Marco Polo’s venture into China in 1266 that opened the gate of the East to the West;,the Scientific Revolution between 1600 to 1700 that paved the path for present day science and technology, the invention of the computer in 1946 that has shrunken the world and increased the speed of communication and processing are but just a few events in recent world history that have revolutionized the very way we live. The many moments that re-directed a well trodden path have never failed to gain recognition in history as turning-points or revolutions, in the way of thinking, of feeling or acting, thereafter. These significant moments put in place a forward march, almost always, alongside a corresponding progressive, seeking spirit that emanates from within us.
This month’s Newsletter has for its focus an unusual subject. We have taken up one of Sri Aurobindo’s aphorisms to explore, as it appears below, where Sri Aurobindo presents four ancient but major events that set the course of human evolution:
There are four very great events in history, the siege of Troy, the life and crucifixion of Christ, the exile of Krishna in Brindavan and the colloquy with Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra. The siege of Troy created Hellas, the exile in Brindavan created devotional religion (for before that there was only meditation and worship), Christ from his cross humanized Europe, the colloquy at Kurukshetra will yet liberate humanity. Yet it is said that none of these four events ever happened.
Sri Aurobindo wrote a total of 547 aphorisms around 1913, under three main headings or categories, namely, Jnana (Knowledge), Karma (Works) and Bhakti (Love), all of which appear to correspond closely with major themes treated.
This aphorism is numbered as the 40th aphorism in the category of Jnana or Knowledge, for which The Mother wrote the commentaries between 1960 to 1961. The aphorism takes up four great events in history and points to each of their significance. Then in a twist, Sri Aurobindo, who first referred to these events as “great events in history”, slaps a statement that casts a shadow on the authenticity of their place in history and we are made to cry out loud, at least silently, “you mean these events never took place???!!!!” Mother’s comments on Sri Aurobindo’s aphorisms is timely here:
Here again, as always, Sri Aurobindo sees every aspect of the question … In the union of opposites lies true wisdom and total effectiveness.
Let us re-look the last sentence, “Yet it is said that none of these four events ever happened.” A troubling thought remains after reading the aphorism again and again. He questions the foundation of fundamental belief systems with the last suggestion and the stir created within is especially the greater after he extols their place in history as course-steering. A general study of these events from sources on cyberspace highlights one commonality that bind these different occurrences together. All of these took place in antiquity, narrated and passed down from generation to generation before they found their place in recorded history and hence have less of the rigour that recent historical records carry in them, and therefore the sceptism in the truth of their actual occurrence. But the fact remains, that they played a great part in altering human evolution in very significant ways.
Read on.
This month’s Newsletter has for its focus an unusual subject. We have taken up one of Sri Aurobindo’s aphorisms to explore, as it appears below, where Sri Aurobindo presents four ancient but major events that set the course of human evolution:
There are four very great events in history, the siege of Troy, the life and crucifixion of Christ, the exile of Krishna in Brindavan and the colloquy with Arjuna on the field of Kurukshetra. The siege of Troy created Hellas, the exile in Brindavan created devotional religion (for before that there was only meditation and worship), Christ from his cross humanized Europe, the colloquy at Kurukshetra will yet liberate humanity. Yet it is said that none of these four events ever happened.
Sri Aurobindo wrote a total of 547 aphorisms around 1913, under three main headings or categories, namely, Jnana (Knowledge), Karma (Works) and Bhakti (Love), all of which appear to correspond closely with major themes treated.
This aphorism is numbered as the 40th aphorism in the category of Jnana or Knowledge, for which The Mother wrote the commentaries between 1960 to 1961. The aphorism takes up four great events in history and points to each of their significance. Then in a twist, Sri Aurobindo, who first referred to these events as “great events in history”, slaps a statement that casts a shadow on the authenticity of their place in history and we are made to cry out loud, at least silently, “you mean these events never took place???!!!!” Mother’s comments on Sri Aurobindo’s aphorisms is timely here:
Here again, as always, Sri Aurobindo sees every aspect of the question … In the union of opposites lies true wisdom and total effectiveness.
Let us re-look the last sentence, “Yet it is said that none of these four events ever happened.” A troubling thought remains after reading the aphorism again and again. He questions the foundation of fundamental belief systems with the last suggestion and the stir created within is especially the greater after he extols their place in history as course-steering. A general study of these events from sources on cyberspace highlights one commonality that bind these different occurrences together. All of these took place in antiquity, narrated and passed down from generation to generation before they found their place in recorded history and hence have less of the rigour that recent historical records carry in them, and therefore the sceptism in the truth of their actual occurrence. But the fact remains, that they played a great part in altering human evolution in very significant ways.
Read on.
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