Sri Aurobindo : Indian writing in English

                Assignment

                      Paper : 4

      Indian writing in English 

Name :  Ravina Parmar

Roll no : 27

SEM : M.A. sem- 1

Batch year : (2019-2021)

Email:ravinaparmar827@gmail.com

Enrollment no : 2069108420200031

 Submitted to : Dr. Dilip barad sir

Smt. S. B. Gardi English Department Bhavnagar

Topic : Sri Aurobindo's view on culture, education, politics and yoga.

Preface :

The essay  " Renaissance in India" is written by Sri Aurobindo. He was a famous political and spiritual leader.  The present essay consists  of three series of essay and one single essay. This essay is published in the monthly review as follows,

- The Renaissance in India - August, November 1918.

- Indian culture and external influences, March 1919.

- Is India civilised ?", December - 1918 February - 1919

- A Defence of Indian culture, February - 1919 January 1921.

This four essay we find that under a one booklet in India published in 1920. Mr James, H. Cousins and others have touched suggestively various side of the growing movement this moment 'Renaissance in India' is a new birth in India. If it is a fact must become a thing of immense importance to herself and the world. In this essay find that various topics in which Sri Aurobindo give his viewpoints about culture, education system, political system, spirituality and many other things in India. 

In this essay, Sri Aurobindo raised one question that is India civilized ? or not, this type of many arguments we find that in this essay. So let's have a look at Sri Aurobindo as reformer.

- Sri Aurobindo :

 Sri Aurobindo was a famous political and spiritual leader in his time. When he was 7 year old then he was taken to England for education in London studied at st. Paul's school and at king's college Cambridge. 

And he was returning to India in the year of 1893. Then in India he worked for Maharaja and as professor in Baroda college. During this period he also joined a revolutionary society and took a leading role in secret preparation against for uprising and well developed the British government in India.

After the partition of bengal 1919, Aurobindo quit his post in Baroda and went calcutta.  Where he soon became one of the leaders of National movement. Aurobindo had begun the practice of Yoga in 1905 in Baroda. In the year 1908 he became the first of several fundamental spiritual realisation. Who is the first political leader who openly put forward the idea of complete Independence in his newspaper " Bande Mataram".

He published at his time weekly English paper, the karmayogin and a Bengali weekly the Dharma. During his stay in Pondicherry in 1910 and onward he devoted to his spiritual work and his Sadhana. This type of many work who had written in his lifetime. In his work we find that the 37 volume in which many famous essay writing that are :

• Early cultural writingCollected plays and stories - 1 -2
• Translations
• The secret of the Veda
• Essay on philosophy and yoga
• Essay divine and human
• Essay on the Geeta

This all the famous work by him. He was died in in December 5, 1950. After his death his work continues by the Mother until date of 17 November in 1973.

- Aurobindo's view on Indian culture :

  In Aurobindo's view we find that  he included the difference between indian culture and European culture spring from spiritual aim of Indian civilization. And Aurobindo said that India is the unimaginably prolific creativeness.The word civilization came from latin word "civitas". His view on civilization  we find that the essay "Is India civilized". The word Civilization is near to culture. That both related to each other.

Renaissance in India that is not a rebirth of India but that is the process of going back in ancient time of great India and you can say revival of Indian spirit. Sri Aurobindo presents his views on modern Indian culture. 

Aurobindo gives a viewpoint about the greatness of Indian civilization and also its revolutionary future. Indian culture is in declining condition was attacked by European and modernism modernism and that is overpowered in the material field In which many danger we find that in European culture, nationalism,commercialism that all the danger may put an end forever spiritual culture of India. All Indian who get English education and its influence they vulgarised and anglicized in its aesthetic notions.

From the beginning of Vedas and Upani shada of Indian literature is the mental activity of so great a creative people in our culture we find that extraordinary and unique things. Indian epic Vedas Upanishads that all is the true expression of the highest spiritual knowledge and experience.

Here Indian polity explained by Sri aurobindo and also is the evolutionary revelation in his usual manners.

- Aurobindo's view on education :

Aurobindo's view on education is very different. One of the work of Aurobindo  that is Savitri in which we find that his view about education he said that , ' education is the study of human mind.' That is the tire basis of life.

According to him physical development and holiness are the chief aim and factors of education. Education is not just to know things and understand it but that is more than that. Education is like training of six senses, training of logical faculties, physical education principle, of freedom moral and religious education, training for the spiritualization of the individual and also gives  a letter and powers of the child that is the true education.

Educational philosophy of aurobindo :

Shri Aurobindo's educational philosophy is awakening of the individual as a spiritual being. Sri aurobindo divided 5 types in educational philosophy. This five types are  education,vital education, mental education, psychic education, spiritual for super natural education. In which the physical education we find that this thought like that he gives a more stress upon the game because he felt that these were essential for renewing energy. So this physical education to control people over his  physical functions and also make aware about body. Then we look for vital education , according Aurobindo vital education is the most important point in integral education.

In which we find that what should be the teacher's duty and also which kind of syllabus taught to students. And also what is the aim of Sri aurobindo's regarding education, one of the aims is to teach students how to live with contemporary time. Education should create a dynamic social construction so that's why education is the most important tool in modern times. And another aims is mental development of the child with social and emotional development of mind without this development mental development is not needed.

Discipline : according to aurobindo in education no need to discipline. Because if children feel fear then he cannot learn properly. In education system students have a full freedom then and than he or she gets more and more knowledge without any fear.

- Thoughts on Yoga  :

According to Aurobindo yoga, " all life is yoga "and basically yoga is a sandhana. Great advantagement of his writing and achievements to learn various types of yoga and meditation system. Yoga through he get the understanding of human mind and also various type of human being. He written many essays about yoga and meditation process that  through many people get idea about yoga and also yoga is became part of his life. And also written how one person who purify his mind through yoga. In yoga we find that many types of Asana, in which the one type is integral yoga.

"A clear system of practice that he called integral yoga"

It is based on synthesis different paths of yoga. According to Aurobindo there are two   ways to practice one by knowledge and by one's own efforts. Many times he written the name of the mother that is not the kind of thing, but that is consciousness and force of the divine.

- His view about Indian politics: 

Aurobindo's Political career is 1906 to 1910. In this year we find that complete change in Indian politics. It  can be assessed that in his political thought through his political career, Sri Aurobindo had forwarded a vivid theory of nation and nationalism and a methodology for achieving it but at some point enough. Basically, Sri Aurobindo wants to become  a theorist, but became a yogi. In which we find that what is the role of politics and how it works on nation.

- Conclusion :

 Thus, Aurobindo was versatile genius. In his work we find many knowledge of various fields. So his knowledge through we know about his view on western culture and parallel of Indian culture. What is spirituality and religion and which way we look at on that both the things. Aurobindo said that in India we have the spirit of Renaissance but to back and just realized it. His mean to say is that to go back to the Vedas and Upanishads. And here we get the Clear idea about spiritual and religion.