18.2.22 - Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra (b. 1956)
Thread on the core principles of Integral Yoga in ten tweets
Both physics and philosophy fail to decipher what's life or feelings. Yet, the quest is on to unravel the mystery of our existence and the universe. Our day-to-day affairs, however, require a very limited circumference. So, not many are bothered about the big-picture or essence.
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Science has tremendous utility in our lives and most principles do perform with precision. But in advanced domains, variations arise. Thus, most things being taught today may be outright wrong. Still, a lot of confidence is reposed on pedagogy as part of growing up of the young.
In such a situation, the role of education becomes debatable. Further, religions provide a manageable and palatable narrative which elbows out critical academic engagement. Democracy legitimises what the bigger crowd espouses. The Market too leans towards an identical sentiment.
Dynamics of society, however, play out differently. We are wired in diverse ways but the basic biological instincts of self-preservation and conservation of the species keep a tight grip. Literature and culture are handmaidens and even the current hijab row boils downs to sex.
Birth and death are crucial aspects of human life and The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are emphatic about their radical change. There are certain hints on how this new human race will come about but victory over death is the most prominent theme of which the epic SAVITRI is the mantra.
In contradistinction to all past religions, philosophies, and spiritual doctrines or methods of askesis from stoicism to tantra, the aim of Integral Yoga steers clear of personal salvation. Purification is necessary but the descent of the Supramental will happen through her Grace.
Apart from culture and creative pursuits, many feel attracted towards philanthropy and social work. All these have their own necessity and validity but Integral Yoga is more about evolution than development, about perfection than success. Thus the attitude and aspiration is vital.
So, what are the modalities? The life stories of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo tell a lot but they are not enough. They have told something absolutely new and are present for executing its manifestation. Thus, any comparison or juxtaposition is useless. Believing in them is the way.
Nature and environment are fascinating domains but the main objective of Integral Yoga is different. Many confuse it as an amalgam of diverse disciplines and concerns but it's no ordinary socio-political venture. Adventure of consciousness amounts to transformation and surrender.
In the absence of strict stipulations, Integral Yoga lends itself to multifarious interpretations and perspectives depending upon a person's own background and manner of encountering The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. But All life is yoga ordains to lift the life up from quotidian knots.
Politics is a 24x7 game in a democracy and it legitimises image making and false assurances through spectacle. Marketing and Management lend expertise for hoodwinking people. So invoking Enlightenment values itself is self-deluding. Spirituality, therefore, is a bit out of place.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo were decent and polite. They abstained from prescribing any system of practice or dress code for followers. But the Supreme Court declined when their Devotees sought recognition as a new religion. If we follow some dress code now, maybe the Court agrees
Social issues are rarely discussed in depth except when some controversy flares up. There are no straight answers but on many occasions people just blame the Western culture. What women (or, even men) wear can have regional variation based on climate but no religious connotation.
Current problems ensue from larger ontological issues and no one has any answer. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo postulate the supramental as the solution and till then we suffer life's contradictions. Thus claiming religious or cultural superiority is delusion. Our task is aspiration
Like most problems in India, this also relates to overpopulation. Local issues need to be resolved locally without blowing them out of proportion. Sovereignty to the States can take care of sentiments relating to demography as well as development concerns. Let 100 flowers bloom.
India's Rebirth (1997), a thematic compilation of quotations from Sri Aurobindo's writings, is the worst example of how decontextualised views can be volatile. No one read the whole book but a dozen items were weaponised to target specific persons and events by vested interests.
Whether in matters of politics and world affairs or pertaining to the practice of yoga, literal application of Sri Aurobindo's words can be tricky. Quoting him on specific issues, similarly, might be misleading. Followers must exercise caution when no direct guidance is available.
Confining Sri Aurobindo within the ordinary historical context and making endless comparisons with his contemporaries is a fruitless exercise. Recognising that he is not a mere guru or even an avatar is necessary. The Mother & he are the one Supreme Divine who lead the evolution.
Sri Aurobindo (श्रीअरविन्द) is something entirely different than the person whom many insist to call differently as Arbindo, Aurobindo, Aurobindo Ghose, Arabinda Ghosh, Shri Aravind, Maharshi Aravind, Maharshi Aurobindo, Maharishi Aurobindo, or महर्षि अरबिंदो. Media may take note.
Classical Indian philosophy on the one hand, and the razzmatazz of religious festivals on the other, elbow out Sri Aurobindo. Absence of strong institutional mechanism for popularising his epochal ontological framework needs to be addressed so that he receives deserved attention.
The writings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have immense educational value and the function of education is to reform and transform persons. Obstinate clinging to tradition and refusal to change is against the spirit of evolution. Spreading this message among people is important.
The task is to graduate from worshipping personal gods and goddesses of mythology to identifying with impersonal divinities of the Veda. That is the journey from religion to spirituality which The Mother & Sri Aurobindo recommend. Throwing away the past baggage is indispensable.
Gita is mythology and a compilation from many sources with substantial subsequent interpolations. So, no textual fidelity and it is a bundle of confusion. The Veda is the epitome of religious wisdom and The Secret of the Veda is Sri Aurobindo's greatest gift to the modern world.
Sri Aurobindo warned against the illusion of size or quantity in The Life Divine. The first edition of Whitman's Leaves of Grass had only twelve poems. Oaks stand tall as sylvan senators but a grass leaf in Auroville is no less significant than its sanctuary of trees and forests.
I haven't read that but The Dancing Wu Li Masters by Gary Zukav had shook me.
I feel fortunate to have read this lecture by Peter Heehs which opened my eyes to the prospect of Hindu gods and goddesses suffering the fate of their Greek, Roman, or Pagan counterparts. Otherwise, I, too, would be selling the Hindutva snake oil and India vishwa-guru abracadabra.
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Heehs’ lecture on “Sri Aurobindo and Hinduism” is a devastating document contributes to new religion being created savitriera.blogspot.in/2009/03/hindu-
Those above fifty must remember that the education system they have gone through was highly manipulated as a result of which a lot of falsehood is taken for granted. Time to discover the right worldview by going through the writings of Sri Aurobindo on his 150th birth anniversary.
Those above fifty might be feeling outdated in many respects but they possess the asset of emotional maturity which is an antidote to committing stupidity. Intellectual maturity can be derived by assimilating the thoughts of Sri Aurobindo and imbibing adventure of consciousness.
Those above fifty have been victim of Nehru-Gandhi-Marx ecosystem which had a vice like grip over the dominant educational and cultural atmosphere. Things improved with the JP movement. Thus the elders have the responsibility to set the records straight for the future generation.
Those above fifty grew up in the pre-tv era and information was scarce and rationed. Each printed word was taken as gospel truth. Most pen-pushers had enormous influence and were all part of the conspiracy to banish Sri Aurobindo from academic discourse. So, time to catch up with
Those above fifty have the advantage of comparing the old and the new India. So, no need of trying to be at par with the young by hiding the age. Priorities warrant a drastic reconfiguration in the second innings of life instead of clinging to the comfort zone of the old skills.
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If Bengal developed around the Ganga river network, then the civilisation must be many thousand years old. Bhatpara, my present location, used to be a seat of Sanskrit scholarship. Many other cultural excellence and allied economic activities survive today away from the limelight.
It was also considered vulgar when released.
ଶ୍ରୀଅରବିନ୍ଦଙ୍କ ରଚିତ "ମାନବ ଯୁଗଚକ୍ର"
Savitri Era Chintadhara: #SavitriEra Party demands
1. Sovereignty to the States
2. Abolition of Reservations
3. Recognition for Savitri Era Religion
4. Sri Aurobindo's works in college syllabus
5. Returning #Auroville to Devotees
6. Removing non-Devotees from Auroville Foundation
It's needless to unravel the Congress ambivalence on the matter but the firm BJP position on unity of India is going to prove as fissiparous. Awarding Sovereignty to the States is the evolutionary imperative and the sooner it materialises, - like the erstwhile USSR, - the better.
We don't have to blame govt or political parties for plight of the people. Development is a continuous process and being in the midway is a simple ontological notion. As followers of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, we understand that evolution can undertake any rollercoaster journey.
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Just like a mother loves to talk about her child, an author too finds some pretext or the other to broach his book. It's in that context and I hope you will take it lightly. Btw how far you are acquainted with #SriAurobindo's works? He too has thought of solutions for the mankind
What is aimed at may be easy to describe but it's not true that relationships among sadhaks in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry is quite harmonious. The Trust is run in an autocratic manner and residents have no say in it. Being a private organisation, outsiders are unable to act.
Parroting party line has become so respected that the competition is only for who articulates it the best. No originality or integrity is expected. This is the sorry state of intellectuals of all camps. After all, he who pays the piper calls the tune. So, any grievance is futile.
As I am engaged in politics, religion, education, communication, content, and compassion (i.e., non-commercial), simultaneously, for so many years now, the basic requirement for this imo is freedom which most people lack. Thus, seeking a life of no strings attached can be an aim.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have analysed almost all difficulties of human life and discussed them with others with focus on individual problems. They have also examined the imperfections of society from the historical viewpoint. The situation, however, remains the same even today
Writings of Sri Aurobindo can be arranged hierarchically and there would be varied preferences. But even some lines are worth displacing whole books at the top of the pyramid like, "He does not sleep." For our purposes, of course, it needs to be modified as, "She does not sleep."
It's good that the logic of my campaign for awarding Sovereignty to the States is finally receiving national attention.
~Kashmir and Odisha should be weighed on the same footing
savitriera.blogspot.com/2016/09/kashmi
~Savitri Era Party demands Sovereignty for the States
savitriera.blogspot.com/2016/09/savitr
Today is 2.2.22. The Mother was so excited about such dates. If 1.1.11 can stand for unity, then today denotes mutuality. For harmony, we have to wait till 3.3.33 provided we survive all Covid strains. But somewhere 300 years is mentioned as the probable date for the Supramental.
Savitri Era: We have one poet and philosopher in India who surpasses all Western thinkers
savitriera.blogspot.com/2022/02/we-hav
Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra, President, #SavitriEra Party
Savitri Era of those who adore,
Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.
West Bengal, Bhatpara, Authpur.