History of Indian culture and the place of Sri Aurobindo

History of Indian culture and the place of Sri Aurobindo in it is likely to attract more and more attention in the days to come and many superficial observations are sure to add to the confusion. A few points, therefore, need to be borne in mind in order to cut the clutter away.

Sri Aurobindo has almost been firmly appropriated as a co-progenitor of Hinditva ideology which is not correct. He is also accused of introducing an Anglicised or Westernised version of Hinduism by some. But Sri Aurobindo was not interested in any reform movement of Hindu Religion. Further, aligning Sri Aurobindo's name with other great men of the period presents a twisted picture of him. In fact, most of Sri Aurobindo's writings were meant to be motivational or expository and hence can hardly represent his firm opinions.

Despite all these difficulties, certain lines of argument should be treated as the central thread of his thought. For instance, a conscious Evolutionary Force guiding world-action and a Psychic Being driving individual endeavor. This is the basic Ontological truth by which he transforms Religion into Spirituality and binding Sri Aurobindo to any specific Religion or Nationality, therefore, becomes untenable. Besides, discarding familiar categories of the past to understand and accept the future becomes an inevitability. [TNM55]

ARYA was unfurled on August 15, 1914

The ARYA was unfurled on August 15, 1914 in Puducherry by The Mother & Sri Aurobindo to give the world a new direction, new message of hope.

As more and more people come under the influence of Savitri Era Religion, the whole world will move towards Harmony & Supramental Evolution.

Human life and society is all about right education and India hasn't produced better teachers than The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. #FiveDreams

Many find fault with wrongs done in the past but with Sri Aurobindo, it's the Evolutionary force which is leading us to a brighter future.

Spirituality and Yoga come later; getting oriented to Modernity and Human Rights are the preliminary lessons by The Mother & Sri Aurobindo.

No one can escape cultural inheritance but by reading The Mother & Sri Aurobindo remoulding the personality and thinking can be facilitated.

The way Marxists have defended Modernity is praiseworthy but their opposition toward Sri Aurobindo is symptomatic of intellectual bankruptcy.

Southerners should be proud of the fact that Sri Aurobindo's speech was broadcast over AIR, Tiruchirapalli in the evening of August 14, 1947.

By ignoring Sri Aurobindo, both Congress & RSS have created two unbridgeable ideologies in the country which are total failures. #FiveDreams

Humanities cover a vast spectrum and lack of college education is making people ignorant about these. Reading Sri Aurobindo can compensate.

Celebrity endorsement has atrophied thinking and spawned fanaticism. Sri Aurobindo can rescue our mind from inertia and make fit for growth.

Social structure is more important than who's in Power. Supporting Market, Modernity, English & #FiveDreams of Sri Aurobindo is a great duty.

Modernity is far away from Indian society and fresh attempts to subvert it further is gaining momentum. Sri Aurobindo shows the right path.

Suspect all those who are peddling Mythology & Monarchy in the guise of Development. Sri Aurobindo empowers to fight for Modernity & Market.

Follow The Mother & Sri Aurobindo and say yes to Freedom and Modernity by opposing Mythology, rituals, miracles, Monarchy, and Marxism etc.

Stop extolling rule of Kings or such a model in Democratic facade. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have ushered in Unity, Mutuality, and Harmony.

Mythology and Monarchy has kept Indians subjugated for ages. Reclaim your freedom for Self-assertion through Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo.

Religious rituals were for keeping the subjects loyal to Royalty while in Modern age the focus, as per Sri Aurobindo, is on Self-discovery.

What were considered good for India during long periods of multiple Monarchies are obsolete in Democratic milieu. Savitri Era is the future.

Respect for rock-edicts and palm-leaf manuscripts is fine but don't miss the Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo online. http://t.co/S7aWJUENTD

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's massive contribution to Consciousness Studies is a landmark in the realm of Philosophy, Biology & Neuroscience.

Sri Aurobindo's vision of future Evolution has no democratic, majority-backup at present. It's for the discerning to follow his lead & move.

Don't invest your future in the past. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have enunciated a harmonious course for humanity transcending nationality.

Evolutionary fight against old ideas & religions is on. Younger generation must launch crusade against Mythology, miracles, & superstitions.

What India needs today is a firm and futuristic ideology like Sri Aurobindo's Judeo-Vedic Evolutionary Dialectic and #FiveDreams Manifesto.

Sri Aurobindo should be studied on his own terms

Tusar Nath Mohapatra on 11 August 2014 at 6:24 am said:

Does the Veda fall under ancient Indian Philosophy? Since it’s considered older than the Vedanta and source of many other texts, locating its exact position between religion and philosophy should be a priority. [TNM55]

Tusar N. Mohapatra on August 7, 2014 at 6:32 pm

The part played by ageing in this journey is generally overlooked and should receive adequate attention for a more realistic grasping of the phenomenon. [TNM55]

Most philosophers in India barring Sri Aurobindo don't understand the Veda and so their works are likely to misguide. http://t.co/hdX46H92Ek

The works of Sri Aurobindo need to be studied on his own terms and not under erroneous rubrics like Commie or Sanghi. http://t.co/GtqnnVf5gO

Savitri Era Party tweets against Mythology

Media attention mostly restricted to Auroville & Ashram visit in Puducherry. Rarely anyone talks about Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy or Poetry.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo visualize advent of Harmony transcending race, religion or nationality and assure its Evolutionary inevitability.

Elevating the individual as key to Evolution, Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga steers clear of relying upon Mythology, miracles, and rituals.

Sri Aurobindo deciphered the true import of Vedic terminology so that nomenclature of the Deities turn a coherent indicator of Yogic pathway.

As we approach 100 years of Arya on August 15, 2014, the words of Sri Aurobindo become ever more relevant for human unity and world peace.

The concept of Development for Sri Aurobindo amounts to individual perfection leading to Supermind and physical Immortality on Vedic lines.

Sri Aurobindo, who understood India and the West equally well, has left behind encyclopedic writings critical for the future of humanity.

Apply your conscience and encourage children to respect Science & Modernity instead of dependence on Mythology & unsubstantiated traditions.

Modernity, and not Mythology, can drive India towards prosperity. Follow The Mother & Sri Aurobindo for freedom from the burden of the past.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have laid out lofty ideals for children's education and how they need freedom for flowering of faculties of mind.

There can be no greater injustice than polluting the minds of your young children with Mythological superstitions and meaningless rituals.

Education is meant for finding the truth on our own (for which Sri Aurobindo is an excellent guide) and not for blindly following tradition.

Reading The Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo can convince of the futility of Mythology-oriented festivals & rituals observed by Indian families.

The general aim in academics is to encourage learners to reach farthest ends of inquiry and curiosity while it's moribund in the case of RSS.

Slim electoral victory is no assurance of legitimacy or indicator of popular acceptance. If RSS agenda continues, then BJP will go downhill.

Not recognizing that there exists a large ideological space opposed to it, BJP-RSS are following an ostrich-like policy which will backfire.

Sri Aurobindo's Evolutionary vision far supersedes the RSS and Congress focus. August 15 is the occasion for a thorough reevaluation of him.

@nesoron The Dynasty is surely not the alternative and AAP has floundered. So, what's the choice before the people? Should ponder over that.

There were many stalwarts in the Freedom movement but the role of Sri Aurobindo & his writings are the most relevant for today's generation.

The ARYA came out on August 15, 1914 heralding a new era of Integral Philosophy woven by Sri Aurobindo braiding the East and the West.

Life is a short opportunity to understand its meaning and mystery. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo met on March 29, 1914 to make us aware of it.

Reading Sri Aurobindo takes a life-time. Those who have not been able to discover his significance are obviously a deprived lot. #FiveDreams

Political affiliation need not dictate your intellectual trajectory. Reclaim your freedom and autonomy to study Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy.

Sri Aurobindo guides us to travel to the true source of Religion where Philosophy, Psychology, and Science converge and Universalism emerges.

Once you read "The Life Divine" by Sri Aurobindo, the long-held worldview based on mythological fiction and popular imagination will vanish.

Study the essence of Veda and Upanishads from Sri Aurobindo to avoid falling in the trap of misleading interpretations marketed aggressively.

There is no better interpreter and commentator of ancient Indian wisdom than Sri Aurobindo who synthesizes them with modern day assumptions.

Sri Aurobindo empowers you to withdraw from rituals and miracles, mythology and superstitions and rely upon Science, Market, and Modernity.

Sri Aurobindo is the first to theorise about Evolution of Consciousness and propose an Integral method of Yoga to accomplish the same by us.

Sri Aurobindo bypassed Freemasonry, Theosophy, Transcendentalism, and Traditionalism or Perennial Philosophy to chart a Judeo-Vedic course.

Sri Aurobindo wrote in English and has commented extensively on European culture and literature. Expand your mental horizon by reading them.

Without reading the Essays and Letters of Sri Aurobindo one can never enter the core of his thought and taste supremely revolutionary ideas.

Stand by English, stand by Science, stand by Market, and shun Mythology. Then you can consider yourself as a true son of Mother India today.

English is our window to the world and those who foolishly lend force to campaign against it are like enemies of India's future generations.

The role of Bollywood, despite stereotypes, in spreading modernity and awareness before the TV era is enormous; the art aspect commendable.

No one is free from prejudices but overlooking influences imbibed from mythology & imagining a pastoral paradise is a crime against country.

Historical data apropos march of science or commerce are no assurance of akin future performance. Evolution has many a secret up its sleeve.

India has progressed much in its march towards modernity during the last half-a-century. Any move to thwart it would be absolute treachery.

@BHPanimalwatch You perhaps love labels but the age of understanding the world through strict isms is gone. Postmodernism is great eyeopener.

@BHPanimalwatch Not for me, it lives for ever as a philosophy and alternative view of life. Not to speak of the embedded poetic aesthesis.

@BHPanimalwatch No means to know Sri Aurobindo's stance but it's up to us to think about solutions to problems obtaining in our own times.

Many spread the disinformation that India's traditional Wisdom is available only in Sanskrit without reading Sri Aurobindo's English books.

If language is the question, then English wins hands down. Sri Aurobindo's Savitri and The Life Divine prove it so conclusively. #FiveDreams

@Janamejayan Please write "Sri Aurobindo" the name he assumed in later part of his life and signed in same style & spelling. @Bengalination7

@DigestionResist @ChampakRoy @IntegralUnity Fine, I'd prefer "Prabhu Sri Aurobindo" and omission of Sri is a serious blunder. @artwaniparas

@ChampakRoy @IntegralUnity @DigestionResist The name "Sri Aurobindo" was adopted by him and referring to him Lord is a devotee's prerogative.

@BHPanimalwatch Freedom spurs Market through operation of all human emotions including envy and greed. It's difficult to put a leash on them.

Despite all their defects, Democracy, Market, and Science have no other alternative. Indians must learn to respect them and thwart Swadeshi.

The beauty about the Market is no one need to understand it or direct it. Govt. job is just like removing hurdles for free flow of traffic.

A party in power is particular about collecting funds for next election effortlessly while taking various decisions under the garb of policy.

Mock fights were a regular feature during UPA. The same continues now to keep Twitter wars warm. Manipulating emotions is the whole secret.

A semi-educated as HRD Minister and rescinding a futuristic FYUP are the first sins. With the furore against GM, Govt to slide backward now.

Sri Aurobindo is the only authority as a philosopher

Tusar Nath Mohapatra on 5 August 2014 at 7:58 am said:

Ganeri may be a granary of knowledge but he errs on giving an academic, artificial, or abstract representation of being a Hindu. What he enumerates are regrettably absent in the ground level practices and their justifications. I may be frowned upon again, but Sri Aurobindo is the only authority as a philosopher to bust the myths of Hinduism and disagree with the so called six Darshanas. He differs with the tradition and sides with Evolution; transcending the past categories is a must to partake of his vision. [TNM55]

English is under debate again and we should be thankful to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo for their epochal initiative in launching the ARYA journal on August 15, 1914. Synthesizing the knowledge of the East and the West, Sri Aurobindo has left behind a huge corpus of writings for studying which adequate familiarity with English is essential. Besides new ideas, Sri Aurobindo introduces us with hundreds of Western poets, philosophers, and playwrights spanning millennia. His own work, fortunately, gives us firm guidance and weans away from their possible influence. This is the most crucial contribution of Sri Aurobindo for the Indians.
Scholarly estimation of Sri Aurobindo is on the rise as a steady stream of new books and journal articles testifies. But the tradition-worshipping milieu is preventing most educated Indians to benefit from them. Independent intellectual culture is a rarity and politically induced theories are considered more credible. Doctored history in curriculum is also responsible for eclipsing Sri Aurobindo from the mindscape of our countrymen. Let's hope that the Nation remembers him on August 15 with renewed vigour. [TNM55]

Democracy, Market, and Science have no other alternative

The beauty about the Market is no one need to understand it or direct it. Govt. job is just like removing hurdles for free flow of traffic.

The question is whether to wait for half-a-Century for Percolation taking effect or unleash brute Market forces to harrow within a decade?

Existing structure of Indian economy must undergo a severe churning and that includes harsh times for many. Avoiding that prolongs poverty.

Despite all their defects, Democracy, Market, and Science have no other alternative. Indians must learn to respect them and thwart Swadeshi.

People matter only during Election and not on a daily basis. Govt must not dither from taking hard, unpopular decisions in national interest.

A semi-educated as HRD Minister and rescinding a futuristic FYUP are the first sins. With the furore against GM, Govt to slide backward now.

Many spread the disinformation that India's traditional Wisdom is available only in Sanskrit without reading Sri Aurobindo's English books.

If language is the question, then English wins hands down. Sri Aurobindo's Savitri and The Life Divine prove it so conclusively. #FiveDreams

Sri Aurobindo conceived the future on an enlightened scale

The 15 people who have become the Prime Minister of India represent diverse backgrounds and characters. Without going into how certain cercumstances were responsible for their occupying the office, it's an interesting study to look at them as mere individuals who made history in their own right while on the job. Their claim to greatness or otherwise was thrown by their evolution through holding office and response to unique opportunities and crises. Needless to mention that what is ordinarily seen as their personal acheivement actually ensues from the genius of countless agencies that remain faceless and hence unsung.

Be it the individualism of Emerson or Nietzsche or the Vedic taxonomy of four Varnas as popularised by Sri Aurobindo, from whichever angle we judge these 15 persons, the Kshatriya aspect is found missing in all of them. Impaired mandate and Party stipulations are surely major barriers but the overall thrust of personality exhibiting a heroic stance has never been a priority. Gandhian simplicity and nonviolence rhetoric has been a dampner for a whole generation of politicians. (The present RSS model also borders on asceticism.)

Sri Aurobindo conceived the future of India on a much more enlightened scale where Wisdom, Power, Harmony, and Service are integrated. We have been prisoners of either wrong stereotypes of the past or the false dreams spread by the West. Sri Aurobindo has painstakingly constructed the right paradigm for the future citizens of the country. Politics and Economics, Ethics and Aesthetics, Sri Aurobindo guides us nicely in every domain of life and action. Besides, to be in consonance with the demands of Evolution is the most crucial aspect of his teaching. Now that Indians are fervently searching for the right path, Sri Aurobindo is right here with his works available freely online. [TNM55]

Sri Aurobindo has probed the human condition very deeply

Mock fights were a regular feature during the UPA rule. The same continues now to keep Twitter wars warm. Manipulating emotions is the whole secret of political games. When we compare these mean modes of realpolitik with the lofty ideals of political theory, disillusionment sets in. Expecting high morality from an ordinary human being engaged in the most uncertain profession of politics is surely absurd. But a close scrutiny shows that every individual observes a certain level of morality contributing to the common bank and in collective situations these tend to go up. 

Laws, customs, and social circumstances ensure this and then the person's need for recognition by practicing ethics takes over. Still, the chances of a most moral person succumbing to corruption is not ruled out. A more modern and sophisticated way is to derive maximum benefits through networking and nepotism in the guise of altruism. NGOs have perfected this art in recent years with the aid of MBA degrees to preempt any sense of wrongdoing.

Sri Aurobindo has probed the human condition very deeply and dwelt upon the solutions in a forthright manner. Instead of focusing on man's incapacities, he prefers proceeding towards the possibilities. As the Evolutionary force is in operation in our midst, concentrating on historical errors is meaningless. What we must aim at is an ideal society taking shape from within the present imperfections. A clarity of vision and conviction is needed to pursue such a programme and popularising it among the young generation. [TNM55]

Sri Aurobindo has gifted us a sound philosophy of history

Time and again we have expressed our unhappiness with RSS but driving out Sonia from power is a great relief. Another plus point is you stop hearing RSS whining and victimhood litanies. Confronting real issues can metamorphose RSS into a more inclusive entity. That's, of course, a distant hope and a dream. But, by dealing with a wide cross-section of people would make it more practical and less reliant on Mythology, Miracles, or Medievalism. Reconciling the past affirmations with future aspirations will be the most challenging task for the RSS think tank.

Sri Aurobindo has gifted us a sound philosophy of History taking the whole human evolution into account. Unfortunately, his ideas are not taught in the Universities in India and hence people are ignorant about them. He wrote at a time when nihilistic and pessimistic sentiments were sweeping the Western world. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo ushered in the message of hope, of a sublime future for the mankind and its inevitability. That India will be at the forefront of such an adventure is a matter of immense pride and happiness for us.

Science and technology is only one aspect of progress, the other side being freedom and fulfillment. Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy not only endows us with knowledge but also leads us on the path of Yoga. No other discipline of study has this dual benefit. Many complain of difficulties at the outset but they emerge, The Mother assures, to be overcome eventually. Thus, the more the struggle or wrestling with impediments, the greater the scope for conquest and radical transformation of hostile forces. The final victory, however, is Immortality and Divinisation of Earth. [TNM55]

Differentiate Sri Aurobindo from others

Since I concentrate on Sri Aurobindo in my blogs and tweets, many accuse me of bias from time to time. Three words have been hurled at me as if I'm the sole culprit. Proselytizing is the most hated word although it is as old as the human civilization. Professing and changing religion is approved by the Indian Constitution and so it's surprising why proselytizing is looked upon as so undesirable or demeaning. Helping someone to think and judge for himself is certainly not an abhorrent act.

The second word is evangelism. If the term denotes religious advertisement, then the question is since when advertising has become a wretched job. The whole world thrives on advertisements and if I contribute my mite, then how does it become so negative an act. Besides, my focus has always been to invoke the rational inquiry and critical scrutiny. Not to accept blindly has been a constant refrain. So, such advertising should be welcome in a modern environment.

The third term is hagiography and those who speak against it perhaps consider themselves as Angels who have just dropped from the heaven. From the love of parents to being a fan of political leaders, hagiography is part and parcel of human life. So, writing about Sri Aurobindo who has left behind encyclopedic writings for the progress of human race can never be characterized same as run-of-the-mill hagiographies. Thus, it's for the discerning readers to apply some separate parameters to differentiate Sri Aurobindo from others. [TNM55]

Left fails to assimilate the enlightened views of Sri Aurobindo

Communists do understand the Tusar Nath Mohapatra, 31 Jul 2014 - Asian Age

Communists do understand the electoral reality but are uncompromising in their attitude. They deserve praise for standing by principles and for their belief in theory. 2014 is not the end of history and there are many battles ahead in which Communists will lead from the front. Thus their Death-wish is merely a wishful thinking. [TNM55]

The Left has many ramifications in the Indian polity ranging from Maoist terrorism to AAP in Delhi streets. Their presence in the realm of Art, Culture, Literature, and Academic writing is uncontested. The very bias towards the poor has been their core policy that spontaneously appeals to people's sentiments. But antipathy towards religion leads to their isolation. Unfortunately, they have not been able to assimilate the enlightened views of Sri Aurobindo as regards human evolution and destiny. Their international outlook is limited to economic sphere as they fail to see how higher aspirations can smoothen the rough edges of social hierarchy.

This, we must admit, belongs to the realm of speculation as Sri Aurobindo's prophecies are yet to be empirically tested. The Left, therefore, is within its rights to follow its considered ideologies. But its dependence upon the Muslim vote in India is a blot on its intellectual pretensions. Electoral decimation is bound to force the Left to rethink policy and engage with the majority psychology. [TNM55]