Avoiding other traditions and teachers

The path of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo has this implicit assumption that whenever their names are invoked, the Evolutionary march gets animated. Remembering them, therefore, is itself considered as a potent form of practicing Integral Yoga. Apart from the conventional nama-rupa-guna-lila-and-dham modes, a more engaging avenue that is available to us today is to examine their words upon the framework of our own experiences and reactions or correlated social responses. Articulated coherently, they also constitute skeletal documentation of this nebulous realm that is no less real than say nimble chopsticks. The sociological dimensions of voluntarily following a spiritual discipline are manifold involving stereotypes and speculative views. Faithful accounts are rare for the fear of being treated as unreliable and frivolous or disclosing failures. One problem area in this context is how to deal with other traditions and teachers?

Indian Philosophy in English: From Renaissance to Independence edited by Nalini Bhushan and Jay L. Garfield has a delightful collection of articles and commentaries. While sympathising with the academic compulsion of accommodating diverse viewpoints, let me put it a bit bluntly that such a practice is inadmissible in Yoga. They may be great writers or leaders, but their role in relation to the Evolution may be questionable. So, the safe course is to avoid them since The Mother and Sri Aurobindo have been palpably reticent in recommending others. The recently issued CWSA volume-II of Letters on Yoga has ample guidances as regards inadequacies inherent in other paths and philosophies.

The firmness, however, is less available when we apply them to our present situation, especially politics. Followers of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are now sharply divided in their support and we at Savitri Era have taken the line of opposing the dominant national parties like the Congress, the BJP and their allies including AAP. But the option of possible alliances with them is very much open and alive. 2014 happens to be the Centenary year of the The Mother's arrival in Puducherry and the Arya (not to speak of the WW-I) and hence the election outcome cannot be devoid of its own significance as a push towards the Life Divine. [TNM55]