Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy of Integral Advaitism

[Metempsychosis]

Sri Aurobindo was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, Maharishi, guru and poet.He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule, for a while became one of its influential leaders and then turned into a spiritual reformer, introducing his visions on human progress and spiritual evolution.He believed in a spiritual realisation that not only liberated man but also transformed his nature, enabling a divine life on earth.

Sri Aurobindo had begun the practice of Yoga in 1905 in Baroda. In 1908 he had the first of several fundamental spiritual realisations. In 1910 he withdrew from politics and went to Pondicherry in order to devote himself entirely to his inner spiritual life and work. During his forty years in Pondicherry he evolved a new method of spiritual practice, which he called the Integral Yoga. Its aim is a spiritual realisation that not only liberates man's consciousness but also transforms his nature. In 1926, with the help of his spiritual collaborator, the Mother, he founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Among his many writings are The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga and Savitri. Sri Aurobindo left his body on 5 December 1950.
His Philosophy:
His way is much jnana -based and has subtle differences with traditional Sankara approach(he considers world as equally real and not a thing to be shunned).He takes up Bhakti Yoga shows how it works with respect to his Integral Yoga.Major task he undertook was that he tried to bring the Sat-chit-ananda or Supramental consciousness unto the world in the form of an Avatar(that was his socio-spiritual work).He also introduced evolution and involution as way to explain creationism and aimed his yoga in transforming every aspect of his being(gross,astral,mental,psychic).His writings shows Sankya,Tantra and Vedanta in light of modern theory of (material)evolution.He is one of scholars in comparative philosophy and he had good knowledge Western(greek) mysticism and modern western philosophy. Aurobindo is much more concerned about the impact/descent of Supramental consciousness on physical and day to day aspects of people's life.For him,escaping the phenomenal world realizing the impersonal Brahman is just a part of overall process as it does not directly help in removing suffering of other living beings.

Aurobindo's Adwaitic view is as follows:

Truth of existence is an omnipresent Reality that both transcends the manifested universe and is inherent in it. This Reality, referred to as Brahman, is an Absolute: it is not limited by any mental conception or duality, whether personal or impersonal, existent or nonexistent, formless or manifested in form, timeless or extended in time, spaceless or extended in space. It is simultaneously all of these but is bound by none of them. It is at once the universe, each individual being and thing in the universe, and the Transcendent beyond the universe. In its highest manifested poise, its nature may be described as Sachchidananda—infinite existence, infinite consciousness, and infinite delight or bliss—a triune principle in which the three are united in a single Reality.The importance of this concept for humanity lies in its implication that Brahman is our deepest and secret Reality, it is our true Self, and it is possible to recover this Reality of our being by removing the veil of ignorance that hides it from us and imprisons us in a false identification with an apparently divided and limited egoistic movement on the surface of our being.

Brahman becomes many through the principle of exclusive concentration.

This principle is best explained through the example of our own ability to narrow our conscious awareness on a particular idea or perception, putting behind in the background of our focused awareness the rest of our conscious existence. When an author concentrates in writing a story—developing the characters, the scene, the action—their own personal identity becomes for the moment lost to their conscious awareness. Their consciousness enters into the story and identifies with it. They do not cease to be what he or she is, or lose their knowledge of identity, but practically their awareness is narrowed and identified at a point. This ability to focus awareness and put into the background all else is inherent in consciousness. It is through a similar process that the One and Infinite Being becomes the many, apparently separate, individual beings and things we see manifested in the universe. The separation is in appearance only, for in truth all individuals are constituted by the One, are That in their Reality, for there is nothing outside the Absolute. They are forms and appearances of its Being, expressions of its Consciousness, movements of its Delight.

His Cosmology:

The oldest Vedantic knowledge tells us of five degrees of our being, the material, the vital, the mental, the ideal, the spiritual or beatific and to each of these grades of our soul there corresponds a grade of our substance, a sheath as it was called in the ancient figurative language. A later psychology found that these five sheaths of our substance were the material of three bodies, gross physical, subtle and causal, in all of which the soul actually and simultaneously dwells, although here and now we are superficially conscious only of the material vehicle

Explanation on different sheaths
Sachchidananda
The triple worlds which embody the principles of Existence(Sat), Consciousness(Chit), Ananda(Bliss)
Supramental world
The power which creates and upholds manifestation.
Golden Lid
This is the dividing line, the golden lid, between the Higher worlds and the Lower worlds.
Overmental World
The world of the Cosmic Powers (Gods), all aspects of the Divine.
Mental Worlds
The Universal Mind which is the channel for telepathy, the storehouse of our thoughts, the record of world history.
Vital Worlds
The region which influences our creative endeavours as well as our lusts and desires.
Physical worlds
Example is the Earth, a place for evolution.
Subconscient
Repository of all dead thoughts and formations.
Inconscient
Region of inconscience

 

[Metempsychosis]

Time and Space:

Mother: As there are forms, there is necessarily a Time, a Space, but it is not at all the same as the physical. It is neither the same Time nor the same Space.

For example, as soon as you come to the vital world there is a Time and Space which are similar to the physical but without that fixity and hardness and irremediability which are here. That is, for instance, in the vital a strong intelligent will has an immediate action; here, in the physical, it takes sometimes extremely long to be realised, an entire process has to be followed. In the vital it is direct, the will acts directly on the circumstances, and if it is truly of a very strong kind, it is instantaneous. But there is still a Space, that is, one has the impression of moving to go from one place to another, and that necessarily, as one moves, a certain time intervenes; but it is an extremely short time compared with physical time.

On the mental plane the notion of Time disappears almost totally. For example, you are in your mental consciousness, you think of someone or something or of a place, and immediately you are there. There is no need of any time between the thought and the realisation. It is only when the mind is mingled with the vital that the notion of time is introduced; and if they go down into the physical, before a mental conception can be realised a whole process is necessary. You do not have a direct mental action on matter. For instance, if you think of someone who lives in Calcutta, well, physically you have to take a plane and some hours must pass before you can be there; while mentally if you are here and think of someone in Calcutta, instantaneously you are there with him. Instantaneously, you see. But if you go out in the vital from your body and want to go somewhere, well, you have the feeling of moving, and of the time it takes you to reach the place you are going to. But it is incomparably fast in relation to the physical, to the time necessary to do things physically.

Only right at the top of the ladder, when one reaches what could be called the centre of the universe, the centre and origin of the universe, everything is instantaneous. The past, present and future are all contained in a total and simultaneous consciousness, that is, what has always been and what will be are as though united in a single instant, a single beat of the universe, and it is only there that one goes out of Time and Space.

Karma:

The conventional view of Karma is that of a rigid, ethical, mechanical and almost revengeful law of Nature which brings rewards for good deeds and punishment for evil actions. We are told that the individual who commits evil today will suffer in some future life while the good person is suffering right now because of some evil act done in a past life. This definition seems unconvincing at times because it does not explain the many anomalies seen in real life. In his works, Sri Aurobindo presented a more flexible and panoptic model of Karma. He observed that Nature is not rigid or revengeful but subtle and liberal in her application of law, working through multi-faceted principles to achieve her aims. Man has, besides the physical sheath, four other subtle sheaths and it is through these sheaths that he remains in communication with Universal Nature on the inner planes of the Vital, Mind and higher occult worlds. Our thoughts and actions get recorded and broadcast in these inner worlds and that is why, unknown to us, we always attract the consequences of our works. The qualities and deficiences of our soul are chronicled in our psychic being which carries them across lifetimes. This recording of Karma continues until self-realization at which point one begins to spontaneously radiate the true power of Divine Love which inundates the hearts of others and sweeps away antagonisms.

Can one go out of Time and Space?

Mother: If one goes out of the manifestation.

It is the fact of objectivisation, of manifestation which has created time and space. To go out of it one must return to the origin, that is, go out of the manifestation. Otherwise from the very first objectivisation time and space were created.

There is a feeling or a perception or an experience of eternity and infinity in which one has the impression of going out of time and space.…It is only an impression.

One must pass beyond all forms, even the most subtle forms of consciousness, far beyond the forms of thought, the forms of consciousness, to be able to have this impression of being outside space and time. This is what generally happens to people who enter into samadhi – the true samadhi – and when they come back to their normal consciousness, they don’t remember anything, for, in fact, there was nothing they could remember. This is what Sri Aurobindo says here: If Brahman were only an impersonal abstraction, the one reasonable end would be annihilation. For it is obvious that if one goes out of time and space, all separate existence automatically ceases.

References:
1.Sandeep's blog on Aurobindo on Sri Aurobindo.It has many resources on Integral Yoga:
Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother | All Life is Yoga!
2.Official Website of Aurobindo Ashram:
Sri Aurobindo - A Life Sketch
3.Selected Readings on Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother - Access to Integral Yoga

 

[apophenia]

Does this practice alter the basics - eat, breathe, ****, sleep, ****, and die ?

 

[Metempsychosis]

Does this practice alter the basics - eat, breathe, ****, sleep, ****, and die ?

No.:drool:

 

[Kalicharan Tuvij]

Sri Aurobindo is awesome, no doubt.

I believe his "Supermind" will be a lasting contribution (however it is fully there in the Veda already in the Vedic God Savitr).

The other most significant feat of his is the unmistakable, inevitable, impetus given to all spiritual future efforts, towards the center-of-spiral that Veda is.

By "Supramental" he means the "descent" of Supermind into the human mold, that is, an integration of human consciousness with the superhuman one. This is the same language as that of the Veda when SomaPavamana (the Soma juice) flows downwards from the higher realms unto the Earth, connecting and uniting all the realms, resulting in amaratva (contrast this with "moksha" of Vedanta).

Sri A. misses the mark, in describing the Veda in full detail, because of his lack of connect to key Vedic gods such as AsviniKumar.

Whatever, though, he has been one of my heroes, and even today I rate him infinitely better compared to ********** such as Osho.

 

[Metempsychosis]

Sri Aurobindo is awesome, no doubt.

I believe his "Supermind" will be a lasting contribution (however it is fully there in the Veda already in the Vedic God Savitr).

The other most significant feat of his is the unmistakable, inevitable, impetus given to all spiritual future efforts, towards the center-of-spiral that Veda is.

By "Supramental" he means the "descent" of Supermind into the human mold, that is, an integration of human consciousness with the superhuman one. This is the same language as that of the Veda when SomaPavamana (the Soma juice) flows downwards from the higher realms unto the Earth, connecting and uniting all the realms, resulting in amaratva (contrast this with "moksha" of Vedanta).

Sri A. misses the mark, in describing the Veda in full detail, because of his lack of connect to key Vedic gods such as AsviniKumar.

Whatever, though, he has been one of my heroes, and even today I rate him infinitely better compared to charlatans such as Osho.

His sadhana was superhuman,he stayed in a single room for last 25 years of life,shows how much he was dedicated to his yoga.I admire his writing ability,his ability to hold up multiple viewpoints and honest opinion on other religions like Islam.His work on greek mystic Heraclitus is considered very influential.

Osho was a religious scholar who had little understanding on finer human feelings,I am not sure if he was enlightened.I dislike many of Osho's hate-mongering opinions.

 

[Poeticus]

This is the same language as that of the Veda when SomaPavamana (the Soma juice) flows downwards from the higher realms unto the Earth, connecting and uniting all the realms, resulting in amaratva

"Flow Indu, flow for Shri Indra's sake." (R.V.)

 

[Kalicharan Tuvij]

"Flow Indu, flow for Shri Indra's sake." (R.V.)

Certainly a most definitive statement of the Veda.
And imagine a whole mandala is devoted to this theme alone.

Many say "Hindu" is a misnomer, that the name should be sanatan this sanatan that, but just imagine how Hindu is actually Indu, i.e. SomaPavamana, the necatar of amaratva!

Nothing is a mere co-incidence. In the same way as Sri A. said of his birthday falling on the very same day as when India gained her freedom.

Hindus, as a part of their Dharma, must always strive for the betterment of their country, this is what we can learn from this savant, and that is what Hindu means.

 

[Poeticus]

Certainly a most definitive statement of the Veda.
And imagine a whole mandala is devoted to this theme alone.

PavamAna is the only Shri Deva who has a whole Mandala dedicated to Him. PavamAna is called the God of the Gods. He is Their essence. PavamAna is also the only God who exalts no other Deity, yet all the other Deities praise PavamAna at one point or another. That is how truly important PavamAna is!

Many say "Hindu" is a misnomer, that the name should be sanatan this sanatan that, but just imagine how Hindu is actually Indu, i.e. SomaPavamana, the necatar of amaratva!

"SanAtana Dharma", used collectively, is the biggest misnomer I have ever encountered. In GujarAt, every Hindu that I have ever met will state that they prefer "Hindu".

Hindus, as a part of their Dharma, must always strive for the betterment of their country, this is what we can learn from this savant, and that is what Hindu means.

It is the #1 Dharma of Indian Hindus to drastically improve India for the better. Their #1 Dharma is not to offer puja, not build temples, not celebrate Hindu holidays, but better India and make Her glorious, politically, socially, and economically.

 

[Kalicharan Tuvij]

A big chunk of a mandala is in the praise of the Vedic hero, and our great Arya ancestor, the mighty Sudas Paijavana, who we know was a Shudra. Yes, Shudra, and not Brahmin or Kshatriya or Vaishya.

Sudas led a whole Aryan people in repelling the advances of un-Aryan enemies, and succeeded in this endeavor against all odds.

Shri Sudas tells us what the real meaning of "Shudra" was, and what it really means.

This is slightly off the topic, but just thought of mentioning it after reading MV ji's post.

KT

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste Antireligion

I have noticed, particularly in India, Bengalis tend to be "revolutionary" in the need to exercise the symantecs of philosophy, art, poetry and using a brush of God and Nature to colour these things.

When I am with Bengalis in their homes, I often find magazines and periodicals targeting other Bengalis, on such theme, on refined Bengali literature, short stories and poetry, art, "refined" religious analysis, an "accent" of aristocratic flare, laughing at the "tooth fairy", they worship their "avant-garde" movie directors with their "perspective" themes, they are "revolutionary" not in a communist genre but in a want to mark their "culture" as sophisticationally unique and elevated even though rooted in a conservative "parlor" demeanor.

I am not talking about the starving masses. Yes, among them there is the CPI|M). Yet, they too have this pride in this sophistication. I have had a good conversation with the communists in Calcutta. It is complicated to be a communist and a Bengali - I sure could never be that.

Sri Aurobindo was a Bengali, a classic example of Bengali-ism, one of a list of Bengali religious savants - Bengali-ism being a trait of Character and not a religious conclusion. These Bengalis in the list, which I am not going to give because Bengalis are sentimental and someone's feelings are going to be hurt if I leave one off the list, may come to different religious or yogic conclusions, but they all share Bengali-ism. I may disturb your perspective by including Prabhupad on the list along with Sri Aurobindo. You think they are different. I see them clearly as kissing cousins, not in conclusions but in their Bengali-ism.

You like Aurobindo, I think so. That is not my path, I am an Indiana Jones not a "cherry wood furniture parlor" sophisticate. Not that such sophisticates hang out in parlors, they show up in France, US, go to Pondicherry, stuff like that, they leave Bengal. They can be in the most humble of environs, yet they still have the robe of the sophistcate in the face, the voice, even the love.

I have a shocking idea you will probably not like. I think you were a Bengali in one of your near-past lives. Myself, a non-Bengali neither now nor in the past, want to go to Bengal. But a Bengalu wants to go other places. So it is. You do not go to Bengal. As a Bengali, you go to other places. France might be good for you. Just thinking, sorry.

One day I might like to write a documentary study on the rickshaw. It started in Japan. But it is also sort of a story of Kolkata. There is art in that blueprint of the pulled rickshaw, and pain, and a bell, and a sophistication, and a story.

To Bengal.

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Metempsychosis]

Namaste Antireligion

I have noticed, particularly in India, Bengalis tend to be "revolutionary" in the need to exercise the symantecs of philosophy, art, poetry and using a brush of God and Nature to colour these things.

Well,every one has his one style,not everyone has to agree with non-violence(or may be passive activism) of say Gandhi.It might have backfired with guys like Hitler and Stalin.

When I am with Bengalis in their homes, I often find magazines and periodicals targeting other Bengalis, on such theme, on refined Bengali literature, short stories and poetry, art, "refined" religious analysis, an "accent" of aristocratic flare, laughing at the "tooth fairy", they worship their "avant-garde" movie directors with their "perspective" themes, they are "revolutionary" not in a communist genre but in a want to mark their "culture" as sophisticationally unique and elevated even though rooted in a conservative "parlor" demeanor.

While I agree with Aurobindo going overboard with patriotism and often criticizing European materialism,he did that in the context of Indian freedom struggle.

I am not talking about the starving masses. Yes, among them there is the CPI|M).

You are talking politics here.I am not interested in political philosophy of Aurobindo. He was harsh against Congress.He was not very upbeat about making a fuss of Hindu-Muslim unity as like some Congressmen were.I do understand the context of Gandhi's pro-muslim stance. But that was not Aurobindo's take.You do not have agree with all his political and nationalistic views.

Yet, they too have this pride in this sophistication. I have had a good conversation with the communists in Calcutta. It is complicated to be a communist and a Bengali - I sure could never be that.

Sophistication in philosophy is nothing wrong.Though,every one might not like his style.Some of them (including me) like his style and that does not mean we dislike other styles.I would not accept easily a seemingly simple answer for complicated universal problems.

Sri Aurobindo was a Bengali, a classic example of Bengali-ism, one of a list of Bengali religious savants - Bengali-ism being a trait of Character and not a religious conclusion. These Bengalis in the list, which I am not going to give because Bengalis are sentimental and someone's feelings are going to be hurt if I leave one off the list, may come to different religious or yogic conclusions, but they all share Bengali-ism.

He did have character traits of his region,even though we was raised in UK.But,I would not generalize such a stereotype on all.

I may disturb your perspective by including Prabhupad on the list along with Sri Aurobindo. You think they are different. I see them clearly as kissing cousins, not in conclusions but in their Bengali-ism.

Whole point of my criticism of Prabhupada was not regarding his philosophy per se,but him going overboard and making personal attacks on saints like Sri Ramana Maharishi,Shirdi Sai baba and RamaKrishna Paramhamsa.In religious circles,Prabhupada tried to bring his strong hatred of Advaitism and compared them to demons.I am sorry,but Aurobindo was much more refined in his religious outlook.

You like Aurobindo, I think so. That is not my path, I am an Indiana Jones not a "cherry wood furniture parlor" sophisticate. Not that such sophisticates hang out in parlors, they show up in France, US, go to Pondicherry, stuff like that, they leave Bengal. They can be in the most humble of environs, yet they still have the robe of the sophistcate in the face, the voice, even the love.

You don't have to like sophistication,Aurobindo never wanted attracted followers nor wanted to make 'religious' show out his sophisticated philosophy.

I have a shocking idea you will probably not like. I think you were a Bengali in one of your near-past lives. Myself, a non-Bengali neither now nor in the past, want to go to Bengal. But a Bengalu wants to go other places. So it is. You do not go to Bengal. As a Bengali, you go to other places. France might be good for you. Just thinking, sorry.

I am very far off from Bengal,as far my nativity is concerned.But,considering my so many past lives,I would have been born as a human in every other place one earth.I might have come off as a sentimentalist in my earlier posts which I do not disagree.

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste Antireligion

I am not sure how you missed the mark and misunderstood my reply, I am not against sophistication in character, nor was this response "all about you", but that is ok.

For your information, most of the Bengali savants known of that era that I was thinking of participated in the Independence Movement, it was typical and included Prabhupad who refused publically to accept his own graduation diploma in Economics in protest of the British and who wore home spun cotton and was involved in protests - it is almost expected as of the nature of the Bengali heart and spirit. And it does not matter where a Bengali family moves to or travels away from Bengal, as I implied this is also very common if within the possibilities for a family, it is a characteristic and very seldom do they lose this "Bengali-ism" no matter where they go.

Much of your OP came verbatim from Wikipedia, but you might consider going to Pondicherry if your heart truly leans towards this savant. While there have been "societies" based on the teachings of this savant and Integral Yoga (e.g. "Western ashram" like groups), in fact no actual Ashram directly linked the original one in India was ever established outside of India per say. Actually, the current one has been caught up in some controversy viz scandal of recent times, but if you want to get a close perspective perhaps you should travel to Pondicherry.

Like I said, I suspect there is a Bengali in you, but going to Bengal isn't really a Bengali "thing", going someplace else is when the opportunity presents itself. Pondicherry was another world from Bengal.

Good luck on everything, and as Prabhupad and Bengalis like to sometimes say, ....

Your ever well wisher

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Poeticus]

How did this become all about Bengalis? Did I miss a post or something?

 

[Metempsychosis]

How did this become all about Bengalis? Did I miss a post or something?

Nope.

 

[Poeticus]

Nope.

That's odd. I noticed it was ShivaFan who brought up the subject of the ethnicity in question. Maybe he can explain further when he logs on later. I didn't even know Aurobindo was a Bengali (not that it matters at all), but Aurobindo wasn't ethnocentric, correct?

 

[Metempsychosis]

Namaste Antireligion

I am not sure how you missed the mark and misunderstood my reply, I am not against sophistication in character, nor was this response "all about you", but that is ok.

For your information, most of the Bengali savants known of that era that I was thinking of participated in the Independence Movement, it was typical and included Prabhupad who refused publically to accept his own graduation diploma in Economics in protest of the British and who wore home spun cotton and was involved in protests - it is almost expected as of the nature of the Bengali heart and spirit. And it does not matter where a Bengali family moves to or travels away from Bengal, as I implied this is also very common if within the possibilities for a family, it is a characteristic and very seldom do they lose this "Bengali-ism" no matter where they go.

Much of your OP came verbatim from Wikipedia, but you might consider going to Pondicherry if your heart truly leans towards this savant. While there have been "societies" based on the teachings of this savant and Integral Yoga (e.g. "Western ashram" like groups), in fact no actual Ashram directly linked the original one in India was ever established outside of India per say. Actually, the current one has been caught up in some controversy viz scandal of recent times, but if you want to get a close perspective perhaps you should travel to Pondicherry.

Like I said, I suspect there is a Bengali in you, but going to Bengal isn't really a Bengali "thing", going someplace else is when the opportunity presents itself. Pondicherry was another world from Bengal.

Good luck on everything, and as Prabhupad and Bengalis like to sometimes say, ....

Your ever well wisher

Om Namah Sivaya

Yes I should go to Bengal once.:angel2:I am from a place nearby Pondicherry. So,I have been to Aurobindo Ashram several times,but I did not understand his 'sophistication' then.I did get some of his books but it did not make sense because I was unaware of his cosmology.None of the information on this thread is my own,I have posted it here,because it will make someone who is less knowledgeable of Aurobindo's works can read them after understanding his version of cosmology.Really,some of his words are not easily written in a simple style which can be understood outside of his ashram members.Regarding sex scandal,I have read about it.

 

[ShivaFan]

Aurobindo is classic Bengali in nature. There is a spirit of drive, art and poetry in that.

Even if two Bengalis come to two different ideas of the end of the world, they still have that same Bengali way of telling you.

To Bengal!

Om Namah Sivaya

 

[Metempsychosis]

That's odd. I noticed it was ShivaFan who brought up the subject of the ethnicity in question. Maybe he can explain further when he logs on later. I didn't even know Aurobindo was a Bengali (not that it matters at all), but Aurobindo wasn't ethnocentric, correct?

He could hardly speak bengali,when he came back from UK. And,he did not stay at that place for any long time.

 

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

There are 9 dialects of Bengali, not adding in very localized word smithing such as Kalighat verse Kolkata and such, and there are Bengalis who hardly speak Bengali but speak the "King's English", and there are different times using different Bengali based on situational circumstances such as the market Bengali verse formal Bengali, two variants of writing style in literature that are different from the venacular, my goodness.

Speaking "hardly any Bengali" doesn't preclude you from being a Bengali. There was a Cuban I knew who once turned into a Bengali - Very weird. However, actually speaking Bengali has distinct advantages to Bengali-ism.

So perhaps you are right, and I was being a bit rash to consider Aurobindo a Bengali, and not a foreigner. As noted, he didn't grow up in India. He moved to Manchester, England when only 7 years old (Go MUFC!) and lived in England until he was 21, so perhaps using such criteria he might not even be considered an Indian much less a Bengali.

Yes, I know he helped in the Indian Independence against England, but there were French who helped in the American Independence against England but are not considered "American". Hmmmm... I hate to pull the Bengali rug from under the feet of Sri Aurobindo ... perhaps "hardly a Bengali" is still sort of a Bengali, or not. I sort of found it romantic and fitting to think of Aurobindo as Bengali. It made sense to me, in fact sort of endears me to him since I consider Kolkata my second home. But so much for such sentimentalism. Perhaps he is a little less interesting to me now, though a giant in his own right.

It is 6:55 am in the morning in Kolkata. Calcutta is rising. She has already. Kali is looking out towards Her children. Everyone. Life in Bengal goes on.

Om Namah Sivaya