Thinker, spiritual leader, mystic, poet, and nationalist, Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) was one of modern India's most intriguing and enigmatic leaders. Educated in Cambridge, he returned home to a fiery career as an extremist nationalist. When he was imprisoned for sedition, Aurobindo turned to meditation and, finding refuge in the French enclave of Pondicherry, perfected there the practice of yoga. His ashram in Pondicherry continues today with a huge international following. This short biography offers general readers an informed and accessible account of the life and thought of this major spiritual figure.