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Namah On Fantasy and Reality

social life-world is a developing group- who came down in the Axial Age — out of the
soul, that sets each in relation to the other in “stammer of the primal ignorance” into a world
this exploration of liberating subjectivities. of “vision and dream”, fantasies yet still, yet
Our collective lives are not just a mass of truly “fables spoken by the truth” in “symbols
individual biographies, with private fantasies more veridical than fact (19).”
pitted against a public reality, but tied
together by a thread of common adventure Man must believe in himself, and in his fellow-
into inner worlds, where we gather and souls — our polity needs an “alternative telos
talk, just as we do here. Our “earthly of becoming, a will to universality and oneness
dialect” must to “God-language change through deep relationality and intense intimacy
(14)”, a “satisfying evolution of the nascent (20)”, bound by the mortar of our collective
spirituality still raw and inchoate in the race is fantasies. They are tomorrow’s realities, and
the possibility to which an age of subjectivism for that we must take them seriously — for
is a first glimmer of awakening (15).” The our communal life to regain its splendour and
social can free us, our contact with others heaven-ward charm, to infuse with a radiant
can nourish and enliven us, open new power earth’s dumb need for transcendence
possibilities for a collective fulfilment. in something beyond.
Yet, a formidable challenge lies:
Our reality is a pale reflection of all that is
“An absolute State found order’s absolute, hidden in us — “the idealistic easily seems to
To a standardised perfection cut all things, us something unreal, fantastic, unsubstantial,
In society build a just exact machine. nebulous, a thing more of thoughts and words
Then science and reason careless of the soul than of live actualities, because it is trying to
Could iron out a tranquil uniform world, embody a reality not yet accomplished (21).”
Aeonic seekings glut with outward truths Yet, our fantasies are truly “messengers from
And a single-patterned thinking force on mind, our subliminal greatnesses, guests from the
Inflicting Matter’s logic on Spirit’s dreams cavern of the secret soul (22),” till we awake
A reasonable animal make of man and imprint this world with another, one
And a symmetrical fabric of his life (16).” much sweeter, stronger. “In that life more
concrete than the lives of men, throbbed heart-
The secret possibility of living out our greater beats of the hidden reality” — may “jingling
fantasies, as expressions of the Real, is “a sweet anklet-bells of fantasy” sound again,
new kind of theocracy, the kingdom of God “where life and being are a sacrament offered
upon earth, a theocracy which shall be the to the Reality beyond (23).”
government of mankind by the Divine in the
hearts and minds of men (17).” This society, a References
leap of collective imagination, built on a world-
making fantasy “can alone bring about a reign 1. Sri Aurobindo, The Complete Works of Sri
of individual harmony and communal happiness Aurobindo, Volume 25. Pondicherry: Sri
(18).” The inner change, the recovery of our Aurobindo Ashram Trust; 1997, p. 9.
lost, or forgotten, glory, will be an anthem of
light, taking us — with those masters of men 2. Sri Aurobindo, CWSA, Volume 33; 1997, p. 242.

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