Sri Aurobindo's formulation of the evolution of consciousness itself builds on Darwin

Re: The Core Problem Tony Clifton Tue 17 Mar 2009 08:55 AM PDT Science, Culture and Integral Yoga

well, I am not sure, because IY is so complex a phenomena I'd hate to define it absolutely one way or the other however, in the former instance regards academic scholarship although it would certainly not comprise the entire practice it could be part of ones jnana yoga.

And although it would have to be qualified in the latter instance yes, I do think that some developments of scholarly view can be identical to what Sri Aurobindo calls the evolution of consciousness. In much the same way that he envisions the evolution of poetry as representative of the evolution of consciousness

Moreover, in Aurobindian terms -people who don't practice yoga at all - even scientist also experience the descent of higher, illumined, intuitive mind or whatever name one chooses to give it, the discovery of the structure of the benzene molecule is one such instance by Kekulé. IMO the importance of such intuition is implicit in Einsteins statement imagination is more important than knowledge.

Finally, yogic theories can borrow from scientist. And anytime one speaks of the evolution of consciousness in yogic terms one is doing just that as Sri Aurobindo's formulation of the evolution of consciousness itself builds on Darwin.

It seems in very concrete ways that, while on the one hand there are differences that must be appreciated that at the end of day, everything is hopelessly interconnected,

Re: The Core Problem Debashish Mon 16 Mar 2009 09:26 PM PDT

Relative valuation in works is inevitable unless one has attained a consciousness high and integral enough. A shoemaker cannot be expected to understand the true value of a painter and vice versa. That said, perhaps both of us are aiming at some eventual sense of the true place of these things in building the future.

In the meantime, let it suffice in the minimum allowance of some usefulness of the scholarly work, whether it looms larger for one or not. And let it also be allowed that this can be a legitimate part of yoga sadhana in the Integral Yoga. That and no more (but also no less) is necessary for integrality of effort.