Sri Aurobindo studies is a full-fledged course

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are severe critics of religions. They have some social utility and even some level of capacity to orient men in believing in the unseen, but the mechanical manner that most of them operate punctures their true potentiality. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, therefore, created a new formulation and called it integral yoga. But since the bulk of this new synthesis is of religious nature, there's no escape from calling it a new religion. This also protects the devotees from succumbing to the pressures of the old religions. However, it takes time for many to be completely untangled from the past and accept The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the sole object of their worship.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo came from different backgrounds but by consciousness they are one and the same. That they are no more is for the people in general but for us the devotees, they are always present. We have no clear idea of the subtle physical but that is supposed to be the world from which they guide and act upon us. The Mother announced the descent of the Supramental on February 29, 1956 and our job is to believe in it. Those busy with the nationalist aspect of Sri Aurobindo may not be very enthusiastic about this, but evolution of the supermind is their central mission.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo frequently warn of hostile forces and we have seen how even the Ashram harboured Heehs. Thus, now we have to counter a two pronged attack. Those with Leftist bent of mind don't like religion. Even the modern and liberal crowd agree with them that too much of outward religious activities need to be curbed. They have a point but many things are running from The Mother's time and hence it's difficult to reverse them. Further, a certain sequence of programmes is necessary to keep a large gathering occupied. All these look as ritualistic and is accused as religion.

The second and more formidable challenge is posed by the tradition, euphemistically called sanatan dharma. Both the words are nebulous but cast a spell upon the adherents giving rise to hubris. They claim Sri Aurobindo to be one of the great rishis who want India to rise to the top. Not much dispute with that barring their underplaying the universal spirit of Sri Aurobindo's political philosophy. They are also lukewarm towards The Mother and cold shoulder the idea of supermind. Finally, Sri Aurobindo's new interpretation of the Veda is anathema to them.

Under such circumstances, it's important to be aware of the facts and form the right mentality before considering oneself as a fit instrument. Old habits and past baggage are difficult to shed. To make matter worse, there are not many people around with the right kind of orientation. So misunderstanding and misrepresentation proliferate. Philanthropy itself is a very complex topic but The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have very different opinion on them. There can be umpteen instances like the term Shushupti or Dakshina. Sri Aurobindo studies is a full-fledged course which educated Indians should take seriously.

Tusar Nath Mohapatra, September 2, 2021