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"The Methods of Vedantic Knowledge"

(Book 1 Chapter VIII)

 

Introduction
In this chapter Sri Aurobindo seeks to explain how we can make contact with the higher Reality (Brahman, the Absolute)). He describes an ever more successful path upward path from sense-mind to pure reason to intuition to connect with that divine Object.

Here are the main points in greater detail:

Sense-Mind
He says that sense-mind cannot make contact with the Reality. It is a lower action of minds that only knows the surface of things; the appearance. It is limited to what the mind perceives through the five senses.

Pure Reason
Mind's capacity for reason, i.e. pure thought, however can begin to pierce through and perceive things beyond the appearance without the use of sense. And yet even reason cannot know the truths that are beyond its abilities. It is unable make the connection between ourselves and the divine object. It cannot know these supraphysical spheres directly.

Intuition -- Vedanta has however offered the possibility of intuitional knowledge that builds the bridge between the knower and the divine known -- i.e. we subject can come in direct identity with the Reality. Thus intuition gives is that idea of something behind and beyond all that we know. It brings to Man those brilliant messages from the Unknown which are the beginnings of a Higher Knowledge.

[If we can know the reality through our intuitive sense, then the divisions and dualities that we perceive in life will vanish, and we will thus be able to fulfill our human aspiration.]

Sri Aurobindo also indicates that the Vedantic way was overpassed by the age of reason, science, etc, and how we need to integrate these aspects, of what has been learned since, in our implementation of the intuitive capacity.