It will so nice if the same thoughts are presented in little simple language. The depth of the subject gets complicated when you use jargons and complex-long sentences. The art of propounding a thought or theory lies in simple presentation so that it reaches more people just like other masters have been doing.
Hi Sanjiv, you (may or) may not have noticed that everything after the first three paragraphs (after the first divider) is excerpts from the 16+1 chapters of Sri Aurobindo mentioned in the intro. Do you expect me to dumb down Sri Aurobindo’s writings? There are a number of writers who have made such attempts, but generally I find them harder to read and understand than Sri Aurobindo’s own luminous words. It is of course a sad but well-known sign of our time that most people find it hard to concentrate on a subject for more than the duration of a TikTok video or YouTube short. Since they certainly wouldn’t read those chapters in full (177 pages), I thought that some might appreciate an abridged version that fits into the maximal length of an email that Google/Gmail allows to pass untruncated.
I noticed it and read your entire article. Fortunately I’m not among the people you mentioned above.
I was simply pointing out that we need to explain it in simple language so that dissemination of knowledge happens for a wider audience. Like, Geeta has been explained by various scholars for the benefit of those who can’t read/understand Sanskrit.
We need to reach the youth in India and elsewhere so that transformation takes place in them and it creates a cascading effect for the future generations. That’s the way to enhance the speed of change in the human consciousness.
Still, if you felt hurt, I apologise. That’s never my intention for anyone.
No Sanjiv, I didn't feel hurt and hope you didn't either. Still, my misgivings about dumbing down Sri Aurobindo stand. Also, if somebody tells me — not you in particular — what "we" need to do, I sense a red flag. After all, I hardly know what I need to do, let alone "we".
Hi Sanjiv - I too used to ponder why the most important ideas of all often seem to be expressed in a seemingly obscure and inaccessible manner - perhaps especially so when studying the works of Alfred North Whitehead : )
From Vivekanda, I once learned about the various paths available to us. Should you be inclined to follow the path of knowledge, be prepared to bring a great deal of patience and dedication to the journey. The metaphysical model laid out by Aurobindo offers a consistent, comprehensive explanatory framework to understand the underlying nature of our experiences and the broader nature of reality. But for reasons that Aurobindo (as well as our kind host, Ulrich) have elsewhere explained quite well, our capacity to realize the highest and most precious forms of knowledge are, at present, highly limited.
Each of us seek to understand the world based on an exclusive subjective view of external relationships colored by our own unique personal perceptions. We often misconstrue that which we perceive and lack the capacity to grasp the wondrous unity behind all things. What is being offered can not be commoditized into a series of more basic disconnected notions, and attempts to do so will only obscure the ultimate meaning.
In my own encounters with Aurobindo (and other great souls and intellects), the experience has been like moving along the banks of a mighty river, searching for beautiful pebbles that I save in a stout old leather pouch. Each stone represents an idea whose meaning is only truly realized by grasping its unifying relationship to the entire collection. There will never be a day when the I can say "well that's it then!", pull the drawstring and close the bag.
Be patient, be sincere, be humble, and have faith in pursuit of your journey.... don't give up!
Hi Elwood, I totally understand what you’re saying here but after having read and practiced the works of so many masters, I feel deep knowledge should not be limited by labyrinth of complex words and sentences. Same can be communicated in simple language for the benefit of a larger population. The path of self-realisation, does not really depend on the words as these also come from outside and are conditioned; that is why these are prone to misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
The reality is not very complex; rather it is very simple and can be understood easily if we drop the outer layers with which we are made of and and are attached with. If use these instruments of layers just to be functional in this world while remaining moored to what is within, I think life becomes so simple and ever flowing.
It will so nice if the same thoughts are presented in little simple language. The depth of the subject gets complicated when you use jargons and complex-long sentences. The art of propounding a thought or theory lies in simple presentation so that it reaches more people just like other masters have been doing.
Hi Sanjiv, you (may or) may not have noticed that everything after the first three paragraphs (after the first divider) is excerpts from the 16+1 chapters of Sri Aurobindo mentioned in the intro. Do you expect me to dumb down Sri Aurobindo’s writings? There are a number of writers who have made such attempts, but generally I find them harder to read and understand than Sri Aurobindo’s own luminous words. It is of course a sad but well-known sign of our time that most people find it hard to concentrate on a subject for more than the duration of a TikTok video or YouTube short. Since they certainly wouldn’t read those chapters in full (177 pages), I thought that some might appreciate an abridged version that fits into the maximal length of an email that Google/Gmail allows to pass untruncated.
I noticed it and read your entire article. Fortunately I’m not among the people you mentioned above.
I was simply pointing out that we need to explain it in simple language so that dissemination of knowledge happens for a wider audience. Like, Geeta has been explained by various scholars for the benefit of those who can’t read/understand Sanskrit.
We need to reach the youth in India and elsewhere so that transformation takes place in them and it creates a cascading effect for the future generations. That’s the way to enhance the speed of change in the human consciousness.
Still, if you felt hurt, I apologise. That’s never my intention for anyone.
No Sanjiv, I didn't feel hurt and hope you didn't either. Still, my misgivings about dumbing down Sri Aurobindo stand. Also, if somebody tells me — not you in particular — what "we" need to do, I sense a red flag. After all, I hardly know what I need to do, let alone "we".
Hi Sanjiv - I too used to ponder why the most important ideas of all often seem to be expressed in a seemingly obscure and inaccessible manner - perhaps especially so when studying the works of Alfred North Whitehead : )
From Vivekanda, I once learned about the various paths available to us. Should you be inclined to follow the path of knowledge, be prepared to bring a great deal of patience and dedication to the journey. The metaphysical model laid out by Aurobindo offers a consistent, comprehensive explanatory framework to understand the underlying nature of our experiences and the broader nature of reality. But for reasons that Aurobindo (as well as our kind host, Ulrich) have elsewhere explained quite well, our capacity to realize the highest and most precious forms of knowledge are, at present, highly limited.
Each of us seek to understand the world based on an exclusive subjective view of external relationships colored by our own unique personal perceptions. We often misconstrue that which we perceive and lack the capacity to grasp the wondrous unity behind all things. What is being offered can not be commoditized into a series of more basic disconnected notions, and attempts to do so will only obscure the ultimate meaning.
In my own encounters with Aurobindo (and other great souls and intellects), the experience has been like moving along the banks of a mighty river, searching for beautiful pebbles that I save in a stout old leather pouch. Each stone represents an idea whose meaning is only truly realized by grasping its unifying relationship to the entire collection. There will never be a day when the I can say "well that's it then!", pull the drawstring and close the bag.
Be patient, be sincere, be humble, and have faith in pursuit of your journey.... don't give up!
Hi Elwood, I totally understand what you’re saying here but after having read and practiced the works of so many masters, I feel deep knowledge should not be limited by labyrinth of complex words and sentences. Same can be communicated in simple language for the benefit of a larger population. The path of self-realisation, does not really depend on the words as these also come from outside and are conditioned; that is why these are prone to misinterpretation or misunderstanding.
The reality is not very complex; rather it is very simple and can be understood easily if we drop the outer layers with which we are made of and and are attached with. If use these instruments of layers just to be functional in this world while remaining moored to what is within, I think life becomes so simple and ever flowing.
Regards.