Collated X posts in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra
Savitri Era: Sri Aurobindo is the most precious brand
savitriera.blogspot.com/2024/10/sri-au…
Collated X posts in original by Tusar Nath Mohapatra, Director, SELF, President, Savitri Era Party, & Founder, Savitri Era Religion (2006).
Savitri Era of those who adore,
Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.
Three senior citizens were doing faith marketing and, obviously, I seemed to be a good customer at the Strand in Chandannagar. Halfway through his monologue he asked me whether god needs to be manifested through somebody or not. I immediately interjected, yes, it's Sri Aurobindo.
The Life Divine is seldom considered as philosophy due to the word divine. Westerners think it's too much of religion. But the book defies strict academic classification. Sociology, psychology, anthropology, education, cosmology, hermeneutics all are part of it besides philosophy.
No one can grasp Sri Aurobindo's thought by, simply, reading his books. Worshipping The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine is indispensable for this. Surrendering to them is the pivot of Integral yoga. Savitri Era Religion has no connection with any other religion.
If a new person reads this, he should realise that life is short and so there is no point in comparing different great men to ascertain who is greater. It's the greatest advantage in life to be aware of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine and reading their books.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo strove to restore the essence of all religions as enunciated in Vedic wisdom. Their philosophy however foresees the advent of a new human race in response to the descent of the Supramental consciousness. Surrender to them is necessary for this prospect.
Sri Aurobindo has made remarkable contributions to philosophy of mind, philosophy of science, philosophy of history, philosophy of poetry and art, social and political philosophy apart from metaphysics or ontology. His penetrating insights into philology and hermeneutics is known.
Many economists take pride in basing their theory on human nature. Psychology too struggles to unravel patterns of human behaviour with as much fidelity as possible. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, on the contrary, endeavour for transformation of human nature as an evolutionary leap.
Sri Aurobindo has said, repeatedly, that devotion and surrender to The Mother is absolutely necessary. Thus, worshipping both of them as the one Supreme Divine is very much part of his philosophical formulation. The Life Divine, therefore, needs to be read in this modified manner.
Remember and offer is a potent formula suggested by The Mother. She has also emphasised the role of japa. Babaji Ramakrishna Das wrote a book on Nama Japa, in Odia, which is popular and has been translated into other languages. Prapatti and he have influenced Odisha in a big way.
A galaxy of poets, writers, journalists, and politicians were aggressively promoting The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's philosophy in Odisha when I was in school. Weekly study circles were being conducted in many villages including my own. This Pathachakra movement continues till date.
Many are concerned about the future of the country and the present political climate stokes such appetite. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo however encourage to be aware of one's own psychological condition and be in control of thoughts and emotions. Surrender to them facilitates this.
Savitri Era Religion is a great alternative for worshipping The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine who are always present in their three poises and lead evolutionary march for descent of the Supramental consciousness which will result in creation of a new human race.
I started following a new religion in 1964 which I named as Savitri Era Religion in 2006. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's writings have provided immense stimulus for intellectual development. Their system of yoga is an excellent manual of self-management. Savitri rears aesthetics.
Sri Aurobindo's writings whet up curiosity in different directions. The Veda, Upanishads, Gita, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Kalidasa, Bhartṛhari, Bankim Chandra, and Thirukkural. Similarly, on the Western front, Homer, Heraclitus, Blake, Coleridge, Nietzsche, Lamprecht, and Cousins.
At times, it comes to the mind that Sri Aurobindo didn't write much on economics although he was responding to Marx on sociology. But his overall ontology, which has aptly been called as Integral Advaita, does include economics which conceives there is nothing outside the Market.
Most people are not aware of Sri Aurobindo's Collected Plays and Stories in two volumes incarnateword.in/cwsa/03. It's amusing to assume that he suppressed so much of his creative instincts due to the pressures of writing philosophy, psychology, sociology, literary criticism, etc.
People in general are still attracted to the West and the teachings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are considered quintessentially Indian. So it's a question of credibility. There's no solution to that. But then ultimately what they have called the call matters. Inner urge guides.
Sri Aurobindo's writings from 1914 onwards have much greater relevance and significance than those before it. Similarly, his writings after 1926 are of deeper import than those before it. So, readers need to remember this historical aspects while going through his Complete Works.
General education is a failure when it comes to eradicating superstitions. Reading the books of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo can orient one in a new philosophical framework and liberate from the clutch of mythology and rituals. Personal effort is crucial for such scientific temper.
The Secret of the Veda is the secret of Sri Aurobindo's philosophy. Although it is said that he delved deep into Veda rather late, but his theory of seamless consciousness springs from there. It's interesting to note that C. Subramania Bharati was his companion for studying Veda.
A few Hindutva handles, who also pose to be followers of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, are deep into the hate business. They draw immense satisfaction and self-esteem from religious fanaticism. It's their choice, but gives The Mother and Sri Aurobindo's goal of harmony a bad name.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have predicted things that are, completely, unbelievable. They have written tomes on topics which have, absolutely, nothing tangible about them. Savitri Era Religion is such a valiant and futuristic path. "And belief shall be not till the work is done."
Evolution of intellectual discourse in the course of the last two hundred years is a subject of study in itself. But how far politics, economics, or religion have exerted their influence is more interesting. The philosophy of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is intuitive and futuristic.
Rajiv Malhotra in his latest video has lamented about how Dalai Lama was able to convert Westerners into Buddhism while Indian gurus failed to create any recognisable or credible organisation. I created Savitri Era Religion in 2006 for the very same purpose apropos Sri Aurobindo.
Savitri Era Religion belongs to all those devotees of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo who don't have any connection with other religions or gurus barring an academic interest. Local happenings in Ashram or Auroville don't matter much for Savitri Era Religion which is spread worldwide.
Genesis of Savitri Era Religion can be traced to the first meeting of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother on March 29, 1914, in Puducherry. Sri Aurobindo was born in Kolkata on August 15, 1872, and The Mother in Paris on February 21, 1878. Her father was Turkish and mother, an Egyptian.
Six chapters of The Mother booklet were written by Sri Aurobindo in 1927 and was published in 1928. Bases of Yoga, published in 1936, is also another fundamental book of Savitri Era Religion. Prayers and Meditations by The Mother, published in 1932, too is a favourite of devotees.
Savitri Era Religion is completely voluntary and has no system of any initiation or conversion. It's a direct relationship between the devotee and The Mother & Sri Aurobindo without any intermediary or authority. Visiting local Centres is also optional and not in any way binding.
Sri Aurobindo passed away in 1950 and the world has seen many changes during the last 74 years. His philosophy and vision, however, hasn't been able to gain much traction. Nevertheless, The Mother & Sri Aurobindo lead the march of evolution to descent of Supramental consciousness.
You knew that Sri Aurobindo was a pioneer in the Freedom struggle; he was, in fact, the fourth pillar to Lal-Bal-Pal. Now you understand that he has written books which are extremely important. The next step is to realise that The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are the one Supreme Divine.
Sri Aurobindo wrote when postmodernism and semiology were not in vogue. Yet, in his writings, one can discover many strains of that nature. He wrote The Life Divine. Then, he revised and expanded it. But still he left the final picture to be decided by the supra-rational faculty.
Savitri Era Party is opposed to AAP, BJP, and Congress. It's also against reservations and all Constitutional provisions regarding castes, religions, and languages. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo stood for universality and it needs to be incorporated in the Constitution for equality.
Although Sri Aurobindo was born to supposedly Hindu parents, the Brahmo influence was in the air. Later, he was baptised purportedly but didn't practice Christianity. The Mother was born to Jewish parents but she had apparently no interest in Judaism. Savitri Era Religion is new.
Mind has limits; it can't know everything. This is how ignorance operates. But willful ignorance or selective amnesia is used as a weapon. Thus narrative building is practically a war situation. All theory is afflicted by this disease and the virus spreads to all spheres of life.
Sri Aurobindo started publishing his more serious theoretical formulations in 1914 but the state of intellectual discourse in 2024 is pathetic. While Western verbosity remains myopic and anaemic, Hindutva disrupts with a warped and imaginary worldview. Time to discover Savitri Era.
More than half of Savitri is full of descriptions of inner and unseen worlds and Sri Aurobindo has affirmed that they reflect his own spiritual experiences. Thus, Savitri needs to be appreciated beyond the usual modes of enjoying poetic imagery. Savitri is unique in this respect.
In Sri Aurobindo's scheme of social organisation, he approves the Vedic view of Varna division. Unity, mutuality, and harmony not uniformity is his mantra. Obviously, the communist goal of equality is out. Further, swabhava and swadharma are seen as paramount subject to evolution.
Although I had benefitted from the writings of direct disciples like Kishor Gandhi, Shyam Sunder Jhunjhunwala, and M.P. Pandit regarding the social and political philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, D.P. Chattopadhyaya's Sri Aurobindo and Karl Marx provided a very wide canvas and horizon.
Sri Aurobindo's Savitri: An Approach and a Study by A.B. Purani was considered as an authority. But thanks to VAK I got a copy of A Study of Savitri by Prema Nandakumar which was of immense information as well as inspiration. This was before Mangesh V. Nadkarni entering the scene.
Beyond Man by Georges van Vrekhem is one of most comprehensive biographies of Sri Aurobindo. It's also titled as Beyond the Human Species in American edition. Patterns of the Present and Hitler and His God are two other useful books by the same author.
motherandsriaurobindo.in/disciples/geor…
Worshipping Ambedkar, Modi, or Marx is perfectly normal in the sense that at least they aren't part of mythological fiction or superstition. Similarly worshipping The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine under Savitri Era Religion is completely a devotee's prerogative.
The history of Western philosophy is very interesting and important. Ken Wilber is the first person to popularise Sri Aurobindo as belonging to and modifying that tradition. His early books are testimony to this enthusiasm. Rajiv Malhotra's new book should be read in that light.
Philosophy is beyond common sense and hence, anyone can challenge it. But why can't we learn history in an objective manner? Leftists pushed their pet agenda and Hindutva wants its own narrative. Reading Sri Aurobindo's books can rectify many aberrations pervading academic scene.
Overpopulation and diversity are increasingly making India ungovernable. Savitri Era Party has been demanding granting of Sovereignty to States on linguistic basis under a loose federation in consonance with Sri Aurobindo's #FiveDreams and #WorldUnion broadcast on August 14, 1947.
Reliance on The Mother and surrender is the basic attitude for devotees. It's a dynamic psychological state and not a passive condition. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine lead the evolutionary move. "Always our Captain holds the rudder well, He does not sleep."
Colonialism ended but Leftist dominance continued. Economic reforms was derailed by hegemony of technology. Competition is missing in Market. Hindutva is the latest entrant to the mix and sycophancy is the hallmark of Democracy. Thus we experience a theatre of the absurd in India.
Collected Works of the Mother has 20 volumes and Mother's Agenda has 17 volumes. They can be accessed free at incarnateword.in/agenda. Besides, The Spiritual Significance of Flowers can be accessed at motherandsriaurobindo.in/The-Mother/boo…. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are the one Supreme Divine.
It's true that finding direct relevance of Sri Aurobindo's socio-political theories to the current situation in India is difficult, but it's profitable to remember that the ontology of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is evolutionary and emergent which is very much active in real time.
Journey of Sri Aurobindo's Ideas to the West by Dr. Sangitaben C. Acharya forms part of a collection of articles (a few in Gujarati) titled Thoughts of Sri Aurobindo edited by Dr. Varsha C. Brahmbhatt and Harsukh H. Parmar, and Published by Maniben M. P. Shah Mahila Arts College.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have written on different religious or historical icons at different points of time. Understanding their proper context and symbolic significance is important instead of literal reading. They are not bound by any cultural typification; not even the Veda.
Many people write books recommending some experiences of their lives as solution for others. The Psychic Being of each individual has a particular plan and mode of execution in terms of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's ontology. Thus, every person is unique who creates his own story.
Sri Aurobindo's writings since 1914 provide a wholesome Interdisciplinary course on political science, history, philosophy, psychology, sociology, education, literature, & cultural studies apart from scriptural interpretation. Present generation is missing a lot by neglecting him.
Life is nothing but a sequence of actions and being in different situations which seem to be of no great consequence. But The Mother reminds "The will for the great discovery should be always there above you...like a huge bird of light dominating all the movements of your being."
The dissenting judgement of Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy in the Auroville case paved the way for a new religion, and I formed the Savitri Era Religion in 2006 for devotees worshipping The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as the one Supreme Divine who are always present in their three poises.
It's possible that some people are attracted by good quotations but in order to grasp the thought of Sri Aurobindo in its versatility, reading his Complete Works to a reasonable extent is essential. Besides, The Mother's writings and those of their direct disciples are there.
People from S. Gurumurthy to Rajiv Malhotra are talking about Sri Aurobindo but there is nothing to be happy about it. Savitri Era Party (2007) is firm in its opposition to Hindutva as much as it is opposed to the Congress. Those desirous of studying Sri Aurobindo should be wary.
Writings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are available for scholarly scrutiny but anyone promising extraordinary powers and experiences or healing systems on the basis of them should be suspect. Integral yoga doesn't recommend any fixed practice and devotees should act accordingly.
Rituals are like abacus which need to be abandoned, and the Veda is very clear on it as revealed by Sri Aurobindo. But religions are more driven by careers and commerce than devotion or communion with Divine. Savitri Era Religion is an invitation for discovering one's true being.
Awarding Classical language status to a few more ones indicates the fragmented state of nationhood in India. The role of leadership should be to respond to future challenges and not react only to past rumblings. Granting Sovereignty to States is the most logical need for progress.
Pretending that one is free from philosophy or spirituality is erroneous since conforming to one narrative or the other is very much a reality. Thus the priority is to choose the right path but education system is woefully inadequate for this. Following Sri Aurobindo is solution.
Tragedy of India in the 21st century is that the Govt recommends a specific religion. Modernity ushered in an era of critical reason whereby many religions were found wanting. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have provided elaborate discussions on the matter but they are being ignored.
Being a devotee of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo from my childhood, I have witnessed many phases of this fledgling religion. Studying their philosophy, and then being able to write on it, has been a long journey. It has imparted a feeling of superiority over general intellectuality.
Writing a book takes away the freedom to think freely or at least expressing them. Recommending the book at the slightest opportunity becomes the prime concern. Then one keeps on repeating or defending what's said in the book. That prevents new thoughts or fresh insights over it.
https://x.com/SavitriEra/status/1848403958160638369?t=iF_gQXgYndtxKLthT6yEiA&s=19
