Scholar, poet, political and revolutionary leader, philosopher and social theorist, yogi and spiritual leader, Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) is one of the most important figures of twentieth-century India. This is a selection from his major works as well as letters and some lesser known pieces. It includes writings covering more than fifty years (1893 - 1950) of his life. There is also a general introduction giving an overview of Sri Aurobindo's life and works as well as extensive critical apparatus.
As the only collection of Sri Aurobindo's writings that gives a balanced coverage of the different phases and aspects of his concerns, this volume will interest students of Indian history, Philosophy and literature, as well as spiritual seekers.
About the Author:
Peter Heehs is an archivist at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives and Research Library, Pondicherry. A widely-published historian, his other books include The Bomb in Bengal: The Rise of Revolutionary Terrorism in India 1900 - 1910(OUP, 1993), Sri Aurobindo: A Brief Biography(OUP, 1989),India's Freedom Struggle 1857 - 1947(OUP, 1991) and Nationalism, Terrorism, Communalism(OUP, 1998).
Excerpts from Reviews
'A simple, yet wholesome approach to reading Sri Aurobindo.' - The Statesman
'Peter Heehs has dine a commendable job in presenting this anthology (he) has dealt with a difficult subject with painstaking attention. The apparatus, notes, references and documentation are excellent.' - Indian Review of Books.
Preface | ix |
Introduction | xi |
The Spiritual Revolution | 3 |
Part One Nationalism and Beyond | |
New Lamps for Old | 7 |
The Doctrine of Passive Resistance | 12 |
The Present Situation | 18 |
Uttarapara Speech | 32 |
The Ideal of the Karmayogin | 42 |
Letter to Joseph Baptista | 47 |
Letter to Balakrishna Shivaram Munje | 51 |
Part Two The Indian Tradition and the Future | |
'Is India Civilized? | 57 |
The Evolution of Indian Spirituality | 69 |
The Secrets of the Veda: The Problem and Its Solution | 86 |
Readings in the Taittiriya Upanishad: The Knowledge of Brahman | 93 |
Kena Upanishad: A Last Word | 98 |
The Core of the Gita's Meaning | 104 |
The Renaissance in India | 114 |
Indian Civilization and the Evolutionary Future | 127 |
Part Three The Individual, Society and Humanity | |
The Turn towards Unity: Its Necessity and Dangers | 143 |
The Ideal of Human Unity: Summary and Conclusion | 148 |
A Note | 156 |
The Cycle of Society | 157 |
The Advent and Progress of the Spiritual Age | 167 |
Part Four The Evolution of Consciousness | |
The Teaching of Sri Aurobindo | 177 |
The Human Aspiration | 180 |
The Two Negations: The Materialist Denial | 185 |
The Two Negations: The Refusal of the Ascetic | 196 |
Man and the Evolution | 204 |
Man and the Supermind | 227 |
The Involved and Evolving Godhead | 231 |
The Evolution of Consciousness | 235 |
Rebirth | 239 |
Rebirth and Karma | 249 |
Rebirth and Personality | 258 |
Metaphysical Thought and the Supreme Truth | 260 |
Part Five Yoga and Life | |
Life and Yoga | 267 |
The Synthesis of the Systems | 271 |
Standards of Conduct and Spiritual Freedom | 280 |
The Cosmic Consciousness | 299 |
The Ananda Brahman | 308 |
The Integral Perfection | 314 |
Karmayoga | 321 |
Bhakti | 323 |
Meditation | 326 |
The Central Process of the Yoga | 329 |
The Novelty of the Integral Yoga | 336 |
Part Six Poetry of the Spirit | |
The Essence of Poetry | 343 |
Selected Short Poems | |
Invitation | 351 |
Trance | 352 |
Ocean Oneness | 352 |
Descent | 353 |
Thought the Paraclete | 354 |
Transformation | 355 |
Nirvana | 355 |
The Indwelling Universal | 356 |
Bliss of Identity | 356 |
The Pilgrim of the Night | 357 |
Liberation | 357 |
Krishna | 358 |
The Word of the Silence | 358 |
Savitri: The Finding of the Soul | 359 |
Appendix: The Fifteenth of August 1947 | 369 |
Further Reading | 373 |
Sources of Selections | 379 |
Chronology | 381 |
Glossary | 385 |
Scholar, poet, political and revolutionary leader, philosopher and social theorist, yogi and spiritual leader, Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) is one of the most important figures of twentieth-century India. This is a selection from his major works as well as letters and some lesser known pieces. It includes writings covering more than fifty years (1893 - 1950) of his life. There is also a general introduction giving an overview of Sri Aurobindo's life and works as well as extensive critical apparatus.
As the only collection of Sri Aurobindo's writings that gives a balanced coverage of the different phases and aspects of his concerns, this volume will interest students of Indian history, Philosophy and literature, as well as spiritual seekers.
About the Author:
Peter Heehs is an archivist at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives and Research Library, Pondicherry. A widely-published historian, his other books include The Bomb in Bengal: The Rise of Revolutionary Terrorism in India 1900 - 1910(OUP, 1993), Sri Aurobindo: A Brief Biography(OUP, 1989),India's Freedom Struggle 1857 - 1947(OUP, 1991) and Nationalism, Terrorism, Communalism(OUP, 1998).
Excerpts from Reviews
'A simple, yet wholesome approach to reading Sri Aurobindo.' - The Statesman
'Peter Heehs has dine a commendable job in presenting this anthology (he) has dealt with a difficult subject with painstaking attention. The apparatus, notes, references and documentation are excellent.' - Indian Review of Books.
Preface | ix |
Introduction | xi |
The Spiritual Revolution | 3 |
Part One Nationalism and Beyond | |
New Lamps for Old | 7 |
The Doctrine of Passive Resistance | 12 |
The Present Situation | 18 |
Uttarapara Speech | 32 |
The Ideal of the Karmayogin | 42 |
Letter to Joseph Baptista | 47 |
Letter to Balakrishna Shivaram Munje | 51 |
Part Two The Indian Tradition and the Future | |
'Is India Civilized? | 57 |
The Evolution of Indian Spirituality | 69 |
The Secrets of the Veda: The Problem and Its Solution | 86 |
Readings in the Taittiriya Upanishad: The Knowledge of Brahman | 93 |
Kena Upanishad: A Last Word | 98 |
The Core of the Gita's Meaning | 104 |
The Renaissance in India | 114 |
Indian Civilization and the Evolutionary Future | 127 |
Part Three The Individual, Society and Humanity | |
The Turn towards Unity: Its Necessity and Dangers | 143 |
The Ideal of Human Unity: Summary and Conclusion | 148 |
A Note | 156 |
The Cycle of Society | 157 |
The Advent and Progress of the Spiritual Age | 167 |
Part Four The Evolution of Consciousness | |
The Teaching of Sri Aurobindo | 177 |
The Human Aspiration | 180 |
The Two Negations: The Materialist Denial | 185 |
The Two Negations: The Refusal of the Ascetic | 196 |
Man and the Evolution | 204 |
Man and the Supermind | 227 |
The Involved and Evolving Godhead | 231 |
The Evolution of Consciousness | 235 |
Rebirth | 239 |
Rebirth and Karma | 249 |
Rebirth and Personality | 258 |
Metaphysical Thought and the Supreme Truth | 260 |
Part Five Yoga and Life | |
Life and Yoga | 267 |
The Synthesis of the Systems | 271 |
Standards of Conduct and Spiritual Freedom | 280 |
The Cosmic Consciousness | 299 |
The Ananda Brahman | 308 |
The Integral Perfection | 314 |
Karmayoga | 321 |
Bhakti | 323 |
Meditation | 326 |
The Central Process of the Yoga | 329 |
The Novelty of the Integral Yoga | 336 |
Part Six Poetry of the Spirit | |
The Essence of Poetry | 343 |
Selected Short Poems | |
Invitation | 351 |
Trance | 352 |
Ocean Oneness | 352 |
Descent | 353 |
Thought the Paraclete | 354 |
Transformation | 355 |
Nirvana | 355 |
The Indwelling Universal | 356 |
Bliss of Identity | 356 |
The Pilgrim of the Night | 357 |
Liberation | 357 |
Krishna | 358 |
The Word of the Silence | 358 |
Savitri: The Finding of the Soul | 359 |
Appendix: The Fifteenth of August 1947 | 369 |
Further Reading | 373 |
Sources of Selections | 379 |
Chronology | 381 |
Glossary | 385 |