How to rescue Nationalism from RSS/BJP

@SavitriEraParty: It should be an eye opener why YY's political itinerary met with disappointments. It's ignoring path of Sri Aurobindo http://t.co/EbPbEXNHzs

@SavitriEraParty: @IndiaOpines While dwelling on the magnetic pull of Nationalism, YY remembers Manipur. But the right direction is Puducherry & Sri Aurobindo.

@SavitriEraParty: Sri Aurobindo has laid out his #FiveDreams and enunciated the path of Integral Education and Yoga in order to achieve those noble goals.

@SavitriEraParty: The most crucial question embedded within the long interview of YY is how to rescue Nationalism from RSS/BJP and the answer is Sri Aurobindo.

@SavitriEraParty: Perhaps a well earned lesson for Yogendra Yadav in the primacy of Nationalism that is bound to end in Sri Aurobindo. http://t.co/rxRcnRWFXI

@SavitriEraParty: @jairajp No doubt AAP is strongly pitted in Delhi and is likely to taste power but its intellectual background to exist has not taken root.

@SavitriEraParty: @Tamil1947 @jairajp Apprehensions linger since AAP is making an audacious attempt to capture power without any base or previous popularity.

@SavitriEraParty: @Tamil1947 @jairajp Policies develop over time and are not a problem; more important is the ideology that acts as the glue to unite members.

Philosophy soul-searching

Tusar N. Mohapatra on October 25, 2013 at 4:31 am

1) [Why care about philosophy? http://t.co/ARDNCYB0wY ]
2) [Master's Mind: Sri Aurobindo in Western Thought by Daniel Albuquerque http://t.co/Dq0HGXh9Qr ]

Ramli Ibrahim and Lalit Verma

Ramli Ibrahim and Lalit Verma

Keep the RSS and the Congress out

@SavitriEraParty: Tribalism prevents from seeing that the Emperor is naked. Even the liberating power of education fails to trigger free thinking & choosing.

@SavitriEraParty: Tribalism imparts a powerful pull toward the Religion one is born into but it's no virtue. Finding out the best path available is diligence.

@SavitriEraParty: Tribalism induces to cling to the dominant groups but the beauty of democracy lies in niche ideals that survive with rudimentary support.

@SavitriEraParty: @Bhairavaprasada @WordOfTheFree @AgentSaffron @venkateshkm So we even need a Greek national to put sand in our eyes! http://t.co/iYeaS6Pl9G

@SavitriEraParty: Surprising that myriad analysts on Twitter never find it interesting to perform an honest comparison between Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo.

@SavitriEraParty: All glorification of India's past must rhyme with right politics at present. Not Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo turns out to be the safe guide.

@SavitriEraParty: Each State presents own & the overall picture is confusing but the overarching formula for 2014 is clear: Keep the RSS and the Congress out.

@SavitriEraParty: The logic of the SVD or BLD still rules the dominant minds in India as Congress couldn't escape from Dynasty and RSS from Medieval mentality.

@SavitriEraParty: The BLD initiative that precipitated forty years back & changed the course of Indian political history harbours great potentials even today.

@SavitriEraParty: Movements & alliances are transitory phenomena since our Constitution is biased towards single Party ruling the country. BLD can re-emerge.

@SavitriEraParty: In the absence of definite & viable alternative people's choice don't get reflected accurately. BLD can present itself as serious contender.

@SavitriEraParty: Pragati Legislature Party was formed in 1973 by Utkal Congress, Swatantra Party & others in Odisha that paved formation of BLD a year later.

@SavitriEraParty: No one should dream of 272 in 2014 without UP, Bihar, Bengal, and Odisha. Why do people prefer self-deluding stories is indeed a mystery!

@SavitriEraParty: @Realist_Indian Yeah, in terms of the floating vote since SP's base is more than secured.

@SavitriEraParty: @RaisinaSeries @hemantbhatia The RS route for PM is a fraud on the intention of the Constitution of India which needs to be done away with.

@SavitriEraParty: Vinoba, JP, & V.P. Singh have given India the most penetrating political interventions through their versatility and engagement with masses.

@SavitriEraParty: @Realist_Indian Nehru wrote a few books which still serve as fodder for a whole generation of Leftist scholars to fuel publishing industry.

@SavitriEraParty: @kesarmakwanou Style belongs to personal preference as aesthetic choices undergo change as one ages. Fidelity rather is of greater concern.

@SavitriEraParty: @kesarmakwanou Oh! Great. Reading it is like viewing a period movie; one has to go back in time to enjoy the frames fully. Happy reading!

@SavitriEraParty: Those who find it hard to digest Sri Aurobindo's treatises on Philosophy and Yoga can take up the 5 Plays written by him as an entry point.

@SavitriEraParty: @sarvatragam Nothing personal, but it's symptomatic of how distant is Sri Aurobindo from the mind-space of both Right and the Left in India.

@SavitriEraParty: The vision of Sri Aurobindo will take effect on the shoulders of the lovers of Sri Aurobindo. It hardly matters if sundry eggheads block it!

@SavitriEraParty: TL not for addressee alone [harshpolicy: @SavitriEraParty I genuinely respect Aurobindo but if you spam my TL again sir you will be blocked]

@SavitriEraParty: @harshpolicy I exercise my freedom on Twitter and so do you. It'd be history if you consider Sri Aurobindo as spam!

@SavitriEraParty: @harshpolicy They have served their purpose well so that upon their firm backdrop the vision of Sri Aurobindo can be painted most vividly.

@SavitriEraParty: @harshpolicy With ample borrowings from Sri Aurobindo and his Integral Ontology that is now well-acclaimed all over the world. #FiveDreams

@SavitriEraParty: @thinkoutofbox Imagining a world free of evil is a far off dream & only by collaborating with The Mother & Sri Aurobindo it may be achieved.

@SavitriEraParty: @kesarmakwanou Hope you discover a new India through the story of Sri Aurobindo and his observations on wide ranging topics. Happy reading!

@SavitriEraParty: @harshpolicy Tradition is no unmixed territory and, if espoused uncritically, can be disastrous. Sri Aurobindo lends the critical apparatus.

@SavitriEraParty: @harshpolicy The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, when they first met a century back on March 29, 1914, made sure that a new integration dawns.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat Sri Aurobindo has already factored in such history of the world and prescribed necessary behavioural changes on our part.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat No one can direct own life's journey & external influences do alter our thought & action. Religious affiliation is cultural.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat Some1 is not a fixed creature & is a product of his times & genes. Age & experience teach him & turn him an agent of change.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat You have used the word "witness" in an abstract sense and Mathematics is also abstract. Blueprint is essential for building.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat Evolution is like the Earth rushing forth in its orbit; we hardly notice it. Its action is uniform upon the whole human race.

@SavitriEraParty: @VikasSaraswat You seem to assume the present as fixed whereas it's Evolutionary for Sri Aurobindo as more & more people come to his thought.

@SavitriEraParty: @ashutoshibn7 Only Sri Aurobindo knew precisely which way to follow and even lent his support to the Cripps Mission. But others were blind!

@SavitriEraParty: @AgentSaffron Neither Savarkar nor Ambedkar is a solution to the present problems. Only Sri Aurobindo surpasses the secular/communal binary.

@SavitriEraParty: @irfhabib Imagining the old religions as something fixed is at the heart of all disharmony. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo hew the way out.

@SavitriEraParty: @anityakr Subjective assessment of prevailing political climate soaked in personal wish. Not to be taken too seriously; future is uncertain.

@SavitriEraParty: @RavikiranRao Sri Aurobindo holds that the original perhaps consisted of first 6 chapters with next 6 as additions. Last 6 came much later.

@SavitriEraParty: @hmadhok Politicians also suffer failure, humiliation, and rejection as power is neither permanent nor assured. These are religious virtues.

@SavitriEraParty: @SandeepDikshit @gsurya Right ground for dividing UP into four segments so that such statistics sounds less alarming and governance returns.

@SavitriEraParty: @anityakr That's difficult to predict and depends upon the quality of campaigning at local level. Caste of the candidate is also important.

@SavitriEraParty: All said and done, UP is going to decide who would be PM in 2014. The likely position is: SP- 40, BSP- 20, BJP- 10, RLD- 5, Cong- 3, AAP- 2.

@SavitriEraParty: @sujataanandan @scotchism @rupagulab No sleight of hand needed. State-wise numbers favour Advani as the most acceptable person as PM in 2014.

@SavitriEraParty: @BhaskarChat Advani's praise is for Gujarat alone, not beyond. That's his old stand.

@SavitriEraParty: @gopimaliwal Democracy makes it incumbent on all citizens to ponder over public affairs and scrutinising political parties & their policies.

Constitutional impropriety

[

1. Prez for generating greater tolerance, understanding

   Business Standard-

   Speaking about the two phases of life of Sri Aurobindo, he said the first phase was ...
3. Order appointing Justice PR Raman upheld

   The Hindu-

   Originally, the writ petition was filed by Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust challenging an ...
5. HC dismisses appeal against appointment of inquiry officer

   Business Standard-24-Sep-2013

   Originally, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust in Puducherry had filed a petition ...

  ]

It appears odd that the President visits the Sri Aurobindo Ashram overlooking the ongoing judicial probe of it. While his message is most suited to the political atmosphere prevailing in the country, avoiding the visit at this juncture would have been more in the fitness of things. We know the worthy ones whose hidden hands are behind this Constitutional impropriety and what they are trying to achieve by this, but we repose our faith on the judiciary. Curiously, a probe by the Govt. officer was opposed even before it started but we fail to understand how a retired judge can be immune to external influences. [TNM55]

Evolution and Advani

@SavitriEraParty: Sri Aurobindo's vision of the future rolled out in 1914 through a monthly magazine named Arya. Young Indians must wake to his exhortations.

@SavitriEraParty: Sri Aurobindo was prescient enough to formulate an alternative version of Indianhood than what is offered by the Congress, RSS, or the Left.

@SavitriEraParty: BJP, like BSP, is a victim of an imaginary certainty of mustering a majority constituency. BJP is cocksure on theory while #AAP of practice.

@SavitriEraParty: Like Andhra Pradesh, BJP is finding it hard to keep its three factions together owing to overdose of presumed patriotism and righteousness.

@SavitriEraParty: R, A, M represent the present three factions of the BJP. While R is the Tamasic and M, the Rajasic, A constitutes the Sattwic propensities.

@SavitriEraParty: @gopimaliwal Please look at the future in configuring the evolutionary role of Advani instead of relying too much on examples from history.

@SavitriEraParty: @gopimaliwal But you seem to be totally clueless as to the source of the darkness and Advani has better intuition to sense it & act & lead.

@SavitriEraParty: @gopimaliwal Difficult to hazard a guess as to the possible trajectory of the Zeitgeist but Advani definitely has a prominent role in future.

@SavitriEraParty: No doubt Advani heads a faction today but it's the evolutionary wing in the BJP ready to learn & change unlike RSS hardcore or the matadors.

@SavitriEraParty: The most pragmatic and realist truth is that Advani is BJP since he created it and so to expect that he gets out of it is downright foolish.

@SavitriEraParty: Not Savarkar or Golwalkar, it's Advani who like Lenin brought the Hindutva to life and limelight. He must be given opportunity to mend it.

Savitri to the rescue

Plurality of voices among the devotees of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo as articulated over the Internet today reflects confusion and lack of consensus that is characteristic of the human condition. Despite his substantial philosophical and poetic output of great repute, Sri Aurobindo remains just a shadowy figure in the national memory and his association with The Mother is looked upon as a mystery. The Mother is also continuously compared to the other women from the West like Blavatsky, Besant, Nivedita, and Teresa and misconceptions about her contributions persist. The Ashram, unfortunately, has not been able to issue an authorised biography of The Mother or Sri Aurobindo till date, despite possessing all material resources. The ongoing dispute plaguing the Ashram is further corroding whatever credibility came to be associated with the name of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo over the years.

Sri Aurobindo's matured theorising 1914 onwards are, in fact, in response to the major debates going on in the West during the previous Century. The West, of course, is bringing back their old Masters after regular intervals; Living Thought by Roberto Esposito is a case in point. But the predominantly spiritual philosophy of Sri Aurobindo is less likely to earn many takers given the critical socio-political situation prevailing in the country. Savitri, therefore, stands a much better chance of being popular as an evocative piece of poetry venting emancipatory sentiments. [TNM55]

Savitri Era Devotees oviate Sri Aurobindo

The most interesting aspect about the forthcoming Situating Sri Aurobindo: A Reader (Edited by Peter Heehs, OUP India, 376 pages) is that “This book looks beyond Aurobindo's textual sources to his vision of the future.” There is no denying that only a panoptic view right from 1893 to 2013 can give a faithful picture of the Master’s legacy. His Ontology is too complex and deriving a composite view covering his plural texts is not an easy task. Further, neither his Yoga practice nor Political praxis appeals to the common man. But what has expanded is the regular religious celebrations and periodical pilgrimages. Even then, faithfuls are unwilling to designate it as a Religion.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo stand outside their own texts. How the Savitri Era Devotees accommodate Their memory and inspiration within their own subjective continents is far more contingent and significant than what is buried in the cold print. This itself transforms the whole Ontology so diligently crafted by Sri Aurobindo. Thus, the truth is that unless we assign the Savitri Era Religion the central place, the Ontological confusion will continue. When the twin divinity of Mother & Sri Aurobindo is accorded its rightful place, then the rest of the architecture falls into place, automatically. Even, the current controversy surrounding the Ashram is not devoid of its philosophical dimensions. [TNM55]   

Sri Aurobindo constitutes a major shift

In his paper The Advance of Indian Philosophy in the Work of J.N. Mohanty Stephen H. Phillips observes that "Indian civilization flows in deep-hewn channels of ethical and spiritual positions, so deep, perhaps, as to rule out, as a practical matter, any major shift." But Phillips himself has authored books on Sri Aurobindo and understands how he has reconfigured many of the traditional interpretations including the Veda. This, however, has not adequately spread among the scholars and much of academic philosophy is yet to accommodate Sri Aurobindo's thesis of Integral Evolution. 

Sri Aurobindian Ontology, thankfully, saves us from a materialist viewpoint that the Marxists peddle endlessly. It comes with a definite teleology and thus discards the Atheists' arguments. Further, the Ontology itself reorients the mind so as to spur Yoga practice. The most important facet is its Universalist feature promotes human unity and harmony. 

I was introduced to the Word Union movement 30 years back when it was observing its Silver Jubilee. Not much headway in practical terms on The World Union Day but the dream lives on. [TNM55]

Ontology is the opium

Many may not be aware of a wonderful book titled, "Dante and Sri Aurobindo: A Comparative Study of the Divine Comedy and Savitri" (1982) by Prema Nandakumar. It's a must read to understand how much Sri Aurobindo is indebted to Dante who he used to admire apart from the similarities in the story of their lives. Savitri is surely modelled on the elaborate architecture Dante erected in his poem which, indisputably, enhances the profundity of the Vedic paradigm. (That it creates more complexity for hapless devotees to compare and remember corresponding narrations elsewhere is a different matter.)

An Odia proverb underscores that one can breeze through even the cremation ground of a new village as easily as crossing the river of his own. This is exactly what Ontology is; in the former instance, ignorance facilitates while it's knowledge in the latter. The popular notion is that Religion is the opium but the reality is that it's Ontology which binds us and drives our action. Thus, logic has a role to introduce a new version of Ontology into one's mind. The contribution of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo in this noble venture, therefore, is unparalleled.

I have just posted a few links at SELF by going through which the enormity of the problem of clutching on to the old Ontologies comes to the fore. Levi similarly, in his latest post, has held aloft his familiar version with usual aplomb and sophistication. In this scenario, we need to be firmly convinced that by popularising the idea of Integral Evolution alone that real progress can come and not by endlessly tolerating worn-out fictions. [TNM55]

Situating Sri Aurobindo poses a real ideological challenge

It'd be a safe assumption to say that 80 percent people are averse to reading, may be even more. Even our eyes, I remember to have read somewhere, are not designed to undertake the burden of reading. Discussing or listening to a speech is more attractive as vitality, obviously, is more involved there while reading is an asocial activity. More people can spend time by silently listening to music while the library will be deserted. This is perhaps the reason why Religions rely less on books and more on other paraphernalia. 

8,000 devotees visited the Ashram on the Darshan Day in Puducherry. The percentage of readers here will certainly be substantially higher as books occupy a central place in the Savitri Era Religion. The task of disseminating a new Ontology is very much upon each devotee of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo. Here our fight is not only with the old Religions but also against the formidable apparatus of Philosophy as well as Science. As a young religion, we must always be vigilant against encouraging anti-intellectualism and easygoing ritualism that is prevalent so widely.

The fallout of Heehs imbroglio has unfortunately engulfed the whole Ashram and Situating Sri Aurobindo, therefore, poses a real ideological challenge. It seems that the fault-line more or less is aligned to the divide in the national politics and hence the stake is considerably higher. If only our resident satirist could think straight and avoid contorted humour! [TNM55]

Integral Evolution is an exclusive invention

Integral Evolution deals with each individual in a different way depending upon the unique mix of heredity and environment one reflects. The Mother & Sri Aurobindo also propose a distinct set of assumptions as regards the constitution of personality, mechanism of genetic configuration, and the circumstances of one's upbringing and education. All these collectively form such a complex backdrop that one dare not compare one individual with another. Yoga, nevertheless, unites us all in its encompassing aspiration for Perfection.

Competition and conflicts, being a basic device of self-determination, often pose a hurdle in the progress. Dualities and divisions, with their ontological inevitability, prove difficult to be transcended. Finitude and limitation, being the very element of all that we survey, itself refuses any alteration. This is where the acedemic Philosophical method comes to a grinding halt; Psychology lands in a blind alley. 

Integral Evolution propounded by Sri Aurobindo takes the story further by invoking the very seed of creation that was sown at the outset. Thus, progress is merely the self-unfoldment of the All-potentiality that is ever-present. This introduces immense value to our participation in the evolution contrary to the ennui and mechanicity of the neo-Darwinians.

Apart from the well known aspect of The Mother's Grace, the other crucial factor determining the aspirant's practice is one's temperament. The peculiarity of a person's disposition may appear to be unchanging and unhelpful but Integral Evolution has its own way of harnessing it to its own advantage. Abrupt change in the nature of job or sudden enhancement in skills and capabilities are not unusual to notice happening to many a person. But the bottomline remains the same and should never be forgotten in any circumstances.

1. Spirituality is not something which can be practiced by anyone on his or her own. Integral Evolution is an exclusive invention of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo and their help is essential at every step.

2. Fanciful mixing of their teachings by borrowing some elements from some other stream is a temptation many find hard to resist but that's fruitless exercise.

3. Many nurture the notion that practice is independent of intellectual growth but The Mother & Sri Aurobindo insist on the indispensability of both in the journey towards Perfection. [TNM55]

Integral Evolution and World Union

August 20 is the World Union Day. The Third Dream of Sri Aurobindo is not as remote or abstract as the next two. Google itself represents a coming together of the whole world on a single platform. This has happened through the sheer logic of commerce and technology. But the transformation it has brought about at the cultural level of the present generation is immeasurable. Internet is forcing the feeling of unity among people inhabiting continents apart. But the question of Religion is not easy to overcome for anyone.

The vision of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo cannot work in a vacuum. It needs people, adherents to carry it forward with dedication over the long term. Proper understanding and adequate conviction is also essential for being eligible for the task. All this come under the purview of Religion that trains persons right from a very young age.

Fortunately, the network of seekers and Centres all over the Globe have established a groundswell of reputation and anticipation for Integral Evolution. The supremacy of Sri Aurobindo's predictions is increasingly being recognised on the theoretical front too. That gives the hope that the dream of the World Union is certainly not a chimera.

The Mother & Sri Aurobindo have consistently advised to keep the young away from superstitions and, accordingly, Savitri Era Religion discourages capitulating before meaningless rituals and mythological fictions. Freeing minds from old ontological confusions is perhaps the most challenging affair for the devotees of The Mother. [TNM55]

Hyderabad and Hinduism

December 9, 2006 can be considered as a watershed moment when Heehs, the historian returned his verdict at Hyderabad granting divorce between Sri Aurobindo and Hinduism. Now we look forward in anticipation where exactly he is Situating Sri Aurobindo in the forthcoming Reader edited by him seven years later. India is a heaven for comlex overlaps and imbicrations where myriad traditions have coexisted for Centuries. It's a challenge, therefore, to rescue Sri Aurobindo from conflicting appropriations and uninformed straitjacketing.

The task, obviously, is not easy as long as no conscious effort is mounted with dedicated institutional patronage. Then, there is the problem of securing a consensus among scholars of diverse political persuasions. But the necessity, nevertheless, of such a project cannot be emphasised more and more so adverting to the religion aspect. [TNM55]

The Mother gave it a Global turn

The supposedly intellectual environment in Twitter is no doubt impressive and enticing, but most are experts and activists who lack curiosity and are indifferent to ideas beyond their known horizons. Consequently, the emphasis is on the moment instead of any sustained endeavour at learning and grasping essential theoretical differences. A bland antipathy towards the West harboured by most also poses a serious disability. This is strange because to think of modern India without the contribution of the West is simply impossible. All great men and their ideological legacies are indebted to variations of Western thought in more or less degree. Thus to understand those inspirations and affiliations more intimately is a challenge today for the present generation in India. Loyalty to some political stream is fine but being callous to subtle philosophical distinctions is a colossal wastage of the intellect.

Sri Aurobindo had the difficult challenge of channelising the diverse strands of Renaissance that had evolved in India before he arrived in the scene. By the time he established it firmly on a Vedic foundation, encounter with The Mother gave it a Global turn and universal focus. Now there is no escape from this course of human destiny and resolutely becoming parochial or provincial or even merely patriotic is counterproductive. The Market also hints at alternative solutions for us instead of being unduly worried about the slide of the Rupee.

Higher planes of mind do exist

"Integral Yoga is taking up the technique that is good for you," can be said to be the simplest definition that was given out today by Dr. Makarand R. Paranjape in the course of the final instalment of his three-day lecture series on The Supramental Manifestation. While dealing the Mind of Light at length, he also made references to the paths of Ramana Maharshi, J. Krishnamurti, Osho, and Kashmir Shaivism pertaining to the perfection of the body. In answering to a question at the end, he added emphatically that the higher planes of mind do exist and Sri Aurobindo has assured that it is possible for one to ascend to them.

I discovered in Sabda a valuable book titled "Evolution towards Human Unity (Sri Aurobindo's Philosophy of History and of Political Evolution, A Comparative Study)", 2002 by Dr. K.N. Verma in which thoughts of Vico, Comte, Hegel, Marx, Toynbee, Spengler, Sorokin, Osborne, Berdyaev et al have been dealt with. [TNM55]

Hope for the body

Dr. Makarand R. Paranjape's talks on The Supramental Manifestation at Sri Aurobindo Ashram - Delhi Branch continues till tomorrow. Gave a low-down on Nietzsche's Superman vis-a-vis Sri Aurobindo's conception on it, today and then went on to emphasise on the perfection of the body aspect. He also underlined how the progress is slow and there is no means of any direct leap to the promised Supramentalisation. Physical realities, including sex, are not excluded from Sri Aurobindo's careful consideration which, he reminded, need to be fully assimilated by the seekers of Integral Yoga.