Not palms or pines

[China: 1.32 billion (about 20% of world population) India: 1.12 billion (about 17%) European Union: 494 million (about 7.3%) United States: 300 million (about 4.6%) Indonesia: 225 million (about 3.5%) Brazil: 186 million (about 2.8%) Pakistan: 165 million (about 2.5%) Bangladesh: 147 million (about 2.3%) Russia: 143 million (about 2.2%) Nigeria: 135 million (about 2.1%) Japan: 128 million (about 2.0%) Mexico: 108 million (about 1.7%) Philippines: 86 million (about 1.3%) Vietnam: 84 million (about 1.3%) Egypt: 75 million (about 1.2%)... From Wikipedia]

Out of the world population of 6.6 billion, Savitri Erans would be perhaps a measly 0.66 million at the maximum. What is our presence in the most populous countries? How can we achieve better numbers? Way back in 1914, The Mother and Sri Aurobindo ventured to reach out to the world by publishing the "Arya." What are we doing after 93 years? By 2014, the population figure is projected to cross 7 billion. Do we have any target, any strategy? And, who should think about all this? The Supramental Force needs more of human beings to act through them, not palms or pines. [TNM]

Colourful temptation of being tied to past religions

[A small bit of confusion arises, it seems to me, when consider that Hanh is saying, on one hand, that doctrine is not necessary and that there is no truth, and then says: "Follow this doctrine. This is the truth. This is the way to truth."...

Catholics believe that the Church is the Body and Bride of Christ, the seed of the Kingdom of God, and the conduit of God's grace and mercy in the world. Buddhists believe that Church, or Sangha, is in the end, upaya, nothing more than the expedient means to ultimate extinction. Rather than the Beatific Vision, Buddhist teaching holds that non-existence is the only hope for escaping the pains of life...

That is from an article, "Catholicism and Buddhism," that I co-authored with my good friend, Dr. Anthony Clark, who teaches Asian history at the University of Alabama. Needless to say, we aren't too interested in praying as Buddhists, simply because Christians should pray as Jesus taught them to pray: to a personal God who is Triune in nature—a belief that is of little or no interest to a Buddhist. The non-quote of this non-existent month from Insight Scoop The Ignatius Press Blog by Carl Olson]

Savitri Erans, too, should learn to pray only in the Savitri Eran way, and stay faithful to their religion, howsoever colourful the temptation of remaining tied to the rituals of older religions might be. [TNM]

From Sankhya to Yoga

While the common view of Democracy celebrates Diversity [12:27 PM], the contrarian can say that diversity [1:40 PM] leads to "a nihilistic, anti-rational culture." Sri Aurobindo’s magic formula, "Unity, Mutuality, and Harmony" becomes profoundly significant in this confusing context.

Sankhya, enumeration and analysis, is science and epistemology; while, Yoga, synthesis, is philosophy and ontology. Difference and democratization, therefore, must move progressively towards the ultimate Unity. But, not uniformity, Sri Aurobindo cautions again, lest someone declares that unity is hegemonic, a la Leviathan. [TNM] 10:02 AM

The Opposite Shore and the end of histortion

[Columbia University Professor Mark Lilla concedes in "The politics of God", a despairing vision of the political future published in the August 19 New York Times Magazine. [1] It is one of those important statements, like the "end of history", that will repeat on us indefinitely...By Spengler Asia Times Online Aug 21, 2007 2:00 PM]

[On “The Politics of God” Part 1 “The Stillborn God: Religion, Politics and the Modern West,” by Professor Mark Lilla of Coilumbia University is to be published next month but the points he raises therein should have been in mainstream consciousness years ago. metaphorsforlife.com 8:07 PM]

[So long as a sizable population believes in the truth of a comprehensive political theology, its full reconciliation with modern liberal democracy cannot be expected...Political theology is highly adaptive and can present to even educated minds a more compelling vision of the future than the prospect of secular modernity. -- Professor Mark Lilla]

[There is a genuine gulf between the west and the emerging democracies over the meaning of democracy and our African leader might have been right in claiming that “here we do things differently.” But there are also leaders — and their number is growing — who cynically hide behind social and cultural factors to cherry-pick democracy, choosing only the bits that serve their purpose. Opinion - Looking beyond ballot-box democracy Hasan Suroor The Hindu Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007 11:43 AM]

All this is music to our ears at Savitri Era as our Political theology is bound to find more takers in the days to come. It is high time others see reason and close ranks. [TNM]

A free and fluid association of nations forming the World Union

[The twilight of the idols has been postponed. For more than two centuries, from the American and French Revolutions to the collapse of Soviet Communism, world politics revolved around eminently political problems. War and revolution, class and social justice, race and national identity — these were the questions that divided us.

Today, we have progressed to the point where our problems again resemble those of the 16th century, as we find ourselves entangled in conflicts over competing revelations, dogmatic purity and divine duty. We in the West are disturbed and confused.

Though we have our own fundamentalists, we find it incomprehensible that theological ideas still stir up messianic passions, leaving societies in ruin. We had assumed this was no longer possible, that human beings had learned to separate religious questions from political ones, that fanaticism was dead. We were wrong. The Politics of God By MARK LILLA The Times Magazine: August 19, 2007] 5:22 PM

At Savitri Era, religion and politics mix so smoothly without any confusion. And, we hope to march on to a free and fluid association of nations forming the World Union. 3:25 PM

Tusar N. Mohapatra,
President, Savitri Era Party.

20th August, The World Union day

[However that may be, history and sociology tell us only - outside the attempts of religious or other idealisms to arrive either at a free solitude or a free association - of man as an individual in the more or less organised group. And in the group there are always two types. One asserts the State idea at the expense of the individual, - ancient Sparta, modern Ger- many; another asserts the supremacy of the State but seeks at the same time to give as much freedom, power and dignity as is consistent with its control to the individuals who constitute it, - ancient Athens, modern France.

But to these two has been added a third type in which the State abdicates as much as possible to the individual, boldly asserts that it exists for his growth and to assure his freedom, dignity, successful manhood, experiments with a courageous faith whether after all it is not the utmost possible liberty, dignity and manhood of the individual which will best assure the well-being, strength and expansion of the State. Of this type England has been until recently the great exemplar, - England rendered free, prosperous, energetic, invincible by nothing else but the strength of this idea within her, blessed by the Gods with unexampled expansion, empire and good fortune because she has not feared at any time to obey this great tendency and take the risks of this great endeavour and even often to employ it beyond the limits of her own insular egoism. Page-274 Document: Home > E-Library > Works Of Sri Aurobindo > Social And Political Thought Volume-15 > The Group And The Individual]

One may safely speculate that USA has replaced England as the symbol of individual freedom for many years now. That the 123 agreement paves the way for a new world order is a hope on the eve of 20th August, The World Union day.

Tusar N. Mohapatra,
President, Savitri Era Party.

Jugantar has devoured Barindra

Even an informed account of our Freedom struggle by Swaminathan S Anklesaria Aiyar does not remember the role played by Barindra Kumar Ghosh and his associates during the first decade of the 20th century. 1:35 PM

Tusar N. Mohapatra,

Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum. [SELF]

Sri Aurobindo as part of India's "soft power"

It is not surprising that the present generation of the country has forgotten Sri Aurobindo and his contribution. A pioneer in the freedom struggle, he went on to create a vast intellectual and spiritual capital for the future humanity that India now can easily flaunt as part of her "soft power."

His message on the eve of August 15, 1947 was broadcast over All India Radio a few hours before Nehru’s "Tryst with destiny" speech. That remains a grand manifesto for not only the India of the future but also the whole humanity. Let’s read and re-read that.

Tusar N. Mohapatra,
President, Savitri Era Party.
www.sepact.blogspot.com

The Government cannot go to Connaught Place and begin shouting. Parliament is the proper forum

[NEW DELHI: When given a chance to reply to a debate in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will give a point-by-point response to all the fears and apprehensions expressed by the leaders of the Left parties and the Bharatiya Janata Party on the India-United States nuclear cooperation agreement.
“The Government cannot go to Connaught Place and begin shouting. Parliament is the proper forum,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said here on Thursday...The Hindu Neena Vyas Friday, Aug 17, 2007]

It is high time that our political parties agree to repose their faith in dialogue, and resume debate in the Parliament with decency and decorum.

Tusar N. Mohapatra,
President, Savitri Era Party.

Savitri Era Party denounces Fernandes' allusion to violence

[George goes ballistic: says in China, PM would have been shot
NEW DELHI: Accusing the PM of “betraying” the country by going ahead with the nuclear deal, NDA convener George Fernandes on Thursday said: “If it were China, they would have settled it with one bullet in his head.”
“The prime minister of the country has betrayed the nation by continuous bluffing, something unbecoming of the head of the government... The Americans chose to make a monkey of our PM by using the 60th birthday of India to spill the beans... what PM has succeeded in doing is to strip our armed forces from the strength that was created by the Vajpayee govt.” Pranab Dhal Samanta Indian Express: Friday, August 17, 2007]

Savitri Era Party denounces such intemperate expression and allusion to violence with fascist overtones by a seasoned parliamentarian.

Tusar N. Mohapatra,

President, Savitri Era Party.

Thumbs up for 123

The Savitri Era Party expresses its solidarity with the Prime Minister over U.S. nuclear deal.

Tusar N. Mohapatra

President, Savitri Era Party

Savitri Era Party would resist Buddhist invasion of India

[It is, therefore, almost certain that the election results to the Lok Sabha from U.P. in 2009 would materially affect formation of a government at the Centre...It is reported that Ms. Mayawati has already started identifying about 220 Lok Sabha seats all over India, which if won would give her a commanding position to form a government at the Centre as the Prime Minister. For this, the quota from the U.P. would be very critical. She would certainly try to get more than 60 seats from U.P., which the Congress used to do till the1970s... Opinion - Should we allow U.P. to hijack Indian politics? B.G. Deshmukh The Hindu Thursday, Aug 02, 2007 8:13 AM]

The Savitri Era Party looks forward to putting up its own candidates in at least 500 Lok Sabha constituencies in 2009. B.G. Deshmukh has timely issued the right warning signal and we must resist any possible Buddhist invasion of India.

Tusar N. Mohapatra

President, Savitri Era Party. [TNM]

From mentality to instrumentality

[To say that an area of activity, like sport, the arts, or family life is not part of politics, or is ‘nothing to do with politics’, is to make a particular kind of political point about it, principally that it is not to be discussed on whatever is currently regarded as the political agenda. Keeping matters off the political agenda can, of course, be a very effective way of dealing with them in one's own interests.

The traditional definition of politics, ‘the art and science of government’, offers no constraint on its application since there has never been a consensus on which activities count as government. Is government confined to the state? Does it not also take place in church, guild, estate, and family? — Lincoln Allison, OUP Home > Library > Government > Political Dictionary]

One of the major presents of Sri Aurobindo to the modern generation is that he has released the Veda from the net of texuality and has encapsuled its potency in his three famous pills, Aspiration, Rejection, and Surrender: loosely corresponding to Jnana, Karma, and Bhakti. Spiritual aspiration or the Aryan "climbing" when hampered by hostility entails a fight with Vritra and its minions to force their elimination. This rejection as a political exercise is best honed in the lived, work situation, but the "skill" lies in “pure instrumentation” or surrender. [TNM]