Sri Aurobindo and Integral Yoga

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), who emerged as one of the pioneering nationalist leaders during the first decade of this century, entered into a great revolutionary task in 1910 at Pondicherry that aimed at preparing humanity to meet the challenges of its present crisis. Sri Aurobindo has called the present crisis of humanity an 'evolutionary crisis'. His early realizations, particularly those he had in Alipore jail in 1908-9, where he was detained by the British rulers under the charge of sedition, showed the relationship between Yoga, life and the evolutionary problems of contemporary humanity. After intensive research at Pondicherry in the Yogic systems of the past beginning with the Veda, he developed new methods so as to create and perfect a synthesis of Yoga directly relevant to humanity's highest needs of today and tomorrow. The aim of this new synthesis or of the 'Integral Yoga' is to bring about the supramental manifestation on the earth. According to Sri Aurobindo, the manifestation of the supermind would ensure victorious passage of humanity through the contemporary crisis as also gradual but more and more rapid fulfilment of the human aspiration for light, freedom, and unity in the world. This monograph introduces the readers to some of the important features of integral Yoga, so that they may be led to study the principal works of Sri Aurobindo, such as The Synthesis of Yoga, The Life Divine, and also the works of The Mother (1878-1973) who collaborated with Sri Aurobindo in developing and perfecting the integral Yoga.