A million A Midsummer Night’s Dream

One Response to “From Ignorance to a larger Integral Wholeness, Power, and Truth”

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 31st, 2006 at 4:10 am

Nobody stopped by here, alas!

It’s celebration time and things

Are perhaps more salacious elsewhere.

Who’d like to be yoked under

A million A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

Who’d opt to groan under

The reign of a thousand and one cosmic-being

Operating from the other worlds?

Why take the trouble of recounting

Our ignorance and deplete self-esteem?

Not to see beyond our noses is best.

That puts all speculation at rest.

Comb between the lines of The Life Divine

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 30th, 2006 at 10:47 pm [alan kazlev Says: December 29th, 2006 at 10:31 pm…I never said “the greatest realiser”. But were I to do so, I would probably give The Mother that status; in The Agenda she refers to details regarding the enlightenment of the Cells that even Sri Aurobindo doesn’t talk about.]

Frank Visser’s Integral World site features as many as 72 scholars who venture to tackle a wide range of concerns. But unfortunately they have not read The Life Divine, barring one or two. As a result, they are wasting precious time and energy to answer the same basic questions which Sri Aurobindo replied years ago.

This sort of intellectual lethargy is really astonishing for The Life Divine is as much a book of physics as philosophy, of psychology as sociology, or of prophesies as praxis. It is a compulsive reading and no scholar writing on human affairs can provide a dependable appraisal without incorporating insights from The Life Divine.

The lines of The Life Divine are steeped in the illumination of the Veda. Integration of the mystic vision with 20th century science has turned it the greatest book on earth. Should anyone afford to miss out?

We are all ill equipped to measure mysticism

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 29th, 2006 at 9:02 pm I am glad that Andy Smith has come out in the open about his love for Gurdjieff and a separate thread on him would be quite in order. But I am more happy for he says of Sri Aurobindo as “more of a thinker, a philosopher, a systematizer, rather than a mystic.”

In fact, we are all ill equipped to measure mysticism but can compare philosophies as to their superiority. “One of the Greatest” is a very vague phrase, so we should attempt to mention the three top persons in the three categories of thinker, philosopher, and systematizer. If Sri Aurobindo commands the top position in at least one category, that is enough. 7:37 AM

Is there another person in the whole of human history

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 29th, 2006 at 7:28 am There might be "countless writers who have said much the same thing" but is there another person in the whole of human history, who has,

• written a monumental epic like Savitri
• created a synthetic metaphysics like The Life Divine
• written history to create a new historiography
• formulated a new hermeneutics
• speculated on philology
• translated and gave new interpretations to the Veda, Upanishads, and the Gita
• challenged the Buddhists and Shankara to give Integral non-dualism
• wrote on ethics, aesthetics, and literary criticism
• wrote poems, plays, and short stories
• devised a new theory of education
• did fiery journalism against foreign rulers
• led freedom struggle and went to jail
• forsook material comforts and family life
• offered spiritual guidance to hundreds of his disciples
• meticulously recorded his spiritual experiences
• spent 24 years within his room
• fought Hitler with his spiritual force

and countless other aspects?

The most opportune moment to know

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 29th, 2006 at 5:55 am I fail to understand why Andy Smith is so willing and eager to believe that “they haven’t lived through them” without even scratching the surface to acquaint himself with their biographical details. I can empathize with all of you for the sense of loss you are going through after the fall of your hero, but the grief has to be overcome, and the sooner the better.

Rather, this has created the most opportune moment to know about the teachings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Don’t feel threatened that others have read more. Within a few weeks you can catch up and acquire an overview of things. Then only you will be able to critically analyze and judge for yourself. Otherwise, what you say about them now sounds so puerile and it doesn’t behove of a person of your eminence. 6:51 PM December 29th, 2006 at 12:07 am

A nice way to begin the New Year

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 28th, 2006 at 10:20 pm Why not spare a fortnight or so to read and write about the works of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo bypassing the current obsessions? That would be a nice way to begin the New Year.

Show me someone who can provide details of experiences

[ Andy Smith Says: December 27th, 2006 at 8:30 pm I don’t see a lot of this in Aurobindo’s writings. Most of his writings seem to be couched in very broad and abstract generalizations. As I have said before, the devil is in the details. Show me someone who can provide details of experiences, no matter how much limited by language, and I will listen. ]

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 27th, 2006 at 11:05 pm Sri Aurobindo’s details of experiences are available in his two volumes of “Record of Yoga.”

Ahab, a synonym for Aham ('I')

To adapt a meme attributed to Whitehead: if European philosophy amounts to a footnoting of Plato, Integral theory may very well amount to a conversation about Aurobindo. (Of Syntheses and Surprises: Toward a Critical Integral Theory

Daniel Gustav Anderson INTEGRAL REVIEW 3, 2006)

To give the devil his due now that the dust has settled, Anderson’s 20 page thesis on the genealogy of Integral Theory is a valiant attempt to push the Sri Aurobindo’s case. The controversial themes he brings in are clearly intended to provoke and if these multiple threads are really debated, then an enlightened opinion on the significance of Sri Aurobindo’s legacy can emerge.

Ahab, said K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar in his 1953 lecture on Moby Dick, is much like the Aham, the ego. Anderson, in taking up Deleuze’s treatment of the theme as an instance of "becoming" in the sense of Sri Aurobindo’s “Knowledge by Identity” or by linking Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” to Sri Aurobindo’s “Transformation,” has attempted to make these concepts accessible to the western audience.

The next century will be Deleuze’s, Foucault once prophesied; and mercifully, this study can help wean those obsessed with Derrida away to Deleuze. Be that as it may, by invoking the Whitehead quote, Anderson has succeeded in firmly fixing his name to the altar of Sri Aurobindo.

Find answers to every question in the Savitri Era religion

The Year That Religion Learned Humility The new millennium saw the rise of fundamentalist faith as a cultural force. In 2006, says Andrew Sullivan, the religious monoliths began to break down TIME Archive Thursday, Dec. 21, 2006 The great, first surprise of the 21st century was the re-emergence of religion. Not only did it arrive as the most powerful cultural force of the new millennium, it also came in a particular guise. It was a fundamentalist version of faith that was triumphant...Islam was revealed as having no single answer — no more than Christianity has one single answer, no more than any faith has one simple answer to every question human beings ask.

In the teachings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo one can find the answers to every question human beings ask. But for that one must be willing to come out of the geriatric mythologies and feel the warm embrace of the 20th century Savitri Era religion.

A spirit of inquiry and thirst for knowledge

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 23rd, 2006 at 5:16 pm I never suggested that people start worshipping The Mother and Sri Aurobindo nor am I emphasizing upon the esoteric aspect of their teachings. Just for the information sake I am telling that Sri Aurobindo, in his book The Life Divine, has been successful to resolve some age-old metaphysical questions most comprehensively. These are purely academic in nature and open to scrutiny.

There can be dialogue as to what are the philosophical issues and in what way Sri Aurobindo stands taller. We can also compare and contrast his contributions with others, provided, we maintain a spirit of inquiry and thirst for knowledge. 4:46 AM

Why task Ken for something which is beyond his ken?

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 22nd, 2006 at 5:54 pm Being from the “axes” camp, this conversation between EB and JP is grist for the mill. JP has formally studied philosophy but EB, I presume, has not. JP used to be a very reasoned voice but somewhere down the line lost his cool. EB’s sincerity and zeal is beyond reproach and his is the child’s approach to have discovered that the emperor is naked.

JP understands that this is the end of the road and tries to browbeat EB for his “misreading.” But EB’s questions are absolutely valid and the truth is that no one in the whole history of human thought has been able to solve this riddle except Sri Aurobindo (in his The Life Divine). So why task Ken for something which is beyond his ken?

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 22nd, 2006 at 6:44 pm If JP really needs help he has to empty his cup first, albeit partially. Leave aside authority, The Life Divine is available online in black and white. As for RH, a fact is a fact; so why fight shy of facing it?

Varuna, the vast and pure

The Vedic deities, Mitra and Varuna also appearing in the Avesta is an interesting aspect so far as their antiquity and supremacy is concerned. While the linkage of the four solar manifestations, Varuna, Aryama, Mitra, and Bhaga to the four Varnas or colours (somewhat corresponding to Kapila, Aruna, Pita, and Krishna - the four racial divisions found in the Vishnu Purana) is apparent, their popular transcription in the four/five brothers depicted in the Ramayana and Mahabharata or in the Vasudeva, Shankarsana/Balarama, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha conception, is insightful. Telescoping of these four primordial categories to Sat-Chit-Ananda or the three Gunas and similar other formulations speak of high exegetical flexibility.

Uma, the enigma

The enigmatic emergence of Uma haimavati, in the Kena parable, was riddlesome for Indra and the mystery persists even to this day. For, the adumbration, though fits with Puranic delineations, robs her of the Upanishadic antiquity. As for the root-origin of the word Uma, it could be a kindred of Maya signifying expanse. Alternatively, the word Om which is written as Um (conforming to the weeping of a child or the lingering sound of a bell) might be the right clue. Then an independent picture of the miasmic Uma is possible.

The manifold roles it plays in life

The task of thinking and teaching, especially in an age of emergent fundamentalisms, is to cultivate a faith in doubt that calls into question every certainty. The Devoted Student by MARK C. TAYLOR Op-Ed Contributor The New York Times: December 21, 2006:

More college students seem to be practicing traditional forms of religion today than at any time in my 30 years of teaching… Any responsible curriculum for the study of religion in the 21st century must be guided by two basic principles: first, a clear distinction between the study and the practice of religion, and second, an expansive understanding of what religion is and of the manifold roles it plays in life... Religious conflict will be less a matter of struggles between belief and unbelief than of clashes between believers who make room for doubt and those who do not. Mark C. Taylor, a religion and humanities professor at Williams College, is the author of “Mystic Bones.”

This is an invitation to all those college students to learn about the Savitri Era religion and understand its advantages over other Jurassic offerings.

Sri Aurobindian vista must replace the Gandhian blind alley

The Gandhian establishment was not entirely happy with Sri Aurobindo because of his insistence that India must cultivate the kshatriya spirit, not merely Bhakti and Jnana. -- MANGESH V. NADKARNI Indian Express Thursday, March 21, 2002

The new found love of the Communist scholars in India for Gandhi is intriguing. That Gandhigiri and Human Rights activism camouflage their Marxist agenda is common knowledge, but by appropriating Gandhi, the popular icon, they seek legitimacy to their motivated discourse. Using Gandhi as a beating stick also provides some punch to their arguments.

The phenomenon of Gandhi is a stiff resistance to Savitri Era in several subtle ways. We must really understand this and speak out clearly. Diversity might be a respectable sociological principle, but for the Savitri Erans, Unity-Mutuality-Harmony are the watchwords. The Sri Aurobindian vista must replace the Gandhian blind alley.

Nihilistic Buddhist thought is a threat to Savitri Era

The dominant political sentiment might be alluding to a war prevailing between Islam and Christianity, but intellectually, the ancient nihilistic Buddhist thought rejuvenated by Theosophy and Ken Wilber’s cohorts is posing a severe threat to Savitri Era propounded by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo on the fundament of affirmative Vedic ideology.

The danger is further amplified by the fact that Wilberian dialectics is couched in brazen iconisation. It is imperative, therefore, that Savitri Era Religious Fraternity wakes up to the challenge.

Kena and Ken

The antagonism between ontology and epistemology is as old as the Upanishads. While Isha Upanishad stresses on ontology, the Kena concerns itself with epistemology. The Kena is also important from the point of view of linking psychological symbols to Vedic deities.

RY Deshpande, Debashish and Vladimir are valiantly busy stretching the Kena questions to the present technological milieu at SCYI. But the Tom, Dick, and Harris elsewhere are endlessly nitpicking about Ken and refuse to see the holes in their hallucinatory holons. What nonchalance and what a colossal waste! 8:52 PM 2:13 AM 3:15 AM

India Integral

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 15th, 2006 at 3:21 am Three cheers to the Integral Movement! But, there could be more participation from India. Lots of thought and work are here which have not been articulated properly and hence the lack of information. May I suggest that each of you pay a visit to India at least for a week to have the feelings firsthand.

Roy Bhaskar deserves a closer look

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 14th, 2006 at 5:15 am During his journey from Critical Realism to Meta-Reality, Roy Bhaskar has built up a formidable theoretical wherewithal which, though not called so, is Integral in its essence and effectuation. Encyclopedic and panoptical in his enumerations, Bhaskar deserves a closer look, paradigmatically as well as personally.

Esoteric and the academic

Prema Nandakumar once wrote, “Himself a scholar, he enthuses us to take to a life of scholarship” apropos Sri Aurobindo. The two score heavy volumes of his collected works are a testimony to the imbrications of esoteric with the academic. Sri Aurobindo, evidently, maintains a Miltonic stance in Savitri and a Hegelian in The Life Divine. These are perhaps the standards to be respected and preserved rather than being questioned or tinkered with.

The works of Nolini-Purani-Amrita-Pavitra, Anil-Amal-Nirod-Dilip, Rishabh-Chandra-Kapali-Madhav and Sisir-Indra-Madhu-Kishor among others constitute an immense quantity of authentic explication of the vision of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. These have also created an elaborate as well as elastic system of syntax and semantics for the posterity. Not to be intimidated by the tyranny of the present is the key, else one land at the jargonificationalization of say, Roy Bhaskar or the paradoxicatorising of the likes of Jean Baudrillard.

Bechara Anderson

Years ago, Sri Aurobindo famously made pulp of one Archer and, of course, made him immortal in the process. Subsequently, many have succumbed to the Archery from seasoned hands of Kapali Sastry, Amal Kiran et al.

And poor Daniel Gustav Anderson, now. A scholar should be worth his salt, for the days are gone when people with Western names could get away with by writing any trash. Else, stay prepared to suffer Archery. Call it reverse colonialism or reverse racialism. Sumptuous entertainment for the Savitri Erans, in any case.

Navajyoti completes its 49th year

Navajyoti edited by Biswambhara Samanta and published by Navajyoti Publication, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry has completed its 49th year of uninterrupted publication. Founded by Shri Prapatti under the inspiration of Shri Ramakrishna Das, this quarterly in Oriya is witness and instrumental to an unprecedented spiritual efflorescence in Orissa in the last half-century.

Of course, the popular appeal of its younger sibling Navaprakash, a monthly, is far higher; but the pioneering role of Navajyoti in carrying the message of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo from distant Puducherry to remote corners of Orissa has few parallels. Reading of Murari Pukur in the rural environs of Sailo Jharpara appears to be a miracle even today.

Destiny of an organization

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 7th, 2006 at 11:21 pm Not only has an organization an agency or a soul but also a destiny, pre-designed, if you like. Sri Aurobindo has discussed at length about the group-soul of a nation in his classic, The Human Cycle. The same applies to the evolution of an organization as well.

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: December 8th, 2006 at 11:07 pm Daffodils are as much divine as the dredgers and the Infinite is under no compulsion to stop imagining and staying outside the walls of WalMart. Proof, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder and all epistemological rigours, therefore, need to be tempered by suitable hermeneutical hormones so that a new aesthetic is perceived. In this subjective adventure we are all loners and have to plough our own furrows. 11:38 AM

He earns this distinction on merit

Integral Transformation "An integral perfection cannot come by one kind of realisation alone"

Tusar N Mohapatra said... I can’t comment about spiritual realizations or experiences, but as far as an explanation of this creation and cosmos (i.e. metaphysics/ontology) is concerned, Sri Aurobindo, in his The Life Divine, has written the most coherent one. No one before or after him has surpassed that comprehensiveness.

At least in this respect he ranks at the top. If we concede this much to Sri Aurobindo, it would be a great gain. He earns this distinction on merit and let the whole world know this bare fact very clearly. 7:00 AM

The eternal four principles

The Economy Revealed: Why Understanding Economics is Hard by Andrew Cassel and Progressives Come Out! Against Progress! by Eric referred to by One Cosmos can be read along with Techno-Capitalism and Post-Human Destinies - I by Debashish and That is the eternal Chaturvarna. In that sense it is indestructible and cannot be wished away by RY Deshpande.

Instead of talking about far-off eventualities

Indistinct Union: Nonduality and Christianity "estoeric integralism pt1"

Tusar N. Mohapatra said... The divine manifestation of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo has manifold ramifications that are difficult to compile. It is, therefore, unfair to summarize them all in one or two phrases.

Instead of talking about far-off eventualities in abstract fashion, more accessible innovations brought about by them can be practiced to enrich our day to day life. Like, Poetry and his new theory of Aesthetics, Human Unity and World Union, Historiography and the Vedic Hermeneutics, Science of living and Integral education, etc. 5:47 AM

Let fictional flowers bloom

Apropos of the imaginary missive from Milton Friedman to our PM by Jerry Rao carried by Indian Express today, one recalls the fictional dialogues of Sri Aurobindo for children that Nirodbaran used to write a decade ago or so. Though it did seem a bit blasphemous at that time to puritanical sentiments, similar creative endeavours are likely to multiply in the days to come so as to prepare an enriched field for enhanced understanding of the mystery of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo's divine manifestation. Of course, the difficulty of shifting the actual from the imaginary would be ever greater; but then the chroniclers, too, will multiply so also the memorizing power of silicon chips.

By the way, the article, Integral Spirituality - Exploring the Connection of the Sages Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo by Charles Ismael Flores "includes an imaginary interview in which the author compares, based on published quotes from Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo, what each of them might say to questions posed by a spiritual Seeker who is learning about the Indian tradition of Kevalya Advaita and Integral (Purna) Yoga. The article sheds light on the distinctly different spiritual approaches of these two masters."

Aurobindian fundamentalism

From: "Michel Bauwens" To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Subject: What exactly do you mean? Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2006 15:38:25 +0700 Hi Tusar, What exactly does 'nothing else comes close to this' mean, in your recent blog entry ... Are you referring to Kazlev's scheme, participatory integralism, what exactly? Michel

That's a phrase used by Alan in the write-up itself which expresses a bias towards The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. As for me, no participatory integralism or anything of that sort, but as Alan terms it, Aurobindian fundamentalism. I relish it and revel in that, and it is such a pleasure to tell you that on this special Darshan Day of ours.

Precision of Vedic insights in their pristine simplicity and beauty

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 21st, 2006 at 12:16 am Sri Aurobindo’s interpretation of the Deep Sleep state as the very highest causal state is, in fact, in variance with the traditional Vedantic and Buddhist thought and their modern commentators. Sri Aurobindo brings in the precision of Vedic insights to the fore in their pristine simplicity and beauty and in that lies his supremacy. But the secret is to read The Life Divine oneself instead of relying upon stereotyped two-liners written by someone else.

The integral metaphysics of The Life Divine is universal

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 15th, 2006 at 10:37 pm The divine manifestation of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and the path of Integral Yoga enunciated by them is a matter of personal choice. But the integral metaphysics of The Life Divine is universal and any human being can learn it with profit. It is a stand alone treatise which Sri Aurobindo has revised thoroughly. Nobody quotes from the book here; but if we do, the points over which we are arguing would seem so puerile and outdated.

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 15th, 2006 at 11:58 pm May I add that the philosophy delineated in The Life Divine also provides ample hints for practice at every step. In that sense it is no less a manual of yoga. Reading a page or two regularly is a great help instead of quibbling over revelations and realizations.

The Life Divine and death of debate

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 14th, 2006 at 12:05 am It really intrigues me, why can’t we just read a single book, The Life Divine and then resume this debate. No revelation, no esotericism, it’s pure philosophy in masterful English. All these questions have already been decisively dealt with. From Heraclitus to Habermas.

No clinging to nostalgia

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 11th, 2006 at 9:36 pm The head and heart dichotomy is not all that insurmountable as it seems and The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have precisely attempted to do that in their Integral Yoga. But the question is whether we should stride ahead or move back in time; collaborate with the Supramental Consciousness which is operating in the earth atmosphere or oppose it by clinging to nostalgia.

Humanization of high spirituality

Humanization of Transcendental Philosophy by R. Sundara Rajan is an excellent primer on Phenomenology, in which the author adds his own version of feeling for the earth and man. One wishes that a similar humanization enterprise also take root in the discourse concerning The Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

A conspiracy of silence

On years of tracking the columns of Mukul Sharma, the high priest of spiritual journalism in India, one does not recall if he has mentioned The Mother and Sri Aurobindo ever. Same is the case with others of his ilk, like Narayani Ganesh and Renuka Narayanan. A conspiracy of silence, no doubt.

All kinds of pulp are being read but not The Life Divine

Tusar N. Mohapatra Says: November 9th, 2006 at 10:02 pm To talk of a big variety of spiritual paths is to dismiss the great significance of the message of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Democratic and pluralistic political correctness should not blind us to innovation in spiritual evolution. Sri Aurobindo said something which was not said before him and with enough elaboration. Instead of accepting the new formulation, there is unending discussion about old and sectarian methods.

Teilhard, Gebser, and Wilber occupy the centre stage but not Sri Aurobindo. All kinds of pulp are being read but not The Life Divine. This kind of bias is not in keeping with the spirit of Habermas' dialogue.

No to the liberal-secular cheerleaders

Liberal sub-editors are happy that the Bush administration has received a jolt in the recent elections and religious enthusiasm would play a less significant role in politics in the future. But that is no consolation for the Savitri Erans who long for the decline and demise of the stranglehold of the major religions. That should happen in an organic manner under own weight and inherent contradictions and not forced through strangulation by the liberal-secular cheerleaders.

Inevitability of Savitri Era religion

The July 27 proclamation of the Savitri Era religion is fermenting mixed feelings among the adherents and admirers. After the expected initial resistance more reasoned debate is sprouting. The dialogue between Rod Hemsell and Debashish Banerji is quite illuminating in this context. It seems that both are not averse to the idea of religion and see it an inevitability.

20th century philosophy

It can't be that something on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo won't interest me. You are welcome to keep me posted. But what I find in your articles is that you try to maintain a narrative and journalistic stance. Catering to the beginners is a good thing, but that stunts your personal growth also. A person of your calibre and experience should address the discerning niche. The articles should be able to stimulate further probings and also disturb and provoke so as to generate debates. Now that the Blogger is offering its hospitality, there is no obstacle to that.

On scanning through the write-up I noticed that you have not mentioned any philosopher. 20th century philosophy is an intense melting pot of human thought and without it we can't make any dependable appraisal of life and history. To arrive at Sri Aurobindo's lofty vision, the present must negotiate with and navigate through the available streams of thought.

Savitri Era Glasnost

[Re: Re: Reflections on THE IDEAL OF HUMAN UNITY By Debashish Banerji by Rich on Wed 25 Oct 2006 09:24 AM PDT Permanent Link To address the problem of the reification and sedimentation of Sri Aurobindo's work in current doxa pervading the institutions which are founded on his vision. In this regards yes, I think it is important to subject the doxology which is now assciated with his teachings, to the methods of deconstruction. Unless one can legitimize these critical methods of inquiry within SA's institutions, my own belief is that they will continue on their way in creating a new religion. A religion whose metaphysical presentations will lend themselves only to interpretation by those with status and power in said institutions which are cloaked in their own cultural agenda.]

SCIY is busy debating interesting introspective issues in an unprecedented animated fashion. May Savitri Era see more of such open discourse.

Robotics and The Life Divine

[ET-Wharton contest a big hit. Over 600 Budding Entrepreneurs Mail In Smart Business Ideas. The Economic Times Friday, 27 October, 2006 Our aspirations are our possibilities - Robert Browning.

It was such boundless aspirations that the first Economic Times Wharton Business Plan Competition intended to fire up among management students in India. And it sure did. The challenge: coming up with the most innovative and executable business plan ever. The result was overwhelming. Over 600 budding entrepreneurs mailed in their smartest business ideas...The quest for the next big thing had participants exploring a slew of ideas, from a green gymnasium to a complete relocation services firm, an educational gaming venture, and a used-goods recycling company. Some of the interesting proposals were a water desalination service by students from the National Institute of Technology, Warangal, and a programmable reverse horn by the team from the Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune. The best five plans (see chart) chosen by a Wharton Entrepreneurial Programs panel, included a couple of clean technology ideas, a robotics firm, a training institute for women, and an ERP software company for the construction industry.]

While reading a heady report like the above, a saner worldview can act like a compass. As RAM SEHGAL wrote in The Hindu Open Page on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 so valiantly, “I believe the answer lies in what Sri Aurobindo has written in his magnificent book, The Life Divine. He states that we need to go beyond the mind and reason.” ¶ 4:49 PM #

Who speaks for India?

Who would have thought that the much maligned Macaulay will be feted and revered for his Promethean role in sowing the seeds of modernity in India in contradistinction to Sri Aurobindo branded as a Manuvadi Hindu revivalist. For them, Sri Aurobindo writing The Secret of the Veda is an indelible blemish as it harks back to obscurantism; his system of Integral Yoga, medieval superstition. Such is the hubris of our neo-rich subalterns.

So much so that recently the Prime minister of India found it shameful to utter and preferred to drop the name of Sri Aurobindo as a Cambridge alumnus. God save the moderns! #

Sunlit Path for China

That the Left parties are brokering entry of the Chinese companies into the country by officially shedding their opposition to Capitalism is a welcome development. Both China and India have learnt the rules of the new economy the hard way and now is the hour to consolidate mutual leverages. But whether the commercial commensalism would also cover the cultural sphere is a question difficult to answer. Because the history of the last 5000 years shows that such intercourse has been at the minimal.

Language and religion have acted as two major deterrents in the past. Of late, English is coming up as the common language, but the religion question is too nebulous. Here is a wonderful opportunity for the Savitri Erans to target China. The Chinese can learn English by (t)reading the Sunlit Path.

A book for Sophie

Now that Sophie is fairly acquainted with the history of western philosophy, she needs a book on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo: a short and simple narration of their life and philosophy. But such a book meant for the school-leavers is simply not available; nobody has thought of writing a book like that. Strange but true. Should we institute an award for someone to accomplish the feat?

Haridas Chaudury and Amitav Ghosh

Can the twain meet?

Integral Adwaita, Yoga Vashishtha, Kashmir Shaivism

[The viewpoint embraced by Vasishtha's Yoga is very similar to Kashmir Shaivism, which teaches that Consciousness alone exists and that the universe is nothing but the self-expression of this Consciousness. Hindu Gems - Siddha Forum]

Not included in any major scriptural combination and its authorship and age debatable, the Yoga Vashistha Ramayana is a curious text. A potpourri of cosmology, mythology and ethics, its low-brow status is ironic for its high exegesis.

Although Sri Aurobindo is on record as not having much acquaintance with it, among the ancient treatises, the Yoga Vashistha comes closest to his theory of Integral Adwaita. Though not identical, it contains the description of various kinds of Ignorance as in The Life Divine.

Dear Chaki Babu

My good wishes for your forthcoming book on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. More power to your pen! Whenever I think of you, the names of Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Prafulla Chaki come to the mind. By bearing their names, I am sure; you too retain strains of their legendary heroism.

Just think of the crucial battle their band was fighting 100 years ago. From journals and organizations to bullets and bombs, how intense and passionate was their mode of action. But today, it is indifference and complacence all around. Mukul Kesavan wrote in The Telegraph a year ago that Sri Aurobindo is the worst poet of Bengal, and nobody in Kolkata protested. The one person who has been always a one-man-army against any attack on Sri Aurobindo but unfortunately no longer active, is our dear Amal Kiran. One hopes that there would be thousands like him ready to take on the task.

Sri Aurobindo takes the formal charge as the Editor of Bande Mataram tomorrow, i.e. on October 24, 1906. A day for remembering and making resolutions, for us. The solitary task then was to fight the British. Now, of course, our adversaries are multifold. It is the hour to be heroic. Yours fraternally, Tusar

Savitri Era will conquer

The action of the Supramental consciousness, light and force permeates the earth atmosphere for the last 50 years. While a yeaning for peace jars with the wars and conflicts dotting the globe, a sure progress towards a more secure future is not unconceivable. Culture, commerce and technology are the major peace-precipitating factors today.

But thought, which should have acted like a catalyst, is sadly found moribund. In India, the Marxist professors of our Universities and the secular sub-editors of our national newspapers have been successful in preaching a sanitized version of life and society that has no place for any higher aspiration or intervention.

This lie has to be fought with all might. The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have equipped us with all the intellectual ammunitions for this purpose. Their words would conquer the world. But only if our Gautiers and Daninos choose to keep the straight and narrow path and not stray into adulterated arsenals.

Federation of corporate empires

After Arcelor-Mittal, Tata-Corus is making waves. At this stage it is difficult to speculate how long these so-called Indian multinationals would remain Indian. But a more important question is how far these corporate empires will replace the functions of the State.

That looks imminent and in that case, philosophical perspectives adverting to a State set-up should also, mutatis-mutandis, apply to these corporate structures. One such important vision is Kant’s ‘federation of free states,’ which has been endorsed by Proudhon as well as Sri Aurobindo. Corporations must start behaving like city-states and form a federation too.

Pilate's poser and Tennyson's flower

It is not difficult to discern derivations from the Theosophical literature in the system-building of Sri Aurobindo. But in the “Papers on Theosophy” [CWSA Vol. 12] he has been unsparing in his criticism of the movement and its methods. The series could well have taken off to become another The Life Divine, as the chapter captioned ‘Sat’ takes up the Pilate's poser to arrive at the Vedantic affirmations. It also dwells in between on the ‘intellectual history of the European continent.’

While privileging the epistemological preference for the fundamental over the particular, he takes a dig at the inductive approach by citing a Tennysonian line. He also values an intense and enthusiastic religious approach than the high philosophic or a dry scientific. In volume after volume one senses the theme that Buddhism is anathema. In The essays on the Gita, the nihilistic Buddhist philosophy is deprecated in the manner Kant rebutted Hume. Of course, Buddhism, as it is practiced today, is altogether a different concoction.

Caste and Equality

[Concept of Equality: The Nineteenth Century Indian Debate by Ganguli, B. N.

Six lectures tracing the growth and influence of the concept of equality in Indian society. Chapter one introduces the impact of Western ideas. Chapter two looks at inequality as a structural problem. Chapter three looks at social reform efforts towards equality. Economic progress and equality are considered in chapter four. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's essay on equality (Samya) is studied in the fifth chapter while the concluding chapter looks at religion and equality.

Published in 1975 by Indian Institute of Advanced Study]

Obviously, Sri Aurobindo is not included in the analysis as his work belongs to the next century. But being a Bengali and aware of him, Ganguli could have mentioned Sri Aurobindo’s opinions on the matter so as to present a more rounded debate.

Bankim Chandra’s philosophical essays on equality published in 1879 were dropped by him in 1892 as he found it “all wrong”. Perhaps his admiration for Mazzinni’s insistence on the primacy of Fraternity was too politically volatile to express at the time.

But Sri Aurobindo has dared to defy his contemporary political correctness by maintaining a bias for truth. His notion of equality is the equality of the soul and not abolition of hierarchy at the practical level. This must be firmly kept in mind, as the whole nation, currently, is debating caste-based reservations and creamy-layers.

The intention of Nature

One of the philosophical innovations of Sri Aurobindo that has not received the attention it deserves is the Problem of Rebirth. Although the book did not receive his time and attention for revision, the subject has been thoroughly dealt with in The Life Divine and in the Letters. Even Savitri contains some pregnant and intriguing utterances on the matter. Considering the complex and ambiguous nature of the issue and multiple theological theses on it, Sri Aurobindo’s attempt to remove the cobwebs and clear the confusion is epochal. But the elite of the day argue endlessly over the old formulations without reading Sri Aurobindo’s solutions.

From Kant to The Cantos

In the very first paragraph of The Life Divine, Sri Aurobindo brings in the great Kantian issues of "God, freedom, and immortality" as his point of departure. All his works are replete with similar allusions. Years ago V.K. Gokak spared a full chapter in his book, Sri Aurobindo: Seer and Poet listing such allusions scattered throughout Savitri. Recently, Mother India, in a rare gesture, invited from its readers their take on such pickings. When finally compiled, it would open up new vistas of delight for the discerning readers.

Mother India, of late, is issuing special numbers as thematic compilations. Ideally, a journal should stick to its definition and not aspire to encroach upon the function of a book. When would Mother India go online? Savitri Erans are athirst.

We won’t be silent

[Their alarm has been stoked by a highly suspect claim that if current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be “Bible-believing Christians” as adults...For the next two days, the teenagers in the arena pogoed to Christian bands, pledged to lead their friends to Christ and sang an anthem with the chorus, “We won’t be silent.” Hundreds streamed down the aisles for the altar call and knelt in front of the stage, some weeping openly as they prayed to give their lives to God. By LAURIE GOODSTEIN The New York Times: October 6, 2006]

If young people are unwilling to go with the religion they are born into, Savitri Era is the most rational alternative. So it is for the Savitri Erans not to be silent and spring into action in order to fill the void. The Mother's poser ever echoes, Are you ready?

Carry the words forward

• [Karsh argues that whilst Christianity had its own (obvious) imperialist ambitions it has finally surrendered them. Islam has not. (Although I think Karsh neglects to mention that Christian imperialism has been revived amongst American evangelicals). Islamic imperialist ambitions are a fundamental aspect of the Islamic narrative. Al Qaeda is simply the latest manifestation of the eternal jihad. Posted in Terrorism, Ray's Integral Blog, Integral politics]

• [Sixth Root Race File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML Eltreya: When will the sixth root race begin? Reac: The sixth root race will be founded approximately six hundred years from now, in southern California. selfempowermentacademy]

Sri Aurobindo wrote in English and The Mother’s works are in French. Thus, primarily they are addressed to the Westerners and Christians. The Savitri Erans have to build an elaborate infrastucture to carry the words forward, bothways: precision-shooting as well as carpet-bombing.

Discarded history

The Life Divine (CWSA Vol. 21 & 22) is in hand. It is nice to see the Mottoes printed in a larger font. But the lack of an index is a great handicap. Incomplete drafts of The Life Divine are now available in the Isha Upanishad volume. But what about the discarded eight Arya chapters? Will they be accommodated somewhere in the Series?

For, unused versions of a certain chapter of The Synthesis of Yoga are appearing in the Reference volume. And here, it is a question of whole chapters, already published. The historical and hermeneutical importance of the Arya writings is immense. One wonders how The Complete Works would be complete without them.

Amchi Mother

Some years ago, the residents of Mumbai (then, Bombay), under the banner of “Our Mumbai,” used to demand that there should not be any new influx into the city. A similar mindset prevails among the believers in The Mother and Sri Aurobindo also. That we are the chosen few engaged in a grand spiritual adventure and lesser mortals remain consigned to their petty religious activities. Steer clear of mass conversions, they warn.

Such an attitude is elitist, chauvinistic, and snobbish to say the least. The Unschooled has the same claim on The Mother as the scholarly and no one has any right or authority to preclude others. A simple faith can be a great passport to the Master’s vicinity while all learning fails. The notion of the Life Divine or Collective Yoga cannot be confined to a centre, a coterie or a caucus. The Supramental is free to propel any large mass out of the six billion of us.

Mass media and mass culture is swaying the people like never before. In such circumstances, Saviri Era as a youthful religion can make a dent by its fresh appeal. To carry the information forward down to the last mile is the initial challenge. Faith is, of course, the recipient’s choice.

Aspirealty

Religion is basically mind-space, but also concerns real-estate. Savitri Era is in the process of expanding in both the spheres. Perhaps an exponential expansion is in the offing. More and more roads, buildings, schools, libraries, centres, retreats, industries, businesses, down to books-selves in residences are coming under The Mother’s lien. The material too should consent to be carried along with the aspirational.

Savitri Era is the sunlit path

“Is religion the new fashion?” was the debate CNN-IBN aired an hour ago. But religion has always been in fashion, from the pre-historic times. It is one of the basic emotions and inspirations of man.

Perhaps a more appropriate observation would be that the fashion of religious practices keep changing. Opting for the newest offerings entails a lot of emotional trauma. And, enormous energy is wasted in trial and error.

Savitri Era is the sunlit path as assembled by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Their unremitting grace coupled with an infallible philosophy makes Savitri Era the most acceptable religion on the planet. Not to miss out on this sumptuous feast is one's free choice.

This is the hour to be united for the Savitri Erans

[Do not compromise doctrine in dialogue, Pope says Keep true to Christian identity, pope tells pilgrims at audience By Cindy Wooden 10/11/2006 Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Christians are called to form a united community of faith where social status and politics do not divide them and where dialogue with the world does not mean hiding the truths of the Christian faith, Pope Benedict XVI said. "Certainly the path of understanding and dialogue, which the Second Vatican Council happily undertook, must continue with firm constancy," he said Oct. 11 at his weekly general audience. "But this path of dialogue, which is so necessary, must not lead us to forget our obligation to recall and demonstrate with the same energy the principal elements of our Christian identity, which cannot be renounced," he said.]

Savitri Erans the world over must follow the cited words of the Pope in letter and spirit with regard to their faith in The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. This is the hour to be united to help the manifestation of the Supramental at the physical level.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should resign

It is a criminal offence on the part of the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In his acceptance address on being conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Law, he spoke about the links between India and Cambridge. So many names he recalled, but forgot the name of Sri Aurobindo, the foremost poet and philosopher of India.

If this is inadvertent, then he must resign from his post for his poor memory. But if deliberate, then also he should resign for insulting the great Teacher of the Nation as well as the Savitri Erans. ¶ 2:08 AM

Globalization’s children

It is not only the problem of the Indian Diaspora, but of the whole lot of people who are born in multicultural family set-ups. Searching for the roots and yearning for an anchor becomes a powerful emotion at one stage of life, but more often than not, the person is buffeted about from one parlour to another.

Long before Globalization became a reality, The Mother and Sri Aurobindo had foreseen the need for a new global faith, and therefore the Savitri Era. The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have minced no words about the dominant religions of the day. To leave the seeking young hearts at the mercy of the Jurassic relics would be an act of nonchalance and cruelty. So, the Globalization’s children need not despair. They must come forward to embrace the Savitri Era religion.

Amal not noble enough for Nobel

One just wonders how much a person should achieve to merit a Nobel Prize. The prodigal creations of Amal Kiran range from poetry and criticism to history and philosophy, from science and religion to literature and yoga, from education and psychology to politics and journalism. A direct disciple of Sri Aurobindo and his chosen interlocutor on Savitri, Sethna has lived his more than hundred years as a deputy of the aspiring world.

He is truly a global citizen and radiates goodwill for the whole humanity. He justly deserves a Nobel either for Peace or Literature. Savitri Erans should hurry up for the task.

The Advent

Ashram, Samadhi and Matrimandir
Flower offerings, lighting incence sticks
And prayers and meditations before
The photographs of the Twin Avatars.

Darshan days and the long serpentine queues
The queit waiting for food in Dining Hall
Even the Playground, site to meditate
Collective Yoga, religious fervour.

Obeissance, remember and offer
Aspiration, rejection, surrender
Reciting Savitri as a scripture
Life Divine and Synthesis of Yoga.

Songs and Mantras and Matri-vandanas
To work by feeling all life is yoga
Mother’s picture on the study table
Rings, lockets, keyrings, hankys and sarees

Flag, marchpast, the salute and the slogans
Stop press! We are the Savitri Erans.

A satellite and Savitri

A satellite is a technological wonder. One simply becomes awe-struck to think how much of human intelligence and imagination has gone into manufacturing it, or, any other scientific invention, for that matter.

Savitri, similarly, is a speculational wonder. To dismiss it as mere poetry and see its imagery as nebulous fantasy is too facile. Savitri contains some concrete conceptions of worlds and ideas that are too distant from our present stretch of intellection.

A satellite, therefore, admire we must, but also grant a similar attention to Savitri to probe clues concerning, say, physics and biology. Broad strokes also matter and scientific details must not elude us for there is no better source-book for Consciousness Studies than Savitri.

Sorry, thank you!

The recipe invented by The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and perfected in the course of 60 years (1914-1973) is absolutely unique and unprecedented. No other religion or philosophy has given such a sure-fire concoction. It is certainly futile on our part to speculate over its formulation or what it foresees.

It is all the more foolish when people attempt to combine it with their own fond formulae in order to present a superior prescription. With that they seek to put themselves at par with The Mother and Sri Aurobindo.

The Mother was always averse to take the name of Sri Aurobindo with someone else for the sake of comparision. Therefore, the Yogic-vision of the great Masters has to be accepted on “as is where is” basis and “take it or leave it” terms. Unsolicited benevolence of repairing the recipe is absolutely imbecile and must be resisted. #

No one can serve two masters

Barindranath Chaki said... Hi Tusar, I will always agree to work with you and others for such a cause, for the cause fighting for Truth. Opposition to the Teaching of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother is but natural. It comes from the old world of darkness and ignorance and falsehood and half-truth. We are for Truth that Sri Aurobindo stands for. We must have to fight, to bring the Transformation to mankind and the Earth, as willed by the Supreme. Barin 26-09-2006 11:17 AM

Tusar N Mohapatra said... But how to tackle the opposition from within? When insiders are busy worshiping multiple gods and acting as Trojan horses, then to think of Truth is sheer phantasy. 7:38 AM

Manibhai's razor

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Manibhai's razor

Something atrocious is being perpetrated by the Sri Aurobindo Society newsletter. Religious festivals and the Deities are being given undue importance and instead of appreciating the writings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo about them in abstraction, they are presented literally. It is not unusual to see the picture of the Deities along with The Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s being worshipped in some Centres of the Society. Audio CDs & Cassettes are also being promoted.

This kind of revisionism is really astonishing. The two quotations from The Mother cited in the very first page of A Practical Guide to Integral Yoga are quite unequivocal. Then why such compromises are being made? Is it due to infiltration from the RSS?

When Advani extolled the virtues of secularism by praising Jinnah, he was reprimanded. Now, when Comrade Subhas Chakraborty said he was "first a Hindu and a Brahmin and then a Communist", he too is facing the music. Such kind of Puritanism is also needed to be enforced in the Savitri Era religion. Otherwise our dream of a Supramental Age will always remain as a chimera.

The hour of collective action

You are free to search on any topic and read the original writings of The Mother, Sri Aurobindo and their direct disciples by visiting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram website. # posted by Tusar N Mohapatra : 8:41 PM

The resistance to Sri Aurobindo's thought is operating at several levels and they are to be combated accordingly. Not only ignorance and inertia, but also a deep nexus of Political, Cultural, and Religious antagonism is at work aided by technology and management techniques. Not to wake up to such challenges would be imprudent as well as indolence.

Such an urgency warrants a multi-pronged approach involving multiple talents. Savitri Era foresees such a solidarity and calls for an action programme at the international level. There is a large pool of highly educated and multi-skilled personnel devoted to the ideals of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo who can close their ranks. If people are getting organised purely for destructive purposes, why can't the Savitri Erans come forward to work together towards a positive goal?

Savitri Era at war

Barindranath Chaki said... Thank you, Tusar, for this posting. I praise your endless energy and relentless war, like a true Karmayogi. Barin 18-09-2006 11:52 PM

Tusar N Mohapatra said... So kind of you, Chaki babu, for the words of encouragement. During the past one year I have hardly received any feedback except perhaps the following two:

From: "naresh kumar" To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Subject: Regarding your blog Savitri era Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 02:44:19 -0600 Dear Tusar,

I browsed through your blog about Sri Aurobindo's work and it struck me as an effort to disabuse the general public at large about a perceived inaccessibility of his works, - whether it is owing to his (perceived) difficult diction or owing to a lack of the necessary orientation to receive his ideas the way he intended for his readers, - and provide an orientation that could help read the works.

From: "M Alan Kazlev" To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Subject: Integral Transformation - new blog Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 08:48:41 +1000 Dear Tusar,

I've been very impressed by your Savitri Era Learning Forum for some time now. m alan

Bushfire over the remarks of the Pope

Wake up to Supramental superscope.

Everyone needs a good religion

And Savitri Era is the right one.

Savitri Era of those who adore

Om Sri Aurobindo and The Mother

Be Indian, be Aurobindian

The recent controversy over the singing of Vande Mataram had a positive facet in that the name of Sri Aurobindo reverberated in the Blogosphere and his translation of the poem appeared in a number of sites. But the fact that Sri Aurobindo himself is a great poet and creator of the epic, Savitri was hardly mentioned by any.

Reading a sample of such blogs can be a frustrating experience. Instead of delving a little bit deeper and talking about the teachings or writings, often only a skin-deep nationalism is invoked. While such chauvinism might be offering our youth their quota of self-esteem, the kind of intellectual lethargy that it perpetuates is really frightening.

Reading and discussing the works of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo can be a refreshing exercise. If one really takes pride in being an Indian, then he must be willing to undertake a journey to discover the Himalayan heights of Sri Aurobindo.

Convert to Savitri Era

History very seldom records the things that were decisive but took place behind the veil; it records the show in front of the curtain. --Sri Aurobindo

Spirituality respects the freedom of the human soul, because it is itself fulfilled by freedom; and the deepest meaning of freedom is the power to expand and grow towards perfection.... --Sri Aurobindo

posted by Gagdad Bob at 8:37 AM One Cosmos

Clinical psychologist, spiritual aspirant, and author of the much acclaimed book, One Cosmos Under God, Robert W. Godwin (Gagdad Bob) has remembered the words of Sri Aurobindo in his blog One Cosmos on the anniversary of 9/11. Nothing can be more appropriate than this.

At a time when all the Semitic religions are busy engaged in internecine warfare, the war of words is also begetting a lot of fresh insights as regards civilizational crises. And, Savitri Era must fish in the troubled waters. There can't be a better moment than this to call upon all the people in the world to convert to Savitri Era. Bereft of any theological lacunae, Savitri Era can usher in peace and harmony in the hearts of people as well as in the world. [TNM1296mmyp]

Savitri Era is unputdownable

Sri Aurobindo, wrote Prof. Sisir Kumar Maitra in 1942, has accomplished the “transfer of the leadership in philosophy from the West to India.” But what we witness today in 2006 is something entirely different. Why?

The whole scenario is not devoid of politics and what is at issue is not philosophy but hegemony. In pursuit of that, there has been constant shifting of goal posts and resorting to gerrymandering. Marginal items have come to occupy the mainstream space in philosophy while the basic metaphysical concerns rank as subaltern. Why?

Sri Aurobindo gave the most full-proof philosophy in the entire human history, but the Westerners are unwilling to accept him at the top. Pseudo-philosophers are lapped up and their books sell in plenty almost as a conspiracy to eclipse Sri Aurobindo. He is discounted simply as a mystic or a revivalist, instead. Why?

Because Sri Aurobindo is an Indian and American hubris can’t digest this. Numerous charts and complicated graphics are being devised in pathetic attempts to cook up all-encompassing philosophies. Many of Sri Aurobindo’s innovations are being recycled. Even then, success eludes such enterprises. Why?

For Sri Aurobindo, as Dr Maitra decreed, stands tall on merit. Every intellectual, every journal and every University will have to swallow this cruel pill. No amount of racial or colonial resistance can suppress the supremacy of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. The whole world, whether today or tomorrow, must turn to it where all the whys are answered. [TNM696MMYP]

Purnadvaita or Integral Advaita

Sri Aurobindo, in his The Life Divine, has synthesized all the exant schools of Vedanta and given the most comprehensive resolution integrating cues from the Western metaphysics and modern science. He has also restored the umbilical cord of the Vedantic exegesis with the Vedas. For instance, his strong difference with Adi Sankara over the interpretation of Ishavasyam is interesting.

• The Upanishads by Sri Aurobindo [1]. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. 1972
• The Upanishads Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry # wikipedia

The words work wonders

From: "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@mail.com
To: "Antony Lodoiska" alodoiska@swasteetech.com from Mauritius

Subject: Re: Eastern Philosophy http://sanatan.intnet.mu

Date: Sun, 02 Jul 2006 11:48:41 -0500

With 54 springs(93-39) in hand, you can work wonders for yourself.
The trick is to cut through the clutter and confusion.
Proceed through the process of elimination.
Keep aside your past baggage for a while.
Forget all your questions and doubts.
Read the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
Be ready to be shocked by your own transformaton.
Bon Voyage

Savitri Era is our religion

Faith in an unseen divinity and feeling loyal to it by a large number of people is religion. It grows by a gradual process, and over a period of time acquires one or more cultural distinctiveness. By offering an umbrella for identity, it also develops into a strong political conglomerate.

Apart from the teaching, the name, the picture, the life-story, and the place also evoke strong emotional feelings. And then, the words and their various interpretations hold no importance. People in general long for safety, security and unburdening. The aesthetic or intellectual satisfaction is aspired for by a select.

If one is possessed by a feeling that his path has great benefits and others should also follow it; and then he goes about to find various ways and means to propagate it, it is religion. Recommending a book or a blog is not all that harmlessly rational. Rather, a scheming mind operates at the behest of the faith, cult or religion.

And what’s wrong with it? A good Product or a great Brand needs to be endorsed. Of course, the conviction level of the person is important; there must be intellectual honesty, one would demand. But conviction, itself, is irrational, recall Barthes: The Pleasure of the Text.

One is largely driven by the past baggages and is tormented too. A theory of everything is absolutely useless for any particular individual, and hence, is useless for all. The individual needs a theory for oneself depending upon his age, stage, affection and affinity. That found, there is no dearth of pastimes and distractions.

Bertrand Russell in his History of Western Philosophy compares Marxism with Judaism/Christianity under 7 parameters to decree that the former is also a faith. And I think, Savitri Era more than fulfils all the seven. Sri Aurobindo and his Followers

+ + +

Web search engines are wholly dependent on correct spelling, and hence it is important to standardize certain expressions:

• Sri Aurobindo: to take care to always use Sri (as in his signature)
• The Mother: and not the Mother
• The Mother and Sri Aurobindo: in that order (as in the photograph) as far as possible, instead of Sri Aurobindo and the The Mother.
• Mira: as Sri Aurobindo has re-christened her in the mantra, Om Sri Aurobindo Mira , and nor Mirra.
• Aurobindian: Although Amal Kiran has much defended his introducing of the term, Aurobindonian, it does not cut ice. The last O in Sri Aurobindo is not necessary for pronunciation of the name, and hence a simple, Aurobindian is good for all seasons. Aurobindean, is also another dispensable expression.

Sri Aurobindo is not a mere Hindu revivalist

Pondicherry has been renamed as Puducherry. But the pet name Pondy is likely to linger in popular conversation. Sri Aurobindo arrived in Pondy on April 4, 1910 and The Mother on March 29, 1914. Together, they launched a monthly philosophical journal called, Arya on August 15, 1914. Gradually, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram also took shape. And that is how a tiny port-town like Pondy became world famous.

The major and mature writings of Sri Aurobindo were serialized in Arya that appeared regularly till January 15, 1921. Of course, many of those thoughts in seed-form can be traced in the writings of pre-Pondy days. Many present day writers liberally use extracts from his writings of the pre-Pondy days to show that he was a Hindu nationalist leader. That the context was to fight the Britishers by mobilizing and motivating the public is easily forgotten.

Sri Aurobindo remained aloof from active politics during the last 40 years of his life spent in Pondy. In this period, along with The Mother, he created an integral vision for the future of humanity. His words have spread to every corner of the world and he is counted among the top-rung philosophers. So, to show him as a mere Hindu revivalist is truancy to his true legacy. It is hoped that the present-day scholars and writers would desist from such intellectual dishonesty.

Integral minus Veda

Joint venture of two of top minds of our times has shortlisted certain "spiritual lines" in quest of creating "an integral spirituality." The list is appended, but surprisingly, Veda, the fountainhead of all spiritual aspirations is not mentioned.

Marko Rinck Says: July 27th, 2006 at 2:29 pm

1. Identity- Advaita
2. Space or emptiness- Buddhists
3. Pearl/Soul- Sufism, Gnostics, Daoism
4. Love- Sufism, Christianity
5. Compassion- Buddhism
6. Energy- Yoga, Daoism, Kashmir Shaivism
7. Will- Gurdijeff
8. Peace- Christianity
9. Consciousness- Advaita, Yoga
10. Strength- Shao-lin, Shamanism
11. Awareness- Buddhism, Krishnamurti
12. Dynamism and creativity- Shaivism
13. Knowingness- Gnostics, Ancient Greeks, Jnana Yoga

alan kazlev Says: July 27th, 2006 at 5:57 pm

1. Interaction with Nature Kingdoms- Neopaganism, Shamanism, some New Age
2. Interaction with Subtle Realms- Tantra, Hermetic occultism, Shamanism, etc
3. Pleasure / Ananda- Tantra, Taoist sexual yoga
4. Transformation of Matter- Lurianic Kabbalah, Aurobindo and the Mother