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Law of Karnia
age. He was well acquainted with some Greek Philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. At the same time, Hegel, Whitehead and the Vitalist Bargson also seemed to have influenced the mental make-up of Sri Aurobindo. He had also studied the ancient Indian Philosophy, particularly Advaita Vedānta and Yoga. But, he relied chiefly on his own vision, contemplation and reason,
It is difficult to give an exact philosophical description of this vision. Broadly speaking, his Philosophy can be termed Idealistic, as it conceives reality as spiritual and lays down an ideal for mankind towards which all our efforts have to be directed. In the words of Haridas Chaudhary, "The Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo may aptly be described as integral nondualism, or integral ideaiism, or just integralism”.] It is called 'integral because it both accepts and sublimates the opposition between the higher and the lower nature. The opposition between the two is transcended as a result of the operation of a super-conscient creative force, the Mother
Meaning and Nature of the Law of Karma
Law of Karma is one of the inost important tenets of Indian Philosophy. The concept of Karma is common to almost every traditional as well as contemporary Indian philosophical and religious system. The word "Karma' is derived from Kr. dhatu of Sanskrit which means to do something. “Karma is not a mechanical principle but a spiritual necessity. Every act, every thought is weighed in the invisible but universal balance scales of justice. The day of judgement is not in some reinote future but here and now and none can escape it.". Moreover, “All actions, good or bad, produce their proper consequences in the life of the individual who acts, provided they are performed with a desire for the fruits thereof.''g
The philosophical outlook of the Modern Indian thinkers also have ultimately their base in the Law of Karma. But they are at variance with the use of the concept. Sri Aurobindo, one of the important contemporary Indian thinkers, uses this concept in a sense different froin the ancient thinkers.