Tweets in original by @SavitriEraParty and @NathTusar
Sri Aurobindo is known as a revolutionary against the British rule but his most important achievement - along with The Mother - was defeating Hitler (by lending support to British war effort). Implications of this is not over; vigilance against anti-Evolutionary forces essential.
Supporting the British was difficult to understand for many among Sri Aurobindo's close associates. His other political initiatives were not accepted by the Congress leaders. To this day, his actions and priorities remain misunderstood; full loyalty and devotion needed to fathom.
Many followers of Sri Aurobindo are found to be fond of badmouthing Muslims and Christians but for Savitri Era Party, it's not a priority. Fascist and Kafkaesque tendencies active behind the Hindutva movement is rather a much more menacing factor against future peace and harmony.
Apart from raising awareness against Astrology, Mythology, and Rituals, Savitri Era Party has been urging to rediscover the Veda as interpreted by Sri Aurobindo. Breaking the stranglehold of current gurus in not permitting the public to read Sri Aurobindo is also an action point.
Mischievous rejection of religion by Marxist and Nehruvian writers made Hindutva respectable as a backlash. Sri Aurobindo however has made elaborate examination of human progress a century earlier and this insight arms Savitri Era Party to reject Hindutva lock, stock, and barrel.
It'd be clear now how the stand of #SavitriEraParty on Hindutva is profoundly different than that of Congress, Marxist, or Ambedkar supporters. Savitri Era philosophy is 1) Vedic, 2) Evolutionary, and 3) Integral or global. Our views on diverse subjects at https://t.co/gS4Nl4EK1I
Nothing at present indicates that Savitri Era Party can be a success (it's already twelve years), but having seen some dramatic changes happening quite unexpectedly, I'm hopeful that such a change can come. Instead of a miracle, it should be perceived as logical outcome of events
A 2014 picture of my village home in Odisha where The Mother came to me in 1964 when I was nine (I'm 64 now)... My initial lessons in self-reflection and self-management,... I continue to express such frustrations and disappointments here in various forms. https://t.co/JrUlqHxVSx https://t.co/Ycz1rjHzvd
A relevant thread to what we have been stressing on but without being soft on the other side of the political spectrum. Each ideology has contributed and served the Evolutionary purpose even like the evil in a story but the future belongs to Sri Aurobindo. https://t.co/QXVSWtHzYV
How to silence Sri Aurobindo and ignore his writings?
[Sri Aurobindo was another genius in comparative perspectives, but he was largely a symbol of powerful silence, as a, Yogic recluse, at his Ashram in Pondicherry. M.R. VENKATESH] https://t.co/VleLUIAS1K
https://t.co/MdTXULFU7b
Spirituality doesn't evolve in a vacuum and involves all our faculties and activities. Politics or collective affair including physical facilities and amenities are an integral part of such a scenario. So, building an identity around shared values and a common faith is essential.
Sri Aurobindo definitely attempted to raise a handful of his disciples to higher consciousness but time was not ripe. The Mother therefore opted for the Auroville by diluting the Ashram model. But such localised experiments are not enough and Savitri Era Party is more accessible.
Unfollowed many #Chowkidar handles during the last two days. History and hatred are their dominant theme with nothing new or inspiring to tell. Some of them, however, are now acutely aware of the intellectual poverty of Modi who used to be imagined as a superhero five years back.
Since someone says that he sees my tweets,
I'm beholden but don't take them too seriously.
Twitter is a toy for literate old persons,
Who tend to litter to vent a hundred deprivations.
#MayDay is for remembering the human condition,
And being aware of their impregnable conundrum.
From the Bande Mataram phase as a political theorist, Sri Aurobindo's transition to the philosopher of a robust Mother-Ontology, is an interesting one. The Divine Shakti of The Synthesis of Yoga disturbs the neat framework that he built in The Life Divine. https://t.co/3DJEEVIVoY https://t.co/HacnAKAMeH
More than inertia there seems to be rival perceptions within the ruling ecosystem which is welcome. Replacing one dominant narrative by another can be problematic and hence debatable. There's scant unanimity on these issues even on Twitter; so it's good that the govt is cautious.
Hegel’s India: A Reinterpretation with Texts by Aakash Singh Rathore and Rimina Mohapatra should be the first book for all those who wish to enter the world of philosophy and understand the East-West encounter as an interesting phenomenon in the long history of human civilisation
Indian Political Thought: A Reader edited by Aakash Singh and Silika Mohapatra is an outstanding compilation of seminal essays by nearly two dozen eminent contemporary thinkers and critics covering tradition, secularism, communalism, modernity, feminism, justice, and human rights
It's interesting that many who themselves have not read Sri Aurobindo's varied writings adequately are recommending them to others. His synthesis of knowledge is unparalleled. Most educated Indians unfortunately are deprived of his insights and thus possess a very narrow outlook.
Many secrets of nature have come to light through science but there's no assurance that all the mystery will be disclosed. Human mind is a limited bowl and hence can't know the whole. Thus, those insisting on any particular religion are mistaken. Integral outlook needed to know.
Looking at the sky at night is the easiest means to be cured of religious fundamentalism since no single religion can claim to have created all the stars. [Remember that these innumerable worlds, ...are a million times more ancient than your Himalaya, ...] https://t.co/gx6MHXhQNp
Sri Aurobindo brought in the word Yoga much before the concept of New Age or Self-Help arrived but depth psychology was a rage. By braiding evolution with personal elevation, he paved the way for an ideal society based on universal values. Reading him enables one to open to Yoga.
India as the largest Democracy is no longer a virtue since suppression of regional self-esteem is taking its toll. Granting Sovereignty to the States and other linguistically cohesive regions is the only solution for reversing the ill-effects of colonial rule under British empire
A regime change is in the offing and RSS might rebrand itself as Rashtriya Chowkidar Congress. The word Sanghi has become associated with too many negative connotations and hence is likely to be dropped. Similarly, appropriating the Congress space has been a dream and a priority.
Govt. must vacate Auroville; its residents should elect their President, democratically. https://t.co/fCwB8uHzT0
Hindutva votaries are recounting their war in Rediff and Sulekha against Western academia but Savitri Era had other tasks in 2005. Although Ken Wilber had brought Sri Aurobindo to wider notice, his portrayal was underinformed and unsympathetic. Rod Hemsell & @akazlev fought that.
A priori "philosophical" notions of a nation should be replaced by practical and administrative criteria in sync with present status of membership of UNO. Historical accidents and errors need to be rectified by modern principles of management with last mile delivery as the focus.
Watching TV imparts a lot of sociological insights which were theorised by thinkers like Karl Marx (1818–1883), Max Weber (1864—1920), and Max Horkheimer (1895–1973). Those who nurse visceral antipathy for western thought are likely to develop serious myopia in understanding life
Understanding the political relevance of Sri Aurobindo is the most important task. How Hegel's speculative metaphysics finds consummation in Sri Aurobindo's Vedic ontology is the most challenging intellectual exercise. How Nietzsche, Bergson, or Whitehead differ is also crucial.
The herculean task undertaken by Sri Aurobindo in publishing his many-layered thoughts travelling in multiple directions in ARYA during 1914 to 1921 has not been adequately appreciated nor understood by his countrymen. Cf. Fascist, Kafkaesque, and Quixotic tendencies in Hindutva.
Odisha is regularly ravaged by natural disasters but I'm proud that it has the largest resource base for dissemination of the epochal teaching of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. The Evolutionary relevance of #Odisha therefore is no less significant than its Kalingan past glory. #Fani
Millions of children are born into families belonging to Islam everyday and so those painting Islam as evil is of no avail. Criminals are there in people belonging to all religions; modern day terror is a sophisticated form of warfare and can't naively be attributed to a religion
Spreading religious hatred in the guise of nationalism has vitiated the atmosphere in India. It has corrupted the minds of the young generation. Learning about Sri Aurobindo can inculcate universal values leading to peace and harmony. Savitri Era Party has its task cut out for it
Sri Aurobindo was kept out of school and college syllabi. His writings were never cited in books or journal articles. A whisper campaign against him as an escapist or espousing violence was common. Congress bosses and their Marxist henchmen have systematically erased his memory.
Science told facts and the empiricist approach assumed a huge prestige leading to consumer behavior studies. Management however discovered that data don't give uniform results and turned to philosophy. Sri Aurobindo of course spoke of spiral course of evolution a century earlier.
Having seen several episodes of propaganda and disinformation during the last sixty years, I have been warning against grand narratives spun by those having vested interests. Working on current issues is a sound strategy for not being drawn into the vortex of analysing the past.
Instead of conjectures, it's better to accept Sri Aurobindo in terms of his actual achievements which are no less considerable. A positive environment of appreciation created around his future vision would have no place for hatred for other personalities who too helped in a way.
No doubt, The Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo is a difficult book but a certain density of orientation on its content as well as context will go a long way in understanding it. For this purpose, The Philosophy of Evolution by Rod Hemsell is an excellent help. https://t.co/VcmVg9BsFy
When Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 after his school and college education in England, he started writing against Congress leaders displaying unusual knowledge and courage. Later, his seniors like Lal-Bal-Pal could recognise his talent and gladly accepted his leadership.
Although the hard posture of Sri Aurobindo was responsible for Congress split at Surat in 1907, his stance was not much in variance with Congress, post-Independence. BJP on the contrary - though genealogically closer - is more distant from Sri Aurobindo today. Policy tweak needed
Commodity fetishism introduced by Marx is an important milestone in theory which also recognises an element of mysticism akin to spirituality of Sri Aurobindo. The glamour perceived in an object by a consumer can easily be compared with seeking the All Beautiful behind relations.
Falling in love with polysyllables of Sri Aurobindo is the first step; second is hearing their sounds in one's own voice. Feeling that one is reciting the Veda by reading The Life Divine is the third; the fourth is imagining that seers and mystics from all cultures are all ears.
Tagore's songs are not accessible to most Indians, yet he is considered as a great poet. Sri Aurobindo wrote in English but educated Indians are hardly aware of his poetry or plays. Prejudice against Sri Aurobindo is widespread: Purushottama Lal, Nissim Ezekiel, Ashis Nandy et al
Thanks. But when [Dipesh Chakrabarty has pointed to 'the remarkable failure of intellect' in Sumit Sarkar's book] he should be seen as defending Sri Aurobindo. [Ref. The Nation as Mother: and Other Visions of Nationhood by Sugata Bose] Of course, Dipesh may be at fault elsewhere.
The work of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo is wide ranging yet well defined; they form a clear ideological line in the present political circumstances. So, it's difficult to understand the compulsion of Sri Aurobindo Society to associate itself with dubious persons and organisations.
After one year as an undertrial, Sri Aurobindo was released from Alipore Jail on May 6,1909. [Shyamji Krishnavarma sneered that there seemed to be a rash of revelations in the jails of Bengal, what with Aurobindo's vision coming just a year after Bipinchandra Pal's. -Peter Heehs]
It appeared downright blasphemous when Peter Heehs announced in 2008 that [The Aurobindo that interests me is the one who...was able to write a shelf full of books] but his own fetish for them (and lifelong engagement) must be seen as the redeeming factor. https://t.co/tFSy4kc1KC
I would like to consider each one sans juxtaposition; using the word failure in a short time frame is also not fair. Writings of Sri Aurobindo for instance continue to impress more an more people. That potential should be seen as a huge success just as Plato, Vico, or even Adorno
Sri Aurobindo wrote critical notes on diverse aspects of Indian culture and religion much before Kosambi or Bhasam. Volume 01 of his Complete Works is Early Cultural Writings which is a treasure house of insightful essays on Vyasa, Kalidasa, and Dayananda. https://t.co/ffK4bocuoB
Many do PR out of passion or on compensation but claiming neutrality or objectivity of their views is absurd by definition. Paid, planted, sponsored, or toeing the partyline tweets need to be opposed and exposed despite their good English. Critical reason is good for all seasons.
A neat portrayal of life but a different picture invades at another point of time. So, no fixed notion and hence the need for a more reliable account of the creation. Sri Aurobindo's books are the best guide in this respect both in terms of content as well as aesthetic enjoyment. https://t.co/uU7IqAtsO4
Thanks to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, the Four Horsemen of New Atheism could never able to make me bother about them. Such movements come and go as spelled out in the very first paragraph of The Life Divine. Spending some time with the book is the best investment for the old age.
War between Communism and Capitalism has been a dominant theme all my life and perhaps is still on at least in India. Its ideological ramifications other than economics are so diverse that study of humanities will continue to be vital. Sri Aurobindo's place is indispensable to it
Opposing Hindutva has been a political priority in the current decade but intellectually there's nothing challenging or providing some opportunity for learning. Sri Aurobindo is head and shoulders above Hindutva pigmies. Interpreting him beyond what he has written is a challenge.
Acintyabhedābheda attributed to Chaitanya is a good candidate to claim some contributions to the evolution of Bengal renaissance culminating in the Integral philosophy of Sri Aurobindo. Even the mass uprising during Bande Mataram movement can be seen as a form of Nama Sankirtana.
The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have written elaborately on spiritual development but it's better to avoid them initially. Instead, their guidance on education, art, and poetry etc can make interesting reading. Switching to politics and history then can be illuminating. Yoga can wait.
Auroville is almost synonymous with environmentalism now but can't claim the same for feminism. Mother-Ontology of Sri Aurobindo has much to offer to transform present forms of man-woman relationships. A more rigorous theoretical engagement needed to break free of current moulds.
There are about a dozen schools of ancient Indian philosophy supplemented by another dozen of spiritual disciplines enunciated by modern Indian gurus. One can add to it another dozen of Western and New Age streams with Integral dimension. Picking up Sri Aurobindo is the best way.
Dr Ramesh Bijlani has diagnosed several pitfalls in the spiritual path and one may be afflicted with several of them. But such a situation is part of human finitude and there's nothing to be ashamed of such deficiencies. Holding on to Sri Aurobindo is key. https://t.co/foESZMV5KU
Much before digitalisation and demat facilities were made available in the virtual world, The Mother & Sri Aurobindo sought to free religion from brick and mortar environment or any third-party mediation. Spirituality and Yoga are personal affairs without any external encumbrance
This handle is very fond of this quotation and repeats frequently. We however stress on intellectual culture without being discouraged or intimidated by such decontextualised readings. https://t.co/bK3LNqWxRn
RSS is famous for low intellectual levels. Hindutva too shares this trait due to its undue reliance on Mythology and Rituals. Most followers of Sri Aurobindo on Twitter, having their primary allegiance to Hindutva, detest analytical approach or research and prefer copy and paste.
In this largely copy and paste article the author somehow is reluctant to consult CWSA vol.25 and instead lifts prose in bulk from CWSA vols.7 and 8. This selective amnesia enables her to lecture others on their defective understanding of political theory. https://t.co/egYubHfPq7
Twitter allows expressing one's opinion instantly but the right approach is to write on a topic, examine it from different viewpoints; and refer to other perspectives that have already been published. People need to be trained in paper writing and observing a scholar's open mind.
Reaping political dividends from Hindutva is hard given the diversity of India. Its intellectual consequences are much more damaging and anti-Evolutionary. Many of its current votaries thankfully hold Engineering or Management degrees but the unwashed sections are more vulnerable
Writings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo are futuristic. So no one should encourage mind falling silent or prolonged meditation. These techniques are not strictly result-oriented and may lead to frustration or depression. Similarly, an overt and over-reliance on miracles is flawed.
It's painful to see rabid Hindutva members harboured in Sri Aurobindo Society and Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE), in influential positions. Lack of adequate discursive environment in Sri Aurobindo Ashram is responsible for such Frog-in-the-well mentality.
Seminars are an integral part of University system where contesting ideas or interpretations are brought face to face. Nothing similar happens in relation to Sri Aurobindo and a monochromatic ivory-tower speech is considered safe. Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF) undermines that
Each person is entitled to his liberty and stupidity. The problem is to maintain sanity while operating in the public domain. What one endorses should not go against common sense, human rights, or politically correct concepts. Spirituality can't be a licence for all idiosyncracy.
If not a single dissenting voice or criticism by the party MPs, then Democracy can certainly be considered as "stabilised." Well, such servility by self-seeking politicians is understandable but when endorsed by avowed Self-seeking Experience-holders, it's easy to gauge or judge.
Modi may or may not earn a second term but even after five years, I have this feeling that he is just a mask. A very powerful international syndicate is behind him and various incidents happening around him. Sovereignty of India is very much at stake; hence Sovereignty to States.
Each State must be given Sovereignty so that they write their Constitutions in their own languages, yours in Telugu and mine in Odia. Unless we support and promote our own languages and the nationhood around it, present hypocrisy and megalomania will continue to dominate thinking
Fifty years back, performers were a few and most people were happy to be in the audience. Democracy too is modelled on the same pattern. The situation has reversed now and everyone wants to be in power or a performer. Twitter thankfully provides such a virtual opportunity to all.
To buy a piece of ice-cream for instance it's futile to know what Ashoka and Akbar thought or Ambedkar wrote about it. Some may even seek the counsel of Kalhana or Kshemendra. Others might search for references in the confessions of Augustine, Rousseau, Tolstoy et al. All in vain
