Thursday, January 28, 2021

Towards a victory of simplicity

Developments on various fronts point to fruition of prophecies so boldly announced by The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. Consolidation and joining the dots are the right task at present. Thus, the era of Only connect is over; Marxists have done enough of them. A more conscious or mindful approach is needed. No one, obviously, is endowed with precience but being led in the right way is possible through sufficient persistence. Some steps can be wrong or may look absurd but the faith on an infallible guidance should be there.

Science and technology have invented many languages to fathom the secrets of nature. Music and art too have played their roles in weaving complexity. But let's keep the confidence that the final formula reveals in ordinary language of everyday comprehension. Neither panoptic nor kaleidoscopic; something like the blue sky. That would be the victory of ultimate simplicity and beauty. TNM 28.01.21 #ARYA100Years (1914-21)

Misc. References

SAFIC Online Course Know Your Rhythm – A Tool for Developing Integral Personality A 6 Day Course Date: 15 to 20 February 2021 Time: 4.30 PM to 5.30 PM IST Facilitators: Arnab Bishnu Chowdhury & Sevastiana Korotynskaia For details visit: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI

Once (one interpretation of) a Panth of Dharma takes on such attributes of exclusivist monotheism (even if in this case not particularly proselytising yet) this hatred for coexistence is inevitable because as Aurobindo said India is nothing without Dharma. The Mosaic distinction.

"Wilber has acknowledge the influence of Aurobindo, but his theory is marked by problems; being a totalistic structure which includes & renders irrelevant all other metaphysical formulations & systems of practice. Aurobindo's yoga by contrast recognizes radical plurality" Banerji
7:34 AM · Jan 28, 2021

"Contrary to current general usage, what is meant here by Yoga encompasses a range of psycho-spiritual practices not necessarily associated with physical disciplines. At the same time it is not restricted to, though it includes, the classical system associated with Patanjali."
(Hartz, 'A Larger Self: Aurobindo and the Science and Art of Yoga')

… I am delighted to know that Dr. Purna Chandra Pradhan has written a book titled, “Practicability: Steps Ahead of Probability” on this kind of feeling to help provide some sort of peace out of ethical thinking amidst the developing science of modern era …
… Sri Aurobindo's philosophy says that the transformation of consciousness to Divine Life bringing immortality on earth is already started working in Nature. In this context, limited human calculation and hence probability of prediction …

6. In Search of Territory: Women's Existential Traverse Through Varied Routes M Chakravorty - Cross-Fertilizing Roots and Routes, 2021
… is derived from the traditionalists, an aspirant to the egalitarian society may reply that it is derived from a pre-industrial, pre-technological era in which … details of the ritual as given in this source explains how by uttering the hymns …

A dissertation submitted by Yuria Bartolomé to Pacifica Graduate Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mythological Studies …

8. [HTML] Social cycle theory (Sarkar) PR Sarkar, A Marga
… Macrohistorians. The theory owes to the work of Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, which was published in 1949 but originally written in 1916-1918 under the title The Psychology of Social Development. Four Types of People. The …

… 1st edition, UBS Publishers' Distributors Pvt. Limited, 1999. 7. Malik, Pravir. India's contribution to Management. Sri Aurobindo‟s Institute of Research in Social Sciences, 2017. 8. Robbins, Stephen P. Organizational Behaviour …

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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Divinity of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo can't come under academic scrutiny

CIIS has been evolving right from its inception and right now they are offering some interesting courses relating to Sri Aurobindo. Leftist orientation is a drawback but also an opportunity for developing an integral perspective. Nothing could develop in India on such a scale, unfortunately.

Divinity of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, however, can't be a matter of academic scrutiny. Sri Aurobindo can be taught on the basis of his writings but his ontology has gone topsy turvy after the religious dimension. So, any strict or rigorous study of their philosophy is fraught with disability.

Thus, a more balanced approach is needed to understand the new phenomenon that The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have inaugurated. Unfolding world events are also pointers and hence rigidity should be avoided. CIIS, obviously, has a big role here. TNM 27.01.21 #ARYA100Years (1914-21)

Misc. References

California Institute of Integral Studies | A Different Path Starts Here. Celebrating 50+ Years. Based in SF Since 1968. Accredited by WSCUC. Transformative Education.
Aurobindo, Steiner, and Teilhard

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARP 6422  3.00

More Gandhi, Tagore, Aurobindo

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARA 6367  3.00

More Integral Growth and Development: Individual Growth and the Evolution of Consciousness

School of Consciousness and Transformation TSD 6640  3.00

More Integral Leadership

School of Undergraduate Studies BIS 1604  3.00

More Integral Philosophy and Postmodern Perspectives

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARA 6694  3.00

More Integral Philosophy, Meditation, and Yoga

School of Professional Psychology and Health ICPW 5620  1.00

More Integral Psychology

School of Professional Psychology and Health ICP 8606  3.00

More Integral Yoga Psychology of Sri Aurobindo

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARA 6693  3.00

More Integral Yoga: Theory and Practice

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARA 6448  1.00

More Krishna, Buddha, and Christ

School of Consciousness and Transformation PARP 6538  3.00

More

https://www.ciis.edu/academics/course-descriptions?term=Aurobindo

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Clear indication of the value and goal

Looks like Sandeep has resumed posting regularly after a gap of three years and discusses a very practical problem of reading the books of different gurus which he himself undertakes for responding to diverse queries. A sort of occupational hazard which, thankfully, I have been spared of.

Ghosal's comment on suffering is candid but shouldn't be intimidating since there's no better joy and security than the feeling of being in The Mother's hands. Secondly, reading is only one part restricted to 1% of the devotees. 

In any case, experience is put at a higher level than reading or intellectual grasp. But observing the political stance of a few who boast of experience alerts against such spiritual powers. So, personally, it's okay with me without any experience! TNM 27.01.21 #ARYA100Years (1914-21)

Misc. References

People who read too many spiritual books can go off-track. They waste their time intellectually resolving some messy conundrums. For example, Sri Aurobindo says A, Ramana Maharshi says B, Paramahansa Yogananda says C : lets intellectually figure out who is correct. The purpose of the spiritual … Continue reading

Sri Aurobindo’s magnum opus on spiritual philosophy, 'The Life Divine'; and 'Savitri', a more complete and poetic description of his experiences and a summary of his spiritual philosophy are most important contribution that can serve mankind well for atleast a few thousand years!

3. Goutam Ghosal @GoutamGhosal2
Assimilation of Sri Aurobindo's wisdom comes only after a great suffering- mere reading of Sri Aurobindo cannot help much. Unless one is broken to pieces by the Mother, realisation doesn't come. Even if one is carrying the sadhana from previous lives suffering is the only path.
12:12 AM · Jan 27, 2021
For other writers 3 or 4 years are enough. But one has to spend a lifetime to speak or relate 1% of Sri Aurobindo. Suffering is the condition for even 1% of realisation. Hard path!

 of Light - Sri Aurobindo This book is a guide to the future evolution of consciousness and gives all those who aspire for something more luminous and harmonious a clear indication of the value and goal of their efforts. lotuspress.com/mind-of-light #aurobindo #integralyoga

5. Дорогие друзья!
приглашаем на нашу следующую встречу
30 января 2021 года
(суббота) в 14:00
онлайн и оффлайн беседа
Тема беседы:
Беседа будет проходить на нашем канале Youtube
по ссылке:
"Тебе Мирра", Санкт-Петербург. Божественная Любовь. Часть 3
... Любовь. Часть 3. Дорогие друзья! приглашаем на нашу следующую встречу. 30 января 2021 года. (суббота). в 14 :00. онлайн и оффлайн беседа. Тема беседы:.

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Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Stepping stone towards harmony and beauty

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo were confident that they are offering something new and unprecedented. They never depended upon any past formulation or established system. They spoke many things to facilitate understanding but that needn't be taken literally.

They didn't show any specific commitment towards present mode of life or society and predicted revolutionary changes. All these may be unsettling to many but it's true. But such anarchist tendency should be seen as a stepping stone towards harmony and beauty.

So, those pathetic attempts to portray Sri Aurobindo in terms of one's pet images is wholly uncalled for. Attempting to understand the intention of the Masters and not cram or parrot their words is the challenge. Encountering Sri Aurobindo with an open mind and interrogating him from diverse perspectives is the task. TNM 26.01.21

Misc. References

1. I appreciate that Hägglund is a philosopher in the true sense: he is a genuine lover of wisdom, and a seeker of it. Hägglund is asking questions that Socrates and Plato and Aristotle asked, about what a good human life is.

2. 2019. Afterword to Ananta Giri, ed., Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo

3. Sri Aurobindo, like many postmodern thinkers, is aware of the need to go beyond Aristotelian/Euclidean logic in metaphysics. He expresses this need in advocating what he calls a “logic of the infinite.” ... Sri Aurobindo has a rather special way of dealing with complementarity. His thought depends heavily on a relationship which I call “asymmetrical complementarity.”

4. shift in consciousness ... is not dependent on the form of religious devotion ... Thus, Sri Aurobindo does not require adherence to a specific religious tradition... regardless of one’s religious background, one can take up and practice the integral Yoga and work toward the transformation of human consciousness and life.

5. Makarand R Paranjape 
@MakrandParanspe “The world waits for the rising of India to receive the divine flood in its fullness.” -Sri Aurobindo, Karmayogin gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds
@MakrandParanspe
writes in @gulf_news
: An ancient civilisation & modern, invigorated nation pledges to fulfil their own dreams. #RepublicDay
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Evolution demands devotion to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo’s Theory of Spiritual Evolution by Peter Heehs encapsulates the genesis of this crucial idea both in India and the West. Ken Wilber made it popular but Sri Aurobindo's distinctiveness hasn't percolated adequately. Thus, rigourous comparative analysis can bring more dimensions to light.

Implications for politics and Global order too are important. Also, for the future of Philosophy. While academic studies are welcome, it's necessary to remember who Sri Aurobindo is. His yogic achivement can't be dismissed lightheartedly. Without spirituality, his works don't carry much weight.

Thus, being loyal to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo in a religious way is key to collaborating with evolution and right understanding of their mission. Just because certain things look impossible today, they can't be rejected. That's the assurance of Sri Aurobindo and fuel of his continued relevance. TNM 26.01.21

Misc. References

Asian Religious Responses to Darwinism, 167-184, 2020

2. SRI AUROBINDO'S PHILOSOPHY OF EVOLUTION — V. MADHUSUDAN REDDY (1966)
The aim of this book is to present the concept of evolution and the problem of human destiny in the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo. Set against a quintessential survey of practically the whole range of western philosophy, Sri Aurobindo's original view of life and the universe is presented in a lucid manner.

3. Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy of Evolution by V. Madhusudan Reddy
A thesis on "the concept of evolution in the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and the problem of human destiny."
We have here a quintessential survey of practically the whole range of western philosophy ... It is against this rich and varied background that Sri Aurobindo's original view of life and the universe is presented in a lucid manner.

4. Ram Shankar Misra wrote a doctoral dissertation on the Life Divine in 1952 at the Banaras Hindu University, which was later published as a book titled “The Integral Advaitism of Sri Aurobindo”.

5. Integral Advaitism of Sri Aurobindo Hardcover – Import, Dec 1998 by Ram Shanker Misra (Author)
This book gives a systematic, thorough and authentic exposition of the thought of Sri Aurobindo. The fundamental and living issues, namely, the concept of the Absolute, the supermind, theory of creation, conception of Ignorance, doctrine of Karma and Rebirth, theory of evolution and destiny of man etc., have been discussed in a systematic and critical way and with great clarity, thoroughness and depth.
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Sri Aurobindo continues to be the most potent brand

After one hundred years of the last issue of ARYA, reception of Sri Aurobindo is ambivalent due to his scant utilitarian elements and being too slippery for any firm ideological formulation. Aversion of any cult also keeps most away from him or any serious and sincere study of his works. 

Long time students and followers, on the other hand, don't venture out of their safe and succulent zones as a result of which literalism and copy-paste culture proliferates. Scholarship and analysis are conspicuous by their absence. The other extreme is the Western supremacist approach for which he is just another slide under the microscope.

Be that as it may, Sri Aurobindo continues to be the most potent brand and intellectual powerhouse. The trick is not to be overwhelmed by specialised fields and stick to the Integral paradigm. It's not difficult to sense a gradual appreciation of his eminence emerging and recognition of The Mother's contribution.
Misc. References

1. ARYA (A Philosophical Review) Sri Aurobindo Volume 7 
August 1920 - Jan 1921
15th January 1921

2. Deciding which type of fabric to make an item with is an important decision, as fabrics can have countless qualities. From natural to synthetic fibers and from knit to woven, here’s a look at different fabric types and how to identify them. DESIGN & STYLE 28 Types of Fabrics and Their Uses Written by MasterClass Last updated: Nov 8, 2020

3. A key idea of feminist film theory, the concept of the male gaze was introduced by scholar and filmmaker Laura Mulvey in her now famous 1975 essay, Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema.

4. Nila Madhab PANDA ନୀଳମାଧବ ପଣ୍ଡା @nilamadhabpanda it's a wonderful feeling when artists get the recognition they deserve, Heartiest Congratulations to the extremely talented artist and sculptor from Odisha our Sri Sudarshan Babu on being honoured with the #PadmaVibhushan award Sudarshan Sahoo #PadmaAwards

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Dr. R.L. Kashyap represents Vedic Evolutionary trajectory

An excellent post by Scott Preston draws attention to a plothora of ontological issues covering diverse subjects with wide ranging implications for life and society. It also alerts not to take things for granted as huge technological overhaul might be in the offing as part of evolutionary progress.

Thus, more of human cooperation and unity as advised by The Mother & Sri Aurobindo should be the order of the day. Dr. R.L. Kashyap being awarded Padma Shri can be seen as a symbol of such an inevitability. TNM 26.01.21
Misc. References

1. The Chrysalis - Everything You Thought You Knew…. - For those of you who follow such matters, you may perhaps have realised that something akin to a second Copernican Revolution is occurring in the sciences ...
The presumed material basis of reality is being subdued the recognition of the primacy of energy. With that shift, the old “mind-body” problem fd metaphysical dualism that has shadowed and bedeviled much modern thinking begins to fade away as a non-problem. It won’t be resolved because it was never a real problem to begin with.

Paradox. It’s another indication of a major shift in thinking, and this article by Graham Priest entitled “Beyond True and False” attempts to explain why that is so.

3. Beyond true and false
Buddhist philosophy is full of contradictions. Now modern logic is learning why that might be a good thing - Graham Priest
Western philosophers have not, on the whole, regarded Buddhist thought with much enthusiasm. As a colleague once said to me: ‘It’s all just mysticism.’ This attitude is due, in part, to ignorance. But it is also due to incomprehension. When Western philosophers look East, they find things they do not understand – not least the fact that the Asian traditions seem to accept, and even endorse, contradictions. 
An abhorrence of contradiction has been high orthodoxy in the West for more than 2,000 years... Yet Western philosophers are slowly learning to outgrow their parochialism. And help is coming from a most unexpected direction: modern mathematical logic, not a field that is renowned for its tolerance of obscurity.
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Monday, January 25, 2021

To eat on the floor and not at a table

Uttarpara speech is considered as epitome of Sri Aurobindo extolling Sanatana Dharma.

The following, however, goes against such an estimation.

Misc. References

1. To venerate the Scriptures without knowing them and to obey custom in their place; to reverence all Brahmins whether they are venerable or despicable; to eat nothing cooked by a social inferior; to marry one’s daughter before puberty and one’s son as soon as possible after it; to keep women ignorant and domestically useful; to bathe scrupulously and go through certain fixed ablutions; to eat on the floor and not at a table; to do one’s devotions twice a day without understanding them; to observe a host of meaningless minutiae in one’s daily conduct; to keep the Hindu holidays, when an image is set up, worshipped and thrown away,—this in India is the minimum of religion. This is glorified as Hinduism and the Sanatana Dharma.

 term Bhadralok was given a negative spin by the Brits. It was because Bhadralok's right from Bagha Jatin to Surja Sen to Aurobindo/Barindra to Subhash were all Bhadralok's who put Bombs & Bullet into the heads of Brits. So who were these Bhadralok? Like Bengali is not a "Martial Race" fraud, we should know why the term "Bhadralok" was & is used to show we are useless Bengali & of no power or courage. This was a British creation as it was people from the "Bhadralok" class that put the Lead Bullet into their brains. The members of the clubs Anushilan/Jugantar were from "Bhadralok" class. Educated, commanded important position's which were open to Indians in the government & they dominated the profession.
They had immense pride in their Bengali Literature, Language, Culture & its History.

@NathTusar Two books, Sri Aurobindo and Karl Marx by D.P. Chattopadhyaya and The Meeting of the East and the West in Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy by S.K. Maitra, helped me substantially to understand theory. Later, The Humanization of Transcendental Philosophy by R. Sundara Rajan was pivotal.
7:24 PM · Mar 12, 2018 from Indira Puram, Ghaziabad

4. 
Dr. Anirban Ganguly Nov most profound & inspiring contextualisation of #SriAurobindo's vision & thought. While leaders of ruling dispensation in #WestBengal are obsessed with "Outsiders", here is one of the finest tributes to one of most illustrious sons of #Bengal & of #BharatMata #SriAurobindo150

@kkdr611 Replying to
But then there is the Sri Aurobindo school of thought which is a different type of advaita school (non mayavadi advaita) as against the Shankara mutt. They base it on Rig Veda to bring the divine down to transform the world rather than the soteriology of vedanta.
12:23 PM · Jan 25, 2021

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Aristotle, Kant, Santayana, and Sri Aurobindo

Amod Lele examining Hägglund is most appropriate given his multicultural background and wide knowledge base. Philosophy as an activity for understanding life and the world has no other substitute nor any sign of finality. So identifying genuine efforts from fake, verbose, or agenda driven ones is very important.

A follower of Sri Aurobindo, however, has the advantage of not examining Aristotle, Kant, or Santayana in advance. One starts with the Veda (not in the ritualistic sense) and understands other things as affirmations or contrary opinions. SAVITRI, obviously, provides the final challenge.

The world not acknowledging this profundity of #ARYA100Years is unfortunate but it's a historical fact and the writings, thankfully, are in place: https://incarnateword.in/cwsa

Many ill-informed drives are underway to harness Sri Aurobindo but they are bound to bite dust for obvious reasons. Let the Savitri Era Narrative march on in its resplendent colours! TNM 25.01.21
Misc. References

1. Love of All Wisdom - Freedom and the good life - Hägglund's problem here is one that would be diagnosed well by the "religious" thinkers he opposes [...] He has fallen into the trap that focus on external goods. [...]: they presume that if the external conditions of our life are taken care of, then the life itself will be a good one. And that is not even remotely the case.

2. Feel Philosophy - Ideal of the overman becomes a task which the state has now to support - The Genesis of a Philosophical Poem: Sri Aurobindo, World Literature and the Writing of Savitri Richard Hartz Sri Aurobindo Ashram (India) richardahartz@ho...

3. Savitri Era Learning Forum - Thinking becomes passing Turing's test - Saswati Sarkar @sarkar_swati 6h Replugging our article on the leftism of Nehru & Bose https:// sringeribelur.wordpress.com/nehru-subhas-and-communism/… Bose ...

4. Savitri Era Open Forum - Don’t constrain yourself by those old notions - - Evergreen Essays Sri Aurobindo gives history a spiritual twist - Pragmatism, Spirituality and Society AK Giri - Springer

5. Evergreen Essays - Sri Aurobindo gives history a spiritual twist - Pragmatism, Spirituality and Society AK Giri - Springer 3 days ago - … Page 5. For Arvind Sharma, *Peter* *Heehs*and Paul Schwartzentruber who have helped

6. the Orchid and the rOse - Nolini: from student to revolutionary - - AuroMaa The Goal of this Yoga (RE 054) - In this reflection, Dr Alok Pandey takes up the question: What is the goal of this Yoga? The post

7. Savitri Era Party - Overstating deployment of human agency - - Savitri Era Coach cut off from the engine - The task before Marxists obviously is how to change the world. A basic dissatisfaction with the wo...

8. Sri Aurobindo Studies - Yoga as Applied Psychology to Change Human Nature - Yoga can be looked at as a form of applied psychology, utilized by the self-aware soul to effect changes in human nature. The various traditional paths of ...

9. AuroMaa - ‘Meeting the Mother’: Alain, Auroville - A concluding part of the documentary series “The Mother. An inner story by Auroville pioneers”. In French, with English subtitles. Directed by Fred Cebro...
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Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Coach cut off from the engine

The task before Marxists obviously is how to change the world. A basic dissatisfaction with the world is at the core not dissimilar to the Buddhist or the Vedantic variety. But why the world is the way it is isn't probed much. That the change must come from the same modalities is overlooked by overstating deployment of human agency.

A look at biodiversity and food chain gives an idea of the complexity involved. Suffering and exploitation in the human world is nothing in comparison to the magnitude found in the entire cosmos. It's not true that nature is neutral as an evolutionary purpose is at work. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have been kind enough to bring this fact to the domain of philosophy.

Thus, the immanent frame is an inchoate view. A derailed coach cut off from the engine. Makes good content but lacks ontological coherence. Utilitarian and applied aspects are fine but must not be overpowering. TNM (19.01.21)

(Tripura 2018)

References:

1. Especially, Hägglund is very much a qualitative individualist, advocating that “we should not be defined once and for all by a given social role (family, profession, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender). Rather, we should be free to transform the normative conception of ourselves and our institutions should reflect that freedom.” (225) Such a view is dear to my heart.

2. Sri Aurobindo's Theory of Spiritual Evolution
P Heehs - Asian Religious Responses to Darwinism, 2020
Sri Aurobindo's philosophy of spiritual evolution was based on ideas found in Indian spiritual texts but also incorporated Western ideas. Born in India, he was educated in England between 1879 and 1892, when the question of evolution dominated British …


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Monday, January 18, 2021

Savitri Era Narrative stands on a firm footing

Savitri Era has been a cyber citizen since 2005 and during this fifteen years must have touched the thinking of at least 2000 persons and it isn't a small figure. Almost all of them have disagreed or ignored but only as a response to this provocation. However, I have never found any contradiction in my thinking as it was a natural way. Thus, it proves that there can be multiple perspectives and respect for each is essential.

But there are other dimensions. It's political and sociological. Earlier, I have used the phrase degee and pedigree which I lacked. I'm not playing the victim card but just telling the fact. Of course, most lack backing and have the same experience. This is a serious issue in India as people of one language group avoiding speakers of other languages.

Be that as it may, the Savitri Era Narrative stands on a firm footing. Both pride and gratitude for being an instrument in this venture where most have faltered. Let's hope that the world will come around to accept what I have been telling till now.

[The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are greater than cold print. Staying loyal to them is the key as Evolution happens in real time. ~TNM
11:06 PM · May 15, 2014]

[Hägglund is asking questions that Socrates and Plato and Aristotle asked, about what a good human life is. ~Amod Lele]
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