There is a strong evolutionary content in Sri Aurobindo's philosophy, and its scope is much bigger than Darwin's

satyarthi BRFite -Trainee Joined: 21 Aug 2006 Posts: 9
Posted: 27 Nov 2007 03:26 am
shiv wrote: Shaurya T - the problem is not just that there is no document pointing us back to the past. There is no document pointing Hindus to the future either. In the absence of that small minds scratch at the visible Macaulay and dhimmitude and try to see what lies underneath. Underneath is past.

The future is invisible. There is no document telling Hindus to head anywhere but individual self realization. I am willing to be corrected on this issue.

Sri Aurobindo has developed his Integral Yoga on an explicitely evolutionary model. He doesn't just talk about the further evolution of humanity but evolution beyond humantiy too, and grounded on hindu thought. Out of the five koshas of upanishads, plants show development upto vital, animals upto lower mental, while ordinary humans show development only upto the mental. There are possibilities beyond the mental level too. Some humans have individually mastered levels higher than mental, but as an evolutionary goal for the life on earth in general, those levels are yet to be mastered. There is a strong evolutionary content in Aurobindo's philosophy, and its scope is much bigger than Darwin's.

And he doesn't just talk about individual liberation or "moksha" or self-realization, but an eventual "siddhi" or mastery. Even the usually discussed "moksha" or mukti or freedom is a multi-layered onion, since there are many levels and kinds of freedoms that can be gained, besides the ultimate one.

Sri Aurobindo, says that "mukti" or liberation is a preparatory stage. The next stage is "siddhi" or accomplishment. Its like you gaining freedom or "mukti" from the local vicious street dog by building yourself a bigger fence or getting the dog pounded. The "siddhi" part comes when you master the dog to such an extent that he rolls over at your command or fetches a tennis ball for you.

"Siddhi" allows a person to apply his spiritual gains into worldly life. The same worldly life which scares an ordinary ascetic so much, becomes putty in the hands of a master to sculpt great visions. Just as when the vicious street dog is mastered, he becomes a good companion and useful aid.