Wednesday, November 29, 2006

A concert that strove to find its base in a unity

Sri Aurobindo on organization Nov 28, '06 1:12 PM Sri Aurobindo on organization
The European mind gives first place to the principle of growth by struggle; it is by struggle that arrives at some kind of concert. But this concert is itself hardly more than an organization for growth by competition, aggression and farther battle. It is a peace that is constantly breaking, even within itself, into a fresh problem of principals, ideas, interests, races, classes. It is an organization unstable at it base and in its center because it is founded on half truths that deteriorate into whole false hood; but it is still or has been till now strong in constant achievements and able to grow powerfully and demolish and assimilate.

Indian culture proceeded on the principles of a concert that strove to find its base in a unity and reached out again towards some greater oneness. Its aim was a lasting organization that would minimise or even eliminate the principle of struggle.

But it ended by achieving peace and stable arrangement through omission, division and immobility of status, it drew magic circle of safety and shut itself up in it for good. In the end it lost its force of aggression, weakened its power of assimilation and decayed within its barriers. A static and limited concert, not always enlarging itself, not plastic becomes in our human state of imperfection a prison or a sleeping-chamber.

Concert can not be anything but imperfect and temporary in its form and can only preserve its liveliness and fulfill its ultimate aim if it constantly adapts, expands, progresses. Its lesser unities must widen towards a broader and more comprehensive and above all a more real and spiritual oneness. In the larger statement of our culture and civilization that we have now to achieve, a greater outward expression of spiritual and psychological oneness, but with a diversity, which the mechanical method of Europe does not tolerate, will surely be one leading motive. A concert, a unity with the rest of mankind, in which we shall maintain our spiritual and our outer independence will be another line of our attempt. prasadchikshe

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