Western Theology and Indian Mysticism
By Dr. HARIDAS CHAUDHURI
By Dr. HARIDAS CHAUDHURI
In the view of Soren Kierkegaard, "the immediate relationship to God is paganism, and only after the breach has taken place can there be any question of a true God-relationship". In other words, paganism consists in man's immediate relationship to God while living the immediate life of nature. True spiritual life begins with a breach with immediacy through the development of the ethical. God is pure Spirit, and therefore radically different from Nature. Albert Schweitzer agrees with Indian mysticism that the ultimate goal of man--his spiritual destiny--lies in immediate union with the infinite and eternal Being. But in his view, basically a Christian theologian that he is, this ultimate goal must be achieved not through knowledge and renunciation but through faith and ethical action. Like Immanuel Kant, Schweitzer finds it necessary to demolish knowledge in order to make room for faith. Integral Philosophy as the Dissolvent of all Dichotomies: The outstanding merit of integral philosophy based upon Sri Aurobindo's masterly interpretation of Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavadgita is that the dichotomies of knowledge and faith, mysticism and ethics, world-and-life affirmation and world-life negation are dissolved in the integral consciousness of Being. History Philosophy Main Tenets Location About CIF 50th Anniversary Program Listing Special Events Bookstore Membership
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