Varna thumbs-up

The libertarian passion for property rights is well known. So, the inheritance of social capital on caste lines can't be disputed. Seen in the light of the assertion that heredity is merely a mechanism, preservation and nurturing of skills within the safety of the family is surely a means that serves a larger social purpose. Thus, treating the Varna taxonomy as decoupled from progeny might not be wholly convincing.

As Mayawati woos the Brahmins in UP, the hold of the age-old social stratifications comes under focus. Justice Katju might choose to slam it as castiesm, but the logic of division of labour, calibration, and branding has been driving this whole system uninterrupted. [TNM55]

Boatman and black swan

Madhu Bhaina has recounted one of his pet stories that we often heard at Sundargarh in the current issue of Navaprakash. The ordeal of a highly educated man incapable of swimming rescued by the unschooled boatman is the theme of the parable that privileges the practical knowledge over the pedantic. So far so good, but methodologically, drawing inferences from inadequate instances of observations might prove to be dubious.

Kush once wrote in the Sabda Newsletter quite daringly that the age of Thakur Ramakrishna and his stories are over and the challenge for the mind is to delve into the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo. Learning the ropes in philosophy, admittedly, is a great help in wading one's way through minefields of fallacies. [TNM55]

Iffy moves

[“A marriage gives birth to certain rights and liabilities, which are seldom described in the contract of marriage i.e. nikahnama. Right to be maintained and right to inheritance, sharing of joy and sorrow, affection towards each other as alter ego, feeling of joint ownership and of oneness — all these are salient features of marriage, which distinguishes it from a civil contract,” ADJ Shastri said. Muslim marriage not a civil contract: Court
Utkarsh Anand, Indian Express, Wed Nov 16 2011, 00:01 hrs New Delhi]

[Comment on Twin souls by ipi - Comments for Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother
by ipi on Nov 17, 2011 8:26 AM
Good that mike is not married to the twin soul other wise in few years will think as twin evil, sorry its true as marriage can do this magic.]

Unlike the Catholic Church, we don't consider marriage or family as an aid in Yoga. The example in the life of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo in particular and the pivotal role of the Ashram in general are dampeners in this regard. Besides, the usual frictions occurring within relationships, - lively peeps into which are provided by ipi from time to time, - are readily attributed to the undesirability of worldly life. As sociological studies pertaining to practice of Integral Yoga are almost nonexistent, a general attitude of being apologetic about marriage prevails and the need to search for the golden mean never acquires urgency.

Teenagers joining Ashrams and opting for celibacy may have been sanctioned by the tradition, but is hardly a sound means of modern collective life. Playing the second innings post-Fifty has its own bouquet of difficulties which can never be anticipated while in the Twenties. There can't, however, be a one-size-fits-all rule for everyone, and even each neuron has its own genome, but it's worthwhile to probe issues like gender equations, old age, and kinship against the pulls and pressures of spiritual aspiration. [TNM55]

Vedic battle against Hitler

Sri Aurobindo's role for liberation of India from the British rule is more or less known to everyone. But his fight against Hitler is yet to percolate into the popular lore. This episode assumes much significance once the Vedic implications is understood. Sri Aurobindo has not only unravelled the secret of the Veda, but also fought the Vedic battle against the epitome of evil in his own life.

Considered in this light, the teaching of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo reveals its intrinsic political nature. Yoga, itself, is a perpetual effort to break new ground and win fresh territory. But the paramountcy of the political unfolds when confronted with hostile forces, within and without.

Kaushalam, perhaps, becomes more relevant here than in the context of sundry mundane tasks. Best brains need to be harnessed for war and also the best of resources. The Mother was fighting a grim battle all through. Amal, her worthy child, called it a day recently. Wanted, bulk replenishments. [TNM55]

Good bye UP

The proposal to divide UP into four states is most welcome and its implementation must be put on the fast track. Additionally, if East Delhi is integrated with the new West UP state, then the development process could be galvanised for the whole region. Metro has taken away the border pains for many but a seamless movement of traffic within the whole NCR is a far cry. Being the most cosmopolitan habitat in the country, the fast growth in population should have matching infrastructural back up. Perhaps, the best paradigm of cultural synthesis and synergy will emerge here. [TNM55]

Katju's taraju

Tusar Nath Mohapatra on 15 November 2011 at 6:44 pm said:
http://churumuri.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/poll-are-90-of-indians-mentally-backward/

The fact that the thought of Sri Aurobindo is yet to appear in the dominant consciousness of the nation proves Justice Katju right beyond any doubt. And sadly, both the elite and the laity are one under this criterion. [TNM55]

Integrating Life with Divine

A lot of scholarship has gone into studying religion in the recent years and we hear endless patronising noise from the secularists for the believers. But the irony is all such concerns surrounds the subject qua agent and not the object of his faith. God as a category in anthropological inquiry remains reified as ever. The Semitic imagery of creation continues to be ossified in the memory of the atheists and the academics alike.

This bottom-up approach of investigating the society has been the Achilles heel of every stream of Humanities. Themes on the Divine have fed aesthetics as well as rhetorics, but invoking a living presence has rarely been attempted. Marginalization of God in the secular age is well reflected by the shrinking Religious studies departments in the universities.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have effectively put a spanner in this mindless trend. They have valiantly put the agenda of the Life Divine in the forefront to demonstrate the integral reality of the different seeming twosome. Life, when studied divorced from the Divine, turns anomalous and sokalesque. Thus, The Life Divine alone can become the edifice for all future explorations into the human condition and destiny. [TNM55]

Silence is the bar

Agreed that RYD's deafening silence regarding the Centenary edition of Savitri is perplexing. He, like Hazare, has perhaps become a prisoner of his ambitious team members. His persistent complaint against "dignified silence" seems hollow if he follows the same tactic. He can't ignore valid criticism and must reply point-wise. [TNM55]

Time for Das Gupta to pack up

[CPI(M) puts limit of 9 years on party secretaries' term - India - DNA - Monday, Nov 14, 2011, 8:30 IST
In a historic move, the CPI(M) central committee has decided that party secretaries across all levels must limit their terms to a maximum of nine years, with the caveat that only under exceptional circumstances, extensions will be allowed.]

[November 13, 2011 6:23 pm
Ambani calls for generational change in India - By James Lamont and James Fontanella-Khan in Mumbai
Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, has called for a generational change in the country’s gerontocratic leadership, and urged the government to move faster to implement reforms that would help meet its young population’s economic ambitions.
“We’ve had a mystery [in India] where we think that [important] jobs can only be done by 60-year-old plus [people]... I think we’re now fast moving to say that our 40-year-olds can take more responsibility and can perform better,” Mr Ambani, 54, told business leaders and policymakers at the World Economic Forum’s India Economic Summit in Mumbai.]

Time for Das Gupta to pack up. [TNM55]

India adrift

The language question in India continues to be intractable. Hindi and its various dialects along with other regional languages complain of the hegemony of English, while Sanskrit, the source, languishes. As a result, a national culture or literature has failed to take shape. Pursuit of excellene has suffered due to limited appreciation and quality has become a casualty due to fragmented patronisation. Large scale migration of people is propelling proliferation of hybridity and rootlessness. TV, being a hostage of TRP, has proved ineffective in inculcating a pan-Indian ethos.

Although, the debate on High and Low Culture is yet to be settled, aesthetic paradigms are constantly being redefined. Palmtop devices are facilitating consumption of culture in new modes and media by the new generation. Seamless 24x7 services are transcending national and cultural barriers. Traditional categories like theatre, dance, and poetry, regrettably, are receiving short shrift. As it is difficult to answer the question, "Who decides?," the drift needs to be seen as ordained. [TNM55]

Healing Enlightenment

Heehs imbroglio brought into focus two oft-repeated fallacies, viz., Circular reasoning and Appeal to authority. The book, basically, was a meticulous attempt to steer clear of such glitches by debunking hagiography. Locating The Mother & Sri Aurobindo strictly as historical figures was a commendable academic venture. But, a fixation with sex and madness derailed the whole enterprise thus turning a prized project into a tragedy.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, however, are not only individuals, but also are universal as well as transcendent. Apropos such affirmations, the fallacies themselves turn illogical, as the logic of the infinite operates. All canons of cognition and empiricism bite dust in such instances. Enlightenment is clueless as to how to account for such a phenomenon. Immanence apparently is incapable of conceiving divinity and parent sacredness. This needs to be healed and the chasm bridged. [TNM55]

Hazardous potential of Hazare hurricane

[The huge success of Godrej's PUF (Polyurethane Foam) insulated refrigerators are an example to site as a successful ingredient branding strategy.
http://bcognizance.iiita.ac.in/aug-sep05/brainwave_4.htm
THE POWER OF BRANDS - Dr. Hemant C Trivedi, Vivek Khandelwal, Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad.]

Hazare hurricane is still hovering above the political landscape in a directionless fashion. But the puffed up appeal of the campaign has acquired a hazardous potential of pumping mass hysteria at any point of time. Saintly figures do impress the public in India despite their modest education but earning political fortune is a different avenue. Team Anna, it seems, is struggling to cope with its own internal politics and is sure to face dissensions at the time of future expansion and policy formulation.

Congress, BJP, and CPM too are facing internal turmoil over the leadership issue. A democratic culture of electing the captain has not taken root in our country so far. The feudal past forces people to look at dynasties, celebrities, and saints. The task, therefore, is to root for ideology and genuine grassroots empowerment and discourage emotional manipulation of the masses. [TNM55]

Emotion, memory, and myth

Emotion, memory, and myth are three problem areas in the realm of a modern mode of spirituality. While The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have gifted us a thoroughgoing ontological framework, the practice aspect is weighed down by too much dependence on certain emotions. The memory, similarly, is limited and progressively erasable, and therefore, the rational bedrock is liable to give way in course of time.

Myth, though integral to our existence, is subject to subjective appeal. Substituting a preferred version conforming to one's standards of enlightenment is a task that involves much attitudinal gymnastics. Despite the difficulties, however, Integral Yoga caters to all our faculties, and hence reigns supreme. [TNM55]

The posterity now

[By this time I have able to rattle everybody concerned out of complacency ... that is my sufficient consolation. ... Let the posterity judge the germaneness of my intervention albeit unsolicited.]

"JKM’s 50 page ordeal" can never be seen as signifying a contented heart. Rather, it clearly vents the sighs of a helpless soldier forced into subordination. He, however, pins his hopes on the posterity, and thus, it's not fair to hush up the ongoing discussions concerning the corrections in Savitri. "Consensus of a larger group of peers," likewise, cannot be a guarantee of flawless authenticity.

Unlike the Lives imbroglio, no one alleges bad faith in this controversy. The compulsion to defend the extant cold print is understandable, but discretion is the better part of valour in this highly complex matter. Fifty years down the line, the "approvals" would seem more suspect, and hence, it is high time to initiate a fresh attempt to have a re-look at the corrections in a technology-enabled transparent manner. [TNM55]

Immoderate moderator

Just read an absolutely hate mail posted by a supposedly moderate moderator in the guise of a joke seeking death of political opponents. This is indicative of a sick mentality akin to the terrorists. Scientists too floated their theories via fiction in olden days. [TNM55]

In search of rigour

[The most rigorous expression of pluralism as a theoretical project I know of is expressed by Richard McKeon. - For The Turnstiles by DGA on Oct 31, 2011 10:42 PM]

[Keynesianism has conquered the hearts and minds of politicians and ordinary people alike because it provides a theoretical justification for irresponsible behaviour. Don't Look to Political Parties for a Solution? - Coordination Problem by Peter Boettke on Oct 31, 2011 9:51 PM]

[ Will a prioritization of political ideals seem fair to members of a secular society, and, perhaps more importantly, does it capture the challenges that face the kind of democracies we currently characterize as governed by secularism? My suspicion is that the answer is no ... Taking a stance - The Immanent Frame by Lars Tønder on Oct 31, 2011 10:17 PM]

[Press Council chief says he has a dim view of most journalists, TOI, 31 Oct 2011 - Press Council chief Markandey Katju has written to PM suggesting that the electronic media should be brought under its purview and should be given more teeth.]

[The lack of logical rigour is a running feature of the UPA's effort to attack the Jan Lokpal movement... There is adifference between the interesting and the important, the distracting and the dangerous and a key role of the media is to accord differential priorities to events rather than paint them all with a uniform brush. ...
Increasingly, ideology tends to overwhelm principle; the desire to support any action, however unsavoury, if it happens to be aligned with one's own views, is visible on both sides. Santosh Desai, Democracy without dissent? Times of India, October 31, 2011]

It is amusing to hear Santosh Desai - who hails from the advertising profession - recommending calibration to news media. Advertising, a key engine of Modern (also called Capitalist) society, is primarily responsible for inflated representation through mind-space manipulation. Paper-money system too follows the same route for creating a false sense of prosperity. All religions run on the basic premise of the devotee securing a promise from the God. Leftist thinkers keep on churning words with the certitude that they can successfully define the world without the hypothesis of God.

Thus, it is an irony to talk about rigour against the backdrop of irrational voters and irrational markets. The friction between ethics and aesthetics is perhaps key to the survival of the human race and hence finding the right balance or integration must receive priority by the society. [TNM55]

Restraint and hierarchy

If the Principal of a school run in the name of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo in Kolkata draws a salary of Rs. Three Lakh per month, can it be treated as corruption? Since we support Free Market enterprise, the answer, obviously, is No. Since we defend Property rights and inheritance, we are also not bothered about the intention of the deceased founders. Competition, ultimately, is the cure; and hierarchy can't be dispensed with. Restraint or generosity, if any, should happen voluntarily.

When a community become large, all kinds of people will be there covering diverse professions. It is, therefore, very difficult to enforce a uniform code of ethics or regimented pattern of incentive. But, bypassing of legal compulsions in functioning should be resisted and appropriate supervision modalities instituted. When even the Hazare team is under the searchlight, all of us must strive to keep the sacred names of the Masters above board. [TNM55]

Knowledge as whip

This year has been quite eventful so far and the fermentation observed in the political sphere can lead to radical changes in the next couple of years. Let's hope that it is not the usual wrestling between the UPA and the NDA, and the country gets the glimpse of an altogether new direction.

The ongoing Yatra by Advani is a drab affair as it is bereft of any uplifting inspiration or wisdom. Besides, the pre-Modern outlook of his party is a drag, not to speak of the charge of terrorism that is under probe. His embarrassment at Bengaluru on account of corruption is symptomatic of the rotten state of politics in most of the States in India.

When thinking of morality and modernity, we find elaborate guidance in the norms prescribed by The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. They recommend a flexible and pragmatic paradigm for life with ethical responses run spontaneously and not mechanically. Knowledge is the whip here and not any personal oath or subjective impression. And then we can hope to end corruption and embark upon more crucial journeys involving evolution. [TNM55]

We are seven billion

Seven billion human beings upon our planet is a landmark event. Let's assume that this is part of the overall path of evolution for fulfilment of the Divine will. About one sixth of the race have their home in India where Sri Aurobindo was born on August 15, 1872. He has repeated it several times over that India has the Knowledge and the rest of the world must benefit from it.

Many are used to the glib talk that the academia accredited critical theory is the most integral insight available. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, however, claim otherwise, and hence, we may say for certain that future solutions will ensue from their legacy. Even an iota of receptivity in this regard will be a huge collaboration and a giant leap forward. [TNM55]

Hazare falters

Hazare is clueless about constituting his own team, but insisting to disturb the balance of power between the key Government figures through the JLB. Instead of demanding referendum and forcing the ruling party to pass the bill, the right course is to contest in the elections and come to power. Unwillingness to follow this democratic route is fascist as well as farcical. Flouting norms of decency and FairPlay is also corruption, and not to understand these intricacies is all the more scandalous.

We have been warning against Hazare and his cohorts from the outset and the recent exposes are eye openers. Unprincipled activism and media manipulation cannot bring the needed change. Clarity on policy matters as well as religion is a must for representing the people in this country of great diversity.

Savitri Era Party draws inspiration from The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, and it is pertinent to note that most of the present political parties can trace their lineage to Sri Aurobindo although they hardly acknowledge that. Unity, Mutuality, & Harmony are our aim and pursuit of true Fratenity is the driving force. If India is to lead the world, then it has to be led by Savitri Era Party. [TNM55]

Sri Aurobindo wrote a shelf full of books

Post-1926, we meet a different Sri Aurobindo. The tone of his letters varies depending upon the addressee, autobiographical references slip out at times, and he touches upon several subjects within a blog-length reply. His revisionist and liberal attitude as regards the Indian tradition comes to the fore, so also his irreverence towards his renowned contemporaries. He delves deep into poetry, dismisses scientific psychology, and flirts with politics. Interestingly, he is keen in running of the Ashram as well and never forgets to write out advisories when necessary.

Factional scholastic debates of the past and the Theosophical grandstanding can be said to have dictated the tone of the Arya expositions. Understandably, Sri Aurobindo is cautious and seems to be a conservative as the motivational motive is also in play. Having tried his hand in recreating old themes in plays and poetry, he is attempting to realign more serious themes like philosophy, religion, and yoga in his commentaries. Overall, he establishes himself "as a person who wrote a shelf full of books" so that the likes of Heehs are impressed, the overarching theme of Self notwithstanding.

Sri Aurobindo's distinction from Vivekananda should be seen as the essential contribution of the former and needs to be appreciated threadbare. Any attempt to amalgam the two is a disservice to both, and hence, maintaining an uncompromising attitude is a must. It is also important to note how Sri Aurobindo has introduced several variations after The Mother's arrival in 1920. His letters compiled in the booklets like Bases of Yoga and The Mother stand testimony of this.

The aesthetic aspect of both the prose and poetry of Sri Aurobindo can be an independent pursuit and ennobling experience. As far as intellectual challenge is concerned, they offer unending and multifarious opportunities. Besides, the inspirational and intuitive treasures they harbour is fathomless. So, the interplay of these three aspects can become confusing at times and in the case of Savitri, especially, it can turn intoxicating. A levelheaded approach, therefore, is what The Mother & Sri Aurobindo demand from us. They never recommend to encourage quackery and peddling of therapy or numerology. [TNM55]

Perez and Anderson

During the Symposium on Greece-India in 1996 at IIC, a member of the audience put up a question as regards the psychological significances assigned by Sri Aurobindo to Vedic deities, to which the speaker from Greece replied that Sri Aurobindo is a known creative writer. Such a convincing affirmation, though valid in an academic context, is not the whole truth and hence misleading. This dichotomy is at the root of much misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Sri Aurobindo. Heehs' remark that Savitri is a fictional creation, for instance, rankles many admirers of the poem to this day.

Finding a solution to this problem seems to be impossible. Sri Aurobindo himself has preferred an academic diction for his essays as well as letters. Even his poetry invariably displays intellectual clarity. So, judging his oeuvre with scholarly yardsticks cannot be protested. But to deprecate the profundity of his writings and its extraordinary character is criminal.

The truth is that, the way Internet has facilitated mass publishing, it is difficult to track uninformed comments and write rebuttals. On the other hand, people like Perez and Anderson from the Integral stable are airing very sympathetic appraisals of Sri Aurobindo with the potential of influencing many young minds and helping them find a genuine philosophy of life. An honest quest arriving at Sri Aurobindo is a must. [TNM55]

Ashram's imprint

When the damaging extracts from The Lives of Sri Aurobindo came out in the open, obviously everyone was shocked. Since some people took it upon themselves to defend the book, it was a confusing situation for a while; and even today it is difficult to gauge the extent of harm the book has inflicted or will inflict in the future. There have been widespread protests against the author and the Trustee-in-charge but none has been hostile towards the Ashram.

Helio's Savitri, in contrast, is an anti-Ashram step. Not only it robs the Master's writing of the sanctity of the Ashram's imprint, but also causes financial loss to the Ashram. As devotees, all must think over this matter afresh and be careful in future initiatives. [TNM55]

Freedom is not freely available

[Interest rate on savings bank deposits deregulated - Hindu Business Line - Oct 25, 2011
In the run-up to the deregulation of SB deposit interest rates, the central bank had directed banks to pay interest on these deposits on a daily product basis with effect from April 1, 2010. Banks currently pay 4 per cent interest on SB deposits.]

Fixed rates create a false sense of security among people and diminish risk appetite while in actuality floating returns are the reality considering inflation and non-optimal assets allocation. Inertia, of course, drives (rather, doesn't) substantial savings justifying the rule that no decision too is a decision, but to be a Sarvarambha Parityagi (G.12.16) in matters finance is likely to fetch higher interest in future.

Since exchange transactions are irrational, the need for price discovery is a crucial role discharged by competition. Freedom, in this sense, though desirable, is not always freely available. Finitude is the ontological constraint here, and this basic reality needs to be understood instead of simply blaming the Keynesians. OWS-wallahs too should fresh up on their Whitehead and Hartmann. [TNM55]