Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1935

Fragment ID: 17773

1935

You wrote the other day, “Certainly they can realise the self. It is not at all necessary to get the supramental planes for that.” Then what is the fundamental difference between our Yoga and the old Yogas?

The difference between this and the old Yogas is not that they are incompetent and cannot do these things – they can do them perfectly well; but that they proceed from realisation of self to Nirvana or some Heaven and abandon life, while this does not abandon life. The supramental is necessary for the transformation of terrestrial life and being, not for reaching the self. One must realise self first – only afterwards one can realise the supermind.