Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Where a synthesis of nations, ideologies, knowledge, culture, etc. would be made

Aurobindo Ghosh had a European upbringing. After being educated in England, he returned to India in 1892 and joined the Baroda State Service. He was stirred by the writings of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and became an advocate of violent revolution against the British rule. His planing of secret societies in Maharashtra and Bengal created a terror among the British officers. He started a daily ‘Yugantar’. In 1910, he withdrew from political activities and went to Pondicherry, founded his Ashram ‘Aurovile’ there.
A yogic philosopher, revolutionary writer, spiritual revivalist and an extremist of Indian freedom movement, Aurobindo Ghosh was born on Aug 15, 1872 in Calcutta. He was sent to England at the age of 7 where he did his schooling. He passed the ICS exam there but didn’t join. In 1905 having resigned from the Baroda State service, he entered politics and joined the Bengal anti-partition movement. It brought him out as a political leader.
He joined the Indian National Congress and became a strong supporter of the extremist group in the congress. He accused the congress of following a policy of petition, prayer and protest towards the British rather than aiming directly at full independence.
Aurobindo joined Bipin Chandra Pal in running yet another daily ‘Vande Mataram’ started by the later. The reflecting of his radical ideas and thoughts in the editorials of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Karmoyogin’ was a great inspiration to the revolutionaries. He also developed a programme of constructive action, which created a tremendous stir among the intelligentsia and youths. For his revolutionary political activities, he was imprisoned several times. In 1908, he was put in Alipore jail. His detention at Alipore jail was the most memorable period of his life. He had profound religious experience there. It led to his withdrawal from political activities to the life of yoga at Pondicherry. He founded his Ashram ‘Aurovile’ there
Aurovile belongs to the humanity as a whole. Its objective was that there should be somewhere on the Earth a place that no nation could claim its sole property, a place where every human being could live freely as citizens of the world. The town itself was the University of Aurovile, where a synthesis of nations, ideologies, knowledge, culture, etc. would be made.
Aurobindo opined that "Cosmic salvation involves both evolution and enlightenment. On one hand, humanity evolved from matter to the present stage of development called "Mind" is now in the process of moving to a higher state of super mind or divinity. On the other hand human enlightenment and energy come from above". Aurobindo is famous for his remarkable spiritual creations, which are regarded as jewels in religion. Some of his important creations include ‘Life Divine’, ‘Essays on the Gita’, ‘The synthesis of yoga’ and ‘the Human Cycle’
Aurobindo Ghosh passed away in 1950. Footprints of TimeExam Companion

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