Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), a pioneer of India's freedom movement, poet, seer and the exponent of Integral Yoga, visualizes the possibility of humanity fulfilling its evolutionary destiny through a process of transformation. His remarkable works like The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human Cycle and The Ideal of Human Unity present an analysis of history, both spiritual and chronological, and trace the process of the unfoldment of this Gnostic mystery, while his epic, Savitri, discovers to us the manifold occult realities beneath and above the life as we known it.
In compiling these pieces from the 30 volumes of Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, the principle that has guided the compiler is the need to present the Master's futuristic, spiritual and social vision. Although it is not an anthology of passages representing all the works of Sri Aurobindo, his reflections on aspects of culture and education have been included, along with a few poems, and the first Canto of Savitri.
This selection from his writings is primarily intended to introduce his profound vision to the reader.
About the Author:
Manoj Das (b. 1934), well known writer, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, teaches English Literature at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry.
Section 1: | YOGA AND A VISION OF HUMAN DESTINY | 1 |
The Hour of God | 5 | |
The Human Aspiration | 6 | |
Man and the Evolution | 10 | |
The Divine Life | 30 | |
Life and Yoga | 77 | |
The Three Steps of Nature | 81 | |
The Threefold Life | 90 | |
The Systems of Yoga | 99 | |
The Synthesis of the Systems | 108 | |
The Message of the Gita | 116 | |
Section 2: | SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT | 135 |
Conditions for the Coming of a Spiritual Age | 139 | |
The Advent and Progress of the Spiritual Age | 151 | |
The Religion of Humanity | 158 | |
Summary and Conclusion | 164 | |
A Postscript Chapter | 171 | |
Section 3: | ON LITERATURE, ART AND EDUCATION | 185 |
The National Value of Art (I) | 189 | |
The National Value of Art (II) | 193 | |
The National Value of Art (III) | 196 | |
The National Value of Art (IV) | 199 | |
The National Value of Art (V) | 201 | |
The National Value of Art (VI) | 204 | |
A Preface on National Education (I) | 206 | |
A Preface on National Education (II) | 211 | |
The Human Mind | 214 | |
The Powers of the Mind | 217 | |
The Moral Nature | 220 | |
Simultaneous and Successive Teaching | 224 | |
The Training of the Senses | 227 | |
Sense-Improvement by Practice | 231 | |
The Training of the Mental Faculties | 233 | |
The Training of the Logical Faculty | 236 | |
On Indian Literature | 238 | |
The Mantra | 251 | |
The Essence of Poetry | 258 | |
Rhythm and Movement | 265 | |
Style and Substance | 270 | |
Poetic Vision and the Mantra | 275 | |
Section 4: | POETRY | 283 |
The Symbol Dawn | 287 | |
Who | 296 | |
Reminiscence | 297 | |
A God's Labour | 298 | |
Bride of the Fire | 302 | |
The Dwarf Napoleon | 303 | |
The Stone Goddess | 305 | |
Krishna | 305 | |
Creation | 306 | |
A Dream of Surreal Science | 306 | |
The Miracle of Birth | 307 | |
Moments | 307 | |
The Infinitesimal Infinite | 308 | |
Evolution | 308 | |
APPENDIX | 309 | |
Thoughts, Aphorisms and Glimpses | 311 | |
The Veda: The Problem and Its Solution | 314 | |
A Retrospect of the Vedic Theory | 320 | |
The Fifteenth of August 1947 | 332 |
Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), a pioneer of India's freedom movement, poet, seer and the exponent of Integral Yoga, visualizes the possibility of humanity fulfilling its evolutionary destiny through a process of transformation. His remarkable works like The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, The Human Cycle and The Ideal of Human Unity present an analysis of history, both spiritual and chronological, and trace the process of the unfoldment of this Gnostic mystery, while his epic, Savitri, discovers to us the manifold occult realities beneath and above the life as we known it.
In compiling these pieces from the 30 volumes of Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, the principle that has guided the compiler is the need to present the Master's futuristic, spiritual and social vision. Although it is not an anthology of passages representing all the works of Sri Aurobindo, his reflections on aspects of culture and education have been included, along with a few poems, and the first Canto of Savitri.
This selection from his writings is primarily intended to introduce his profound vision to the reader.
About the Author:
Manoj Das (b. 1934), well known writer, recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, teaches English Literature at Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry.
Section 1: | YOGA AND A VISION OF HUMAN DESTINY | 1 |
The Hour of God | 5 | |
The Human Aspiration | 6 | |
Man and the Evolution | 10 | |
The Divine Life | 30 | |
Life and Yoga | 77 | |
The Three Steps of Nature | 81 | |
The Threefold Life | 90 | |
The Systems of Yoga | 99 | |
The Synthesis of the Systems | 108 | |
The Message of the Gita | 116 | |
Section 2: | SOCIAL AND POLITICAL THOUGHT | 135 |
Conditions for the Coming of a Spiritual Age | 139 | |
The Advent and Progress of the Spiritual Age | 151 | |
The Religion of Humanity | 158 | |
Summary and Conclusion | 164 | |
A Postscript Chapter | 171 | |
Section 3: | ON LITERATURE, ART AND EDUCATION | 185 |
The National Value of Art (I) | 189 | |
The National Value of Art (II) | 193 | |
The National Value of Art (III) | 196 | |
The National Value of Art (IV) | 199 | |
The National Value of Art (V) | 201 | |
The National Value of Art (VI) | 204 | |
A Preface on National Education (I) | 206 | |
A Preface on National Education (II) | 211 | |
The Human Mind | 214 | |
The Powers of the Mind | 217 | |
The Moral Nature | 220 | |
Simultaneous and Successive Teaching | 224 | |
The Training of the Senses | 227 | |
Sense-Improvement by Practice | 231 | |
The Training of the Mental Faculties | 233 | |
The Training of the Logical Faculty | 236 | |
On Indian Literature | 238 | |
The Mantra | 251 | |
The Essence of Poetry | 258 | |
Rhythm and Movement | 265 | |
Style and Substance | 270 | |
Poetic Vision and the Mantra | 275 | |
Section 4: | POETRY | 283 |
The Symbol Dawn | 287 | |
Who | 296 | |
Reminiscence | 297 | |
A God's Labour | 298 | |
Bride of the Fire | 302 | |
The Dwarf Napoleon | 303 | |
The Stone Goddess | 305 | |
Krishna | 305 | |
Creation | 306 | |
A Dream of Surreal Science | 306 | |
The Miracle of Birth | 307 | |
Moments | 307 | |
The Infinitesimal Infinite | 308 | |
Evolution | 308 | |
APPENDIX | 309 | |
Thoughts, Aphorisms and Glimpses | 311 | |
The Veda: The Problem and Its Solution | 314 | |
A Retrospect of the Vedic Theory | 320 | |
The Fifteenth of August 1947 | 332 |