Reflection Upon Psycho-Spiritual Obstacles in Sri Aurobindo's Intergral Yoga

This present work is offered as an explorer's source book in the mapping of various psycho- spiritual problems inherent in the practice of Sri Aurobindo's Integral Sadhana. In Integral Yoga and its obstacles the author gives a detailed account of the relevant characteristics of the difficulties in the process of sadhana and the difficulties of the various outer, inner and higher parts of the being and the consequences during the practice of sadhana.

However, notwithstanding all sorts of difficulties there is the sunlit path and the guidance of grace. The author endeavours to represent a critical evaluation on the merits and demerits of the function of ethics, the Guru and Grace in sadhana.

The author does not present the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in a closed version, but he studies their texts in a more open way and in the context of the present-day actualities. The author as a scholar-practitioner, while attempting to practice the discipline of this study, navigates his way through various difficulties most seekers are confronted with during their practice. Many questions entered the mind of the author during his research-work and long connection with the Ashram and thereafter living in Auroville for the last twentytwo years. Questions and critical notes are not merely based on an academic, theoretical analysis, but they are as much related to the author's experiences, reflections, observation and perceptions during his practice, using it as a means to organise, understand and comprehend them in the light of Sri Aurobindo's metaphysical vision. Some of these questions are related to the subjective, introspective experiences and are, therefore, open for discussion and debate. The object of such debate is not for the sake of winning a logical, intellectual exploration of arguments in order to successfully explain the author's views, on the contrary, a debate concentrating on the pursuit of truth may become richer if there are more perspectives taken in consideration. An absence of a healthy culture of debate and intellectual apathy do not contribute anything in the search for the validity of Sri Aurobindo's and the Mother's spiritual views. In the postscript the author relates some of his questions of his analytical research to the present situation in Auroville, where he got the chance to observe the complexities of the spiritual multicultural experiment and to investigate them against the background of Sri Aurobindo's and the Mother's vision. The author remains in a neutral attitude as much as possible, but he does ask several controversial questions related to the difficulties Aurovilians may experience during the practice of their sadhana.

This book is written for all those readers who want to know more about these difficulties and don't want to give up their efforts on the way,

Dr Joseph Vrinte, a retired mental health worker from the Netherlands graduated from Lucknow University and afterwards joined the Rohilkand University in Bareilly where he obtained his M.A Philosophy/psychology and his Ph.D.

For the last twenty-two years the author lived in Auroville where he participated in various activities and where he was able to collect all the necessary material and experiences for writing the present work. As an established scholar and researcher in the field of Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga and the Transpersonal movement, Dr. Vrinte is the author of the Concept of Personality in Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga Psychology and A. Maslow's Humanistic I Transpersonal Psychology (Ph.D) and the Quest for the Inner Man, as well as the Perennial Quest for a Psychology with a Soul.

Dr. Vrinte has been a resident in Auroville and in connection with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for more than 30 years; in this work he shares his personal insights, his controversial questions and his experiences in order that the aspirant, the seeker, the practitioner may understand the advisability of open discussion, of healthy debate... in he eternal pursuit of truth.

Numerous relevant quotes of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother answer the questions posed for consideration... questions that normally and frequently invade the seeker's mind. Often enough an inability or unwillingness to consider these questions raises further difficulties for the one called to practice Integral Yoga.

This book is offered as an explorer's source book in the mapping of various psychological problems inherent in the practice of Sri Aurobindo's integral Sadhana. There are possible dangers in working with spiritual and psychological domains simultaneously and the various pitfalls are extensively elaborated in this book, because knowing about them can lessen the dangers. Questions and critical notes are not written in a mood of despair or frustration and they are certainly not meant as a criticism against the devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. On the contrary they are questions that entered the author's mind during his research, his work and long connection with the Ashram and thereafter, living in Auroville for the last twenty-two years. It was impossible to ask these questions personally to Sri Aurobindo as he had left his body when the author was just born; and never did Sri Aurobindo visit "in silence" to the author to answer these questions. Questions are not merely based on an academic, theoretical analysis, but are also much related to the author's experiences, reflections, observations and perceptions during his practice, using said practice as a means to organize, understand and comprehend them in the light of Sri Aurobindo's metaphysical vision. The author, as a scholar-practitioner, while attempting to practice the discipline of this study, navigates his way through various difficulties most seekers are confronted with during their practice, either in the beginning or later on.