Sri Aurobindo responds to Hindu sectarianism

Re: Re: Untold Potentialities: India and the Third World. by Richard Hartz
by Rich on Sat 25 Aug 2007 10:21 AM PDT Profile Permanent Link

There is a tendency to hate the other but yet see some of them as somehow different from the rest of the hated subgroup or at least they are more to ones liking. These folks are set up as an example of what all other members of that racial, ethnic, religious group should be. They are a token representative of their group.

For example, Apj Abdul Kalam, the former president of India is seen as a "good Muslim" by Hindu groups who otherwise disdain the faith. (of course since he is seen as the father of the Indian (nuclear) bomb, and is himself a vegetarian goes someway in legitimizing him in the minds of many Hindus)

This article of Mr Bari seems to be taken as such an example of a "good Muslim", for folks who would otherwise hate the Islamic other. But it is so much more important to go beyond the stereo types and tokenism to integrally assimilate the best in all faiths, while rejecting their dogmatism and fanaticism which besets their followers.

In the Aurobindo Ashram it is no different. In fact one of the most prolific authors in the Ashram today, who has published many major compilations of Sri Aurobindo and Mother's works, as well as his own keen insights on integral psychology which was brought out by a major publisher in the US is Muslim. I am talking about Dr. Dalal

So let me again quote an excerpt from quote from Ananda Reddy's paper as Sri Aurobindo responds to Hindu sectarianism. rc

Sri Aurobindo:

"If there is anybody in this Ashram who is a , Hindu sectarian hating Mahomedans and not opening to the Light in which all can overcome their limitations and in which all can be fulfilled (each religion or way of approaching the Divine contributing its own element of the truth, but all fused together and surpassed), then that Hindu sectarian is not a completely surrendered disciple of Sri Aurobindo. By his narrowness and hatred of others he is bringing an element of falsehood into the work that is being done here.

"When I spoke of the outside world, I meant all outside including the Hindus and Christians and everyone else, all who have not yet accepted the greater Light that is coming. If this Ashram were here only to serve Hinduism I would not be in it and the Mother who was never a Hindu would not be in it.