Friend or Foe

Our world is a reflection of our search. This statement gives us a sense of the human urge to make sense of the world, gives us a sense of the aspiration to know, to grow, to look for things and ways that express our intention. It also reflects our inclination to align our will to that of the Divine, and our need to find a purpose higher than that of mere existence for the sake of our basic needs. But today this statement holds more true for the search history on our devices than our inner quest. We look for something and forget about it, but the browser makes sure that it reminds us constantly of what we were looking for, even if it was a passing search. What a way of engaging with the world! 

The impact of technological advancement on our evolutionary journey is something which we have to not only examine at the individual level but also at the collective level. The fundamental purpose of any technological development is to make human living better. Relieving us of mechanical and repetitive work, and that too while retaining and improving upon precision, is the best gift that technology has given us. But today, this technology is not just limited to making our functioning in the physical world easier but it has entered our subconscious being by hijacking the mental-emotional space which is primarily desire driven. Our process of self-discovery has totally turned outward and got disconnected from the source within. 

The purpose of making our physical life easy was to live wholly, not to get stuck in the dark abyss of information subliminally, thereby making us feel weak and incompetent, and thus creating dependency on the flashy and fancy things available in the outer world. This is far from the vision our ancient seers had for the world. The human being is only a little above the animal state, but unique in aspiring to evolve towards the god-like state. Man-made machines may be programmed to grow, but it is only ‘man’ who aspires to ‘evolve’. Sri Aurobindo considers man to be a transitional being, a bridge between heaven and earth, a potential instrument through which the divine law can prevail in the world. Machines are a product of human intelligence whereas a human being is a product, although a work-in-progress, of divine intelligence. A human being can not only connect with the divine consciousness, but also make of himself a channel for the Divine to act through him. Sri Aurobindo’s vision is that of divine life on earth through progressive evolution, in which human beings participate as active collaborators of nature, a collaboration rooted in knowledge, not in ignorance as we see today. 

The freedom which we experience in the name of individualization is nothing but slavery to our senses. The need to be seen, heard and acknowledged is so well captured by the personalised autosuggestions on our gadgets that we fail to see ourselves turning into puppets in the hands of the world that is creating a craving for products we don’t need, and don’t even know why we want them. Technology has enormous benefits, especially in the areas of healthcare and education, the two fundamental pillars of human resource development in any society. 

Technological developments in the field of education have made tremendous contributions in the form of active learning mechanisms, and the process of procuring resources has never been easier. Online education, which has been growing at an exponential rate since 2020 has made it possible to have educational institutions without brick-and-mortar walls, and without geographical barriers. When the intention is in place, sooner or later we do reach our goal, and that is the reason it is crucial at this stage of development that humanity wakes up from its slumber and makes technological development a conscious collaborator in the process of emancipation from the grip of ignorance. “… advancing Knowledge should base herself on a clear, pure, and disciplined intellect,”[1] says Sri Aurobindo. 

We are engaging with technology in ignorance and then wondering from the vantage point of knowledge what has gone wrong. The crux of the matter is that human beings have to evolve to a point to become capable of creating something which is based in Knowledge, and used with that Knowledge. True Consciousness is True Power.

- Dr. Aditi Kaul (Sri Aurobindo Ashram-Delhi branch, India)

 Keywords: Self-discovery, Knowledge, Technology, Online education, Evolution 

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[1] Sri Aurobindo. ‘The Life Divine’ ch.2 ‘The Two Negations: The Materialist Denial’.