Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo was a prominent Indian philosopher, poet, and spiritual leader who played a key role in the Indian independence movement. He was born on August 15, 1872, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), India, and died on December 5, 1950, in Pondicherry, India.

Early Life and Education:
Sri Aurobindo's father, Dr. Krishnadhan Ghose, was a prominent Indian physician and civil servant, and his mother, Swarnalotta Devi, was a devout Hindu. Sri Aurobindo was educated at Loreto Convent School in Darjeeling, St. Paul's School in London, and King's College, Cambridge, where he studied classics and philosophy. After completing his education, he returned to India and worked as a civil servant for the Maharaja of Baroda.

Political Career:
Sri Aurobindo became involved in the Indian independence movement in the early 1900s, and he played a leading role in the revolutionary movement against British rule in India. He became the principal of the Bengal National College in Calcutta, where he advocated for a fusion of Western and Indian education. He also founded the newspaper Bande Mataram, which became the voice of the nationalist movement in India. Sri Aurobindo was arrested in 1908 and charged with sedition, but he was acquitted in 1909.

Spiritual Life:
After his acquittal, Sri Aurobindo withdrew from politics and devoted himself to spiritual pursuits. He moved to Pondicherry, a French colony in India, where he began to develop his own unique system of philosophy and spirituality. Sri Aurobindo believed that the purpose of life was to realize the divine within oneself and that this could be achieved through a combination of yoga, meditation, and other spiritual practices. He founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, where he lived with a small group of disciples.

Philosophy and Writings:
Sri Aurobindo's philosophy is known as Integral Yoga or Integralism. He believed that the ultimate goal of life is to transform the human consciousness and to create a new kind of human being, one that is in harmony with the divine. His writings include poetry, essays, and books on philosophy, spirituality, and politics. Some of his most important works include The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, and Savitri. Sri Aurobindo's writings have been translated into many languages and have had a profound influence on spiritual seekers and intellectuals around the world.

Legacy:
Sri Aurobindo's legacy continues to be felt in India and around the world. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, which he founded, is still active and attracts visitors from all over the world. Sri Aurobindo's philosophy and writings continue to inspire spiritual seekers, and his ideas have influenced the development of the New Age movement in the West. Sri Aurobindo is also celebrated as a major figure in Indian literature, and his poetry is widely read and admired.

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