Wednesday, November 07, 2007

We shall preserve the truths of material Science and its real utilities in the final harmony

Two chapters that can be said to form the prolegomena of The Life Divine are

The later can be read along with what is the meaning of ascetic ideals? 6 by Nietzsche in Genealogy of Morals on the one hand and Asceticism in Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation by Jeremy Bentham on the other. Further, it is not difficult to find in Sri Aurobindo’s line of argument an affinity with the following:

[Asceticism is rejected by modern day Judaism; it is considered contrary to God's wishes for the world. God intended for the world to be enjoyed, in a permitted context of course [1]. The Talmud says that "if a person has the opportunity to taste a new fruit and refuses to do so, he will have to account for that in the next world"…The closest Judaism comes to asceticism is when it tries to teach people to enjoy the more intellectual and spiritual pleasures, and not to chase after the simpler pleasures. However, Judaism does not encourage people to seek pleasure for its own sake but rather to do so in a spiritual way. – Asceticism From Wikipedia.] 1:59 PM 3:54 PM [TNM]

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