Chapter 1

Introduction

Introduction of Essay:

The word essay is derived from the word “Assay” which means “an

attempt.” The credit of the origin of the essay is given to the Roman

writers Cicero and Seneca. It is generally supposed that Montaigne, a

French writer is the first who wrote what may technically be called essays.

Hence he is regarded as the father of the essay. Montaigne himself was inspired

by Cicero who treats abstract topics in conversational way with a romantic

background.

Various attempts have been made to define essay.

Dr. Johnson defines the essay as “a loose

sally of the mind, an irregular, undigested piece, not

a regular and orderly composition.” – p.18 - A

Background to The Study of English Literature

Saintsbury loosely described it as “a work of

prose art.” – p.18 - A Background to The Study of

English Literature

The Oxford English Dictionary defines essay

in the following words. “A composition of moderate

length on any particular subject or branch of a

subject.” – p.18 - A Background to The Study of

English Literature

I
Development of the Essay:

• The Aphoristic Essay:

An Aphoristic style means a compact, condensed and epigrammatic style

of writing. As in the quotation given below:

Montaigne says, “I am myself the subject

of my book.” – p.185 - A Background to The

Study of English Literature

The credit of the origin of the “Aphoristic

Essay” goes to Francis Bacon. Bacon’s position in the

history of the English essay is unique and

remarkable. He is undoubtedly the pioneer in this

domain of English Literature. To him belongs the very

great credit of having written essays first of all in the

language of England. – p.284 – English Literature

for Competitive Examinations

He is called as “The father of aphoristic essay.” Bacon’s style is the most

remarkable for its terseness. Every sentence in his essays is pregnant with

meaning and is capable of being expanded into several sentences. Many of his

sentences appear to be proverbial sayings. An aphoristic style means a compact,

condensed and epigrammatic style of writing. An aphorism is like a proverb

which has quotable quality. Bacon excels in this kind of writing.

II
•The Character Writers:

In the earlier part of the 17th century, the

Essay took the form of character - sketches at the

hands of Hall, Overbury and Earle all imitators of

the Greek philosopher. Theophrastus and the

Roman Seneca. Theophrastus detailed studies of

various types of personality had long been known in

Europe but it was not until this period that the

‘Character’ became a favourite form of description and

satire. – p.285 – English Literature for Competitive

Examinations

This form of essay was invented in the first half of the 17th century. The

names of some character writers are Hall, Overbury and Earle etc. All these writers

were thankful to the Greek philosopher Theophrastus and the Roman Seneca. They

gave us the lively pen-portraits of men and women. Addison and Stevenson are

the most famous among the character essay writers.

•The Critical Essay:

John Dryden is the shinning star in the field of critical essay. During the

restoration period, Dryden introduced “The Critical Essay” in English. His most

famous book is “Essay of Dramatic Poesy.” The main aim of the critical essay is

literary criticism. It helps the reader a lot. It is a link between the author and the

reader. All the credit of the essay i.e. “The Critical Essay” goes to John Dryden

and he has been rightly called as “The Father of English Criticism.”

III
•The Periodical and Social Essay:

The 18th century is mainly responsible for the speedy growth of the

periodicals. There was a great rise of journalism. This helped a lot to the

development of the short essays. They began to appear in periodicals. They gathered

a plenty of material from the manners of the time. They appeared for the first

time in Defoe’s “Review.” Steele and Addison are the most famous periodical

writers. Steele started his work with “Tatler.” It was published in 1709. His aim

was to expose the false ways of living. In his periodicals, he recommended some

suggestions in the simplicity in dress, discourse and behaviour. After two years,

“Tatler” was replaced by “The Spectator.” ‘The Spectator’ was a joint work of both

Addison and Steele. This book contained over 500 essays.

In their essays, Steele and Addison dealt with the “more

immediate and passing scenes of life,” with “temporary

and local matters.” These essays did not, like their

forerunners, make their first appearance in book

form. They came out periodically. – p. 287 - English

Literature for Competitive Examinations

Other social and periodical writers of this century were Swift, Dr.

Johnson and Goldsmith.

•The Personal Essay:

The 19th century is mainly responsible for the speedy growth of the

personal essays. We find a long line of notable personal essay writers. Their

IV
leader was Charles Lamb. Other personal essay writers were Hunt, Hazlitt,

Thackeray, De Quincey and R. L. Stevenson.

Charles Lamb is the most famous personal essayist of the Romantic

period. He wrote all his essays under the assumed name “Essays of Elia.” His

famous personal essays are “The Christ Hospital”, “The Old Benchers of The

Inner Temple”, “The South Sea House” etc. In the essay “Christ Hospital Five

– And - Thirty Years Ago”, Lamb has given us a poor, friendless boy S. T.

Coleridge among six hundred other boys. In the same essay, Lamb has given us

an example of Hodge’s pet ass, which he used to keep in the dormitory. Thus

Charles Lamb is the autobiographical essayist in English Literature. In the essay

“Dream Children”, he has given us his memories of childhood and boyhood.

The essays of Charles Lamb are fine blend of autobiography, fancy and

humour. That is why, Charles Lamb is rightly called as “The Prince of The

Personal Essayists.”

Types of Essay :

On the basis of the content and the style of writing, essay can be categorised

into various types as follows:

1. Narrative Essay

2. Descriptive Essay

3. Expository Essay

4. Persuasive Essay

V
1. Narrative Essay:

In this type, the writer tells about the experience of real life. The narrative

essays are usually written in the first person. The purpose of this essay is to tell a story

in an interesting way. The aim of writing this essay is to provide information and

entertainment, and to give instructions. The narrative essay gives detailed information

or experience of the writer. This form reflects the style of the writer.

2. Descriptive Essay:

Descriptive essay is a piece of creative meaning.In Descriptive essay, a thing,

a person or a scene is described with special significance. The descriptive essays try

to give a deeper meaning through the description.

3. Expository Essay:

Expository essay stresses the speakers views on the subject concerned. The

expository essays are based on facts and not on emotions or personal feelings.

4. Persuasive Essay:

In Persuasive essay, the reader is put under extra pressure because he has to

use logic. Usually the speech of political leader comes under this category. In this

form, the reader should accept the writer’s point of view. The opinion of the writer

should be correct or truthful and well – defined.

VI
Non – Literary Types of Essay:

Non – literary types of essay are also important because they are closely

related to our routine life. Visual Arts, Music, Film, Photography are the medium

of entertainment. They emphasise upon the creativity of human life.

In the visual arts, an essay is a preliminary

drawing or sketch upon which a final painting or

sculpture is based, made as a test of the work’s

composition (this meaning of the term, like several of

those following, comes from the word essay’s meaning

of “attempt” or “trial”) – Wikipedia (13/07/2016)

In Art, the writer or artist gives the message by his art like – painting,

sculpture. Arts has a paramount importance. Paintings or Sculpture record the life and

death.

The Music essay is an art form. Music plays an important role in human life

as a form of entertainment as well as an art form which gives a deep spiritual

experience. It can also be used in the field of academics effectively. It increases the

thinking power of man. It is very useful to enhance the performance academically,

emotionally, physically and spiritually. Plato has said, “ Music is a more potent

instrument than any other for education.” In the realm of music, composer Samuel

Barber wrote a set of “Essay for Orchestra,” relying on the form and content of the

music to guide the listener’s ear, rather than any extra – musical plot or story. –

Wikipedia (13/07/2016)

VII
 The Film essay has a unique importance. It is

the blending mixture of all arts like – literature, the

visual arts, music. Films explore the human situation. It

is the most accessible of all arts. Film is the medium of

creative expression of human life. It provides an

information of human life, education and entertainment.

A film essay (or “cinematic essay”) consists of

the evolution of a theme or an idea rather than a plot

per se; or the film literally being a cinematic

accompaniment to a narrator reading an essay. From,

another perspective, an essay film could be defined as a

documentary film visual basis combined with a form of

commentary that contains elements of self – portrait

(rather than autobiography), where the signature

(rather than the life story) of the filmmaker is apparent.

The cinematic essay often blends documentary, fiction,

and experimental film making using a tones and editing

styles. – Wikipedia (13/07/2016)

The Photographic essay is a visual art form. The photographic essays are

very important to capture important events for future reference. They reflects the

creativity of the writer. Everything under the sun can be captured on the lens. They

can be used to communicate the message without words. Life on earth is vibrant. It

has its own highs and lows, tragedies and celebrations. There is ebb and flow of

emotions. All these could be captured in photographs. Photographic essay creates a

lasting influence on mind.

VIII
 A photographic essay is an attempt to cover a

topic with a linked series of photographs. Photo essays

range from purely photographic works to photographs

with captions or small notes to full text essays with a

few or many accompanying photographs. Photo essays

can be sequential in nature, intended to be viewed in a

particular order, or they may consist of non – ordered

photographs which may be viewed all at once or in an

order chosen by the viewer. All photo essays are

collections of photographs, but not all collections of

photographs are photo essays. Photo essays often

address a certain issue or attempt to capture places and

events. – Wikipedia (13/07/2016)

Sri Aurobindo’s Essays :

Present researcher has undertaken the study of Sri Aurobindo’s essays. Essays

Divine and Human, The Renaissance in India and other essays on Indian

Culture, The Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self –

Determination. His essays can be described as Philosophical essays or descriptive

essays. They are not only full of grandeur but also rich in form. He was a

prolific writer and he wrote on various types like – Humankind, Nature, God,

etc. He offers an intellectual explanation to the enigma of modern life. He is one of

the renowned essayists in English. The essays of Sri Aurobindo are mainly

philosophical in nature. Being dedicated to the issue of human evolution and to the

ways to take it further on the path of progress, his essays reflect his philosophy. As

they deal with the complex subject like evolution and involution, a unique and

IX
scholarly yet lucid style has been adopted by Sri Aurobindo to put forth and explain

his own philosophical ideas on Indian culture, divinity, human unity, evolution etc.

Sri Aurobindo, a versatile genius, a poet, a yogi, a philosopher who believed

in spiritual nationalism reveals himself through his various literary contributions. His

essays reveal the path to the humans to attain the highest goal – the supermind,

through Yoga. Though he tried to achieve this aim through his long poem ‘Savitri’

and other literary contributions, essay seemed to be the most suited medium for the

purpose. Hence to enlighten the wavering and confused human race and to take it

further on the path of evolution as well as to share his spiritual experiences and vast

knowledge with the people, he penned down long essays which later on compiled in

book form. Out of the 37 volumes, the present researcher has selected three

collections of his essays – Essays Divine and Human, The Renaissance in India and

other Essays on Indian Culture, The Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War

and Self-Determination.

The chapters that follow deal with Sri Aurobindo’s life and work and throw

light on some of the salient features of his essays.

X
 REFERENCES

 Abrams, M. H.: A Glossary of Literary Terms, Cengage Learning India Private

Limited Limited, Delhi, 2014.

 Arnold, M.: Essays in Criticism, Second Series, London, 1913.

 Goodman, W. R. : English Literature for Competitive Examinations, Doaba

Publications, Delhi, 2010.

 Hudson, W. H. : Introduction to the Study of Literature, London, 1961

 Hudson, W. H. : An Outline History of English Literature, Delhi, AITBS Publishers,

Delhi, 2014.

 Prasad, B. : A Background To The Study of English Literature, Trinity Press,

Delhi, 2014.

 Roy, R. N. : An Outline History of English Literature and The English People,

Dasgupta and Compony, Calcutta, 1995.

 Saintsbury, G.: Short History of English Literature, London, 1928.

 Walker, H. : The English Essay and Essayists, New York, 1915.

 Essay – Wikipedia.

XI
 Chapter 2

Life and Works of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Sri Aurobindo Ghosh was born in Calcutta (15 August, 1872 – 5

December, 1950). He was a freedom – fighter, poet, essayist, yogi and

philosopher. He was a versatile writer who dealt effectively with different forms of

literature like poetry, story, play and essay. He is one of the renowned essayists in

English. His father, Krishnadhan Ghosh completed the medical degree from the

Aberdeen University. At the age of 5, Sri Aurobindo was sent to the Loretto

Convent School, Darjeeling (run by the Irish) along with his two elder brothers

namely Barin Ghosh and Manmohan Ghosh. His mother Srimati Swarnalata

Devi was the eldest daughter of Rishi Rajanarayan Bose, who belonged to the

Brahmo Samaj. She was well educated and also a poetess. The marriage of his

parents was performed according to the rites of Brahmo Samaj.

In 1879, His father went to England with his three sons for the further

education. There he gave the responsibilities of his three sons to the priest and

his wife. Sri Aurobindo has recorded his childhood memories in the following words:

I never went to the Manchester Grammar

School, never even stepped inside it. It was my two

brothers who studied there. I was taught privately by

the Drewetts. Mr. Drewett who was a scholar latin (he

had been a Senior Classic at Oxford) taught me that

language (but not Greek, which I began at Saint Paul’s

London), and English, History etc.; Mrs Drewett taught

me French, Geography and Arithmetic. No Science; it

XII
 was not in fashion at that time. – p.26 –

Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings of

Historical Interest

Sri Aurobindo never went to Manchester Grammar School. His two

brothers got the education in same school. But Sri Aurobindo gained the

knowledge of English and Latin by Mr. and Mrs. Drewett, an accomplished scholar in

Latin and English. Sri Aurobindo learned also the History, Geography, Arithmetic and

French.

In Saint Paul School and Manchester, he concentrated on the Ancient

Literature and English Poetry, French Literature and spent some time in learning

Italian, German, and Spanish language.

And in 1890, Sri Aurobindo passed matriculation and joined King’s

College, Cambridge, where he studied for two years. In 1892, he passed the open

competition of Indian Civil Service. But, at the end of two years of probation

failed to present himself at the riding examination and disqualified for the service.

I appeared for the ICS because my father

wanted it and I was too young to understand it. Later

I found out what sort of work it was and I had no

interest in the administrative life. My interest was in

poetry and literature and the study of languages and

patriotic action. - p.18 - Sri Aurobindo for all ages – A

Biography

XIII
 In 1892, Sri Aurobindo passed the first part of the Classical Tripos

examination ( the B.A. degree examination in Greek and Latin ) in the first division.

In 1893, Sri Aurobindo left England and joined the Baroda State Service for

13 years. But, he was not interested and satisfied in it. At the same time, he

contributed articles like “New Lamps For Old” to the Indu Prakash, Bombay. In

1897, he was appointed as a Lecturer in French, then he became Professor of

English in Baroda College. In 1904, Sri Aurobindo became the Vice –

Principal of Baroda College.

On 30th April 1901, Sri Aurobindo got married to Mrinalini Bhupal

Chandra Bose of Jessore, who had settled down at Ranchi. The marriage was

solemnised as per Hindu rites. In his entire married life, Sri Aurobindo had

consistently written letters to his wife, Mrinalini Bose.

His letters to his wife vibrate with this

resolve, and contain the seed of the whole

subsequent unfoldment of his life. There is another

thing in them, which at once arrests attention: it is his

complete, unreserved, and joyous surrender to God. The

whole secret of Sri Aurobindo’s greatness lies in this

integral surrender. – p.37 – Sri Aurobindo His Life

Unique

Mrinalini Bose spent her whole life in Calcutta. She died in 1918.

In 1906, Sri Aurobindo started his political career and ended in 1910. At that

time India was under British Rule. The Britishers had established their supremacy

XIV
almost all over the world. India, as a British Colony suffered greatly and faced

exploitation at every level.

He started the writing for the nationalist movement and wrote articles in

Indu Prakash and studied political tendancy of British government and the

thinking of Indian people.

Sri Aurobindo expressed his ideas regarding the contemporary situation. This

was the first public expression of his views on the nationalist movement. He wrote:

With us it rests…. With our sincerity, our

foresight, our promptness of thought and action ….

Theorist and trifler though I may be called, I again

assert as our first and holiest duty, the elevation and

enlightenment of the poletriate: I again call on those

nobler spirits among us who are working erroneously, it

may be, but with incipient of growing sincerity and

nobleness of mind, to divert their strenuous effort from

the promotion of narrow class interests, from silly

squabbles about offices and salaried positions, from

a philanthropy laudable in itself and worthy of

rational pursuit…. in the range of its benevolence and

ineffectual towards promoting the nearest interests

of the nation, into that vaster channel through which

alone the healing waters may be conducted to the lips of

their ailing and tortured country. – p.9 – Sri Aurobindo

Ghosh – A Biography

XV
 Sri Aurobindo criticized the Congress policy, because he felt they had

no spirit and sincerity and that’s why British government ruled India for long

period.

Sri Aurobindo participated in politics and worked very honestly and

actively. Bipin Chandra Pal, Bankim Chandra Chatterji supported him. Sri

Aurobindo was the first Indian politician who demanded complete freedom for

India.

In 1907, The Secret Society was founded by Sri Aurobindo with twenty young

members. The training centre was located in Manikotla where the training of martial

arts and the manufacturing of bombs was given. The intention of Sri Aurobindo

was to develop a small military unit. The notable members of this secret society were

Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Ullaskar Dutt, Hem Chandra Das, Abhinash Bhattacharya,

Upendranath Banerjee, Bibhuti Bhushan Sarkar, Prafulla Chakravarty, Sushin

Sen and his brothers, Khudiram Bose, Prafulla Chaki, Kanailal Dutt, Satyendra

Nath Bose, Indu Bhushan Roy, Sudhir Sarkar and Nolini Kanta Gupta. It was the

revolutionary group of young members. He explains the plight of educated

Bengal Youth who wanted to fight for freedom in the following words:

The young men of Bengal who had rushed

forward in the frenzy of the moment, in the

inspiration of the new gospel they had received, rushed

forward rejoicing in the new found strength and

expecting to bear down all obstacles that came in their

way, were now called upon to suffer. They were called

upon to bear the crown, not of victory, but of

XVI
 martyrdom. They had to learn the real nature of

their new strength. It was not their own strength, but

it was the force which was working through them, and

they had to learn to be the instruments of that

force – p.198 - Sri Aurobindo and the freedom of

India

Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Sri Aurobindo’s younger brother was the head

of the Secret Society. All the members of this society were fully devoted

to India’s freedom. The resolution or goal of the Secret Society was to revolt

openly against British rule.

Sri Aurobindo participated in politics and

worked very honestly and actively . Bipin Chandra

Pal, Bankim Chandra Chatterji supported him. They

were injured in lathicharge during the protest

march. Sri Aurobindo advocated complete freedom

for India in the Congress Session at Bombay in 1904. –

p.9 – Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A Biography

In 1906, Sri Aurobindo went to Bengal and worked for Bande Mataram. It was

the finest newspaper, started by Sir Bipin Chandra Pal and Sri Aurobindo was the

editor of this newspaper. They demanded freedom through their newspaper. The

Bande Mataram soon became a well known newspaper.

In 1907, Sri Aurobindo came forward as the leader of the Nationalist

Party in Bengal. He got publicity as a political leader who worked very efficiently

against British government for the freedom of India. In the same year, Sri

XVII
Aurobindo went to Surat for the session of Indian National Congress. The first

venue was Nagpur. But at that time, the situation in Nagpur was very

violent as compared to Surat. Hence the venue was changed. Sri Aurobindo was

the President of Surat Congress.

At the Surat Congress, Nationalist Party

delegates openly clashed with the delegates of the

Moderate Party, resulting in the suspension of the

Congress. The next day the Nationalists held a separate

conference, which was witnessed by Henry Nevinson, a

correspondant for the Daily News of London. Nevinson

recorded the following impression of Sri Aurobindo –

p.119 - Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom of India

Nevinson interviewed Sri Aurobindo and wrote two accounts.

He was a youngish man, I should think still

under thirty. Intent dark eyes looked from his thin,

clear – cut face with a gravity that seemed immovable,

but the figure and bearing were those of an English

graduate…. – p. 120 – Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom

of India

After that, for somedays the existence of Congress was endangered.

In 1908, Sri Aurobindo was arrested in the conspiracy of Alipore Bomb

Case, he was implicated in the activities of revolutionary group led by his brother

Barindra Ghosh, As a prisoner, he spent one year in Alipore Jail. In jail he did

XVIII
practice of yoga and concentrated on his spiritual practice. About his imprisonment

he writes:

My prison life in Alipore began on May 5.

Next year, on May 6, I was released. I did not

know that it would mean the end of chapter in my

life and that there stretched before me a year’s

imprisonment during which all my human relations

would cease, that for a whole year I would have to

live, beyond the pale of society, live like an animal

in a cage. And when I would re – enter the world

of activity, it would not be the old familiar Aurobindo

Ghosh…. I have spoken of a year’s imprisonment. It

would have been more appropriate to speak of a

year’s living in an ashram or a hermitage…. The only

result of the wrath of the British Government was

that I found God – p. 92 - Sri Aurobindo for all ages

At the beginning of his political career, Sri Aurobindo had not fully

participated in freedom struggle except by writing articles in Indu Prakash.

Then, he had decided to spend his life for the welfare of India. Gandhiji had

started the “Swadeshi Movement” and “Non - Cooperation Movement.” These

movements had been started to end the British Rule and Sri Aurobindo had

given his full support to these movements. The aim of the Swadeshi

Movement was to eradicate the poverty of Indian people and to strengthen the

freedom movement.

XIX
 Leaving Politics

Sri Aurobindo’s decision to leave politics might have come as surprise to many but

he himself was very clear about it. He didn’t leave politics because he felt

there was not any scope for him to work. His interest and knowledge of Yoga

led him on a very distinct path full of more meanifulness, purpose and satisfaction,

leading to a more fulfilling goal of spiritual work. This is evident in the

following excerpt:

I may also say that I did not leave politics

because I felt I could do nothing more there; such

an idea was very far from me. I came away

because I did not want anything to interfere with

my Yoga and because I got a very distinct adesh in the

matter. I have cut connection entirely with politics,

but before I did so I knew from within that the

work I had begun there was destined to be carried

forward, on lines I had foreseen, by others, and that

the ultimate triumph of the movement I had initiated

was sure without my personal action or presence. There

was not the least motive of despair or sense of futility

behind my withdrawl. For the rest, I have never known

any will of mine for any major event in the conduct of

the world affairs to fail in the end, although it may

take a long time for the world-forces to fulfill it. As for

the possibility of failure in my spiritual work, I shall

deal with that another time. Difficulties there are, but I

XX
 see no cause for pessimism or for the certification of

failure. - pp. 26,27 - Letters on Himself and the

Ashram

Atlast, Sri Aurobindo left politics. He was not ready to compromise on his

spiritual work, as he felt it was very important for the development of India. In

1910, Sri Aurobindo ended the political career.

After leaving politics, Sri Aurobindo came to Pondicherry in 1910. He

started practising yoga and at the same time, he started a monthly philosophical

magazine “Arya.” in which most of his major works were serialized. He

founded “Sri Aurobindo Ashram” in 1926. Under the guidance of great disciple

Mirra Richard (The Mother), Sri Aurobindo Ashram had grown. In the beginning,

there were only a few disciples of Sri Aurobindo but later they grew rapidly.

In the Ashram, Sri Aurobindo offered the practice of yoga and worked

as an offering to the Divine which was an essential aspect of the yoga. He

also gave lessons about the importance of truth to the disciples.

In 1943, The Mother started the “Sri Aurobindo International

Centre of Education.” with the help of Sri Aurobindo. It was inaugurated

in 1952. Now, the Centre of Education is an integral part of Ashram.

Sri Aurobindo lived in Pondicherry for forty years. He devoted himself

to the practice of yoga and worked for the spiritual development which he

called the Integral Yoga.

Being a true yogi, Sri Aurobindo gave up his life voluntarily, when he felt that

his term was fulfilled. The end came on 5th December 1950. The apparent cause was

XXI
a disease – prostatitis. Earlier he had cured himself of many ailments with his yogic

power. But strangely in the end, he allowed his body to suffer as a natural

consequence of the disease. No miracle occurred this time and the end was announced

at 1:26 am. Though the mortal body perished, the Supramental light did not die. It was

experienced and witnessed by a fortunate few:

“The tremendous supramental light and Force,

which Sri Aurobindo had accumulated in his body was

there after his leaving the body a golden blue light

cascading from above, flooding his body was witnessed

not only by the Mother but also by a few disciples. This

force entered into the Mother’s body. “I felt the rubbing

of the passage, she soid later.” – p.99 – The Yogi of

Divine Life.

Sri Aurobindo was dedicated to the ideal of a living human unity. In

his life, He performed many roles for the progress and welfare of India. With

his spiritual experiences and realisations he created new spiritual history in

collaboration with the Mother.

He spent his time in writing. His works are compiled in 37 volumes.

Works of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh :

Sri Aurobindo’s Contribution to English Literature :

Volume 1: Early Cultural Writings – Early essays and other prose writings on

literature, education, art, and other cultural subjects.

XXII
 The volume includes The Harmony of Virtue, Bankim Chandra Chatterji,

essays on Kalidasa and the Mahabharata, The National Value of Art,

Conversations of the Dead, the “Chandernagore Manuscript”, book reviews,

“Epistles from Abroad” , Bankim – Tilak – Dayananda, and Baroda speeches

and reports. Most of these pieces were written between 1890 and 1910, a few

between 1910 and 1920. (Much of this material was formerly published under the

title ‘The Harmony of Virtue.’)

Volume 2: Collected Poems – All short poems and narrative poems in English.

This volume consists of sonnets, lyrical poems, narrative poems, and

metrical experiments in various forms. All such poems published by Sri Aurobindo

during his lifetime are included here, as well as poems found among his

manuscripts after his passing. Sri Aurobindo worked on these poems over the

course of seven decades. The first one was published in 1883 when he was ten; a

number of poems were written or revised more than sixty years later, in the late

1940s.

Volume 3-4: Collected Plays and Stories – I-II – All original dramatic works and

works of prose fiction.

Volume 1: The Viziers of Bassora, Rodogune, and Perseus the Deliverer.

Volume 2: Eric and Vasavadutta; seven incomplete or fragmentary plays; and

six stories, two of them complete.

Volume 5: Translations – All translations from Sanskrit, Bengali, Tamil, Greek and

Latin into English, with the exception of translations of Vedic and Upanishadic

literature.

XXIII
 The volume includes translations from Sanskrit of parts of the Ramayana and

the Mahabharata and works of Kalidasa and Bhartrihari; translations from Bengali of

Vaishnava devotional poetry and works of Bankim Chandra Chatterji, Chittaranjan

Das and others; translations from Tamil of poems of Andal, Nammalwar, Kulesekhara

Alwar and Tiruvalluvar; and translations from Greek and Latin. Sri Aurobindo made

most of these translations while living in Baroda and Bengal; some were done later in

Pondicherry.

Volume 6-7: Bande Mataram – I-II - All surviving political writings and speeches

from 1890 to 1908.

The two volumes consist primarily of 353 articles originally published in the

nationalist newspaper Bande Mataram, speeches delivered by him between 1907 and

1908, articles from his manuscripts of that period that were not published in his

lifetime, and an interview of 1908.

Volume 8: Karmayogin – All surviving political writings and speeches of 1909 and

1910.

This volume consists primarily of articles originally published in the

nationalist newspaper Karmayogin between June 1909 and February 1910. It also

includes speeches delivered by Sri Aurobindo in 1909.

Volume 9: Writings in Bengali and Sanskrit (to be published) – All writings In

Bengali and Sanskrit.

Most of the pieces in Bengali were written by Sri Aurobindo in 1909 and

1910 for Dharma, a Calcutta weekly he edited at that time; the material consists

chiefly of brief political, social and cultural works. His reminiscences of detention

XXIV
in Alipore Jail for one year (Tales of Prison Life) are also included. There is also

some correspondence with Bengali disciples living in his ashram. The Sanskrit

works deal largely with philosophical and cultural themes. (This volume will be

available both in the original languages and in a separate volume of English

translations.)

Volume 10-11: The Record of Yoga – I-II – Sri Aurobindo’s diary of his yogic

practice between 1909 and 1927.

This two- volume record of sadhana contains fairly regular entries between

1912 and 1920 and a few entries between 1912 and 1920 and a few entries in

1909,1911 and 1927. It also contains related materials Sri Aurobindo wrote about his

practice of yoga during this period, including descriptions of the seven “chatusthyas”

(groups of four elements), which are the basis of the yoga of the Record.

Volume 12: Essays Divine and Human – Short prose pieces written between 1910

and 1950, but not published during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime.

The material is arranged in four parts:

(1) “Essays Divine and Human”, complete essays on yoga and related subjects,

(2) “From Man to Superman: Notes and Fragments on Philosophy, Psychology and

Yoga”;

(3) “Notes and Fragments on Various Subjects”, and

(4) Thoughts and Aphorisms. (Some of this material was formally published under

thetitle The Hour of God and Other Writings)

XXV
Volume 13: Essays in Philosophy and Yoga – Short works in prose written between

1909 and 1950 and published during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime.

Most of these short works are concerned with aspects of spiritual philosophy,

yoga, and related subjects. The material includes:

(1) Essays from the Karmayogin,

(2) The Yoga and Its Objects,

(3) writings from the Arya, such as On Ideals and Progress, The Superman,

Evolution, Thoughts and Glimpses, The Problem of Rebirth, and

(4) The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth. (Most of these works were formerly

published together under the title The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth and

Other Writings.)

Volume 14: Vedic and Philosophical Studies (to be published) - Writings on the

Veda and philology, and translations of Vedic hymns to gods other than Agni not

published during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime. The material includes

(1) drafts for The Secret of the Veda,

(2) translations (simple translations and analytical and discursive ones) of hymns to

gods other than Agni,

(3) notes on the Veda,

(4) essays and notes on philology, and

XXVI
(5) some texts that Sri Aurobindo called “Writings in Different Languages”. Most of

this material was written between 1912 and 1914 and is published here for the first

time in a book.

Volume 15: The Secret of the Veda – Essays on the Rig Veda and its mystic

symbolism, with translations of selected hymns.

These writings on and translations of the Rig Veda were published in the

monthly review Arya between 1914 and 1920. Most of them appeared there under

three headings: The Secret of the Veda, “Selected Hymns” and “Hymns of the

Atris”. Other translations that did not appear under any of these headings make up the

final part of the volume.

Volume 16: Hymns to the Mystic Fire – All translations of Vedic hymns to Agni;

and related writings.

The material includes all the contents of Hymns to the Mystic Fire

(translations of hymns to Agni from the Rig Veda, with a Foreword bySri Aurobindo)

as well as translations of many other hymns to Agni, some of which are published

here for the first time.

Volume 17: Upanishads-I Isha Upanishad – Translations of and commentaries on

the Isha Upanishad.

The volume is divided into two parts:

(1) Sri Aurobindo’s final translation and analysis of the Isha Upanishad. This

small work contains his definitive interpretation of the Upanishad. It is the only

writing in this volume published during his lifetime;

XXVII
(2) ten incomplete commentaries on the Isha. Ranging from a few pages to more

than a hundred, these commentaries show the development of his interpretation of

this Upanishad from around 1900 to the middle of 1914.

Volume 18: Upanishad-II: Kena and Other Upanishads - Translations of and

commentaries on Upanishads other than the Isha Upanishad. The volume is divided

into two parts:

(1) translations of and commentaries on the Kena, Katha and Mundaka Upanishads

and some “Readings in the Taittiriya Upanishad”;

(2) early translations of the Prashna, Mandukya, Aitareya and Taittariya

Upanishads; incomplete translations of and commentaries on other Upanishad and

Vedantic texts; and incomplete and fragmentary writings on the Upanishads and

Vedanta in general. The writings in the first part were published by Sri

Aurobindo during his lifetime; those in the second part were transcribed from his

manuscripts after his passing.

Volume 19: Essays on the Gita – Essays on the philosophy and method of self-

discipline presented in the Bhagwad Gita.

These essays were first published in the monthly review Arya between 1916

and 1920 and revised in the 1920s by Sri Aurobindo for publication as a book.

Volume 20: The Renaissance in India with A Defence of Indian Culture – Essays

on the value of Indian civilization and culture.

This volume consists of three series of essays and one single essay:

(1) The Renaissance in India,

XXVIII
(2) Indian Culture and External Influence,

(3) Is India Civilised? and

(4) “Defence of Indian Culture”. They were first published in the monthly review

Arya between 1918 and 1921. In 1953, they first appeared in a book under the title

The Foundations of Indian Culture.

Volume 21-22: The Life Divine – I-II – Sri Aurobindo’s principal work of

philosophy.

In this book, Sri Aurobindo presents a theory of spiritual evolution and

suggests that the present crisis of humanity will lead to a spiritual transformation of

the human being and the advent of a divine life upon earth. The material first

appeared as a series of essays published in the monthly review Arya between 1914

and 1919. They were revised by Sri Aurobindo in 1939 and 1940 for publication as a

book.

Volume 23-24: The Synthesis of Yoga – I-II – Sri Aurobindo’s principal work on

yoga.

In this book Sri Aurobindo examines the traditional systems of yoga and

provides an explanation of certain components of his own system of integral yoga.

There is an Introduction, “The Conditions of the Synthesis”, and four parts: “The

Yoga of Divine Love” and “The Yoga of Self-Perfection”. The material was first

published serially in the monthly review Arya between 1914 and 1921; the

introduction and first two parts were later revised by Sri Aurobindo for publication.

Volume 25: The Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self –

Determination - Three works of social and political philosophy.

XXIX
 In The Human Cycle, Sri Aurobindo traces the evolution of human society

and suggests where it is headed. In The Ideal of Human Unity, he examines the

possibility of the unification of the human race. In War and Self - Determination, he

discusses the sovereignty of nations in the aftermath of the First World War.

These works were first serialised in the monthly review Arya between 1915 and 1920;

later Sri Aurobindo revised them for publication.

Volume 26: The Future Poetry with On Quantitative Metre – Sri Aurobindo’s

principal work of literary criticism.

In this work, Sri Aurobindo outlines the history of English poetry and explores

the possibility of a spiritual poetry in the future. It was first published in a series of

essays between 1917 and 1920; parts were later revised for publication as a book.

Volume 27: Letters on Poetry and Art – Letters on poetry and other forms of

literature, on painting and the other arts, on beauty and aesthetics, and on their

relation to the practice of yoga. Most of these letters were written by Sri

Aurobindo in the 1930 and 1940s to members of his ashram. Around one sixth

of them were published during his lifetime; the rest were transcribed from his

manuscripts after his passing. Many are being published for the first time in this

volume.

Volume 28: Letters on Yoga – I – Four volumes of letters on the integral yoga,

other spiritual paths, the problems of spiritual life, and related subjects.

In these letters, Sri Aurobindo explains the foundations of his integral yoga,

its fundamentals, its characteristic expriences and realisations, and its method of

practice. He also discusses other spiritual paths and the difficulties of spiritual

XXX
life. Related subjects include the place of human relationships in yoga; sadhana

through meditation, work and devotion; reason, science, religion, morality, idealism

and yoga; spiritual and occult knowledge; occult forces, beings and powers;

destiny, karma, rebirth and survival. Sri Aurobindo wrote most of these letters in the

1930s to disciples living in his ashram. A considerable number of them are being

published for the first time.

Volume 29: Letters on Yoga – II

Volume 30: Letters on Yoga – III

Volume 31: Letters on Yoga – IV

Volume 32: The Mother with Letters on the Mother – This volume opens with Sri

Aurobindo’s small book The Mother, in which he describes the nature, character

and role of the Divine Mother. The rest of the volume consists primarily of letters on

the mother – on the Divine Mother and on Sri Aurobindo’s collaborator, the

Mother, who was the head of his ashram. He wrote most of these letters in the

1930s to disciples living in the ashram.

Volume 33-34: Savitri – A Legend and a Symbol – Sri Aurobindo’s major poetic

work, an epic in blank verse.

In Savitri, a legend from the Mahabharta becomes the symbol of the

human soul’s spiritual destiny. In poetic language, Sri Aurobindo describes his vision

of existence and explores the reason for ignorance, darkness, suffering and pain, the

purpose of life on earth and the prospect of a glorious future for humanity. The

writing of the epic extended over much of the later part of his life.

XXXI
Volume 35: Letters on Himself and the Ashram – Sri Aurobindo’s letters between

1927 and 1950 on his life, his path of yoga and the practice of yoga in his ashram.

In these letters, Sri Aurobindo writes about his life as a student in England, a

teacher in Baroda, a political leader in Bengal, and a writer and yogi in

Pondicherry. He also comments on his formative spiritual expriences and the

development of his yoga. In the latter part of the volume, he discusses the life and

discipline followed in his ashram and offers advice to the disciples living and

working in it. Sri Aurobindo wrote these letters between 1927 and 1950 – most of

them in the 1930s.

Volume 36: Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings of Historical Interest –

Sri Aurobindo’s writings on himself (excluding the letters in volume 35, Letters on

Himself and the Ashram) and other material of historical importance.

The volume is divided into four parts:

(1) brief life sketches, autobiographical notes, and corrections of statements made by

others in biographies and other publications;

(2) letters of historical interest to family, friends, political and professional associates,

public figures, etc; also letters on yoga and spiritual life to disciples and others;

(3) public statements and other communications on Indian and world events;

(4) public statements and notices concerning Sri Aurobindo’s ashram and yoga.

Much of the material is being published here for the first time in a book.

Volume 37: Reference Volume (to be published) – Index, glossary, editorial notes,

supplementary texts.

XXXII
 This volume will include a complete index to the Complete Works, a glossary

of Sanskrit and other Indian terms, a chronology of Sri Aurobindo’s life, a

bibliography of his works, a note on editorial method, a list of emendations and

errata, and supplementary texts not included in the main works.

Glossary to the Record of Yoga (to be published) – A glossary to and structural

outline of the Record of Yoga ( volumes 10 and 11)

This unnumbered volume – an appendix to Record of Yoga – will contain

an alphabetical index of Sanskrit words and a structural outline of the seven-

limbed yoga that Sri Aurobindo practiced between 1912 and 1927.

-www.sriaurobindoashram.org (14/01/2015)

The researcher has selected three collections of essays of Sri Aurobindo

Ghosh for the present research.

1. Essays Divine and Human.

2. The Renaissance in India and other essays on Indian Culture.

3. The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self –

Determination.

The researcher will focus and discuss next chapters on above mentioned

three collections of essays.

 Essays Divine and Human, contains short prose pieces. The material

consists largerly of writings on philosophy and yoga. There are some cultural

writings. It contains 519 pages.

XXXIII
 The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture, is an

exposition of Indian culture, with essays on Indian spirituality, religion, art,

literature and polity. It contains 450 pages.

 The 690 pages volume titled The Human Cycle deals with the

evolution of human society. The Ideal of Human Unity examines the

possible unification of the human race. War and Self – Determination covers

the problem of war and the self – determination of nations.

Above three volumes were written by Sri Aurobindo Ghosh between

1910 and 1950, but not published during his lifetime. The present volumes were

written and published in monthly philosophical review ‘Arya.’ It was published in

1997 by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry.

Sri Aurobindo’s dedicated life enabled him to develop a vision which

penetrated deep into the future and enabled him to suggest valuable ways in which the

ideal of human unity could be reached by gradually attaining the supreme position

through Integral Yoga.

The next chapter deals with an indepth study and analysis of his futuristic

vision and valuable teachings to attain the ideal goal of Divine Life on Earth.

XXXIV
 REFERENCES

 Chanda Poddar, Mona Sarkar and Bob Zwicker : Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom of

India, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, 1995.

 Dalton, Dennis Gilmore : Indian Idea of Freedom Political Thought of Swami

Vivekananda, Aurobindo Ghose, Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore,

Haryana, 1982.

 Deshpande, R. Y. : Sri Aurobindo and the New Millenium, Aurobharati Trust,

Pondicherry, 1999.

 Feys, Jan : The life of a Yogi, Calcutta, 1976.

 Iyengar, K. R. Srinivasa : Sri Aurobindo A biography and a history, Sri Aurobindo

International Centre of Education, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Kumari, Shyam : How they Came to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Sri Arobindo

Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, 1975.

 Mitra, Siriskumar : Sri Aurobindo and Indian Freedom, Sri Aurobindo Library,

Madras, 1948.

 Mitra, Siriskumar : Sri Aurobindo A Homage, Sri Aurobindo Library, Madras, 1950.

 Mitra, Siriskumar : India and Her Future, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, 1971.

 Motal, Vijay : Sri Aurobindo Society, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, 1973.

 Nirodbaran and Amal Kiran : Some Talks at Pondicherry, Kamal Printers, Jaipur,

1972.

 Nirodbaran : Sri Aurobindo for all ages – A Biography, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, 1990.

XXXV
 Rishabhchand : Sri Aurobindo His Life Unique, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry,1981.

 Sri Aurobindo : Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings of Historical Interest, Sri

Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Sri Aurobindo : Letters on Himself and the Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, 2011.

 Syed, M. H. : Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A Biography, Himalaya Publishing House Pvt.

Ltd., Mumbai, 2011.

 Tej, Susama : Sri Aurobindo and the Modern Critics, Journal of Indian Renaissance,

Triveni, 1975.

 Varma, Vishwanath Prasad : The Political Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, New York,

1960.

 Word Roses A Souvenir and A Memento, Sri Aurobindo Circle, Nagpur. 2000.

 www.sriaurobindoashram.org

 Sri Aurobindo Circle Library, Nagpur.

XXXVI
 Chapter 3

Vision and Teachings of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Introduction:

‘Vision’ is a word that offers different connotations in different situations.

From the very matter of fact meaning as ‘the sense or ability of sight’or ‘something

seen, an object perceived visually’ it rises to the lofty status of being ‘an ideal or goal

towards which one aspires’ or ‘a religious or mystical experience of a supernatural

appearance.’ ‘Teachings’ thus become the natural outcome of acquired vision when

the visionary wishes to use his knowledge and vision for the physical, mental and

spiritual upliftment of the people.

Sri Aurobindo was a visionary par excellence, whose chequered life had taken

him through seemingly contradictory and unparalleled situations. His upbringing and

education in foreign land and his father’s wish to keep him away from India and

Hinduism could not deter him from studying Hinduism thoroughly and intently.

Similarly his tryst with Indian Politics and advocacy of revolutionary tactics to

achieve freedom for the nation could not stop him from taking a sudden turn to

become a ‘sadhak’ who devoted almost forty years of his life for bringing down the

supramental light on the Earth so that every living being on the earth would be

benefitted by it.

Sri Aurobindo’s politics was gradually moulded according to his spiritual

experiences and convictions. He was the founder of Spiritual Nationalism. His aim

was to bring Harmony and Unity among mankind on spiritual basis. His ultimate

aim was the World Union on the basis of Divine Life on earth.

XXXVII
 After Sri Aurobindo’s return from England, his spiritual journey begins.

Although he lived as a professor, builder of secret socities planning towards a total

revolution, as well as a poet and a visionary during the Baroda period of his

life, the undercurrent of the spiritual experiences which he experienced from time

to time enriched him and slowly but surely turned him to the path of philosophy,

spirituality and yoga. He became a Yogi who urged Indians to follow the path of

spiritual nationalism. Sri Aurobindo’s futuristic vision and his valuable teachings

have found place in his three collections of essays under study : Essays Divine

and Human, The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture,

The Human Cycle The Ideal of Human Unity War and Self – Determination.

Essays Divine and Human consists of short prose pieces written by Sri

Aurobindo after his arrival in Pondicherry in 1910. They were published

posthusmously in 1950. This voluminous compilation has been arranged into four

parts covering views of Sri Aurobindo on varied topics related to the concepts like

Moksha, Mukti, Parabrahman, Interpretation of Scriptures, detailed study of Yoga,

relationship between science and religion, literature, God, Consciousness, Man and

Superman, Jnana, Karma, Bhakti etc. His essays arranged in chronological order

clearly reveal his vision which, penetrating deep into the future tries to lead man from

being just a human to the status of the superhuman through disciplined mind and

Yoga. It is in the very beginning of the book ‘Essays Divine and Human’ that he

states very clearly what Yoga is:

“ To enter into relations with God is Yoga, the

highest rapture and the noblest utility.” – p.5 - ED&H

(Certitudes)

XXXVIII
 Sri Aurobindo finds multiple possibilities through which a human being can

develop further. Not satisfied with whatever is achieved uptill now through prayer,

worship, faith, science and philosophy, he states,

“There are other relations beyond our

developed capacity, but within the compass of humanity

we have yet to develop. Those are the relations that are

attained by the various practices we usually call Yoga.”

– p.5 - ED&H (Certitudes)

Sri Aurobindo’s firm belief in the supreme power endows him with a vision

which does not allow him to discriminate on any of the manmade basis. His vision is

all-encompassing, broad and much ahead of the times. Clarifying upon what God is to

him, he writes,

“We may not know him as God, we may know

him as Nature, our Higher Self, some ineffable goal. It

was so that Buddha approached Him; so approaches

him the rigid Adwaitin. He is accessible even to the

Atheist. To the materialist He disguises Himself in

matter. For the Nihilist he waits ambushed in the bosom

of Annihilation.” – p.5 - ED&H (Certitudes)

Thus Sri Aurobindo’s concept of God easily escapes all the confinements

and compartments made by man to rise above and to reach the universal level,

attainable even to an ordinary human being. A firm believer in oneness of powers he

states:

XXXIX
 “There are three powers with whom we have to

reckon, three and no others; for no others are in the

universe or out of the universe: God, the soul and

Nature. And these three are, as it were, different fronts

of One Being.” – p.177- ED&H (God : The One

Reality)

While upholding the Hindu religious concepts like ‘Moksha’, - the freedom

from bondage, Purusha – the oneness of the human and the Divine; Sri Aurobindo

justifies the ‘Siddhis’ – especially the ‘Yogic Siddhis.’ Being a daily practitioner of

Yoga himself, he knows they exist But his main concern seems to be their exact

nature and utility. Swami Vivekananda has been quoted by Sri Aurobindo in support

of his claim about Siddhis:

“Swami Vivekananda did much to encourage

this attitude by his eagerness to avoid all mention of

them at the outset of his mission in order not to startle

the credulity of the Europeans, “These things are true”

he said, “but let them lie hidden” – pp. 14,15 – ED&H

(The Siddhis)

All scientific marvels, according to Sri Aurobindo are sorts of Siddhis which

cease to astonish once invented and brought into practice. Asserting his firm belief in

Yogic Siddhis, he writes:

“The defects of Western Practitioners or

Eastern quacks do not get rid of our true and ancient

Yoga.” –p.17 – ED&H (The Siddhis)

XL
 Stressing further the importance of Yoga, he states:

“Any system which organizes our inner being

and our outer frame for these ends (modifying our

manifest being, knowledge, faculty, force or delight)

may be called a system of Yoga.” – p.19 – ED&H (The

Psychology of Yoga)

He clearly mentions in ‘The Psychology of Yoga’ that the Veda is a great

compilation of practical hints about Yoga. To him all religion is a flower of which

Yoga is the root. He believes that all philosophy, poetry and the works of genius use

it, consciously or unconsciously, as an instrument. For him ‘Yoga is the birth and

passing away of things” and he is sure that God created the world by Yoga and by

Yoga He will draw it into Himself again. A rather lengthy quotation describing the

exact nature of Yoga would further clarify Sri Aurobindo’s vision:

“We usually attach a more limited sense to the

word (Yoga); when we use or hear it, we think of the

details of Patanjali’s system, of rhythmic breathing, of

peculiar ways of sitting, of concentrating of mind, of the

trance of the adept. But these are merely details of

particular system.” – p.20 – ED&H (The Psychology of

Yoga)

Sri Aurobindo does not want Yoga to be confined only to particular systems of

Yoga like Patanjali System. For him the real Yoga has no scope for any confinements.

It is the manifestation of freedom and a true liberation of spirit experienced through

XLI
anything worthwhile done with full dedication and concentration. He makes it clear in

the following words:

“The systems are not the thing itself, any more

than the water of irrigation canal is the river Ganges.

Yoga may be done without the least thought for

breathing, in any posture or no posture, without any

insistence on concentration, in full waking condition,

while walking, working, eating, drinking, talking with

others, in any occupation, in sleep, in dream, in states

of unconsciousness, semiconsciousness, double –

consciousness. It is no nostrum or system or fixed

practice, but an eternal fact of process based on the

very nature of Universe.” – p.18 – ED&H (The

Psychology of Yoga)

According to Sri Aurobindo, any system which organizes our inner being and

outer frame for the sake of union in itself or for the purpose of increasing or

modifying our manifest being, knowledge, faculty, force of delight may be called a

system of Yoga.

Yogic absorption or withdrawing senses to the mind is for the real

concentration. With intensified absorption the senses are withdrawn into the mind, the

mind into the buddhi or supermind, the supermind into knowledge, Vijnana, Mahat.

By knowledge, can be attained the mastery of the world. Complete communion with

Parabrahman or Parmeshwara is possible with separate consciousness and complete

communion. Even an artist engrossed in his art can experience Yogic absorption. A

XLII
poets who closes all the senses on outside world and waits for hours for the

inspiration from within is the practitioner of Yoga.

Sri Aurobindo vision smoothly expands from Yoga to poetry as the two,

according to him, can not really be separated. Yet his classification of poetry on the

basis of quality appeals to the mind. According to him, quality of poetry much

depends on the birthplace of inspiration; the three mental instruments of knowledge:

“For out of three mental instruments of

knowledge, - the heart or emotionally realizing mind,

the observing and realizing intellect, with its aids, fancy

and memory, and the intuitive intellect – it is into the

last and highest that the ideal principle transmits

inspirations when the greatest poetry writes itself out

through the medium of the poet.” – p.29 – ED&H (The

Sources of Poetry)

In his essay, “The Interpretation of Scripture”, Sri Aurobindo’s vision turns to

the Vedanta and Veda. In an attempt to fathom the depths of Vedas and scale the

hights of knowledge stuffed in them, he compares and contrasts the attempts made by

Sri Shankara and Sayana. Appreciating the both, yet putting forth his own view he

writes:

“I find that Shankara had grasped much of the

Vedantic truth, but that much was dark to him. I am not

bound to exclude what he failed to realise.” – p.30 –

ED&H (The Sources of Poetry)

XLIII
 Thus he keeps alive the scope for further interpretations of Veda in the

following words:

“It is irrelevant to me what Max Muller thinks of

the Veda or what Sayana thinks of the Veda. I should

prefer to know what the Veda has to say for itself, or if

there is any light there on the unknown or on the

infinite, to follow the ray till I come face to face with

that which it illumines.” – p.35 – ED&H (On Original

Thinking)

‘Knowledge’ for Sri Aurobindo is the eternal truth. Understanding ‘whole’

should be the aim of seeker. ‘Parts’ are their for convenience but they should be

viewed in terms of the whole. Sri Aurobindo gives a clear message to all the seekers

of knowledge in the following words:

“It is true that we are usually the slaves of our

individual and limited outlook, but our capacity is

unlimited, and, if we get rid of ahankara, if we can put

ourselves at the service of the Infinite without any

reservation or predilection, or opinion, there is no

reason why our realization should be limited.” – p.40 –

ED&H (On Original Thinking)

Being a visionary, Sri Aurobindo gives precious insights into much needed

social reforms in India. A philosopher in him not only helps him to come up with

solutions but also to see the root cause of problems which the society is facing.

XLIV
Initially he was opposed to term ‘Reform’ for being too Europeanised. He clearly

states his opinion about ‘Reforms’ in the following words:

“Reform is sometimes the first step to the abyss,

but immobility is the most perfect way to stagnet and to

putrefy.” – p.50 – ED&H (Social Reform)

Thus paving the way for changes throughout the passage of times he upholds

antiquity of modernity as the test of truth, of the test of usefulness. He firmly believes

that the future holds infinite possibilities in it.:

“All the Rishis do not belong to the past; the

Avatars still come; revelation still continues.” – p.50 –

ED&H (Social Reform)

Past, however outdated it seems today, can not be dismissed altogether as

being useless. When the ‘past’ was ‘present’ in the bygone days, it would have been

useful for those times. He clearly mentions his opinion:

“All long – continued customs have been

soverignly useful in their time, even totemism and

polyandry. We must not ignore the usefulness of the

past, but we seek in preference a present and a future

utility.” – p.51 – ED&H (Social Reform)

Sri Aurobindo’s vision enables him to see the future of the world and its

savior. He is sure that the savior would be an Indian as India, he feels, is the chosen

land:

XLV
 “In India, the chosen land, it (the truth) is

preserved; in the soul of India it sleeps, expectant of

that souls awakening, the soul of India leonine,

luminous, locked in closed petals of the ancient lotus of

strength and wisdom, not in her weak, sordid, transient

and miserable externals. India alone can build the

future of mankind; in India alone can the effective

Avatar appear to the nations.” – p.57 – ED&H (Social

Reform)

A staunch believer in Hinduism, Sri Aurobindo has firm faith in the potential

this religion holds. For him Hinduism is like a lighthouse : guiding the wandering

ships to safety.

In his essay ‘Hinduism and the Mission of India’

he writes “[That] which is permanent in the Hindu

religion, must form the basis on which the world will

increasingly take its stand in dealing with spiritual

experience and religious truth.” – p.58 – ED&H

(Social Reform)

Sri Aurobindo precisely captures the process of transformation in Hinduism

which is about to come in near future:

“Hinduism, in my sense of the word, is not

modern Brahminism. Modern Brahminism developed

into existence, at a definite period in History. It is now

developing out of existence; its mission is done, its

XLVI
 capacities exhausted, the Truth which, like other

religions, it defended, honoured, preserved, cherished,

misused and disfigured is about to take to itself new

forms and dispense with all other screens or defender

that its own immortal beauty, grandeur, truth and

effectiveness. It is this unchanging undying Truth which

has to be discovered and placed in its native flight

before humanity. Tad etat satyam.” – p.59 – ED&H

(Hinduism and the mission of India)

Sri Aurobindo defines Theosophy as – a high scientific enquiry. He does not

attach it to the system of metaphysics or a new religion. His expectations from

Theosophy are much wider. It has a bigger role to play in this world which is nothing

else but the synthesis in Space and Time of a particular level of consciousness.

Assigning a responsible job to Theosophy he writes:

“Theosophy is or should be a wider and

profounder Science, a knowledge that deals with other

levels and movements of consciousness, planes if you

like to call them, phenomenon depending on the activity

of consciousness on those levels, worlds and beings

formed by the activity of consciousness on those levels, -

for what is a world but the synthesis in Space and Time

of a particular level of consciousness – forming a field

of consciousness with which material Science, the

Science of this immediately visible world, can not yet

deal, and for the most part, not believing in it, infact

XLVII
 refuses to deal.” – p.74 – ED&H (Science & Religion

in Theosophy)

He appreciates the efforts of our ancestors who perceived the truth of the

fundamental unity of knowledge and sought to know Sat first. Once the ‘Sat’ is

known, the different tattwas, laws, details and particulars of Sat would be more

readily yield up their secret.

Modernists hold different view – they feel that since the being is one, the

knowledge of particulars must lead to the knowledge of unity. Sri Aurobindo

criticizes this approach as a slow but a safe method of procession – from bottom to the

top. Sri Aurobindo puts blame on all three – philosophy, Religion and Science for not

sticking to the real purpose of their being. They invade each others’ dominion and the

humanity suffers. According to Sri Aurobindo, the work assigned to the three is as

follows:

“The business of philosophy is to arrange

logically the general modes of Sat, the business of

Religion is to arrange practically and vitally the

personal relations of Sat, the business of Science is to

arrange observantly and analytically the particular

forms and movements of Sat.” – p.79 – ED&H (Sat)

Thus ‘Sat’ – the uttamam rahasyam of the Brahman remains elusive as all

three illegitimately occupy each others field to satisfy their intellectual land hunger.”

XLVIII
 Both Philosophy and Science expect that man should sacrifice his heart and

imagination to the intellect. Such demand is unjust. Hence Sri Aurobindo suggests a

way:

“Philosophy and Science, if they are to help

mankind without hurting it and themselves, must

recognise that mankind is a complex being and his

nature demands that every part of that complexity shall

have its field of activity and every essential aspiration

in him must be satisfied.” – p.83 – ED&H (Sat)

It is the sublime trinity of Vedanta – ‘Sachchidananda’ – Sat, Chit and

Ananda which Sri Aurobindo finds to be having the ability of penetrating into the

reality of things, which is nothing else than the discovery of real existence of God in

the world.

The precious advice Sri Aurobindo offers to the humanity is a key to

understand the secrets of existence and to reach near God. He writes in his essay titled

‘Sachchidananda’:

“Interrogate consciousness to find what it is or

holds and unconsciousness to discover its secrets.

Interrogate not only the state of waking but the states of

dream and sleep.” – p.85 – ED&H (Sachchidananda)

This act of deep interrogation of one’s self will enable the individual not only

to understand himself/herself but also to understand the inanimated world around him

better.

XLIX
 The knowledge thus gained should be applied to inanimated objects like tree

or rock. The realization through this will be clear:

“The unconsciousness of the tree and rock is the

same unconsciousness that which occupies your body

when mind is withdrawn from its working.” – p.87 –

ED&H (Sachchidananda)

“Truth” according to Sri Aurobindo, “sits unveiled behind the appearance, self

– absorbed; there is in all things, without exception. ‘That which is conscious in these

conscious and unconscious existences, that which is awake in these who sleep.” Being

a dedicated Yoga Practitioner, Sri Aurobindo has put emphasis on studying different

aspects of Yoga in detail. He feels that Yoga has power ‘to help us rise out of

falsehood into truth, out of weakness into freedom, out of confusion into purity, out of

imperfection into perfection, out of confusion into purity, out of imperfection into

perfection, out of self division into unity, out of Maya into God.’ – p.98 – ED&H (The

Entire Purpose of Yoga)

Through Yoga a human being will be able to replace dualities by unity.

Egoism will be replaced by divine consciousness, ignorance by divine wisdom,

thought by divine knowledge, weakness and struggle and effort by self – contained

divine force, pain and false pleasure by divine bliss. Sri Aurobindo describes the

practical aim of Yoga in clear, unambiguous terms:

“To rise into divine existence, force, light and

bliss and recast in that mould all mundane existence is

the supreme aspiration of religion and the complete

L
 practical aim of Yoga.” – p.102 – ED&H (The Entire

Purpose of Yoga)

Yoga can help break the mould of ego. He calls human body a mould of

metalised life body and materialized mind. With Yoga one can break this mould in

order to achieve ideal action, ideal truth and infinite freedom in our spiritual being.

Yoga And Human Evolution:

According to Sri Aurobindo, The human mind wants to progress in our life

and for the human development. Yoga is an integral part of human life. In previous

period, Man’s behavior was quite like an animal but later on, he became civilized.

God created the world. And he prepared some rules and regulations for the human

life. We can’t change them.

In the Katha Upanishad there occurs one of

those powerful and pregnant phrases, containing a

world of meaning in a point of verbal space, with which

the Upanishads are thickly sown. Yogo hi

prabhavapyayau. For Yoga is the beginning & ending

of things. In the Puranas the meaning of the phrase is

underlined & developed. By Yoga God made the world,

by Yoga He will draw it into Himself in the end. But not

only the original creation & final dissolution of the

universe, all great changes of things, creations,

evolutions, destructions are effected by the essential

process of Yoga, tapasya. In this ancient view Yoga

presents itself as the effective, perhaps the essential &

LI
 real executive movement of Nature herself in all her

process. – p.108 – ED&H (The Evolutionary Aim in

Yoga)

Sri Aurobindo believes in the omnipotent quality of God. He says, “God is

Yoga.” Yoga is a divine quality. In human life – prayer, worship, adoration, sacrifice,

thought, faith, science, philosophy are very important for humanity and these things

can be developed with the help of Yoga. Yoga is very useful for mental and physical

development of humans.

Yoga is an ancient practice. It is a divine process. Vision and teachings of Sri

Aurobindo are based on Yoga. He is the proponent of yoga. Sri Aurobindo practiced

Integral Yoga. It will not be out of place to look into different systems of Yoga in

order to understand Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga in better way.

Systems of Yoga:

• Jnana Yoga:

Jnana Yoga is also known as “The Yoga of Knowledge.” It also means the

realization of knowledge. In Vedanta, Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita have assigned

more importance to Jnana Yoga.

• Bhakti Yoga:

The Bhakti Yoga is also known as “The Yoga of Devotion.” It is a spiritual

practice. The concept of Bhakti Yoga is directly related to the God.

There are seven stages of Bhakti Yoga.

1. Aspiration and self – consecration.

LII
2. Devotion.

3. Adoration and worship.

4. Love.

5. Possession of the whole being and life by the Divine.

6. Joy of the Divine Love and the beauty and sweetness of the Divine.

7. The Absolute Bliss of the Absolute.

Above seven stages are very important for spiritual and divine process toward

God.

• Karma Yoga:

Karma Yoga is also known as “The Yoga of Works.” It is based on the way of

Bhakti and way of knowledge. Karma is a kind of Dharma.

“Will is the whole secret of Karma Yoga” - p.

351 – ED&H (Partial Systems of Yoga)

• Integral Yoga:

Integral Yoga seeks to unite the God and the self. The founder of Integral

Yoga was Sri Aurobindo. He said, Yoga is very useful for spiritual disciplines and for

the perfection of life. The aim of integaral yoga is the spirituality. Integral Yoga is so

called as it aims to achieve realization of God with the realization of self, thereby

integrating the both: God – realization and self – realization. Yoga is related to our

LIII
mind, will, heart, life, body and it is very useful to develop the human mind through

meditation.

What is the integral yoga? It is the way of a

complete God – realization, a complete Self –

realization, a complete fulfilment of our being and

consciousness, a complete transformation of our nature

– and this implies a complete perfection of life here and

not only a return to an eternal perfection elsewhere.

This is the object, but in the method also there is

the same integrality, for the entirety of the object cannot

be accomplished without an entirety in the method, a

complete turning, opening self – giving of our being and

nature in all its parts, ways, movements to that which

we realize.

Our mind, will, heart, life, body, our outer and inner and inmost existence,

our superconscious and subconscious as well as our conscious parts, must all be thus

given, must all become a means, a field of this realization and transformation and

participate in the illumination and the change from a human into a divine

consciousness and nature.

This is the character of the integral Yoga. - p.

358 - ED&H (Integral Yoga)

The integral yoga is a single but many – sided way of the growth of our spirit

and development of our nature. A total experience and a single and all embracing

LIV
realization of the integral Divine Reality is its consequence. It is very important for

the change and transformation of the whole being and of every part of the nature.

The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture is a

collection of essays published in monthly journal Arya between August 1918

and January 1921. In it he has discussed on various subjects like – Indian

Civilisation and Culture, with essays on Indian spirituality, religion, art, literature.

Vision and Teachings in ‘The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian

Culture’:

In Sri Aurobindo’s collection of essays titled, ‘The Renaissance in India and

Other Essays on Indian Culture’, he has focused on Indian Culture. Indian Culture

recognizes the spirit as the truth of our being and our life as growth and evolution of

the spirit.

The title of the very first essay, “The Renaissance in India” was formulated

as an appreciation of James H. Cousins book of the same title. In this essay, Sri

Aurobindo explains about Indian spirituality. He presented the old Indian spirit and

how it should be converted in to renaissance. It appreciates the enviable creativity of

the Indian Culture in the form of spirituality.

“Spirituality is indeed the master – key of the

Indian mind; the sense of the infinite is native to it.” –

p.6 – RI&IC (The Renaissance in India)

According to Sri Aurobindo, spirituality is an inexhaustible vital force that has

given mental strength to Indians to survive and prosper against all odds. Spirituality

would help Indians bring renaissance in the nation. He believes that Indian

LV
civilisation is the best civilisation as it stands on spirituality which is infinite. The sole

creativity and sheer intellect are the children of it. It has its own high spiritual aim.

“Indian spirituality which has always

maintained itself even in the decline of the national

vitality; it was certainly that which saved India always

at every critical moment of her destiny, and it has been

the starting-point too of her renascence. – p.6 – RI&IC

(The Renaissance in India)

Sri Aurobindo believes, Spirituality plays a pivotal role in human life. He

appreciates Indian spirituality. It is vital and very useful to save India in a critical

moment. It is the strength of India.

Indian renaissance has a proud legacy of civilisation and culture. He

personified India as ‘Mother India.’

“This Renaissance, this new birth in India, if it

is a fact, must become a thing of immense importance

both to herself and the world, because of the

possibilities involved in the rearising of a force that is

in many respects unlike any other and its genius very

different from the mentality and spirit that have hitherto

governed the modern idea in mankind, although not so

far away perhaps from that which is preparing to

govern the future.” – p.1 – RI&IC (The Renaissance in

India)

LVI
 In “The Renaissance in India” he rephrases, The Western impact reawakened

“a free activity of the intellect”; “it threw definitely into ferment of modern ideas into

the old culture”; and “it made us turn our look upon all that our past contains with

new eyes.” These are a revival of “the dormant intellectual and critical impulse”; the

rehabilitation of life and an awakened “desire for new creation”; and a revival of the

Indian spirit by the turning of the national mind to its past. It is this “awakening vision

and impulse” that Sri Aurobindo feels is the Indian renaissance.

The process which has led up to the renaissance

now inevitable, may be analysed, both historically and

logically, into three steps by which a transition is being

managed, a complex breaking, reshaping and new

building, with the final result yet distant in prospect, -

though here and there the first bases may have been

already laid – a new age of an old culture transformed,

not an affiliation of a new – born civilisation to one that

is old and dead, but a true rebirth, a renascence. – p.17

– RI&IC (The Renaissance in India)

Sri Aurobindo offers an overview of some of the movements and figures

of the renaissance. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, there were many

religious missionaries like – The Brahmo Samaj, The Arya Samaj, Ramkrishna

Mission who came forward for religious, educational and social reforms.

The following passage records the views of Sri Aurobindo about the religious

missionaries:

LVII
 The Brahmo Samaj had in its inception a large

cosmopolitan idea, it was even almost eclectic in the

choice of the materials for the synthesis it attempted; it

combined a Vedantic first inspiration, outward forms

akin to those of English Unitarianism and something of

its temper, a modicum of Christian influence , a strong

dose of religious rationalism and intellectualism. – p.24

– RI&IC (The Renaissance in India)

The Arya Samaj in the Punjab founded itself on

a fresh interpretation of the truth of the Veda and an

attempt to apply old Vedic principles of life to modern

conditions. – p.25 – RI&IC (The Renaissance in India)

The movements associated with the great names

of Ramkrishna and Vivekanand has been a very wide

synthesis of past religious motives and spiritual

experience topped by a reaffirmation of the old

asceticism and monasticism, but with new living strands

in it and combined with a strong humanitarianism and

zeal of missionary expansion. – p.25 – RI&IC (The

Renaissance in India)

The most important contribution of Sri Aurobindo to the discussion on

the Indian renaissance is his concern for the spiritual upliftment of India in particular

and the humanity in general. He says that the rise of India is necessary for

future humanity itself.

LVIII
 Though Sri Aurobindo can not exactly be termed as a ‘Social Reformer’, he

could be called as a ‘Spiritual Reformer.’ He was well aware of the Spiritual richness

of the land and hence wished all Indians to be not just proud of this legacy but to

practice it in their daily life.

After India’s independence, Sri Aurobindo appealed to the Indians to come

together and work for India’s bright future, forgetting the past mistakes. He wanted

India to march ahead with her rich treasure trove of culture, civilization and spiritual

knowledge.

“The recovery of the old spiritual knowledge

and experience in all its splendour, depth and fullness is

its first, most essential work; the flowing of this

spirituality into new forms of philosophy, literature, art,

science and critical knowledge is the second; an

original dealing with modern problems in the light of

the Indian spirit and the endeavour to formulate a

greater synthesis of a spiritualized society is the third

and most difficult. Its success on these three lines will

be the measure of its help to the future of humanity.” -

p.28 - Sri Aurobindo’s Message

To achieve the goal of spiritual upliftment, Sri Aurobindo founded the

“Aurobindo Ashram” in 1926 in Pondicherry. He also focused on the education and

yoga. Yoga is a divine quality and it is very useful to attain physical and mental

balance of human body and mind.

LIX
 Thus, according to Sri Aurobindo, the true Indian Renaissance would be after

attaining spiritual upliftment of society. Recovery of old spiritual knowledge and

experience, and transforming this spirituality into different manifestation of

knowledge like art, philosophy, science are the two steps leading to attain the higher

aim of becoming a spiritualized society which could deal with modern problems in

the light of Indian spirit.

Is India Civilised?

An important essay by Sri Aurobindo titled, “Is India Civilised?” appeared in

the philosophical review Arya. In this essay, he explained the value of Indian

civilisation and culture.

In the early 20th century, Sir John Woodroffe, a scholar and writer on Indian

philosophy, published a book entitled, Is India civilised? He wrote it as an answer to

negative criticism of Indian culture by the English drama critic William Archer. He

had extremely negative views on Indian culture. William Archer concluded that the

entirety of Indian philosophy, religion, art and literature was a mass of barbarism. Sri

Aurobindo believed that William Archer had been deliberately unfair and that he was

profoundly ignorant of the beliefs about which he wrote. At a time when India was

still under British rule and heavily dominated by western ideas and values. William

Archer’s denigration of Indian culture expressed an attitude that was all too common,

prompting Sri Aurobindo to embark on a wide – ranging defense of his native land

and traditions.

LX
 Sri Aurobindo’s present essay is a strong example of how he articulates that

both political and spiritual transformation can coverage within one another. His

primary target is the western perception that India is lawless, a collection of savage

barbarians. He says this is the perception of the India from the West.

William Archer assailed the whole life and

culture of India and even lumped together all her

greatest achievements, philosophy, religion, poetry,

painting, sculpture, Upanishads, Mahabharata,

Ramayana in one whole wholesale condemnation as a

repulsive mass of unspeakable barbarism. – p.55 –

RI&IC (Is India Civilised)

This helps to establish Sri Aurobindo’s fundamental premise that political and

spiritual liberation will be the natural result of an India without British influence. Sri

Aurobindo argues that India’s progress will never be seen in the same light as

western progress.

Sri Aurobindo writes:

Progress she admits, but this spiritual progress,

not the externally self-unfolding process of an always

more and more prosperous and efficient material

civilisation. It is her founding of life upon this exalted

conception and her urge towards the spiritual and the

external that constitute the distinct value of her

civilisation. And it is her fidelity, with whatever human

shortcomings, to this highest ideal that has made her

LXI
 people a nation apart in the human world. – p.55 –

RI&IC (Is India Civilised)

Sri Aurobindo argues that a culture is to be valued to the extent that it

encourages a natural harmony of spirit, mind and body and a civilisation must be

judged by how to express that harmony in its fundamental ideas and ways of living. A

culture may be material, as in western society, or predominantly spiritual, as in India.

Sri Aurobindo sought to counteract these harsh criticisms and defend Indian

culture by explaining the special character of India’s civilisation and her past

achievements. In his view Indian culture is unique in that its high spiritual aim not

only structured the core of its thought but also animated its forms and rhythms of life.

A true happiness in this world is the right

terrestrial aim of man, and true happiness lies in

finding and maintenance of a natural harmony of spirit,

mind and body. A culture is to be valued to the extent to

which it has discovered the right key of this harmony

and organized its expressive motives and movements.

And a civilisation must be judged by the manner in

which all its principles, ideas, forms, ways of living

work to bring that harmony out, manage its rhythmic

play and secure its continuance or the development of

its motives. – p.56 – RI&IC (Is India Civilised)

Sri Aurobindo identifies several of the attitudes which underlie the difficulties

of western scholars in attempting to understand Indian civilisations.

LXII
A Rationalistic Critic on Indian Culture:

‘A rationalistic critic on Indian culture’ by Sri Aurobindo is an important

essay in the series of essays written by him in defence of Indian Culture. It contains

Sri Aurobindo’s refutation of many of the claims made by William Archer, whom

Sri Aurobindo sees as representative of a whole school of western authors who had

denigrated India. William Archer’s main charges were that Indian culture was riddled

with superstitions, irrationality and immorality. It did not encourage individual

responsibility, and it was deafitist in its ability to keep pace with the modern world.

The prominence given to the theory of karma and reincarnation encouraged a passive

otherworldliness, the effect of which was enervating and inimical to the exercise of

the individual will.

Mr. Archer drags in Karma and Reincarnation

into his list of anti-vital Indian notions. But it is

preposterous, it is a stupid misunderstanding to speak

of reincarnation as a doctrine which preaches the

unimportance of the life of the moment compared with

the endless chain of past and future existences. The

doctrine of reincarnation and karma tells us that the

soul has a past which shaped its present birth and

existence; it has a future which our present action is

shaping; our past has taken and our future will take the

form of recurring terrestrial births and karma, our

action, is the power which by its continuity and

development as a subjective and objective force

determines the whole nature and eventuality of these

LXIII
 repeated existences. There is nothing here to depreciate

the importance of the present life. – p.56 – RI&IC (A

Rationalistic Critic on Indian Culture)

Against the barrage of criticism, Sri Aurobindo denies at length that India

embodies pessimistic, world negating philosophy. He points out that India’s ancient

civilisation was founded on the four pillars of human life: kama, artha, dharma, and

moksha. The fourth pillar was attainable only after the first three had been reached. At

its best, Indian spirituality has a profoundity that secular western culture, which

recognizes only what is tangible and can be grasped by the rational mind, cannot

match. It represents a high effort of the human spirit to rise beyond the life of desire

and vital satisfaction and arrive at an aim of spiritual calm, greatness, strength

illumination, divine realization, settled peace and bliss.

Spiritual liberation was pursued in hostility to

life and not as its full orbed result and high crowning.

But still some strong basis of the old knowledge

remained to inspire, to harmonise, to keep alive the soul

of India. Even when deterioration came and a slow

collapse, even when the life of the community

degenerated into an uneasily petrified ignorance and

confusion, the old spiritual aim and tradition remained

to sweeten and humanise and save in its worst days the

Indian peoples. – p.177 – RI&IC (A Rationalistic Critic

on Indian Culture)

LXIV
 Sri Aurobindo proceeds to his detailed defense of Indian culture. First, he

tackles the spirit of Indian religion which differs profoundly from what he regards as

the western concern with dogma and creed. Many westerners have difficulty in

accepting that Hinduism is in fact a religion because it has neither a single leader nor

a governing ecclesiastical body and seems to be able to admit the validity of all

beliefs and spiritual experiences.

Mr. Archer does casually admit a philosophical,

and one might therefore suppose a rational element in

the religion of India, but he disparges and dismisses as

false and positively harmful the governing ideas of this

religious philosophy as he understands or imagines he

understands them. He explains the pervading irrational

character of Hindu religion by the allegation that the

Indian people have always gravitated towards the form

rather than the substance and towards the letter rather

than the spirit. – p.134 – RI&IC (A Rationalistic Critic

on Indian Culture)

Sri Aurobindo points out that in India, dogma or fixed intellectual belief, is the

least important aspect of religion, what matters is the religious spirit.

Sri Aurobindo’s Views on Indian Culture:

In Renaissance in India (earlier called The Foundations of Indian Culture),

Sri Aurobindo examines the nature of Indian civilization and culture. He looked at its

central motivating tendencies and how these are expressed in its religion, spirituality,

art, literature. India has a proud legacy of them. It is one of the oldest races and

LXV
greatest civilisations on this earth. The first section of the book provides a general

defence of Indian culture.

In Sri Aurobindo’s view Indian culture is unique in that its high spiritual aim

not only structured the core of its thought but also animated its forms and rhythms of

life.

A true happiness in this world is the right

terrestrial aim of man, and true happiness lies in the

finding and maintenance of a natural harmony of spirit,

mind and body. A culture is to be valued to the extent to

which it has discovered the right key of this harmony

and organized its expressive motives and movements.

And a civilisation must be judged by the manner in

which all its principles, ideas, forms, ways of living

work to bring that harmony out, manage its rhythmic

play and secure its continuance or the development of

its motives. – p.25 – RI&IC (The Renaissance in India)

In the opinion of Sri Aurobindo, Indian culture indicates the social behaviour

of people in the society. India has a rich culture where people of more than one

religious cultures live together. India is the land of vivid culture and tradition. Indian

culture has a historical importance and it teaches good values and principles of life.

People living here belong to different religions and traditions. Their food habits and

dresses vary. They speak different languages, but a common thread of culture binds

them together to form the best example of unity in diversity.

LXVI
Sri Aurobindo’s Views on Hindu Religion:

Sri Aurobindo perceives different Indian religions as varied paths leading

to a single goal. Religion has a paramount importance. Religion is one of the

most important part of Indian Culture. India is a sublime country where many

religions exist like Hindu, Muslim Sikh, Buddha, Jain etc. The person

performed his role according to religion. Every religion teaches positive attitude

towards life. The fundamental idea of all Indian religion is one common to the

highest human thinking everywhere. All the religion have same aims and visions

to give meaning to life. Sri Aurobindo focused on Hindu religion because Hindu is

one of the sublime religions in the world. 80% population belongs to Hinduism in

India and it has a vital role to play in the material and spiritual growth and

development of India.

Sri Aurobindo made a clear distinction, There

are two Hinduisms; one which takes its stand on the

kitchen and seeks its paradise by cleaning the body,

another which seeks God, not through the cooking pot

and the social convention, but in the soul. The latter is

also Hinduism and it is a good deal older and more

enduring than the other; it is the Hinduism of Bhishma

and Sri Krishna, of Shankara and Chaitanya, the

Hinduism which exceeds Hindusthan, was from of old

and will be for ever, because it grows eternally through

the aeons. – p.40 - RI&IC (Indian Spirituality and Life)

LXVII
 Sri Aurobindo not only made this distinction

between Hinduism of the kitchen and of the soul, he

went one step beyond this. He said that what we call the

truer and higher Hinduism is also of two kinds,

sectarian and unsectarian, disruptive and synthetic, that

which seeks a single aspect and that which seeks the

‘all’. The Hinduism which rises beyond theology and

scriptures, metaphysical certainities and cultural

determinisms is authentic Hinduism which is the

spiritual core of this civilization. –p.18 – India’s

Spiritual Destiny: Its Inevitability and Potentiality

Sri Aurobindo was a champion of Hindu religion, and was even a Hindu

revivalist. According to him, Hindu religion is really the eternal religion, because it is

the universal religion which embraces all others. It can triumph over materialism by

including and anticipating the discoveries of science and the speculations of

philosophy.

The truth that India has sought to serve through Hinduism is the truth

of the presence of the divine in the human. This is the master-key to human

progress and development. He has also discussed about Hindu culture and four

stages of life “Ashramas”

The Indian system did not entirely leave this

difficult growth to the individual’s unaided inner

initiative. It supplied him with a framework; it gave

him a scale and gradation for his life which could be

LXVIII
 made into a kind a ladder rising in that sense. This high

convenience was the object of the four Asramas. Life

was divided into four natural periods and each of them

marked out a stage in the working out of this cultural

idea of living. – p.174 – RI&IC (A Rationalistic Critic

on Indian Culture)

In an attempt to analyse and uphold Hinduism, Sri Aurobindo throws light on

meaningfulness of various systems advocated by the Hinduism. In one of the systems,

human life has been divided into four parts or Ashrams:

1. Brahmacharya (Student),

2. Grihastha (Householder),

3. Vanaprastha (Retirement from active life),

4. Sannyasa (Renunciation).

These four stages are also known as the Human cycle of Hinduism. Hindus

believe in the supremacy of God. In Hinduism, festivals have a paramount

importance. Every festival has a social, religious importance and it creates unity, love

and faithfulness amongst the people. It is a sacred duty to celebrate these festivals.

The sacred religious books like Mahabharata and Ramayana mould their minds. It

has absorbed many cultures and traditions. It is the oldest religion having no specific

founder. It advocates four Purusharthas or the four aims of human life. Sri Aurobindo

points out that India’s ancient civilisation was founded on the four pillars of human

life. While explaining the vital role of four Purusharthas in the life of a Hindu, he

writes:

LXIX
 The four great objects of his life, artha, kama,

dharma, moksha. Entering into the householder stage to

live out his knowledge, he was able to serve there the

three first human objects; he satisfied his natural being

and its interests and desire to take the joy of life, he

paid his debt to the society. In the third stage he retired

to the forest and worked out in a certain seclusion the

truth of his spirit. In the last stage of life he was free to

throw off every meaning tie and to wander over the

world in an extreme spiritual detachment from all the

forms of social life, satisfying only the barest

necessities, communing with the universal spirit,

making his soul ready for eternity. – p.175 – RI&IC (A

Rationalistic Critic on Indian Culture)

Indian Art:

In his essay on Indian Art, by which Sri Aurobindo means Architecture,

Sculpture, Painting, he answers the charge often made by Westerners that Indian art is

not realistic. Sri Aurobindo points out that much of the inspiration behind Western art

is outward life and external nature, whereas the purpose of Indian art is to disclose

through symbols some aspects of the infinitive divine self.

Sri Aurobindo states:

“This is the distinctive character of Indian art

and to ignore it is to fall into total incomprehension or

into much misunderstanding. Indian architecture,

LXX
 painting, sculpture are not only intimately one in

inspiration with the central things in Indian philosophy,

religion, Yoga, culture, but a specially intense

expression of their significance. There is much in the

literature which can be well enough appreciated

without any very deep entry into these things, but it is

comparatively a very small part of what is left of the

other arts, Hindu or Buddhistic, of which can be said.

They have been very largely a hieratic aesthetic script

of India’s spiritual, contemplative and religious

experience.” – p.269 – RI&IC (Indian Art)

The greatness of Indian art remember the virtue of its culture. Indian art has

its roots in ancient ages. It is based on three arts:

1. Architecture

2. Sculpture

3. Painting

According to Sri Aurobindo, architecture, sculpture and painting are three

great arts which appeal to the spirit through the eye. In them, the sensible and the

invisible meet with the strongest emphasis on themselves and yet the greatest

necessity of each other. The form with its insistent masses, proportions, lines,

colours, can here only justify them by their service for the something intangible

it has to express; the spirit needs all the possible help of the material body to

interpret itself through the eye, yet asks of it that it shall be as transparent a veil as

possible of its own greater significance.

LXXI
 Sri Aurobindo emphasises on the beauty of Indian art. He mentioned the

best examples of Indian architecture, sculpture and painting in his essays.

Sri Aurobindo focused and appreciated Indian art. It is a precious gift by God

and starts from ancient ages. It is one of the greatest achievement of India.

The theory of ancient Indian art at its greatest is

of another kind, if not its opposite. Its highest business

is to disclose something of the Self, the Infinite, the

Divine to the regard of the soul, the Self through its

expressions, the Infinite through its living, infinite

symbols, the Divine through his powers. Life is seen in

the self or in some suggestion of the Infinite or of

something beyond or there is at least a touch or

influence of those which helps to shape the

presentation. – p.270 - RI&IC (Indian Art)

Art shows the creativity of the human mind. The greatness of Indian art is the

greatness of all Indian thought and achievement.

Indian Literature:

Sri Aurobindo devotes his essays to the Vedas, the Upanishads and the two

heroic poems, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Vedic poetry is distinguished by

the constant awareness of the infinity and the ability to translate that into diverse

imagery. The Upanishads add an intellectual, philosophical dimension that is not

present in the Vedas. Indian literature expresses the Indian culture.

LXXII
 I have dwelt at this length on the literature

because it is, not indeed the complete, but still the most

varied and ample record of the culture of a people.

Three millenniums at least of a creation of this kind and

greatness are surely the evidence of a real and very

remarkable culture. – p.382 – RI&IC (Indian

Literature)

Literature is an autobiography of the world. Literature is the supreme work

of Indian mind. There are various types of literature: Fiction or Non – Fiction, Poetry,

Prose, Novel, Short Story, Drama. Literature is an art, it shows the expression and

creative mind of a human being. It does the study of human life and gives the lessons

in how to live a beautiful life. Literature builds the character. Building and nurturing

the character is the main task of literature. The great aim of literature is development

of civilization.

The vision of Sri Aurobindo is focused on Hindu religious literature like -

Mahabharta, Ramayana, Upanishads, Vedas, Bhagvad Gita.

The pure literature of the period is represented by the two great epics, the

Mahabharata, which gathered into its vast structure the greater part of the poetic

activity of the Indian mind during several centuries, and the Ramayana. These two

poems are epical in their motive and spirit and are entirely of their own kind and

subtly different from others in their principle.

The Mahabharata especially is not only the

story of the Bharatas, the epic of an early event

which had become a national tradition but on a vast

LXXIII
 scale the epic of the soul and religious and ethical mind

and social and political ideals and culture and life of

India. It is said popularly of it and with a certain

measure of truth that whatever is in India is in the

Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is the creation and

expression not of a single individual mind, but of the

mind of a nation; it is the poem of itself written by a

whole people – p.346 – RI&IC (Indian Literature)

The Mahabharata especially is not only the story of the Bharatas, the epic

of an early event which had become a national tradition but on a vast scale the epic

of the soul and religious and ethical mind and social and political ideals and culture

and life of India.

Mahabharata is the greatest epic with many virtuous and vicious characters.

They teach us valuable lessons through their life and living. They inspire and motivate

us to follow a virtuous path.

The Ramayana is a work of the same essential

kind as the Mahabharata; it differs only by a greater

simplicity of plan, a more delicate ideal temperament

and a finer glow of poetic warmth and colour. The main

bulk of the poem in spite of much accretion is evidently

by a single hand and has a less complex and more

obvious unity of structure. There is less of the

philosophic, more of the purely poetic mind, more of the

artist, less of the builder. The whole story is from

LXXIV
 beginning to end of one piece and there is no deviation

from the stream of the narrative. At the same time there

is a like vastness of vision, an even more wide-winged

flight of epic sublimity in the conception and sustained

richness of minute execution in the detail. – p.349 –

RI&IC (Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo also writes on another greatest epic ‘Ramayana.’ It has the

portrayal of ideals. The Ramayana embodied for the Indian imagination its highest

and tenderest human ideals of character. The diction of the Ramayana is shaped in a

more attractive mould, a marvel of sweetness and strength, lucidity and warmth and

grace.

In the vision of Sri Aurobindo, the Ramayana has a religious importance.

When we read Ramayana, we find wisdom, sacrifice, love, and human bonding. It

shows the loyalty. “ There is always someone better than the best, worse than the

worst.”

Sri Aurobindo states:

Mahabharta, Ramayana, Upanishads, Vedas,

Bhagvad Gita are the excellent example of Indian

literature. Sant Dnyaneshwar, Sant Kabir, Sant

Mirabai, Sant Tukaram, Rabindranath Tagore,

Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekanand, Lokmanya Tilak,

Mahatma Fule – the best - known writers and most

characteristic productions, though there is a very large

body of other work in different tongues of both the first

LXXV
 and the second excellence, - must surely be counted

among the greatest civilisations and the world’s most

developed and creative peoples. A mental activity so

great and of so fine a quality commencing more than

three thousand years ago and still not exhausted is

unique and the best and most undeniable witness to

something extraordinarily sound and vital in the

culture. – p.315 – RI&IC (Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo wrote thirty – seven volumes on various topics like

Philosophy, Yoga, Indian Culture and Art. He has given a very useful, valuable

message to mould the Indian society. He has appreciated a huge variety of

Indian Literature.

The Human Cycle The Ideal of Human Unity War and Self – Determination

is the third book under study. This book comprises three works on social and

political philosophy. It was first published in monthly instalments in the review

Arya between August 1916 and July 1920 under the title The Psychology of

social Development.

In The Human Cycle, Sri Aurobindo explores the evolution of human

society from a psychological perspective and traces its growth. Sri Aurobindo

suggests, spiritual age in which not only individuals but society itself will be

spiritualised.

LXXVI
The Cycle of Society:

This essay presents a comprehensive study of the everchanging cycle of

human society. With the movement of emancipation from the obsession of the all –

sufficiency of Matter and physical science there is the beginning of the perception of

psychological and even soul factors. The German thinker Lamprecht spoke of the

psychological stages of human society.

The theorist, Lamprecht, basing himself on

European and particularly on German history,

supposed that human society progresses through certain

distinct psychological stages which he terms

respectively symbolic, typal and conventional,

individualist and subjective. This development forms,

then, a sort of psychological cycle through which a

nation or a civilisation is bound to proceed. – p.6 –

HU&WD (The Cycle of Society)

In the early stages is seen the dominance of the symbolic mentality. The

symbol is of the vieled reality. It further passes through various stages to become

subjective.

We may note also in passing that the Indian

ideal of the relation between man and woman has

always been governed by the symbolism of the relation

between the Purusha and Prakriti (in the Veda Nri and

Gana), the male and female divine principles in the

universe. – p.8 – HU&WD (The Cycle of Society)

LXXVII
The Age of Individualism and Reason:

The age of individualism was born in Europe and there it exercised its full

sway; in the East it came by contact and influence. The triumphal progress of physical

science in the west was historically inevitable. It carried in it also the seed of

economic or governmental socialism leading to the suppression of individual freedom

itself. Sri Aurobindo points out its limitations:

The dawn of individualism is always a

questioning denial. But by what individual faculty or

standard shall the innovator find out his new foundation

or establish his new measures? Evidently, it will depend

upon the available enlightenment of the time and the

possible forms of knowledge to which he has access. –

p.16 – HU&WD (The Age of Individualism and

Reason)

The Coming of the Subjective Age :

The search for truth takes man to domains other than those of the physical

sciences and the critical and analytical reason. The subjective tendencies are growing

rapidly.

The inherent aim and effort and justification, the

psychological seed-cause, the whole tendancy of

development of an individualistic age of mankind, all go

back to the one dominant need of rediscovering the

substantial truths of life, thought and action which have

LXXVIII
 been overlaid by the falsehood of conventional

standards no longer alive to the truth of the ideas from

which their conventions started. – p.26 – HU&WD (The

Coming of the Subjective Age)

The Discovery of the Nation Soul :

A society, community or nation, like the individual, seeks its own self –

fulfillment, seeks to express in its own way the special truth and power of the cosmic

Spirit that is within it. This too is a being, a living power of the eternal Truth.

This aim in its fundamental, right, inevitable

because, even after all qualifications have been made

and caveats entered, the individual is not merely the

ephemeral physical creature, a form of mind and body

that aggregates and dissolves, but a being, a living

power of the eternal Truth, a self – manifesting spirit. –

p.35 – HU&WD (The Discovery of the Nation Soul)

True and False Subjectivism:

Subjectivism is a step towards self – knowledge and towards living in and

from the self. Everything depends on how that step is taken and to what kind of

subjectivity one arrives. The individual has told to two psychic truths; first, that the

ego is not the self, second, that he is not only himself, but is in solidarity with all

others.

LXXIX
 The subjective stage of human development is

that critical juncture in which, having gone forward

from symbols, types, conventions, having turned its gaze

superficially on the individual being to discover his

truth and right law of action and its relation to the

superficial and external truth and law of the universe,

our race begins to gaze deeper, to see and feel what is

behind the outside and below the surface and therefore

to live from within. – p.45 – HU&WD (True and False

Subjectivism)

The Objective and Subjective views of Life:

Objectivism and Subjectivism take the same problem in hand but one takes an

external and mechanical view, while the other proceeds from within and from the

standpoint of self – consciousness.

The principle of subjectivism entering into

human thought and action, while necessary it must

make a great difference in the view – point, the motive –

power and the character of our living does not at first

appear to make any differences in its factors. But

objectivism proceeding by the analytical reason takes

an external and mechanical view of the whole problem.

– p.57 – HU&WD (The Objective and Subjective views

of Life)

LXXX
The Ideal Law of Social Development :

All things are one in their origin and in their general law of existence, but each

realizes this unity of purpose and being on its own lines and has its own law of

enriching variation.

Freedom and harmony express the two

necessary principles of variation and oneness, -

freedom of the individual, the group, the race,

coordinated harmony of the individual’s forces and of

the efforts of all individuals in the group, of all group in

the race, of all races in the kind, - and these are the two

conditions of healthy progression and successful

arrival. – p.66 – HU&WD (The Ideal Law of Social

Development)

Civilisation and Barbarism:

The distinguishing characteristic of barbarism is the identification of man with

the body and the physical life.

Once we have determined that this rule of

perfect individuality and perfect reciprocity is the ideal

law for the individual, the community and the race and

that a perfect union and even oneness in a free diversity

is its goal. – p.66 – HU&WD (Civilisation and

Barbarism)

LXXXI
Civilisations and Culture:

The word civilisation has been used without fixed sense. The distinction to be

fixed between civilisation and culture is that of the development of mental activity in

the more evolved society as against the preoccupation with body and life in the

society. Culture means the pursuit of mental life.

In a civilized society there is still distinction

between the partially, crudely, conventionally civilized

and the cultured. It would seem therefore that the mere

participation in the ordinary benefits of civilisation is

not enough to raise a man into the mental life proper; a

farther development, a higher elevation is needed. –

p.87 – HU&WD (Civilisations and Culture)

Sri Aurobindo states that a human being most focus on the development of his

mental faculties. He also suggests the ways to achieve this goal:

It would seem at first sight that since man is pre

– eminently the mental being, the development of the

mental faculties and the richness of the mental life

should be his highest aim, - his preoccupying aim, even,

as soon as he has got rid of the obsession of the life and

body provided for the indispensable satisfaction of the

gross needs which our physical and animal nature

imposes on us. Knowledge, science, art, thought, ethics,

philosophy, religion, this is man’s real business, these

are his true affairs. To be is for him not merely to be

LXXXII
 born, grow up, marry, get his livelihood, support a

family and then die, - the vital and physical life, a

human edition of the animal round, a human

enlargement of the little animal sector and arc of the

divine circle; rather to become and grow mentally and

live with knowledge and power within himself as well as

from within outward in his manhood. But there is here a

double motive of Nature, an insistent duality in her

human purpose. - p.83 – HU&WD (Civilisations and

Culture)

Life starts from Nature, without nature human being can not survive. Human

life depends upon the nature. According to Sri Aurobindo, Nature is complimentary to

human life. Animals are also the part of nature. Self – knowledge and self – control is

useful for the development of human life. Knowledge makes man civilized. Culture

gives shape to human life and teaches the rules and regulations of life. That’s why

Civilisation and Culture play the important role in the development of society.

Civilisation means advantage of social development and Culture means the

way of life. Human life is full of individual and social responsibilities which he need

to shoulder from time to time and keep marching ahead towards fulfilment of all,

thereby achieving the goal of social development.

Sri Aurobindo lists the essentials of Social Development as follows:

1. Knowledge

2. Science

3. Art

LXXXIII
4. Religion

• Knowledge:

In the opinion of Sri Aurobindo ‘knowledge’ plays a pivotal role in achieving

the aim of social development. Knowledge means learning something new like facts,

information, skill and experience. Knowledge is essential for understanding the

problems of society.

Knowledge is very important for human existence. It is the process to develop

towards a greater perfection and it is essential for development of human mind.

• Science:

Living in the age of science, importance of science can not be ignored. Sri

Aurobindo was well aware of the role being played by science in human evolution.

We live under the reign of Science, a reign

which from the mouth of its hierophants claims to be

tyranny or at least an absolute monarchy. It makes this

claim by right of the great things it has done, of the

immense utilities with which it has served, helped,

strengthened, liberated, mankind, right knowledge of

the world, an increasing and already fabulous mastery

of Nature, a clear and free intellectual vision of things

and masterful dealing with them, liberation from the

fetters of ignorance, from blind subjection to authority,

from unquestioning political, social, religious and

LXXXIV
 cultural tradition with all their hindrance and their evil.

- p.413 – ED&H (Science)

Sri Aurobindo has clearly expressed his views on the importance and the role

of various branches of knowledge like Science, Art, Religion, Spirituality, etc. He has

also dealt at length with the forms of spirituality and how to attain it.

Science has been divided into two parts.

1. Natural Sciences: It studies the observation, prediction of daily lives and new

inventions. Science is very useful for developing the modern tecnologies in day to day

life. `

2. Social Sciences: Sociology, History, Economics are the branches of social

sciences.

Sociology studies human behaviour and society. It investigates and analyses

the problems of the society. After analyzing the problems the social policy is

applied for the welfare and development of the society. It is a social process.

History tells stories about the past, deeds of ancestors, heroes, God and

animals. It may be defined as an account that purports to be true of events and ways of

thinking and feeling in some part of the human past. History tells experiences and

gives lessons for the present condition. Knowledge of history is essential to secure

bright future avoiding past mistakes.

Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and

how economies work. Economics is important for an individual as well as for the

society. It can help to improve living standards and make society a better place.

LXXXV
• Art:

Art is an important part of life and studies of human activities. Art shows

artistic expression and the creativity. Art expresses the emotions, feelings. Art is also

a part of education. Art manifests itself in various forms like – music, painting,

sculpture, drawing etc. It narrates the tale of an era. Besides serving the function of

expressing self, the artist can also make use of art to earn the livelihood. Thus art

plays a pivotal role in social development.

• Religion:

India is a land of varied religions – Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddha,

Jain etc. Every person belongs to one religion of them. Every religion has a

paramount importance. Religion moulds an individual through its teaching, cultural

activities, rituals, festivals etc.

Sri Aurobindo states that the person performs his role according to religion.

Every religion teaches positive attitude towards life. The aim of religions is to mould

the human beings and to give meaning to life. Paths followed by different religions

may vary but they lead an individual to a common goal of spiritual upliftment.

Civilisation and culture plays an important role in moulding the human race

and taking it to the next level.It is not only essential for the progress and welfare of

society but also for an individual. Civilised and cultured individual can face the

challenges of life with equanimity and thereby contribute to the development of

society.

LXXXVI
 Thus, to evolve as a better human being one must climb up the steps of social

development through Knowledge, Science, Art and Religion. Development of the

mental faculties of man will make him civilized and cultured.

Aesthetic and Ethical Culture:

Will, conduct, character, self – discipline – these create the ethical man; the

sensibility to the beautiful creates the aesthetic man. These two types of individual

distrust, even oppose each other. Ethical conduct and aesthetic sense, both are

indispensable.

Sri Aurobindo states the ideal of true culture and an accomplished humanity in

following words:

To live principally in the activities of the sense –

mind, but in the activities of knowledge and reason and

a wide intellectual curiosity, the activities of the

cultivated aesthetic being, the activities of the

enlightened will which make for character and high

ethical ideals and a large human action, not to be

governed by our lower or our average mentality but by

truth and beauty and the self – ruling will is the ideal of

a true culture and the beginning of an accomplished

humanity. – p.94 – HU&WD (Aesthetic and Ethical

Culture)

LXXXVII
The Reason as Governer of Life:

Reason suffers from some inherent limitations in its attempt to be the governer

of our existence. With its nature of breaking things into parts and making artificial

classifications and systems it is unable to see life in its integrality. Reason can never

lay its hold on the Absolute, the Infinite that is at the very basis of our life.

Reason using the intilligent will for the ordering

of the inner and the outer life is undoubtedly the highest

developed faculty of man at his present point of

evolution, because the governing and self – governing

faculty in the complexities of our human existence. –

p.102 – HU&WD (The Reason as Governer of Life)

Reason and Religion:

The inmost essence of religion is the search of God and the aim and process

are suprarational. When the intellectual reason gazes at the realm of the religious

being of man and his religious life. Not only does religion aspire for the suprarational

life, it also touches the infrarational life of instincts, impulses and vital activities. As a

result, much impurity enters into the field of religion. Reason can be legitimately

expected to intervene in such cases for enlightenment, but here too it has its

limitations, the need being for suprarational illumination.

Sri Aurobindo writes:

It would seem then that reason is an insufficient,

often an inefficient, even a stumbling and at its best a

very partially enlightened guide for humanity in that

LXXXVIII
 great endeavour which is the real heart of human

progress and the inner justification of our existence as

souls, minds and bodies upon earth. Beyond man’s long

intelligent efforts towards a perfected culture and a

rational society there opens the old religious and

spiritual ideal, the hope of the kingdom of heaven within

us and the city of God upon earth. – p.125 – HU&WD

(Reason and Religion)

The Spiritual Aim and Life:

The normal human society begins from and ends with the lower nature, but a

spiritualised society seeks the possible godhead of man. The aim of a spiritual society

will be the realization of the highest destiny of man in life giving the widest freedom

to the people. The normal society treats man essentially as a physical, vital and mental

being. For the life, the mind, the body are the three terms of existence with which it

has some competence to deal.

The spiritual aim will recognise that man as he

grows in his being must have as much free space as

possible for all its members to grow in their own

strength, to find out themselves and their potentialities.

A large liberty will be the law of spiritual society and

the increase of freedom a sign of the growth of human

society towards the possibility of true spiritualisation. –

p.228 – HU&WD (The Spiritual Aim and Life)

LXXXIX
 The 20th century might well be described as the age of historical pessimism,

of an all – pervading sense of anxiety, frustration, mal – adjustment and inner

disintegration. Some of our deepest thinkers have concluded that there is no such

thing as history, that is, no meaningful order can be seen in the broad sweep of human

events.

The spiritual aim will recognise that man as he

grows in his being must have as much free space as

possible for all its members to grow in their own

strength, to find out themselves and their potentialities.

– p.228 - HU&WD (The Spiritual Aim and Life)

According to Sri Aurobindo, man is a social animal, who spends his life in

society. Nature creates some rules and regulations for the human life. The rules and

regulations should be followed by man. Spirituality enables human beings to lead a

happy life. A human society depends upon spirituality. Spirituality means peaceful

life.

For the life, the mind, the body, are the three

terms of existence with which it has some competence to

deal. It develops a system of mental growth and

efficiency, an intellectual, aesthetic and moral culture.

It evolves the vital side of human life and creates an

ever – growing system of economic efficiency and vital

enjoyment, and this system become more and more rich,

cumbrous and complex as civilization develops.

Depressing by its mental and vital overgrowth the

XC
 natural vigour of the physical and animal man. – p.222

- HU&WD (The Spiritual Aim and Life)

According to Sri Aurobindo, spirituality can be attained through following

acts:

• Awakening to Creative Energy:

Creative energy is the source of human life. It develops the human mind,

Human mind is a tool of knowledge. Creative energy develops all his physical, vital,

dynamic, emotional and psychic evolution and it is very helpful for the growth and

awakening of spirituality.

• Humour and Playfulness:

Humour and playfulness is very important for living a pleasant life. Every

man responds to humour. Most people are able to experience humour. It’s

controlled human health and emotion. It is a process of gladness.

• Feeling Loved and Guided by God:

All the religions like Hindu, Muslim, Buddha, Christian, etc. despite their

varied forms are bound by one common thread i.e. the presence of an omnipotent and

omnicient power called ‘God’. God pervades human existence. The believers felt

loved and guided at every step by the God. The virtuous never waver from the path of

truth. Thus the belief in God and the feeling of being loved and guided by God makes

the person an honest and truthful human being and helps him/her climb a step further

towards spirituality

XCI
• Kindness:

Kindness is a virtue than makes man, a human being. Being kind is being

human. Spirituality can not be attained without kindness.

• Discovering New Ideas:

Discovering new ideas means finding something new for the growth and

development of the human society. Investigate the problems of the society and find

out the solutions. It is a revolutionary and continuous process.

Sri Aurobindo states, a society founded upon spirituality is most valuable.

It justifies the mass of social institutions and

habitual ways of being which it thus creates by the

greater satisfaction and efficiency of the physical, the

vital and the mental life of man. – p.222 - HU&WD

(The Spiritual Aim and Life)

The ideal of human unity examines the possible unification of the human race.

The surfaces of life are easy to understand; their

laws, characteristic movements, practical utilities are

ready to our hand and we can seize on them and turn

them to account with a sufficient facility and rapidity.

But they do not carry us very far. They suffice for an

active superficial life from day to day, but they do not

solve the great problems of existence. – p.279 -

HU&WD (The Turn Towards – Its Necessityand

Dangers)

XCII
 Unity and humanity play an important role. Humanity is a need of society

and necessary at every step. It shows purity of character. Humanity cannot be

measured and it brings positive attitude towards life.

In the second section, ‘The Ideal of Human Unity’, Sri Aurobindo focused

on mankind towards a closer unification. Unity can be constructed through

administrative means, the unity of human race can only be made real if the highest

shared ideal of humanity spiritualises itself and becomes the inner law of life.

The Turn Towards Unity - Its Necessity and Dangers:

The communal and collective life of humanity, its moving power and its aim

are things obscure and complex for man’s group. Sociology gives a general story of

the past, history presents a confused stream of happenings; a deep knowledge is

absent. But one tendency that is coming to the foreground is towards human unity.

Today the ideal of human unity is more or less

vaguely making its way to the front of our

consciousness. – p.280 – HU&WD (The Turn Towards

– Its Necessity and Dangers)

In the past, we have seen the coming of tribes and clans, city states and

national states, kingdoms and empires with their advantages and disadvantages.

If we consider the past of humanity so far it is

known to us, we find that the interesting periods of

human life, the scenes in which it has been most richly

lived and has left behind it the most precious fruits,

were precisely those ages and countries in which

XCIII
 humanity was able to organize itself in little

independent centres acting intimately upon each other

but not fused into a single unity. – p.281 – HU&WD

(The Turn Towards – Its Necessity and Dangers)

Unity means the state of being one or to live together. The basic things of life

are very easy to understand. But we are able to solve the difficult problems of life.

Because life is struggle. We have to find out the solutions to each and every problem.

That’s why Sri Aurobindo emphasizes on “ The Ideal Of Human Unity.”

Many religions co – exist in India. Peaceful co- existence is difficult to

achieve without achieving the ideal of Human Unity. India as a land of variety with

her rich and varied heritage has a big role to play in uniting the world.

It is she who must send forth from herself the

future religion of the entire world, the Eternal Religion

which is to harmonise all religion, science and

philosophies and make mankind one soul. – p.39 –

Word – Roses A Souvenir and A Memento

Unity is needed for human race to survive and prosper. Divisions have been

made for convenience and not for dividing people. Only those having spiritual bend of

mind can comprehend the philosophy behind unity. It is a force which binds together

and adds strength.

Human history is full of many instances of the Herculean efforts of great

humanitarians who tried to preach and teach the importance of human unity. In India

XCIV
everyone is proud of the great humanitarians – Sant Gadge Baba, Rashtrasant Tukdoji

Maharaj, Mother Teresa, Dr. Prakash Baba Amte etc.

It is such exemplary, selfless service to society which makes one believe in the

divinity in man. Sri Aurobindo expects human beings to rise above materialistic world

view to attain divinity while still being a human.

Sri Aurobindo also worked for the human society. The participation of

Sri Aurobindo in Indian National Movement was short but impactful. He also

worked on the human evolution through spiritual activities such as ‘Integral Yoga’.

After leaving politics, he founded the “Aurobindo Ashram” for the welfare of

human development and dedicated himself to his spiritual work and

philosophical pursuits.

The Group and the Individual:

History and Sociology tells us of man as an individual in different group types.

The question in principle, regardless of the form of the state, remains whether the

individual is suppressed by the state.

History and Sociology tell us only – outside the

attempts of religious or other idealisms to arrive either

at a free solitude or a free assosciation of man as an

individual in the more or less organised group. – p.281

– HU&WD (The Group and the Individual)

XCV
Nation and Empire – Real and Political Unities:

At present the nation is a real, living unit, empires have been more as practical

rather than real, psychological units. It is a vital point for their role in human

unification.

At the present stage of human progress the

nation is the living collective unit of humanity. Empires

exist, but they are as yet only political and not real

units. – p.304 – HU&WD (Nation and Empire – Real

and Political Unities)

The Small Free Unit and the Larger Concentrated Unity:

The nation, the homogeneous empire, the heterogeneous empire established by

force, all these aggregates have given some actual gains to mankind and also inflicted

some wound on the complete human ideal.

The immediate past has actually created for us

the nation, the natural homogeneous empire of nations

kin in race and culture or united by geographical

necessity and mutual attractions, and the artificial

heterogeneous empire secured by conquest, maintained

by force, by yoke of law, by commercial and military

colonization, but not yet welded into true psychological

unities. – p.357 – HU&WD (The Small Free Unit and

the Larger Concentrated Unity)

XCVI
The Ancient Cycle of Prenational Empire Building – The Modern Cycle of

Nation Building:

In the mediaeval age, at several places, some new aggregates, instead of

forming themselves into firm nation – units, rushed to attempt larger empire

aggregates.

The ancient world started from the tribe, the city

state, the clan,the small regional state – all of them

minor units living in the midst of other like units which

were similar to them in a general type, kin usually in

language and most often or very largely in race, marked

off at least from other divisions of humanity by a

tendency towards a common civilisation and protected

in that community with each other and in their diversity

from others by favourable geographical circumstances.

– p.364 – HU&WD (The Ancient Cycle of Prenational

Empire Building – The Modern Cycle of Nation

Building)

In the modern cycle of nation – building we find three stages well evidenced

in Europe.

The European cycle of nation – building differs

therefore from the ancient cycle which led from the

regional and city state to the empire, first, in its not

overshooting itself by proceeding towards a larger

unification to the neglect of the necessary intermediate

XCVII
 aggregate, secondly, in its slow and ripening

progression through three successive stages by which

unity was secured and yet the constituent elements not

killed nor prematurely nor unduly oppressed by the

instruments of unification. – p.371 – HU&WD (The

Ancient Cycle of Prenational Empire Building – The

Modern Cycle of Nation Building)

The Problem of Uniformity and Liberty:

When the process of unification proceeds beyond the first looser formation

towards a more complete and vigorous unified order, a period of restriction and

constriction is likely to set in. In general three questions arise – that of regimentation

and liberty, that of the survival of the nation – unit, and that of uniformity and

diversity.

The principle of order, of uniformity is the

natural tendency of a period of unification. The

principle of liberty offers a natural obstacle to the

growth of uniformity and, although perfectly

reconcilable with a true order and easily coexistent with

an order already established into which it has been

fitted, is not so easily reconciled as a matter of practice

with a new order which demands from it new sacrifices

for which it is not yet psychologically prepared. – p.371

– HU&WD (The Problem of Uniformity and Liberty)

XCVIII
Nature’s Law in our Progress – Unity in Diversity, Law and Liberty :

Man’s mind, in comparison with the subhuman life, represents the conscious

part of Nature’s movement in the progressive self – realization and self – fulfillment

of the law, values and potentialities of her human way of living. If man could identify

himself with the secret knowledge and will behind Nature there would be no conflict.

Nature works through the individuals, communities and the totality of the race.

For nature there is no inherent conflict between unity and diversity, law and liberty.

The first natural aim of the individual must be

his own inner growth and fullness and its expression in

his outer life; but this he can only accomplish through

his relations with other individuals, to the various kinds

of community religious, social, cultural and political to

which he belongs and to the idea and need of humanity

at large. – p.421 – HU&WD (Nature’s Law in our

Progress – Unity in Diversity, Law and Liberty)

The Drive Towards Centralisation and Uniformity – Administration and Control

of Foreign Affairs:

The growth of national centralization is due to the necessity of compactness

and single – mindedness, also due to the need of a single and concentrated front

against other nations.

The growth of uniformity arises from the need of a close internal organization.

A visionary Sri Aurobindo visualizes the possibility of the World Unity.

XCIX
 Supposing the free grouping of the nations

according to their natural affinities, sentiments, sense of

economic and other convenience to be the final basis of

a stable world – union, the next question that arises is

what precisely would be the status of these nation –

units in the larger and more complex unity in mankind.

– p.437 – HU&WD (The Drive Towards

Centralisation and Uniformity – Administration and

Control of Foreign Affairs)

The Need of Military Unification:

The national authority needs psychological consent for itself from the people,

also it needs military force for defence against attacks from outside as well as against

internal rebellion and disorder. Similar will be the needs of an international authority

in the present conditions of mankind.

In the process of centralization by which all the

powers of an organized community came to be centered

in one sovereign governing body, - the process which

has been the most prominent characteristic of national

formations, - military necessity has played at the

beginning the largest overt part. This necessity was

both external and internal, - external for the defence of

the nation against disruption or subjection from

without, internal for its defence against civil disruption

C
 and disorder. – p.475 – HU&WD (The Need of

Military Unification)

War and the Need of Economic Unity:

The economic part of life has always been important to the organized

community. In the past, the lead was in the hands of the intellectual and political

classes. The dominance of commercialism is a modern sociological phenomena, and it

prefers peace, in actuality it is a state of covert war due to strife and rivalry being it

base.

The military necessity, the pressure of war

between nations and the need for prevention of war by

the assumption of force and authority in the hands of an

international body. The economic part of life is always

important to an organized community and even

fundamental; but in former times it was simply the first

need, it was not that which occupied the thoughts of

men, gave the tone to the social life. – p.485 – HU&WD

(War and the Need of Economic Unity)

Sri Aurobindo’s teaching states, Indian culture is very valuable to enlarge and

develop towards a greater and greater perfection. At the same time, Every person

must have humanitarian qualities. It plays an important role within every living

human creature. The vision and teachings of Sri Aurobindo is invaluable for the

development of personality for the realization of the self in order to achieve

perfection.

CI
 REFERENCES

 Banerjee, Aparna : Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Centre for Sri Aurobindo

Studies Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 2012.

 Chanda Poddar, Mona Sarkar and Bob Zwicker : Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom of

India, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, 1995.

 Deshpande, R. Y. : Sri Aurobindo and the New Millenium, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1999.

 Dutt, C. C. : The Culture of India As Envisaged by Sri Aurobindo, Bhavan’s Book

University, Bombay, 1960.

 Iyengar, K. R. Srinivasa : Sri Aurobindo A biography and a history, Sri Aurobindo

Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Minor, Robert Neil : Sri Aurobindo : The Perfect and the Good, Calcutta, 1978.

 Nadkarni, Mangesh : India’s Spiritual Destiny Its Inevitability and Potentiality, Sri

Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Nirodbaran : Sri Aurobindo for all ages – A Biography, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1990.

 Pandit, M. P. : Dictionary of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga, Twin Lakes, 1955.

 Poddar, Vijay : Human Unity, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1973.

 Poddar, Vijay : Helping Humanity, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1973.

 Purani, A. B. : On Art, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry,

Pondicherry, 1955.

CII
 Rishabhchand : Sri Aurobindo His Life Unique, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry,1981.

 Sethna, K. D. : The Vision and Work of Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1968.

 Sri Aurobindo : Ideal and Progress, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1946.

 Sri Aurobindo : On India, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1973.

 Sri Aurobindo : Essays in Philosophy and Yoga, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1978.

 Sri Aurobindo : Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings of Historical Interest, Sri

Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Sri Aurobindo : Letters on Himself and the Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2011.

 Sundar, Shyam : Human Unity and The Spiritual Age, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1976.

 Syed, M. H. : Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A Biography, Himalaya Publishing House Pvt.

Ltd., Mumbai, 2011.

 Vijay : Light for Students, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1978.

 Blossoming of Faith, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2016.

 Initiation into Yoga, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2015.

CIII
 Satyameva Jayate (Truth Triumphs), All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2015.

 Sri Aurobindo’s Message, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2015.

 The Teachings of Sri Aurobindo, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1994.

 The Way of Gratitude, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2015.

 Yoga of the Body, All India Magazine, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2015.

 www.sriaurobindoashram.org

 Sri Aurobindo Circle Library, Nagpur.

CIV
 Chapter 4

Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Introduction:

Sri Aurobindo is known throughout the world more as a philosopher than as a

poet or politician. But his philosophy was not born out of speculative thought process.

Aju Mukhopadhyay writes about Sri Aurobindo:

“A great scholar and poet, a revolutionary

politician, he grew from height to height. His

philosophy was based on his spiritual experiences

which guided him to a conviction of the existence of the

divine and the possibility of founding a Divine Life on

earth. The path to achieve the Divine Life was yoga.

Synthesizing all the ancient yogas, he founded a path

called Purna Yoga or Integral Yoga.” – Preface, Sri

Aurobindo: The Yogi of Divine Life

Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy can be classified into two main categoties –

spiritual philosophy and political philosophy. Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy is a fine

blend of the two. His politics was gradually moulded according to his spiritual

experiences and convictions. He was the founder of Spiritual Nationalism. He aimed

at bringing harmony and unity among mankind on spiritual basis. His ultimate aim

was the World Union on the basis of Divine Life on earth. To simplify and to

understand Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy an attempt has been made to study it under

following sub-divisions:

CV
1. Indian Philosophy

2. Concept of Evolution and Involution

3. Philosophical views on Education

4. Individual and Society

5. Philosophical views on Nationalism

6. From Political action to Spirituality

7. Views on Self – Determination

8. Concept of Supermind

9. Moral philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

10. Socio – Political philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

11. Religious and Philosophical Mission

12. Concepts of Uniformity and Liberty

13. The Divine Life

14. Philosophical views on Social Development

15. Philosophical views on Human Unity

CVI
Indian Philosophy:

Indian philosophy is based on – Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy,

Jain philosophy as these three religions originated in India.

Hindu Philosophy:

Hindu philosophy refers to a group of darsanas (philosophies, world views,

teachings that emerged in ancient India. The mainstream Hindu philosophy includes

six systems (Sadarsana) – Samakhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and

Vedanta. These are also called Astika (Orthodox) philosophical traditions and are

those that accept the Vedas as authorative, important source of knowledge.

Jain Philosophy:

Jain philosophy is the oldest Indian philosophy that seperates body from the

soul. Jain philosophy deals with reality, cosmology, epistemology. It attempts to

explain the rationale of being and existence, the nature of the universe and its

constituents, the nature of bondage and the means to achieve liberation.

Buddhist Philosophy:

Buddhist philosophy refers to the philosophical investigations and systems of

inquiry that developed among various Buddhist schools in India following the death

of Buddha and later period spread throughout Asia. Buddhism’s main concern has

always been freedom from dukkha (unease), and the path to that ultimate freedom

consists in ethical action (karma), meditation and in understanding the nature of

reality (prajna).

CVII
 Sri Aurobindo is one of the many philosophers in India who tried to show the

path of inner development to humanity.

Sources of Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy :

Sri Aurobindo was influenced by Greek philosophy. He was very much

impressed by Plato’s Republic and Symposium. According to him, Indian philosophy,

was a little better, but not much in the comparison to other philosophies. He founded

his own philosophy. Sri Aurobindo propounded a philosophy of divine life on earth

through spiritual evolution.

Sri Aurobindo appeals to keep awake when the

hour of God comes. One must cleanse the soul of all self

– deceit and hypocrisy and vain self – flattering. Only

then he is sure that, “a fire march before thee in the

night and the storm be thy helper and thy flag shall

wave on the highest height of the greatness that was to

be conquered.” – p.146 – ED&H (The Hour of God)

To attain the status of Superman, which according to Sri Aurobindo is

attainable for a human being, he has to arise and transcend himself and possess true

knowledge:

“He was the man – animal, he has become more

than the animal man. He is the thinker, the craftsman,

the seeker after beauty. He shall be more than the

thinker, he shall be the seer of knowledge, he shall be

more than the craftsman, he shall be the creator and

CVIII
 master of his creation.” – p.151 – ED&H (The Divine

Superman)

Thus equipped with immortal substance, infinite power of his being, whole

light and utter vision, a human being could become the superman – a being whose

mind has risen to Supermind.

Supermind is superman; therefore to rise beyond

mind is the condition to be a God. So Sri Aurobindo

advises the human being to be a power of God in

humanity. Supermind is something beyond mental man

and his limits, a greater consciousness than the highest

consciousness proper to human nature. - p.152 ED&H

(The Divine Superman)

Sri Aurobindo’s vision successfully constructs the image of man who has

achieved greatness. He mentions the conditions which enables him to reach the

supreme position:

“Man’s greatness is not in what he is but in

what he makes possible. His glory is that he is the

closed place and secret workshop of a living labour in

which supermanhood is made ready by a divine

craftsman.” – p.160 – ED&H (Man and the Supermind)

Sri Aurobindo explains the process of gaining true knowledge. He writes:

“True knowledge commences only when our

consciousness can pass beyond its present normal limit

CIX
 in man: for then it becomes directly aware of its self

and of the Power in the world and begins to have at

least an initial knowledge by identity which is the sole

true knowledge. – p.164 – ED&H (The Involved and

Evolving Godhead)

Unravelling the secret of earthly existence is the biggest challenge. Many have

attempted to find a fulfilling answer. Sri Aurobindo’s vision offers an easy

explanation.:

“All life here is a stage or a circumstances in an

unfolding progressive evolution of a Spirit that has

involved itself in Matter and is labouring to manifest

itself in that reluctant substance. This is the secret of

earthly existence.” – p.165 – ED&H (The Evolution of

Consciousness)

Sri Aurobindo feels that the meaning and purpose of the terrestrial evolution is

the gradual becoming of the Divine out of its own phenomenal opposites. Evolution is

nothing but the emancipation of a self – revealing soul secret in Form and Force, the

slow becoming of a Godhead, the growth of a spirit.

Talking about Man’s role and place in the process of evolution Sri Aurobindo

opines that Man is too small and imperfect to be the crown of all this travail of

Nature. He states that Man is not final, but a middle term only, a transitional being, an

instrumental intermediate creature.

CX
 Sri Aurobindo opines that the physical evolution

of man finished long ago. Present Man, according to

him, is a poor best result. He does not think that there

will be any superior creations in terms of physique.

Nature, the Divine Power worked patiently and

incessantly to form ‘a body erect and empowered to

think.’ Then she turned to her long hidden aim, her

ultimate business and true purpose – the development of

consciousness. He does not want to restrict the process

of evolution to this Earth only – ‘for the history of this

single earth is not all the story of evolution – other

earths there are even now elsewhere, and even here

many earth – cycles came before us, and many are

those that will come hereafter.” – p.167 – ED&H (The

Evolution of Consciousness)

Sri Aurobindo beautifully explains how the Nature is now engaged in

evolution of mind and not that of body, in his essay ‘The Evolution of

Consciousness.’

“Body appeared to evolve no more; life itself

evolved little or only so much in its cycles as would

serve to express Mind heighting and widening itself in

the living body; an unseen internal evolution was now

Nature’s great passion and purpose.” – p.168 – ED&H

(The Evolution of Consciousness)

CXI
 Thus, in conclusion, a visionary in Sri Aurobindo forsees a great possibility of

the process of evolution ending in a Man – God – Crown of the earthly cycles. But

even this, according to him is not the end of the process. There is something more to

it. He puts it in the following statement:

“But Mind is not all; for beyond mind is a

greater consciousness; there is a supermind and spirit.

As Nature laboured in the animal, the vital being, till

she could manifest out of him Man, the Manu, the

thinker, so she is labouring in Man, the mental being till

she can manifest out of him a spiritual and supramental

Godhead, the true conscious Seer, the knower by

identity, the embodied Transcendental and Universal in

the individual nature.”

Sri Aurobindo firmly believes that even after completing the process of

evolution uptill now, a stupendous leap still remains before Nature. She has proceeded

from matter to life, from life to mind. Now she must pass ‘from mind to supermind,

from man to superman.’ – p.168 – ED&H (The Evolution of Consciousness)

Sri Aurobindo feels that the job of Nature is not over. She has to perform the

supreme miracle before she can rest from her struggle. Only then she could stand ‘in

the radiance of that Supreme Consciousness, glorified, transmuted, satisfied with her

labour.’

Sri Aurobindo ultimately tells that after

concentrating on subhuman and afterwards – the

human, the Nature now aims at ‘the supramental, the

CXII
 superman, an unborn glory yet unachieved before her.’

– p.168 – ED&H (The Evolution of Consciousness)

Sri Aurobindo has pondered at length on ‘consciousness’ in ‘The Problem of

Consciousness.’ He gives utmost importance to consciousness in the process of

evolution.

“A body using consciousness is the first outward

physical fact of our existence, the first step of our

evolution; a consciousness using a body is its inner

spiritual reality, it is what we have become by our

evolution and more and more completely are [.] –

p.277 – ED&H (The Problem of Consciousness)

Human existence on the earth is a mystery which awaits unraveling. Many

attempts have been made yet the mystery still remains unsolved. Sri Aurobindo’s

vision enables him to find a logical explanation. He very clearly states:

“Our life is neither a freak of God nor a freak of

Nature; it has a conscious plan although a secret plan,

a significance although an occult and mystic

significance.” – p.287 – ED&H (The Problem of

Consciousness)

Sri Aurobindo believes that the plan and its significance remain hidden from

us because we live on the surface of ourselves and things. We are not in touch with

their core, height or depths, Science, Religion and Philosophy make attempts to arrive

CXIII
at hidden Truth, but they can touch only one end of it and fail to discover the other

end and reconcile relation between the two poles of existence.

Thus, as long as the three branches Science, Religion, and Philosophy are

divided by fine boundaries; it is difficult to explore the ‘truth.’ Science has discovered

evolution, whereas Religion and Philosophy have discovered something which is

involved and evolves in this cosmic Existence.

Evolution and Involution:

Sri Aurobindo acknowledges the presence of two processes. The descending

process is called Involution and the ascending process is called as Evolution.

Evolution reproduces in the reverse order the

process of descent of the Spirit in Involution, The order

of involution, as sketched by Sri Aurobindo is:

Existence, Consciousness-Force, Bliss, Supermind,

Mind, Psyche (or Soul), Life, Matter. The order of

evolution will, therefore, be: Matter, Life, Psyche (or

Soul), Mind, Supermind, Bliss, Consciousness-Force,

Existence. – p.143 – Sri Aurobindo Ghosh - A

Biography

Existence is the important process of evolution. It emerges from the stages of

matter, life and mind. These three concepts are related to each other. Human life

depends on these things. Matter is a physical substance. Mind is an important key to

life. Mind develops knowledge and it is very helpful for the evolution of human

society.

CXIV
 “A distinguishing feature of this theory of

evolution is that it considers evolution as a process of a

gradual development of consciousness.” – p.10 - Sri

Aurobindo’s Philosophy of Evolution

Involution is the process of energy creation. It emerges the timeless, spaceless,

ineffable, immutable Reality.

Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophical Views on Education:

Education is an important part of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. It is very

essential for human evolution as well as for the development of human society.

Education moulds student’s personality and his character which is important for

nation building. Education examines the goals and meaning of life. It solves social

issues and problems. Sri Aurobindo believes that, Education is a continuous

process. It is continuing growth of learners and teachers. It develops attitudes, skills,

increases the excellence and gives insight into and living life. It improves

understanding and moulds human personality by instilling virtues like - sincerity,

honesty, courage, unselfishness, patience, endurance, preservance, peace, self –

control. It also inculcates virtues like – Truthfulness, Gratitude, Faith, Kindness.

Generally, education may be viewed as an

investment into the future. When a society deliberately

devotes much of its resources in order to improve the

abilities of its young members it can expect a great

increase in the quality of performance in all fields. It

is generally accepted that education helps to develop

skills and knowledge so that the reservoir of human

CXV
 wisdom may increase. But today we realise that apart

from skilled technicians and first-rate scientists and

business leaders we need moral leaders who with their

intellectual, moral and spiritual wisdom will help

eradicate or at least lessen conflicts both among

people and also among nations. When we take human

development to be our primary objective, such

development should be given primary importance. –

p.103 - Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

The two important concepts of Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy of Education are:

1. Make – up of the Individual

2. Individual and Society

• Make – up of the Individual :

1. Every person must have an aim and should be motivated to do something in

life.

2. Every person should be optimistic and for this, meditation and yoga are very

useful. Sri Aurobindo explained the importance of meditation and yoga. It fills the

mind with positive thoughts.

3. Creative thinking creates positive energy, emotions and feelings and these things

develop the mind of human being.

4. Fitness plays a very important role and inner stability develops a human mind and

life also.

CXVI
• Individual and Society :

In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo one finds very close relationship between

individual and society. No human being can live without society and society

cannot exist without an individual. Society controls the behaviour of man. Every

society has its own rules and regulations and they teach how to lead life. Every

member of the society has to follow the terms and conditions of society. The

individual lives in society and performs role in society.

“The inevitable aim of nature says Sri

Aurobindo, is the perfection of the individual in a

perfected society or eventually in a perfected

humanity.” – p.182 – Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A

Biography and a history

Man is a social animal and needs society for lifetime. The individual

depends on the society for lifetime. The dependence of an individual on the society

is just like the dependence of a child on his parents. The aim of the society is to

provide a happy life for the individual. Society is the collection of individuals. Man

is a social animal not by nature but it is the necessity of life. Man fulfils social,

mental and physical needs with the help of society. He is not able to fulfil the needs

like food, clothing, shelter, health and education. He can not live a single day without

taking support of the society.

According to Sri Aurobindo, There are three main stages of the process of

evolution. The stages are as follows:

1. the infra – rational or the symbolic stage.

CXVII
2. the rational or the intermediary stage.

3. the supra – rational or the spiritual stage.

In the Infra – rational stage, men in the mass

are guided primarily by instincts, impulses, desires,

need and circumstances, and not by intelligence or

rationality. This stage is also called Symbolic.

Society proceeds from the infra – rational or the

symbolic stage to the rational stage. The supra –

rational or the spiritual stage belongs to the future

when man in the collectivity will begin to live neither

primarily by the infra – rational instincts and

impulses nor by the rationality but his greater self and

spirit. Man will develop progressively his supra –

intellect, his intuitive and perhaps in the end a more

than even intuitive, a Gnostic consciousness as a

prerquisite to the transformation and perfection of

society. - pp.183,184 – Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A

Biography and a history

Sri Aurobindo followed spirituality. It is very important for the development

of individual and the society. Spirituality teaches us the perfection of life. He

gives more importance to the individual in the comparison to the society because

individual represents the society.

Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy is based on idealism, pragmatism, spiritualism,

realism and yoga. For him yoga is life. It is a process of liberation from sufferings,

CXVIII
pains of evils and freedom from the barriers. The philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is

focused on education and it is very useful for the development of human mind.

According to Sri Aurobindo, the duty of teacher is to show the path of

knowledge to student and guide him to gain knowledge.

To know the inner capacity and self realization is the basic responsibility

of human being and it comes from education. It is very important to

understanding of the self or soul. To develop personality of human being, four

qualities should be imbibed - love, knowledge, power and beauty of mind.

Education is not only important for the development of an individual but also for the

development of the society.

Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophical Views on Nationalism:

Sri Aurobindo’s life spans pre – independence and well as post –

independence period. He was a witness to the evils of British Rule. He warned every

Indian to get rid of his slave mentality. Hence he made ‘Nationalism’ an important

part of his philosophy.

 Sri Aurobindo’s Concept of Nation:

The nationalistic philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is very clear and transparent.

He explains our duties and responsibilities towards nation. He says that our nation is

not a piece of earth but it is our motherland. We should take care of motherland like

our mother.

The term nation denotes a human group which

has a more or less defined territory, a certain closeness

of contact, a common language, culture, tradition

CXIX
 clearly distinguishing the nation from other nations and

non-national groups, certain interests common to

individual members, and a certain degree of common

feeling or common will. When such a group of people is

able to secure for itself the right of self-

determination, it becomes a nation. Thus, Sri

Aurobindo’s concept of India as a nation is far deeper

than mere patriotism that everyone is expected to feel

for one’s country. – p.181- RI&IC

Sri Aurobindo is also known as a national leader as well as a revolutionary.

He fought for the freedom of India. In 1906, Sri Aurobindo went to Bengal and

worked for Bande Mataram. It was the finest newspaper, which was started by Sir

Bipin Chandra Pal and Sri Aurobindo, the editor of this newspaper. They voiced their

demand for freedom through its newspaper. The Bande Mataram soon became a

very famous newspaper.

IN 1904, Sri Aurobindo made a journey to

eastern Bengal … partly to visit some of the

revolutionary centers already formed, but also to meet

leading men in the districts and find out the general

attitude of the country and the possibilities of the

revolutionary movement. His experience in this journey

persuaded him that secret action or preparation by itself

was not likely to be effective if there were not also a

wide public movement which would create a universal

patriotic idea of independence as the ideal and aim of

CXX
 Indian politics. It was this conviction that determined

his later action. – p.50 – RI&IC

In 1907, Sri Aurobindo comes forward as the leader of the Nationalist Party

in Bengal. He got publicity as a political leader who worked very efficiently against

British government for the freedom of India. In the same year, Sri Aurobindo

went to Surat to attend the session of Indian National Congress Sri Aurobindo

was the President of Surat Congress.

In 1908, Sri Aurobindo was arrested for conspiracy of Alipore Bomb Case.

As a prisoner, he spent one year in Alipore Jail.

In the early period of his political career, Sri Aurobindo did not fully

participate actively in fighting for freedom. His contribution was limited to

writing the articles in Indu Prakash. Then, he decided to spend his life for the

welfare of India. Gandhiji had started the “Swadeshi Movement” and “Non –

Cooperation Movement” These movements were started to end the British Rule.

Sri Aurobindo had given his full support to these movements. The aim of the

Swadeshi movement was to eradicate the poverty of Indian people.

Sri Aurobindo’s attempt at a close organization

of the whole [revolutionary] movement did not succeed,

but the movement itself did not suffer by that, for the

general idea was taken up and activity of many separate

groups led to a greater and more widespread diffusion

of the revolutionary drive and its action. Afterwards

there came the partition of Bengal and a general

outburst of revolt which favored the rise of the extremist

CXXI
 party and the great Nationalist movement. Sri

Aurobindo’s activities were then turned more and more

in this direction and the secret action became a

secondary and subordinate element. He took advantage,

however, of the Swadeshi movement to popularise the

idea of violent revolt in the future. – pp.50,51 – Sri

Aurobindo and the Freedom of India

At last, Sri Aurobindo left politics. He was not willing to compromise or

sacrifice his spiritual work which was very important for the development of

India. In 1910, Sri Aurobindo ended his political career. But his aspirations and

guidance proved to be very important for the freedom of India as well as for the

upliftment of individual soul.

From Political Action to Spirituality:

After leaving active politics in 1910, Sri Aurobindo decided to devote

himself fully to spiritual upliftment of self and humanity. With this purpose in

mind he set up ‘Aurobindo Ashram’ in Pondicherry in 1926. He offered the lessons

of yoga and spiritual discipline, meditations to the Ashramites.

The spiritual aim will recognise that man as he

grows in his being must have as much free space as

possible for all its members to grow in their own

strength, to find out themselves and their potentialities.

– p.228 – HU&WD (The Spiritual Aim and Life)

CXXII
Views on Self – Determination :

Sri Aurobindo states:

“Its invention is a sign at once of a growing

clarity of conception about this great good which man

has been striving to achieve for himself through the

centuries, as yet without any satisfying success to boast

of anywhere, and of the increasing subjectivity of our

ideas about life.” – p.623 - HU&WD (Self –

Determination)

Determination is the discovery of self. It teaches what is our responsibility

and what I want to do in my life for myself and for the society. It is the self –

realization to achieve success.

The most important characteristics of Self – Determination are as follows:

1. Self – Expression

2. Liberty

3. Experience

4. The human mind

Self – determination shows our thinking power, quality of life, aim of life.

It expresses the thoughts. It has four important characteristics.

CXXIII
1. Self – Expression :

Self – expression is the natural ability. But, we should understand how to

express ourselves in different situations. Self – expression shows your character

and attitude to life. Self – expression builds the image of an individual. It is

something from which the others form an opinion about you. Every individual’s

response is unique to a particular situation. These responses are influenced by various

factors – learning, intelligence, logical and analytical abilities, perception of the world

around etc. Self – expression is an important characteristic of Self – determination.

2. Liberty :

Being a freedom fighter himself, Sri Aurobindo deeply understands the

meaning and value of the term ‘liberty.’ Though he himself considers ‘liberty’ as

indefinable, he makes an attempt to simplify and explain the term:

Liberty, according to Sri Aurobindo is a state of being. Liberty could be

attained by allowing the growth of a divine power within. This spiritual power will

determine what to make of its external circumstances and environment. This process

is called self-determination.

“Liberty in one shape or another ranks

among the most ancient and certainly among the

most difficult aspirations of our race: it arises from a

radical instinct of our being and is yet opposed to all

our circumstances; it is our eternal good and our

condition of perfection, but our temporal being has

failed to find its key. That perhaps is because true

CXXIV
 freedom is only possible if we live in the infinite, live,

as the Vedanta bids us, in and from our self – existent

being; but our natural and temporal energies seek for it

at first not in ourselves, but in our external conditions.

This great indefinable thing, liberty, is in its highest

and ultimate sense a state of being: it is self living in

itself and determining by its own energy what it shall be

inwardly and, eventually, by the growth of a divine

spiritual power within determining too what it shall

make of its external circumstances and environment;

that is the largest and freest sense of self –

determination.” – pp.623,624 - HU&WD (Self –

Determination)

His above mentioned analysis of the term ‘liberty’ beautifully shows how in

liberty, the divine spiritual power within a human being can help him take decisions

without fear or apprehension. He aptly describes it as ‘self - determination’

3. Experience :

Experience is the best school. It makes a person wise. ‘Experience’ finds

an important place in Aurobindo’s philosophy, Experience enables one to achieve

what one wants to. It makes man perfect as it gives him insight to avoid past

mistakes. Value of experience is expressed by Sri Aurobindo in following words,

“The attempt to govern life by an increasing

light of thought rather than allow the rough and

imperfect actualities of life to govern and to limit the

CXXV
 mind is a distinct sign of advance in human progress.”

– p.626 - HU&WD (Self – Determination)

4.The human mind :

Self – determination totally depends on human mind. A right idea of the

human mind may help to set us on the way to discover something new which is

important to the human life. The human mind is a box of thoughts, emotions etc. It

is the mind which absorbs and analyses the events around and finally makes choice –

right or wrong; depending upon ones mould. These choices, in the form of opinions

contribute to self – determination.

Sri Aurobindo writes, “ The principle of self –

determination really means this that within every

living human creature, man, woman and child, and

equally within every distinct human collectivity

growing or grown, half developed or adult there is a

self , a being, which has the right to grow in its own

way, to find itself, to make its life a full and a satisfied

instrument and image of its being. This is the first

principle which must contain and overtop all others; the

rest is a question of conditions, means, expedients,

accommodations, opportunities, capacities, limitations,

none of which must be allowed to abrogate the

sovereignty of the first essential principle. But it can

only prevail if it is understood with a right idea of

this self and its needs and claims. The first danger

CXXVI
 of the principle of self – determination, as of all

others, is that it may be interpreted, like most of the

ideals of our human existence in the past, in the light

of the ego, its interests and its will towards self –

satisfaction. So interpreted it will carry us no farther

than before; we shall arrive at a point where our

principle is brought up short, fails us, turns into a false

or a half – true assertion of the mind and a

convention of form which covers realities that are

quite the opposite of itself.” – pp.626,627 - HU&WD

(Self – Determination)

Thus, Sri Aurobindo seems well aware of the threat of ‘Ego’ to ‘self –

determination.’ If polluted by ‘Ego’, the Self Determination will lose its purity and

force. In such condition it would not carry human being any forward. This complex

philosophical relationship between two abstract things is beautifully and lucidly

expressed by Sri Aurobindo.

The Supermind :

In Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, Supermind is the creative aspect of

Sachchidananda. Sri Aurobindo calls it the “ Real Idea”, real because it is

simultaneously knowledge and will. Supermind means an exceptional mind as well

as a powerful combination of many minds.

Anthropomorphically speaking, the Supermind,

perhaps, is God conceived as the Lord and Creator.

However, this Lord and Creator is not to be confused

CXXVII
 with the Ishvara of the Vedanta or the Demiurge of

Plato. The Ishvara of the Vedanta is not the Absolute in

its pure, untarnished form, but is the reflection thereof

in Maya in terms of Time and Space and Causality. -

p.147 - Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A Biography

Sri Aurobindo classified the Supermind into four parts.

1. Overmind

2. Intuitive Mind

3. Illumined Mind

4. Higher Mind

• Overmind :

Overmind means the leading or controlling mind in a groupmind. Overmind

has four Sovereign daities which are Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalaxmi,

Mahasaraswati. According to Hindu philosophy, these are the greatest Goddesses.

• Intuitive Mind :

Intuitive mind means known or perceived by intuition. In hierarchy,

Intuitive mind is below the Overmind. Intuitive mind is to receive the truths of

the Supermind. The intuitive mind is the giver of inventions and discoveries.

• Illumined Mind :

The power of the Illumined Mind is one of “Vision” not “thought” Sri

Aurobindo describes a consciousness that proceeds by sight, the consciousness of the

seer, is a greater power for knowledge than the consciousness of the thinker.

CXXVIII
• Higher Mind :

Higher Mind which again is self – explanatory in that it is above the ordinary

or the lower mind which essentially aims at satisfaction of its desires, impulses and

limited life objectives, using its limited consciousness.

The descent of the Supermind through

Overmind, Intuitive Mind, Illumined Mind, Higher Mind

and Mind is that the light of the Supermind goes

through a process of differentiation, limitation and

obscuration progressively, as it were. To speak in

the rhetorical language of Sri Aurobindo, bliss turns

into sorrow; truth into falsehood; knowledge into

ignorance; life into death. – p.148 - Sri Aurobindo

Ghosh – A Biography

Supermind and the Life Divine :

Sri Aurobindo discussed about the life divine. According to him, divine life

is the ideal thing for every person. It comes from spiritual mind. Divine life is a

evolution of our nature. Divine life is the existence of spirituality.

Supermind is the creative aspect of Sachchidananda. Sri Aurobindo calls

it the “Real Idea”.

The aims of divine life are to speak the truth, to speak with love, avoid non

– violence and pray to God with full devotion. We can see the beautiful example of

divine life in Hindu’s sacred books like Mahabharata, Ramayana, Gita, Veda

etc. According to divine life, God is omnipotent and Supermind depends on the

CXXIX
God and his existence. Every person should acquire knowledge of God, divine works

and devotion to God. Supermind is the fulfillment of the divine life.

Moral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo :

The philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is focused on human development. He

wrote on philosophy, politics, literature. In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, he

has given much more importance to the development of human being and

humanity also. He says that it is not impossible to change the human life from the

lower stage to the higher stage. i.e. the evolution is our moral responsibility.

In his philosophy, man occupies a crucial

position in the evolutionary development of the

universe from the simple to the complex. Man’s

development, in this process, involves moving beyond

the egoistic clash of individuals to their

harmonisation through inner growth. The question is

what role of morality is in the process? Sri Aurobindo

has addressed the two central issues of moral

philosophy – the problem of evil and freedom of the

will. – p.56 - Integral philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo tries to give justice to the complexity of the human situation.

The morality of Sri Aurobindo is the view of man’s journey of self – transcendence in

this world.

CXXX
Socio – Political Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo :

History of humanity dates back to the times when people were savage.

Gradually they started living in tribes and villages. With the advent of science and

technology, the scenario changed. Larger and modern societies came into being. It

again was ‘Human Unity’ which played an important role in binding the members of

society with a common bond. Human Unity is maintained through understanding each

other

Sri Aurobindo defines the concept of freedom and democracy. What is the

demand of society in politics? Political activist should listen to the problems of

human beings. The concept of freedom and democracy are very useful for the

progress and development of the society.

• Freedom:

When India was under the British rule, Sri Aurobindo demanded freedom for

India and he mentioned it in his philosophy. Every human being has the right

to live his life happily according to his wish or Free will, Political freedom,

Freedom of choice, Freedom of speech, Economic freedom, Academic freedom,

Freedom of justice etc.

• Democracy:

‘Democracy’ finds an important place in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. He

supports and appreciates ‘Democracy’ as an ‘ideal’ on which nations should be built.

In his opinion, democracy offers an opportunity to grow as per his free will.

In his detailed historical study of the

evolution of human communities, Sri Aurobindo

CXXXI
 points out that a major change in the modern

individualistic world has come about through the

concept of democracy. Any political ideal that denies

the members of a society their full development of

capacities, is no longer acceptable. The organismic

ideal of society considers individuals as members of an

anthill. But now, man’s rights to live and grow are no

longer considered to be dependent on his social

function alone. This is the ideal on the basis of which

nations have to be moulded. Sri Aurobindo points out

that as long as the land is literally taken to be the basis

of unity, true national identity fails to emerge; for its

real units are the people. – pp.6,7 - Integral

Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo’s Socio – Political Philosophy also depends on the natural

unity.

Religious and Philosophical Mission :

Sri Aurobindo’s religious and philosophical mission was to explore Vedic and

Upanishadic knowledge to establish a Yogic Sadhana which will liberate the soul and

help human beings restore ‘Satya Yuga’ He believed firmly that India as a land of rich

philosophical knowledge would lead the world to exist as ‘perfect humanity’. His

Aurobindo Ashram at Pondicherry is the place where he started taking steps in this

direction. His own words clarify his thoughts.

CXXXII
 My future Sadhan is for life, practical

knowledge and Shakti, not the essential knowledge and

Shakti, not the essential knowledge or Shakti in itself

which I have got already, but knowledge and Shakti

established in the same physical self and directed to my

work in life. I am now getting a clearer idea of that

work and I may as well impart something of that

idea to you; since you look to me as the centre, you

should know what is likely to radiate out of that centre.

1. To re – explain the Sanatana Dharma to

the human intellect in all its parts, from a new

standpoint. This work is already beginning, and three

parts of it are being clearly worked out. Sri Krishna has

shown me the true meaning of the Vedas, not only so,

but he has shown me a new Science of Philology

showing the process and origins of human speech so

that a new Nirukta can be formed and the new

interpretation of the Veda based upon it. He has also

shown me the meaning of all in the Upanishads that is

not understood either by Indians or Europeans. I have

therefore to re – explain the whole Vedanta and Veda

in such a way that it will be seen how all religion

arises out of it and is one everywhere. In this way it

will be proved that India is the centre of the religious

CXXXIII
life of the world and its destined saviour through the

Sanatana Dharma.

2. On the basis of Vedic Knowledge, to

establish a Yogic Sadhana which will not only liberate

the soul, but prepare a perfect humanity and help in the

restoration of the Satya Yuga. That work has to begin

now but it will not be complete till the end of the

Kali.

3. India being the centre, to work for her

restoration to her proper place in the world; but this

restoration must be effected as a part of the above

work and by means of Yoga applied to human means

and instruments, not otherwise.

4. A perfect humanity being intended, society

will have to be remodelled so as to be fit to contain that

perfection….

I have also begun but on a very small

scale the second part of my work which will consist in

making men for the new age by imparting whatever

Siddhi I get to those who are chosen. From this point

of view our little colony here is a sort of seed plot, a

laboratory. The things I work out in it, are then

extended outside. Here the work is progressing at

last on definite lines and with a certain steadiness,

CXXXIV
 not very rapid, but still definite results are forming. –

pp.144,145 - Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom of India

This bit lengthy quotation makes clear the idea of Sri Aurobindo’s

philosophical mission. Aurobindo Ashram thus becomes a laboratory where Sri

Aurobindo did Sadhana to attain Siddhi so that it could be given to a chosen few who

in turn, would use it to nourish and nurture an evolved society.

God – The One Reality :

According to Sri Aurobindo, God is an omnipresent reality which is based

on the truth of existence and this existence forms the beginning, middle and end of

all.

All beings from the Divine, from the Eternal,

from the Infinite, all abides in it alone and by it alone,

all ends or culminates in the divine Eternal and Infinite.

This is the first postulate indispensable for our

spiritual seeking – for on no other base can we find the

highest knowledge and the highest life.

All time moves in the Eternal; all space is

spread in the Infinite; all creatures and creations live

by that in them which is Divine. This is patently true of

an inner spiritual but also proves in the end to be true

of this outer space and time. It is known to our inmost

being that it lives because it is part of the Divine, but it

is true also of the external and phenomenol creature

CXXXV
 compounded of ignorant Mind, blind life and

subconscious Matter. – p.179 – ED&H (God – The One

Reality)

The concept of God starts from Divine, Eternal and Infinite. Consciousness

of God is the greater existence. It is eternal and infinite, absolute or perfect. Eternal

is timeless and beyond the spatial infinite and infinstesmial the infinity of the

infinite is spaceless. God is the universal truth of life. Human life depends on

the being of God. It is infinite and divine. We can arrive at a perfect life and true

knowledge. According to every religion, God is the supreme ruler.

Uniformity and Liberty :

Uniformity means the state or quality of being uniform. The development

and progress of human society is based on uniformity. Uniformity is very helpful for

the human unity. The ideal of uniformity should have every department of human

activities like – uniformity of knowledge, political life, social habits, economical life,

education, religion and etc. The unification of mankind is the important part of

evolution.

The principal of order, of uniformity is the

natural tendency of a period of unification. The

principle of liberty offers a natural obstacle to the

growth of uniformity and, although perfectly

reconcilable with a true order and easily co – existent

with an order already established into which it has been

fitted, is not so easily reconciled as a matter of practice

with a new order which demands from it new sacrifices

CXXXVI
 for which it is not yet psychologically prepared. This in

itself need not matter, for all movement forward implies

a certain amount of friction and difficulty of

adjustment; and if in the process liberty suffered a few

shocks on one side, and order a few shocks on the other,

they would still shake down easily enough into a new

adjustment after a certain amount of experience.

The principle of authority and order will attempt

a mechanical organization; the principle of liberty will

resist and claim a more flexible, free and spacious

system. – p.405 – HU&WD (The Problem of

Uniformity and Liberty)

Liberty means free will, independence and freedom. Liberty is the source of

progress and development of society. It is an important concept of democracy but it

demands discipline and has certain limitations too. Liberty is the part of uniformity.

All men are equal and we are the creation of God. That’s why every human being has

rights or liberties to enjoy a happy and peaceful life.

The philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is based on humanity. Humanity is a integral

part of life and it means extending unconditional love to each and every living being.

Uniformity and Liberty are the integral part of humanity.

The Divine Life :

In the view of Sri Aurobindo, The divine life is a necessity to know about

ourselves and fulfilling our ultimate destiny. The destiny of mankind is to evolve our

CXXXVII
present life to the higher life. Human beings think our life is imperfect because of the

insufficient expression of the consciousness of Being. It is not easy to say mental life

is over and the divine life starts because Divine helps in the making of the higher life.

It illuminates the mind and life. Our outer life is visible to us but it is very important

for every individual to realise the inner life.

When I spoke of being faithful to the light of

the soul and the divine Call, I was not referring to

anything in the past or to any lapse on your part. I was

simply suggesting the great need in all crises and

attacks, - to refuse to listen any suggestions, impulses,

lures and to oppose to them all the call of the Truth, the

imperative beckoning of the Light. In all doubt and

depression, to say “I belong to the Divine. – p.10 – The

Golden Bridge

The Divine Life is an essential part of an individual for him/her to achieve the

self – revelation, self – finding and a spiritual completeness of itself in life.

Philosophical Views on Social Development :

The philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is based on the development of the society.

Development shows the result of the capacities of society and it is the process of

human being. Social development is ultimately the improvement and progress of an

individual. Individual is the basic unit of society.

CXXXVIII
 The important factors of the development of society are as follows :

1. Man

2. Society

3. Humanity

• Man :

The development of the society depends on Man’s progress. He is the

important factor of social existence. In one of his essays “The Ideal Law of Social

Development” Sri Aurobindo writes:

Man, the mental being in Nature, is especially

distinguished from her less developed creatures by a

greater power of individuality, by the liberation of the

mental consciousness which enables him finally to

understand more and more himself and his law of being

and his development, by the liberation of the mental will

which enables him under the secret control of the

universal Will to manage more and more the materials

and lines of his development and by the capacity in the

end to go beyond himself, beyond his mentality and

open his consciousness into that from which mind, life

and body proceed.

According to the law and nature of human

existence, but of human existence fulfilled in God and

fulfilling God in the world – both himself and the world

CXXXIX
 is the destiny of man and the object of his individual

and social existence. He needs the help of the secret

Divine. – pp.64,65 – HU&WD (The Ideal Law of

Social Development)

Man is the creation of God and it is universal truth. The principle of man is to

develop himself and fulfill his life. In the development of life, the awareness of self –

realization and the liberation of the mental consciousness play an important role and

will of man is the secret of success. Every man should understand responsibilities for

the remodeling of society. The true law of our development and the entire object of

our social existence is God. God has a paramount importance in the progress of man

as well as the development of the society. To achieve the destiny, man needs the

divine help. Freedom and harmony are the two concepts for the healthy growth of

individual and his successful arrival. Man is the supreme creation of God for the

higher evolution. The progress of individual is the need of society.

• Society:

Human society is an integral part and attempt for any type of success of the

man. Society guides each and every individual for the progress and development of

life.

The object of all society should be, therefore ,

and must become, as man grows conscious of his real

being, nature and destiny and not as now only of a part

of it, first to provide the conditions of life and growth by

which individual Man, - not isolated men or a class or a

privileged race, but all individual men according to

CXL
 their capacity, - and the race through the growth of its

individuals may travel towards this divine perfection. –

p.65 – HU&WD (The Ideal Law of Social

Development)

The future of society depends on the individuals. Individual’s progress is

essential for a constructive society. The ideal law for the society is to perfect the

individuality because the existence of society depends on individuals or group of

individuals. The relation between individual and society is very close. Society makes

the condition of life and every human being should follow the rules and regulations of

society. Society doesn’t exist without individual. That’s why the development of

individuals is the target of society.

• Humanity:

Humanity is the soul of society. It is focused on social justice.

The community stands as a mid – term and

intermediary value between the individual and humanity

and it exists not merely for itself, but for the one and the

other and to help them to fulfil each other. The

individual has to live in humanity as well as humanity in

the individual. The community has to stand for a time to

the individual for humanity even at cost of standing

between him and it and limiting the reach of his

universality and the wideness of his sympathies. Still the

CXLI
 absolute claim of the community, the society or the

nation to make its growth, perfection, greatness, the

sole object of human life or to exist for itself alone as

against the individual and the rest of humanity. – p.69

– HU&WD (The Ideal Law of Social Development)

Humanity enriches the life of society. The law of social development is to

perfect the individuality with the help of humanity. The law of humanity is to give

equal treatment and to love each and every living being who are born in so called

high or low class of society. Humanity is a free development of an individual as well

as the society. It enriches the standard of living of human being. Humanity means to

help others without any expectation.

Philosophical views on Human Unity:

According to Sri Aurobindo, if we understand the importance of human

unity in our day to day life, the purpose for which they are on Earth is automatically

fulfilled. Human unity is the basic need for the progress of society.

Sri Aurobindo said, we should spend our life for the sake of our motherland. It

shows humanity towards our country. Human unity is a need of society and it is

necessary at every step.

The Ideal Solution – A Free Grouping of Mankind:

Grouping being necessary, there should be a system of free and natural

groupings in place of forced and artificial ones. Though the nation is at present the

natural unit, there are suggestions of multi-national groupings; but the national egoism

and imperial instinct are the opposing forces.

CXLII
 The principles of the ideal solution founded on

the essential and constant tendencies of Nature in the

development of human life ought clearly to be the

governing ideas in any intelligent attempt at the

unification of the human race. – p.427 – HU&WD (The

Ideal Solution – A Free Grouping of Mankind)

The Need for Administrative Unity:

Sri Aurobindo emphasizes upon the need for Administrative Unity to

achieve the higher aim of Human Unity. Administrative Unity comprises of

Education, Military and Police. It exists when there is co-ordination between all units.

Spiritual upliftment of human being is not possible in an atmosphere of utter chaos.

Administrative Unity could result into International Socialism – which should be the

collective aim of human society and a first step towards greater goal of achieving

human unity.

Socialism pursued to its full development means

the destruction of the distinction between political and

social activities; it means the socialisation of the

common life and its subjection in all its parts to its own

organised government and administration. Nothing

small or great escapes its purview. Birth and marriage,

labour and character, the socialistic sense leaves

nothing outside its scope and its busy intolerant control.

Therefore, granting an international Socialism, neither

the politics nor the social life of the separate peoples is

CXLIII
 likely to escape the centralised control of the World –

State.

Uniformity is becoming more and more the law

of the world; it is becoming more and more difficult, in

spite of sentiment and in spite of conscious efforts of

conservation and revival, for local individualities to

survive. – p.499 – HU&WD (The Ideal Solution – A

Free Grouping of Mankind)

Administrative unity is needed to maintain order in the growth and

development of a country as an orderly unit of the humanity as a whole. Nation

devoid of unity can never progress.

According to Sri Aurobindo, the following points come under the influence of

administration:

• Education:

Education is an important facet of administrative unity. It is a great liberating

as well as unifying force. Education is the process of learning or acquiring the

knowledge. Education system started from ancient ages. Fame of ancient Indian

Education System had spread to different corners of the world. Many aspirants from

far off places like China would come to India in search of knowledge.

Today education is a fundamental right. The doors of education are open to all

irrespective of one’s social or economic status. Education has played a pivotal role in

the progress of humanity on all fronts.

CXLIV
 In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Education is an integral part of human

life. It is very important for the human evolution.

• Military and Police:

Military and Police is an important pillar on which the strength of

administration rests. Maintaining law and order is an important duty of the State.

This has been achieved through Military and Police. Sri Aurobindo supports the

convergence of power in the form of Judiciary, Military and Police to achieve the

higher aim of administrative unity further culminating into the highest aim of

achieving human unity.

The gathering of the essential powers of

administration into the hands of the sovereign is

completed when there is unity and uniformity of judicial

administration, - especially of the criminal side; for this

is intimately connected with the maintenance of

order and internal peace. – p.451 - HU&WD (The

Drive towards Legislative and Social Centralisation and

Uniformity)

Military and Police is responsible for maintenance of law and order. It is an

organization, where people work together towards a common goal. The purpose of

Military and Police is to protect the citizens.

CXLV
Diversity in Oneness:

The human race is moving towards unity which it will realise one day.

But unity is not uniformity.

Uniformity is not the law of life. Life exists by

diversity; it insists that every group, every being shall

be, even while one with all the rest in its universality,

yet by some principle or ordered detail of variation

unique. – p.513 – HU&WD (Diversity in Oneness)

The instance of the need of a common language and diverse language rises for

consideration.

Diversity of language serves two important

ends of the human spirit, a use of unification and a use

of variation. A language helps to bring those who speak

it into a certain large unity of growing thought, formed

temperament, ripening spirit – p.515 – HU&WD

(Diversity in Oneness)

The Religion of Humanity:

The aim of the religion of humanity was formulated in the eighteenth century

by a sort of primal intuition, the re – creation of human society in the image of the

triple ideal of liberty, equality and fraternity. The aim is realisable and the

psychological change for human unity possible, if this religion becomes a spiritual

aspiration and rule of living instead of remaining a mere intellectual and sentimental

ideal.

CXLVI
 The religion of humanity was mind – born in the

eighteenth century, the manasa putra of the rationalist

thinkers who brought it forward as a substitute for the

formal spiritualism of ecclesiastical Christianity. It

tried to give itself a body in positivism, which was an

attempt to formulate the dogmas of this religion, but on

too heavily and severely rationalistic a basis for

acceptance even by an Age of Reason. Humanitarianism

has been its most prominent emotional result. – p.564 –

HU&WD (The Religion of Humanity)

While it is possible to construct a human unity by administrative and political

means, it will be a mechanical unity and a precarious one, the unity will be real and

secure if the spiritual religion of humanity becomes the inner law of life.

There are many religions in India. But humanity is above all religions. It

shows social understanding of the society. Humanity is the duty and the responsibility

of every person. It should be the aim of human spirit. The concept of humanity is

related to the mind of man. It is a self training and self development.

In India, there is great influence of religion. It is our responsibility to give

respect to all religions. Humanity is social responsibility. It has no class or religion.

It is essential for the progress and happiness of the society. It establishes political,

social, legal and liberal equality.

Sri Aurobindo states:

CXLVII
 A religion of humanity may be either an

intellectual and sentimental ideal, a living dogma with

intellectual, psychological and practical effects, or else

a spiritual aspiration and rule of living, partly the cause

of a change of soul in humanity. The intellectual

religion of humanity already to a certain extent exists,

partly as a conscious creed in the minds of a few, partly

as a potent shadow in the consciousness of the race. –

p.451 - HU&WD (The Religion of Humanity)

The religion of humanity should be practiced by every member of the society

to achieve the higher goal of peaceful co – existence and further evolution towards

betterment.

The philosophy of Sri Aurobindo guides an individual to achieve the higher

aim of human evolution by focusing on physical, intellectual and spiritual growth. A

human being, thus evolved, can contribute to the better human society and in turn, a

better world where the dream of peaceful co – existence and the possibility of further

mental evolution of a human being into a superhuman is possible.

CXLVIII
 REFERENCES

 Banerjee, Aparna : Integral Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Decent Books, Kolkata,

2012.

 Chanda Poddar, Mona Sarkar and Bob Zwicker : Sri Aurobindo and the Freedom of

India, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry,

1995.

 Iyengar, K. R. Srinivasa : Sri Aurobindo A biography and a history, Sri Aurobindo

Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Joshi, Kireet : Sri Aurobindo and the Mother: Glimpses of their Experiments,

Experiences, and Realisations, Delhi, 1989.

 Joshi, Kireet : Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy of Education, Delhi, 2012.

 Maitra, S. K. : An Introduction to the Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo

Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1965.

 Nirodbaran : Sri Aurobindo for all ages – A Biography, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1990.

 Pavitra, (P.B. Saint- Hilaire). : Education and the Aim of Human Life, Sri Aurobindo

Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2002.

 Purani, A.B. : The Life of Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1978.

 Reddy, Manmohan : Glimpse of Sri Aurobindo’s Philosophy, Hyderabad.

 Rishabhchand : Sri Aurobindo His Life Unique, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry,1981.

 Sharma, Ram : Education of Women and Freedom Movement, Discovery, 1996.

CXLIX
 Sri Aurobindo : On Nationalism, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department,

Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1965.

 Sri Aurobindo : Essays in Philosophy and Yoga, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication

Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1978.

 Sri Aurobindo : Autobiographical Notes and Other Writings of Historical Interest, Sri

Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry, 2006.

 Sri Aurobindo : Letters on Himself and the Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 2011.

 Sundar, Shyam : Human Unity and The Spiritual Age, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Publication Department, Pondicherry, Pondicherry, 1976.

 Sundaram, V. : Great Crusader for Women’s Emancipation, News Today, 2005.

 Syed, M. H. : Sri Aurobindo Ghosh – A Biography, Himalaya Publishing House Pvt.

Ltd., Mumbai, 2011.

 Wolpert, A.S., Tilak and Gokhale: Revolution and Reforms in the Making of Modern

India, Berkely: University of California Press, 1962.

 www.sriaurobindoashram.org

 Sri Aurobindo Circle Library, Nagpur.

CL
 Chapter 5

Prose Style of The Essays of Sri Aurobindo Ghosh

Sri Aurobindo was a versatile writer who dealt effectively with different forms

of literature like poetry, stories, drama and essay. He is one of the renowned essayists

in English. He had chosen English language as a medium of expression to explain his

vision and philosophy for the progress of human society. He started writing to convey

the message on various issues like Freedom of India, human unity, spiritual

upliftment, yoga, etc.

The principle writings of Sri Aurobindo are Essays in Philosophy and Yoga,

Essays on the Gita, Essays Divine and Human, Bande Mataram, The Renaissance in

India and Other Essays on Indian Culture, Savitri – A Legend and a Symbol, The

Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self – Determination.

He wrote Essays Divine and Human, to develop a vision of philosophy and

yoga. The reason behind the writing The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on

Indian Culture, is to analyse Indian Culture, Indian Spirituality, Religion, Art and

Polity. In The Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self –

Determination, he has given valuable guidelines for human unity.

His essays are the most important contribution to English essay. The content

of his essays is important for human conduct. We notice human unity in the essays of

Sri Aurobindo. His humanity governs his wit.

The prose style of Sri Aurobindo’s essays has certain features. The most

discerning features of Sri Aurobindo’s essays are as follows:

CLI
1. Lucidity

2. The Use of Long Sentences

3. The Use of Aphorisms

4. Scholarly References

• Lucidity:

A deep perusal of Sri Aurobindo essays makes us realise that the style of

Sri Aurobindo is characterized by lucidity. Sri Aurobindo most often writes in a

chaste style. In other words, Sri Aurobindo’s prose style is expressive and elevated.

Sri Aurobindo makes use of only the most appropriate words and puts them into

excellent combinations, constructing sentences suffused with perfect meaning. The

subject matter of his essays demands long, involved sentences in order to portray

complex philosophical ideas. He writes his essays with utmost care in the most

unambiguous terms.

Sri Aurobindo writes not only in a dignified, elegant and scholarly style but

his style is also a model of lucidity and clarity. Philosophical concepts are often

complex and very difficult to explain in simple manner. Yet Sri Aurobindo, as a

writer, is successful in offering explanations in lucid language. The most remarkable

quality of his style is its lucidity.

‘Moksha’ is a complex religious concept. Attempts have been made to explain

it in the simplest form. Sri Aurobindo’s explanation of ‘Moksha’ as freedom and

‘bondage’ as well as ‘freedom from bondage’ as an ‘illusion’ is easily

comprehensible, unique and original. In his unique style he succeeds in urging us to

undo the ties with the materialistic world at our pleasure.

CLII
 The pessimists have made moksha synonymous

with annihilation or dissolution, but its true meaning is

freedom. He who is free from bondage, is free, is mukta.

But the last bondage is the passion for liberation itself

which must be renounced before the soul can be

perfectly free, and the last knowledge is the realization

that there is none bound, none desirous of freedom, but

the soul is for ever and perfectly free, that bondage is

an illusion and the liberation from bondage is an

illusion. Not only are we bound but in play, the mimic

knots are of such a nature that we ourselves we can at

our pleasure undo them. - p.6 – ED& H (Moksha)

Sri Aurobindo explains, the concept of ‘Renaissance’ in simple form and

lucid style. The renaissance means a new birth and it has great importance not only in

India but also in the world. It’s a time to change the old idea into new spirit and in

ideal things.

There is a first question, whether at all there is

really a Renaissance in India. That depends a good deal

on what we mean by the word; it depends also on what

we mean by the word; it depends also on the future, for

the thing itself is only in its infancy and it is too early to

say to what it may lead. – p.3 - RI&C (The Renaissance

in India)

CLIII
 The thoughts mentioned in the essays are light and clear. Sri Aurobindo

suggests, the development and richness of human life depends on knowledge,

science, art and religion. These four concepts are not only essential for the progress

and welfare of social development but also for perfect and happy life.

It would seem at first sight that since man is pre

– eminently the mental being, the development of the

mental faculties and the richness of the mental life

should be his highest aim, - his preoccupying aim, even,

as soon as he has got rid of the obsession of the life and

body provided for the indispensable satisfaction of the

gross needs which our physical and animal nature

imposes on us. Knowledge, science, art, thought, ethics,

philosophy, religion, this is man’s real business, these

are his true affairs. To be is for him not merely to be

born, grow up, marry, get his livelihood, support a

family and then die, - the vital and physical life, a

human edition of the animal round, a human

enlargement of the little animal sector and arc of the

divine circle; rather to become and grow mentally and

live with knowledge and power within himself as well as

from within outward is his manhood. But there is here a

double motive of Nature, an insistent duality in her

human purpose. – p.83 – HU&WD (Civilisation and

Culture)

CLIV
 Thus, while stating that the highest aim of human life is the development of

mental faculties, Sri Aurobindo makes use of long involved sentences, yet the flow of

words and the diction is such that the idea finds a beautiful expression, quite like a

slowly blooming flower whose real beauty is revealed, once it is fully bloomed. Sri

Aurobindo’s essays, are characterized by a number of such expressions wherein he

has simplified the complex philosophical terms effortlessly and beautifully, avoiding

any use of bombastic words or ornate prose.

• The Use of Long Sentences:

Sri Aurobindo sometimes makes use of very long sentences, which seems

inevitable as certain philosophical ideas need long and complex explanations. The

average reader may sometimes find them difficult to comprehend. One often comes

across such lengthy sentences in his essays.

To explain the concept of God, Sri Aurobindo makes use of a long sentence.

Sometimes it becomes necessary for the writer to use long, involved sentences to

explain a complex concept or idea. ‘God’ for Sri Aurobindo is something beyond

good and evil. It is something universal. Concepts of good and evil are for the purpose

of valuation only. To make this idea comprehensible he finds a rather long and

involved sentence suitable.

God is beyond good and evil, not below them,

not existing and limited by them, not even above them,

but in a more absolute sense excedent and transcendent

of the ideas of good and evil. He exceeds them in his

universality; they exist in him, but the values of good

and evil which we give to things is not their divine or

CLV
 universal value, they are only their practical value

created by us in our psychological and dynamic

dealings with life. God recognizes them and seems to

deal with us on the basis of this valuation of life, but

only to such an extent as may serve his purpose in

Nature. – p.148 – ED&H (Beyond Good and Evil)

Sri Aurobindo suggests, spirituality is the master key of the Indian mind.

The Indian society founded upon spirituality and it enables human beings to lead a

happy life. It is an essential feature of the developed human mind.

The concept ‘Spirituality’ can not be explained in a few words. It is very

difficult to comprehend. To make it comprehensible, he had to use long involved

sentences.

Spirituality is indeed the master – key of the

Indian mind; the sense of the infinite is native to it.

India saw from the beginning, - and, even in her ages of

reason and her age of increasing ignorance, she never

lost hold of the insight, - that life cannot be rightly seen

in the sole light, cannot be perfectly lived in the sole

power of its externalities. She was alive to the greatness

of material laws and forces; she had a keen eye for the

importance of the physical sciences; she knew how to

organize the arts of ordinary life. But she saw that the

physical does not get its full sense until it stands in right

relation to the supra – physical; she saw that the

CLVI
 complexity of the universe could not be explained in the

present terms of man or seen by his superficial sight,

that there were other powers behind, other powers

within man himself of which he is normally unaware,

that he is conscious only of a small part of himself, that

the invisible always surrounds the visible, the

suprasensible the sensible, even as infinity always

surround the finite. – pp.6,7 – RI&IC (The Renaissance

in India)

Long sentences is the characteristics of Sri Aurobindo’s prose style. Though

Sri Aurobindo sometimes makes use of long and involved sentences in his essays,

they reflect the clarity of thoughts and thus enriches the style and he applies this style

for explaining the social development. Knowledge and experience play a pivotal role

in the development of nation.

ONCE WE have determined that this rule of

perfect individuality and perfect reciprocity is the ideal

law for the individual, the community and the race and

that a perfect union and even oneness in a free diversity

is its goal, we have to try to see more clearly what we

mean when we say that self – realization is the sense,

secret or overt, of individual and of social development.

As yet we have not to deal with the race, with mankind

as a unity; the nation is still our largest compact and

living unit. And it is best to begin with the individual,

both because of his nature we have a completer and

CLVII
 nearer knowledge and experience than of the aggregate

soul and life and because the society of nation is, even

in its greater complexity, a larger, a composite

individual, the collective Man. The development of the

free individual is, we have said, the first condition for

the development of the perfect society. - p.73 –

HU&WD (Civilisation and Barbarism)

• The Use of Aphorisms:

Sri Aurobindo is the master of aphorisms. He has the capacity of expressing

his ideas in a few words. One very important and valuable features of Sri Aurobindo’s

style is his capacity to write condensed sentences conveying weighty meaning. Sri

Aurobindo can write the short, pithy sentence with the greatest ease.

Here are a few examples of such sentences:

The evolution has a purpose, but it is a purpose

in a circle. It is not a straight line or other figure of

progression from the not to the is, from the less to the

more. – p. 219 – ED&H (Nature : The World –

Manifestation)

There is no beginning or end of the Universe in

space or time; for the universe is the manifestation of

the Eternal and Infinite. – p. 219 – ED&H (Nature :

The World – Manifestation)

CLVIII
 There are two allied powers in man;

knowledge & wisdom. Knowledge is so much of the

truth seen in a distorted medium as the mind

arrives at by groping, wisdom what the eye of

divine vision sees in the spirit. – p. 423 – ED&H

(Thoughts and Aphorisms)

Because God is invincibly great, He can afford

to be weak; because He is immutably pure, He can

indulge with impunity in sin; He knows eternally all

delight, therefore He tastes also the delight of pain; He

is inalienably wise, therefore He has not debarred

Himself from folly. – p.430 – ED&H (Thoughts and

Aphorisms)

• Scholarly References:

Sri Aurobindo’s essays are replete with scholarly references. His in - depth

study of various branches of knowledge finds expression every now and then in his

essays. For the sake of convenience the use of scholarly references in Sri Aurobindo’s

essays can be studied under following heads:

1. Philosophical Vision

2. Reading of Ancient Literature

3. Knowledge of Indian Art

4. Knowledge of Science

5. Reflection of Humanism

CLIX
 Philosophical Vision:

Sri Aurobindo wrote for the purpose of putting forth his philosophy. Hence his

essays reflect his philosophical vision. The thoughts mentioned in the essays are

philosophical in nature. The philosophical thoughts are highly polished and refined.

Every essay by Sri Aurobindo reflects a philosophy about the development of

society.

Sri Aurobindo believes in the omnipotent quality of God. He says, “God is

Yoga.” Yoga is a divine quality. The aim of yoga is a divine perfection. It helps create

positive thoughts in human mind. He says that yoga is the invention of human mind.

Yoga is useful for self – perfection, physical fitness and for transforming human life.

He suggests,

Yoga is not only a discovery of our concealed

spiritual status but a dynamic spiritual self–creation; a

triple transformation is the heart of its process and the

revelation of its entire significance. .

Its first step is the unveiling of the soul; for there

[is a] secret psychic being, a divine element in our

depths that is concealed even more than garbed by the

mind, body and life. – p.369 ED&H (Integral Yoga)

Sri Aurobindo believes, the greatness of Indian civilization is an important

part of Indian culture.

I have spoken hitherto of the greatness of Indian

civilization in the things most important to human

CLX
 culture, those activities that raise man to his noblest

potentialities as a mental, a spiritual, religious,

intellectual, ethical, aesthetic being, and in all these

matters the cavillings of the critics break down before

the height and largeness and profundity revealed when

we look at the whole and all its parts in the light of a

true understanding of the spirit and intention and a

close discerning regard on the actual achievement of

the culture. There is revealed not only a great

civilization, but one of the half dozen greatest of which

we have a still existing record. But there are many who

would admit the greatness of the achievement of India

in the things of the mind and the spirit, but would still

point out that she has failed in life, her culture has not

resulted in a strong, successful or progressive

organization of life such as Europe shows to us, and

that in the end at least the highest part of her mind

turned away from life to asceticism and an inactive and

world – shunning pursuit by the individual of his

personal spiritual salvation. Or at most she has come

only to a certain point and then there has been an arrest

and decadence. – p. 384 – RI&C (Indian Polity)

 Reading of Ancient Literature:

Ancient Indian Literature influenced Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts greatly. Being

an avid reader he read voraciously everything including the Vedas, Upanishads,

CLXI
Ramayana and Mahabharata. Scholarly references to these find mention quite often in

Sri Aurobindo’s essays. The way he makes use of his knowledge of ancient literature

not just Indian but also of the other civilisations in the world is indeed praiseworthy.

In justification of his extensive dwelling on literature he writes:

I have dwelt at this length on the literature

because it is, not indeed the complete, but still the most

varied and ample record of the culture of a people.

Three milleniums at least of a creation of this kind and

greatness are surely the evidence of a real and very

remarkable culture. – p. 382 – RI&IC (Indian

Literature)

Sri Aurobindo’s conclusive remarks on the greatness of Vedas, Upanishads,

Mahabharata and Ramayana reflect his deep knowledge of Ancient Indian Literature.

In the essay on Indian literature, Sri Aurobindo has focused on the great

civilisation and creative thinking of Indian people. He had thorough knowledge of

India’s best known writers and characteristic productions of their great works. He

writes about the wide range of ancient Indian Literature that has made India great

civilisation:

The Veda and the Upanishads, the mighty

structures of the Mahabharata and Ramayana,

Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti and Bhartrihari and Jayadeva

and the other rich creations of classical Indian drama

and poetry and romance, the Dhammapada and the

Jatakas, the Panchatantra, Tulsidas, Vidyapati and

CLXII
 Chandidas and Ramprasad, Ramdas and Tukaram,

Tiruvalluvar and Kamban and the songs of Nanak and

Kabir and Mirabai and the southern Shiva saints and

the Alwars. – to name only the best – known writers and

most characteristic productions, though there is a very

large body of other work in the different tongues of both

the first and the second excellence, - must surely be

counted among the great civilisations and the world’s

most developed and creative peoples. – p.315 – RI&IC

(Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo suggests that, the Veda and the Upanishads are the genius and

supreme creation of India. It has a unique culture and civilisation. It is a book of

knowledge. The Vedas teach spiritual intuition and psychological and religious

experience.

The Veda gave us the first types and figures of

these things as seen and formed by an imaged spiritual

intuition and psychological and religious experience;

the Upanishads constantly breaking through and

beyond form and symbol and image without entirely

abandoning them, since always they come in as

accompaniment or undertone, reveal in a unique kind of

poetry the ultimate and unsurpassable truths of self and

God and man and the world and its principles and

powers in their most essential, their profoundest and

most intimate and their most ample realities, - highest

CLXIII
 mysteries and clarities vividly seen in an irresistible, an

unwalled perception that has got through the intuitive

and psychological to the sheer spiritual vision – p.318

RI&IC (Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo was well – versed in Sanskrit language. Scriptures are mostly in

Sanskrit. Sri Aurobindo studied the Ancient Indian Literature in Sanskrit. He often

quotes from a number of Sanskrit texts with ease.

Here are a few examples of Vedas which are used in his essays:

kavaye nivacana ninya vacamisi – p.320 – RI&IC

(Indian Literature)

tad esa rcabhyukta – p.321 – RI&IC (Indian Literature)

ekam sad vipra bahudha vadanti – p.321 – RI&IC

(Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo calls Veda a sacred literature which explains a spiritual

experience. The veda is the psychological seed of Indian culture.

According to Sri Aurobindo, the Upanishads are philosophical and sublimest

poetry. It is the greatest creation of the thoughts. It is the expression of highest

spiritual knowledge and truth which is very important for the conduct of human life.

The Upanishads are the creation of a revelatory

and intuitive mind and its illumined experience, and all

their substance, structure, phrase, imagery, movement

are determined by and stamped with this original

CLXIV
 character. These supreme and all – embracing truths,

these visions of oneness and self and a universal divine

being are cast into brief and monumental phrases which

bring them at once before the soul’s eye and make them

real and imperative to its aspiration and experience or

are couched in poetic sentences full of revealing power

and suggestive thought – colour that discover a whole

finite through a finite image. – p.333 – RI&IC (Indian

Literature)

The Vedas and the Upanishads are not only the excellent examples of Indian

philosophy but of all Indian art, poetry and literature.

Sri Aurobindo often mentions two great epics in his essays, the Mahabharata

and the Ramayana. These two poems are spiritual and inspirational.

Sri Aurobindo did the detailed study of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

He explained the greatness of these two epics. He writes:

These epics are therefore not a mere mass of

untransmuted legend and folklore, as is ignorantly

objected, but a highly artistic representation of intimate

significances of life, the living presentment of a strong

and noble thinking, a developed ethical and aesthetic

mind and a high social and political ideal, the ensouled

image of a great culture. – p.353 – RI&IC (Indian

Literature)

CLXV
 Sri Aurobindo studied the classical age of the ancient literature. Kalidasa was

a classical Sanskrit writer. Sanskrit is one of the ancient languages in India. It is the

philosophical language of Hinduism. Kalidasa is also known as the greatest poet in

Sanskrit language. Sri Aurobindo was the admirer of Kalidasa’s poetry.

The great representative poet of this age is

Kalidasa. He establishes a type which was preparing

before and endured after him with more or less of

additional decoration, but substantially unchanged

through the centuries. His poems are the perfect and

harminously designed model of a kind and substance

that others cast always into similar forms but with a

genius inferior in power or less rhythmically balanced,

faultless and whole. The art of poetic speech in

Kalidasa’s period reaches an extraordinary perfection.

– p.357 – RI&IC (Indian Literature)

Sri Aurobindo has also discussed ancient Marathi religious poetry. He was

familiar with Maharashtrian poet–saints like Sant Ramdas, Sant Tukaram. His

indepth knowledge of saint literature in Marathi finds reflection in his essays:

The first Marathi poet is at once a devotee, a

yogin and a thinker; the poetry of the saint Ramdas,

assosciated with the birth and awakening of a nation, is

almost entirely a stream of religious ethical thinking

raised to the lyrical pitch; and it is the penetrating truth

and fervor of a thought arising from the heart of

CLXVI
 devotion that makes the charm and power of Tukaram’s

songs. – p.380 – RI&IC (Indian Literature)

 Knowledge of Indian Art:

Sri Aurobindo says, Indian Art has been divided into three parts namely –

Architecture, Sculpture and Painting.

Architecture is one of the grestest art. In India, there are many temples of vivid

religions and it shows an art of India. The architecture of India indicates the history of

religion and culture of India. Sri Aurobindo suggests,

Indian sacred architecture of whatever date,

style or dedication goes back to something timelessly

ancient and outside India almost wholly lost, something

which belongs to the past, and yet it goes forward too,

though this the rationalistic mind will not easily admit,

to something which will return upon us and is already

beginning to return, something which belongs to the

future. – p.273 – RI&IC (Indian Art)

The Harrapa civilisation is the golden era of Indian sculpture. Indian

sculptures are based on Hinduism and Buddhism. These religions originated in India.

Sculptures is the earliest discovery in India. It reflects the religious and philosophical

characteristic of Indian history.

This greatness and continuity of Indian

sculpture is due to the close connection between the

religious and philosophical and the aesthetic mind of

the people. Its survival into times not far from us was

possible because of the survival of the cast of the

CLXVII
 antique mind in that philosophy and religion, a mind

familiar with eternal things, capable of cosmic vision,

having its roots of thought and seeing in the

profundities of the soul, in the most intimate, pregnant

and abiding experiences of the human spirit. – p.288 –

RI&IC (Indian Art)

Indian paintings show the historical importance of Indian art. Sri Aurobindo

writes about Indian paintings:

This painting expresses the soul through life, but

life is only a means of the spiritual self – expression,

and its outward representation is not the first object or

the direct motive. There is a real and a very vivid and

vital representation, but it is more of an inner psychical

than of the outward physical life. – p.306 – RI&IC

(Indian Art)

According to Sri Aurobindo, Art is a type of skill which shows the creativity

of human mind. The greatness of Indian Art is the greatness of all Indian thoughts and

achievement.

 Knowledge of Science:

Knowledge of Science is the need and plays a pivotal role in the richness of

human life. He believed in the advancement of science and writes:

Science has discovered a physical evolution

hidden in the past history of the earth of which living

CLXVIII
 record remains in the embryo; but the physical

evolution is only an outward sign, means and material

condition of a still more secret evolution. – p.242 –

ED&H (Man and Superman)

Sri Aurobindo was well aware of the hidden potential of scientific progress

which is not limited merely to physical evolution but is capable of achieving even

more, like some secret evolution, about which the humanity is still ignorant.

Knowledge of Science, is man’s real business. Living in the age of science,

importance of science can not be ignored. Sri Aurobindo was well aware of the role of

natural sciences. Science, he feels, is a great leveler which never discriminates. One

needs scientific attitude to understand the truth.

We live under the reign of Science, a reign

which from the mouth of its hierophants claims to be a

tyranny or at least an absolute monarchy. It makes this

claim by right of the great things it has done, of the

immense utilities with which it has served, helped,

strengthened, liberated, mankind, right knowledge of

the world, an increasing and already fabulous mastery

of Nature, a clear and free intellectual vision of things

and masterful dealing with them, liberation from the

fetters of ignorance, from blind subjection to authority,

from unquestioning political, social, religious and

cultural tradition with all their hindrance and their evil.

– p.251 – ED&H (Science)

CLXIX
 Reflection of Humanism:

Humanism is a need of society and necessary at every step of life. It shows

purity of the character and is an important virtue. Without it, peaceful co – existence

on this earth is impossible. Humanism cannot be measured and it brings positive

attitude towards life. Humanism has no boundaries. In the essays of Sri Aurobindo,

we notice humanism.

We see, then, what is likely to happen if there

were a social, administrative and political unification of

mankind, such as some have begun to dream of

nowdays. A tremendous organization would be needed

under which both individual and regional life would be

crushed, dwarfed, deprived of their necessary freedom

like a plant without rain and wind and sunlight, and this

would mean for humanity, after perhaps one first

outburst of satisfied and joyous activity, a long period

of mere conservation, increasing stagnancy and

ultimately decay.

Yet the unity of mankind is evidently a part of

Nature’s eventual scheme and must come about. Only it

must be under other conditions and with safeguards

which will keep the race intact in the roots of its vitality,

richly diverse in its oneness. – pp.283,284 - HU&WD

(The Turn towards Unity : Its Necessity and Dangers)

CLXX
 ‘Unity in diversity’ is the motto of the Nature. Man is the supreme creation of

Nature. Hence he is duty – bound to act like and inspire from Mother Nature. Man

must aspire for the unity of mankind while still respecting its diversity.

The essays of Sri Aurobindo are full of wisdom and good sense. He wrote in

plain, lucid style which is without ambiguity. There are no vague statements or

artificiality in the style. Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts are rich in philosophical content

and reflect his futuristic vision. His style is simple yet witty, lucid yet appealing. Sri

Aurobindo occupies a unique place among the prose writers of English language.

CLXXI
 REFERENCES

 Abrams, M.H., Geoffrey Galt Harpham : A Glossary of Literary Terms, Cengage

Learning India Private Limited, Delhi, 2014.

 Goodman, W.R. : English Literature for Competitive Examinations, Doaba

Publications, Delhi, 2010.

 Hudson, W.H. : An Outline History of English Literature, AITBS Publishers, Delhi,

2014.

 Prasad, B. : A Background to the Study of English Literature, Trinity Press, Delhi,

2014.

 Sri Aurobindo : Essays Divine and Human, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry,

1950.

 Sri Aurobindo : The Renaissance in India and other essays on Indian Culture,

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, 1953.

 Sri Aurobindo : The Human Cycle, The Ideal Of Human Unity, War and Self –

Determination, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, 1962.

 Sri Aurobindo : Letters on Himself and the Ashram, Sri Aurobindo Ashram,

Pondicherry, 2011.

CLXXII
 Chapter 6

Conclusion

Sri Aurobindo’s journey of life from 15 August to 5 December 1950 is indeed

very astonishing. Different facets of Sri Aurobindo as an essayist emerge and shine as

one studies his works closely. While making conclusive remarks it becomes essential

to touch every aspect of his essays with special emphasis on his philosophy.

Sri Aurobindo handled all types of literary forms like – drama, poetry, essay,

story etc. He was a versatile writer and a philosopher par excellence. It is evident

through his vast collections of essays on varied philosophical ideas, touching every

aspect of human life and living, ranging from the society culture, art and literature to

the possibility of further human evolution into a super – human with highly developed

mental faculties. The researcher has selected three collections of his essays titled

Essays Divine and Human, The Renaissance and Other Essays on Indian Culture,

The Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self – Determination.

They are mostly philosophical in nature.

Sri Aurobindo’s essays can be termed as philosophical essays as well as the

essays related to public issues. They touch political, philosophical, cultural and

psychological aspects of human existence.

Sri Aurobindo’s life can be divided into four important phases: The first

phase of his life is from 1879 – 1892, when he stayed in England for education. The

second phase covers the period from 1893 -1906. In this period, he did Government

Service under the British rule. He also worked as a Professor and later on became

Vice – Principal of Baroda College. During this time, he had many spiritual

CLXXIII
experiences, quite unexpectedly, which were the stepping – stones of his life as a yogi

and philosopher, while outwardly he was an employee of the Gaekwad of Baroda. He

recorded them in some beautiful sonnets. The incidents have been detailed with

references to particular sonnets. The third phase of his life ranges from 1906 – 1910.

This short phase witnessed a major transition. A transformed person, Sri Aurobindo

devoted himself to the freedom movement as a freedom fighter as well as a politician.

Sri Aurobindo loved his country, like his mother. Based on his spiritual

experiences, following the path shown by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and some

others, he founded the path of spiritual nationalism. He was in active politics for a

very short period but he had definite principles of battle. His political philosophy later

influenced both violent and non – violent movement for Indian freedom. Long after

his retirement India achieved freedom on the foundation laid by him, on his birthday.

Sri Aurobindo was primarily a humanist. He is also known as a nationalist

and a patriot. He did struggle for the freedom of India against British rule. In 1906,

Sri Aurobindo went to Bengal and worked for Bande Mataram. He wrote articles

against British Government for the freedom of India. Bande Mataram was the finest

newspaper which was started by Sir Bipin Chandra Pal. Sri Aurobindo was the editor

of the newspaper. He also started a monthly philosophical magazine “Arya.” They

used newspaper as the platform to put forth the demand for freedom. He realised his

responsibility towards nation and founded a Secret Society in 1898 – 99 to free

India from bondage. Sri Aurobindo also engaged himself in revolutionary activities.

Sri Aurobindo was the pioneer of revolutionists. Sri Aurobindo’s nationalism

was broad and all – encompassing. According to him, taking care of our motherland

by honestly performing the duties assigned to us is also a form nationalism. One can

CLXXIV
also serve the nation by educating young Indians and helping them build their

character through spiritualily and faith in ancient wisdom. Only patriotic thinking is

not enough. We are the instruments of God and we have to work for the Almighty as

well as for the nation. This according to him is the true service to nation as it

strengthens the humanity.

As a freedom – fighter in 1903, he published the article “No Compromise” for

the freedom of India. In 1904, he attended the Congress Session. In 1906, he wrote

articles against British Government in Bengali newspaper “Yugantar.” He also

demanded the complete freedom for India through the newspaper “Bande Mataram”

which was started by Sir Bipin Chandra Pal in 1906. He is also known as the most

visionary spokesman of nationalism.

The political career of Sri Aurobindo was very short (1906 -1910). As a

politician, the target of Sri Aurobindo was complete freedom for India from the

British Rule. He always felt that desired social reforms wouldn’t materialise without

political freedom. Nation building was his goal which he chased fervently. He

devoted his life for the freedom and welfare of India.

The political aim of Sri Aurobindo was “Poorna Swaraj” and he was the first

politician who demanded the complete freedom from the British rule. He contributed

his articles in a weekly Bengali newspaper “Jugantar.” He became an editor of this

newspaper. Through the articles and speeches, he spread the message to use Swadeshi

goods and Boycott of foreign goods as well as non – cooperation to the oppressive

British Government. He revolted against the British Government in defence of the

great Indian Culture.

CLXXV
 In the beginning of his political career, he studied the strategy of British

Government and the difficult situation of India. Sri Aurobindo never had hatred for

England. But, the freedom of India at any cost was his foremost demand as he

believed that every nation has a right to live freely and peacefully.

Sri Aurobindo did not get success as a politician but his thoughts and speeches

breathed life into the movement for the freedom of India. In 1910, he went to

Pondicherry and founded “Sri Aurobindo Ashram” and started a spiritual life.

Sri Aurobindo played various roles in his life. Sri Aurobindo as an Editor of

Newspaper is one of them. Sri Aurobindo as an editor, worked very efficiently for the

newspapers. He had a very long career in journalism. He wrote on various subjects

such as Freedom of India, Education, Spiritualism, Indian Culture, Yoga, etc.

Sri Aurobindo was the editor of Bande Mataram, the official newspaper of

Nationalist Party. It was an English and a Swadeshi newspaper. It was started in

1906. The aim of this newspaper was to achieve the freedom for India. The target of

Bande Mataram was to change the mind of a people for a revolutionary work.

The Bande Mataram faced many problems but Sri Aurobindo handled them

very carefully. It proved, Sri Aurobindo was an efficient nationalist leader of India.

As the editor of this newspaper, he fulfilled his responsibilities and that’s why the

newspaper became popular. Bande Mataram is also known as “A Daily organ of

Indian Nationalism.”

Yugantar, a weekly Bengali newspaper started by Sri Aurobindo in 1906. The

notable members of Yugantar were Surya Sen, Barin Ghosh, Shanti Ghosh, Mohit

Moitra, etc. The target of this newspaper was to start a Swadeshi Movement, open

CLXXVI
revolt against British Government and total destruction of British rule in India. Sri

Aurobindo wrote articles for young men to motivate them to fight for the

independence of India. It was also known as “Jugantar.” It became very popular

among youth.

Karmayogin and Dharma, the two weekly journals were also started by Sri

Aurobindo. The Karmayogin was in English and the Dharma was in Bengali. Both

were started in 1909. The theme of Karmayogin was based on National Relegion,

Literature, Science, Philosophy, etc. The motto of Sri Aurobindo was to inspire and

motivate people. Karmayogin was started for the development of the nation.

Arya – A Philosophical Review was also started by Sri Aurobindo. It was a

monthly periodical, published between 1914 and 1921.

Sri Aurobindo wrote consistently, performing the dual roles of the editor as

well as a journalist. His articles revolved round the theme of total freedom for India,

its need and how it could be achieved. Being proud of India’s ancient culture and

heritage he also wrote essays explaining its value and the need to preserve and

propogate it.

The last and the most important phase spans almost four decades ranging

from 1910 – 1950. This is the most significant phase wherein Sri Aurobindo listens to

his inner voice and dramatically changes the path to devote himself fully to

spiritualism.

Sri Aurobindo was a strong believer of spiritualism. Through spiritual

experiences and realisations he created new spiritual history in collaboration with the

Mother in Pondicherry.

CLXXVII
 Sri Aurobindo emphasizes on the spirituality because he had an idea, how

spiritualism is important for human beings and development of the society and it

contributed for the welfare of the society. Spiritualism plays an important role in

human society. Spiritualism is needed for social transformation. It develops the

personality and character and it is important for human progress. He gave the

message of spirituality in “Sri Aurobindo Ashram” to his disciples.

Sri Aurobindo states, I have described the framework of Indian idea from the

outlook of an intellectual criticism, because that is the standpoint of the critics who

affect to disparge its value. I have shown that Indian culture must be adjudged even

from this alien outlook to have been the creation of a wide and noble spirit. It was

enriched not only by a strong philosophic, intellectual and artistic creativeness but by

a great and vivifying and fruitful life – power. Indian civilisation was not only a

great cultural system, but an immense religious effort of the human spirit. – p.178 –

RI&IC (Indian Spirituality and Life)

Sri Aurobindo is known as a ‘Spiritual Guru’ of India. As a spiritualist, Sri

Aurobindo’s vision encompassed entire humanity. The divisions and distinctions

disappeared giving way to the possibility of human unity and oneness of all. In his

opinion, spiritually inclined human society can lead more peaceful existence. Hence

he preached and practised spirituality and expected India to become the Spiritual

Leader of the world. He devoted himself to the welfare of India by experimenting

with the ways to reach the goal.

Sri Aurobindo has given valuable suggestions in order to become a

spiritualised society. It is attaining spiritual upliftment, recovery of old spiritual

knowledge and experience, transforming this spirituality into different manifestations

CLXXVIII
of knowledge like Art, Philosophy and Science. It is the Spiritualised Society, thus

formed, which could deal with the problems of modern world.

The vision and teachings of Sri Aurobindo are indeed valuable guidelines to

humanity. The researcher has selected three collections of his essays. Essays Divine

and Human, The Renaissance in India and Other Essays on Indian Culture, The

Human Cycle – The Ideal of Human Unity – War and Self – Determination.

The first one is related to Divinity and Yoga. The second one is about Indian

Culture and last one is reflections on Human Unity.

India is the land of Rishis and Saints. Sri Aurobindo was greatly influenced by

the richness of Indian culture. Spirituality is a part of Indian culture. He spent forty

years of his life in studying and practicing spiritualism. Spiritualism is the gift to

modern India from ancient India. In spirituality, the concept of God, plays a pivotal

role at every stage of human life. Sri Aurobindo was a staunch believer in God.

According to him, the practice of yoga is also a part of spirituality. Purpose of Yoga is

awakening the divine element in our depths. Yoga is the discovery of our concealed

spiritual status as well as a dynamic spiritual self – creation. Yoga aims to achieve it

through triple transformation of body, mind and spirit. He has also focused on the

importance of yoga. Veda is a great compilation of yoga. The Vedas provided the

spiritual core and philosophical foundations for the human development and

Hinduism. Hindu is the sublime religion of spirituality. But, According to Sri

Aurobindo, spirituality is much wider than any particular religion. Hindus firmly

believe in the concept of God and humanity. The precious advice Sri Aurobindo

offers to the humanity is a key to understand the secrets of existence and to reach near

God. God is omnipotent and we should believe in the creativity of God. He created

CLXXIX
the world and that’s why he says ‘God is Yoga.’ Yoga is a divine quality. Yoga is an

integral part of life. Sri Aurobindo is also known as the ‘Yogi’ of India. He states

about Yoga:

Yoga is not a modern invention of the human

mind, but our ancient and prehistoric possession. The

Veda is our oldest extant human document and the

Veda, from one point of view, is a great compilation of

practical hints about Yoga. All religion is a flower of

which Yoga is the root; all philosophy, poetry and the

works of genius use it, consciously or unconsciously, as

an instrument. We believe that God created the world

by Yoga and by Yoga He will draw it into Himself

again. Yogah prabhavapyayau, Yoga is the birth and

passing away of things. – p.18 – ED&H (The

Psychology of Yoga)

Sri Aurobindo has aimed at establishing Yogic Sadhana on the basis of Vedic

Knowledge in order to liberate the soul. The ultimate aim of it will be to establish ‘Sat

Yoga’ where everything will be ideal. The means to achieve this state is ‘Yoga.’

In Human Evolution, yoga is very useful and that’s why, he founded ‘Sri

Aurobindo Ashram’ for the practice of yoga, spiritual upliftment and divine

guidance. Yoga creates positive attitude towards life and it has a paramount

importance. It is a divine process.

CLXXX
 Sri Aurobindo devoted his lifetime trying to get ‘Siddhi.’ He had planned to

hand it over to a few chosen ones. He transformed Aurobindo Ashram into a

laboratory and he was satisfied with the progress he made till then.

Sri Aurobindo’s pride for rich and varied Indian Culture reflects through his

essays. He believes that rich Indian culture and civilisation can play a vital role in

establishing peaceful world – order. He firmly believes that India, with her fresh

diviner creations can spread spiritual ideals across the world.

In considering Indian civilisation and its

renascence, I suggested that a powerful new creation in

all fields was our great need, the meaning of the

renascence and the one way of preserving the

civilisation. Confronted with the huge rush of modern

life and thought, invaded by another dominant

civilisation almost her opposite or inspired at least with

a very different spirit to her own, India can only survive

by confronting this raw, new aggressive, powerful

world with fresh diviner creations of her own spirit, cast

in the mould of her own spiritual ideals – p.43 – RI&IC

(Indian Culture)

Sri Aurobindo presents a very clear and simple

distinction between ritualistic Hinduism and Hinduism

of the soul. It is the Hinduism of the soul which exceeds

Hindusthan ‘to remain forever, growing eternally

CLXXXI
 through the aeons.’ – p.40 – RI&IC (Indian Spirituality

and Life)

Sri Aurobindo was not just a champion of Hinduism but also a Hindu

Revivalist. He expects Hinduism to rise beyond theology and scriptures, metaphysical

certainities and cultural determinants in order to become authentic Hinduism which is

the spiritual core of this civilisation.

Humanity today takes pride in calling herself to be living in the ‘Age of

Reason.’ But Sri Aurobindo opines that the reason is insufficient, inefficient,

stumbling and partially enlightened guide to humanity. He firmly believes that

Beyond man’s long intelligent efforts towards a perfected culture and a rational

society there opens the old religious and spiritual ideal. It is this spiritual ideal which

is the hope of the kingdom of heaven within us and the city of God upon earth. Thus

Reason has its limitations and the much needed element is Suprarational

illumination which could be achieved through spirituality.

According to him, the Indian renaissance would be after attaining spiritual

upliftment of society. Recovery of old spiritual knowledge and experience, and

transforming this spirituality into different manifestation of knowledge like art,

philosophy, science are the two steps leading to attain the higher aim of becoming a

spiritualized society which could deal with modern problems in the light of Indian

spirit.

Sri Aurobindo has appreciated Indian Culture as ‘the most varied and ample

record of the culture of a people.’ To him, Indian Culture is remarkable as it is the

treasure trove of creations spanning at least three milleniums.

CLXXXII
 In the opinion of Sri Aurobindo, Indian culture influences social behaviour of

people in society. India has rich culture where people of more than one religious

cultures live together.

Sri Aurobindo has indepth knowledge of Hindu religion and philosophy.

Various religious missionaries like Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj find mention in

essays. These religious missionaries came forward for religious reformation and

spiritual experience. Sri Aurobindo believes in the supremacy of God. He has

discussed about Hindu culture and four stages of life ‘Ashramas.’

Sri Aurobindo’s faith in greatness of India never wavered. He expects the birth

of new and inspiring India. He hopes that India will give up old methods to make

her spirit free. She can become a world leader if she will give a new and decisive

turn to the problems over which mankind is labouring and stumbling by using the

solutions in her ancient knowledge. If that happens, it will indeed be a Renaissance –

a rebirth for a great nation which can guide the entire humanity.

Sri Aurobindo was proud of rich Indian Art. Indian art is the excellence of

human expression. He portrays various arts like – Architecture, Sculpture, Paintings.

Art reflects cultural value of any country. It helps to develop creative ideas. Sri

Aurobindo has mentioned the Buddhist and Hindu art in his essays. According to him,

Indian art shows the creativity of Indians.

Sri Aurobindo emphasizes on Indian literature and especially focused on

Hindu religious literature like – the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Vedas, the

Upanishads and the Bhagvad Gita. It belongs to the divine life. Indian literature is the

source of Indian civilisation and culture. He was also an avid reader. His indepth

knowledge of the ancient Indian literature reflects through every line of his essays.

CLXXXIII
His knowledge combined with analytical skills played a pivotal role in creating

spiritual consciousness. Indian literature is the instrument of knowledge. Indian

literature has a huge variety and he has given a very useful, valuable message from his

writings and also made an effort to mould the society.

Sri Aurobindo used various concepts of evolution in his essays which are very

appreciable, noteworthy, striking and relevant. Sri Aurobindo was engaged in a wide

variety of activities. In The Human Cycle, Sri Aurobindo explores the evolution of

human society.

The Indian society started from Vedic times. In those days there was

dominance of the symbolic mentality. According to him, civilisation and culture are

the necessary principles for social development. Civilisation means advantage of

social development and culture means the way of life. Civilisation and Culture make

human life more meaningful. While deliberating upon the social developments, Sri

Aurobindo gives a list of elements important for social development as follows:

Knowledge, Science, Art, Religion.

The concept of civilisation and culture of Sri Aurobindo is not only essential

for the progress and welfare of society development but also for an individual to

become civilised and well – cultured.

Sri Aurobindo categorically distinguishes between Material civilisation and

Spiritual civilisation. In his opinion the Western Society is based predominantly on

material culture whereas in India it is predominantly spiritual. India remains faithful

to spiritual culture even in the face of adversity. Hence he makes a firm statement that

it is India’s fidelity to spirituality ‘that has made her people a nation apart in the

human world.’ – p.55 – RI&IC (Is India Civilised)

CLXXXIV
 In life, spirituality is also indispensable. According to Sri Aurobindo, man is a

social animal who spends his life in society. Nature creates some rules and regulations

for the human life. The rules and regulations should be followed by man. Spirituality

enables human beings to lead a happy life. A human society is enriched by

spirituality. Spirituality enables peaceful life.

In the opinion of Sri Aurobindo, spirituality can be achieved from following

acts like – Awakening to Creative Energy, Humour and Playfulness, Feeling Loved

and Guided by God, Kindness, Discovering New Ideas.

Sri Aurobindo does not repudiate science. His spirituality enables him to co–

relate the three distinct branches of knowledge - philosophy, religion and science.

He specifically mentions the business of philosophy to be logically arranging the

general modes of ‘Sat’; the business of Religion to be arranging practically and vitally

the personal relations of ‘Sat’; whereas the business of science to be arranging

observantly and analytically the particular forms and movements of ’Sat.’

Sri Aurobindo suggests simplest ways to attain the most desired state of mind

– ‘Sachchidanand.’ (Sat, Chit and Anand). He appeals to the humanity to interrogate

consciousness to find what it holds. He further suggests to interrogate

unconsciousness to discover its secrets. Thus he appeals to interrogate not only the

state of waking but also the states of dream and sleep. Constant interrogation is the

key to attain the most desired state of mind where in one could experience the perfect

peace and bliss.

In ‘The Ideal of Human Unity’, Sri Aurobindo has focused on the idea of

mankind marching towards a closer unification. He was very much aware of the dire

need for human unity to save the humanity from impending doom in coming future.

CLXXXV
Being human and maintaining the unity is the duty and responsibility of every person.

It should be the aim of human spirit. The concept of human unity is related to the

mind of man. It is self – training and self – development. Human unity is the social

responsibility. It has no caste, religion. It has an immortal power. It is very useful for

the progress and happiness of the society. It establishes political, social, legal and

liberal equality. Unity is the most important factor for the society to achieve the

higher goal of peaceful co – existence and further evolution towards betterment. Sri

Aurobindo states:

The first principle of human unity, groupings

being necessary, should be a system of free and natural

groupings which would leave no room for internal

discords, mutual incompatibilities and repression and

revolt as between race and race or people and people. –

p.429 – HU&WD (The Ideal Solution : A Free

Grouping of Mankind)

The World Unity is the dire need of the present era. Sitting on the pile of

nuclear weapons, the danger of total extinction constantly haunts the humanity. In

such times Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy sounds all the more relevant when he

visualizes the possibility of the World Unity. To achieve this aim he suggests the free

grouping of nations according to their natural affinities, sentiments and sense of

economic and other conveniences. Such World – Union would certainly lead to the

larger and more complex unity in mankind.

In War and Self – Determination, Sri Aurobindo makes a similar claim when

he says that freedom is the ultimate basis of all our existence – political, moral and

CLXXXVI
spiritual. It is the way one uses freedom that becomes crucial to our life and society.

No external system, be it economic or political, can ensure freedom in its real sense. It

is claimed, for example, that capitalism as an economic system ensures freedom. But

does it really do so? A capitalist may talk about freedom in relation to a certain

market mechanism which aims at maximising profit. A ruthless profit motive that

comes to define freedom, but only at the cost of suppressing labour. Sri Aurobindo

argues that freedom cannot be ensured externally because the locus of freedom lies in

the agent itself. Freedom has to be internally realized. It is this internal notion of

freedom that Sri Aurobindo characterizes as the idea of self – determination, an idea

he uses to analyse the causes that lead to the outbreak of war. It is a wrong

understanding of liberty or the principle of self – determination that is ultimately

responsible for war.

Sri Aurobindo also presses for the need of Military Unification as the safety,

be it of a nation or of the world, can not be compromised at any cost. Hence while

suggesting the Central Governing Body, Sri Aurobindo also suggests the unification

of all military authority in the central body and subjection of actual or potential

military force to its undivided control. Being aware of the difficulties which may

obstruct such union Sri Aurobindo wants it to be controlled by the international

authority. It should also use the sole trained military force in the world for policing

the nations as well as the disposal of the means of manufacturing arms and

implements of war. Such International Authority must work effectively to end

National and private munition factories and arms factories. National armies too should

be ended paving way for International Union in every sphere. While emphasizing on

the need for International political and military union, the need for Economic

CLXXXVII
Union can not be ignored as the economic part of life is always important to an

organized community. While stating its importance Sri Aurobindo writes:

“Since industry and trade are now five – sixths

of social life and the economic principle the governing

principle of society, a World State which did not control

human life in its chief principle and its largest activity

would exist only in name.” – p.493 – HU&WD (War

and the Need of Economic Unity)

Sri Aurobindo was a versatile personality. He was a humanist, spiritual

reformer, social and political activist, nationalist, freedom – fighter, etc. The

philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is valuable to make human life worth living. His

philosophy is based upon God, Man and Nature. According to him, these three are

perpetual symbols. He devoted his life to spiritualism and the welfare of human

society.

Sri Aurobindo has also discussed about the importance of education in human

life. He is also known as a renaissance person. He focused on the development of

education system which is called integral education. The aim of integral education is

not only to change the society for the better but also to change the human behaviour,

and to bring upon this revolutionary change, education system should support very

well. It is the need of our country.

Sri Aurobindo’s educational philosophy is all the more relevant today. Present

education system has failed to fill up the moral void around us. Despite having formal

education, unemployment is increasing amongst the youth leading to utter

disappointment and depression. Sri Aurobindo has rightly pointed out the causes and

CLXXXVIII
has also suggested remedies. According to him education must help develop skills and

knowledge so that the reservoir of human wisdom may increase. But with that there is

dire need for moral leaders who can lessen conflicts among people and nations with

their intellectual, moral and spiritual wisdom. To achieve this goal, Make – up of the

Individual and the relationship between Individual and Society play an important role.

An individual can acquire physical and mental strength by being positive doing Yoga

and meditation and by being creative. Individual and Society are interdependent for

their very existence. So they need to develop a healthy bonding.

His philosophical thoughts about nation were very clear. The first and

foremost aim of Sri Aurobindo was the freedom of India. It was a very great

coincidence that India got freedom on 15th August 1947 and the 15th August is also

the birthday of Sri Aurobindo. He said, the freedom of India is the greatest gift of his

birthday. He wanted a united India and believed in unity in diversity. His vision was

not confined to the nation only. He dreamt of one world and united world. He

believed that unification of mankind is important for the progress of the world.

Sri Aurobindo was a prominent nationalist. He contributed significantly to the

Indian freedom movement. His writings and speeches played a vital role in inspiring

and motivating young Indians to liberate India from the British rule. He also put forth

a concept of world union or world state, which today has become a need of the hour

on the background of rising restlessness and enemity amongst different nations.

The term ‘Liberty’ has become very breath of human existence. Though the

term is not easily definable, an attempt to define it comprehensively and beautifully is

found in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. Liberty, according to him is in its highest and

ultimate sense a state of being. It is being spiritually awakened to take decisions on

CLXXXIX
external circumstances and environment. Such spiritually awakened individual only

can take decisions without apprehension. The true meaning of ‘self – determination’

encompasses all these qualities. Today the term is not used in its real sense. Sri

Aurobindo’s interpretation of ‘Liberty’ and ‘Self – determination’, if understood and

implemented wisely, could change the very outlook of the world towards these widely

used concepts today.

According to him, Self – Determination shows our thinking power, quality of

life, aim of life. It expresses the thoughts. It has four important characteristics – Self –

Expression, Liberty, Experience and The human mind.

Sri Aurobindo’s socio – political philosophy is about freedom, democracy

and the world unity. Freedom plays an important role in the human progress. Without

democracy, freedom is rendered meaningless. His staunch belief in freedom and

democracy finds reflection throughout his wtitings and speeches. It is the same belief

which enabled him to envisage ‘World Unity’ for the betterment of humankind.

Sri Aurobindo speaks about religious and philosophical mission. He had

indepth knowledge of the Vedas and the Upanishads which played a vital role in

creating spiritual consciousness. He was a strong believer in God. God to him is

‘Ekamevadvitiyam.’

All existence is existence of the one Eternal and

Infinite. Ekamevadvitiyam, - there is one without a

second and there can be nothing else at any time or

anywhere.

CXC
 Even existence in Time is that, even the finite is

that; for the finite is only a circumstance of theInfinite

and Time is only a phase of Eternity. What we call

undivine is that, for it is only a disguise of the

omnipresent Divinity. – p.183 – ED&H (God : The One

Reality)

Today, the term ‘Sanatan Dharma’ has been confined to a particular set of

religious beliefs. Sri Aurobindo’s Sanatan Dharma is all encompassing. He has

explained it from a new standpoint . He claims that his enlightenment has enabled him

to understand the true meaning of the Vedas, Science of Philology, and Upanishads

that is not understood either by Indians or Europeans. With his new vision he could

see how the origin of all relgions is one and how a common thread binds them all.

His philosophical views on social development is ultimately the improvement

and progress of an individual. According to him, there are three important factors –

Man, Society, Humanity. These three factors are related to each other.

Sri Aurobindo has also focused on the human unity. Human unity is the need

of world. It means helping others and unconditional love to each and every person on

the earth. It is a virtue of mankind. Humanism is a cure for all sufferings. It is a

perfect source of happiness and comfortable life. Sri Aurobindo was a great prophet

and a spiritualist and believed in the unity of mankind. Sri Aurobindo has given the

ideal solution on the problems being faced by the mankind today. He points out that in

order to for a World Union, these should be free and natural groupings. There are

suggestions of multinational groupings too. He also presses for Administrative Unity

CXCI
which includes Education, Military and Police. Such unity will pave way for the

‘World State’ where ‘uniformity’ will be the special feature.

Sri Aurobindo has already visualized the future scenario wherein local

individualities would slowly merge to form a uniform culture. What we see around

us today is also a kind of uniformity but it has not reached upto the stage of ideal

uniformity as yet. A lot of political, economical and geographical issues are still

holding the nations back from coming together. But its possibility in distant future can

not be ruled out completely. Unity at the level of politics and administration, will be a

mechanical unity. Such unit is precarious and may not last longer. Hence Sri

Aurobindo looks forward to a real and secure unity attained by making spiritual

religion of humanity the inner law of life.

Sri Aurobindo has great faith in humanity. In his opinion, humanity is above

all religions. He is hopeful that the religion of humanity which already exists in the

minds of a few will surely become a potent shadow in the consciousness of the race.

If the Religion of Humanity establishes itself on the earth, the world would certainly

be a the best place to live for one and all. To achieve the aim of perfect society the

necessary precondition is the development of the free individual. Perfect society

would lead to the formation of perfect nation that will play a pivotal role in the

‘World Union’ based on Humanity as its religion.

Sri Aurobindo was a proponent of evolution. His thoughts are very valuable in

the present situation.

Sri Aurobindo’s career as a writer, covers a period of sixty years from 1890 –

1950. His essays touched every aspect of human life. He was a versatile writer who

tried different forms of literature to express himself. Sri Aurobindo’s thoughts are rich

CXCII
in philosophical content. The prose style of Sri Aurobindo is very easy and simple. He

dealt with different forms of literature like poetry, stories, drama and essay. There are

certain features of his prose style:

1. Lucidity

2. The Use of Long Sentences

3. The Use of Aphorisms

4. Scholarly References

In the essays of Sri Aurobindo, we notice lucidity. Lucidity is the

characteristic of his prose style. In other words, His essays are clear and easy to

understand.

Sri Aurobindo uses his pen to put forth his philosophical ideas. Such ideas are

a bit complex to comprehend. Yet Sri Aurobindo puts them in such a way that the

comprehension becomes easier. Hence to call his style ‘lucid’ won’t be an

exaggeration.

Still at many places Sri Aurobindo makes use of long, involved sentences,

which seems inevitable. Complex philosophical ideas need more words to clarify

themselves. But wherever such long sentences have been used, they serve the

purpose of explaining his ideas in lucid manner.

Another striking feature of his is use of aphorisms. Sri Aurobindo’s essays

replete with aphorisms.

His essays reflect humanity, philosophical vision, knowledge of science,

Indian Art, Indian Literature.

One finds solace in the promising words of Sri

Aurobindo when he assures that the man will surpass all

difficulties to achieve this goal of Nature (the Human

CXCIII
 Unity), as mankind has a habit of surviving the worst

catastrophes created by its own errors or by the violent

turn of the Nature, and it must be so if there is a

meaning in its existence, he observed, “The indwelling

deity who presides over the destiny of the race has

raised in man’s mind and heart the idea, the hope of a

new order ….. which will, in the end have a reasonable

chance of establishing permanent peace and well –

being.” – p.563 – Sri Aurobindo, The Ideal of Human

Unity

Resurgence of Asia and Africa and grouping of third – world countries is a

living fact, as Sri Aurobindo hoped. He also hoped man to finally surmount all

obstacles and to proceed in the realm of consciousness towards spiritual awakening

when unity amongst mankind would be established without sacrificing varieties of

life. A harmonious unity without unhealthy competition would ensue. But until the

advent of spiritual age, man will be united through various associations ,federations,

groups, Sri Aurobindo expected. We find that men are coming closer for mutual

interests as well as to fulfill, even not knowing the evolutionary urge of Nature which

to Sri Aurobindo is world energy, part of Divine Plan moving to fulfil its promise.

Sri Aurobindo points towards the spiritual

regeneration of mankind for a lasting union. “A

spiritual religion of humanity is the hope of the

future….. A religion of humanity means the growing

realization that there is a secret spirit, a divine Reality

in which we are all one, that humanity is the highest

CXCIV
 present vehicle on earth….” – p.554 – Sri Aurobindo,

The Ideal of Human Unity

Sri Aurobindo thought that India is in the right position to lead the world in

this respect. In consonance with his ideas, the Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram said

that, “India ought to be the spiritual leader of the world. Inside she has the capacity,

but outside ….. for the moment there is still much to do for her to become actually the

spiritual leader of the world.”

The present research is focuses on ‘The Critical Study of the Essays of Sri

Aurobindo Ghosh’. There is scope for further research if his other remarkable works

are also included in the sphere of research. The researcher has selected three

collections of his essays. But his other significant works could also be studied like

Savitri – A Legend and a Symbol.’ His another remarkable work is ‘The Synthesis of

Yoga.’ He has examined the traditional systems of yoga and provided explanations to

certain components of his own system of integral yoga. Yoga has seen widespread

acceptance all over the world. International Yoga Day is the outcome of it. Hence it

would be of immense help to the practitioners of Yoga if they thoroughly study Sri

Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. Any research focusing on his concept of ‘Integral Yoga’

would be of immense help to all those who wish to gain an insight into Yogic

Sadhana in order to use it for the benefit of mankind. He founded ‘Sri Aurobindo

Ashram’ for the spiritual experience and practice of yoga. There are many centres of

Sri Aurobindo in India. Sri Aurobindo Circle, Nagpur is one of them.

Sri Aurobindo has been admired for his vision and will always be loved and

studied for his vision and philosophy. A. R. Ponnuswami Iyer writes:

His departure has left a void in the hearts of

thousands, a wide gaping void in their life. He was light

CXCV
on their path, their infalliable guide and unfailing

protector. His mission on earth, unlike Sankara’s, was

not to teach a doctrine, unlike Sir Ramana Maharishi’s,

not to give a mere direction, but to lead and carry

humanity to its goal. – p.747 – Sri Aurobindo – a

biography and a history

CXCVI
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