TOPIC: Aurobindo- Hinduism
SUBJECT: Religion and Theology
DESCRIPTION:
Only source that should be used: World Religions Today (5th Edition) by John L. Esposito, Darrell J. Fasching & Todd T. Lewis On p. 322 of World Religions Today there is a quotation from Sri Aurobindo about what he characterizes as the “entire aim of yoga.” Explain how the two main points that Aurobindo makes here can be related to the basic beliefs of Hinduism. Why does it make sense for a Hindu to say that there is a “Truth” that nature has hidden in herself? (Is there a reason provided by Hinduism for thinking that truths of any sort are hidden from us?) And how would a Hindu understand this talk of “conversion” of the human soul into the divine soul? (Is it that we can become divine literally? Or that in some sense we can experience the world and ourselves as gods and goddesses might?) Try to make sense of what Aurobindo is saying here. Quote: “This is the entire aim of yoga: rendering…of natural life into divine living.” -Aurobindo Ghose A careful read of the textbook section on yoga (pp. 319 – 322) and the section on the major Hindu schools of philosophy and Tantra (pp. 334 – 337), should provide with enough background information to answer the questions raised here.
