Assignment Code: MPYE-016/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: MPYE-016

Assignment Name: Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Note:

i) Give answer of all five questions.

ii) All five questions carry equal marks.

iii) The answer of questions no. 1 and 2 should be in about 500 words.

1. Write a note on the concept and kinds of mind in Aurobindo’s philosophy. 20

Ans)

Or

What kind of relation exists between Spirit and matter in Aurobindo’s philosophy? Discuss and evaluate. 20

Ans) Although it is true that Spirit and Matter are not the same, they are not in opposition to one another. They actually cooperate as the two halves of the same coin. Aurobindo's philosophy held that matter and consciousness (spirit) are two sides of a single whole that are inextricably linked. Aurobindo believed that if one only asserts pure Spirit and a mechanical, unintelligent substance or energy, referring to one as God or Soul and the other as Nature, the inevitable outcome will be that we will either deny God or turn away from Nature.

How did the general trend of conflict between the two come about is the question at hand. The opposition between the two must be clearly understood in order to respond to this question. This division is brought about by each person's ego consciousness. According to the Indian viewpoint, matter's primary conflict with spirit is that it represents the zenith of the concept of ignorance. In their limitedness, humans tend to misinterpret things and reality. They frequently perceive reality in comparison to something else because they are deceived by the illusion of quality and quantity. Brahman, however, dwells equally in all forms of existence when we transcend the differences in quality and quantity and look only for the movement's intensity. However, the question of how to get past these divisions still stands. The consciousness of this infinite energy differs from our mental consciousness, and the only way we can fully comprehend it is through knowledge that is informed by intuition and culminates in knowledge by identity. While the quality and quantity of each thing may vary, the self is always the same.

Further explanation of the consciousness of the dichotomy between matter and mind is provided by Aurobindo. According to Aurobindo, the practical divisions, and contrasts that one encounters in the phenomenal world are brought about by Mind's dividing action. In the world of existence, there are in fact differences and a hierarchy of ever-rising degrees. The conscious existence that presents itself as an object to the senses is what constitutes substance. There can be a variety of fundamental principles of relation depending on the relationship that the senses form with the substance. It follows that there are distinct foundations for the substance that the pure mind uses and the substance that the human physical senses use. The substance of pure dynamic life-energy can also be described as being distinct from the most refined types of material substance. On the basis of the same principle, it is also accurate to state that spirit is a perfect substance that appears as an object in the presence of purely spiritual knowledge, in which the subject becomes its own object. In other words, as the basis or fundamental substance of all existence, that which is beyond spatio-temporality becomes conscious of itself in a pure spiritually self-conceptive self-extension. Here, the spirit only objects to that which is purely spiritual rather than to the vital, mental, or physical senses. When one has this awareness of the fundamental unity of subject and object, all kinds of differences vanish, and the very existence of different substances ceases to have any significance.

2. Discuss and evaluate Aurobindo’s idea and vision of education. 20

Ans)

Or

How does Aurobindo describe the evolution of consciousness? Discuss in detail. 20

Ans) According to biology, evolution is a gradual manifestation of nature in and through all beings, including humans. Man's biological evolution continues, but it transcends its own limitations and gives way to a spiritual evolution. Indeed, the goal of all evolution is to raise the consciousness of the manifest being. Both the physical and spiritual aspects of human evolution are active. It is made easier by the process of repeated births. The process of heredity maintains and preserves the evolved powers of consciousness that are housed in each developed form of the body. The development of the soul, which is primarily an invisible process, begins at the mental level and continues upward. According to Aurobindo, the mind cannot ever be the ultimate goal of evolution because it is merely a principle of ignorance and division in search of knowledge. The only thing that can reveal the true and comprehensive self-knowledge and world knowledge is the supramental Truth-Consciousness. The culmination of all evolution can only be achieved through such integral knowledge. Aurobindo believed that the divine had to undergo an involution before there could be any evolution. Without this involution, there would only be a series of new things that were not present in their predecessors. We will have arbitrarily willed or miraculously conceived processes that happen by an illogical chance instead of unavoidable outcomes and processes in a sequential order. Three successive elements are required for the gradual self-manifestation of Nature, which is commonly referred to as evolution. There are three types of things: the already evolved, the continuously evolving, and the evolving to be evolved. Aurobindo believed that nature does not move in a predictable, mechanical manner. There are attempts to expand beyond herself, which occasionally result in regrettable retreats. She frequently rushes, makes grand and powerful outbursts, and has enormous realisations.

The physical life and the fusion and harmony of matter and life, both of which are absolutely necessary for all action and advancement on earth, have evolved for us by nature. Life-energy is the basis of our means of existence in a material body and the basis of all mental and spiritual activities. Matter is the foundation and initial condition of all energies and realisations. Nature's material movement has reached a stage of maturity and stability where it can serve as the ideal tool for the gradual manifestation of divinity in people. Once the physical life has developed enough to accommodate the spirit, evolution moves on to the mind, which is a more subtle and refined tool for divine manifestation. Nature surges onto the mental for higher realisations once she has freed herself from the constraints of the physical and vital. The human mind is made up of many different gradations and is not a singular structure. A divine mind above the intellect that frees itself from the imperfect modes of the logically discriminative and imaginative reason is another. These include the material and nervous mind, the pure intellectual mind that frees itself from the illusions of the body and senses, and the pure intellectual mind that is free from the material and nervous mind. In humans, the body's life comes first and then the mind. In contrast to animals, it is completely restrained in plants. However, in humans, the physical life is only a starting point or prerequisite for further evolution.

3. Answer any two questions in about 250 words each. 2*10= 20

a) Do you agree that teleology is central to Aurobindo’s concept of evolution? Give reasons to support your answer. 10

Ans)

b) How does Aurobindo synthesize matter and spirit? Discuss. 10

Ans) Although it is true that Spirit and Matter are not the same, they are not in opposition to one another. They actually cooperate as the two halves of the same coin. Aurobindo's philosophy held that matter and consciousness (spirit) are two sides of a single whole that are inextricably linked. Aurobindo believed that if one only asserts pure Spirit and a mechanical, unintelligent substance or energy, referring to one as God or Soul and the other as Nature, the inevitable outcome will be that we will either deny God or turn away from Nature. How did the general trend of conflict between the two come about is the question at hand. The opposition between the two must be clearly understood in order to respond to this question. This division is brought about by each person's ego consciousness. According to the Indian viewpoint, matter's primary conflict with spirit is that it represents the zenith of the concept of ignorance. In their limitedness, humans tend to misinterpret things and reality. They frequently perceive reality in comparison to something else because they are deceived by the illusion of quality and quantity. Brahman, however, dwells equally in all forms of existence when we transcend the differences in quality and quantity and look only for the movement's intensity. However, the question of how to get past these divisions still stands. The consciousness of this infinite energy differs from our mental consciousness, and the only way we can fully comprehend it is through knowledge that is informed by intuition and culminates in knowledge by identity. While the quality and quantity of each thing may vary, the self is always the same.

c) Discuss and evaluate the idea of ignorance in Aurobindo’s epistemology. 10

Ans) The following can be used to summarise Aurobindo's main observations on knowledge and ignorance as they are presented in "The Life Divine": Our Core Ignorance and Fundamental Knowledge Sri Aurobindo begins by contrasting our fundamental ignorance with the integral knowledge we can pursue. We must identify the characteristics of our fundamental ignorance and the knowledge that must take its place, according to The Knowledge and Ignorance. We learn that Knowledge through our inward and upward self-unfolding of consciousness (Ghose 1949). He then focuses on the logical mind's utility and limitations in relation to our ignorance. He argues that while the logical mind can be useful in dispelling ignorance, it is also constrained. According to him, it can help us overcome our fundamental ignorance through partial intellectualization, intellectualization, and other processes, but it cannot provide us with the knowledge we seek by itself. According to him, it serves more as a protector against error than as a seeker after truth, and its propensities for making distinctions are obstacles in the way of Integral Knowledge.

Sri Aurobindo then discusses why the logical mind's reason is so constrained and how ego-driven limitations on reason prevent the development of integral knowledge. According to him, the main issue is the ego's identification of the individual self with it, as well as the exclusions of consciousness that result from ego-absorption. Then he describes the issues with ego. Specifically, that our ego has a propensity to focus on ourselves rather than the activities of Nature. We believe that we have experiences that set us apart from the rest of existence, but in reality, this is just our ego at work.

d) How Aurobindo reconciled east and west understanding of consciousness? 10

Ans)

4. Answer any four questions in about 150 words each. 4*5= 20

a) Write a note on the concept of Maya in Aurobindo’s philosophy. 5

Ans)

b) Write a note on the idea of integral yoga. 5

Ans) Union with the Divine is what yoga is. The finite human consciousness and the infinite divine consciousness are united in this way. For Aurobindo, the word "yoga" has a broader meaning. According to him, yoga is a total union of the soul and nature achieved by shaping the entire being into the likeness of the Divine. The goal of yoga is to achieve an integral union in every aspect of our being, not just a partial union in our inner existence. This necessitates a transformation of one's inner and outer life in order for them to serve as a conduit for the divine's joy and as useful tools for his works. All of the components of our personality, including our soul, mind, senses, hearts, wills, lives, and bodies, must completely surrender to the Divine in order to fulfil themselves to the highest degree of perfection. The goal is a complete spiritual transformation so that the being can gradually prepare to express the Divine in every thought, emotion, and deed.

c) Write a note on the idea of Environmental Consciousness. 5

Ans) The subliminal has a form of consciousness that extends outside the body and creates a circumcision, or surrounding part of itself, through which it can receive contacts from the outside world and deal with them before they enter. The aspect of the individual being through which the person maintains inner contact with other beings and with universal forces is the environment consciousness that surrounds the body. Two systems that are concurrently involved in the organisation of the being and its components are distinguished by Sri Aurobindo. One system is vertical like a set of steps, while the other is concentric like a series of rings or sheaths. The outer or surface being, the inner being, and the inmost being or the psychic make up the concentric system. The mental, vital, and physical components of the inner and outer selves are complementary. The vertical system is made up of different gradations or levels of consciousness that are both below and above mental consciousness.

d) What is the philosophical approach behind ‘three madness’? 5

Ans) This is the first one. I firmly believe that God alone is responsible for my accomplishments, brilliance, higher education, learning, and wealth. I have the right to only spend money on myself if it is absolutely necessary and required for family maintenance. Recently, I've become enamoured with the second folly, which is this. I must experience the Lord directly; however, it takes. I don't want the religion of today, which consists of occasionally reciting God's name, praying to Him in front of everyone, and displaying one's religiosity. If the Divine exists, then there must be a way to recognise and experience His presence. I have made a firm decision to walk that path, no matter how difficult it may be. According to Hindu dharma, the path can be discovered within one's own self and mind. The third mistake is this: I view my country as the mother, and I worship and adore her as the mother, whereas others see it as an impassive object, and they know it as the plains, the fields, the forests, the mountains, and the rivers.

e) Discuss the characteristics of Prakriti in Aurobindo’s philosophy. 5

Ans)

f) Write a short note on the relationship between individual and society in Aurobindo’s philosophy? 5

Ans) At first glance, the relationship between an individual and society seems to be one of part and whole. The individual is said to find fulfilment in the fullest realisation of society, while society seeks its fulfilment in and through the individual. The highest form of comfort that humanism has been able to provide for the grieving world is the angangi-bhava (whole and part relation) or sesa-sesi (dependent-principal relation) between society and the individual.

Through his original thesis of eternal oneness in the eternal multiplicity, whether it be of the organism or the society, planes or powers, individuals or the Deity, Sri Aurobindo's philosophy clearly articulates the metaphysical reality of society as well as the integrity of the individual. This metaphysical underpinning is what drives multiplicity to seek out freedom for each of its numerous individuals even as those individuals are drawn toward some sort of unity, which is where their power lies.

5. Write short notes on any five in about 100 words. 5*4= 20

a) Three madeness 4

Ans) This is the first one. I firmly believe that God alone is responsible for my accomplishments, brilliance, higher education, learning, and wealth. I have the right to spend money on myself as long as it is strictly necessary for family maintenance and other absolute necessities. Recently, I've become enamoured with the second folly, which is this. I must experience the Lord directly; however, it takes. I don't want the religion of today, which consists of occasionally reciting God's name, praying to Him in front of everyone, and displaying one's religiosity. The third mistake is this: I view my country as the mother, and I worship and adore her as the mother, whereas others see it as an impassive object, and they know it as the plains, the fields, the forests, the mountains, and the rivers.

b) Consciousness-Force 4

Ans) Whether we define consciousness as an inert impulse or a conscious principle, according to Aurobindo, it is force, nonetheless. He asserts that a formative movement of energies constitutes the fundamental nature of all things. All forms are the result of unshaped forces colliding and adapting to one another. All behaviours and feelings develop in response to some earlier occurrence and take the form of forces. Therefore, even though the entire universe is conceptualised as essentially an act of consciousness, the act itself implies a movement of force and a play of energy. This is the basic nature of the world as it is known to us. All of our actions are the result of the interaction of three forces: knowledge force, desire force, and action force.

c) Idea of involution 4

Ans) The idea of involution in Aurobindo's metaphysics as a whole has a significant impact. It is one of the distinctions between his integral advaita and the classical advaita that he makes. Aurobindo was able to do this in order to precisely understand the Absolute itself while also incorporating the modern evolutionary theory into his understanding of the way the world works. Aurobindo uses a variety of methods and techniques to support his worldview. Understanding that the world is the manifestation is the first result of the theory of involution. There are three movements that make up Sacchidananda’s self-manifestation: "descent," "emergence," and "release." The Spirit descends to the Inconscient in its initial motion. The Spirit's self-involvement in the Inconscient is to take pleasure in one's own self-delight in the finite variation.

d) Philosophical implications of poem “who” 4

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e) Wideness of Consciousness 4

Ans) Not only must consciousness become calm, but also broad. In order to live there, it should be experienced as expanding outward and engulfing everything. Wideness is a sign that consciousness has been expanded beyond normal bounds. Each person has a limited and closed-off ordinary consciousness within their life, mind, and body. It believes that it is the centre of everything and that it is the only source of all truth. The barrier starts to fall down, though, when through yoga the Self, or Atman, or true consciousness, emerges. The mind, the body, and even the physical consciousness expand until one feels the entirety of the cosmos within themselves. In yoga, the realisation of the Self within or above the being and the resulting wideness of consciousness are of utmost significance.

f) Inconscient 4

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g) Role of Silence in Integral Yoga 4

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h) Dipolar nature of reality 4

Ans) The acceptance of reality having two poles—matter and spirit—would also be considered part of Aurobindo's realism regarding the nature of reality. The fundamental foundation of every existence is referred to as substance in classical Western philosophy (such as that of Aristotle). According to Aurobindo, this substance has two poles in Vedantic thought. This reminds me of Whitehead's claim that an actual entity has two poles. Divine Aurobindo states in his autobiography, "[...] if Matter is one end, Spirit is the other. The two are one: Matter is the form and body of what we recognise as Spirit, and Spirit is the soul and reality of what we sense as Matter. Therefore, the series that descends from Spirit through Mind to Matter and ascends again from Matter through Mind to Spirit is solely conceptual – spiritual, not mentally conceptual – and ends in a practical distinction. (LD 241).