Being true to India's deepest inner essence to lead the world

 The current digging into the past in India is said to be in line what Sri Aurobindo initiated. But isn't the spirit different? - TNM

Yes, while there is a connection in re-engaging with India's past, the spirit and goal are fundamentally different. Sri Aurobindo advocated for a discriminating, spiritual, and forward-looking renaissance, whereas the "current digging into the past" is often characterized by a nostalgic, sometimes exclusive, and politically charged focus on past glory and external forms. 

Sri Aurobindo's Vision: The Indian Renaissance

Sri Aurobindo's call for an Indian renaissance was centered on a three-fold process: 

• Recovery of Spiritual Knowledge: Reclaiming the profound spiritual knowledge and experience in its fullness, which he called the "master-key of the Indian mind".
• Pouring into New Forms: Outflowing this spirituality into new forms of philosophy, literature, art, and science.
• Original Synthesis: An original handling of modern problems from an Indian temperament, creating a greater synthesis of a spiritualized society for the future. 

He stressed that "to live on our capital without using it for fresh gains is to end in bankruptcy and pauperism". He was not a mere revivalist but a "futurist" who saw all human cultures as "half achievements, infant dawns" pointing to a greater perfection yet to come. 

The Difference in Spirit

Feature	Current Cultural Reclamation (Often Political)	Sri Aurobindo's Vision (Spiritual & Integral)
Approach to the Past	Glorifies and idealizes the past nostalgically, focusing on external forms and "lost glory".	Distinguishes the essential from the transient, rejecting "outdated and fossilized aspects".
Core Goal	Often tied to political identity, social dominance, and historical revisionism.	Aims for "spiritual freedom," inner self-awakening, and a transformation of human consciousness.
Methodology	Focuses on outward assertion, national pride as a political tool, and sometimes an "uncritical rejection" of Western influence.	Emphasizes "self-culture," assimilation of the best of both East and West, and an original application of spiritual truth to modern conditions.
Vision	Often looks backward to a specific historical golden age.	Looks forward to an "inevitable culmination of the process of cosmic evolution"—a spiritualized global future.

In essence, while both movements turn to India's ancient heritage, Sri Aurobindo's spirit was one of a dynamic and inclusive spiritual evolution, a call to rise by being true to India's deepest inner essence to lead the world towards new heights. The current approach often risks an "obsession with the past" that can lead to division and stagnation, rather than the "greater future" envisioned by the sage. 

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Did Sri Aurobindo refer to Hinduism specifically when he talked about Sanatana Dharma in his Uttarpara speech? - TNM

In his 1909 Uttarpara Speech, Sri Aurobindo did use "Hinduism" and "Sanatana Dharma" as nearly interchangeable terms, but he redefined them to strip away sectarian and dogmatic connotations. For him, what is called "Hinduism" is actually the Sanatana Dharma (the Eternal Religion) because it is the only faith that is universal enough to embrace all possible ways of approaching the Divine. 

His specific distinction can be understood through several key points:

1. Hinduism as the "Universal Religion"

Aurobindo argued that "Hinduism" is not a narrow, sectarian creed like other religions that rely on a single book or prophet. Instead, he defined it as: 

• The Eternal Light: A body of spiritual knowledge and evolution of which India is the guardian for the sake of all humanity.
• A "Formless" Foundation: He viewed Sanatana Dharma as the "perfect form" from which all other religions take their shape, much like a universal truth that accommodates diverse approaches. 

2. Conflation with Nationalism

Aurobindo famously stated, "The Sanatana Dharma, that is nationalism". 

• He believed the "Hindu nation" was born with this dharma and would grow or decline alongside it.
• However, this "nationalism" was not a political program but a spiritual mission to offer a universal, eternal truth to the world. 

3. Epitome vs. Equality

In his later writings (such as The Ideal of the Karmayogin), he clarified that while Hinduism is the epitome of Sanatana Dharma, the two are not exactly equal. 

• Hinduism is the historical and geographical expression (the "proper example") of these eternal laws.
• Sanatana Dharma is the "essence of all religions" and the "mighty law of life" that transcends any specific label. 

4. Experience over Belief

Aurobindo emphasized that Sanatana Dharma is a thing to be lived, not just believed. During his time in Alipore jail, he experienced this truth not as a doctrine, but as a living reality where he saw the Divine (Vasudeva/Srikrishna) in all things and people, including his jailers and fellow prisoners. 

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Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra