Sunday, April 29, 2007
Debating over The Life divine
Every breath an invocation of the Supramental
Friday, April 27, 2007
Savitri Erans will have to read Savitri
Savitri, in a general sense, has four facets. The first is English, second Poetry, third Philosophy and the final one is Spirituality. Admirers of the poem confront formidable difficulty on all these four fronts.
- English is a foreign tongue to most of us. Polysyllables in the poem put off many. Allusions are too far off to be fathomed.
- Poetry, these days, is a rare phenomenon. And if foot and meter or other prosody rules are added then it becomes a dreadful formulation.
- Philosophy is meant for the bearded guys with unkempt hairs. Of what avail if one is going to break his head over it?
- Spirituality is a nice slogan that everyone loves. But when it comes to discovering it by reading the poem people would shy away sheepishly.
But, then it hardly pays to complain. Savitri Erans will have to read it. There is not to reason why. [TNM]
Harmohermeneutics
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Can we remember The Mother also?
The Life Divine builds a bridge between religion and philosophy
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Socially sensitive steps are so vital
3-30 to 4pm – invalids to be carried by chair
If we discuss these aspects in greater detail, perhaps we can contribute meaningfully to the debates regarding various socio-economic models emerging in the country. [TNM]
Once my heart chose and chooses not again
One is reminded of the Savitri line, “Once my heart chose and chooses not again.”
Sunday, April 22, 2007
The wholeness of the poem receives a dent
Keeping an eye (and ear) on the metrical scansion during recitations is a desirable skill which is liable to be skewed if simultaneous vigil for colons and commas is also exercised. Savitri is so likeable as there are no enjambments; so why create artificial chasms? [TNM]
Thursday, April 19, 2007
An Emergent Theory of Values
Imagination unlimited
Trojan horse in Matrimandir
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Life Divine is for ever
Among the many works of Sri Aurobindo, it has the distinction of being thoroughly revised by him. It is complete and comprehensive in its contents, not bereft of a few loose ends though.
Sri Aurobindo wrote brief summaries [CWSA.13] to certain chapters of The Life Divine but did not continue with them. The Mother took up the book in her “Wednesday Classes” for explication but after two chapters the classes stopped.
J.N. Mohanty records in his autobiography:
“I was persuaded by my dear friend Manik Mitra (who then ran the Sri Aurobindo Pathamandir) to lecture regularly on The Life divine. For almost five years, I lectured systematically on that great work from cover to cover – once a month…
I am told that very few have done what I did over the years, but this also gave me a comprehensive grasp of Sri Aurobindo’s thought, although I have been able to write very little on his philosophy. This is one of the things I still hope to be able to do."
by Debashish on Wed 18 Apr 2007 02:18 PM PDT Profile Permanent Link
I wouldn't exactly call these classes but studies and explorations. Thanks to Ron for providing a link to the recordings. And welcome to all sciy readers who may wish to join the Skype Life Divine studies live. They are held every Thursday evening from 7:30 - 9:00 (and sometimes 9:30) pm US Pacific Standard Time (8 - 9:30 am in India and 10:30 pm - 12:00 am US-EST). If interested, please send your Skype ID to debbanerji@yahoo.com DB]
Hitler is here
Inspiring and invigorating teachings
Hundreds of monks rallied in Thailand on Tuesday for Buddhism to be enshrined in the constitution as the country's national religion, amid a worsening Islamic insurgency in the Muslim south. china postConstitution contains no state religion
As a Buddhist, Constitution Drafting Committee (CDC) chairman Prasong Soonsiri said he wants Buddhism to flourish, but it was not important to include such a declaration in the constitution. Sqn-Ldr Prasong has shrugged off the call for Buddhism to be declared the official national religion in the new charter. bangkok post By Penchan Charoensuthipan]
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Prejudice and philosophy
Monday, April 16, 2007
Extreme diversity of intended meanings
Sunday, April 15, 2007
When will our Maxists grow up?
Friday, April 13, 2007
Parliament House has turned into a Buddhist place of worship
The hand that kneaded Homer and Hegel together
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Revelation at Uttarpara
Let us not let down the most integral of the humans
Hegemony of Harmony
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Why not accept it and accommodate it somehow
Savitri online
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Savitri Era religion is the most sensible alternative
Hegel, Heine, and Nietzsche
Cuttack Conference of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles
The false image is not of something quite non-existent
Monday, April 09, 2007
There is no such thing as absolute void
Fall in love with The Mother
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Marx, Nietzsche, and Sri Aurobindo
Saturday, April 07, 2007
His consciousness is a babe upon her knees
Consequently, insisting on a suitable metaphysic unstained by older mythologies for understanding their collaborative action upon the earth seems obvious. Sri Aurobindo has left copious hints concerning this in the Canto, The Secret Knowledge of Savitri. How we accord autonomy to this enunciation in preference to other well-established claims is entirely upon us. [TNM]
Berkeley as precursor of Sri Aurobindo's ideas
Friday, April 06, 2007
Glasnost in school classrooms
Monday, April 02, 2007
Uttering the word religion is seen as a sin and proselyting, a pejorative
However, an integration of both the means – call from the below and grace from the above – has been envisaged in the Integral Yoga enunciated by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. But many of the present day specialists find it hegemonic to appeal to some higher power. So much so that uttering the word religion is seen as a sin and proselyting, a pejorative. Their consternation in this respect is a matter of much amusement for the Savitri Erans who, luckily, are a happy lot to possess and proceed with a clear conscience. [TNM]
Hegel and Marx also had attached much importance to individuals
Partly due to Popper’s primary influence on my mind and partly due to Hegel’s and Marx’s relative indifference to the importance of individuals in history, I was consistently, perhaps also uncritically, fair to Sri Aurobindo. The latter’s emphasis on individual freedom impressed me to an undue extent.
That Hegel and Marx also had attached much importance to individuals escaped my biased attention. What I failed to see clearly at that time is the Marxian thesis that “individuals are the real architects of history.” Also I downplayed Hegelian accent on human beings as expression of the Absolute.
In effect I was reading Hegel through the eyes of Bosanquet, particularly his ‘Philosophical Theories of State’. I was unduly influenced not only by Popper’s ‘Open Society’ but also by Hobhouse’s criticism of the Hegelian political philosophy as expounded in the ‘Metaphysical Theory of State.’ [p.343]
Truth and philosophy
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Anti-Vedic, naturalistic, and skeptical thinking
Esoteric, academic, and emergent
What has been referred to as emergent is, though young, it might prove to be profound in the days to come, but mere popularity can not be a yardstick for its inclusion under either of the above generic terms. But the important aspect to be remembered is that none of the three areas is superior by itself as each has its own merit and validity. [TNM]