How is Sri Aurobindos Yoga related to earlier systems of Yoga?
There are many things belonging to the earlier systems that are necessary on this way – an opening of the mind to a greater wideness and to a sense of the Self and the Infinite, an emergence into the cosmic consciousness, mastery over the desires and passions; an outward asceticism is not essential, but the conquest of desire and attachment and a control over the body and its needs, greeds and instincts are indispensable. There is a combination of the way of knowledge through the Mind’s discernment between Reality and appearance, the heart’s way of devotion, love and surrender and the way of works turning the will away from motives of self interest to the Truth and the service of a greater reality than the ego. For the whole being has to be trained so that it can respond and be transformed when it will be possible for a greater Light and Force to work on the nature.
