Chapter 42Early Spiritual Development · Sadhana 1908–1909

there was no sorrow to cure. He had always in him a considerable equanimity in his nature in face of the world and its difficulties, and after some inward depression in his adolescence (not due to any outward circumstances, and not amounting to sorrow or melancholy, for it was only a strain in the temperament), this became fairly settled.

*

Aravind Babu used to attend the lectures of the Swami [Paramhansa Maharaj Indraswarup] with much interest . . . and personally met him and learnt about ¯asanas and pr¯an. ¯a- y¯ama.

Only heard his lecture at the Palace, did not go to see him, did not practise Pranayam till long afterwards.

*

He met the saint Madhavadas at Malsar on the banks of the Narmada and learnt about Yoga-¯asanas.

Visited, probably with Deshpande, one or two places on the banks of the Narmada, but no recollection of Malsar or Madhavadas, certainly no effect of the meeting, if it happened at all.

*

Sri Aurobindo met, one by one, Sri Hamsa Swarupa Swami, Sri Sadguru Brahmanand and Sri Madhavadas. . . .

He had momentary contacts with Brahmanand, but as a great Yogin, not as a Guru — only darshan and blessing. There was no contact with the others.

*

[He met Brahmananda on the banks of the Narmada for advice on national education activities.]

Sri Aurobindo saw Brahmananda long before there was any question of national education activities. Brahmananda never gave him any counsel or advice nor was there any conversation between them; Sri Aurobindo went to his monastery only for darshan and blessings. Barin had a close connection with Ganga-nath and his Guru was one of the Sannyasins who surrounded Brahmananda, but the connection with Ganganath was spiritual only.

*

As yet, however, Sri Aurobindo was wavering between Yoga and public life. . . . He established some connection with a member of the Governing Body of Naga Sannyasis. . . .

All this was before he left Baroda, some years before he met Lele.

*

We do not quite know what exactly happened to Sri Aurobindo during the first four years of his retirement in Pondicherry. This was a period of “silent yoga”. . . . Sri Aurobindo experimented earnestly and incessantly in the delectable laboratory of his soul; he presently outgrew the instructions that had been given to him by Lele and his predecessors.

That was done long before the sojourn in Pondicherry.

There were no predecessors. Sri Aurobindo had some connection with a member of the governing body of the Naga Sannyasis who gave him a mantra of Kali (or rather a stotra) and conducted certain Kriyas and a Vedic Yajna, but all this was for political success in his mission and not for Yoga.

. . . Lele also advised Sri Aurobindo, in the final resort, to trust only to his own inner spiritual inclinations.

[Last phrase altered to:] to trust only to the guidance of the Divine within him if once he could become aware of that guidance.

* What Lele asked him was whether he could surrender himself entirely to the Inner Guide within him and move as it moved him;