Letters on Yoga is a four-volume collection of Sri Aurobindo’s correspondence with disciples, written primarily between 1927 and 1950. The letters cover every aspect of the integral yoga, from its philosophical foundations to the most detailed practical guidance on spiritual sadhana. About one-third of the letters in these volumes were not published in earlier collections.

Volume 28: Letters on Yoga I — Foundations of the Integral Yoga

Arranged in five parts:

Part One: The Divine, the Cosmos and the Individual — The Divine, Sachchidananda (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss), Brahman and Atman, the cosmic and the individual, Ishwara and Shakti, the Trinity (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva), the Gods and the Divine Force, the universal and the individual.

Part Two: The Parts of the Being and the Planes of Consciousness — The inner being and outer being, the psychic being, the subtle body, the mental-vital-physical being, the subconscious, the subliminal, the superconscious, levels of consciousness (mind, higher mind, illumined mind, intuition, overmind, supermind), the chakras.

Part Three: The Evolutionary Process and the Supermind — Evolution of consciousness, the mental being, the gnostic being, the supramental descent, the divine life.

Part Four: Problems of Philosophy, Science, Religion and Society — Vedanta and philosophy, science and spirituality, religion and spirituality, occultism, society and the spiritual life.

Part Five: Questions of Spiritual and Occult Knowledge — Spiritual and occult knowledge, dreams, visions, psychic phenomena.

Volume 29: Letters on Yoga II — Practice of the Integral Yoga

Arranged in three parts:

Part One: The Path of the Integral Yoga — The true object of spiritual seeking, the aim of the integral yoga (divine life, transformation, not liberation alone), basic requisites (the call, capacity, faith, aspiration, surrender, rejection, perseverance, the guru).

Part Two: The Synthetic Method of the Integral Yoga — The fourfold path, works (consecration, equality, dedication), knowledge (meditation, concentration, the inner silence, opening), devotion (love, bhakti, surrender), self-perfection (psychicisation, spiritualisation, the descent).

Part Three: The Integral Yoga and Other Spiritual Paths — Comparisons with traditional yoga systems, Buddhism, Christianity, Theosophy, and other paths.

Volume 30: Letters on Yoga III — Experiences and Realisations in the Integral Yoga

Arranged in four parts:

Part One: The Place of Experiences in the Practice of Yoga — The nature and value of experiences, the difference between experience and realisation, the importance of small beginnings.

Part Two: The Opening of the Inner Senses — Inner sight, inner hearing, subtle touch, subtle taste and smell, inner communication.

Part Three: Experiences of the Inner Consciousness and the Cosmic Consciousness — Contact with the Divine, experiences of the Mother, cosmic consciousness, the One and the Many, time and eternity.

Part Four: The Fundamental Realisations of the Integral Yoga — Realisation of the psychic being, realisation of the silent Brahman, realisation of the cosmic consciousness, realisation of the dynamic Divine, the supramental realisation.

Volume 31: Letters on Yoga IV — Transformation of Human Nature in the Integral Yoga

Arranged in four parts:

Part One: Sadhana on the Level of the Mind — The mind and sadhana, intellect and the intellectual, the thinking mind, the vital mind, difficulties of the mind (doubt, mental inertia, mental construction, the wandering mind).

Part Two: Sadhana on the Level of the Vital — The vital being and sadhana, desires and passions, anger, fear, sex, ambition, the vital difficulties, purification of the vital.

Part Three: Sadhana on the Physical, Subconscient and Inconscient Levels — The physical consciousness, the subconscient and its difficulties, illness and the body, sleep and dreams, the inconscient, the transformation of the physical.

Part Four: Difficulties in the Practice of the Integral Yoga — Depression and discouragement, inertia and tamas, the hostile forces, attacks and their handling, perseverance through difficulties.

Key Themes

The Psychic Being: The soul in the evolutionary journey, the inner guide
The Triple Transformation: Psychic, spiritual, and supramental transformation
The Divine Descent: The action of the higher consciousness (higher mind to supermind) in the being
Surrender and Rejection: The twin movements of the path
Spiritual Experiences: The hierarchy and significance of yogic experiences
Practical Guidance: Detailed responses to the concrete difficulties of spiritual practice

Source Summary

CWSA Volumes 28-31 contain the most comprehensive collection of Sri Aurobindo’s letters ever published. The texts of all letters have been checked against available manuscripts, typescripts, and printed versions. Volume 28 covers foundations (~700 pages), Volume 29 covers practice (~500 pages), Volume 30 covers experiences (~450 pages), and Volume 31 covers transformation (~500 pages). Together they constitute the most detailed practical guide to the integral yoga available.