Notes and References ' It is believed that in its original condition Veda was one, but it was Rishi Vyasa who divided it into collections, Samhitas, Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva Veda. The antiquity of the Veda has been a subject of discussion and dispute. But it is acknowledged that it is the oldest available record in the world. '2-Rig Veda (7?VJ, X.67.1. 3 The Angirasa legend and the conquest or recovery of the Sun and the Dawn are frequent subjects of allusion in the hymns of the Rig Veda. See in particular, 1.62; VI. 17.3; Vtl.90.4; VII.98.6; see also VI.60.2; VI.44.22; VI.62.11; 1.93.4; IV.50.4-5; Vl.73.1; VI.66.8; VI.54

Bibliography Altekar, A.S., Education in Ancient India, Indian book Shop, 1934, Banares. Cultural Heritage of India, The Ramakrishna Mission, Institute of Culture, 1982, Calcutta, Vol. 6. Dandekar, R.N., Vedic Bibliography, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1986, Poona, 4 Vols. Das Gupta, S.N., A History of Indian Philosophy, Motilal Banarasi dass, 1988, Delhi, 5 Vols. Das Gupta, S.N., Yoga as Philosophy and Religion, Motilal Banarasi dass, 1987, Delhi. Das Gupta, S.N., Yoga Philosophy in Relation to other Systems of Indian Thought. Motilal Banarasidass, 1974, Delhi. Dayanand Saraswati (Swami), Satyartha Prakash, tr. Durga Prasad. Hiriyanna,

IV (a) Beginning with the Veda or the pre-vedic age, Indian Yoga has continued to live uninterruptedly, and there have been in later periods greater clarities, deeper profundities, subtler precisions, effective specialisations, and even variations and enlargement of objectives and methods. It is true that the highest altitudes arrived at in the Veda and the Upanishads have not been surpassed. But this is as it ought to be. For Yoga is a quest of the highest and permanent Truth or Reality and if they are truly discovered they can only remain perennial. At the same time. Yoga has not been looked upon as a closed book; and hundreds of Yogas have been developed; there have ev

v (a) The next great synthesis after the Gita is that of the Tantra.79 The literature concerned with the Tantra Shastra or Agamas appears to have been written and completed very largely during the Gupta period, although the traditions, practices and even texts are considered to have existed from very early times. A number of Agamas, such as those of Jainism and Buddhism and others are not in harmony with the Vedas, yet most of the Agamas are in consonance with the Vedas. Of these latter, there are three categories, those in which the object of worship and realisation is Vishnu (known also as Pancharatra or Bhagavata), those in which the object of worship and realisation is

VI (a) It is possible to look upon Yoga as a means of escape from the world and its life. It may be argued that the world- existence is a cosmic illusion or that it is born out of cosmic ignorance and desire, and that there is no issue in it except to find out the quickest means to come out of this sorrowful world-existence. In fact, extreme forms of Yoga have preached asceticism and world-negating attitudes. In these cases, Yoga has become divorced from life and some kind of antagonism between yoga and life has been conceived and practised. These extreme forms of Yoga have been exclusive in character, and where yoga and life do not meet, there can be no question of any s

On Materialism The materialist has an easier field; it is possible for him by denying Spirit to arrive at a more readily convincing simplicity of statement, a real Monism, the Monism of Matter or else of Force. But in this rigidity of statement it is impossible for him to persist permanently, (p. 7) * (...) The denial of the materialist although more insistent and immediately successful, more facile in its appeal to the generality of mankind, is yet less enduring, less effective finally than the absorbing and perilous refusal of the ascetic. For it carries within itself its own cure. Its most powerful element is the Agnosticism which, admitting the Unknowable behin

Preface "Know thyself". This has been one of the great messages of the East and the West since ancient times, and yet it has not been sufficiently pursued and applied. But it appears that the crisis through which humanity is passing today can be resolved if, as a first and essential step, this message is understood in greater fullness than ever before. For it is becoming increasingly clearer that without a radical change in human consciousness, we shall not be able to take the right road that needs to be taken. We need, therefore, to understand human consciousness in its full complexity and its multiple dimensions with a central focus on self-knowledge. Fortunately, we find

ON MATERIALISM ON MATERIALISM Extracts from "The Life Divine" by Sri Aurobindo Compiled by Kireet Joshi THE MOTHER'S INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH, New Delhi in association with MIRA ADITI , Mysore THE MOTHER'S INSTITUTE OF RESEARCH 200I Excerpts taken from Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library First edition, 1972 Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry Compiled by Kireet Joshi The publication or this book was facilitated by a grant received by the Mother's Institute of Research from t

NOTES RELATING TO PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION AND LIFE Perennial Aims of Education There are three fundamental ideas underlying the educational process. There is, first, the pursuit of man to know himself and the universe and to relate himself with the universe as .effectively as possible. This pursuit constitutes the very theme of human culture, and education derives its fundamental thrust from the cultural setting at a given point of time. Secondly, there is a process of transmission of the accumulated results of the past to the growing generation so as to enable it to carry forward the cultural heritage and to build

ANNEXURE IX Education for Integral Development of Personality To Know Oneself and to Control Oneself (An Exploratory Draft Programme) Classes I and II I. Stories and plays to illustrate the following themes: 1. The ideal of truth: To speak the truth, whatever the consequences. 2. Aspiration for perfection: Whatever you do, do it as perfectly as you can. 3. Dreams of the new world: Where truth alone prevails, where beauty and goodness pervade. II. Special exhibitions on the above themes. III. Teachers may recommend the following exercises and help each child to practise them: 1. Exerci