Chapter 12Religion and Occultism

RELIGION God gives Himself to His whole creation; no one religion holds the monopoly of His Grace.

* Instead of excluding each other, religions ought to complete each other.

* The spiritual spirit is not contrary to a religious feeling of adoration, devotion and consecration. But what is wrong in the religions is the fixity of the mind clinging to one formula as an exclusive truth. One must always remember that formulas are only a mental expression of the truth and that this truth can always be expressed in many other ways.

6 December 1964

* You express your faith in Sri Aurobindo with certain words which are for you the best expression of this faith; this is quite all right. But if you are convinced that these very words are the only correct ones to express what Sri Aurobindo is, then you become dogmatic and are ready to create a religion.

5 March 1965

* In a severe tone:

“Madam, you are pledging your word.” Very quietly: “I know it, sir, and when I make a promise, I keep it. But for me these things don’t have much importance. I have no