Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy And Yoga - Some Aspects

Philosophy, Theology and The Truth - A Letter

The distinction you make between Philosophy and Theology is,, I think, not warranted by facts, for both imply the highest knowledge, the knowledge of the ultimate Truth of existence and both are speculative and intellectual. We have intuitive philosophies in the Srutis and Smritis, Vedas and Upanishads which are not at all speculative but realised truths given or recorded in mental forms. The Life Divine of Sri Aurobindo, for example, which has been acclaimed as the greatest philosophical work of this Century, is according to Sri Aurobindo himself not philosophy but record of his own experience seen and realised and lived. You see the truths of religion or Philosophy and Theology differ according to the differing mental and intellectual per ception of their authors or founders. Spiritual truth is always one and the same though there are different rungs or levels of spiritual Realisation. Thus we have the Dwaita, Adwaita and Visisthadwaita philosophies each true in its own sphere and you can have realisation on any one or all three of these planes but ultimately as Vivekananda says, all the other two lead to Adwaita which is the highest truth on the spiritual plane.

I am not competent to say anything about the teachings of different Philosophies but I shall only quote from Mahabharata the answer of Yudhisthir to Yaksha about—

कः पन्था (What path to follow?)

Yudhisthir answer,

घेदा घिमिन्ना घिमिन्नाः नासौ मुनियस्य मत न भिन्नम् |

घर्मस्य तत्चं निहितं गुहाया महाजनः येनगतः स पन्था ||

(The truth of religion lie hid in the caves, amid

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the conflicting claims. The only way is to tread the path that the Greats have trod).

I am afraid you will never find a solution to the truths of religion on mental planes as is evident from the differing philosophies. Under the circumstances it is best to. follow one you prefer as we have done in choosing the integral philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and find out the truth by your own personal experience.

Science deals with laws of physical nature. But we have a vital nature, a mental nature. Psychology is an effort at the study of our vital and mental nature, but this is a very imperfect and perfunctory way to learn because it studies only the surface and does not go into the roots of our nature. For that yoga, the practical philosophy is needed. There are different methods, but all, lead to the same Truth if followed patiently and consistently to the end. For that Guidance is needed.

I have not yet reached that stage when I can go out and preach. But you can well realise that we have had some experiences some 'Grace' of the Divine which make us stick to this life through thick and thin, even though Sri Aurobindo has long left his and the Mother has followed suit. Recently, we have arrived at a conscious stage of our evolutionary destiny and our struggle will not cease till we have arrived at the Goal, the Divine, the One Divine who is All.

Please refer to Vana-Parua (canto on exile of Parndavas)' of 'Maha-Bharata-c-lverses 310 to 313 mainly 312 wherein Dharmarajya (God of Justice, Keeper of Righteousness and Death) put a number 'o f questions to Yudhisthir to test his knowledge and sense of Justice-this is one of the questions-Ed.

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