Saturday, April 21, 2007

It is easy to reify Aurobindo’s concepts into a concrete hierarchy describing Reality itself, but that is a trap to be avoided

Indirectly influential in the creation of this system has been the Indian philosopher, Sri Aurobindo, who outlined a level-by-level hierarchy of reality culminating in non-dual Essence. However, as Mundschenk (1995 p272) points out,
‘there is a very imprecise separation in Aurobindo’s thought between descriptions of the levels of reality on the one hand and the levels of human consciousness of that reality on the other. It is easy to reify Aurobindo’s concepts into a concrete hierarchy describing Reality itself, but that is a trap to be avoided. In the final analysis, his descriptions are attempts to articulate his own experiences.’.
This is another way of saying that they are Real/Not-Real.
It would appear then that these experiences are not of an objectively existing ‘Consciousness out there’ or ‘Mind out there’ but rather may be interpreted as experiences of the Inner Self, the Unitive Self that has Witnessed all and which appears eternal because it has existed as long as ourselves because it is our Self. As our Self contracts to a voice it often appears harmonious and conducive to us and more and more united because it is our True Self, the 'I' that just IS – the I AM...Posted by Pilgrim Simon at 13:19 REFERENCES. Edwards, J. (1974) Works Banner of Truth Edinburgh. Mundschenk, P. (1995) ‘Aurobindo’ in ‘Great thinkers of the eastern world’ Ian P. McGreal. (Ed) Harper Collins New York

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