Steiner and Sri Aurobindo on Spiritual Evolution and Philosophy
Publication information:
Abstract
The paper will propose a comparative analysis between the philosophy of the Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, and Rudolf Steiner based on the interstice of their philosophical ideas between transcendence versus immanence or dualism versus non-dualistic philosophy.
According to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy of Supra-mental consciousness, the bliss or what Steiner calls intuition or spiritual freedom could be attained through ego-transcendence. Sri Aurobindo describes it almost like a psychoanalytical process in Life Divine: the mind has to go up through higher mind, illumined mind, intuition and over mind to the super mind level of consciousness to reach super mind through ego-transcendence. Once that is achieved which is called ascent, one has to bring it down to the body and this is called descent. Once the ascent and the descent occur concurrently, the goal of the supramental consciousness is achieved
As the process of ascent and descent is non-dualistic and cannot be achieved through dualism, likewise, Steiner’s philosophy valorizes non-dualism. In his book Intuitive Thinking as a Spiritual Path, he deconstructs this eternal battle between matter and spirit and dualism. Both Steiner and Sri Aurobindo strive to achieve this harmony between the inner and the outer self and believe that it could be achieved through the evolution of the spiritual consciousness.
Sri Aurobindo talks about ego- transcendence but Steiner explains in the following way: “What dualism seeks only beyond the observed world, monism finds in this world itself” (131). It resonates with the concept of Brahman or the concept of the absolute in Hindu philosophy that the whole world is manifestation of Brahman and therefore there is no distinction between myself and my fellow human being. Finally, it will discuss how Steiner’s anthroposophical views on spiritual bodies and the cultural epochs resonate with the philosophy and show the path for the modern spiritual world.
Presenter Biography
Dr. Ashmita Khasnabish, lecturer, Lasell University is a Co-Investigator in Regent’s Park College, Oxford University in Love in Religion and Culture Project working on her book Global Bengali Identity. She published Jouissance as Ananda: Indian Philosophy, Feminist Theory and Literature (2003, 2006) Humanitarian Identity and the Political Sublime: Intervention of a Postcolonial Feminist (2009), Negotiating Capability and Diaspora: a Philsophical Politics (2013, 2016) and the edited volume Postcoloniality, Globalization and Diaspora: What’s Next? (2019, 2020) through Rowman and Littlefield Publishing Group. Her most recent monograph is Virtual Diaspora, Postcolonial Literature and Feminism published in 2022 and 2024 through Routledge, written while an Associate of Harvard University’s Comparative Literature Program. She held teaching positions at Boston University, Emerson College and held various research positions at Brown University, MIT, Brandeis University, Oxford University and Harvard University. She lectured at Oxford University, Trinity College, Dublin, University of Geneva, in North America and in India.