This selection from Sri Aurobindo’s book ‘The Human Cycle’ explores why in human history religion has not been a sufficient guide for conducting individual and collective life. He also tells us that this need not be so if we understand the true nature of religion, which is its spiritual core.
A few excerpts from the book ‘On the Mother: The Chronicle of a Manifestation and Ministry’, which speak of the Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s yogic work in WW2.
Sawani Shetye shares with us some insights on how travel can be used effectively to learn and appreciate the diverse histories of India and her rich heritage.
Featured here is the last chapter of the book ‘The Tale of My Exile’ by Barin Ghose, a great revolutionary who was captured by the British along with Sri Aurobindo and several others for Alipore Bomb case. This book is his record of his imprisonment at the Cellular Jail at Andamans.
Drawing examples from world history and placing them in the light of the truth of the spirit, this essay explores what makes a nation persevere and become immortal.
After outlining what is meant by the nation-soul, the author in this second part of the essay explains the meaning of a nation’s rebirth.
Selected excerpts from Maithilisharan Gupt’s most famous work, Bharat Bharati, which stirred deep nationalist emotions among Indians when it was first published in 1912.
Exploring the theme of sincerity in history, we feature excerpts from a couple of introductory chapters from a book authored by Prof. Kittu Reddy, a long-time resident of Sri Aurobindo Ashram and teacher of Indian History and Culture at Sri Aurobindo International Center of Education. The author suggests that when examining Indian history from a subjective point of view, external events gain greater importance in the light of the inner psychological vision and deeper forces behind them.
In this part, A V Sastri briefly outlines the historical evolution of the Indian polity from a simple organic community to its era of decline which was also marked by imposition of news systems and cultures from Western Asia and Europe.
According to A V Sastri, the triple realisation of the Divine helped the Rishis to conceive a social order reconciling all conflict between the individual and society or nation by submitting both to a higher, the highest Truth. Essential ideals of the polity shaped by the Rishis are also mentioned.
We feature a review by Rajat Mitra of a new book “Saffron Swords.” The book tells the tales of 52 warriors who fought till their last breath to defend their motherland. Beloo Mehra introduces the book by invoking a few verses from Sri Aurobindo’s Bhavani Bharati.
In this part of the essay, the author Sisirkumar Mitra describes the ideal role of the king in ancient India as the upholder of Dharma, and the ways in which this ideal worked in harmony with democratic freedom at the communal level of organisation.
We are happy to launch Renaissance, on this special day of February 21, 2019 – the 141st birthday of the Mother. The theme of this journal takes its inspiration, guidance and significance from Sri Aurobindo’s vision for the future of India and her role in the world.
As India rediscovers and redefines her own way – a deeper way of being, it is important to understand deeply the nature of Indian renaissance and its significance for the future of India and the world.
The author Sisirkumar Mitra describes the ideal of communal freedom and self-determination, and beginnings of the idea of State in ancient India.