Contents

Part One: The Path of the Integral Yoga

Section One: The Path and the Goal

Seeking the Divine

The True Object of Spiritual Seeking

Motives for Seeking the Divine

Dedication to the Spiritual Life

The Aim of the Integral Yoga

A Yoga of Divine Life

A Yoga Not for Ourselves

Not Liberation But Transformation

Divinisation and Transformation

Section Two: Basic Requisites of the Path

The Call and the Capacity

Turning towards the Divine

Spiritual Destiny

Capacity for Yoga

Fitness for Yoga

Capacity of Westerners for Yoga

Qualities Needed for Sadhana

Indispensable Qualities

Conditions of the Yoga

Purification of the Nature

The Meaning of Purity

The Meaning of Sincerity

Sincerity in Sadhana

Earnestness and Straightforwardness

The Value of Aspiration

The Meaning of Aspiration

The Object of Aspiration

No Need of Words in Aspiration

The Necessity of Aspiration

Intensity of Aspiration and Vital Impatience

Aspiration and Desire

Aspiration and Pulling

Lack of Aspiration

Aspiration and Conversion

Rejection of the Lower Impulses

The Meaning of Surrender

A Free Surrender

The Will to Surrender

The Inner Surrender

The Central Surrender

Complete or Absolute Surrender

The Surrender of the Vital

Surrender and the Psychic

Surrender and Bhakti

Surrender and the Brahmic Condition

Surrender and Transformation

Passive or Tamasic Surrender

Surrender and Tapasya

Surrender and Personal Effort

Faith, Belief, Confidence, Trust

A Problem of Faith

Faith and Knowledge

Faith and Experience

The Gospel of Faith

Faith and Doubt

Keep Firm Faith

Consecration and Offering

The Meaning of Opening

Opening to the Divine

Patience and Perseverance

Vigilance, Discrimination, Control

Section Three: The Foundation of the Sadhana

Peace—The Basis of the Sadhana

Peace Is the First Condition

Peace, Calm, Wideness

Difficulties, Disturbances and Peace

Equality—The Chief Support

Equality or Samata

Samata and Loyalty to Truth

Equality and Detachment

Equality in Times of Trouble and Difficulty

Quiet, Calm, Peace, Silence

Peace Is Something Positive

Peace Comes Little by Little

A Settled or Established Peace

Peace in the Mind, Vital and Physical

Peace in the Inner Being

Peace and Inertia

Peace and Force

Peace, Love and Joy

Peace, Happiness, Joy, Delight, Ananda

Freedom from Thoughts

Silence and True Knowledge

Silence and Quietness of Mind

Silence, Peace and Calm

Silence and True Activity

Section Four: The Divine Response

The Divine Grace and Guidance

The Divine Grace

The Grace and Personal Effort

Strength and Grace

Grace and Tapasya

No Insistence on the Grace

Trust in the Divine Grace

Withdrawal of Grace

The First Responses of the Divine

The Divine Guidance

The Divine Force

The Nature of Spiritual Force

The Divine Force Works under Conditions

Writing about Spiritual Force

Use and Misuse of the Divine Force

The Action of the Divine Force

Allow the Divine Force to Act

Acceptance of the Guru

The Guru in the Supramental Yoga

Surrender to the Guru

The Guru’s Help in Difficulty

The Knowledge Given by the Guru

The Capacity of the Guru

The Bhakta and the Disciple

Part Two: The Synthetic Method of the Integral Yoga

Section One: A Yoga of Knowledge, Works, Bhakti and Self-Perfection

The Central Processes of the Sadhana

Four Necessary Processes

The Need for Plasticity

Work, Meditation and Bhakti

Surrender and Self-Giving

Aspiration and Will of Consecration

Sadhana, Tapasya, Aradhana, Dhyana

Combining Work, Meditation and Bhakti

The Place of Work in Sadhana

A Defence of Works

Work and Meditation

No Competition between Work and Meditation

The Time Given to Work and Meditation

Concentration, Meditation and Prayer

Bhakti and Knowledge

SectionTwo: Sadhana through Work

Work as Part of Sadhana

Work without Personal Motives

The Karmayoga of the Gita

No Vital Demand in Work

The Utility of Work

Right Attitude in Work

Equanimity in Work

The Impersonal Worker

Service of the Divine

All Work Equal in the Eyes of the Spirit

Interest in Work

Loss of Inspiration in Work

Thoughts of Sadhana during Work

Becoming Conscious in Work

Working from Within

Working with a Double Consciousness

Absorption in Work

Remembering the Presence in Work

Inner Guidance about Work

Knowing the Divine Will

Freedom in Work

The Divine Force in Work

Receiving the Divine Power or Force

The Working of the Force

The Force and the Peace in Action

Drawing upon the Force for Energy

Avoiding Overstrain

Practical Concerns in Work

Order and Rhythm

Rules, Discipline, Regularity, Thoroughness

Avoiding Harshness, Severity, Anger

Working with Subordinates and Superiors

Overcoming the Instinct of Domination

Avoiding Disturbance

Avoiding Restlessness, Worry and Anxiety

Compliments and Criticism

Thinking about Work

Dealing with Physical Things

Creative Activity

The Arts and the Spiritual Life

Section Three: Sadhana through Concentration, Meditation and Japa

Concentration and Meditation

The Meaning of Concentration and Meditation

The Role of Concentration and Meditation (Dhyana) in Sadhana

The Object of Meditation

Meditation Not Necessary for All

Methods of Meditation and Concentration

Concentration on the Idea

Centres for Concentration

Postures for Concentration or Meditation

Regularity, Length and Other Conditions

Coming out of Concentration or Meditation

The Difficulty of the Mechanical Mind

Surface Thoughts and Imaginations

Straining and Concentration

Relaxation and Concentration

Passive Meditation and Concentration

Inertia, Laziness, Tiredness in Meditation

Meditation, Sleep and Samadhi

Mantra and Japa

The Mantra So’ham

The Gayatri Mantra

Mantras in the Integral Yoga

Namajapa or Repetition of the Name

Verses of the Gita Used as Japa

Success in Japa

Section Four: Sadhana through Love and Devotion

Divine Love, Psychic Love and Human Love

Divine Love and Its Manifestation

Divine Love and Psychic Love

Universal Love and Psychic Love

Love for the Divine

Human Love in the Sadhana

Human Love and Divine Love

The Vital and Love for the Divine

Bhakti, Devotion, Worship

Turning the Emotions towards the Divine

Bhakti or Devotion

Bhakti and Love

Emotional Bhakti

Viraha or Pangs of Separation

Enmity to the Divine

Contact with the Divine

Contact and Union with the Divine

Part Three: The Integral Yoga and Other Spiritual Paths

Section One: A Yoga of Transformation

Distinctive Features of the Integral Yoga

The Meaning of Purna Yoga

This-Worldliness and Other-Worldliness

The Importance of Descent in the Yoga

The Inclusiveness of the Yoga

Asceticism and the Integral Yoga

Not an Ascetic Path

Asceticism and Detachment

Two Methods of Living in the Supreme

The Human Approach to the Divine

A Realistic Adwaita

The World Not an Illusion

Shankara, Buddhism, Evolution

Transformation in the Integral Yoga

The Meaning of Transformation

Towards a Transformation of Earth Life

Spiritualisation and Transformation

The Attempt at Physical Transformation

Section Two: Other Spiritual Paths and the Integral Yoga

The Newness of the Integral Yoga

Old and New Truth

Spiritual Realisation and the Supramental Transformation

Depreciation of the Old Yogas

The Old Lines and This Line

The Veda and the Upanishads

The Vedic Rishis

The Veda and the Greeks

No Incarnation of the Vedic Gods

Terms and Verses of the Upanishads

Jainism and Buddhism

Buddhist Nirvana

Different Kinds of Buddhism

Buddhism and Vedanta

Sankhya and Yoga

Patanjali’s Yoga

The Yoga-Vasishtha

Asanas and Pranayama

The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita

The Teaching of the Gita

Apparent Contradictions in the Gita

The Gita, the Divine Mother and the Purushottama

The Gita and the Integral Yoga

The Adwaita of Shankaracharya

Shankara’s Mayavada

Mayavada and Nirvana

The Illusionist Metaphors

Tantra and the Integral Yoga

Kundalini, the Chakras and the Integral Yoga

Levels of Speech (Vak)

Bhakti Yoga and Vaishnavism

The Vaishnava Theory and Sadhana

Vaishnava Bhakti and the Integral Yoga

The True Vaishnava Attitude

The Sunlit Way of Yoga

Ordinary Life, Vaishnava Traditions and the Supramental Yoga

Different Approaches through Love and Bhakti

Love and Bhakti for Krishna

Love of Krishna and This Yoga

The Teachings of Some Modern Indian Yogis

Ramana Maharshi

Swami Ramatirtha

Christianity and Theosophy

Note on the Texts