Description
This book is a selection of quotations from various writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother that give a deep insight into the greatness of India and her culture and her true role among the community of nations, in times past and in the future. A future where, by her powerful example and spiritual influence, India will open the way for humanity leading to the establishment of a divine life on earth which will be the supreme fulfilment of the ages-long promises and pronouncements of the forthcoming kingdom of Heaven on Earth common to almost all traditions and cultures of mankind.
Contents
1. What Is India?
2. Indian Civilisation and Culture
I. The Fundamental Idea and the Essential Spirit
II. Indian Culture in the Eyes of a Rationalistic Critic
III. The Life-Value of Indian Culture – the Supreme Achievements of Indian Culture in Its Dealings with Life
IV. The Greatest Accomplishment of Indian Culture – the Web of the Sanatana Dharma
V. The Linking of the Graded System of Religious Development and Spiritual Evolution to the General Culture of the Life of the Human Being and His Powers
VI. The Record of the Great Achievements of India in Every Field
3. The Ancient Indian Spirit, Its Four Powers and the Secret of Its Greatness – the Aryan System of Education
I. The Spirit of Ancient India
II. The Four Powers
III. The Aryan System of Education
4. The Greatness of Indian Art
I. What is Art
II. The Object of Art – Indian and European
III. The Three Elements of Arts
IV. Art and Yoga
V. The National Value of Art
VI. Indian Art
5. The Greatness of Indian Literature
I. The Hindu Temperament in Literature
II. The Vedas
III. The Upanishads
IV. The Age of Darshanas, Smritis and Sutras
V. The Mahabharata and the Ramayana: the Itihasas
VI. Kalidas
VII. The Philosophic Writings and the Tantras and Puranas
VIII. The Regional Literatures
6. Indian Polity
I. The Legend of India’s Political Incompetence
II. The Early Political System and the Figure of the Rishi
III. The Republican and the Monarchical States
IV. The Nature of the Indian Monarchical State – Its Subjection to the Yoke of the Dharma
V. The True Nature of the Indian Polity and the Basic Points of Difference Between the Ancient Indian and the European Polity
VI. The Secret of the Difficulty in the Political Unification in Ancient India
7. Indian Religion – The Sanatana Dharma
I. Hinduism – the Sanatana Dharma
II. The Three Fundamentals of Hinduism
III. Hinduism – the Future World Religion
IV. Hinduism – the Religion of Vedanta
V. Evolution and Religion
VI. Certain Apparent Features and Practices of Hinduism and the Deeper Rationale Behind These
VII. Sanatana Dharma – the Only True Nationalism
8. Some Selected Words of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on India and Its Culture
I. India’s Soul, Spiritual Culture and Uniqueness
II. Love of India and the Spirit of Nationalism
III. Politics, Society and Other National Issues
IV. The Problem of Hindu-Muslim Unity
V. What Needs to be Done?
9. India and the West
I. East and West
II. Life and Society in Europe
III. Achievements of Europe
IV. East and West: Mind and Metaphysical Thinking
V. The Future: The Healing of the Division Between Life and Spirit – India and the West
10. The Future of India and Its Mission in the World
I. The Future of India
II. India’s Mission in the World
