Sri Aurobindo as Archetypal Guru: Toward a Theology of Liberation Through Integral Yoga

Abstract

AbstractThe historical and cultural development of the Guru as the living force has evolved and been present in the Indian tradition, culture, spirituality, and life for thousands of years. The paper looks into this cultural tradition as based on the Guru Consciousness vis-à-vis Brahma cetana, examines the nature of the Guru through reflection on a series of paired and progressively deeper dimensions: first, as a role, and as the one who lives out this role; second, as free self-consciousness that realizes itself as the IDENTITY and as the subject of that freedom; and third, as a moral agent who fulfils the plenitude of consciousness. Guru remains part of nature but rather than being subject thereto as a mere producer or consumer is a creative and transforming centre. This is an affirmation of existence as sharing in Sat, Cit, and Ananda and reflects the meaning of the transcendent for man and of man in the Transcendent. It is a creative unveiling of the content of the tradition as this comes progressively and historically into the present and through the present, passes on to the future. Accordingly, the paper argues that Aurobindo is a Guru in the post-Upanishadic paradigm and became the symbol of the enlightened jnana yogin. The graciousness of Aurobindo is that even though he operated from the parameterless, structureless Reality, he was able to act, making use of structures, parameters, gurukuls, spiritual practices, and so forth to evolve into Guru Consciousness.KeywordsGuru Avidya Guru disciple traditionFivefold quality of Yoga Kularnava Tantra