Sarkar, Anil Kumar.  Sri Aurobindo and Haridas Chaudhuri: (A Glimpse of a Dynamic Prospect for Mankind). Hayward, CA: Sarkar Publica­tions, 1986

Abstract

Aurobindo's writings, in prose or in poetry, though channelled through the dichotomous mind, are integrally inspired by the Supramental power, which is reachable only through Yogic-Tantric disciplines beyond the post-Buddhist Vedantic and Vaisnavite processes. Whitehead's Philosophic Method lies in discerning intellectual process as an emergent consciousness within Nature. But this consciousness is grounded upon a non-sensuous continuous feeling-process of Nature, which is a basic urge with a possibility. This creative possibility cancels the restlessness of consciousness, and directs it beyond itself, to a meditative condition of Peace, which is akin to the post-intellectual meditative process of the Buddhists of India. Chaudhuri, with the insights of Aurobindo of India, and Whitehead of Britain - understands the implication of the inspiring stretch of the transcendent Supermind from the mind to matter of Aurobindo, and also the dual urge of Whitehead's Nature - Viz., Nature's basic connectedness and urge for creativity. Chaudhuri's was a discovery of a transformed emergent conscious self beyond both Indian and Western cultural processes. He did not either over-stress India/s one-sided transcendent modes behind the postulations of the Self of the Upanisads, or 'No Self' of the Buddhists. Finally Chaudhuri was not also for the transcendent ever-shining process of the Self of the Vedantins. His was an equal emphasis on the transcendent Spirit and the confronted Matter with a stretch and control, for transforming the confronted experience of Matter and Mind in advancing cultural and scientific ways to a further possibility. With the general ideas and attitudes of the three 'greats' of the present times - Aurobindo, Whitehead, and Chaudhuri - this book stands for realizing Peace, as an inter-cultural pursuit beyond Truth, Beauty, Art, and Adventure, not in any restrictive aspect of any conceptual or empirical mode, cultivated so often in the early currents of all civilization.