Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra, Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF) and President, Savitri Era Party
Savitri Era: Appreciating Sri Aurobindo demands high intellectuality
savitriera.blogspot.com/2023/01/apprec
Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra, Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF) and President, Savitri Era Party.
Savitri Era of those who adore,
Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.
Savitri Era: A panoptic picture of Sri Aurobindo
savitriera.blogspot.com/2022/12/a-pano
Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra (b.1956), Director, SELF, Founder, Savitri Era Religion (2006), & President, Savitri Era Party (2007)
Savitri Era of those who adore,
Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.
Savitri Era Learning Forum: History will regard Sri Aurobindo as an outstanding landmark
selforum.blogspot.com/2022/12/histor
Collated by Tusar Nath Mohapatra (b. 1956), Director, SELF (2005) & Founder, Savitri Era Religion (2006)
Savitri Era of those who adore,
Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.
A newspaper article on Sri Aurobindo's opposition to castes is making waves. But more important is his holding human life and the body as paramount despite present imperfections. Many schools of philosophy and religion belittle the body and life while he treats them as transition.
Although my followers figure is above 1300, the avarage number of impressions my tweets get is a paltry fifty. This is also a reflection of how many people are interested in Sri Aurobindo. Thankfully, savitriera.blogspot.com gets good response where tweets from 2012 are archived.
Philosophy is the means for understanding oneself. Joining any group activity or guided practice before adequate grounding in philosophy can be disastrous. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo wrote extensively to bring home various facets of cosmology. Reading therefore is indispensable.
As the teachings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo recede more and more into the past, popularising them becomes an urgency. Current political scenario not being very favourable, establishing legitimacy is an uphill task. Yet, human reason can play a part in showing their superiority
After the arrival of Internet, it was expected that an acceptable form of reception of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo will grow as centres are constrained by the personal characteristics of local functionaries. Even a model will develop transcending the Ashram straightjacket but alas!
Right to private property has come to mean right to poverty, deprivation, and unemployment. There's no justification why anyone else would be bothered about a particular person's economic condition. Expecting only the govt to intervene is too socialistic. Market must respond too.
If we accept Sri Aurobindo's symbolic interpretation of the Vedic deity Soma as delight, then its connection with Moon or Indu or Hindu doesn't hold water. Pathetic attempts to stretch reason to its limits will continue but thanks to Sri Aurobindo, an alternative recourse exists.
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Religion-based would be more honest and accurate than value-based. Hesitation in saying religion implies hedging and dodging criticism.
Elected representatives defecting from one party to another has become so common that it has become a hallmark of democracy. No one raises his eyebrow anymore. But then the question is how one party can be said to be different from the other? Or, should parties be leader-based?
Sri Aurobindo is a great poet and philosopher but how does it help the common man? Can he give food or electricity free? Obviously no and hence he has no relevance in politics. However, there is a need to outgrow this narrow mentality as Sri Aurobindo worked for an ideal society.
Many contradictions surfaced after Marx, Darwin, Nietzsche, and Freud which Sri Aurobindo resolved through his Integral philosophy. His contemporaries like Bergson, Whitehead, Husserl, and Heidegger, however, worked parallally. The Western world is yet to discover Sri Aurobindo.
BJP follows the politics of the Congress to the hilt. Additionally, it has got religion as glue. Nothing wrong; each activity harnesses necessary tricks for survival. The States, however, betray regional nationalism by espousing charisma. The scenario is complex and fissiparous.
Leftist intellectuals have been doing their job well as they have the Westerners for benchmarking. Hindutva scholars, on the contrary, sail on their own and fail miserably in the absence of critical analysis or peer review. Mutual appreciation society is no guarantee for quality.
False sense of pride and superiority is the bane of the current generation. The Mother's devotees must make sure to get rid of this psychological disease. Sri Aurobindo wrote on India's potential for motivating the people. But his later writings don't emphasise upon this aspect.
Philosophy is not popular and Sri Aurobindo's philosophy is still more remote. His poetry too is largely unknown. To hail him as a revolutionary freedom fighter doesn't do justice to his work. Similarly, keeping him bound within Hindu religion is anomalous. Fresh look is needed.
Sri Aurobindo represents the culmination of various churnings in the wake of Brahmo Samaj over a century. Similarly, different streams of ideology after him denote degeneration. Indians must do a critical analysis of the last two hundred years to understand his real significance.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo inaugurated a new synthesis of knowledge. They also promulgated Integral yoga. No one has been able to surpass them. It is necessary to believe in them and follow them by leaving behind old systems and practices. They represent evolution to new species.
Many devotees of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo get addicted to ancient texts but it's a trap. Symbolic interpretation of the Veda is the most potent weapon for guarding against such addiction. Indian philosophy and tradition is a maze from which keeping a safe distance is necessary.
It's impossible to assess Sri Aurobindo or trace his intellectual journey. His Record of Yoga period ended early and he refrained from such elaborate practice barring explorations in Savitri. Interestingly, he never prescribed any fixed method and this is something unprecedented.
The Congress never insisted on or privileged Hindu identity but this govt does. This is against the spirit of Indian Constitution. Sri Aurobindo doesn't support any particular religion. That doesn't mean he wants people to be irreligious. Understanding this nuance is important.
A govt must not be judged by economic parameters alone. Instituting good laws and undertaking reforms should weigh more. Similarly health of democracy is also an overriding factor. For instance, maximum two terms for a Prime Minister can be established presently through precedent.
Each individual is supreme in a democracy. Too much of docility and sycophancy corrodes it. Nurturing institutional mechanisms to prevent it therefore is paramount. India has a long history of monarchy. Keeping its fledgling democracy insulated from totalitarian tendencies needed.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo ask for awareness and aspiration and not merely celebration. We all are constantly undergoing evolution tethered to Supramental force. A sense of surrender and gratitude to it is what is needed. Current affairs are not necessarily in the right direction.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo aim at transformation of human nature. Political theory too aspires for ethical environment and an ideal society. Democracy is an instrument for realising these objectives but is dependent on individual. Thus both spiritual and political goals meet here.
Poverty in India was at the abysmal level when The Mother & Sri Aurobindo were there. Yet they foresaw an ideal human society manifesting truth, good, and beauty. Unity, mutuality, and harmony was the underlying formula. They were confident that it's an evolutionary inevitability.
Neo-Hindu gurus on the one hand and traditional Hindu texts on the other prevent people from accessing the works of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. As a result authentic religious attunement doesn't reach the new generation. Mythological fiction and superstition hold sway over people.
Although all kinds of religious paraphernalia take place in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry, the lack of a religion tag curbs its influence. People visit, buy a book or two and leave without any lasting impression. The image of the freedom fighter further curtails his core work.
Our personal history, on the one hand, is very much real and forms the base of our life and future. The same, on the other hand, is also considered as something scripted which one must, perforce, undergo. In this context, how much one can plan one's action becomes a big question.
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Thus while from one perspective life's activities seem illusory, from the point of view of yoga work becomes the means for expressing the Divine and effort brings joy. Even things mechanical or habitual can turn locus for creative manifestation involving innovation and invention.
However, the role of evolution can't be ruled out which has a distinct plan and direction. It would be logical, therefore, to assume that all actions are geared towards, or rather attuned to, its overall intention and each person is like just any instrument of a whole symphony.
Still, the individual is the implement and vehicle of evolution's mechanics, variety and hierarchy prevailing in the world, notwithstanding. One's day-to-day activities, therefore, are of crucial significance not only for personal satisfaction or enjoyment but also for evolution.
Things looked quite normal when the new Constitution was imposed upon India. The intelligentsia hailed it as a great revolution. But the cultural milieu of the country never got reflected. The current scenario with Hindutva as a preponderant factor can be said to be a corrective.
It's a matter of regret that the large reservoir of guidance that The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have left behind is not reaching the young Indians. A patient in the hospital yesterday was complaining of negative thoughts and I thought how he could benefit from The Mother's teachings.
People are suffering from defective worldviews due to lack of acquaintance with The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. They are unaware of this considerable deficiency. Left-wing thought popularises political correctness which is warped in many respects. Science too misinforms to an extent.
Knowing about the basics of philosophy and psychology is important for life. Such exposure is minimal due to slender chances of education in humanities. Reading the works of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo provides an alternative opportunity for awareness in a variety of such subjects.
Established in 2005 in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF) has been endeavouring for spreading the words of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo in particular and insights on philosophy and politics in general. It's the only handle for dispassionate and objective views.
Just like distorted history taught in the schools is playing havoc with students' awareness, narrow scope of the philosophy syllabus in colleges deprives them of right orientation. Sri Aurobindo's philosophy in this context has enormous relevance. But Leftist professors stonewall.
Full-scale grasp on Sri Aurobindo's philosophy needs a few dedicated decades. Besides, adequate acquaintance with Western philosophy and poetry is a requirement. Thus, one has to read, slowly and steadily. There are no shortcuts. This is the best self-education after the college.
Most people are more interested in what Sri Aurobindo said about Gandhi, Tagore, Subhas, Vivekananda, or Ramakrishna instead of trying to understand his own original thoughts. Even his record of conversations are taken as gospel truth. This is an aberration. Written works matter.
Scholars have attempted to christen Sri Aurobindo's philosophy in relation to traditional schools but it's entirely different. Those espousing old religions, therefore, are far away from what he is trying to say. Hatred for other religions is odious but new knowledge must spread.
Most people cling to own religion more due to antipathy towards other religions than real love for own religion. This is a negative motivation. Sri Aurobindo's philosophy on the other hand gives the opportunity to critically analyse the whole situation and decide what's the best.
Criticising human imperfection is not the answer. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have seen them all. Transformation of human nature through the action of the Supramental force is the solution. Aspiring for that is the first step. Surrender to The Mother is the second. Third rejection.
Whether people recognise it or not The Mother & Sri Aurobindo preside over the fate of this nation and the world. The political situation may not be the ideal one but many things are evolving fast. The ideal of human unity is very much relevant and it's not too far to be achieved.
2022 marks the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo which saw moderate level of commemoration. Henceforth, he is going to pass into the distant past and faint memory. So, it's the duty of his admirers to keep him relevant and reverent. The young must know about his teachings.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have announced the greatest happy prospect for the mankind in its history of ten thousand years. Descent of the next level of consciousness is part of the evolutionary process. Let's all remember them with gratitude and devotion. Let's read their books.
Sri Aurobindo's assessment of Hindu faith rings true when one reads the conflicting and confusing tweets of Hindutva proponents. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have created an alternative philosophical framework for all people in the world, including the rationalists and secularists.
Interesting dialogue on history, justice, and democracy but drawing a pattern for people's behaviour is difficult. At times, they will favour religion and economic issues at other. The past lives on and different versions of it play a role. No point in seeking what's true history
People get impressed easily by crowds and organisations. They have their roles no doubt but the negative sides too. Reading the books of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is the best way for imbibing their philosophy. They are now available free online. All are invited for this journey.
Media debates act as intoxicants for young adults. Nothing wrong about keeping abreast ol the current affairs but grounding in philosophical matters is also a necessity. Unfortunately, public intellectuals don't possess such orientation and Sri Aurobindo's thought is too far away
Complains about Auroville being a cult is quite common. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are the one Supreme Divine for their devotees and it's a new religion of which Matrimandir is the sanctum sanctorum. It's not a tourist spot. Those visiting should bear in mind that they are aliens.
