Tweets in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra, Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF since 2005)
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo offer the best of spiritual philosophy based on evolutionary framework. Their politics and poetry too are aligned to the same wavelengths. Anything old or different is anti-evolutionary. It's a challenge for everyone to partake of this ideology in life.
The super-prompt Govt-action on the Parasnath front is an eye-opener for the devotees of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. Similar status should be demanded for Auroville with all non-devotees hounded out. Matrimandir may be an architectural splendour but it's the sanctum sanctorum too.
Tapasya has many advantages but does harbour an overdose of hubris. The confidence of achieving, when armed with right qualities, is a bit preposterous and sanctimonious. Surrender, on the contrary, is conscious of contingencies and relies on a continuous invocation of the grace.
Religious hatred is part of civil discourse now but still abhorrent to civility. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have demonstrated pitfalls of religions but with the intention of transcending them. Without explicitly announcing it they have established a new religion for whole mankind.
Accusations galore of RSS tinkering with the functioning of universities to interpretation of the Constitution. There may be a grain of truth but the fact is that Indians have been fed an artificial concoction since independence and previous dispensation was not altogether right.
My introduction to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is sixty years old. The Mother passed away followed by the direct disciples, one by one. Today there's almost none to look up to. But the books are there which contain infinite sources of inspiration. Still wanted a comprehensive one.
Many nourish the illusion that what Sri Aurobindo wrote is his original contribution whereas his ideas are largely derivative but garnished with sparkles of originality. Academic interrogation of his oeuvre tracing genealogy of thought is an interesting exercise. East & West meet.
Most devotees suffer from “a little learning is a dangerous thing” syndrome. While they are well-versed in the futuristic ideas involving evolution, they are hardly informed of the philosophical speculations by other thinkers towards that goal. Reading Sri Aurobindo is not enough.
Religion is an important component of citizenship so much so that even secular seeming Constitutions have ample scope for it. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have created a new religion and the devotees are scattered worldwide. The religion however doesn't pass to the next generation.
Present day behaviour of people is a mixed affair. It's very difficult to trace what comes from where. Yet, it's not difficult to discern that most things are driven by modernity and technology. No one can stop that but increasing sensitisation on the democracy front is absent.
Attractions, no doubt, are multifarious and seductions are lurking everywhere. So, staying steadfast on course is a big challenge. Others may read various things but for devotees, reading from the works of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo regularly is a must. EL motherandsriaurobindo.in
The mythology around The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is wide-ranging and complex. Looking at history through this lens creates a kaleidoscopic picture of the time. From hard-nosed politics to aesthetics and the occult, vista after vista opens when one encounters them. All are invited.
Internet is full of resources offering easy spiritual experiences and realisation and many young men fall prey to them. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo on the contrary make aware of the difficulties on the path and warn against hurried steps. Reading helps prepare a seasoned mentality
My life is not on the surface, said Sri Aurobindo and that is precisely the reason why scholars avoid engaging with him. His prominent contemporaries attract much more attention but the profundity of Sri Aurobindo eludes the intellectuals. Further, his conversations lack veracity.
Democracy, development, and decency in public life etc. are 20th century ideals. Sri Aurobindo posits the idea of evolution and rising to the next level of consciousness. This is the most futuristic target that humanity has dreamt of so far. Indians need to be acquainted with it.
The Left and the Congress have ruled the intellectual space since independence. As an alternative, Hindutva admittedly is not an ideal one. But then who to rely upon? Sri Aurobindo in this context is the most relevant and coherent. He draws the best from the past and blends well.
When all is said and done, the uniform and collective exercise of RSS is the antithesis of Hindutva. The secular and egalitarian worldview increasingly promoted by it lately is corroding its core ethos. Good for the country but more transparency in ideology can help all quarters.
Savitri is for oneself and not for others. A quote can exhilarate one but not in the same way another. It's about the moment, the momentum of inspiration. Many lines are dialogues of different characters of a play and hence can't be seen as philosophical sayings of Sri Aurobindo.
Human civilisation has been a result of human thought and action but the next evolution won't be on the same lines, says Sri Aurobindo. Supramental force will design the future and hence political or economic activities are juvenile. Old philosophies and religions are redundant.
Every issue is being judged from the religion angle and brownie points earned. Partisanship is dismantling fair play and sense of justice. Political rivalry is pushing things to the level of enmity. Following Sri Aurobindo is the best recourse for maintaining sanity and civility.
Democracy in India has been on monarchical lines since inception. Those who blame the present govt should also examine how the previous govts fared. As long as this govt enjoys the people's mandate, it has a right of way including breaking precedents and amending the Constitution
Not very far from the Victoria Memorial is the Sri Aurobindo's place of birth at 8, Shakespeare Sarani but most Kolkatans are unaware of it. Educational institutions should conduct guided tours for students for generating curiosity about the great poet, patriot, and philosopher.
Neither India ever existed nor Hinduism. Both are misnomers and modern day suppositions. Forgetting about the composite nature of both creates the problem. Different kingdoms were always reconfigured and various reform movements were a continuous process within religious streams.
The Congress and the Left have done enormous damage to the country by banishing Sri Aurobindo from the text books. Most people under the influence of Hindutva haven't read anything from Sri Aurobindo. Had they read they would have been easily cured of religious hatred and bigotry.
The Mother is very emphatic upon maintaining silence and listening to lectures is a good meditative exercise. But intellectuality demands active digestion of what is said for reinforcing the learning process. Thus dynamic meditation is more appropriate in the Integral yoga system.
The Riddle of the Universe at the Close of the Nineteenth Century is a book by Ernst Haeckel. A few letters by Sri Aurobindo was compiled as The Riddle of this World which is a good introduction to his philosophical approach. The Problem of Rebirth, also.
Elections are scheduled next year and hence a lot of rhetoric and polemic will fly all the time. Outrage will hit the ceiling. So, the challenge is to keep cool and read the books of Sri Aurobindo. Dedicating a month for reading The Mother or Sri Aurobindo can be a good stimulus.
As long as the anti-colonial sentiment persists, Sri Aurobindo will be remembered for freedom struggle. A new book has created a narrative around revolutionaries. But the real contribution of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is evolution to Supramental consciousness and their own divinity.
Devotion and surrender to The Mother is the first requirement for the followers of Sri Aurobindo. Reading their books on a regular basis is the second. Aspiring for higher consciousness and a harmonious society is the third. Becoming a hero warrior against the past is the fourth.
Vital is a vital term in the philosophy of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. They advise to do everything but without vital attachment so that it counts as yoga. Sounds quite traditional but the difference is allowing evolution to function and effect transformation midst dispassion.
India is an accident of history. It is a long chain and the current link is not the final. So, to think something as the ultimate or the supreme is wishful thinking. Languages harbour fissiparous tendencies with the potential of creating volatile situations. The future is not linear.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo worked for the welfare of India but from a global and Integral perspective. They had always the evolutionary imperative in mind. The World Union as outlined in the Five Dreams of SriAurobindo can force wide-ranging changes. So the current situation is fluid.
The most misleading impression about Sri Aurobindo is that he is a Hindu icon. His criticism of Hinduism is scattered in most of his books including commentaries on ancient scriptures. Reading his original works can give the real message like his deconstruction of Vedic deities.
Those interested in understanding Sri Aurobindo should avoid the books of Hindutva votaries. There are many life-long scholars of Sri Aurobindo and imbibing their insights is more important than imposing imaginary images on Sri Aurobindo. Debashish Banerji.
Sri Aurobindo should receive the highest position among all the great men and women in the country. His books should find place in the syllabus of all educational institutions. His devotees should be granted the status of a new religion and Auroville admn. be handed over to them.
How much the history text books will be changed is doubtful but the present perception and reception of Sri Aurobindo can be altered in a big way. What's needed is conviction and confidence. Educated people expressing ignorance about this great poet and philosopher is deplorable.
Those who are unable to understand how Sri Aurobindo is superior to Gandhi, Vivekananda, Tagore, or Radhakrishnan will obviously be unable to know his philosophical superiority over Bergson, Whitehead, Husserl, or Heidegger. Appreciating Sri Aurobindo demands high intellectuality.
No one talks of a caste-less or religion-free society any more. The reality of divisions among human beings has become a permanent feature. Yet, the vision of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo promises a different ideal. Fraternity based on the bondage of the soul will be a common thing.
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