Saturday, October 25, 2008

Hindu Nationalist themes have been adopted by many within the Sri Aurobindo Ashram

The Lives of Sri Aurobindo: The aggrieved victim turned aggressor
by Rich on Fri 24 Oct 2008 10:56 AM PDT Permanent Link Hindu Nationalist themes have been adopted by many within the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in which Mr. Reddy resides.

Sri Aurobindo was indeed a revolutionary leader against the British occupation of India as well as a cultural icon who fought for the self-determination of the subcontinent's indigenous populations, however, his writing on the polity that best suited the new nation of India is secular and democratic. His penetrating analysis of Fascism, Communism, Capitalism, from 1900 – 1950 is still a critically satisfying read today.

He certainly did not suggest following the chauvinistic path of fundamentalist religion, rather he envisioned a renewal of the collective spirit through a continual graduation of consciousness In his evolutionary perspective he clearly placed secular democratic values on a higher rung of the ladder of consciousness than one determined by religious fervor.

Therefore, it is ironic to watch those who claim to represent Sri Aurobindo ideals ignore the democratic character of his words and replace them with a militant interpretation of Hindu nationalism. This is evident in its failure to critically assess text that are viewed as hostile to their aspiration to seize the cultural interpretations of powerful institutions. In fact words themselves are ignored by those claiming speaking rights for Sri Aurobindo. Science, Culture and Integral Yoga

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