perseverance. By keeping the ideal of beauty alive and maintaining a goal of harmonization and transformation, one can progress towards physical well-being and the realization of beauty.

In summary, physical education is a vital aspect of holistic development, encompassing control and discipline, harmonious development, and correction of defects. It should begin at birth and continue throughout life, promoting good habits, proper nutrition, hygiene, exercise, rest, and the cultivation of physical strength, balance, and beauty.

Vital education

Sri Aurobindo emphasizes the importance of vital education, which is often neglected or pursued without discernment and method. There are two main reasons for this: confusion in the human mind regarding vital education and the difficulty of the undertaking itself.

The vital aspect of human nature is a demanding and despotic tyrant. Many people feel a timorous respect for the vital because it holds power, energy, enthusiasm, and dynamism. The pursuit of personal happiness and the belief that one’s character is fixed from birth contribute to the vital’s domination. However, these ideas can lead to conflicts, misery, disappointment, and discouragement.

The pursuit of personal happiness should not be confused with the delight of being, which is a quality of the Divine and unconditioned. The goal of life is not personal happiness, but awakening to the Truth-consciousness. The belief that one’s character is fixed neglects the possibility of fundamental change, which requires a rigorous discipline and mastery over the subconscient.

To initiate the transformation of character, a detailed and discerning observation of one’s character is necessary. Each individual possesses opposing tendencies in almost equal proportions, representing the battle to be waged and the victory to be won. Life itself is an education, encouraging movements that express light or shadow depending on the circumstances and environment. However, a conscious will, guided by a rational method of education, can replace the whims of nature with a logical and clear-sighted discipline.

Vital education should ideally begin as early as possible, focusing on the development and use of the sense organs. Proper cultivation of the senses can surpass ordinary expectations, potentially even developing additional senses beyond the traditional five. Alongside sensory education, discrimination and the aesthetic sense should be cultivated, appreciating and loving what is beautiful, harmonious, simple, healthy, and pure. This aesthetic culture protects the individual from degrading influences and contributes to a refined taste and nobility of character.

The second aspect of vital education concerns the character and its transformation. Traditionally, disciplines aimed at purifying and controlling the vital being have relied on coercion, suppression, abstinence, and asceticism. However, a rigorous and detailed education that involves the collaboration of the vital is more enduring and effective. The starting point is becoming conscious of the various movements within oneself and understanding their causes. The child should be taught to observe, note reactions and impulses, and become a discerning witness of desires, passions, instincts, and weaknesses.

Alongside observation, the will for progress and perfection must be developed early on. Different methods may be appropriate for awakening this will, such as rational arguments, feelings, goodwill, and the sense of dignity and self-respect. Example is a powerful method, and the will should be exercised methodically and progressively, demanding maximum effort and persisting even in the face of difficulty.

To achieve mastery and transformation, a thorough understanding of one’s character is essential, followed by control over one’s movements. The effort and result of this endeavor depend on the value of the ideal one seeks to achieve.

In the next aspect of education, Sri Aurobindo will discuss mental education and its connection to the ideal pursued in the effort for mastery and transformation.

Mental education

Sri Aurobindo highlights the gaps and insufficiencies in traditional mental education, which is often limited to schooling and cramming information. He presents five principal phases of a true mental education that prepares individuals for a higher life:

  1. Development of concentration and attention: Children often struggle with scattered thoughts and lack sustained focus. Educators should help them gradually cultivate the capacity for sustained attention and absorption in their work. Various methods, including games and rewards, can be employed, but the most important factor is to generate a genuine interest and love for learning in the child.
  2. Expansion, complexity, and enrichment of the mind: The child should be shown that every aspect of life can be an interesting subject for study when approached in the right way. Everyday experiences, problems to be solved, and good reading materials can stimulate healthy curiosity and facilitate effortless learning. The child’s understanding should be emphasized over rote memorization, and a broad range of topics should be explored to develop a comprehensive and supple mind.
  3. Organization of ideas around a central, luminous idea: As the child progresses in studies, their mind matures, and they develop a need for certitude and a stable knowledge base to organize their accumulated ideas. By approaching problems from multiple perspectives and seeking a higher, universal idea to harmonize contradictory thoughts, the child learns to avoid mental chaos and form a dynamic and constructive mental synthesis.
  4. Thought-control and rejection of undesirable thoughts: Alongside the capacity for learning, there is a need to discipline the mind’s constructive faculty, ensuring that only thoughts aligned with the central idea find expression in action. Regular mental purification and control help maintain a harmony between thoughts and actions. Setting aside time each day for organizing one’s thoughts and achieving silence within the mind aids in this process.
  5. Development of mental silence and receptivity to higher inspirations: Silence is supremely useful for resting the mind and allows access to the higher regions of the mind. Cultivating the ability to silence the mind, concentrate it in receptive silence, and receive inspirations from higher realms enhances problem-solving abilities and opens new horizons of capacity.

By progressing through these five phases of mental education, individuals can develop a well-rounded and disciplined mind capable of grasping higher truths and engaging in purposeful action.

Fostering Youth Empowerment and Smooth Transitions in Auroville

Auroville, the city where youth never ages, offers boundless opportunities for its young residents to embark on a journey of self-discovery and find their purpose in life through active engagement. However, one crucial element seems to be missing: the concept of transition. While the elder citizens have accomplished remarkable feats through their dedication, there is a need to bridge the generational gap and pass on their knowledge and skills to the aspiring youth, ensuring the continued growth and prosperity of Auroville.

Auroville owes its wonder and accomplishments to Mother and Sri Aurobindo. It also is the vision and efforts of its elder citizens. Their remarkable contributions have laid the foundation for the city’s development. However, it is crucial to reflect on whether they have considered sharing their wisdom and expertise with the younger generation who aspire to excel in the same fields. Fostering a culture of intergenerational exchange can bridge the gap within the Auroville community and ensure a smooth continuity of knowledge, skills, and assets.

To sustain the progress and vibrancy of Auroville, the notion of transition must be embraced. If the accomplishments and resources created by the elder citizens are not passed on effectively, Auroville risks losing its momentum and future direction. The responsibility falls upon the senior Aurovilians to acknowledge that their legacies and contributions need successors who can carry the torch forward. By actively supporting and mentoring enthusiastic young individuals who demonstrate a genuine interest in their respective fields, Auroville can witness a seamless transition of leadership, ensuring its continued growth and prosperity.

Auroville’s youth should be granted meaningful opportunities in various positions that align with their innate interests and aspirations. By providing them with platforms to express their passion and take up responsibilities, Auroville can tap into their potential and witness remarkable transformations. When youth are given the chance to contribute to the city’s development, a ripple effect occurs, inspiring others and fostering a culture of active engagement. The enthusiasm and fresh perspectives of young individuals, coupled with the guidance of experienced elders, can bring about innovative solutions, address challenges, and open new avenues for growth.

The Auroville community must actively explore possibilities and strategies to facilitate a smooth transition. It is a healthy and necessary practice to keep our family moving forward. Embracing change and collaboration can ensure the seamless transfer of knowledge, skills, and responsibilities from one generation to the next. Open channels of communication and platforms for dialogue can encourage Aurovilians, both young and old, to share their insights, suggestions, and experiences. By collectively nurturing an environment that fosters growth, mentorship, and cooperation, Auroville can pave the way for a sustainable and prosperous future.

In Auroville, the power of transition lies in its ability to empower the youth, bridge generational gaps, and ensure the continuity of achievements. By actively fostering intergenerational exchange, providing opportunities for the younger generation, and embracing collaboration, Auroville can thrive and fulfil its collective vision.

Spiritual Life

Sri Aurobindo began his Yoga in 1904. Even before this he had already some spiritual experiences and that before he knew anything about Yoga or even what Yoga was. For example, a vast calm descended upon him at the moment when he stepped first on Indian soil after his long absence, in fact with his first step on the Apollo Bunder in Bombay. This calm surrounded him and remained for long months afterwards. There was also a realisation of the vacant Infinite while walking on the ridge of the Takhte-Suleman in Kashmir, the living Presence of Kali in a shrine on the banks of the Narmada, the vision of the Godhead surging up from within when in danger of a carriage accident in Baroda in the first year of his stay, etc. But these were inner experiences coming of themselves and with a sudden unexpectedness, not part of a sadhana. He started Yoga by himself without a Guru, getting the rule from a friend, a disciple of Brahmananda of Ganga Mutt; it was confined at first to assiduous practice of Pranayam (at one time for six or more hours a day). There was no conflict or wavering between Yoga and politics; when he started Yoga, he carried on both without any idea of opposition between them.


He wanted however to find a Guru. He met a Naga Sannyasi, one of the heads, in the course of this search, but did not accept him as Guru, but was confirmed by him in a belief in Yoga-power when he saw him cure Barin in almost a moment of a violent and clinging hill fever by merely cutting through a glassful of water crosswise with a knife while he repeated a silent mantra. Barin drank and was cured. Sri Aurobindo also met Brahmananda and was greatly impressed by him; but he had no helper or Guru in Yoga till he met Lele in Baroda and that was only for a short time. Meditating only for three days with Lele, he followed his instructions for silencing the mind and freeing it from the constant pressure of thoughts; he entered into an absolute and complete silence of the mind
and indeed of the whole consciousness and in that silence had suddenly the enduring realisation of the indefinable Brahman, Tat, in which the whole universe seemed to be unreal and only That existed. This silence he kept for several months and it remained always within him; for when activity returned, it proceeded on the surface and within him all was calm. But at the time there was not the slightest activity of any kind even on the surface; there was only a still motionless perception spiritual and mental in its character. But this was not what Lele wanted, for he wanted the silence only in order that the inner voice of the heart might be heard without any thought interference; so he did his best to get him out of this Advaitic condition. A meeting was to be held in Bombay to hear Sri Aurobindo speak and he asked Lele how he was to speak when not even the shadow of a passing thought could arise in him. Lele told him to make Namaskar before delivering a speech to the audience and wait and speech would come to him from another source than the mind. So in fact, when he was about to address the meeting, speech came. It should be noted however that Sri Aurobindo was not at any time in trance and something in him saw all that happened and spoke and acted according to need without the necessity of any conceptual thought or personal volition. Ever since all the mental activities, speech, writing, thought, will and other kindred activities came to him from the same source above the brain-mind; he had entered into the spiritual mind and what he afterwards called the overhead consciousness. This was his first major and fundamental Yogic realisation and experience and the true beginning and foundation of his Yoga.

Sri Aurobindo himself once wrote in a letter about his practice of Yoga: “I began my Yoga in 1904 without a Guru; in 1908 I received important help from a Mahratta yogi and discovered the foundations of my sadhana; but from that time till the Mother came to India I received no spiritual help from anyone else. My sadhana before and afterwards was not founded upon books but upon personal experiences that crowded on me from within. But in the jail I had the Gita
and the Upanishads with me, practised the Yoga of the Gita and meditated with the help of the Upanishads, these were the only books from which I found guidance; the Veda which I first began to read long afterwards in Pondicherry rather confirmed what experiences I already had than was any guide to my sadhana. I sometimes turned to the Gita for light when there was a question or a difficulty and usually received help or an answer from it. It is a fact that I was hearing constantly the voice of Vivekananda speaking to me for a fortnight in the jail in my solitary meditation and felt his presence. The voice spoke only on a special and limited but very important field of spiritual experience and it ceased as soon as it had finished saying all that it had to say on that subject.”


Before coming to Pondicherry Sri Aurobindo had already realised in full two of the four great realisations on which his Yoga and his spiritual philosophy are founded. The first he had gained while meditating with the Maharashtrian Yogi, Vishnu Bhaskar Lele at Baroda in January 1908; it was the realisation of the silent spaceless and timeless Brahman gained after a complete and abiding stillness of the whole consciousness and attended at first by the overwhelming feeling and percepfion of the total unreality of the world, though this feeling disappeared after his second realisation which was that of the cosmic consciousness and of the Divine as all beings and all that is, which happened in the Alipore Jail. To the other two realisations, that of the supreme Reality with the static and dynamic Brahman as its two aspects and that of the higher planes of consciousness leading up to the Supermind, he was already on his way in his meditations in Alipore Jail. Moreover, he had accepted from Lele as the principle of his sadhana to rely wholly on the Divine and his guidance alone both for his sadhana and his outward actions.

Thus gathering the essential elements of spiritual experience that are gained by the path of divine communion and spiritual realisation followed till now in India, he passed on in his Pondicherry life in search of a more complete experience uniting and harmonising the two ends of existence, Spirit and Matter. Most ways of Yoga are paths to the Beyond leading to the Spirit and in the end, away from life; Sri Aurobindo’s rises to the Spirit to redescend with its gains, bringing the light and power and bliss of the Spirit into life to transform it. Man’s present existence in the material world is in this view or vision of things a life in the Ignorance with the Inconscient at its base, but even in its darkness and nescience there are involved the presence and possibilities of the Divine. The created world is not a mistake or a vanity and illusion to be cast aside by the soul returning to heaven or Nirvana, but the scene of a spiritual evolution by which out of this material inconscience is to be manifested progressively the Divine Consciousness in things. Mind is the highest term yet reached in the evolution, but it is not the highest of which it is capable. There is above it a Supermind or eternal Truth-Consciousness which is in its nature the self-aware and self-determining light and power of Divine Knowledge. Mind is an ignorance seeking after Truth, but this is a self-existent Knowledge harmoniously manifesting the play of its forms and forces. It is only by the descent of this Supermind that the perfection dreamed of by all that is highest in humanity can
come. It is possible by opening to a greater divine consciousness to rise to this power of light and bliss, discover one’s true self, remain in constant union with the Divine and bring down the supramental Force for the transformation of mind and life and body. To realise this possibility has been the dynamic aim of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga.

During all his stay at Pondicherry from 1910 he remained more and more exclusively devoted to his spiritual work and his sadhana. On 15 August 1914, he started jointly with the Mother the philosophical monthly Arya through which he revealed the findings of his four years of seeking — new messages for humanity: man’s divine destiny, the path to its realisation, the progress of human society towards its divine future, the unification of the human race, the nature and evolution of poetry and its future, the inner meaning of the Veda, the Upanishads and the Gita, the spirit and significance of Indian civilisation and culture. All these have since been embodied in The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, The Future Poetry, On the Veda, The Upanishads, Essays on the Gita, The Foundations of Indian Culture. The Arya ceased publication in 1921 after six and a half years of uninterrupted appearance. Sri Aurobindo’s supreme work in poetry is the epic Savitri in 23,813 lines of blank verse, the longest poem ever written in English, regarded by an American critic as ‘probably the greatest epic in the English language… a perfect cosmic poem’. Besides Savitri, there is a large body of his poetic creation, including several dramas, all of which have since been in book form. Sri Aurobindo lived at first in retirement at Pondicherry with four or five companions. Afterwards more and yet more began to come to him to follow his spiritual path and the number became so large that a community of sadhaks had to be formed for the maintenance and collective guidance of those who had left everything behind for the sake of a higher life. This was the foundation of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram which has less been created than grown around him and the Mother as its centre. It may be pointed out in this connection that Sannyas was never accepted by Sri Aurobindo as part of his Yoga. His Ashram at Pondicherry is a glaring contradiction to this popular idea of Sannyas connected with the name of an Ashram. Members of his Ashram are not Sannyasis, they do not wear the ochre garb or practice complete asceticism but are sadhaks of a life based on spiritual realisation, the ideal being the attainment of the life divine here on this earth and in the earthly existence.

Kittu Reddy