11/24/2016

RememberingSriAurobindoAndTheVisionOfALifeDivine

RememberingSriAurobindoAndTheVisionOfALifeDivine
swarajyamag.com/culture/rememberingsriaurobindoandthevisionofalifedivine

SriAurobindofamouslysaid,Wedonotbelongtothepastdawns,buttothenoonsofthefuture.Theninetieth
siddhiday(dayofattainment)ofSriAurobindo,whichfallson24Novemberthisyear,isagoodtimetolookat
thecontemporaryrelevanceofthephilosophyandvisionofthislargelyforgottenluminary.SriAurobindohas
beendescribedvariouslyasarevolutionary,aclassicalscholar,apoet,aliterarycritic,aphilosopherandayogi.
Hewasallthisandmore.Hislifeandworkcanbebroadlylookedatastwophases:firstasaprophetof
nationalismwhobroughtanewfervourandanelementofthesacredtothefreedomstruggleandlater,asa
modernrishiwho,throughanexperientialsynthesisofIndicspiritualtraditions,gaveavisionforaculturaland
spiritualrenaissanceinIndiaandtofurthertheevolutionofhumanconsciousness.
LifeInEngland
ForamanwhowouldbecomealeadingvoiceofIndianthought,SriAurobindosformativeyearswerespentin
England,completelybereftofIndianinfluences,learningGreek,Latin,French,German,ItalianandSpanish
alongwiththeClassics,Literature,EuropeanHistoryandGeography.AtKingsCollege,Cambridge,he
distinguishedhimselfbypassingFirstClassinhisTriposandobtainingrecordscoresintheIndianCivilService
examination,whichhisfathercompelledhimtowrite.
However,onunderstandingtheatrocitiesofBritishRule,hefirmlydedicatedhimselftoIndiasliberation.
Aurobindodeliberatelyskippedthehorseridingtestandtheexaminerswerehappytodisqualifyhim,having
suspectedhisrevolutionaryleanings.Threedecadeslater,SubhasChandraBosequittheICS,writing,"The
illustriousexampleofAurobindoGhoshloomslargebeforemyvision.
TheRevolutionaryYears
AchancemeetingledtoemploymentwiththeBarodaState,whereheservedfor13years,notablyasthevice
principalofBarodaCollege.ThesewereyearsofimmersionintoIndianthoughtthroughanintensestudyof
Sanskrit,Hindi,Marathi,GujaratiandBengaliandIndianworks.Hispoliticalwriting,whichbeganin1893,
espousedavisionforaradicalmassmovementforfreedom.Thenationwasadivineidealandthestrugglefor
herfreedom,ayagnatobeundertaken,forwithoutfreedom,socialandeducationalreformwasmeaningless.To
infuseadorationofthissacrednationandmouldmenforherliberation,AurobindostartedAnushilanSamithiin
1902,whichspreadlikewildfireacrossBengalwithhundredsofsuchgroupsbeingsetup.Hisintenseloveof
Indiamadehimtakeupyoga,seekingnotmukti,butthestrengthtoupliftthisnation.Thisdidnotgounnoticed.
BAClark,theprincipalofBarodaCollegesaidofhim:Didyounoticehiseyes?Thereisamysticfireandlightin
them.Theypenetrateintothebeyond.
PoornaSwaraj
AfoundingmemberoftheNationalistParty,hewasthefirsttogiveacomprehensivevisionforPoornaSwaraj
throughcompletenoncooperationandthecreationofaparallelstatewithswadeshiproduction,anational
educationsystem,localarbitrationcourtsandadedicatedvolunteercorps.Aurobindoledtheeffortstobegin
schoolsandcollegesforimpartingeducationonnationallinesandundernationalcontrol,becomingthe
founderprincipaloftheBengalNationalCollege,whereheinspiredstudentstostudyforher(Indias)sake.
TrainyourselvesbodyandmindandsoulforherserviceWorkthatshemayprosper.Sufferthatshemay
rejoice.Alliscontainedinthatonesingleadvice.
Underhiseditorship,BandeMatarambecamethevoiceoftheindependencemovementacrossthecountry,
reekingofseditionastheStatesmandescribedit,withextractsbeingreproducedevenintheTimesin
London.Whenthegovernmentfiledseditioncases,Aurobindocourtedarrestrefusingtorecognisethe
legitimacyoftheBritishRule.ThispushedAurobindo,whohadtillthenworkedbehindthescenes,intopublic
prominenceasoneofthetallestleadersofthefreedomstruggle.Hismysticalauraanddaringexploitswould
inspireanentiregenerationofrevolutionaries.
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RememberingSriAurobindoAndTheVisionOfALifeDivine

TheDeepeningOfYoga
Inparallel,hispursuitofyogacontinuallydeepened,providingvitalityandimpetustohisnationalwork.Aletterto
hiswifein1905givesaglimpseofhismindwherehespeaksaboutthreemadnessesinhislife,thefirstbeing
hisfaiththathistalentandknowledgebelongedtogodandhadtobeusedforthewelfareofothers,thesecond
beingthedesireforadirectexperienceofthedivine.Histhirdmadnesswasknowingandworshippinghis
countryastheMotherandfightingtofreehernotwiththegunbutwith"thepowerofknowledge.Underthe
guidanceofaMaharashtrianyogi,heachievedacompletelystillmind.Fromthenon,everythinghespokeand
wrotecamefromthatConsciousness.
In1908,SriAurobindowasarrestedandimprisonedasasuspectintheAliporeBombCase,thefirstmajorstate
trialinIndia.Inacasethatlastedforoverayear,ChittaranjanDassuccessfullydefendedAurobindo,endinghis
defencesayingAurobindowillbelookeduponasthepoetofpatriotism,astheprophetofnationalismandthe
loverofhumanity.ThisyearofconfinementwasawatershedmomentinSriAurobindoslife,whichhespokeof
inhismomentousUttarparaSpeech.ItwasayearofintenseTapasyawherehehadavisionofKrishnaand
understoodthefuturenatureofhiswork.HewasconvincedthatfreedomwascertainandthatIndiamustfind
inspirationinherspiritualpasttoachievegreatness,notonlyforherselfbuttoserveandofferlighttoall
humanity.Forayearafterhisrelease,hetriedtorejuvenatethestruggle,butrealisedthattimehadnotcome
andhehimselfwasnottheirdestinedleader.Hisactivepoliticallifehadended.Themagnitudeofthespiritual
workentrustedtohimwouldoccupyhisentireenergy.
TheVisionOfALifeDivine
ThenextphaseofSriAurobindoslifebeganonmovingtoPondicherry,hiscaveofTapasya.Whatfollowed
wasfourdecadesofsilent,intenseyoga.In1914,Mirra(TheMother),wholaterbecomehisspiritual
collaborator,metSriAurobindo.Immediately,themonthlyAryawasstarted,inwhichavasttorrentflowedfrom
SriAurobindospenforthenextsevenyears.Mostofhismajorworksondivinisinglife,thepursuitofyoga,the
significanceofIndianculture,theimportoftheVedasetcwereseriallypublishedintheArya.Thiswaspossible
onlybecauseallthathadtobewrittencamedown,allready,andhehadonlytomovehisfingersonthe
typewriteranditwastranscribed.
Hewroteforthose,whoacknowledgereason,butdonotidentifyreasonwithwesternmaterialismwhoare
skeptics,butnotunbelieverswho,admittingtheclaimsofmodernthought,stillbelieveinIndia,hermission,her
gospel,herimmortallifeandhereternalrebirth.
Apowerfulmotivationinhiswritingwasdiscoveringthevastspiritualtrovesofthepastthroughthelightofinner
experience,recastingthemintocontemporaryformsandexpressionstodiviniseeveryaspectoflifeandsolving
problemsinthelightoftheIndianSpirittoraiseIndiaandservetheworld.Hisworkencompassedallthree
dimensions.
WhenSriAurobindofirstglancedattheRigVeda,hefounditreflectedhisdeepestspiritualexperiences.Thus
beganadeep,independentandmeticulousstudyoftheRigVeda,seriallypublishedasTheSecretoftheVeda,
usinghisinnerexperiencetoillumineotherwiseobscurepassages.Hisintegralyogaaimednotonlyatan
ascentintoahigherconsciousness,awayfromtheworldbutsoughtadescentofthatconsciousnessintomatter,
tosacraliseeveryaspectofexistence.ThisvastvisionfoundexpressioninTheSavitri,of12booksand28,000
lines,themantrakavyaofthisgreatrishiwrittenoverfourdecades.Truetothekavyatradition,itembraced
everythingmysticism,philosophy,politics,natureofman,thecreationoftheuniverseandthedestinyofman.
On24November,1926,SriAurobindoattainedsiddhi,whichhedescribedasthedescentofKrishna.Afterthis,
untilhisdeathin1950,heretiredintosolitude,correspondingwithdisciplesthroughthousandsoflettersand
givingdarshanthriceayear.WhenIndiagainedIndependenceon15August1947,alsohisbirthday,Sri
AurobindospokeofhisfivedreamsforthenationaunitedIndia,theresurgenceofAsia,unificationofthe
world,thespiritualgiftofIndiatotheworld,andevolutionthroughraisinghumanconsciousness.SriAurobindo
lefthisbodyon5December1950.Foramanwholivedinseclusion,lakhscametopaytheirrespects.Hiswork
wascarriedonbyTheMother.

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RememberingSriAurobindoAndTheVisionOfALifeDivine

TagoremetSriAurobindotwice.Firstin1907,attheheightofSriAurobindopatrioticfervour,addressinghimas
"Ofriend,mycountrysfriend,OVoiceincarnate,free,OfIndiassoul!"Tagoremethimagainin1928,arishiat
hisashram,andreadthesamesalutation.Thistime,headded,"Indiawillspeakthroughyourvoicetothe
world".BoththesedimensionsofSriAurobindoarerelevanttoday,hiselevationofthenationalandpoliticalto
therealmofthesacred,wheretheriseofIndiaisnottodominatebuttoshareherlightwiththeworldandhis
voice,whichencompassesatoncetheculturalandspiritual,thepastandthefuture,theindividual,Indiaand
humanityinonegrandunifiedvision.
ShyamKrishnakumarisaresearchassociateatVisionIndiaFoundation,NewDelhiandamemberofAnaadi
Foundation,Coimbatore.HisareasofinterestincludeIndianculture,spiritualtraditionsandtheIndianGrand
Narrative.

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