15. Sri Aurobindo: The Life Divine
A Sourcebook in Global Philosophy - Mohammed Rustom
Swami Medhananda [+]
Ramakrishna Institute of Moral and Spiritual Education
Description
The Indian mystic and philosopher Sri Aurobindo (d. 1950 CE) developed a highly original philosophy of Advaita nondualism on the basis of the Vedic and Vedāntic scriptures as well as his own varied spiritual experiences. According to his Advaita philosophy, the sole reality is Saccidānanda (Being/Consciousness-Force/Bliss), which is both personal (saguṇa) and impersonal (nirguṇa): the Sat aspect of Saccidānanda corresponds to the impersonal Absolute accepted by traditional Advaita Vedāntins like Śaṅkara, while the Cit aspect of Saccidānanda is a personal and dynamic “Consciousness-Force” that has the inherent capacity to manifest in and as the world. Hence, Aurobindo, unlike Śaṅkara, holds that everything in the world is a real manifestation of Divine Consciousness. In the following excerpts from his philosophical magnum opus The Life Divine (1940), Aurobindo explains his highly original views on consciousness.