Sri Aurobindo Srikshetra

Dharanidhar Pal

SRI AUROBINDO SRIKSHETRA TRUST
At/P.O. - SRI AUROBINDO SRIKSHETRA
Via-Kotsahi, Pin-754022, Dist. Cuttack, Orissa

Hear its voice. Follow its dictates

"There is a fire burning there, In the deep quietude of the heart. It is the divinity in you- your true being. Hear its voice. Follow its dictates."-The Mother

More on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother:http://www.miraura.org/teaching.html posted by dipti Saturday, January 28, 2006 @ 5:52 AM

A huge gold globe

(While I was in Auroville I flipped through some books by Aurobindo and Mother and about them and in every book (I read excerpts from three) almost immediatly I ran into them saying they had to silence or isloate someone for their ideas, then their followers would just say "oh yessss master, silence those bad opinions" and it irked me).

PS I also thought more about Aurobindo and Mother. I wasn't around while they were around and I totally understand anyone who would follow an energy like Amma gives off. I guess I didn't like that Sri Mother wanted a huge gold globe built in what is somewhat her town, named for her counterpart. Also all of the pictures of her, and her eyes I saw were blurred (a la Casablanca core, but it's cool in movies) so they looked all holy but they weren't it was just a blurred picture. Who knows? posted by Alex "The Beast" McDonough AKA The Unicorn at 1/27/2006 12:01:00 PM

All the same

Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was not a modern Guru, he was as timeless as every Guru, thats why Sai Babba, Maharisi Mahes, Sri Aurobindo,... are all the same, all trying, all lauching about our missers...(use google) Tue, January 24, 2006- 1:33 PM Prayoga 39 tribes » Religion & Beliefs » OSHO

So much to see

Went to Shirdi Baba ashram next to Bombay, then Bangalore, small villages around, I'm now in Pondicherry , Sri Aurobindo's ashram here; met a great indian guy who knows Amatchi and we're going to Kerala next, stunning place and then buddhists places up North. So much to see..// posted by The Crack Emcee Tuesday, January 24, 2006 @ 2:09 PM The Macho Response Location:San Francisco, California, United States

Maria Montessori

During WWII Maria Montessori was required to stay in India, as she was an Italian citizen, until the conclusion of hostilities. She spent a great deal of time in the Aurobindo ashram and learned much about Indias culture and history. There was and is much to admire; however, there was a certain amount of shall we say arrogance in the locals attitude regarding the ancientness of their culture. posted by chittavrtti Location:Portland Sunday, January 22, 2006 7:28 PM 3 Comments

French connection

Pondicherry: I'm interested in the place for two reasons. The first is the union territory's French connection. The second is its association with Aurobindo Ghose, my maternal great uncle. The Aurobindo Ashram is a must-see place in Pondicherry. I might just get round to doing this, and am in the process of planning a trip there in February. A friend is looking into accommodation at the ashram. The ashram has guest houses for visitors. posted by Nupur Tuesday, January 24, 2006 My Travel Wish List @ 12:52 AM Nupur Sen Location: Bangalore, Karnataka

Let it not become a religion

We reached Pondicherry at 9:30 pm. An auto ride got us to the Aurobindo Ashram where we pleaded for two rooms. We got them in the New Guest House of the ashram. Every room in the guesthouse has a name like Dignity, Freedom, and Integrity. My room's name was Miracle. Providence?...We checked out of the guesthouse at nine and boarded a bus tour run by the tourism department. In what still remains of its French connection, there is a uniqueness that makes it different. As a fellow French traveler on the tour bus informed me, "It is different here, outside it is India again, but here it is different."

What I believe instead, is that this also, is India and there in lies her beauty. The tour began at the Aurobindo Ashram, which houses the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. This was followed by a visit to the Manakula Vinayakar temple, which has about 45 forms of Ganesha worshipped in and around India. Then it was onto the Pondicherry Museum, which had sections on archaeology, which displayed remains of Roman amphorae and coins excavated from Arikamedu.

The last attraction of the tour was a trip to Auroville. As the Auroville charter says, "Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity." On 28 February 1968, some 5,000 people assembled near the banyan tree at the center of the future township for an inauguration ceremony attended by representatives of 124 nations, including all the States of India. The representatives brought with them some soil from their homeland, to be mixed in a white marble-clad, lotus-shaped urn, now sited at the focal point of an amphitheatre.

In the center of the township, one finds the Matrimandir. On the outside, it is a large golden sphere, while the spacious Inner Chamber in the upper hemisphere of the structure is completely white, with white marble walls and white carpeting. In the center, a pure crystal-glass globe suffuses a ray of electronically guided sunlight, which falls on it through an opening at the apex of the sphere. There are no images, no organized meditations, no flowers, no incense, no religion or religious forms. It is the symbol of the Divine's answer to man's aspiration for perfection. I quote the Mother:

"Let it not become a religion. The failure of religion is... because they were divided. They wanted people to be religious to the exclusion of other religions, and every branch of knowledge has been a failure because it has been exclusive. What the new consciousness wants (it is on this that it insists) is: no more divisions. To be able to understand the spiritual extreme, the material extreme, and to find the meeting point, the point where that becomes a real force." by First Rain Monday, January 23, 2006 @ 11:40 PM from:New Delhi, Delhi, India

Auroville is an international community

A Little Taste of Tamil Nadu and French India

Pondicherry was the capital of French India until 1952 when it became part of the new free Indian Republic. The city seems to have had two strong influences, first the French and second Sri Aurobindo who along with “the Mother” founded an ashram where people sought “divine consciousnes.”

Our room was tiny with a bed and a small desk literally on its last leg. All that decorated the walls was a black and white photograph of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. For some reason I liked it. There wasn’t as much to see in Pondicherry as we expected. It has the feel of real Indian town (as opposed to the resorts in Goa) with a spash of French influence. For example, the local bakeries make real croissants and tasty pastries. Occassionally, the young children will great you with “bonjour” as opposed to “hello.” There is a lycee francaise (French high school.)

We visitd a paper factory (operated by the ashram) where they make fine handmade papers, photo albums, stationary, scrapbooks, etc. It was fascinating to watch the men carefully measuring, cutting and stacking the paper or the women hanging the freshly dyed sheets on clotheslines to dry. We’ve had a few opportunities in India to see things behind handmade, the blockprinted fabrics in Jodhpur, the miniature paintings in Udaipur, tailors across the country…it’s a nice feeling to know that our souvenirs we’re made by someone and not something.

After the paper factory, we visited the ashram. We don’t really know much about the workings of the ashram, but we saw the tomb of Sri Aurobindo and a mix of westerners and Indians who came to meditate there.

Our second day in Pondicherry, we rented bikes to ride out to the beach. Going for a bike ride in India is like going to the dentist, I swore (heavily) that I will never do it again. Once we got out of the city, my blood pressure dropped to near normal and we reached the beach. We actually reached the Auroville beach. Auroville is an international community. It’s a project that was conceived by the Mother where people from all of the countries of the world can live equally. They have specialized projects within the community, dealing with substainable agriculture, solar energy and water conservation; they also sell handicrafts and work with local villages.

From our perspective it is a very interesting idea, but as they are not self-substaining (they depend on tourism for a portion of the income and many grants from international organizations) they aren’t really successful yet. We read a lot of literature at their welcome center, and it seems they were very active with the tsunami relief efforts in Tamil Nadu. The beach was nice, but it had a very sharp drop off and a strong rip current, so we didn’t spend a lot of time swimming. This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2006 at 1:11 am Jenny and Fabien Visit the Other Half of the World

Inspiring Women

This refers to the regular feature ‘Woman of Substance’. It is really the need of time to publish the biographies of great foreign women when the issue of foreign origin has created a great controversy in the present political and social scenario of our country. By publishing such articles we can prove that the Sangh Parivar has no objection towards the women of foreign origin. I request you to publish a short biography on Mira Alfassa (The Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry) in the forthcoming issues. —Abhirup Bhattacharya, Jabalpur Organiser Home > 2004 Issues > March 14, 04 Readers' Forum

Thy divine presence

I wanted to be with a friend and her family in Puna the last few days....She left her body yesterday. She is an utterly beautiful soul, who selflessly touched all who came into her Life. She is a devoutee of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. We'll be going to Ponditcherry this week in her memory...

"Peace, peace upon all the earth!" "May all esacpe from the ordinary consciousness and be delivered from the attachment for material things; may they awake to the knowledge of Thy divine presence, unite themselves with Thy supreme consciousness and taste the plentitude of peace that springs from it."-The Mother
posted by dipti Friday, January 20, 2006 @ 11:07 AM

Pondicherry- Oh la la la!!

Neil & Marsha RTW 16th Jan 2006 - 19th Jan 2006 Site updated: 21st Jan 2006 Get Jealous Home

We arrived into Pondicherry later on that afternoon suprisingly refreshed. Both taken back by the contrasting scenery of the rest of India and Pondicherry. Its as almost if we have crossed the border into another country. No more polluted India, with lots of people, cars, temples, squalor, and vibrant colours. Up until 50 years ago Pondicherry was still ruled by France, which explains how different the state is. It is a very serene, chilled out state. Full of long windy tree lined streets. Lots of pastel coloured French villas litter the roads. Plenty of French eateries and bakeries.

The French language is still practised by many of the locals and expats that live here too. However, dont be fooled like us into thinking that Pondi has no trace of the Indian way of life. If you cross the canal you enter the Indian area of Pondi which brings us back to what we are used to, frenetic, bustling, busy India. The town is dominated by a huge promenade which stretches the whole length of the town and beyond. The promenade is defintely popular with the locals who power walk and conduct their exercises before sunrise. At sunset people walk down the promenade enjoying their candy floss bought from one of the many whallahs. You cannot actually take a dip in the ocean in Pondi as there is no beach, but few miles down the coast you can splash to your hearts content in neighbouring Auroville.

We were lucky enough, (or not as I later discovered), to get acomnodation in Park Guest House which is owned by Sri Aurobindo Ashram.The ashram was founded by Sri Aurobindo and later run by the Mother. The huge guest house dominates the end of the promenade. It is right on the waters edge, set amongst a tropical garden which people use to practise their yoga and meditation. We checked into their last room, a bargain at two pounds. As with all ashrams there are rules to abide and respect, mainly no drinking alcohol, no smoking, no drugs and a 10.30pm curfew. The last rule was easy enough as everything closes down at 9pm. Pictures of Mother and Aurobindo are littered throughout the grounds, even above our beds two ominous looking figures towered above us.

The ashram cooks up some tasty snacks and brekkie in their restaurant which over looks the ocean. Such a nice location to sip your morning coffee.The guest house attracts a hotch potch of clientele, from the tree huggers all dressed in white, to families on holiday. At the crack of dawn you will hear the faint rustling of the ashram workers starting their daily chores. Hot water is only provided between certain hours, usually in huge iron buckets, so distributing the buckets is usually the workers first task. After nosh we hired two rickety bikes and took off to explore. We visited the Botanical Gardens which is reputedly Pondis only area of greenery. Very pleasant walk around the gardens. We wandered some of the leafy streets. Typically confusing with road names such as Rue De la Marine on one end, and named a completely different French name at the other end.

We did go to the ashram which was full of people queuing to get into the grounds. We were ushered barefooted into the ashram garden where Mother's tomb and Aurobindo's tomb was placed. Lots of people were meditating and praying in the gardens. Some people clinging onto the tomb, muttering words of prayer. The experence didnt enlighten our soul but it certainly was an oasis of calm within the ashram walls. And we musnt forget to mention the valuable work the ashram does for the community.

On day two we headed out down the coast to explore more of the area. I think its the closest we have got to Indian life as we cycled through villages and towns. Most of the locals survive from the sea, so we passed lots of fishermen bringing in their daily catch and repairing their nets. Back on the bikes in the afternoon to explore the neighbouring town of Auroville where lots of community developments are under way, another idea that orginated from the ashram.

Spiritual leaders

There is no dearth of temples in TN. Every street and by-lane will house some temple. Even Vivekananda has a connection with temples in TN. Madurai is known as city of temples. The place also boasts of spiritual leaders like Ramana Maharshi and Sri Aurobindo (who settled in Pondicherry).

Bengal is also the place where many influential spiritual gurus emerged. Paramahans, Vivekananda, Chaitanya, Prabhupada (of ISKON fame), Paramahans Yogananda (of “Autobiography of Yogi” fame) have come from this land. Here saffron and red have existed peacefully. posted by Krishnaraj P M Saturday, January 21, 2006 Location: Bangalore, India

An interesting Sri Aurobindo Blog

From: "Wolfgang Schmidt-Reinecke" wjsr@gmx.net To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com CC: friederike fwerner@roeperhof.de Subject: [Fwd: An interesting Sri Aurobindo Blog] Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 21:26:28 -0800 -------- Original Message --------Subject: An interesting Sri Aurobindo Blog Date: Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:56:16 -0800 From: Wolfgang Schmidt-Reinecke <wjsr@gmx.net> To: avi@aurobindo.org

Dear AVI compats (you still remember this virtual identity of yours...?) End of the last century we have been quite active. This new millenium starts rather silent on AVI compat side. Anyway I just want to share with you a rather informative blog. Author is an Indian gentleman who compiled IMHO a lot of leading edge articles and infos in regard to Sri Aurobindo, Integral Yoga and Evolutionary Spirituality. So maybe it's providing something interesting for you too.

http://savitrieralearningforum.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_savitrieralearningforum_archive.html

All the best for 2006! Wolfgang
-- Wolfgang J. Schmidt-Reinecke AVI Executive Director, AVI Germany Board Berlin, Germany till March 7, 2006:Ashland, OR, USA mobil 541 324 7552 mailto: wjsr@gmx.net Skype: wolfgangschmidtreinecke

Become

Thursday, January 19, 2006 Thought for the Day

True knowledge is not attained by thinking. It is what you are; it is what you become.

—Sri Aurobindo (# permalink) posted by Wordjunky : 1/19/2006 01:08:00 AM

A final destination

The strong winds of the ocean roaring with all its might, the serenity and peace in the surroundings,the strikingly "white" buildings with the touch of French architecture, people young and old in cycles (and of course a beautiful smile on their faces always), the gallis named as "Rues", a temple elephant blessing the devotees and a busy market place nearby. Well all this is why Pondicherry happens to be one of my favourite places. Theres some magic in the people and the air. A final destination for spiritual followers of Sri Aurobindo, the place has captured my heart. Saraswathi Mukkai Location:Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India Thursday, January 19, 2006 5:09 PM

All we owe to Thee

Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry: Many people meditate near the samadhi. The atmosphere of the ashram is very peaceful. The notice board says - A REQUEST PLEASE DO NOT BRING FLOWERS FOR THE SAMADHI posted by vishal sah at 1/17/2006 11:38:00 PM Structured Chaos - 'A Financial Tech Blog'

Just a beam of sunlight concentrated on a crystal

Then it was off to the Aurobindo Park Guest House. This is an amazing place to stay in…with dirt cheap rates and first-rate accommodation. A spanking clean, airy non-AC room for a 100 bucks a day (2 persons ka sharing). That’s it. Go on…rub your eyes real well. There’s no (artificially fawning - tip cadging) room service/telephone/intercom stuff…but out there, you really don’t need it. Situated at the end of the ‘sea-face’ (very reminiscent of the one at Worli), it is THE place to stay in. Slightly strict about timings – there is a 10.30 p.m. curfew. Considering that we crashed at 9.45 p.m., the time limit is not as draconian as it seems. Also, smoking, drinking and drugs - not allowed in the rooms. Lots of other options available, averaging from 200-500 bucks/day. Finding acco can be a slight pain on weekends.

Lotsa places near the bus stand, but staying in the French part is a lot more fun. It was then time to take in the sights. One side of Pondicherry (near the bus stand and main market) is STRAIGHT out of Tamil Nadu. The crowds, the bustle, the noise, the markets. Cross one small road, and then the French Quarter begins. A totally different world – the bright yellow buildings, the sparse population, the sudden peace and quiet.

We then went to the Aurobindo Samadhi. A wonderful, peaceful place, with a lot of fragrant flowers all around. The silence was divine here, broken only momentarily by some kid’s utterings - immediately shushed by their embarrassed parents.

The next morning dawned cloudy and gray. We went first up to Auroville, which is around 8 kms from the Guest house.Visited the Matrimandir temple (I LOVED the basic funda of the place – no religion, no idols, no rituals, just a beam of sunlight concentrated on a crystal. Meditate and find your own answers within your own selves. The temple is still under construction), and the museum. A must pick-up from the boutiques here are the hand-crafted, non-toxic incense sticks, which are really cool, with fragrances ranging from Lotus, to Opium, and Coffee. Very good gift ideas. C’est vrai. Cent pour cent de vrai. posted by Tapan Tuesday, January 17, 2006 at 10:21 PM Dirtscapes

Embracing God's will

Saturday, January 07, 2006 By Rene Lizada Papa's Table

WHEN a scorpion bit Aurobindo he said, "Ah, a message from my Beloved." First of all, if you are wondering who Aurobindo is, he is a yogi master. And I just like what he said. It may be difficult, perhaps even frightening, but we must all learn to embrace it all. To take into our arms all that is, even if it may be painful or scary. We need to embrace all knowing that it is God speaking to us. We need to embrace without exception all that happens.

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• Bloged by admin Thursday January 19, 2006 at about 3:24 am Rafts and Rafting

Pondicherry Beckons...

Having lived in a concrete cosmopolitan jungle for most part of my life, any chance to escape from it was always welcome. So when I got the chance to visit Pondicherry, a charming town set on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, India, I was in seventh heaven. Pondy, is a quaint little town dotted with majestic white French buildings – a heritage of the colonial masters who took over in the 17th century and ruled for more than 280 years. Even today, you find a number of locals conversing fluently in French, apart from the permanent French residents.

It’s an ideal place to unwind, to recharge your body and soul. Pondicherry is famous for its Aurobindo Ashram established in memory of Sri Aurobindo, the great seer, poet and prophet of the twentieth century, who made Pondicherry his home from 1910 till his death in 1950. Even today the ashram attracts visitors from across the globe.

Auroville, located 10 kms north of Pondicherry town, is envisioned as a Universal Town. This was built by a Paris-born painter and musician, fondly known as ‘The Mother’, who was Sri Aurobindo's disciple and close companion. Here you find people from different countries, faiths and beliefs, living in peace and harmony.

For me, this was an ideal retreat. With its comforting atmosphere of fragrant flowers and attractive foliage, it is easy to melt in the surroundings. A surreal energy and calm seeps through you in such idyllic environs. Sitting on the verandah of the Ashram, ensconced in this cozy ambience, I felt filled, contented and totally at peace. I felt as if I’d just taken a leisurely bath – so overpowering was the feeling of comfort I felt. Strangely, the Ashram was a place visited by hundreds of tourists. Even while sitting on the verandah, I could see groups of people walking about, placing flowers at the resting place of the Sri Aurobindo and genuflecting. Despite such activities, there was utter quiet and peace. It was amazing.

Even today, whenever I feel stressed out, totally bogged down by the demands of everyday living, I slip down memory lane and find myself in the same verandah. I can almost feel the caress of sunlight streaming through the trees, the magical fragrance wafting from the incense sticks mingling with the sweet scent of flowers, and the tranquility embracing the soul.

And of course, strolling along the rocky coastline that stretches for more than 32 miles is another exhilarating experience. Pondy has some of the finest beaches and coastlines of India. The sheer pleasure of sitting on the wide expanse of sand, overlooking the emerald waters with tiny fishing boats bobbing over the waves – these are memories I still cherish.

In the evenings, the fishing boats returned while on the shore women and children waited excitedly for a glimpse of the day’s catch. There’s much more to be explored and experienced in Pondy. Of late, these effervescent memories have been fuelling my desire to pay Pondicherry another visit. And sooner than later, I plan to honour that desire. Wednesday, October 19, 2005 12:15 Posted in Travel Permalink Comments (1) About Me

The Myth of Spirituality

And in all fairness, I'm being a little silly here, poking fun at the North American spiritual racket. Obviously people are doing wonderful things, and I have learned incredibly from the persons who are the symbols of my cliche spiritual master types. I'm mean at least they tried to do something. At least they were willing to embrace--however pathologically--the brutality of translation, the density of this created construct.

I want to have a wife and kids. You can't have a stable family scenario and really zone outward--ask Aurobindo for proof of that one. How am I supposed to have dinner with my family, do all the ridiculous social games we are supposd to play, put on the happy face and not actually deal with emotions, growth, and life, just sorta act like we do--and then BAM, turn on the juice.

How are you going to have a "normal" conversation with that around. How is the conversation, if it does anything not immediately going to turn to "the spiritual question" thereby reinventing the entire psychodrama of thinking there is something to realize, treating the spiritual as some cordoned off aspect of existence, or thinking there actually is something called spiritual at all (The Myth of Spirituality)? posted by CJ Smith Tuesday, January 10, 2006 Spiritual Blahbedeblah at 12:58 PM

Courage to protest

“English rule,” wrote Sri Aurobindo, “. . . undermined and deprived of living strength all the pre-existing centres and instruments of Indian social life and by a sort of unperceived rodent process left it only a rotting shell without expansive power or any better defensive force than the force of inertia.”[7]

Thus have Indians come to surrender to this new and worse monster all sense of initiative, all courage to protest, their proverbial tolerance stretched to the extreme, their no less proverbial lethargy remaining their sole refuge. Thus have the many “good, honest, capable, cultured people” whom I mentioned at the beginning come to shun Indian politics as the dirty field it has indeed become, a “goonda-raj”[8] in Sri Aurobindo’s words of 1935.

Is Indian Culture Obsolete ? Keynote address presented at the Vivekananda Jayanthi Lecture for Youth organized by the Bharateeya Vichara Kendram at Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) on 12 January 2000.---------Michael Danino Michel Danino's Homepage Other Authors Voice of Dharma.com Copyright © 2005. All rights reserved. posted by sandeep Monday, January 16, 2006@ 9:13 AM

New Age guru!

Sri Aurobindo - a bonafied Indian guru - was once visited by a devout devotee from a far away land. He found Aurobindo smoking. "What? you smoke?! But you are holy man!???" He uttered in flabbergasted amazement...all his projections and images of a holy man flustered on the screen of his mind before him and seriously screwed with his head at that moment. Nonchalantly, Aurobindo replied matter of factly: "Yes, I am addicted." :) Holy cows make the best meat! posted by bloomingbluelotus Monday, January 16, 2006 @ 8:17 PM

The Caste System

It is a fact that the Buddhists discarded the Vedas to preach against caste system; Kabir followed the same path of denouncing the Hindu scriptures while opposing the casts system. A proper understanding of scriptures can remove the ignorance and illusion. Gandhi and Aurobindo favored Varna system though opposed caste system. Swami Dayananda with authority on Vedas declared that Vedas do not mention about caste system and opposed caste system tooth and nail while defending the scriptures. There is nothing in the scriptures to justify the caste division, only the Varna system exists as an integral part of the whole society. It is not the Caste system at all. © The Lonely Canadian

Saints of the country

“Our victory is certain” —K.S. Sudarshan: Speaking at the concluding ceremony, the RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri K.S. Sudarshan infused confidence into the shivirarthis that Bharat would shine all over the world by the year 2011, as has been predicted by great Indian saints like Sri Aurobindo and Swami Vivekananda.

Shri Sudarshan said all the ancient saints of the country like Swami Dayanand, Aurobindo, Bhagini Nivedita, Annie Besant and others worked for development of Hindu society. Annie Besant had once said if Hindus assembled at a place for prayer for 15 minutes, it would give them divine strength to lead the rest of the world. “By the inspiration of all these saints, Dr Hedgewar started the Sangh in 1925. Today the RSS is marching towards its goal,” he added. Pseudo-Secularism Links to this post

AUROVILLE immersive music

AUROVILLE tonight at SECRET PROJECT ROBOT (harkness a/v salon) 01.12.06 Nick Hallett Message 1 of 1 in thread 2006-01-12 02:07:38 PM please drop by secret project robot tonite (jan 12th) for harkness a/v salon, featuring immersive 'new age' media experience, AUROVILLE. Rhizome.org 210 11th Ave, 2nd floor New York, NY 10001

AUROVILLE exists on the southeastern coast of india, an experiment in living based on the teachings of scholar, radical nationalist and integral yoga guru, sri aurobindo, and realized by his spiritual partner, known to the universe simply as "the mother." built around a sacred banyan tree, the township takes its shape as a spiral galaxy. in its nucleus, a giant golden geodesic dome--called the MATRIMANDIR--houses a meditation chamber which holds the world's largest manufactured crystal orb. thousands of people visit AUROVILLE daily to catch a glimpse of this orb. fewer get the chance to meditate in its presence.

AUROVILLE will be performed by seth kirby (electronic drones) and nick hallett (chanting). there will be a mylar installation by I LOVE YOU (seth and the vivacious ana matronic, who plans to plot our stage on the golden mean and will perform a multimedia presentation in powerpoint) and MIGHTY ROBOT will be there as always with their incredible psychedelic projections... here are the details: HARKNESS A/V SALON at SECRET PROJECT ROBOT presents AUROVILLE immersive music and visual environment by nick hallett and seth kirby documenting the experiment in human unity and spirituality existing in india since 1968 (first nyc performance, world debut: yale school of art '04).

Because Thou art

Because Thou art All-beauty and All-bliss,

My soul blind and enamoured yearns for Thee;

It bears Thy mystic touch in all that is

And thrills with the burden of that ecstasy.

Sri Aurobindo

posted by Parvati Friday, January 13, 2006at 8:55 PM

I'm currently reading (or I recently read)... The Secret of the Veda, by Sri Aurobindo (Sri Aurobindo was an Indian mystic/spiritual leader - The Vedas are ancient Indian sacred texts) From Deep (aka Ventilatorblues) posted by Ben Saturday, January 14, 2006 @ 10:21 PM Maryland, United States

The Image of the Oceans and the Rivers: excerpted from sri aurobindo's "The Secret of the Veda", ch. X (here sri aurobindo unties the metaphorical knots used by vamadeva, a vedic rishi and one of the many authors of the vedas, to describe enlightenment):posted by ventilatorblues Saturday, January 14, 2006at 5:20 PM

Vedic creationism in America by MEERA NANDA: Vedic creationists claim to derive this picture from the "Vedas", in which they include the Puranas as well, especially the Bhagvat Purana. Here it must be added that theories of spiritual or "integral" evolution have been proposed before, notably by Sri Aurobindo and Madame Blavatsky, the founder of theosophy. But the Hare Krishnas are the first to support their theory with "scientific" data - if data from psychics and UFO sightings can be called scientific.

Kolkata, a city of poets like Tagore, Aurobindo and Chaterjee, has also made our friend a poet. posted by unsravi Saturday, January 14, 2006 @ 9:49 PM

Translations from Bengali (Vaishnava Devotional Poetry - Horo Thacoor) By Sri Aurobindo (The soul longs for reunion with God, without whom the sweetnessesof love and life are vain.) 12:00 PM

All day and night in lonely anguish wasting

The heart’s wish to the lips unceasing comes,—

“O that I had a bird’s wings to go hasting

Where that dark wanderer roams!

I should behold the flute on loved lips resting.”

Where shall I find him, joy in his sweet kisses?

How shall I hope my love’s feet to embrace?

O void is home and vain affection’s bliss is

Without the one loved face.

Krishna who has nor home nor kindred misses.

Sri Aravind Chetana Samaj

Originator & Explainer of NeoYogah: Dr. Gyanchandra

Well-known Researcher of Vedic ideology of Material Immortality on the basis of Maharshi Dayanand & Sri Aurobindo-The Mother. SRI ARAVIND CHETANA SAMAJ (Regd. Educational Trust-1981) 6562/9, Chamelian Road, Delhi-110006 (India)

Sri Arvind Mohan Devsheersh

Presenter/Mentor & Trainer of 12 points of NEO-YOGAH, theory and practices

A disciple of Dr Gyanchandra, Arvind Mohan Devsheersh is a graduate of economics and a computer software expert. He is also the Honorary Secretary of Sri Aravind Chetana Samaj, a registered Educational Trust-Society based in Delhi. This Society deals in the research of the Vedas on the guidelines and expositions of Maharshi Dayanand and Sri Aurobindo. Though this unique scientific art of Neo-Yogah, which deals with the discovery of an 'Aim Of Life' which is hidden in the psychic-being of every human, as a special task assigned by Nature to each one of us towards the transformation of the earth and its inhabitants. Through Neo-Yogah, he deals fundamentally with the conversion of the death-instinct or Thanatos into life-instinct or Eros by specially designed psychosomatic and psycho-spiritual lines of practice. Indiatimes> Spirituality

• Ms Leena Jineshwari Presenter/Mentor & Trainer for-Gravito-theraputics & vitality enhancement passes and gestures of NEO-YOGAH theory & practices.
• Sri Srikant Pragyasheersh Presenter/Mentor & Trainer for- spiritual & health-enhancing pronunciation, repetition & rehearse of Vedic Mantra Viniyogah.
• Sri Manoj Kalpasheersh Spiritual rejuvenation through the psycho-spiritual of Navdurga concept.

Getting up and taking another step

One thing I've been thinking of is failure. Falling down, missing the mark, losing touch, cooling in fervor, drifting aimlessly on the open sea. This is something I and others sometimes speak of with regret and impatience, wanting to stay "on track" and not lose focus. But falling down is simply part of the process of learning to balance.

Sri Aurobindo said it this way:"The spiritual journey is one of continually falling on your face, getting up, brushing yourself off, looking sheepishly at God and taking another step". On Falling 11 comments Published January 11, 2006 by Twyla.

She will take care of it

Wednesday, November 02, 2005 Pondicherry, in INDIA Aurobindo ashram is located."annai" called by everybody came from PARIS and lived there. YOU LEAVE THE PROBLEMS TO HER. She will take CARE OF IT. posted by rnateshan. at 2:01 AM

Sri Aurobindo (Seer of the Supermind)

By age 8, he was an avid poet.(?) At 17, he was scheming India's independence. By 38, he had metamorphosed into a yogi, realizing that interior to his swelling love of Mother India and artistic expression, lay a deeper realm, the Supermind. Into this region he dove, undistracted. What he found, he recorded, prolifically. Soon he was designing blueprints for a new enlightened order. At his passing in 1950, a mountain of 29 volumes towered, each a facet of his non-dogmatic path to Oneness, which he called Integral Yoga, "yoga of the earth." Pavan Kumar posted on Sunday, March 06, 2005 at 3/06/2005 01:25:00 PM

Mandala

06-07-2005 Mandala citations, aphorismes, pensées, sagesse, philosophie, méditation, spiritualité, psychologie, enseignement, mandala... Commentaires (8)

Sri Aurobindo
Je deviens ce que je vois en moi même. Tout ce que la pensée me suggère, je peux le faire, tout ce que la pensée me révèle, je peux le devenir. Telle devrait être l’inébranlable foi de l’homme en lui-même, car Dieu habite en lui.

Wilber and Aurobindo

Good article comparing and contrasting

the first Integral (and eastern) guy, with the mod western guy.

Print Article --> Posted to: Main Page Ken Wilber Integral Practice

by ebuddha on Thu 27 Oct 2005 10:21 AM PDT Permanent Link

Savitri - immortality

I wanted to share this passage from the epic poem Savitri by Sri Aurobindo. One of Dwarkoji's six things in Spirituality - was Kingdom of God on earth, Kingdom of God within. Sri

Dialogue between Savitri and Yama God of Death,

Yama

Where matter is all, there Spirit is a dream:
If all are the Spirit, matter is a lie,
And who was the liar who forged the universe?
The real with the unreal cannot mate.
He who would turn to God, must leave the world:
He who would live in the spirit, must give up life;
He who has met the Self, renounces self.
In me all take refuge, for I, Death, am God.

Savitri

But who can show to thee Truth’s glorious face?
Our human words can only shadow her.
To thought she is an unthinkable rapture of light,
To speech a marvel inexpressible.
O Death, if thou couldst touch the Truth supreme
Thou wouldst grow suddenly wise and cease to be.
If our souls could see and love and clasp God’s Truth,
Its infinite radiance would seize our hearts,
Our being in God’s image be remade
And earthly life become the life divine.
posted by Infinisri Saturday, November 20, 2004at 5:06 PM

Work done for the love of the Divine alone

“The only work that purifies spiritually is the work done without personal motives, without concern for renown or reputation of men or the honours of this world, without putting forward one’s own mental motives…..it is work done for the love of the Divine alone and ordered by the Divine.” Sri Aurobindo # posted by Sue Merry Thursday, November 10, 2005 @ 12:24

Savitri is the name of my most favorite of poems in the world

A very wonderful blogging friend has said somethings lately that have made me rethink how I am presenting myself and what is coming out of this blog, so with that small side note, I want to return to a more positive frame of mind and will do so through a look at some of the great minds that have influenced me in this lifetime.

The First and may be foremost, is Sri Aurobindo: He wrote one, if not 'The' favorite of all my poems,, which is really a book within a beautifully told story from the Mahabharata,, another of my favorite sacred books. Sri Aurobindo, was born in Calcutta India on August 15, 1872. He was active in the politics of the day and helped to form the Swadeshi, which was a movement geared towards the future independence of India, he was an active leader in the formation of parties that stressed the need for independance from colonial rule of England. After being arrested and incarcirated for his activities he worked almost alone trying to revive the Nationalist movement of the day. His Spiritual path lead him to forsake politics, he was asked to head the Presidency of the National Congress, and politely refused, then went into spiritual seclusion. For almost four years he practised silent yoga and developed his inner being. With his retirement to Pondicherry in French India, he developed a following that soon became the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. He wrote many wonderful things during these years, ranging from works related to the Vedas, Human Unity and Amias you will love this,,, The Future of Poetry..... which brings me to what is touching my heart right now at this moment. I am rereading this wonderful work that was a product of his life time, and The Mother said:"Savitri is a Mantra for the transformationof the world"

Savitri is the name of my most favorite of poems in the world. It is a must for anyone on the spiritual path,, no matter which 'religion' you profess. The link is to my favorite site that has the 'best' intact Internet copy in my opinion. If you are lead to read this,, please realize that one reading will not do, this is a devise for Spiritual Evolution, and I think that the reason I love it is that each time one reads it, something new and wonderful comes from the reading. So, I will be immersed again in this wonderful ray of light in the darkness of this world... Join me if you wish,, you will not regret the time spent.Here is a small sample:

Immortal Powers sweep flaming past your doors;

Far-off upon your tops the god-chant sounds

While to exceed yourselves thought's trumpets call,

Heard by a few, but fewer dare aspire,

The nympholepts of the ecstasy and the blaze.

An epic of hope and failure breaks earth's heart;

Her force and will exceed her form and fate.

A goddess in a net of transience caught,

Self-bound in the pastures of death she dreams of life,

Self-racked with the pains of hell aspires to joy,

And builds to hope her altars of despair,

Knows that one high step might enfranchise all

And, suffering, looks for greatness in her sons.

But dim in human hearts the ascending fire,

The invisible Grandeur sits unworshipped there;

Man sees the Highest in a limiting form

Or looks upon a Person, hears a Name.

He turns for little gains to ignorant Powers

Or kindles his altar lights to a demon face.

He loves the Ignorance fathering his pain.

A spell is laid upon his glorious strengths;

He has lost the inner Voice that led his thoughts,

And masking the oracular tripod seat

A specious Idol fills the marvel shrine.

The great Illusion wraps him in its veils,

The soul's deep intimations come in vain,

In vain is the unending line of seers,

The sages ponder in unsubstantial light,

The poets lend their voice to outward dreams,

A homeless fire inspires the prophet tongues.

Heaven's flaming lights descend and back return,

The luminous Eye approaches and retires;

Eternity speaks, none understands its word;

Fate is unwilling and the Abyss denies;

The Inconscient's mindless waters block all done.

Only a little lifted is Mind's screen;

posted by Scott @ 4:44 PM 13 comments

At Saturday, October 08, 2005 2:05:17 PM, ms.squiggle said... I especially love this:A specious Idol fills the marvel shrine.The great Illusion wraps him in its veils,The soul's deep intimations come in vain,In vain is the unending line of seers,The sages ponder in unsubstantial light,The poets lend their voice to outward dreams,A homeless fire inspires the prophet tongues.I take that as meaning the idol is simply our egoic projections. What we see ugly in Bush (or anyone) is every bit as much of an inner struggle as it is an outer one. No use pointing the finger "out there" to cast blame because "out there" is an illusion created by our minds - the idol we have created which keeps us from recognizing who it is we are - what keeps the Goddess caught in a net of transience.Only a little lifted is Mind's screen;Beautiful poem. I'd never read it beore. Thank you!

At Saturday, October 08, 2005 2:12:06 PM, Scott said... Beautiful Comments Ms.Squiggle very much appreciated, "out there" is a self created illusion. thanks for your insights.

At Sunday, October 09, 2005 4:52:02 AM, ms.squiggle said... I've been thinking about this all day - what does he mean by "The poets lend their voice to outward dreams, a homeless fire inspires the prophets". If the outer is an illusion, then the inner must be an illusion, too? One creates the other. Without the outer, the inner does not exist. To say one is illusory would seem to be a bit nihilisitc. But that doesn't fit the mood of the poem at all.The homeless fire would indicate that inspiration does not exactly come from "within". Right? And the fact that the poets must lend their voice (singular, which is interesting) to outer dreams does not completely dismiss the value of the outer, either. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the illusion is our inability to see where the inner and outer merge and are One (no longer an inner or outer - where there is no within and without). What do you think? I still don't quite get it, which I suppose is probably exactly the point! The poem has helped immensely with an on-going chitaqua I've been having with myself. Thank you again for posting it! I'm so glad to know about it and will likely come back to it often.(Sorry for the obsession!)

At Monday, October 10, 2005 2:49:27 AM, Scott said... Dear Ms Sqiggle, don't be sorry for an obsession that I see as a virtue. I too ponder this section very much, and is why I posted this part. I think that you are moving towards the key theme here , but it isn't nihlistic, but rather solipsic I believe. This section of the poem is: Book Four: The Book of Birth and Quest Canto III: The Call to the Quest In the second half of this Canto, Savitri finally triumphs over Death. Before this Canto he wrote:"Again the mighty yearning raised its flame That asks a perfect life on earth for menAnd prays for certainty in the uncertain mind And shadowless bliss for suffering human hearts And Truth embodied in an ignorant world" and then:"The earth you tread is a border screened from heaven;The life you lead conceals the light you are."Then for me the climax:"On the soil of the evolving universe, A godhead sculptured on a wall of thought, Mirrored in the flowing hours and dimly shrinedIn Matter as in a cathedral cave. Annulled were the transient values of the mind,The body's sense renounced its earthly look;Immortal met immortal in their gaze. Awaked from the close spell of daily use That hides soul-truth with the outward form's disguise, He saw through the familiar cherished limbs The great and unknown spirit born his child. "So, in a real sense you are correct in saying: "Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the illusion is our inability to see where the inner and outer merge and are One?" The triumph is ''the great and unknown spirit born his child'' I still ponder it all so much also, we should start a blog just for this I think....Thank you for your wonderful insights,

Love against hatred, knowledge against ignorance

South India might as well be a separate country, it looks like a picture in an island-getaway brochure. North India, by way of contrast, looks like a picture that nobody trying to sell you anything would ever put in any brochure. From Calcutta I landed in Pondicherry, an old french colony with a definate French-Catholic flair. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is popular here.

Adding to the mix, Pondicherry is also the spiritual home of Sri Aurobindo, a mystical Indian poet. I found a book of his poetry in the local bookstore and it was all pretty abstruse and elliptical; admittedly more appealing than the "God is Peace, Rama Dhamma Ding Dong" I was expecting. Sri Aurobindo had his visions but the Aurobindo Ashram, as well as a village outside of town called Auroville, was set up by his partner, a French lady named "the Mother" (lowercase tee, capital em) who by the extant photographic evidence looked decrepit and terrifying. The exact nature of the relationship between these two still eludes me.

There is something sinister about the whole Aurobindo operation, but I can't pin it down. Last night I went to an Aurobindo-sponsored dance-drama performance. This involved getting a special Aurobindo stamp from my hotel (because apparently my hotel, along with half of Pondicherry, is in on this whole scheme as well) and then going to the place marked "playground" on my special Aurobindo map, which was not actually a playground at all but an unmarked building in the center of town. There are a lot of unmarked buildings in town, and I get the feeling the Ashram owns most of them.

The dance-drama depicted the struggle of good against evil, love against hatred, knowledge against ignorance. To be honest, there wasn't a lot of drama, nor a lot of what I would call dance. But there was plenty of intensity and abstruse voice-overs. The good guys won in the end. I was satisfied.Posted by Steve Hackbarth on 12/2/04; 5:59:30 PM from the dept.

Read the SELF blog for Aurobindo information

Or the Savitri Era Learning Forum (Self)

by ebuddha on 05:24:00 PM EST Permanent Link Posted to: Main Page

I would also recommended subscribing to the feed. The posts are never too long, or for the most part, too short. Over time, you get a good sense of the main Aurobindo philosophy and practice, without having to read Aurobindo (which can be difficult!)

On my one trip to India, I spent a couple of weeks at Pondicherry, with some days at Auroville. Aurobindo is the originator or Integral Yoga, and one of his main disciples Haridas Chaudhuri (I think a disciple) a founder of California Institute of Integral Studies. So Aurobindo is really one of the first go-to "integral" guys - definitely before Ken Wilber.

A free and united India

'Indians lack a sense of history' Neha Kaushik / New Delhi The Pioneer Friday, September 10, 2005

'Indians lack a sense of history, was the common refrain among the speakers at the book release function of Claude Arpi's latest work, India and her neighbourhood - a French observer's view' at India International Centre on Thursday. Mr Arpi who is inspired by the teachings of Sri Aurobindo said: "I came to India as I was attracted by the teachings of the sage. He was one of the first to talk about poorna swaraj. He was a revolutionary, who had a vision of a free and united India." Aurobindo gave India's spiritual gift to the world in the form of ayurveda and yoga. This spirituality is slowly entering Europe and America, hence his dream is slowly taking shape.

South of France in South India

The seaside town of Pondicherry has a special blend of French colonial heritage, Tamil culture and spirituality not found anywhere else in India. Situated on the Coromandel coast, about 160 km south of Chennai, lovingly called Pondy traces its origin to Saint Agasthya, the revered sage of the south. In the French part of the city youll see colonial homes while the in the Tamil quarter of the city the streets are lined by verandahs and extended porches.

Apart from the ambience, excellent restaurants and cheap beer, Pondys chief attraction is the 79-year-old Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, Auroville. Pondy is also known for its traditional doll-making and textiles and silks. It is also the birthplace of several world-class brands in leather, pottery, aromatics, fashion and handmade paper. Daily News & Analysis Sunday, November 20, 2005

At 15, he discovered Sri Aurobindo

The philosopher's song Arun Ram DNA Saturday, October 01, 2005

PONDICHERRY: Bamboo stalks in Auroville, Pondicherry, gently sway to the music that wafts through the French windows of the old house in the middle of a lotus pond. The trill of the breeze slicing through the foliage and the chirp of a lonely squirrel under the banyan tree merge with the classical euphony of the stringed instrument. Nadaka is at work. You don't expect Nadaka to be a foreigner with a golden mane, playing the guitar. Looks apart, he is no longer a foreigner. And his musical instrument is not just a guitar. With a scalloped neck and mobile frets, his instrument catches the nuances of a guitar, a veena and everything in between.

The man has been in search of the nuances of life. A Canadian by birth, this 46-year-old embraced Indian music and philosophy in 1974. That was when, at the age of 16, he listened to the "inner-call" and set off on the "journey of his life". Born into a well-off family, the teenager was attracted to western classical music. At the age of 13, he played with a small-time band. Realising that he was "not learning much at school", he started reading Buddhism at the age of 11. At 15, he discovered Sri Aurobindo.

It was time to leave. "With a few books, a loaf of bread and a guitar in hand, I left my home, land and even my name," he says. "I knew I had to go to Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, but didn't know how". Hopping on to a ship and hitch hiking, he reached Italy and then Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan. He was stopped at some borders; elsewhere, he was given food. "I didn't think of borders. I don't know how I crossed them," he says. Once in India, he slept at the Golden Temple and walked down to Chennai. He named himself 'Nadaka', which means "the carrier of sound". ("Don't ask me my previous name. That is dead.").

He arrived at the Aurobindo Ashram sometime in 1975. For six years, Nadaka travelled all over Tamil Nadu, learning mrudangam, veena and Carnatic vocal. He was greatly influenced by Balamuralikrishna. "At first, people looked at me as a western guitarist, while I wanted to learn more of Indian music," he says. Practising with such stalwarts as Vikku Vinayagram, Sivamani, Ganesh and Kumaresh, Nadaka evolved his own style and, to get the right notes of a veena, he improvised his guitar. After years of struggle, Nadaka got a break when Govind Nihalini asked him to play guitar for an AR Rahman composition for Khamosh Raat. Nadaka has to his credit, such albums as Straight to Your Heart, Celebration, Lotus Trilogy and Living Colours. Not one to define his genre of music, Nadaka is working on a solo guitar album named Natural Impressions.

I thought I'd start with something small and readable

Then i walked to the ashram. stepping inside, the smell of lotus flowers welcomes you and peace and quiet envelopes you. off with the shoes, then walk into the courtyard where there is the tomb of "The Mother" and "Sri Aurobindo," the gurus of the ashram whose ways of yoga still attract students and devotees from all over the world. everyone sits quietly in meditation. i sat and closed my eyes and meditated, too. as you see, i've had lots to meditate upon. i think i was there for about an hour, and then i went into the gift shop and bought a book on the bases of yoga. there were lots that tempted me, but i thought i'd start with something small and readable before going larger. i purchased my little book (25Rs) and decided to walk along nehru street. posted by Raquel Reyes Saturday, September 03, 2005 @ 1:45 PM <<> Raquel Reyes Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

24 November, 1926

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 # posted by krishnamoorthy @ 5:52 AM
24 November-Siddhi Day[Day of Realization]

It was on 24 November, 1926, at Pondicherry, in the place of present Sri Aurobindo Ashram,The Mother saw Sri Aurobindo emerge from his room in the evening. She knew immediately that something important has happened in the History of the Earth and Universe. She sent words to all the Sadhaks and asked them to assemble in the upper verandah of the Library House. By six, all were there, all twenty four, including Champaklal, Nolini, Amrita, Pavitra, Barin, Purani, Datta, Pujalal, Rajangam and Chandrasekharam.

Immediately Datta was inspired. In that silence she spoke:

"The Lord has descended into the physical today"

Vitality of the Indian life lies in religion

Hindutva - its basic ideology S Surya Location: Mumbai, India

Some of my thoughts on Hindutva, about the ideology and basis for it. If one observes the Indian life closely, one thing which becomes immediately apparent is that religion is the one and sole interest of the people of India. For good or bad, religion pervades almost every sphere of life in India. People eat religiously, talk religiously, walk religiously and even rob religiously. Even if a robber in India has to find some followers, he has to explain the art of robbery as one of the 64 spiritual arts. We will not go into details whether such interpretations and manipulations are correct or not, nor shall we go into pros and cons of it. The point to be understood is that vitality of the Indian life lies in religion, you touch them there and they respond. Whenever Indians came together and fought, it was under the banner of religion.

It is this issue of deep intermingling of religion and life that the thinkers trying to revive the weakened Indian were faced with. The reactionaries and communists reacted by rejecting the whole of its religion and culture. They thus tried to transplant the whole tree of national life whose roots are deep inside religion to another place. The other group like Vivekananda, Aurobindo saw the potential of religion. They realized that one can work only under the law of least resistance, and that religious line is the line of least resistance in India.

The same with the case of nationalism. If there is anything which is common and has the ability to unify and bind all the various regions of India, it is Hinduism alone. Here I am not referring to Hinduism as a set of beliefs (which again is very diverse), but about the Hindu attitude and culture. Religion thus once more became the means for generating nationalistic attitude. Whether it is the “For the next fifty years this alone shall be our keynote — this, our great Mother India. Let all other vain gods disappear for the time from our minds” of Swami Vivekananda, or the Vandemataram of Bakim Chandra where he identifies India with Goddess Bhavani or the freedom struggle under the leadership of Gandhi who had to explain Satyagraha as a spiritual practice or the first war of Independence which again was started because of religious reasons... all of them demonstrated the potential of religion in uniting and activating Indians towards action. Thursday, November 24, 2005 posted by Surya S at 11:35 PM

India would be a Cultural force and a hope for Mankind

You could easily experience the vigor of a poetic passage from the Bhagavat Gita as:

“Thou who hast come to this unhappy and transient world, Love and turn to me…”(“Anithyam asUkam lOkam imAm, prapya bhajasva mAm” : Sri Aurobindo quotes this line as an example of poetry of the illumined mind) by ‘turning’ on to the serene face of the Perumal in his Ananda Sayanam or lost in the mystic silence of the Shiva Lingam.

It was a relishing experience to visit the various Temples. India would be a Cultural force and a hope for Mankind as long as its Spirituality existed. The Temples in India are the remnants of such a hope and I wish they are not just reminders of the glory of the great Spiritual civilization they stand for, but also provide nourishment to our troubled souls in our troubled times.- vishvesh (September, 2004) posted by Rambling Traveller at 10:57 AM

PS: Some pictures of the Temples at:http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ovishvesh/album?.dir=/7dfe-

Yogaville

Integrated business system services inc - Swami Satchidananda, Integral Yoga Institute, Yogaville

Welcome to the Integral Yoga Web Site. Welcome to the Web site of information on Integral Yoga, a spiritual path founded by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 30th, 2005 at 7:31 am

Yogi Ramsuratkumar

I have not been able to find much literature on Yogi Ramsuratkumar, as there was only one leaflet of 108 sayings at the bookshop in English. In it, he says that he is a devotee of Ram, an incarnation of Vishnu, which is unusual for this neck of the woods, but he does say that all forms of the divine reflect the one and was quite at home at the main Shiva temple for many years. He alludes to his spiritual lineage and training to Sri Aurobindo, Ramana Maharshi and Ram Das. Apparently, he was quite an impressive character and is still remembered by many here. posted by Russellji Monday, December 05, 2005 at 8:55 PM

Shuddhanadha Bharati

Who is MAHARSHI KAVI YOGI SHUDDHANANDA BHARATI

Kavi Yogi Maharshi Shuddhanadha Bharati born on 11th May 1897 was a Divine Poet, a Great Yogi and a freedom fighter. As a boy of eight years, the Divine Force called upon him to serve the nation while he embraced the Holy Feet of Sri Meenakshi Amman, in the temple at Madurai, Tamil Nadu. In the wake of that Grace, he made his life-long spiritual pilgrimage with song-thrills, acquiring wisdom through meditation and association with Great men of his times. A mysterious saint in the Himalayas Gnana Siddha initiated him in Mahaturya Samadhi, the highest plane in spiritual development.

His intimate contacts with Ramana Maharshi, Shirdi Sai Baba, Siddharudar, Sri Aurobindo, Mother, Sri Seshadri Swamigal and Avatar Meher Baba influenced his spiritual pursuit.He was a tireless volunteer of the Indian National Congress during the freedom struggle and had contacts with Great Leaders like Lokmanya Tilakji, Gandhiji, Nethaji, V.V.S.Ayyar, V.O.C Chidambaram pillai (the first Indian to sail a commercial ship against the British), Poet Subrahmanya Bharati, Subramania Siva, M.N.Roy, Raja Mahendra Pratap and Shenbagaraman. He served as an editor for `Swarajya’ (Tamil), `Bala Bharati’, `Iyarkkai’ (Nature in Tamil), and `Samarasa Bodhini’. # posted by Kavi Yogi Maharshi Shuddhananda Bharati Sunday, December 04, 2005 @ 11:05 PM

Poornayoga

Beneath the Volcano Vol. One, K. Rajasekhara Reddi The Saga of Pantulu

During those days, 'Vignana Chandrika Mandal' was popular among the public. Komarraju Venkata Laxmana Rao was its chief editor. They were selling historic novels, biographies and other books of a hundred pages for a quarter of a rupee. Pantulu assisted this agency for its development. He also established 'Saraswathi Niketanam' to publish a number of philosophical books. 'Poornayoga' and 'Dharma' by Sri Aurobindo, the saint of Pondicherry, were translated into Telugu and published. Avanindra Tagore's 'Bharata Silpa' and the Noble laureate Ravindranath Tagore's 'Upanyasa Manjari' were among its important publications.

Realisation of the soul-power

In concluding this talk on the Upanishads, "The Crown of India's Soul," my realisation declares that the mind-power, the heart-power, and the soul-power of the Upanishadic consciousness are boundless. In the realm of philosophy, Shankara embodies the mind-power; in the realm of dynamic spirituality, Maharshi Ramana, the great sage of Arunachala, embodies the mind-power. The Christ, the Buddha, and Sri Chaitanya of Nadia, Bengal, embody the heart-power. Sri Krishna and Sri Ramakrishna embody the soul-power. In Sri Aurobindo the vision of the mind-power reached its zenith, and the realisation of the soul-power found its fulfilling manifestation on earth. These spiritual giants and others are steering the life-boat of humanity towards the Transcendental Abode of the Supreme. Sri Chinmoy posted by Tushar Kansal Tuesday, December 06, 2005 at 2:29 PM

The birth of a new world

Remember that you are at an exceptional hour in a unique epoch, that you have this great happiness, this invaluable privilege, of being present at the birth of a new world.
The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram
posted by kaushik Monday, December 05, 2005 at 2:12 PM

Up to the hill and the moorland I go.

"New Lamps for Old" Sri Aurobindo

"Our actual enemy is not any force exterior to ourselves, but our own crying weaknesses, our cowardice, our selfishness, our hypocrisy, our purblind sentimentalism."

"I say, of the Congress, then, this, - that its aims are mistaken, that the spirit in which it proceeds towards their accomplishment is not a spirit of sincerity and whole-heartedness, and that the methods it has chosen are not the right methods, and the leaders in whom it trusts, not the right sort of men to be leaders; - in brief, that we are at present the blind led, if not by the blind, at any rate by the one-eyed." posted by thegoat Thursday, December 08, 2005@ 7:06 PM

Krishna or Christ

It is not a matter of concern to me that he is misinformed about Krishna, for there is no derth of spiritual illiterate and mentally bankrupt people who consider themselves enlightened and above the laws of human decency, but what is concerning and alarming is that he is misleading the devout christians across the world about Krishna.

Perhaps the rev. Bishop would care to educate himself on the true meaning of Krishna by visiting a few websites and read a book or two. “Foundations of Indian Culture” and “Essays on the Gita”, both by Sri Aurobindo, will do good to him.Unfortunately, his venom is targeting none else than Christ himself. Swami Prabhupada had said,” Krishna or Christ – the name is the same”. Hindus believe that Jesus, like Lord Krishna, is an avatar of the Divine who came down to show humanity in the righteous way of life. Paramhans Yoganand and Ramkrishna Paramhans have deitified Christ. Christmas is celebrated in Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry as the day of the descent of Christ, the Avatar.

There are striking similarities between the lives and teachings of Krishna and Christ. The birth of both these avatars was foretold, both were born in unusal place, both have been depicted as shepherds, both taught love and peace... posted by Arun Naik @ 9:17 PM Tuesday, December 13, 2005 RUSSIAN ARCHBISHOP INSULTS KRISHNA

Vision Of Future Life On Earth

Sri Aurobindo, the Indian sage and seer, said that humans may not be the final rung on the evolutionary scale. That we might witness the emergence of a new species, one that is above and beyond the present human race as we know it. by ronto-tonto @ Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005 - 11:54:15

Total independence

Hindu gurus are all vulnerable in today's India: The Kanchi Shankaracharya has already been hit. So has Satya Sai Baba. Amritanandamayi has to live under the constant shadow of a hostile Kerala Communist-dominated government. Dhirendra Brahmachari is dead and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is periodically targeted as the 'Guru of the rich', the 'Glib Godman' etc.

You can even go back to Sri Aurobindo, who was accused in the early 1900s by the moderate Congress-controlled press to be a 'fanatic', when he was only demanding total independence from the British long before Gandhi took it up.

We are witnessing an interesting phenomenon in India today. Some Communists, some Christians, some Muslims and some Congress leaders -- all of whom have nothing in common and often hate each other are united against Hinduism and Hindu leaders. The greatest curse of Hinduism throughout the ages has been its disunity -- and more than that -- its betraying each other. I know there is something mysterious and unfathomable in the manifestation of the Divine upon earth, and that each guru has a defined task to fulfill and that the combined task of all the gurus may solve the great puzzle that is this ignorant and suffering earth.

I propose that a Supreme Spiritual Council, composed of at least seven of the most popular Hindu leaders of India, be constituted. Then and then only can this wonderful spirituality which is Hinduism, this eternal knowledge behind the outer forms, the wisdom to understand this mad earth and its sufferings, be preserved for the future of India, and for the future of humanity.I bow down to each of these gurus mentioned above and to all those not mentioned, to Swami Vivekananda, the initiator of modern Hinduism, to Sri Aurobindo, the great avatar of the supramental, and to all the great gurus who have graced over the ages, this wonderful and sacred land which is India and beseech them to hear my prayer:--Francois Gautier In defence of Hindu gurus # posted by GreatOne : 3:01 AM

http://www.rediff.com/news/2006/jan/09franc.htm

Once in a blue moon

>Conjunction Uranus-Black Moon, orb = 05°33': The Black Moon reinforces the independent and original nature of Uranus. If well aspected to the rest of the chart, it can be an extremely creative aspect. Black Moon - Lilith and Uranus have a number of features in common: taste for independence, dislike of routines and anything which can perceived as enslaving constraints, affinity with original things, and a rebel - if not rebellious - nature. On an even higher mode, the metaphysical depth of the Black Moon combines with Uranus in the chart of great visionaries such as Sri Aurobindo (Mars, Uranus, Black Moon conjunct in the 12th), or Edgar Cayce (opposition). Think also of the depth of vision of people such as John Kennedy (opposition), or Steven Spielberg (opposition). mythos_in_the_mist Location:Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1:42 PM

The Aryans

But what of the modern Vedic perspective? Sri Aurobindo's book of 1967 is a good guide;

"ARYAN; He who does the work of sacrifice, finds the sacred word of illumination, desires the gods and increases them and is increased by them into the largeness of the true existence; He is the warrior of the light and the traveller of the truth. The Aryans are the thinkers of the world, 'mayamanah', holders of the thought, the thought-mind and the seer-knowledge. The Aryans are desirers of the god-head; they seek to increase their own being and the godheads in them by sacrifice, the word, the thought. To Indra, Agni, and Surya among the gods is especially applied the term ARYA, which describes with an untranslatable compactness those who rise to the Noble aspiration and who do the great labour as an offering in order to arrive at the good and the bliss". ['Key to Vedic Symbolism', Aurobindo]

ARYAN, ARIAN: Indo-European, also Indo-Iranian. From Sanskrit 'aryas' [Vedic 'aria'], 'Noble'. Applied earlier as a National name-cf. Latin 'Ariana', eastern region of Persian kingdom, Greek 'Arioi',Medes [in Herodotus], 'Ariane' [in Strabo], 'Arianoi'; cf. Avesta, 'Airyana', whence modern Iran. [Oxford Etymological Dictionary] posted by WilliamNietzsche Tuesday, December 20, 2005 at 10:28 AM