Savitri Era

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Avoiding mythological literalism and identification

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty

@krishnarjun108 Please read "The Life Divine" by Sri Aurobindo, the most illuminating book on the subject offering an integral world-view.
[NONE of Heehs followers has come out in the smallest way to support Mother and Sri Aurobindo. Comment by vishwamitra2] http://mirr.in/2012/05/08/demeaning-the-native-taxi-driver-god/#comment-83
[Refreshing to read Aurobindo's writings as a contrast to the denunciation of knowledge and action by the Vaishnavas.] http://auromere.wordpress.com/2012/05/12/subhas-chandra-bose-on-sri-aurobindo/
[I am condemned to perceive the beautiful in the banal.. The greatest American leader was an African-American - Govind] http://mirr.in/2012/05/12/the-greatest-american-leader-was-an-african-american/#comment-99
[Ashram is nurturing and housing a traitor who has written so negatively about the Guru and Founder Sri Aurobindo.] http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2012/05/om-namo-bhagavate-radhikaranjan-das.html
[The Lost Years of RSS by Sanjeev Kelkar, a RSS insider of more than 45 years - CRI by Shreyans Maini] http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/centreright/~3/N2PbtHio_S0/
@gopimaliwal @BhaskarChat @SwarupKS [RSS morphed into a secret brotherhood society. disdain for intellectual discourse] http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/centreright/~3/N2PbtHio_S0/
@krishnarjun108 Two useful books: Adam Smith's lost legacy -Gavin Kennedy (2005) Adam Smith: An Enlightened Life -Nicholas Phillipson (2010)
@svelaga Because Heehs is publicising himself to be an avatar of Sri Krishna and the management of Sri Aurobindo Ashram is in his clutch.
@Tarunvijay A complete reliance on the FIVE DREAMS Manifesto of Vishwaguru Sri Aurobindo is the call of the hour. No other voice matches it.
Symbol more crucial than Legend & hence delving too deep into mythological literalism & identification needs to be avoided by Savitri Erans.
@krishnarjun108 Smith is the foundation, no doubt; but lot many things needs to be added for crafting a suitable roadmap for the future.
@krishnarjun108 True, but unless one studies the superb analysis of Varna by Sri Aurobindo, it is easy to get misled by superficial notions. @krishnarjun108 You can google and find some relevant discussion on the topic.
@krishnarjun108 Again, let's not neglect the present while rediscovering the past heroes. Brilliant minds are around and let's take benefit.
@malviyamit To have high expectations and be dissapointed is no prudence. Time to look at brighter sides too like plurality & marginalised.
@krishnarjun108 Adam Smith was a Prof. of philosophy and not an economist. His views were based on local reality which may not be true today
@malviyamit The FIVE DREAMS Manifesto of Sri Aurobindo should have occupied the centrestage today. India will continue to blunder around now
@amargov Right course is to go for Presidential at the Centre while retaining the Parliamentary in States. List system for RS is also good.
@I_rkmishra Deprecating the present by presenting a romantic picture of our past is unfair, for some might surpass the old personalities.
@goldenarcher @mihirkumarjha Compliments to Mihir. He needs to focus on achievable targets & choose his ideological furrow with more finesse
4 May [Ian Bogost ‏ @ibogost Is Whitehead useful for understanding autism, or is autism useful for validating process philosophy and theories of becoming? #c21nonhuman] Retweeted by Savitri Era Party
13 Feb 10 [Gilles Guattari ‏ @AuntieOedipus "Desiring-machines are the fundamental category of the economy of desire; they produce a body without organs all by themselves..." (32).] Retweeted by Savitri Era Party
12 May [Joshua J A Smith ‏ @smithjjas Baudrillard asserts that in modern culture, “the map precedes the territory”. Does Satoshi Kon’s 'Paprika'... http://tmblr.co/Z4JKdwLKnvhx] Retweeted by Savitri Era Party
@findmanu @devinder_sharma Spot on, and so we formed SEP which grows by logic of others' failure and tied to untried icon of Sri Aurobindo.
[I can only salute and applaud Sraddhalu's indefatigable courage for persevering in his quest to speak truth.. -Govind] http://mirr.in/2012/05/11/ill-will-fills-auroville-wc-spills/
@Devinder_Sharma @findmanu We opposed Heehs' book on Sri Aurobindo & they retorted: write your own book. Similarly, start your own channel.
@PrabhuChawla Joining Savitri Era Party is a good option for him so that he enjoys the best of both worlds by following the middle path.
12 May @BhaskarChat In fact, the cartoon is nothing if compared with the mischievous caricature that Peter Heehs made of Sri Aurobindo's reputation

Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Sri Aurobindo stresses upon the character of the means

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty

8 May @centerofright Truth must prevail & not wishful reconstructions of history moulded to whitewash political avenues. Kudos to all facing odds.
[8 May Bibek Debroy ‏ @bibekdebroy @abhinavagarwal: Sri Aurobindo, though it is part commentary. Retweeted by Savitri Era Party]
[8 May Abhinav ‏ @abhinavagarwal @bibekdebroy Thanks :) One more question: between Sri Aurobindo's and Dr S Radhakrishnan's Gita translations, which would you recommend? Retweeted by Savitri Era Party]
8 May @AnshumanSunny @gopimaliwal But it's not good to write "Leftists should die," especially in the public domain which gives RSS a bad name.
8 May @gopimaliwal @rvaidya2000 All this is valid within a vibrant democracy. Programmes, policies, and ideologies of all actors needs to be open.
8 May @krishnarjun108 @gopimaliwal Digging into deep past at this juncture obfuscates our understanding and necessity of the present and 2014.
8 May @malviyamit The gravity of the situation in the whole region involving 5-6 States is not being realised. No solution without NCTC at present
8 May @malviyamit Either the State Govt. must act or cede space. Obviously it is ill-equipped for the former and hence the genesis of NCTC. Simple
8 May @malviyamit The grave consequences of dismissing NCTC off hand on pseudo-federal considerations should come home after this tragic incidence
8 May @gopimaliwal Considering the prime space that RSS occupies within Indian Democracy, there must be more interrogation of what Nagpur thinks.
8 May @gopimaliwal Power is not a priority for the RSS but survival is. They understand the need for change but no one has mandate to tinker with.
8 May @prasannavishy A recent example is how Peter Heehs has disfigured the unblemished record of Mahayogi Sri Aurobindo and drummed up support.
8 May @vinod_sharma The future is not an extension of the past. Time to embark upon an altogether glorious path sanctified by Yogi Sri Aurobindo.
8 May A larger and dynamic vision for the nation as articulated by Sri Aurobindo in his FIVE DREAMS Manifesto awards a lofty responsibility on us.
8 May @gopimaliwal Salvaging a sinking Titanic is an impossible task. The inspiration of Sri Aurobindo alone can charge a pan-Indian liberal Party
8 May Plurality we appreciate and hierarchy we abhor. But quest for the best brings us to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. And all questions melt away.
8 May Not to turn our back to money, tells Sri Aurobindo, but also to be circumspect about prosperity.
8 May From politics to poetry, ethics to education, and cosmology to consciousness studies, Sri Aurobindo offers authentic and definitive guidance
8 May @emanin @offstumped The Aug 14, 1947 FIVE DREAMS Manifesto of Sri Aurobindo is the right roadmap for the nation in the age of Globalization.
7 May @gopimaliwal The Intregralism of Sri Aurobindo alone can redeem us from the cumulative imbroglio arising out of diverse mistakes of the past
7 May There is no dearth of dedicated individuals in India willing to give shape to the DREAMS of Sri Aurobindo by leaving the lure of Old Parties
7 May The political ideal of Sri Aurobindo stresses upon the "character of the means." An overarching fervour of nationalism intimates its core.
7 May Sri Aurobindo commands the greatest weight in the international arena as regards philosophy & futurology. Indians must value this advantage.
7 May Anna Hazare, Ramdev, or a new President cannot bring any qualitative change in the life of the nation. Now, Sri Aurobindo holds the remedy.
7 May @adityab99 @swamy39 The direction Gandhi and Nehru gave to India badly needs a correction now. Sri Aurobindo foresaw the same 100 years ago.
7 May Following Sri Aurobindo is the most appropriate course for the country now which constitutes the middle path between Secularism and Hindutva
7 May [Importance to non-violence ignoring the armed revolutionary struggle has impoverished story of our freedom struggle.] http://ibnlive.in.com/news/bringing-back-exiled-tales/255412-60-121.html
7 May @connar101 This moment in the history of India belongs to Sri Aurobindo and his FIVE DREAMS Manifesto for true transformation of the country
7 May [Bringing back exiled tales: Barindra Kumar Ghose also Sri Aurobindo Ghose's younger brother - Sachidananda Mohanty] http://expressbuzz.com/cities/hyderabad/bringing-back-exiled-tales/389082.html
7 May @Aagan86 Sri Aurobindo is not in her list. It's a mystery why Bengal has been persistently disowning the greatest person born on our planet.
[7 May Agnivo ‏ @Aagan86 "@fossfan: My phone auto corrects Anna Hazare to Anna Hazard. Now that's what you call a smartphone." ROFL Retweeted by Savitri Era Party]
7 May @krishnarjun108 BJP lacks national presence and has never been voted to power at Centre. Ideology is more important than leader to woo votes
7 May The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have prepared a splendid roadmap for the future. Their teaching can change thinking & action and stop corruption.
7 May [many who have read Sri Aurobindo have never read Nietzsche & acquire some preconceptions of what the Nietzschean Superman is all about. DB]
6 May @amishra77 Mass base is a myth. They don't have any alternative ideology. Gadkari is the favourite PM candidate of Bhagwat & may all accept.
6 May @amargov Futile to expect clarity as long as intellect is mortgaged to RSS. Besides, Mohan Bhagwat is strategising for a Maharashtrian PM.
[6 May pragmatic_desi ‏ @pragmatic_d Do not mistake the sincerity and sacrifice of an individual with the efficacy of his methods. Two egs, Kobad Gandhi & Anna Hazare. Retweeted by Savitri Era Party]
6 May @gauravcsawant Only a strong ideological bulwark can throw a strong PM. Message of Sri Aurobindo is extremely apposite to serve such a pivot
6 May @krishnarjun108 Be Indian, Be Sri Aurobindian. Let's hearken to the greatest voice the humanity has produced & offered FIVE DREAMS MANIFESTO
6 May @kameshratnam @swapan55 Sri Aurobindo is the right inspiration for taking this country forward by surfing Globalisation. Time to switch side
6 May @MihirKumarJha May the whole nation watch it. Let the power of the potent dreams penetrate every heart and generate goodwill and genorosity.
6 May @krishnarjun108 Gadkari is no puppet but the sole Prime Ministerial candidate as decided by Bhagwat as per his suitable age criteria. -TNM55
6 May [to think and to dream of individual perfection and a perfect society. -Sri Aurobindo, broadcast by AIR Thiruchirapalli on August 14, 1947]
6 May [to a higher and larger consciousness and begin the solution of the problems which have perplexed and vexed him since he first began -SA]
6 May [Another dream, the spiritual gift of India to the world has already begun. The final dream was a step in evolution which would raise man]
6 May [of human civilisation. The third dream was a world-union forming the outer basis of a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all mankind. SA]
6 May [Another dream was for the resurgence and liberation of the peoples of Asia and her return to her great role in the progress -Sri Aurobindo]
6 May [The first of these dreams was a revolutionary movement which would create a free and united India. -Sri Aurobindo, AIR, 14th August 1947]
6 May [Aim of Sri Aurobindo's Action is the country – India has to guard her independence. India has to defend herself.] http://www.sriaurobindosaction.org/
6 May Sri Aurobindo Society Meeting, Chennai 10.30 am; Coimbatore Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Centre 9.30 am, Sri Annai Meditation Centre 4 pm.

Sunday, May 06, 2012

A leaking style of writing

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.

[It models a style of writing about Integral Yoga, Sri Aurobindo, and the Mother. – by J. Kepler] http://www.sciy.org/2012/05/05/seven-quartets-of-becoming-a-review-by-j-kepler/ - http://auroleaks.wordpress.com/
@MalikAshok @prasannavishy [People fix their eyes on the thing to be achieved & soon become careless about the character of the means. -SA]
Foreigners in Maoist-hit areas: Mike and Amke are promoting integral education system of Sri Aurobindo. http://ibnlive.in.com/news/foreigners-asked-to-move-out-of-maoisthit-areas/255232-60-117.html via @ibnlive
Heehs has been depicted as Krishna with Manoj Das Gupta as Arjuna. Time to save Sri Aurobindo Ashram from the evil duo. http://auroleaks.wordpress.com/2012/05/06/taxi-drivers/
Sri Aurobindo is one name that can electrify the youth of this country. Sri Aurobindo is one idea around whom the whole country can be one.
Contempt and hatred for Sri Aurobindo may be common, but it is more due to lack of information and the notion of an Ashram tied to his name.
Let's build the Party & the Ideal brick by brick with our own hands instead of leaving it lazily to to any Anna or Ramdev. No pain, no gain.
@waglenikhil An ideological glue is a must & Anna can't perform this miracle. Sri Aurobindo's inspiration is a valid option in this context.
In his letter to Joseph Baptista in 1920, Sri Aurobindo outlined his vision of a refined politics for transforming the nation into an ideal.
Sri Aurobindo's frontal attack on Congress policies in 1893 borne fruit 12 years later in 1905 by fermenting Nationalist sentiments. [TNM55]
156-year-old school renamed after V.V. Giri, the former president who hailed from Berhampur, Odisha. http://zeenews.india.com/news/odisha/156-year-old-school-renamed-after-v-v-giri_773044.html via @ZeeNews

The genesis of Sri Aurobindo's superman | Integral Yoga of Sri ... One Response. Tusar N. Mohapatra says: May 4, 2012 at 7:20 pm. Comment on The genesis of Sri Aurobindo’s superman by Tusar N. Mohapatra from Comments for IYSATM by Tusar N. Mohapatra

Sri Aurobindo’s own adumbrations to Darwin, Spenser, and Nietzche, however, have not been covered, thus accentuating a suspected bias. [TNM55]

Tusar N. Mohapatra says:May 6, 2012 at 2:47 am

[I occasionally found the references to the thought of Nietzsche and other thinkers whose influence still looms large today, to be illuminating and to provide interesting context. – a Review by J. Kepler] http://www.sciy.org/2012/05/05/seven-quartets-of-becoming-a-review-by-j-kepler/

By the way, the Vedic Colloquy of Indra and Agastya is a prime source of the theme. [TNM55]

Saturday, May 05, 2012

Blocking vs. banning

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty

To point out inadequacies is to be friendless, but if that is the destiny so be it. Insisting on ethics, paradoxically, is politics. TNM55
Why it took three & half years for Sri Aurobindo Society to decide & declare that it "strongly disapproves of the book?" http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/05/signature-and-date-please.html
Sri Aurobindo’s own adumbrations to Darwin, Spenser, and Nietzche are not covered, thus accentuating a suspected bias. http://auromere.wordpress.com/2012/05/04/the-genesis-of-sri-aurobindos-superman
@ranjansr Besides, the PM is the most suitable candidate now to be kicked upstairs and made the President. Right time for Rahul too as PM.
@alok_bhatt Not practical to wish away RSS. The best course is to join a new party like Savitri Era Party and lend energy to build it. TNM55
@MihirKumarJha People are ill-informed, and we must strive to spread right perspective by developing an environment of amity and dialogue.
4 May @MihirKumarJha But the question is how to add muscle to the demand so that they are acted upon and not get buried under heaps of tweets. TNM
4 May @MihirKumarJha Odia inmates are a majority and none is a trustee but two Bengalis are. Manoj Das Gupta is the Managing Turstee for 25 years.
4 May Savitri Era Party's 3 demands: Appointment of an Odia trustee, Fixed tenure for the office of Managing Trustee. [TNM55] http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/05/savitri-era-party-reiterates-three.html
4 May Eviction of Peter Heehs from the Ashram for authoring a book with hostile references to Sri Aurobindo and his disciples http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/05/savitri-era-party-reiterates-three.html
4 May @vijayvaani Dr Manmohan Singh himself seems to be the dark horse. [TNM55]
4 May [Heehs has found more supporters on the issue of his deportation and not with regard to the actual contents of his book.] http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2012/04/decontextualisation.html?showComment=1336039732770#c7833743501923515671
3 May @MihirKumarJha which, like friction, carries us towards the ultimate goals of Light, Immortality, Freedom, and Ecstacy. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2007/11/light-bliss-freedom-immortality.html
3 May @ZoomIndianMedia [Heehs has hidden them in the US.. The precious documents include Sri Aurobindo’s personal diary. -VG] http://mirr.in/2012/05/03/occult-mystery-locked-in-an-occult-mystery/
3 May [No secular state is or can be merely neutral or impartial among religions, for the State defines the boundaries.. -MG] http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/2012/05/02/religious-freedom-as-crisis-claims/
@vijayvaani Now that he is about to get another term to hold fort, likely integration of RSS and BJP will be complete without any hurdle.
@AdvocateYK Perfect recipe for forcing people to gravitate towards UPA. It's a shame that such people are referred to as saints in our land.
@Devinder_Sharma Party system is at the core of our democratic apparatus. So Ramdev should form his own Party and contest elections [TNM55]
@colnrkurup @amargov @Rightwingdian The overall sense of this post is not in consonance with the spirit of our Constitution. Party system is at the core of democratic apparatus. Numbers & not public opinion is the cornerstone of power structure

Friday, May 04, 2012

Signature and date please

In a situation of conflict, to say that we pray and The Mother’s force will act at the right time to demolish the hostile force is common to both sides, and hence, cancels out. At any rate, that is very much implied whether said or not. What is more important is clear articulation of the stand taken and action points for achieving the same. It is difficult to understand, therefore, why it took three and half years for Sri Aurobindo Society to decide and declare that it “strongly disapproves of the book." Of course, the statement is undated and not signed by any one. This sort of dithering, however, is nothing but deception.

Most responses in the course of Heehs imbroglio are rife with hypocrisy as each person is overconfident about his language befooling the other. Even institutions have resorted to this game by handing out strictly legal statements and sidelining the real issues. Diplomatic rhetoric, of course, has its uses, but to employ it to hoodwink others is patently unfair. SAS owes an explanation as to why they have failed to append signature and date. [TNM55]

Savitri Era Party reiterates three demands

Savitri Era Party reiterates its three demands before the Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry:

Eviction of Peter Heehs from the Ashram for authoring a book with hostile references to Sri Aurobindo and his disciples,
Appointment of an Odia trustee which is overdue, and
Fixed tenure for the office of Managing Trustee. [TNM55]

Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Schelling & Spencer, Senapati & Sarala Das

[Orissa's poetic tradition is oldest in India - Reblogged from Orissa Matters: India’s eminent poet Ashok Vajpayi lauded Oriya language as the language that bears the country’s oldest poetic tradition… as marked in the works of Adi Kavi Sarala Das.

Senapati is more idiosyncratic and original than Chatterji - Falling In Love With The Novel from The Middle Stage by Chandrahas The Telegraph of London. Fakir Mohan Senapati and the Indian novel from The Middle Stage by Chandrahas]

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. Tusar N. Mohapatra (b.1955) President, Savitri Era Party Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum SRA102C Indirapuram Ghaziabad · http://savitriera.blogspot.in/

[Ashok Vajpayi lauded Oriya as the language that bears the country’s oldest poetic tradition as marked in Sarala Das.] http://orissamatters.com/2012/04/30/orissas-poetic-tradition-is-oldest-in-india/
1 May @KanchanGupta @unknowncorner @SachinKalbag TV's role in precipitating events now - like the Anna Hazare movement - can't be denied. [TNM55]
30 Apr [Schelling spoke of evolution. Goethe and Coleridge agreed. God is Nature. Spencer was no heartless social Darwinist.] http://seof.blogspot.in/2012/04/schelling-spoke-of-evolution-spencer-no.html
30 Apr [Fakir Mohan Senapati's Six Acres and a Third is as powerful today as it was when first published in 1902. -Chandrahas] http://middlestage.blogspot.in/2006/05/fakir-mohan-senapatis-roundabout.html

Monday, April 30, 2012

Prapatti is a pioneer in Odisha

[Agnimile purohitam yajnasya devam rtvijam hotaram ratna dhatamam. RigVeda begins with invocation to Agni] Sri Aurobindo http://www.searchforlight.org/secretsofvedafirstrik.htm
[Culture-knowing Indian is often required to be balanced & corrected by a culture-neutral one. Thank God, Indian society contains both. -DR]
[CNN-IBN's bold sting operation exposes Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust and Manoj Das Gupta (Managing Trustee).] http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2012/04/cnn-ibn-sting-exposes-trustees-of.html
Prapatti is a pioneer of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo's work in Odisha. Homage to our beloved leader and visionary on his birth anniversary.
29 Apr Just 500 persons needed to change the fate of the country. One from each Lok Sabha constituency with disdain for present political parties.
29 Apr Approaching Sri Aurobindo is an enormous challenge and it's safer to proceed like a blind man encountering an elephant. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/five-dreams-and-seven-facets.html
29 Apr A major flaw of democracy is an imagined version of man turning an ideal community leader as also a skilled law maker. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/anchoring-power-to-ethics-is-tall-order.html
29 Apr Sri Aurobindo’s writings are vast and complex which helps to bid farewell to the past and make a foray into the future. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/searchengines-and-aggregators-alert-us.html
29 Apr Subverting caste system through asymmetrical repairs and nonlinear patronage with Sri Aurobindo's compassionate insight http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/subverting-caste-system-with-kindness.html
29 Apr Dynastic leadership and hero worship is fast turning India into a nation governed by feudal lords and regional satraps http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/savitri-era-party-opposes-dynasty.html
29 Apr The teaching of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is universal and has nothing much to do with the Ashram barring inspiration. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/mother-devotees-worldwide.html
29 Apr Why dig the past? The Mother & Sri Aurobindo prod us to think anew and eschew the skewed rhymes and reasons of the old. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/why-this-worship-of-obsolescence.html
29 Apr Reading the works of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is a life long task and to discover their effect is a unique endeavour. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/savitri-era-learning-forum-self.html
29 Apr Savitri Era Party devoted to the ideals of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo and occupying the middle space is a potent option http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/01/savitri-era-party-is-against.html
29 Apr Heehs reconstructed the settings so that the reader comes close to conclusions before he intervenes desultorily like the Bollywood police.
29 Apr Sri Aurobindo rarely makes it to the news headlines, but some journalists and public intellectuals took a firm stand to defend free speech.
29 Apr Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry, set up in 1926, has admirably survived after passing away of Sri Aurobindo in 1950 and The Mother in 1973.
29 Apr No one complains even if Sri Aurobindo’s whole body of work has not been published till date.. What Prapatti spoke over http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/04/reconquer-money-and-riches.html
28 Apr Conviction of Bangaru Lakshman for a crime slyly videographed in a fictional setting doesn't carry conviction by any stretch of imagination.
28 Apr Heehs' book on Sri Aurobindo came out in 2008. Distortion of history should be considered corruption of the worst kind. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/04/distortion-of-history-is-corruption-of.html

Homage to Prapatti

[Prapatti, a well known name to the members of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles of Orissa, was born on 30th April 1924 in a village Bharogole, 42 Mouza of District Cuttack. His parents had named him Kangali Charan Pati. In the year 1960, on his 46th birth day The Mother gave him a new name, Prapatti - the surrendered one.

Mother's Work In Orissa With Mother’s happy approval and Prapatti as an able instrument, the first phase of work included organisation of Study Circles, Students and Youth Associations, Women’s Study Circles, zonal and state level Study Circle Meets etc.. In the next phase, Integral Education Centres, Relics Centres with experiments in collective living were initiated. Prapatti under the active guidance of Babaji Maharaj had been organising all these activities.]

[Plain & Simple: Prapatti left for Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry ...

9 Dec 2008 – Prapatti left for Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, from this place. It is his prayer and aspiration supported by Sri Babaji Maharaj that inspired ...]

[Sri Aurobindo's Action - The Beginning Sri Aurobindo’s Action was the name adopted for its journal as well. The first issue came out in October 1970 with Manoj Das as its editor. He continued till April 1973 after which the work is being done by me.

Prapatti took up the Journal in Oriya, and gradually journals in Hindi. Gujarati and Bengali followed, all under the title Sri Aurobindo Karmadhara. All these journals in Indian languages were brought out by other organisations with independent contents. The Hindi journal continues to be brought out by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch.

At that time Kireet Joshi undertook the compilation of booklets. One booklet contained questions on current Indian problems and for some of them questions were put to Mother who answered giving the solutions. A number of booklets were printed in English and Indian languages in thousands and were well received.

Kireet Joshi accompanied Udar on lecture tours. Prapatti was touring throughout Orissa. There were meetings at Pondicherry as well. Some Youth Camps and Seminars were held at Pondicherry. Shyam Sunder Jhunjhunwala]

[Aurora Mirabilis: Prof. Prapatti Memorial Lecture at Matrujyoti ...

To mark the occasion of the Birth anniversary of Prof. Prapatti, 'Prof. Prapatti Memorial Lecture' are arranged every year on 30th of April, i.e. on his birthday at Matrubhaban, Cuttack and the following day at a district headquarter town.

The day is also observed as Integral Education Dayin the Integral Education Centres in the state as a mark of respect to the late Professor for his contribution to the establishment and spread of Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centres in Orissa.]

[Savitri Era 25 Apr After joining Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1954 Prapatti was instrumental for large scale awakening in Odisha through Nabajyoti started in ...]

Prapatti was never bothered that thousands of people joining The Mother’s work would ruin it. Homage to our beloved leader and visionary on his birth anniversary. [TNM55]

[Prapatti - Sri Aurobindo Ashram]

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Reconquer money and riches

The writings and recorded conversations of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, taken as a whole, contain myriad themes and innumerable streams. They have been further expanded by the devotees and disciples in their books and articles and now, of course, the blogs. That apart, lectures are a major source of dissemination from which most learn in snippets and formulate a picture depending upon personal necessity and curiosity. No one complains even if Sri Aurobindo’s whole body of work has not been published till date.

The specialist, however, is a different creature. Especially, if he happens to be an archivist. And he assumes himself to be the Archivist. He knows all; he has gone through the obscurest manuscripts. The timeline of each line is at his fingertips. He is the walking pendrive. He can blurt out apposite quotations to thwart any adverse suggestion. His writ should be final. But the world is a bit larger and complicated.

What Prapatti spoke over three days in Sargipali summer camp in 1979 is beyond the purview of the Archives. What Dr. Sukumar Mukherjee exhorted about World Union in Sundargarh is not known to any one. They are no more. Countless such speeches that continue round the year are an unruly zone. Scribes and chroniclers beware! [TNM55]

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Distortion of history is corruption of the worst kind

[Court jails Bangaru, says corruption worse than prostitution Daily News & Analysis - ‎Saturday, Apr 28, 2012, 19:00 IST New Delhi DNA, PTI

"Corruption, to my mind is worse than prostitution as the latter might endanger the morals of an individual, whereas, the former invariably endangers the entire society. It is virulent for the nation and makes people full of ire.”]

[Sri Aurobindo Society Condemns "The Lives of Sri Aurobindo" by Peter Heehs from Critique of The Lives by General Editor]

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry was set up in 1926 and the book by Heehs, a resident, came out in 2008. The book is not at all central to the functioning of the Ashram which has admirably survived as an institution after the passing away of Sri Aurobindo in 1950 and The Mother in 1973. Distortion of history, however, should be considered as corruption of the worst kind, and therefore, it is difficult to understand on what basis the Ashram continues to defend the book and its author for so long. [TNM55]

Glowing embers of Heehs imbroglio

Media intervention pertaining to the deportation order served upon Peter Heehs and its subsequent revocation during the first fortnight of this month caught the attention of the nation and, justifiably, shook the conscience of the civil society activists. Sri Aurobindo rarely makes it to the news headlines, but the visa controversy forced some journalists and public intellectuals to take a firm stand in favour of the book on him in order to defend free speech and denounce alleged religious fundamentalism. The complexities and the many-complexioned issues, however, were pushed under the carpet as a result of which the embers of the imbroglio continue to glow.

A couple of blogs dedicated to exposing errors in the biography amass fresh findings but no authorized refutations of the perceived discrepancies are available. Instead, a set of deceptive seeming responses are doing the rounds as aggregated below:

a) People lack proper reading skills.

b) If the book is bad, then don’t read it.

c) If you don’t like the book, then write another.

d) The book was written specifically with the Western academicians as target, and hence, probable intolerance due to cultural difference.

e) A revised Indian edition can be brought out keeping the sensibilities of the devotees in mind.

f) Sri Aurobindo Ashram neither prescribes nor proscribes any book.

g) The Ashram has also received many favourable reviews of the book.

h) Several eminent personalities have hailed the book in various publications.

i) The book has positive references running into scores of pages.

j) The book may be harsh in patches, but it never denigrates Sri Aurobindo.

k) The varied field of Integral Yoga can have room for such a book.

l) An aspirant can have his own distinct perception and may even profess denial.

m) Objective history - well-researched and richly-referenced - from the founder of the Ashram archives ("unlikely ever to be surpassed - with scrupulous sympathy combined with scrupulous honesty. No one knows more than Heehs").

n) Only a handful of people are against the book.

o) A coterie runs the campaign with the book as a pawn for capturing power in the Ashram.

p) Jealousy of Sraddhalu against the author is the reason for this antagonism.

q) Kripal’s endorsement on the back cover is fortuitous. No Freudian dimension.

r) Religious fundamentalists are behind this attack on freedom of expression.

s) We are not a religion, and so, any hurt sentiment is ultra vires.

t) De-contextualized extracts are responsible for wrong impression about the contents.

u) Those who have not read the book are misinformed and prejudiced.

v) Affirming that the book is bad without reading it is wrong.

All these arguments, though apparently logical, fall short of redressing the grave objections with regard to the book. The author’s intention and opinions, as articulated through the media recently, add to the woe. Be that as it may, there is no doubt that civil discourse is in the grip of hypocrisy and thus undergoing a severe crisis. [TNM55]

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Emancipating Savitri

A person, culturally entrenched and geographically confined as well as defined as he is, is certainly at odds with any homogenising imperative like reading Savitri. This intimidating piece of poem - which is forbiddingly one-piece as well - somehow carries a coercive indispensability for devotees unlike other similar prescriptions which have a happy air of optional signage floating around them.

Now, Savitri surely is not for everyone. How many in India even have the ability to read a few lines correctly, let alone comprehending the context or the meaning? Further, the risk of mistaking the dialogue of an adverse force as Sri Aurobindo's message looms always as a minefield.

These quibbles, obviously lead to more weighty objections that are ordinarily missed due to familiarity. How far the scaffolding of the legend hinges us to imageries of old religions and whether the symbol is really emancipatory and allows us to break the shackles of the past? [TNM55]

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Heehs has no place in the Ashram

Tweets Savitri Era Party ‏ @SavitriEraParty Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. 10:19 PM - 14 Apr 12 Details Tusar N. Mohapatra (b.1955) President, Savitri Era Party Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum SRA102C Indirapuram Ghaziabad · http://savitriera.blogspot.in/

Peace Message for Das Gupta: Heehs has no place in the Ashram as he has been spiteful of his fellow followers in The Lives of Sri Aurobindo.
[Puducherry, April 24 (PTI): Devotees thronged the premises of the Aurobindo Ashram here on the occasion of 'darshan (worship) day' today.]
[I believe Evolution still asks that we push the collective envelope rather than give in to the gravity. -Savitra 2009] http://saraswati.sawiki.org/sciy/www.sciy.org/blog/_archives/2009/3/5/4113254.html#1227354
The Third Dream of Sri Aurobindo is World Union, and let's remember The Mother’s role in India spanning half a century. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2009/03/mothers-role-in-india-spanning-half.html
From 1920 The Mother, along with Sri Aurobindo, concentrated on the modalities of a future society - open, frank, equal, generous, and kind.
Manoj Das is a longtime resident of Sri Aurobindo Ashram who had cut his teeth in the Communist movement prior to taking spiritual plunge.
23 Apr Heehs’ knives against Sri Aurobindo are being liberally marketed through the media dismissing the small group of opponents as nuisance.
23 Apr @MihirKumarJha [Himself a scholar, he enthuses us to take to a life of scholarship. -Prema Nandakumar on Sri Aurobindo] http://books.google.co.in/books?id=BoNjAAAAMAAJ&q=%22he+enthuses+us+to+take%22&dq=%22he+enthuses+us+to+take%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EGuVT5ObHIbqrAeI4pSXBQ&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA In reply to Mihir Jha
21 Apr [We the Devotees in Bangalore are deeply anguished and hurt by the odious contents of the book in question denigrating Sri Aurobindo. -GNNR]
21 Apr [Ashish Nandy made a brave statement out of his shallow imagination that Sri Aurobindo would have never objected. -RYD] http://mirr.in/2012/04/14/a-hagiography-from-an-anti-hagiographic-perspective-by-narendra/#comment-56
21 Apr [Heehs says no way to know Sri Aurobindo's view on devotion. The fact is, Sri Aurobindo has written eight chapters on Bhakti Yoga. -Anahata]
21 Apr [Peter Heehs undermines the very community he belongs to. He ridicules Sri Aurobindo’s “followers” as being naive and uncritical. -Anahata]
21 Apr [It has been said that the tiger’s need for devouring is one of the first expressions of love in the world. -The Mother, vol. 6, p 103] @MihirKumarJha http://auromere.wordpress.com/2011/08/05/how-to-bring-up-a-child/#comment-10370
21 Apr [J.L. Mehta on Heidegger, Hermeneutics, and Indian Tradition ...Husserl, Heidegger and Gadamer, and interprets Rig Veda, and Sri Aurobindo.]
21 Apr Heehs's expertise is precision in choosing quotations that belittle Sri Aurobindo so that he is seen as an objective and forthright author.
21 Apr @kalisbrood @savitrieraparty Fine, but Heehs is pushing a sinister political agenda to present a secularised Sri Aurobindo sans any Bhakti.
21 Apr @kalisbrood Heehs is free to follow his own conception of Sri Aurobindo in the same way as Savitri Era devotees adhere to their religion. In reply to Kali's Brood
21 Apr @MihirKumarJha No better New Era than Savitri Era as laid down in the FIVE DREAMS Manifesto of Sri Aurobindo. The task is to follow. [TNM55] In reply to Mihir Jha
20 Apr [People have forgotten Gokak, mostly seeing that he was simply trying to project himself, mostly self-promotional. RYD] http://mirr.in/2012/04/14/a-hagiography-from-an-anti-hagiographic-perspective-by-narendra/#comment-55
20 Apr [The general public should also be informed about the duplicity and double stardards of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trustees.] http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2012/04/interim-injunction-granted-by.html
20 Apr @YogaYflo [Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trustees use threat of expulsion and depriving food & shelter to keep inmates in fear and forced obedience.] In reply to Stella Jundt
20 Apr [Court in Puducherry granted interim injunction restraining the Trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram from taking disciplinary action on Apr 19]
20 Apr [“presumably”, “does not seem”, “seems to have”, “may have”, “would have”. Is this history or guesswork? Krish - Heehs] http://archives.mirroroftomorrow.org/blog/_archives/2011/6/3/4830223.html
20 Apr A couple of scribes seem to be willing pawns in Peter Heehs’ game. They have presumably been won over by his guesswork. http://archives.mirroroftomorrow.org/blog/_archives/2011/6/3/4830223.html
20 Apr @davisschu Savitri Era devotees don't agree with what Heehs says. He wants to publish his book which the Court banned on religious ground. In reply to Davis Schueller

Friday, April 20, 2012

A titan's strength, a titan's energy, a god's character & knowledge

@MihirKumarJha Darshan Day on April 24 will certainly be more harmonious without the undesirable presence of Heehs in Sri Aurobindo Ashram. In reply to Mihir Jha
Heehs doesn’t believe in the Divinity of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo and so spreads disinformation in small doses through his moles in media.
[As long as he doesn't sit in the Archives he can conclude whatever he likes. The issue is not what Heehs thinks, but misuse of quotations.]
@einvijay @amargov @doubtinggaurav @dubash [dressing a dubious proposition to appear as authoritative in rusty prose] http://marketime.blogspot.in/2005/07/dhiren-bhagat.html In reply to Vijay Vikram
We love to idolise, worship a human being as God and then throw muck on him. Defacing the Idol gives us a sense of purpose! -Naveen Tewari]
Prefer attuning to Satprem who was under an intense state of speculation for a prolonged period in the very presence of The Mother herself.
The Mother announced the "Manifestation of Supramental Consciousness" on February 29, 1956, to which I don’t think Gebser holding any clue.
@Alindseyyy Not a biography, Heehs the heretic is trying to define the legacy of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as if he is the sole authority. In reply to Amanda Lindsey
@preettysandhu Heehs is a heretic and has scant concern for the feelings of the devotees performing religious rituals. http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2012/04/heehs-is-heretic.html In reply to Harpreet Kaur
[That JanaGanaMana was originally sung in praise of the British King is viewed by some Bengali readers as an attack on Tagore. Dilip K Roy]
@ItsMrMentor Heehs talks about yoga-philosophy but conveniently forgets Relics centres of Sri Aurobindo which devotees throng for Darshan. In reply to MrMentor
@MihirKumarJha That's right. But he can problematise the lack of intellectual indebtedness of Ambedkar to Sri Aurobindo. It's in Part-3. At one place he quotes Sri Aurobindo, and It was my request to him to write on the great savant. http://centreright.in/2012/04/bodhi-sattvas-hindutva-part-1/ I saw his articles in Centre Right India. [TNM55] In reply to Mihir Jha
Will Aravindan Neelakandan write on Sri Aurobindo after his multipart study on Ambedkar? Ambedkar strangely neglected Sri Aurobindo's works.
[Misguided people driven by “good intentions” come up with under-researched and superficially understood solutions that are dangerous. -RWI]
[Philosophy, like religion, mathematics, and poetry, is a way to imagine virtual worlds that can influence and even change reality. -Chris]
[Odisha was the last land that the British had been able to annex, but was the first soil to have raised the battle of independence. by SCP]
[Wild and plural, all religious experience shares one indubitable universal ground: human nature. Immanent Frame by Jeffrey Kripal, Apr 17]
Not the National Anthem, but the theme for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections needs to be mulled over. There must be change and it's in our hands.
[He has not only to conquer in himself egoistic falsehood and disorder, but as representatives of the same in the world. Satprem, Adventure]
[Sri Aurobindo speaks of a simultaneous double evolution & concurrent push in Nature towards both a lower and a higher perfection. Prashant]
[Heehs has maligned Sri Aurobindo, a Noble Son of India. Govt. must be bold enough to deport him to USA. -NILANJAN] http://www.outlookindia.com/permafeeds.aspx?source=Web&id=382840&returnurl=0-1-Web-04/18/2012#382840
[To gain credibility of readers Heehs falsely claims to be one of the founders of Sri Aurobindo Ashram’s Archives. -JS] http://www.outlookindia.com/permafeeds.aspx?source=Web&id=382783&returnurl=0-1-Web-04/17/2012#382783
@MihirKumarJha Rule of law operates and the Ashram is virtually in his grips. Besides, Heehs has his sympathisers in the Government too. In reply to Mihir Jha
19 Apr [Heehs declares himself to be a founder of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives. A Bluffer in a Scholar’s Clothing? by Govind] http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2012/04/bluffer-in-scholars-clothing-by-govind.html
19 Apr [The unvarnished, unadulterated truth is that Heehs was merely a worker and employee and is today only pretending to be its founder. Govind]
19 Apr [Indian communism's practice is vastly superior to its theory. Communist leaders and activists are probably more intelligent and honest. RG]
19 Apr [Alasdair MacIntyre first drew attention to the parallels between a secular belief system and religious doctrine. Guha] http://www.caravanmagazine.in/Story.aspx?StoryID=916&Page=1
19 Apr [Free speech is good, but collective cabinet responsibility is better. -FALI S. NARIMAN, Indian Express, March 2, 2002] http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie20020321/op1.html
19 Apr [Peace and tranquillity is what good governance is all about and Reason and tolerance. -FALI S. NARIMAN, March 2, 2002] http://www.indianexpress.com/res/web/pIe/ie20020321/op1.html
19 Apr [The fact that Sri Aurobindo did not receive a favourable reception in India intellectual circles has been unfortunate] http://seof.blogspot.in/p/sri-aurobindos-opposition.html
19 Apr [Sri Aurobindo often raised inconvenient questions and forced to review the intellectual paradigms and so they conspired to marginalise him]
19 Apr SEP follows the FIVE DREAMS Manifesto of Sri Aurobindo and fights against Sri Aurobindo’s Opposition as outlined in the NADKARNI Doctrine.
19 Apr [Nor was Sri Aurobindo an uncritical admirer of the Western liberal-humanistic tradition. Aurobindo’s Opposition, MANGESH V. NADKARNI, 2002]
19 Apr [The reason for the neglect Sri Aurobindo suffered among leftist intelligentsia in India was that he was cold to the promises of communists]
19 Apr [Academic establishment in India opposed Sri Aurobindo as he rejected the colonial-missionary model of history & the Aryan invasion theory.]
19 Apr [His insistence on worldly progress being a quintessential part of the Indian spiritual tradition alienated Sri Aurobindo from the Hindu]
19 Apr [The Hindu religious establishment did not take kindly to Sri Aurobindo because he emphatically denied world-negation as the central thrust]
19 Apr [Gandhian establishment was not entirely happy with Sri Aurobindo because of his insistence that India must cultivate the kshatriya spirit.]

19 Apr [Heehs' fanatics club wave these disclaimers to get him off the hook while leaving Mother Sri Aurobindo in the lurch.] http://seof.blogspot.com/2010/10/they-had-mastered-forces-of-desire.html?showComment=1287139817362#c8962785687615990066
19 Apr [Sri Aurobindo Society: Lecture by N. Manavalan on The Mother on Health & Healing in Yoga, SS Hall, Luz, Mylapore, Chennai, 6 pm, April 17.]
19 Apr [Hitler & His God, a historical study of Hitler phenomenon & its relevance for the work of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.] http://www.auroville.com/wisdom-splendour-m-2147000313.html
19 Apr [Sri Aurobindo & The Mother have talked of a certainty so that heaven and earth become “equal and one”. Ramesh Bijlani] http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/masters/mysticism/must-we-die-to-be-in-heaven
18 Apr Rescue democracy from the clutch of money and muscle by decent politics and constitutional method and not resorting to agitations and chaos.
18 Apr @kaivalyashah @MihirKumarJha Enshrinement of Relics of Sri Aurobindo on 5 December 1957 in Delhi = A New Religion. -TNM http://savitriera.blogspot.in/2010/06/new-religion-was-enshrined-on-december.html In reply to kaivalya
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Delhi Branch. That's the official name but the Managements are different. The School is more known. In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha @savitrieraparty Delhi is the only branch as intended by The Mother where the Relics of Sri Aurobindo was installed first. In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha @savitrieraparty Delhi Branch you mean? I'll come if we plan to meet. [TNM55] In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha [Give to our heart & mind a titan's strength, a titan's energy, to our soul & intelligence a god's character & knowledge. SA] In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr [Hayes’s portrayal of Bose and his European interlocutors from 1941-43 reveals a fascinating picture of Nazi policies.] http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=35513
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha Let's spot value and invest in Savitri our future. That's like a good cadre. Thanks. [TNM55] In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr @kaivalyashah @savitrieraparty @anandmahindra @MihirKumarJha Now is the time when Sri Aurobindo needs to be pushed since others have failed. In reply to kaivalya
18 Apr @MihirKumarJha They are no more, but inspire. Presently, contesting an election through a Party is the appropriate duty within a democracy. In reply to Mihir Jha
18 Apr @IndiaGkTime [Rare photographs of great nationalist and revolutionary Barindra, the younger brother of Sri Aurobindo.] http://overmanfoundation.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/rare-photographs-of-barindra-kumar-ghose/
18 Apr Sacred Relics of Sri Aurobindo was installed by his trusted disciple Sri Champaklalji on April 18, 1984 at Matru Vihar, Sundargarh, Odisha.
18 Apr @kiranshaw Congress is short of numbers. Internationally famed writer and philosopher Shri Manoj Das is our candidate as the next President. In reply to Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
18 Apr @ArkJaiswal @IndiaGkTime [TALE OF MY EXILE — Twelve Years in the Andamans: Barindra Kumar Ghose, -Sachidananda Mohanty] http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article3013628.ece In reply to Amit Jaiswal Jain