Discourses on The Synthesis of Yoga - Volume XII
Part - IV : The Yoga of Self-Perfection (Chapters XIX- XXV)
— V. Ananda Reddy
| Price: Rs 625 Pages: 450 Dimensions (in cms): 14x22 ISBN: 978-93-85391-47-7 | Soft Cover | |
| Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research Trust, Pondicherry | ||
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About Discourses on The Synthesis of Yoga - Volume XII
In this, the final volume of his commentary on The Synthesis of Yoga, the author attempts to help readers understand the last, gloriously complex six chapters of the book. He begins with some characteristics of the supermind: it is a knowledge by identity and oneness; it is total, encompassing the transcendent, the universal, and the individual simultaneously; there is no division between truth and will or between the idea and its execution, because it is both the knower and the known. When the powers of the supermind descend, they begin to operate with different capacities, retaining their essence and character but diluted from their supramental fullness. Chapters on the gradations of the supermind, the supramental thought and knowledge, its instruments, the supramental sense and time vision seek to characterise a greater perfection that comes by the gradual descent of more and more of the supramental light and energy into the whole mental being, lifting the intuition and its powers towards their source in the supramental nature.
REVIEW
In the final two volumes of his twelve-part series on The Synthesis of Yoga, Dr Ananda Reddy leads us through the last chapters of the Yoga of Self-Perfection. Dr Reddy takes up these chapters sequentially, explaining and elaborating on each in simple and relatable language. As the director of the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR), Dr Reddy brings both academic depth and lived familiarity with the Integral Yoga. His decades of immersion in integral yoga allow him to bridge the gap between scholarly interpretation and practice. These discourses, spoken in a voice that is personal, direct, and accessible, are a compilation of his talks that took place in Pondicherry between February 2011 and September 2011. The eleventh and twelfth volumes of Discourses on The Synthesis of Yoga deal with Chapters 8–18 and Chapters 19–25 respectively.
The Yoga of Self-Perfection is central to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. The importance of working on oneself, detecting imperfections, and refining and sublimating every part of the being to the highest conceivable level is the defining principle of the Yoga of Self-Perfection, in contrast to the traditions that teach detaching oneself from these parts of the being. As Sri Aurobindo wrote, “But to dwell there permanently on this last and highest summit of the created and creative being is in the end the supreme ideal for our evolving human consciousness when it seeks not self-annulment but self-perfection.”
The sequence of the chapters in Part IV of the Synthesis gives us a broad overview of the inner logic that underlies the development of its ideas. We first gain insight into self-perfection in the light of integrality. We then examine the varied workings of the mind, life, and body, the Divine instruments in nature, followed by the purification of their alloyed substance, and the liberation of both nature and spirit, which compose our individuality. The beginning of this process is marked by establishing equality in the being, which serves as the foundation upon which one may build the edifice of our self-perfected being. Once the base is established, the Shakti can destroy, mould, and reshape the nature—hers is the power of transformation. Finally, the levels of ascension beyond the mind begin, starting from the intuitive mind, leading towards the higher supramental ranges beyond.
Dr Reddy conveys complex philosophical concepts with clarity and ease, using simple language and everyday examples to make them accessible to those new to Sri Aurobindo’s thought. He draws parallels from other philosophical traditions and cites from other works of Sri Aurobindo to reiterate his points and broaden the scope of his discourse. For example, he quotes this passage from The Mother by Sri Aurobindo:
The Mahashakti, the universal Mother, works out whatever is transmitted by her transcendent consciousness from the Supreme and enters into the worlds that she has made; her presence fills and supports them with the divine spirit and the divine all-sustaining force and delight without which they could not exist.
Dr Reddy’s mention of this passage in the context of the supramental time vision is an interesting choice. The connection may not be apparent; yet drawing attention to this excerpt sheds new light on the contents of the chapter and allows the reader to make associations between The Synthesis of Yoga and other texts. It is this breadth and depth of familiarity with the Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s works that enrich these lectures.
In Volume XI of Discourses on The Synthesis of Yoga, Dr Ananda Reddy offers an alternative reading of pranic energy, drawing extensively from Sri Aurobindo’s Yogic Sadhan to illuminate the chapter “The Power of the Instruments”. While one may appreciate the clarity and intensity of certain passages, it is important to recall Sri Aurobindo’s own explicit caveat: “There is no necessity of following the methods suggested in that book unless one finds them suggestive or helpful as a preliminary orientation of the consciousness—e.g. in the upbuilding of an inner Will etc.”
The issue is not with referencing Yogic Sadhan as a secondary source but with the unqualified way in which it is presented. Dr Reddy quotes passages and discusses them as if they were direct and definitive teachings of Sri Aurobindo, even urging readers to reread them several times. Yet Sri Aurobindo himself clearly stated: “As to Yogic Sadhan, it is not my composition nor its contents the essence of my Yoga.…” But nowhere in this section is the reader alerted to the provisional or non-canonical status of Yogic Sadhan. This text emerged during a period of automatic writing and reflects a markedly different tone and conceptual vocabulary than Sri Aurobindo’s later, consciously formulated works. Distinguishing between experimental and definitive writings is important, as its absence could inadvertently affect both the clarity of academic engagement and the reader’s understanding of our Master’s works.
That said, one can appreciate the depth of Dr Reddy’s work most fully in reference to the final chapters of The Synthesis of Yoga, where the vision expands into progressively higher planes of consciousness. The subject matter here transcends the mundane planes in which the human mind dwells and explores the vistas beyond, one plane after another. And yet Ananda Reddy expresses these lofty ideas with ease. For example, this is how he writes about supramental sight:
So this is what is wonderful: the truth of the material object is not erased or obliterated by the Supermind. It only adds to the object a supra-physical truth. The supramental sight for example, removes the falsehood of matter. Thus, objects like a house, a stone, or a tree remain the same. Only the ‘layer’ of false matter is removed by the supramental sight. Once that false layer is removed, we can see matter in its sublime truth, as Sat. The supramental sight sees everything as Brahman. Therefore, if we have a supramental being, whether in a hundred years, two hundred years, or three hundred years, they will not transform a building into a golden edifice by merely touching it. Instead, the supramental being removes the physical limitation and perceives beyond it.
One must remember that these discourses are not traditional commentaries. The transcribed talks maintain a conversational tone, which are both their strength and their limitation. On the one hand, the informal cadence makes complex themes, such as the emergence of the Supramental or the integrality of faculties, more approachable. On the other hand, the casual structure sometimes leads to redundancy and missed opportunities for deeper textual engagement. Dr Reddy often explains what Sri Aurobindo says, but rarely interrogates how or why he says it. This choice is perhaps intentional. The discourses are not meant to be a critical apparatus but a pedagogical bridge. For newcomers, they might remain too abstract; for seasoned readers, too simplistic. The books are going to be most helpful to readers familiar with Sri Aurobindo but seeking a deeper understanding or clarification.
The Synthesis of Yoga first appeared serially in the monthly review Arya between August 1914 and January 1921. It was left incomplete when the journal ceased publication. Even though Sri Aurobindo later revised parts of the sections pertaining to the Yoga of Works and Knowledge, the concluding chapters of the treatise remained unchanged. We encounter striking differences, for example, in how he articulated the supramental principle in The Synthesis of Yoga compared to The Life Divine—a masterwork extensively revised with insights gleaned from further spiritual experiences and renewed understanding. His ultimate vision articulated in The Supramental Manifestation Upon Earth goes a step further, with the introduction of the Mind of Light as an intermediary stage in evolution. Studying his descriptions of the Supermind across these texts offers a more complete understanding of this teleological concept, as his ascent to higher and higher planes of consciousness led to more and more sophisticated formulations of his system of yoga.
Sri Aurobindo says, “For we have called this state of consciousness the Supermind; but the word is ambiguous since it may be taken in the sense of mind itself supereminent and lifted above ordinary mentality but not radically changed, or on the contrary it may bear the sense of all that is beyond mind and therefore assume a too extensive comprehensiveness which would bring in even the Ineffable itself. A subsidiary description is required which will more accurately limit its significance.”
In the final chapters of The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo elaborates on the terms Supramental Sense, Supramental Reason and Supramental Vision. Yet we do not see these terms used in the way they have been here in his later writings. The concept of the Mind of Light, a term he coined much later, finds no mention or equivalent here. In the chapter “Supermind and Mind of Light” in The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, Sri Aurobindo writes,
There is a further limitation or change of characteristic action at each step downwards from Overmind to Intuition, from Intuition to Illumined Mind, from Illumined Mind to what I have called the Higher Mind: the Mind of Light is a transitional passage by which we can pass from supermind and superhumanity to an illumined humanity.
The Mind of Light marks the threshold between the higher regions and the world of ignorance. Sri Aurobindo says, “In the order of the evolutionary descent we stand in the Mind of Light on that border and a step downward can carry us beyond it into the beginnings of an ignorance… On the other hand, in the ascending order of the evolution we reach a transition in which we see the light, are turned towards it, reflect it in our consciousness and one further step carries us into the domain of the Light.”
Though a comparison with other later writings would have been of considerable value in acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga, Dr Reddy’s books represent a useful resource for scholars and all those curious to know more about Sri Aurobindo’s principal work on yoga. They contribute significantly by simplifying, organising and lending this serious philosophical work a conversational tone without undermining its depth or gravity, accompanied by insights from the author’s years of deep engagement with the teachings. These volumes are a thought-provoking and enriching read for those interested in understanding the practice of yoga as they embark on their own journey of self-perfection. They will undoubtedly stimulate further inquiry into these topics in Sri Aurobindo’s other writings, such as The Life Divine, Letters on Yoga and Record of Yoga. Dr Ananda Reddy’s extensive work across the twelve volumes in this series forms a helpful accompaniment to the study of The Synthesis of Yoga.
—Kaninika Majumdar
Kaninika is a recent graduate of SAICE keen on pursuing further studies in art and philosophy. She is currently collaborating on a project for the Archives and Research Library of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
August 2025
The Yoga of Self-Perfection is central to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. The importance of working on oneself, detecting imperfections, and refining and sublimating every part of the being to the highest conceivable level is the defining principle of the Yoga of Self-Perfection, in contrast to the traditions that teach detaching oneself from these parts of the being. As Sri Aurobindo wrote, “But to dwell there permanently on this last and highest summit of the created and creative being is in the end the supreme ideal for our evolving human consciousness when it seeks not self-annulment but self-perfection.”
The sequence of the chapters in Part IV of the Synthesis gives us a broad overview of the inner logic that underlies the development of its ideas. We first gain insight into self-perfection in the light of integrality. We then examine the varied workings of the mind, life, and body, the Divine instruments in nature, followed by the purification of their alloyed substance, and the liberation of both nature and spirit, which compose our individuality. The beginning of this process is marked by establishing equality in the being, which serves as the foundation upon which one may build the edifice of our self-perfected being. Once the base is established, the Shakti can destroy, mould, and reshape the nature—hers is the power of transformation. Finally, the levels of ascension beyond the mind begin, starting from the intuitive mind, leading towards the higher supramental ranges beyond.
Dr Reddy conveys complex philosophical concepts with clarity and ease, using simple language and everyday examples to make them accessible to those new to Sri Aurobindo’s thought. He draws parallels from other philosophical traditions and cites from other works of Sri Aurobindo to reiterate his points and broaden the scope of his discourse. For example, he quotes this passage from The Mother by Sri Aurobindo:
The Mahashakti, the universal Mother, works out whatever is transmitted by her transcendent consciousness from the Supreme and enters into the worlds that she has made; her presence fills and supports them with the divine spirit and the divine all-sustaining force and delight without which they could not exist.
Dr Reddy’s mention of this passage in the context of the supramental time vision is an interesting choice. The connection may not be apparent; yet drawing attention to this excerpt sheds new light on the contents of the chapter and allows the reader to make associations between The Synthesis of Yoga and other texts. It is this breadth and depth of familiarity with the Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s works that enrich these lectures.
In Volume XI of Discourses on The Synthesis of Yoga, Dr Ananda Reddy offers an alternative reading of pranic energy, drawing extensively from Sri Aurobindo’s Yogic Sadhan to illuminate the chapter “The Power of the Instruments”. While one may appreciate the clarity and intensity of certain passages, it is important to recall Sri Aurobindo’s own explicit caveat: “There is no necessity of following the methods suggested in that book unless one finds them suggestive or helpful as a preliminary orientation of the consciousness—e.g. in the upbuilding of an inner Will etc.”
The issue is not with referencing Yogic Sadhan as a secondary source but with the unqualified way in which it is presented. Dr Reddy quotes passages and discusses them as if they were direct and definitive teachings of Sri Aurobindo, even urging readers to reread them several times. Yet Sri Aurobindo himself clearly stated: “As to Yogic Sadhan, it is not my composition nor its contents the essence of my Yoga.…” But nowhere in this section is the reader alerted to the provisional or non-canonical status of Yogic Sadhan. This text emerged during a period of automatic writing and reflects a markedly different tone and conceptual vocabulary than Sri Aurobindo’s later, consciously formulated works. Distinguishing between experimental and definitive writings is important, as its absence could inadvertently affect both the clarity of academic engagement and the reader’s understanding of our Master’s works.
That said, one can appreciate the depth of Dr Reddy’s work most fully in reference to the final chapters of The Synthesis of Yoga, where the vision expands into progressively higher planes of consciousness. The subject matter here transcends the mundane planes in which the human mind dwells and explores the vistas beyond, one plane after another. And yet Ananda Reddy expresses these lofty ideas with ease. For example, this is how he writes about supramental sight:
So this is what is wonderful: the truth of the material object is not erased or obliterated by the Supermind. It only adds to the object a supra-physical truth. The supramental sight for example, removes the falsehood of matter. Thus, objects like a house, a stone, or a tree remain the same. Only the ‘layer’ of false matter is removed by the supramental sight. Once that false layer is removed, we can see matter in its sublime truth, as Sat. The supramental sight sees everything as Brahman. Therefore, if we have a supramental being, whether in a hundred years, two hundred years, or three hundred years, they will not transform a building into a golden edifice by merely touching it. Instead, the supramental being removes the physical limitation and perceives beyond it.
One must remember that these discourses are not traditional commentaries. The transcribed talks maintain a conversational tone, which are both their strength and their limitation. On the one hand, the informal cadence makes complex themes, such as the emergence of the Supramental or the integrality of faculties, more approachable. On the other hand, the casual structure sometimes leads to redundancy and missed opportunities for deeper textual engagement. Dr Reddy often explains what Sri Aurobindo says, but rarely interrogates how or why he says it. This choice is perhaps intentional. The discourses are not meant to be a critical apparatus but a pedagogical bridge. For newcomers, they might remain too abstract; for seasoned readers, too simplistic. The books are going to be most helpful to readers familiar with Sri Aurobindo but seeking a deeper understanding or clarification.
The Synthesis of Yoga first appeared serially in the monthly review Arya between August 1914 and January 1921. It was left incomplete when the journal ceased publication. Even though Sri Aurobindo later revised parts of the sections pertaining to the Yoga of Works and Knowledge, the concluding chapters of the treatise remained unchanged. We encounter striking differences, for example, in how he articulated the supramental principle in The Synthesis of Yoga compared to The Life Divine—a masterwork extensively revised with insights gleaned from further spiritual experiences and renewed understanding. His ultimate vision articulated in The Supramental Manifestation Upon Earth goes a step further, with the introduction of the Mind of Light as an intermediary stage in evolution. Studying his descriptions of the Supermind across these texts offers a more complete understanding of this teleological concept, as his ascent to higher and higher planes of consciousness led to more and more sophisticated formulations of his system of yoga.
Sri Aurobindo says, “For we have called this state of consciousness the Supermind; but the word is ambiguous since it may be taken in the sense of mind itself supereminent and lifted above ordinary mentality but not radically changed, or on the contrary it may bear the sense of all that is beyond mind and therefore assume a too extensive comprehensiveness which would bring in even the Ineffable itself. A subsidiary description is required which will more accurately limit its significance.”
In the final chapters of The Synthesis of Yoga, Sri Aurobindo elaborates on the terms Supramental Sense, Supramental Reason and Supramental Vision. Yet we do not see these terms used in the way they have been here in his later writings. The concept of the Mind of Light, a term he coined much later, finds no mention or equivalent here. In the chapter “Supermind and Mind of Light” in The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, Sri Aurobindo writes,
There is a further limitation or change of characteristic action at each step downwards from Overmind to Intuition, from Intuition to Illumined Mind, from Illumined Mind to what I have called the Higher Mind: the Mind of Light is a transitional passage by which we can pass from supermind and superhumanity to an illumined humanity.
The Mind of Light marks the threshold between the higher regions and the world of ignorance. Sri Aurobindo says, “In the order of the evolutionary descent we stand in the Mind of Light on that border and a step downward can carry us beyond it into the beginnings of an ignorance… On the other hand, in the ascending order of the evolution we reach a transition in which we see the light, are turned towards it, reflect it in our consciousness and one further step carries us into the domain of the Light.”
Though a comparison with other later writings would have been of considerable value in acquiring a comprehensive knowledge of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga, Dr Reddy’s books represent a useful resource for scholars and all those curious to know more about Sri Aurobindo’s principal work on yoga. They contribute significantly by simplifying, organising and lending this serious philosophical work a conversational tone without undermining its depth or gravity, accompanied by insights from the author’s years of deep engagement with the teachings. These volumes are a thought-provoking and enriching read for those interested in understanding the practice of yoga as they embark on their own journey of self-perfection. They will undoubtedly stimulate further inquiry into these topics in Sri Aurobindo’s other writings, such as The Life Divine, Letters on Yoga and Record of Yoga. Dr Ananda Reddy’s extensive work across the twelve volumes in this series forms a helpful accompaniment to the study of The Synthesis of Yoga.
—Kaninika Majumdar
Kaninika is a recent graduate of SAICE keen on pursuing further studies in art and philosophy. She is currently collaborating on a project for the Archives and Research Library of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
August 2025
