Sri Aurobindo’s views on Indian Spirituality and Religion

Name: Nikunj Bhatti

Email id: nikunjbhatti332@gimail.com

Roll no: 19

Study: M.A semester-1

Year: 2014

Submitted to: Department of English

Topic: Sri Aurobindo’s view on Indian  

            Spirituality and Religion

Ø Introduction:

          Sri Aurobindo is a versatile spiritual genius, who is not only a Master-Yogi with profound spiritual realization but also a great scholar and thinker who wrote extensively on various topics ranging from politics to Yoga. His writing shine with a penetrating spiritual insight which brings out the deeper, psychological and spiritual dimension of the human life.

Robert Johnson notes about Sri Aurobindo.

“Sri Aurobindo is one of the most important and influential spiritual figures of our time, whose work deserves to be better known.”

Sri Aurobindo was an Indian nationalist, scholar, poet, essayist, mystic, philosopher, yogi and guru. After a short political career in which he became one of leaders of the early movement for the freedom of India from British rule, Sri Aurobindo turned to the development and practice of a new spiritual path. 

Now let’s have see Sri Aurobindo’s work…

·        The Gita

·        Savitri

·        Life Divine

·        The Renaissance in India

·        India’s Rebirth

·        Urvasie

·        Love and Death

·        The Human Cycle

          According to K.R.S. Iyengar, Sri Aurobindo’s a master of prose, art, dramatist and poet of great power and versatility. He is the one uncontestable outstanding figure in Indo-Anglian literature. Let’s have discussed the essay “The Renaissance in India”. 

But before we discuss what is spirituality and religion.

Ø Spirituality

Spirituality refers to a broad set of principal that transcend all religions. Spirituality is about the relationship between us and something larger. That something can be the good of the community or the people who are served by your agency or school or with energies greater than us with all that is. It is a stance of harmlessness toward all living being and an understanding of their mutual interdependence.

Ø Religion

          Religious beliefs “formed within the context of practices and rituals shared by a group to provide a framework for connectedness to God. Now let’s have discuss essay “The Renaissance in India” on Sri Aurobindo’s view on Indian spirituality and religion.

v The Renaissance in India

          In essay “The Renaissance in India” Sri Aurobindo’s view India is one of the greatest of the world's civilizations because of its high spiritual aim and the effective manner in which it has impressed this aim on the forms and rhythms of its life.

This essay can be divided in to four parts

Ø Spirituality

Ø Education

Ø Culture

Ø Religion

          Sri Aurobindo’s view on Indian civilization and culture, Indian spirituality, religion, art, literature, and polity.

v Sri Aurobindo’s view on Spirituality and Religion

          In an essay The Renaissance in India Sri Aurobindo’s presents us with a masterly view of Indian’s culture, Spirituality, Religion. He explains the India’s Spirituality and Religion, that which enabled her to resist so many attempts at crushing India’s culture.

“Spirituality is the master key of the Indian main. The sense of infinity is native to be….”

         

Spirituality is a deference of Indian civilization and culture, with essay on Indian spirituality, religion, art, literature, and polity.

"A spiritual aspiration was the governing force of this culture"

He wrote its core of thought, its ruling passion. Not only did it make spirituality the highest aim of life, but it even tried to turn the whole of life towards spirituality.

Indian spirituality saw the power of human being’s capacity much before the western mind could think of. She knew that visible was always surrounded by invisible, finite by infinite. Human can have power that one can ever believe, that is to transcend the human limitation.

The spiritual power of India wasn’t grown out of void but her psychic tendency, her creativeness, her vitality, her yoga, her religion and so on. We see the mountaintops. They aren’t created without base, in the dream under the cloud. The same way there is infinite strength of India builds up the powerful spirituality that enchants the world since the time unknown.

Sri Aurobindo’s held that an aggressive defiance of India culture was necessary to counter the invasion of the predominantly materialistic modern Western culture Western scholars were all gung ho about it and Indians simply imitated them and shouted the same. Indians simply accepted that and expressed the same voice. However, they forgot that in other fields like philosophy, science, technology, logic we also made immense progress. However, we failed to show that side of India. It was not the case that west dominated singlehandedly in such subjects; and India in religion and spirituality.

The greatness of India was such that we made multi-faceted progress that included subjects other than spirituality. But due to misconception of Westerners and our ignorance about our own hidden treasure, the error continued. More than that, India imitated and followed the Westerners blindly in all but religion. As a result, there was no significant contribution by them. Then they came to know about their rich past. Sri Aurobindo here cites an example of Germany.

Ø Spirituality: The power of human being

          Indian spirituality saw the power of human being capacity much before the western mind could think of power that one can ever believe, that is to transcend the human limitation.

          Sri Aurobindo’s to the discussion on the Indian renaissance is, as is often the case with his work, in what is yet to be realized. Sri Aurobindo’s says that the rise of India is necessary for future of humanity itself. The Renaissance in India has been the new creation that will come from a unique fusion of ancient Indian spirituality and modernity. This fusion will be instrumental in spiritualizing the world and in bringing about called a global transformation.

          Sri Aurobindo’s essay “The Renaissance in India”,

“The recovery of the old spiritual knowledge and experience in all its splendor, depth and fullness is its first, most essential work….”

The flowing of this spirituality into new forms of philosophy, literature, art, science and critical knowledge is the seemed. An original dealing with modern problem in the light of India spirit and the endeavor to formulate a great synthesis of a spirituality society.

Sri Aurobindo offers an overview of some of the movement and figures of the Renaissance. He stresses that the best course of himself, recovering her native genius which is a reassertion of its ancient spiritual ideal. It only in,

“The Knowledge and conscious application of the ideal.”

Sri Aurobindo says that Indian had the spirituality to reach to the extreme. Whether its spirituality or creativity. India’s spiritual progress was due to its excess in exuberance and energy. The India will captain the world in terms of knowledge of science and literature. It is Indian founding of life upon this exalted conception and her urge towards the spiritual and the eternal that constitute the distinct value of her civilization. Whether it is spirituality or intellectual creativity. India has tried to achieve its summit, where the knowledge end and India stands on the peak to observe the whole truth or the spirit. Sri Aurobindo says that,

“When it formulated a spiritual atheism, it followed that to the height of possible vision. When, too, it indulged in materialistic atheism it formulated it straight out, boldly and nakedly, without the least concession to idealism or ethicism.”

Indian spirituality was that it never called the life on earth as illusion Maya and ignored it. For that, only spirituality shouldn’t be given all attention. Other facets of culture demanded equal importance. Says Aurobindo,

“Indian Renaissance means the revival not only of spirituality but also of that past of curiosity, art, literature etc.”

In future also, the spirituality will remain the dominant aspect but there will be progress in literature and poetry, science and art. Renaissance would enter the India and make the revival possible.

v To sum up

          In short we may say that The Renaissance has been the new creation that will come from a unique fusion of ancient Indian Spirituality, Modernity, and about religion. 

According to one scholar about Sri Aurobindo that,

"Aurobindo treatises are among the most important works of our time in philosophy, ethics and humanities. Sri Aurobindo himself (is) one of the greatest living sages of our time, and a most eminent moral leader.”

Critical appreciation of Biographia Literaria (ch-14)

Name: Nikunj Bhatti

Email id: nikunjbhatti332@gimail.com

Roll no: 19

Study: MA semester 1

Year: 2014

Submitted to: Department of English

Topic: Critical appreciation of Biographia Literaria  (ch-14)

Ø Introduction:

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, who was philosopher, poet, and religious and politicaltheorist. He was born in Devonshire, England, and attended the University of Cambridge. In 1795 Coleridge met poet William Wordsworth, with whom he was to work closely. Under Wordsworth’s influence, Coleridge’s poetry shifted to a more conversational voice and began to find inspiration in daily life. Coleridge and Wordsworth collaboratively published Lyrical Ballads in 1798, marking the rise of the British Romantic movement. According to Coleridge, in their collaborative plans it was agreed Coleridge would compose a series of lyrical poems exploring the Romantic and supernatural.

Coleridge was the premier poet-critic of Modern English Tradition, distinguished for the scope and influence of his thinking about literature as much as for his innovative verse. It was published in 1817 in two volumes. His critical work was contained in 24 chapters of Biographia Literaria. In Chapter 14 of Biographia Literaria Coleridge’s view on nature and function of poetry, difference between prose and poem and philosophical discusses the difference between poetry and poem. Now let’s have discusses Coleridge’s Biographia Literaria in detail.

v Two cardinal Points of Poetry:

In beginning of chapter 14 Coleridge discusses two cardinal points of poetry and its significance in the poem.

1) The power of exciting the sympathy of the reader by a faithful adherence to the truth of Nature.

2) The power of giving the interest of novelty by modifying with the colours of imagination.

According to Coleridge, it was decided that words worth would write poetry dealing with the theme of first cardinal point and the other was to be dealt by him. For the first type of poetry, the treatment and subject matter should be, to quote Coleridge,

“The sudden charm, which accidents of light and shade, which moon-light or sun-set diffused over a known and familiar landscape, appeared to represent the practicability of combing both.”

In first point Coleridge says that a poet write a poem related to nature in very simple form and style. Any people can read and enjoy poetry. So who poet is devoted and loyal to the nature and has power to moving reader’s heart and mind towards the nature.

          Coleridge in second point about poetry, he grabs our attention towards supernatural elements and the events.And he also says that he used to write poems, related with this second cardinal point. So, He quotes that:

“The excellence aimed at waste consist in the interesting of the affections by the dramatic truth of such emotions, as would naturally accompany such situations, supposing them real.And real in this sense they have been to every human being who, from whatever source of delusion, has at any time believed himself under supernatural agency.”

Coleridge says about super natural elements, too. He said that poet convertpoetry and atmosphere of poetry withthe help of his self-imagination andwith mind’s eyes poet can turn all natural things into supernatural.

v Coleridge’s Views on Wordsworth’s Poetic Creed :

Coleridge himself not agrees with Wordsworth’s views on poetic diction. So his different point of view about poetic faith he gives in ’Biographia Literaria’. Coleridge writes in defence to the violent assailant to the ’language of real life’ adopted by Wordsworth in the Lyrical Ballads. Coleridge writes in his defence:

“Had Mr. Wordsworth’s poems been the silly, the childish things, which they were for a long time described as being had they been really distinguished from the compositions of other poets merely by meanness of language and inanity of thought; had they indeed contained nothing more than what is found in the parodies and pretended imitations of them; they must have sunk at once, a dead weight, into the slough of oblivion, and have dragged the preface along with them. ”

Coleridge criticizes that Wordsworth’s poem are silly and childish things, means simple formation, like Wordsworth’s poem, The Daffodils

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd

A host of dancing Daffodils;

Along the Lake, beneath the trees,

Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

So, here best examples of Wordsworth’s Diction. So in chapter 14 Coleridge gives full credit to the genius of Wordsworth and quoted that,

“Year after year increased the number of Mr Wordsworth admirers. They were found too not in the lower classes of the reading public, but chiefly among young men of strong ability and meditative minds; and their admiration was distinguished by its intensity, I might almost say, by its religion fervour.”

At this point Coleridge also says that it does not means he agrees with the all points of Wordsworth on poetic faith. To prove the Coleridge writes;

“With many parts of this preface in the sense attributed to them and which the words undoubtedly seem to authorize. I never concurred; but on the contrary objected to them as erroneous in principle, and as contradictory both to other parts of the same preface, and to the author’s own practice in the greater number of the poem themselves.Mr.Wordsworth in his recent collection has find degraded this prefatory disquisition to the end of his second volume, to be read or not at the reader’s choice”

So Coleridge is frank and straight forward to paint out his own views that Wordworth is wrong in theory means principle and contradictory, not only in the parts of the preface but also in the practice of the poet.

v Difference between Prose and Poem:

Difference between prose and Poem we can easily recognise that the poem includes the same elements as Prose. So it is very much difficult to differentiate Poem and Prose but difference is between combination of elements and objects aimed at in both the composition. While the object of the Poet may simply to facilitate the memory to remember the facts. As a result composition will be a Poem, merely because it is distinguished from composition in Prose by metre or by rhyme.

          Like I give here example two lines of the poem, which contains name of the Months and days, without rhyme and metre.

“Thirty days hath September,

April, June and November”

Coleridge further explains his view point by various prose writing and its immediate purpose and ultimate end. A form of literary work prose, poem and poetry are required and written for any subject like Science,fiction,novel and Romance etc.After this Coleridge raises the question that

“Would then the metre super addition of metre, with or without rhyme, entitle these two names of the poems”

After that Coleridge himself gives answer that if metre is wonderfully added the other parts of the composition that also must suite and match with it. And if every part of the composition like metre, diction, topic, subject, theme and rhyme must be harmonize with wholeness with composition and he says that

“Nothing can permanently please, which does not contain in itself the reason why it is so, and not otherwise. If metre is super added, all other parts must be made constant with it. They all must harmonize with each other”

So here Coleridge points out his views about prose and poem as they both are different thing which contains also some elements that can be varied from each of them.

v Difference between Poem and Poetry:

In the last point Coleridge gives arguments about poem and Poetry and he also points out that

“Poetry of the highest kind may exist without metre and even without contradistinguishing object of Poetry”

And he gives example of Plato, Jeremy Taylor and Bible. The quality of that prose in these writing is equal to that of high poetry. Coleridge also said that the poem of and length neither can be nor ought to be all poetry.

·        Coleridge views on Imagination and fancy:

Fancy is needed no other than a mode of memory emancipated from the other order of time and space. Imagination a magic and synthetic power, this power first put in action by the understanding and retained under their remissive.

Primary Imagination: it deals with the object of senses.

Secondary Imagination: it also leads towards the object of senses with emotions and feelings. Poetry is creation of secondary imagination.

v To Sum up:

At last it can be said that this essay contains the difference between prose and poetry as well as difference between Poem and prose so in this essay Coleridge gives his views about prose, poem and Poetry.

Novel as a Form of Literature in the 18th Century

Novel as a Form of Literature in the 18^th Century

Introduction:

            According to William J. Long 18^th century was divided into two Ages.

Ø  The Age of Pope

Ø  The Age of Dr. Johnson

The English social life underwent a slow but steady change in social, political, religious and literature of 18^th century is remarkably complex, but we may classify it all under three general heads. The reign of so called Classicism. The Revival of Romantic Poetry and the beginning of the modern novel. The second half is lead by Dr. Johnson started reacting against complexity, Artificiality, Slavishness, of the Age of Pope the people of the Age of Johnson.

W. H. Hudson quotes that

“Found Themselves Discontent with the way in which their fathers had looked, at life, with their formalism. Their narrowness of sympathy and their controlling”

The Age of Johnson noticed contrast with the Age of Pope in the matter of thinking and looking at nature. In the Age of Pope novel was born. While the Age of Johnson novel becomes matured in the second half of 18^th century. During this period of second half 18^th century George third succeeded inventions. It was during this period this period James Watt invented steam engine, political stability established a peaceful life except Gorden Riots in 1780. Industrial Revolution began to spread in every corner of the society,

Now, let’s have a glance on novel as a major form of 18^th century in detail. But before that let’s elaborate development of Novel.

The Development of Novel:

            The Eighteenth century is the reign of so call classicism, the revival of romantic poetry and the discovery of Modern Novel. The Novel is the most modern and at present the most widely read and influential type of literature. The story element is therefore essential to the novel, but where the story original is impossible to say. As well might we seek for the origin of the race.

            After the publication of Richardson’s Pamela, in 1740 novel appeared in literature. A number of English novelists like Goldsmith, Richardson, Fielding, Smollent, Sterne all seem to have developed it simultaneously. The result was an extraordinary awakening of interest, especially among people who had literature. Four Wheels of Novel and other Novelist who was successful and powerful novelist. In prose Dr. Johnson and Gibbon who are noteworthy. This Age also witnessed various periodic magazines. So in 18^th century is a full development of Novel.

Four Wheels of Novel

            As the Augustan is known as the Age of Prose and Reason, the Age Dr. Johnson also witnesses a profound output of prose and especially Novel. That was just born years back. The group of four persons

 List of Novelists of  the Augustan Age.

1)   Samuel Richardson:

            Richardson was a 18^th century English writer and master of printer. Richardson received very little education, but he had a natural talent for writing letter, and even as a boy we find him frequently employed by working girls to write their love letters for them. Richardson belong the credit of writing the first modern novel. He printed a novel of his own, called Pamela or virtue Rewarded (1740) , which takes the born of a series of letters , deals with the fortune of Pamela , a poor and virtuous maid . Who resist them finally marries and afterwards reforms her wicked master, after Clarissa, or the history of a young lady, published in eight volumes in 1747 to 1748. This was another and it was received with sentimental novel and it was received with immense enthusiasm. Richardson’s heroines Clarissa is the most human. In her doubts and scruples of conscience.

      Richardson’s greatest ability lies in characterization. His psychological insight into human motives and feelings and particularly his understanding of the feminine hearts.

            Sir Charles Grandison (1754), a novel in seven volumes , whose hero was intended to be a model  of aristocredic manners readers .

 Richardson in these three books  gave  something entirely new to the literary words , and the word appreciated the gift.

2)   Henary Fielding:

       Henary Fielding was an English novelist and Dramatist. Fielding was the greatest of this new group of novel writers, and one of the most satirist that our literature has produced. His first novel Joseph Andrews (1742), the hero is a footman, and the brother of Pamela along with a poor and simple curate called   Abraham Adams he survivor numerous ridiculous adventures.

             Fielding’s later novels are Jonathan Wild, the story of a rogue. The history of Tom Jones, a founding (1749), his best work. In the book we have all his previous virtues, with the addition of greater symmetry of plot, clearer and steadier vision into human life and human frailty. Fielding had a genius for sounding the emotions of the human heart, but his methods are different.

          

  His last novel, Amelia, the story of a good wife in contrast with an unworthy husband. His other novels are A Journey from this world to the next (1743) and Jonathan Wild the great (1743) Jonathan wild is the biography of the famous thief who was hanged at Newphy.the story is one long ironical comment upon human action. Fielding’s style is very much different from other novelists of the same age that’s why he is considered as a father of English novel. Of course earlier seeds of novels were sprouted out but Henry Fielding was the first one who wrote a systematic novel in the Augustan age.

  

 3)  Laurence stern:

Laurence stern was one of the most shining stars of the neo-classical Age who was dominant novelists among the intellectual writers of the same age. Laurence Sterne was born on 24 November 1713 and died on 18 March 1768.but during short period of time Henry had contributed a lot as He was an Anglo-Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman.

He is best known for his novels

Ø  The Life and opinions of Tristram Shandy

Ø  Gentleman

Ø  A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy

But he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics. Sterne died in London after years of fighting consumption.

Sterne is best known for his novel The Life and opinions of Tristram Shandy for which he became famous not only in England, but throughout Europe. Translations of the work began to appear in all the major European languages almost upon its publication, and Sterne influenced European writers as diverse as Diderot and the German writers.

His work had also noticeable influence over Brazilian author Machado de Assis, who made exceptional (and outstandingly original) usage of the digressive technique in the masterful novel The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras. Indeed, the novel, in which Sterne manipulates narrative time and voice, parodies accepted narrative form, and includes a healthy dose of "Bawdy" humour, was largely dismissed in England as being too corrupt.

4)  Tobias Smollett:

Tobias George Smollett was also most influential novelist of the Augustan Age. He was more famous for his effective writing which Henry depicted Indian his novels. Smollett was born on 19 March 1721 and though Henry lived very short life but Henry had written many novels which can be considered as a masterpiece. He was a Scottish poet and author.

He was best known for his picaresque novels, such as 

Ø  Roderick Random

Ø  Peregrine Pickle

The adventures of Roderick Random (1748) and the adventures of Peregrine Pickle (1751), which influenced later novelists such as Charles Dickens and George Orwell, admired Smollett very much. His novels were amended liberally by printers; a definitive edition of each of his works was edited by Dr. O. M. Brack, Jr. to correct variants.

Another novelist was Swift but he was not belonging to the Four Wheels of the novel biut he is enlisted here because he was more popular.

5)  Jonathan Swift:

Jonathan Swift was also major novelist of the same age because this age produced many great novelists of the 18^th century. He was born on 30 November 1667 and died on 19 October 1745 who was an Anglo-Irish Satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer. Further we can say that first for the Whigs, then for the Tories Henry worked for both the parties containing the position of the dominat novelist

He is remembered for works such as 

Ø  Gulliver’s Travels

Ø  A Modest Proposal

Ø  The Battle of the books

Ø  A tale of a Tub

Swift was less well known for his poetry he was not famous as he was for his novels.

To Wind up:

            At the end of the topic we mat say that birth of the novel with its occasions of newness and originality occurs in the 18^th century. There were many causes which brought to the development of the novel, expansion of the reading public, and growth of new middle class positions of women reasons the growth of the novel in the Age.