Sri Aurobindo's diary of his yogic practice between 1909 and 1927.
Sri Aurobindo's diary of his yogic practice between 1909 and 1927. This two-volume record of sadhana contains fairly regular entries between 1912 and 1920 and a few entries in 1909, 1911 and 1927. It also contains related materials Sri Aurobindo wrote about his practice of yoga during this period, including descriptions of the seven 'chatusthayas' (groups of four elements), which are the basis of the yoga of the 'Record'.
[ . . . ] in Σ position
VM & flash of sattwa—
1) Bidhu—present
2) Susthir—present
3) Bhadrakali—future
4) Table in Baroda—past
5) Namadrishti—letter from M. [Motilal Roy?]
6) Stars in psychic sky—paralokadrishti.
7) An urchin shaking flag—ihalokadrishti.
Bhasha.—
1) The intuition continues to work, not perfectly.
2) The inspiration developed on the connection of Tamil with O.S. [Old Sanskrit] pointing out lost significations, old roots, otherwise undiscoverable derivations.
3) The supreme inspiration yet inoperative.
Thought. Quiet and no longer subject to obstruction, but not yet perfectly satisfying, liable to be displaced; working often with the perception only, defective in driving force, therefore imperfectly convincing.
Sight.
In Samadhi, the lingas of the bodies,—all except jyotik and varnaghana.
The jagrat mainly inoperative, except the momentary manifestation of a pranamaya purusha, angushthamatra, from the sukshma; fulfilling the prophecy for the day.
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Prophecy—As above. The mind deals with the past by means of perception, not revelation. Necessarily no proof.
Doubt—Only in anna and with regard to particulars in their details.
The Body—Visrishti unusually copious in both kinds. Weakness in annam and rapid fatigue
Asus—Working absolutely in the body, with more force than formerly in the buddhi and prana. Sattwic krodh in the chitta manifests free from the rajasic taint of an unsatisfied prana. Prema. Bhogasamarthyam increasing, but insufficient.
Aishwaryam etc. The Will began to act directly from the sahasradal with swift and invariable, though not instantaneous effect. The imperative vyaptis still resisted
A general deficiency of force experienced. The old humanity very strong in the annam and through the annam obstructive but not dominant in the whole system
[Sanskrit Formulas—Second Chatushtaya]
वीर्यं—अभयं, सहासं, यशोलिप्सात्मश्र्लाघा क्षत्रियस्य, दानं व्ययशिलता कौशलं भोगलिप्सा वैश्यस्य, ज्ञानप्रकाशो ज्ञानलिप्सा ब्रह्मवर्चस्यं स्थैर्य ब्राह्मणस्य, प्रेम कामो दास्यलिप्सात्मसमर्पण शूद्रस्य, सर्वेषां तेजो बलं प्रवृत्तिर्महत्तवमिति वीर्यं ।
शक्तिः—देहस्य महत्त्वबोधो बलश्र्लाघा लघुत्वं धारणसामथ्रर्यञ्च, प्राणस्य पूर्णता प्रसन्नता समता भोगसामथर्यञ्च, चित्तस्य न्सिग्धता तेजःश्र्लाघा कल्याणश्रद्धा, प्रेमसमथार्यञ्च, बुध्देर्विशुध्दता [प्रकाशो] विचित्रबोधः सर्वज्ञानकार्यसामथर्यञ्च, सर्वेषा तु क्षिप्रता स्थैर्यमदीनता चेश्र्वरभाव इति शक्तिः ।
चण्डीभावः—शौर्यमुग्रता युध्दलिप्साट्ठहास्यं दया [चेश्र्वर] भावश्र्च सर्वसामथर्य -मिति चण्डीभावस्य सप्तकं ।
श्रद्धा तु नितसंशयाप्रतिहता निष्ठा भगवति च स्वशक्तयाञ्च ।
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[Sanskrit Formulas—Devibhava]
महालक्ष्मीभवः—सौन्दर्यदृष्टिः लालित्यं कल्याणलिप्सा प्रेमहास्यं दया चेश्र्वरभावः सर्वकर्सामथ्रर्यं
महेश्र्वरिभावः—सत्यदृष्टिः ॠजुतामहिमा बृहल्लिप्सा ज्ञानहास्यं दया चेश्र्वरभावः सर्वकर्मसामर्थ्यं
महासरस्वतिभावः—कर्मपाटवं विद्या उद्योगलिप्सा सुखहास्यं दया चेश्र्वरभावः सर्वकर्मसामर्थ्यं
[Sanskrit Formulas—Dasya]
गुरुशिष्यभावः
अधमः—दासभावात्मकः मध्यमः—सख्यभावात्मकः उत्तम—मधुरभावात्मकः
दस्यभावः
अधमः—किड्करभावात्मकः मध्यमः—सख्यभावात्मकः उत्तमः—मधुरभावात्मकः
सख्यभावः
अधमः—गुरुशिष्यभावात्मकः मध्यमः—सहचरभावात्मकः उत्तमः—मधुरबध्दभावात्मकः
वात्सल्यभावः
अधमः—पाल्यपालकभावात्मकः मध्यमः—स्नेहभावात्मकः उत्तमः—मधुरभावात्मकः
मधुरभावः
अधमः—स्त्रिपुरुषभावात्मकः मध्यमः—स्वैरभावात्मकः उत्तमः—दासभावात्मकः
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[Sanskrit Formulas—Third Chatushtaya]
त्रिकालदृष्टि—प्राकाम्यं व्याप्तिः साक्षाद्ज्ञानं प्ररेणा सहजदृष्टिविवेकः शकुनिदृष्टि ज्योर्तिषदृष्टिः सामुद्रिकदृष्टिः सूक्ष्मदृष्टिर्विज्ञानदृष्टिर्दिव्यदृष्टिश्र्चित्रदृष्टिः स्थापत्यदृष्टि रूपदृष्टि त्रिकालदर्शनस्य विविधा उपायाः । ते तु द्विविधविषया यथा परकालविषया इहाकालविषयाश्र्च । तस्मित्रपि द्विविधविषयो शब्ददृष्टिः स्पर्शदृष्टिर्देहदृष्टि रसदृष्टिर्गन्धदृष्टिरिति भागाः देहक्रविषयाः चिन्तादृष्टिश्र्च भावदृष्टिः बोधदृष्टिश्र्चान्तः करणसंश्र्लिष्टाः अन्या अपि सन्त्यप्रकाशिताः ।
सर्वज्ञानं—सर्वविषये अप्रतिहतो ज्ञानप्रकाश इति सर्वज्ञान तस्मिश्र्च साक्षादृज्ञानं प्रेरणा सहजदृष्टिर्विवेकश्र्च प्रमुखाः बोधः स्मृतिः विचारो वितर्कः साक्षाद्ज्ञाने बोधः सर्वविधः अप्रतिहतः, प्रेरणायां वाक् च स्मृतिश्र्च सहजदृष्टयां वितर्कोऽप्रतिहतोऽभ्रान्तश्र्च विवेके तु विश्र्लेषः प्रज्ञा चेति विचारः
सिध्द्यष्टकं ज्ञातमेव ।
सर्वत्रगतिः। व्याप्तयां वा चिन्तायां भावे बोधे सर्वभूतानां सर्वत्रगतिः शारीरिकी तु सप्तदेहेषु स्वप्ने सुषुप्तयां वा जाग्रत्यां वा । अत्रमयस्त्वाकाशगत्या निःसृत्य सर्वत्र गच्छति जाग्रत्यां, प्राणमयस्तु यश्छायामयः कल्पनामयः त्रिषु तद्वत् तेजोमयः सुक्ष्मश्र्च यौ द्विविधौ मनोमयौ विज्ञानमयश्र्च बुद्धिमयश्र्च यौ द्विविधौ महति प्रतिष्टितौ ।
12 types
Wisdom. Greatness. Calm Strength. Speed. Wrath Love. Joy. Prodigality Intellect. Desire. Service.
7 anandas—Kama—Prema—Ahaituka—Chid. Suddha—Nirguna—Siddha.
= 84 worlds.
with 7 below, nine above = 100
7 below. Gandharva (beauty). Yaksha (pleasure). Kinnara (fantasy). Aghora (samata). Swadhina (freedom). Deva (love). Asura (might & glory) from lowest to highest
9 above. Vaikuntha, Goloka, Brahmaloka, Meruloka, Visva-devaloka (Karmadevatas), Ganaloka, Jnanaloka from top to bottom
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[ . . . ] = Suryaloka. Swar—Chandraloka & Swarga. Jana, Tapah & Satya above
Swar—Chandraloka—Pitriloka; Kailas above, between 7 tiers of 14 worlds, according to types—Pashu, Pisacha, Pramatha, Rakshasa, Asura, Deva, Siddha—
Swarga—7—Kama, Yuddha, Prema, Manas, Jnana, Nishkama & Bhagavata
Naraka—offences of or against Kama, Prema, Satya, Ishwara, [?Devata], Jnana, Atma— 12 hells in each
Idomeneus. Coriolanus. Antony. Richelieu. C. [Caius] Gracchus St Louis. Charles V.
Deiphobus. Brasidas.. T. [Tiberius] Gracchus. Clarence. Louis XII Lafayette. Pompey.
T. [Titus] Manlius. Marcellus. Agis. Philip IV.
Pausanias. Lysander. B. [Benedict] Arnold
χωμοɩ
Pericles, Agathon, Alcibiadas, Brasidas.... Agesilaus, Agis, Sophocles, Pharnabazus .. Lysander, Euripides, Pausanias
19ṭḥ jagrat developed—except divya.
21ṣṭ thought proved & free from error.
24ṭḥ sarvatragati perfect
27 siddhis perfect. All proved.
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Vak
correct illuminative inevitable sattwic fine effective inspiring rajasic poor tolerable good tamasic
Anantaguna
I Prema
1) kama, prema, bhakti, kalyanam, daya, karuna, rati
2) arasah, raudryam, avahela, vairyam, naishthuryam, krauryam, udasinata
II. Jnana
1) jnanam, aikyam, yatharthabodha, hasyam, rasajnanam, lokadarshanam, astikyam
2) jnanoparati, anaikyam, ayatharthabodha, ahasyam, arasah, lokoparati, nastikyam
III Shakti
1) slagha, viryam, shakti, sthairyam, amritam, saundaryam, vyapti
2) dainyam, slathyam, uparati, chapalyam, mritam, vaiparityam, bheda
Memory—
I. 1) Of things noticed, 2) Of things unnoticed
II. 1) Of events, 2) Of objects and men, 3) Of words and ideas
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Events
1) The occurrence a. in mass b. in detail c. the sequence or arrangement of details
2) The time—date, hour, minute
3) The place—spot, surroundings, relation of different spots to the event
4) The nimitta, or surrounding circumstances
Objects
1) Akar, including all the five vishayas & every detail with regard to them
2) Nama—
3) The thing in itself
a single b combined
Words and Ideas
1) sound, 2) symbol, 3) meaning, 4) bhava, 5) relation
Memory—also of contrast, comparison, analogy ie memory of the things in relation to other things
Means of memory
1) Reception, 2) Attention, 3) Repetition, 4) Association, 5) Will
Psychological Notes
A butterfly comes flying over the garden, past a pepegach and two flowertrees which grow side by side. Ordinarily it will be attracted to one of these three objects of desire. It flies past without noticing them, reaches the wall in a straight flight, then contrary to all expectation turns suddenly back, turns aside while flying over the right-hand flowertree to dally for two seconds with another butterfly, then flies off through the pepegach. What dictated its return and departure?
First; it did not notice the flowertree because its mind was fixed on some more distant object present to its instinctive memory, but
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by a law of the mind it received subconsciously the impression of the scent from the flowers. By the time it reached the wall this came up to the supraliminal mind as a vague but powerful sense of something missed and attractive on the way. Working through the vital instincts & cravings by vital impulse which dominantly determines the movements of the insect, this sense immediately enforced a backward flight. If the other butterfly had not intervened, it is possible that at the second contact with the scent of the flowers, the vague sense would have identified itself, consciously or subconsciously, with a definite supraliminal expression & the descent on the flowers would have been determined, but the diversion once made, the vagueness not only remained, but the impression was half obliterated and only the idea of return to something in the distance remained. This, however, was strong enough to divert the insect from its fellow, especially as the latter was concerned with the flowers and did not respond to the advances made. Hence the farther pursuit of the flight backward.
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Sri Aurobindo wrote these fourteen items in different notebooks during the early part of his stay in Pondicherry, that is between 1910 and 1914. Further details on individual pieces or groups of pieces follow. [1] Sri Aurobindo jotted down these undated notes around 1910 in a notebook containing translations and other pieces written years earlier in Baroda and Calcutta. [2] Sri Aurobindo wrote these notes in a notebook used in Baroda for miscellaneous literary writings and in Pondicherry for philological notes. They begin with a reference to Sri Aurobindo's philological research under the heading “Bhasha” (“Language”). Sri Aurobindo's did most of his philological research around 191112. The present notes may be assigned to the same period. They have, in addition, some similarity to the Record entries of January-February 1911. Both the notes and the entries are arranged by category, and have one heading in common: “Prophecy”. This term is used several times in January-February 1911 for what Sri Aurobindo normally called “trikaldrishti”. “Prophecy” occurs rarely in 1912 and all but disappears from the terminology of the Record after that. [3-13] Sri Aurobindo wrote all but one of these eleven pieces on scattered pages of a notebook used in Pondicherry (and perhaps also earlier in Bengal) for miscellaneous writings, notably the play Eric, as well as notes on philology and other subjects. They date from the earliest years in Pondicherry, that is, 1910-12. Some of them may even have been written slightly before that. [14] Sri Aurobindo wrote these “Psychological Notes” (his title) in an exercise-book of the kind he used to keep the Record of 1913 and early 1914. The exercise book also contains a draft of the last version of the “Life Divine” commentary on the Isha Upanishad (see Isha Upanishad, volume 17 of the THE COMPLETE WORKS). This commentary may be dated to 1914. The psychological notes apparently date from the same year.
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