Born on August 15, 1872, Sri Aurobindo was sent at the age of seven to England to receive western education. He was a scholar par excellence and mastered his subjects first in London, then at Cambridge.
At the age of 21 he returned to India and spent 13 years in the administration of the state of Baroda. In 1906, he went to Calcutta as Principal of the Bengal National College and openly joined the freedom movement of India, of which he became one of the undisputed leaders. His main demand was for total Swaraj and nothing short of it.
In 1908, he was accused of sedition and conspiracy and put in prison for one year. This period proved to be a turning point. He did intensive inner sadhan which led to a number of spiritual experiences.
After leaving the Alipore jail he continued with his political and journalistic activities; then, in answer to an inner call, he withdrew from political life.
Sri Aurobindo arrived in Pondicherry on April 4, 1910. After four years of silent yoga, he started in 1914 a philosophical monthly magazine called Arya in which most of his major works were published: The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, Essays on the Gita, On the Veda, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity and The Foundations of Indian Culture.
In 1926, he withdrew from outer contacts, though he kept up a huge correspondence with his disciples. He resumed the writing of his major literary creation, the epic poem, Savitri – A Legend and a Symbol.
During this period, he gave priority to the work of bringing down a new force, consciousness and light which he called the Supramental. This lasted until his passing away in 1950. He entrusted the Mother with continuing the work he had undertaken. |