A defence of Indian civilisation and culture, with essays on Indian spirituality, religion, art, literature, and polity.
Sri Aurobindo began the ‘Foundations’ series as an appreciative review of Sir John Woodroffe’s book, ‘Is India Civilised?’, continued it with a rebuttal of the hostile criticisms of William Archer in ‘India and Its Future’, and concluded it with his own estimation of India’s civilisation and culture.
In Sri Aurobindo’s view India is one of the greatest of the world’s civilisations 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. “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.” Sri Aurobindo held that an aggressive defence of India culture was necessary to counter the invasion of the predominantly materialistic modern Western culture. His Foundations is precisely such a defence.
Contents: Part I: The Issue; Is India Civilised?;
Part II: A Rationalistic Critic on Indian Culture;
Part III: A Defence of Indian Culture; Indian Culture and External Influence; The Renaissance in India.
Subjects: Indology, Philosophy, Religion, Political Thought, Art, Literature.
001. CWSA 20, Pages 55-58
A BOOK under this rather startling title……………………………….forms for her own salvation and the total welfare of the human race.
002. CWSA 20, Pages 58-61
But many questions may arise………………………………..to live or to perish.
003. CWSA 20, Pages 61-63
The warning cannot be neglected………………………if the defence is to be effective.
004. CWSA 20, Pages 63-66
This great question must be given its larger……………………..preparation of oneness.
005. CWSA 20, Pages 67-70
This question of Indian civilisation………………………later nineteenth-century Europe.
006. CWSA 20, Pages 70-77
But now other movements………………………….to be the end of our efforts.
007. CWSA 20, Page 77-78
Aggressive defence implies a ………………………………………….power of the genius of India.
008. CWSA 20, Page 79-83
But there is yet another point of view………………………………..external turmoil and outward-looking endeavour.
009. CWSA 20, Page 83-86
If on the other hand an ancient Indian of the time……………………….appreciation of past and extant cultures.
010. CWSA 20, Page 86-88
For this past and present………………………………completely followed in power of practice.
011. CWSA 20, Page 88-91
But far more helpful than any ……………………………robust and victorious survival.
012. CWSA 20, Page 91-92
And now survival itself has become……………………………the environmental requirements of our future.
013. CWSA 20, Page 92-93
That view opens out a …………….manifestation of the spirit.
014. CWSA 20, Page 97-108
When we try to appreciate a culture, and when that………………subjected to the inward look of the spirit.
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015. CWSA 20, Page 108-17
Our critic has felt the importance of this central point…………………………hidden shores of the spirit.
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016. CWSA 20, Page 118-124
This criticism so far is not very formidable………………………capable only of unsubstantial metaphysics.
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017. CWSA 20, Page 124-134
It is perfectly true that Indian science………………………unpromising material into forms for its spirit.
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018. CWSA 20, Page 147-148
The rites, ceremonies, system of cult and worship………………………..there is abundant internal and foreign evidence.
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019. CWSA 20, Page 149-165
Morality is for the Western mind mostly……………………………..ascension towards this supreme summit. (Selected passages)
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020. CWSA 20, Page 169-73
If we would understand the essential………………………………..subtlety and were available to all men of culture.
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021. CWSA 20, Page 173-77
But while there was provision for all these things…………………………..its strength to give the impulse of a great renascence.
Indian Spirituality and Life………………………………..understanding of the true sense and spirit of Indian culture.
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023. CWSA 20, Page 179-82
Now just here is the first……………………………………..and a strong principle of oneness.
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024. CWSA 20, Page 182-86
The fundamental idea of all Indian religion……………………………..supremely spiritual culture.
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025. CWSA 20, Page 186-92
The endless variety of Indian philosophy……………………………….cosmic universalism of the Vedic scriptures.
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026. CWSA 20, Page 192-95
Indian religion founded itself on……………………………………at last to the supreme experience.
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027. CWSA 20, Page 195-98
One thing however has to be noted………………………………………process of man’s growth towards the heights.
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028. CWSA 20, Page 198-201
In its earliest form, its first Vedic……………………………………..development of our historic culture.
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029. CWSA 20, Page 201-07
This inner Vedic religion………………………………………of the balance of Indian culture.
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030. CWSA 20, Page 207-11
Indian religion followed this line………………………………………experience and highest absolute status.
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031. CWSA 20, Page 211-13
This great effort and achievement………………………………………………..the meaning of her existence.
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032. CWSA 20, Page 214-17
Indian Spirituality and Life – 3………………………………………………both of man’s inner and his outer existence.
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033. CWSA 20, Page 217
In the plan of its first aim it came nearer…………………………attractiveness and power of survival.
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034. CWSA 20, Page 218-21
But the turn given to the other…………………………………..the summits of divine experience.
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035. CWSA 20, Page 221
It was to meet the need of the first type……………………………………the ignorance of material Nature.
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036. CWSA 20, Page 222-23
The middle stage, the second type starts…………………………………………a spiritual universality, communion, transcendence.
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037. CWSA 20, Page 223-27
But distinctions are lines that can always………………………………….comprehension and unity and of divine transcendence.
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038. CWSA 20, Page 227-29
The system of Indian ethics liberalised by the catholicity……………..mounted through these powers to its perfection.
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039. CWSA 20, Page 229-31
Thus the whole general character of the application………………………hold of the intention which was behind the execution.
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040. CWSA 20, Page 231
I have dwelt at some length……………………………………….sense of the striving of Indian culture.
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041. CWSA 20, Page 231-44
It is easy to say that these ideas are fantastic……………………………………………..a proof of the highest vigour of existence. (Selected Passages)
044. But this supreme spirituality and this prolific……………………..was exclusive, the three elements are always present. 8-9
045. In this third period the curious elaboration……………………………of action, created the harmony of the ancient Indian culture. 9-10
046. Indeed without this opulent vitality and………………………………………………without the least concession to idealism or ethicism. 10-11
047. Everywhere we find this tendency………………decline it was the one thing she could never lose. 11-13
048. But this spiritual tendency does not………………………………………………It completed the curve of the cycle. 13
049. But this spiritual tendency does not………………………………………………It completed the curve of the cycle. 13
050. But this spiritual tendency does not………………………………………………It completed the curve of the cycle. 13
051. The evening of decline which followed………………………………………….face of new and unprecedented conditions. 14
052. It was at this moment that the European………………………………………..its help to the future of humanity. 14-15
053. It was at this moment that the European………………………………………..its help to the future of humanity. 14-15
054. The Spirit is a higher infinite of………………………………………..of the renaissance of India. 15-16
055. The process which has led up to……………………………………..the first importance to the future of human civilisation. 17-18
056. The process which has led up to……………………………………..no longer possessed or overcome by it. 17
057. Nothing in the many processes of Nature,………………………………………………….the future of human civilisation. 17-18
058. This was not the idea of the…………………………………………………..beyond any chance of vigorous revival. 18-19
059. Nevertheless, this earliest period of crude………………………of the integral self-finding of her renaissance. 19-22
060. TO ATTEMPT to penetrate through………………………………………return of spirituality upon life. 23-26
061. But what are likely to be the great constructive………………….social mind and action of the awakened people. 26-31
062. THE RENAISSANCE thus determining itself……………………………………………..it can be and in its fullness must be all-inclusive. 32-34
063. But still there is a great difference……………………………………………………into the nature of the Godhead. 34-35
064. So with all our aims and activities; spirituality…………………………………………………. own richest and completest significances. 35-38
065. India can best develop herself and………………………………………….coming upon her, is the question of her destiny 38-40
067. And if we ask what in both these respects…………………………………soul and mind of the Indian people. 314-17
068. The early mind of India in the magnificent……………………………………..find in painting and sculpture. 317-18
069. And after that we have powerful and beautiful……………………word which was spoken by the Rig Veda. 318-21
070. Western scholars choose to imagine……………………………………………….Play, O Ray, and manifest thyself. 321-22
071. Or again in the succeeding hymn,—……………………………………………………outward figures and circumstances. 322-24
072. Or an outward figure nearest to……………………………………………………………..poet or the exaltation of his utterance. 324
073. The poets of the Veda had another…………………………………………………….putting in front one of his aspects. 324
074. The life of man was to these seers…………………………………………canons of the physical existence. 324-25
075. The invocation “Play,ORay, and become………………………………………………………..and complete on the heights of self-knowledge. 326-30
076. The upanishads are the supreme work……………………………..on the heights of self-knowledge. 329-30
077. This character of the Upanishads needs…………………………………………….largest meaning in the deeper truth of the spirit. 330-31
078. And yet these works are not philosophical……………………………………………the object of knowledge is Jnana. 331-32
079. And because it is only by an integral………………………………………………………….and an immeasurable completeness. 332-33
081. The VEDA is thus the spiritual and psychological…………………………………………………….succeeding period of Indian literary creation. 342
082. This movement of the Indian mind……………………………………………………………..the method of spiritual liberation, moksa. 342-43
083 The work of the social thinkers…………………………………………………………….in the whole conception, function and structure. 343-45
084 One of the elements of the old Vedic…………………………………………………..and the imagination and the intelligence. 345-47
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085 The Mahabharata especially is not…………………………………………………..represented in the terms of human life. 347-48
086 The way in which this double form is worked out………………..soul and thought and life of a people. 348-49
087 The Ramayana is a work of the ……………………………formal outsides of virtue and conduct. 349-51