Letters on Yoga — II
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Letters on Yoga – II
Practice of the Integral Yoga
PART ONE: THE PATH OF THE INTEGRAL YOGA
Section One: The Path and the Goal
Seeking the Divine 
The True Object of Spiritual Seeking 5 Motives for Seeking the Divine 8 Dedication to the Spiritual Life 15
The Aim of the Integral Yoga
A Yoga of Divine Life 19 A Yoga Not for Ourselves 20 Not Liberation But Transformation 22 Divinisation and Transformation 23
Section Two: Basic Requisites of the Path
The Call and the Capacity
The Call 27 Turning towards the Divine 29 Spiritual Destiny 30 Capacity for Yoga 31 Fitness for Yoga 32 Capacity of Westerners for Yoga 36
Qualities Needed for Sadhana
Indispensable Qualities 42 Conditions of the Yoga 43
Purity
Purification of the Nature 46 The Meaning of Purity 48
Sincerity
The Meaning of Sincerity 50 Sincerity in Sadhana 51 Earnestness and Straightforwardness 54
Aspiration
The Value of Aspiration 55 The Meaning of Aspiration 56 The Object of Aspiration 57 No Need of Words in Aspiration 58 The Necessity of Aspiration 58 Intensity of Aspiration and Vital Impatience 59 Aspiration and Desire 60 Aspiration and Pulling 61 Lack of Aspiration 61 Aspiration and Conversion 63
Rejection
Rejection of the Lower Impulses 64
Surrender
The Meaning of Surrender 67 A Free Surrender 68 The Will to Surrender 69 The Inner Surrender 69 The Central Surrender 72 Complete or Absolute Surrender 72 The Surrender of the Vital 74 Surrender and the Psychic 76 Surrender and Bhakti 78 Surrender and the Brahmic Condition 78 Surrender and Transformation 79 Passive or Tamasic Surrender 79 Surrender and Tapasya 81 Surrender and Personal Effort 82
Faith
Faith, Belief, Confidence, Trust 88 A Problem of Faith 90 Faith and Knowledge 91 Faith and Experience 92 The Gospel of Faith 95 Faith and Doubt 97 Types of Faith 99 Faithfulness 99 Keep Firm Faith 101
Consecration and Offering
Consecration 103 Offering 104
Opening
The Meaning of Opening 105 Opening to the Divine 106
Patience and Perseverance
Patience 110 Persistence 114 Perseverance 116 Endurance 117 Resolution 118 Firmness 118
Vigilance
Vigilance, Discrimination, Control 119
Section Three: The Foundation of the Sadhana
Peace — The Basis of the Sadhana
Peace Is the First Condition 123 Peace, Calm, Wideness 124 Difficulties, Disturbances and Peace 125
Equality — The Chief Support
Equality or Samata 129 Samata and Loyalty to Truth 131 Samata and Ego 133 Equality and Detachment 133 Equality in Times of Trouble and Difficulty 134
Quiet and Calm
Quiet, Calm, Peace, Silence 137 Quietude 138 Quiet Mind 141 Vacant Mind 145 Calm 145
Peace
Peace Is Something Positive 148 Peace Comes Little by Little 149 A Settled or Established Peace 149 Peace in the Mind, Vital and Physical 151 Peace in the Inner Being 153 Passive Peace 154 Peace and Inertia 154 Peace and Force 155 Peace, Love and Joy 155 Peace, Happiness, Joy, Delight, Ananda 156
Silence
Freedom from Thoughts 158 Silence and True Knowledge 159 Silence and Quietness of Mind 159 Silence, Peace and Calm 162 Silence and True Activity 162
Section Four: The Divine Response
The Divine Grace and Guidance
The Divine Grace 167 The Grace and Personal Effort 171 Strength and Grace 172 Grace and Tapasya 172 No Insistence on the Grace 173 Trust in the Divine Grace 174 Withdrawal of Grace 174 The First Responses of the Divine 175 The Divine Guidance 175
The Divine Force
The Nature of Spiritual Force 179 The Divine Force Works under Conditions 185 Writing about Spiritual Force 186 Use and Misuse of the Divine Force 187 The Action of the Divine Force 187 Allow the Divine Force to Act 188
The Guru
Acceptance of the Guru 190 The Guru in the Supramental Yoga 192 Surrender to the Guru 193 Other Gurus 194 The Guru’s Help in Difficulty 195 The Knowledge Given by the Guru 197 The Capacity of the Guru 199 The Bhakta and the Disciple 200
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 207 The Need for Plasticity 208 Work, Meditation and Bhakti 209 Surrender and Self-Giving 212 Aspiration and Will of Consecration 214 Sadhana, Tapasya, Aradhana, Dhyana 215
Combining Work, Meditation and Bhakti
The Place of Work in Sadhana 216 A Defence of Works 218 Work and Meditation 221 No Competition between Work and Meditation 222 The Time Given to Work and Meditation 224 Concentration, Meditation and Prayer 225 Bhakti and Knowledge 227
Section Two: Sadhana through Work
Work and Yoga
Work as Part of Sadhana 231 Work without Personal Motives 232 The Karmayoga of the Gita 234 No Vital Demand in Work 238 The Utility of Work 240 Right Attitude in Work 242 Equanimity in Work 243 The Impersonal Worker 244 Service of the Divine 245 All Work Equal in the Eyes of the Spirit 246 Interest in Work 250 Joy in Work 251 Loss of Inspiration in Work 252 Thoughts of Sadhana during Work 253
Becoming Conscious in Work
Working from Within 254 Working with a Double Consciousness 256 Absorption in Work 257 Remembering the Presence in Work 258 Inner Guidance about Work 260 Knowing the Divine Will 263 Freedom in Work 264
The Divine Force in Work
Receiving the Divine Power or Force 266 The Working of the Force 268 The Force and the Peace in Action 271 Drawing upon the Force for Energy 272 Avoiding Overstrain 274
Practical Concerns in Work
Order and Rhythm 276 Rules, Discipline, Regularity, Thoroughness 277 Harmony 278 Avoiding Harshness, Severity, Anger 279 Working with Subordinates and Superiors 281 Overcoming the Instinct of Domination 282 Avoiding Disturbance 283 Avoiding Restlessness, Worry and Anxiety 284 Compliments and Criticism 286 Thinking about Work 287 Dealing with Physical Things 287
Creative Activity
The Arts and the Spiritual Life 290 Literature 291 Painting 292 Singing 294
Section Three: Sadhana through Concentration, Meditation and Japa
Concentration and Meditation
The Meaning of Concentration and Meditation 297 The Role of Concentration and Meditation (Dhyana) in Sadhana 298 The Object of Meditation 300 Meditation Not Necessary for All 300 Methods of Meditation and Concentration 301 Concentration on the Idea 305 Centres for Concentration 306 Postures for Concentration or Meditation 311 Regularity, Length and Other Conditions 312 Coming out of Concentration or Meditation 313 The Difficulty of the Mechanical Mind 314 Surface Thoughts and Imaginations 315 Straining and Concentration 315 Relaxation and Concentration 316 Passive Meditation and Concentration 317 Inertia, Laziness, Tiredness in Meditation 317 Meditation, Sleep and Samadhi 319
Mantra and Japa
The Word 322 Mantras 323 The Mantra OM 323 The Mantra So’ham 324 The Gayatri Mantra 325 Mantras in the Integral Yoga 326 Namajapa or Repetition of the Name 327 Verses of the Gita Used as Japa 328 Success in Japa 328
Section Four: Sadhana through Love and Devotion
Divine Love, Psychic Love and Human Love
Divine Love and Its Manifestation 333 Divine Love and Psychic Love 336 Psychic Love 336 Universal Love and Psychic Love 337 Love for the Divine 338 Human Love in the Sadhana 341 Human Love and Divine Love 344 The Vital and Love for the Divine 347
Bhakti, Devotion, Worship
Turning the Emotions towards the Divine 350 Bhakti or Devotion 352 Bhakti and Love 356 Emotional Bhakti 357 Vital Bhakti 358 Viraha or Pangs of Separation 359 Enmity to the Divine 360 Contact with the Divine 361 Contact and Union with the Divine 363 Outer Worship 364 Prayer 365
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 373 This-Worldliness and Other-Worldliness 374 The Importance of Descent in the Yoga 376 The Inclusiveness of the Yoga 379
Asceticism and the Integral Yoga
Not an Ascetic Path 380 Asceticism and Detachment 383 Two Methods of Living in the Supreme 384 The Human Approach to the Divine 385 Vairagya 387
A Realistic Adwaita
The World Not an Illusion 391 Shankara, Buddhism, Evolution 391
Transformation in the Integral Yoga
The Meaning of Transformation 398 Towards a Transformation of Earth Life 401 Spiritualisation and Transformation 404 The Attempt at Physical Transformation 407
Section Two: Other Spiritual Paths and the Integral Yoga
The Newness of the Integral Yoga
Old and New Truth 411 Spiritual Realisation and the Supramental Transformation 412 Depreciation of the Old Yogas 415 The Old Lines and This Line 416
The Veda and the Upanishads
The Vedic Rishis 417 The Veda and the Greeks 420 No Incarnation of the Vedic Gods 420 Terms and Verses of the Upanishads 423 The Vedantin 425
Jainism and Buddhism
Jainism 428 Buddhism 428 Buddhist Nirvana 431 Different Kinds of Buddhism 433 Buddhism and Vedanta 434
Sankhya and Yoga
Sankhya 437 Patanjali’s Yoga 437 The Yoga-Vasishtha 439 Asanas and Pranayama 439
The Yoga of the Bhagavad Gita
The Teaching of the Gita 441 Apparent Contradictions in the Gita 441 The Gita, the Divine Mother and the Purushottama 443 The Gita and the Integral Yoga 444
The Adwaita of Shankaracharya
Shankara’s Mayavada 447 Mayavada and Nirvana 451 The Illusionist Metaphors 457 Laya 457
Tantra
Tantra and the Integral Yoga 459 Kundalini, the Chakras and the Integral Yoga 460 Levels of Speech (Vak) 464
Bhakti Yoga and Vaishnavism
The Vaishnava Theory and Sadhana 465 Vaishnava Bhakti and the Integral Yoga 466 The True Vaishnava Attitude 467 The Sunlit Way of Yoga 469 Ordinary Life, Vaishnava Traditions and the Supramental Yoga 475 Different Approaches through Love and Bhakti 483 Love and Bhakti for Krishna 487 Love of Krishna and This Yoga 494
The Teachings of Some Modern Indian Yogis
Ramana Maharshi 496 Swami Ramatirtha 500 Swami Ramdas 500
Christianity and Theosophy
Christianity 504 Theosophy 511
Notes are paraphrased from the “Publisher's Note” and “Note on the Texts”.