On Morality, Religion and Spirituality
We feature here a few selections from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother highlighting the important differences between a moral life, religious life and spiritual life.
We feature here a few selections from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother highlighting the important differences between a moral life, religious life and spiritual life.
Values cannot be imposed through textbooks. Teachers and parents must serve as living examples. Rich stories can also expose children to higher ideals.
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother emphasise that the best way to do good for the world is to win victories over the weaknesses in our nature.
We often confuse or misinterpret the ‘good’ by limiting our understanding to a moral-ethical view of ‘good’ and ‘bad’, right and wrong. Sri Aurobindo wrote several letters explaining the core difference with between a moral life and spiritual life. A few are featured here.
In this part, the author argues that the time of moral phase of nationalism is over. The need of the hour is a spiritual nationalism, but before we get there we must recognise the ethical-moral development as a necessary stage in human evolution.
In this part, A V Sastri briefly outlines how the unique Indian spirit of nationalist struggle for independence led by Sri Aurobindo, Lokmanya Tilak and others was gradually replaced by the moral-ethical nature of Gandhian call for political freedom. He also writes of the limits of such moralistic attempts.