Living Words: Soul-Kindlers for the New Millennium

by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and A. S. Dalal

The central message of the book is that evolution - which is a progressive unfoldment of the Spirit through progressively higher levels of consciousness - has reached a stage where the next leap of consciousness is preparing to take place, the leap from mind to that which is beyond mind - the Supermind.

The writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are felt as communicating not so much to the mind as to the soul. The words do not just convey certain ideas but also induce a psychic or soul state of consciousness. They are living words, vibrant with a consciousness that is greater than that of the mind. The words have the ring of the spirit and are capable of kindling the spirit when one is in a receptive state.

The great majority of extracts contained in this book have been selected because of this quality.

About the Authors:

The Mother:

Born in Paris in 1878, the Mother studied painting at an art studio and became an accomplished artist. Primarily interested in inner development, she was associated with several groups of spiritual seekers in France.

In 1914 she journeyed to India to meet the Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo in Puducherry and settled there permanently in 1920. For nearly fifty years, she was the head of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, from its founding in 1926 until her passing in 1973. She also established a school, the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, in 1952, and an international township, Auroville, in 1968.

Sri Aurobindo:

Sri Aurobindo was an Indian/Hindu nationalist, scholar, poet, mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru. After a short political career in which he became one of leaders of the early movement for the freedom of India from British rule, Sri Aurobindo turned to the development and practice of a new spiritual path which he called the "integral yoga," the aim of which was to further the evolution of life on earth by establishing a high level of spiritual consciousness which he called the Supermind that would represent a divine life.

Sri Aurobindo wrote prolifically in English on his spiritual philosophy and practice, on social and political development, on Indian culture including extensive commentaries and translations of ancient Indian scriptures, on literature and poetry including the writing of much spiritual poetry.