Thursday, January 30, 2014
The Mother's hand in Suparamental manifestation in 1956
Monday, January 27, 2014
Added focus on action over what Sri Aurobindo wrote - 4
From this perspective, the role of proper management, rule of law, administration of justice, political correctness etc. become crucial. How even a highly motivated movement like AAP is floundering in Delhi is a lesson for all. Human affairs can't be dealt with by mere common sense any more in this complex world; very refined and rigorous policy making is essential. Further, there are no fixed, textbook solutions; sensibilities emerge as situations unfold and responses shift in commensurate fashion. Media and advocates foisting twists complicate the situation.
Ban on the book robbed much of the moral ground and it has become indefensible over the years. A parallel can be drawn to the Minister in Delhi who has lost legitimacy for moral policing. Loss of credibility like the Michhua Radhua can play havoc on the part of an individual or organisation. The Mother introduced many exemplary modalities in the Ashram but some others can justifyably be criticized for being harsh on human wants and emotions. So, whether they can be pardoned today in the pretext of spirituality is a much larger question. Devoloping competence and sagacity for judging such matters is also urgent and we need fresh texts to fall back upon. [TNM55]
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Added focus on action over what Sri Aurobindo wrote - 3
In contrast, some other religious camps are flourishing by imaginatively marketing recreational events and well-being modules. Being affiliated to influential sociopolitical organizations also raises profile as well as popularity. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, however, have been averse to such techniques from the very beginning. The level of ethics they insist makes one unsuitable for team-spirit and group-dynamics. Thus to reconcile Yoga with ordinary demands of life or casual religious approach is an uphill task. Rise in prosperity is adding more hurdles to practicing simplicity.
The truth is that all these difficulties were not unknown to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo but without dealing with them theoretically no assured results for practice of Yoga can be offered. The safe heaven they created in the form of the Ashram is also in doldrums. So it can safely be concluded that their teachings are impractical both in theory as well as in practice. But fortunately, this conclusion has other implications. No other solution can be said to have any credible prospect and in comparison The Mother & Sri Aurobindo stand heads and shoulders above them in many respects. [TNM55]
Sri Aurobindo has saved from the tyranny of Indian Philosophy
Demarcation between philosophy proper and history of Indian philosophy has been deep since the arrival of Sri Aurobindo in the scene. This year marks the Centenary of his magnum opus “The Life Divine” and other original works like “The Secret of the Veda.” The Evolutionary dialectic of his Integral Ontology seeks to establish a universal template of philosophy that acts as applied psychology as well by suitably incorporating poetic aesthesis. So, not to include him in the list would be an injustice to the future of human civilization and education. [TNM55]
Tusar Nath Mohapatra on 26 January 2014 at 6:16 am said:
Bringing in other names while thinking of Sri Aurobindo is a real problem; so is the period during which he wrote. Most of his books, fortunately, allow us to concentrate on the subject proper and a slim volume like “The Problem of Rebirth” or “Heraclitus” can introduce one elegantly to his philosophical project that dovetails into poetry too.
Though neither germane nor palatable, let me say as a nonspecialist here that it is Sri Aurobindo who has saved the modern day Indians from the tyranny of “Indian Philosophy” by offering an alternative set of literature in English reading which is transformative as well. [TNM55]
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Added focus on action over what Sri Aurobindo wrote- 2
Added focus on action over what Sri Aurobindo wrote
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have left behind around 80 volumes of collected works that includes paintings, poems, plays, speeches, essays, letters, messages, translations, and conversations spanning over a period of 80 years. Since the contents are of a specialized nature, they attract a very restricted kind of readership. The dense character and vastness of the writings prevent many from going through them all even as some of them are still unpublished. Secondary literature, however, is flourishing and varied estimation of the Masters are mushrooming. The works of the disciples or dedicated sympathizers are precious as credible introductions while commentaries or comparisons with the opposite intention are not uncommon.
Apart from their writings, the Ashram at Puducherry and the Auroville community owe their existence to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. Besides, a large number of institutions run all over the world by drawing inspiration from them. Thus, a distinct cultural, religious, and political identity has come to be associated with the followers despite their being geographically scattered. The thrust on integration of the East and the West and Human Unity in the teachings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is responsible for the internationalist bias on the part of their devotees. Access to Sri Aurobindo's works is also facilitated since he wrote in English. This year marks the Centenary of his magnum opus “The Life Divine” and other original works like “The Secret of the Veda.” The Evolutionary dialectic of his Integral Ontology seeks to establish a universal template of philosophy that acts as applied psychology as well by suitably incorporating poetic aesthesis.
The Mother travelled from France to Puducherry in 1914 in order to meet Sri Aurobindo and so action preceded their philosophical collaboration. The amount of activity The Mother has inspired theresince is surely unparalleled in the human history. Interested students will be studying this phenomena in the years to come but authentic documentation of the present decades is woefully inadequate. In the absence of truthful tales narrated by the current crop of practitioners, impressionistic accounts by cunning swordsmiths are taken to be as genuine. Problems associated with writing and publishing, reach and interpretation etc., however, cannot be evaded, but a more web-enabled discursive environment could have developed over time contributing to theory. [TNM55]
Friday, January 24, 2014
Sri Aurobindo had the advantage of not dealing with his own theory as a new category
Monday, January 20, 2014
Go for the Veda
Tusar Nath Mohapatra on 20 January 2014 at 7:01 am said:
Gaveshana or Research derives from the word Go meaning light, a connotation brought to light in modern times by Sri Aurobindo in his epochal The Secret of The Veda. This hermeneutical coup has so unsettled the received wisdom that there is unwillingness to look at the later texts in terms of the Vedic Sanskrit as unveiled by Sri Aurobindo. This blog, however, is a sign that such resistance will recede. [TNM55]