Sri Aurobindo once said that literature, poetry, science and all other studies can be a preparation of the consciousness for life. But when one consciously walks the path of Yoga, these things can continue as part of the sadhana only if they are done for the Divine or taken up by the Divine Force. The first requirement there is that one should not want to be a writer or a poet for the sake of being a writer or a poet only, or for fame, applause, etc. (CWSA, Vol. 27, p. 723)
What does it mean to be engaged in literary activity for the Divine? And what kind of literature should a sadhak read, if any? Should it only be spiritual or religious literature? What about the literary classics that may be seen as ‘secular’ literature?
For a large majority of the educated people who at some point in their lives turn to spiritual pursuit, reading spiritual literature becomes a big part of their process. What is the right place and significance of reading spiritual literature in the path of sadhana? Can reading and meditating on such literature help prepare the sadhak, can it become a hindrance? These and a few other related questions are the focus of the current issue of Renaissance.
Reading can be only a momentary help to prepare the mind. But the real knowledge does not come by reading. Some preparation for the inner knowledge may be helpful—but the mind should not be too superficially active or seek to know only for curiosity’s sake.~ Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Vol. 27, p. 729
To read full editorial by Beloo Mehra, click HERE.
Contents of the issue:
- Literature and Progress on the Path
- How to Choose which Books to Read?
- Not to be a Sadhak of Books but of the Infinite
- How to Read Sri Aurobindo and Get Answers from Him
- Sri Aurobindo’s translations from Tamil
- To Read Savitri is Indeed to Practise Yoga (K. R. Srinivasa Iyengar)
- brief What is Savitri: A Brief commentary (Amal Kiran)
- A Great Illuminative Power’ – Appreciating Sri Aurobindo’s Poetry (Gayatri Majumdar)
- Life, Love and Union in Sri Aurobindo’s Eric (Oeendrila Guha)
- A Splendour that Lit up the Suns (Narendra Murty)
- Seeking the Beloved – the mystical verse of Shah Abdul Latif (Translations by Anju Makhija)
- Book Review – Dancing with the Moon & Other Poems (Author: Charan Singh Kedarkhandi, Review by Beloo Mehra)
- A Children’s Story on Simplicity (Tara Jauhar)
- Concluding part of ongoing series – Sri Aurobindo’s Interpretation of Indian Culture: The Mahabharata – (Prema Nandkumar)