Synthesis of Yoga
The Synthesis of Yoga is Sri Aurobindo’s treatise on his method of Integral Yoga; he presents a most thorough explanation of it plus an examination of traditional forms of yoga.
This reading is of the first half of Chapter 5 The Instruments of the Spirit, found in Part 4 The Yoga of Self-Perfection on page 643.
For an active perfection of our being the first necessity is a purification of the working of our instruments, which is now used as music of discord, whereas the divine Reality in us is for ever pure. … Mind, heart, the soul of vital desire, life in the body are the seats of impurity; they must be set right. There are two forms of impurity at the root of the whole confusion: one is a defect born of the nature of our past evolution. The other is due to the successive process of an evolution, an immixture of functions, giving an added imperfection of embarassment, wrong direction and confusion. … Mind, life and body are the three powers of our lower nature, not to be taken separately, because life acts as a link, giving its character to body and mentality. Finally, there is a secret supermind, the proper means and native seat of divine perfection.