It was an interesting trip and did leave us wanting to learn more about this place

From Madurai we headed on to Pondicherry, an odd piece of leftover French colonialism which retains a very French feel in its architecture, particularly on the east side of the city. Oh, and it was the first Indian town or city we noticed had litter bins on the streets...

In Pondicherry we stayed in an ashram overlooking the sea and promenade. The ashram was set up to honour the principles and goals of Sri Aurobindo and his pupil, known as the Mother, namely "the evolution of another kind and form of life which would in the final end be moved by a higher spiritual consciousness and embody a greater life of the spirit", and is where mainly 'spiritual seekers' stay when they're in this part of the country (www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/subnav/ashram.htm).

Intrigued by all this, we stayed a few nights at the ashram and duly obeyed the no-alcohol rules and 10PM curfew... (Sounds more like punishment than enlightenment, eh). We also took a trip to Auroville

(www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/subnav/aurovil.htm),

a township designed by the Mother and aimed at creating "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 ". Confused? So were we...

The aim was to have 50,000 'Aurovillians' living in peace here, but only around 2,600 live there today and it was difficult to see who was now in charge of progressing this "project for humanity" and giving direction to the place following the death of the Mother in 1973. Anyways, it was an interesting trip and did leave us wanting to learn more about this place... Posted by Marty & Susie at 12:06

Sri Aurobindo, the firebrand leader of the Indian independence movement

By way of compensation, the reader gets only a few interesting snippets about the ICS cadre. For instance, Aurobindo Ghosh, the firebrand leader of the Indian independence movement, failed to qualify for the ICS because he did not know how to ride a horse. Jawaharlal Nehru failed to qualify for the service (Shrinagesh is no fan of the Nehru-Gandhi family as earlier he mentions that Indira Gandhi took several attempts before she could pass her entrance test to get into Oxford). Falling between two stools A K Bhattacharya / New Delhi May 30, 2007 business-standard

Sraddhalu Ranade is making his first trip to the US this June

Sri Aurobindo Scholar to Address Conference
Sraddhalu Renade joins Esalen Institute founder, Michael Murphy, Barbara Marx Hubbard, Dr. Robert McDermott, California Institute of Integral Studies President Joseph Subbiondo and others in Bay Area conference.
(PRWEB) May 29, 2007 -- Scientist, educator and scholar Sraddhalu Ranade is making his first trip to the US this June. A member of Sri Aurobindo Ashram since he was six months old, he grew up in the care of late Sri M. P. Pandit, a secretary to the Mother who was an international lecturer and prolific author.
Sraddhalu will be taking part in a conference at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) in Petaluma California June 20th-24th entitled "Integral Yoga in Dialogue with the World."
Other panelists and presenters at the conference include Michael Murphy (author of "Golf in the Kingdom" and founder of Esalen Institute), Barbara Marx Hubbard (president of Foundation for Conscious Evolution) and evolutionary biologist, Elisabet Sahtouris.
Faculty from the California Institute for Integral Studies including cosmologist and author, Brian Swimme, Phd., Prof. Robert McDermott, psychologist Bran Cortright and CIIS President Joseph Subbiondo will also be participating.
Complete details and registration information is at the California Institute of Integral Studies website
http://ciis.edu/publicprograms/spring07/aum.html and at www.matagiri.org
Sraddhalu has been involved in various research projects including artificial intelligence based on neural networks, multimedia search and retrieval, and educational tools. Apart from his responsibilities in editing the Service Letter, the publication of books, and related activities, he also devotes time to teaching at Sri Aurobindo International Center of Education in Pondicherry.
During his time in California, he will also be visiting the Integral Elementary School of La Jolla, the Sri Aurobindo Center of Los Angeles, Cultural Integration Fellowship in San Francisco and Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham in Lodi.

Future President at the birth-place of Sri Aurobindo

The Telegraph Good Morning. Hello It's Monday, May 28, 2007: Ex-minister Karan Singh will speak on Thoughts, Facts and Comments at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, 7 pm.

DISCUSSION May 28 at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, 8 Shakespeare Sarani; 7 pm: An evening with Dr Karan Singh, MP on Thoughts, facts and comments. A discussion session to be anchored by Dr Shitangshu Kumar Chakravarti. Front Page > Calcutta > Timeout

S. Venkat talks on sacred answers

Sri Aurobindo Society: S. Venkat talks on sacred answers,

5, Smith Road, Anna Salai, 10 a.m.
Aurobino Study Circle: Talk on Savitri,

Gandhi Mandapam, Guindy, 9.30 a.m.
Engagements - Chennai: The Hindu In Chennai Today Sunday, May 27, 2007

Benefiting Auroville Village Action

Yoga Vedanta Weekend June 1st-3rd Woodstock NY
June 1st-3rd Woodstock will once again celebrate the wisdom and culture of India with the Third Annual Yoga Vedanta Weekend featuring slide talks, workshops, concerts, Ayurveda, yoga classes and chant.
Woodstock, NY (PRWEB) May 24, 2007 -- Benefiting Auroville Village Action and Sri Sarada Ayurvedic Hospital Tamil Nadu, South India and Ridgely Vivekananda Retreat in Stone Ridge, NY.

2007 marks India's 60th Birthday. Famous for being the world's largest democracy, relations between India and the US are at an all time high and each realizes the strength and importance of the multiculturalism they share.
Woodstock, a pioneer in Arts, is also known as pioneer on the journey within with a deep connection with India. June 1st-3rd Woodstock will once again celebrate the wisdom and culture of India with the Third Annual Yoga Vedanta Weekend. Founders Shubhraji from Namah Vedanta Center and Julian Lines from Matagiri Sri Aurobindo Center join hands with Pravrajika Gitaprana from Ridgely Vivekananda Retreat in Stone Ridge to celebrate Indian wisdom and culture.

The weekend begins in Woodstock at Mountain View Studio with a tribute to three of the visionaries at the heart of India's spiritual renaissance: Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Swami Chinmayananda. This will be followed by a slide show on India by local award winning photographer, Martin Brading, known for his photographs in "The Art of Yoga".

Those interested in dinner must make reservations at Pondicherry on the Woodstock Village Green by calling 679-2926. A complete schedule is on the Pondicherry website: www.pondi.biz.

Sponsors: www.ridgely.org www.matagiri.org www.namahom.org
to benefit Auroville Village Action & Sri Sarada Ayurvedic Hospital

I was impressed by the simplicity and the cleanliness

My visit to Pondicherry Ramesh R Friday 25 May, 2007 23:54

Some days ago I had written about Summer vacation 07 and had mentioned about a trip to some place. Well this is it....I am not a very religious man if any I tend towards becoming an atheist more than a believer. So my wife telling me that if we were to go to Pondicherry and visit the Aurobindo Ashram, I should be willing to do it with an open mind without any preconceived notions made perfect sense...

Day 1. We reached Pondicherry at 6 AM and a short auto ride later we were at the gates of the Cottage Guest House. “An Open Mind” I reminded myself as I passed through the main gates. Two rooms were quickly made available to us and contrary to what I read in some of the blogs, the rooms were very neat, the bathrooms were clean and the beds were made and requisite towels were kept ready too. Water was kept in one corner in an earthen pot – natural refrigerators of the yesteryears. If first impression as they say is the last impression then I must admit for someone who has traveled fairly extensively, I was impressed by the simplicity, the cleanliness and the price tag above all that was attached to it.

After a quick wash, I got my tokens for the meals. Three meals for a person cost Rs20/- (yet another chance for all of us to say wow and that’s what we did when we were served our first meal). Without wasting much time I headed to the Ashram-run dispensary and as I walked to the dispensary, I noticed the old tiled roads and old French style architecture on both sides. After the shot was given to my son, when I asked how much I was told “We don’t charge …however, if you want to you may put in money into the offering box” I quickly put a 50 rupee note into box and left.

After the lunch we headed for Auroville and I was impressed with the manner in which barren land has been converted into such a green place. Barring that and seeing the Mathrimandir from a distance and shopping at the shop there, there was really not much to report. The Mathrimandir itself is a huge spherical shaped structure plated with Golden coloured plates. I am told inside is a huge crystal onto which suns rays are focussed throughout the day to light up the centrally airconditioned sphere. Visitors were not permitted into this sphere which is primarily used for meditation unless you have a special pass issued from earlier visits or you were a VIP.

The summer heat made our thirst unquenchable. By evening we were ready for an early dinner at the Dining Hall as the place is called standing in a queue to collect our plates and be served. Each meal there though simple was very nutritious and yummy. One is expected to dump all the uneaten stuff into a trash bin before handing it over to be washed by the volunteers there... rramesh.rediffiland.com 2 Comment(s)

Non-self will rule the roost

FREEDOM OF CHOICE by waves @ 2007-05-23 - 17:54:36 ARVIND K.PANDEY

Let me say that "freedom of choice" means nothing for people falling in lower realms of society. It's another weapon in hand of the priviligentisia, who use it often to further sharpen the difference between them and poverty-stricken souls. Long back ago our Rishis had talked about the age in which non-self will rule the roost. Certainly, the gimmicks of elites confirm the arrival of age in which superficialty be the mantra to survive. Jeremy Seabrook is right that wrongs which can be diluted have attained a fatal permanence. Let's hope Sri Aurobindo's higher souls, having connection with supramental forces, bring new light in the world in near future . Leave a comment Trackback (0) Permalink Email this post Tags: jeremy(1) life(1) poverty(1) sri aurobindo(1)

The greatest spiritual leaders the country

When Gandhi was in South Africa, he heard of Srimadji’s passing away at the young age of thirty four. Srimadji had taken samadhi. Wrote Gandhi feelingly: “I loved him dearly…so I mourn out of selfishness.” Had Srimadji lived long, perhaps he would have been better known. His contemporaries were, by any account, some of the greatest spiritual leaders the country had ever known, men like Dayananda Saraswati (1824-1883), Ramakrishna Paramahansa (1836-1886), Shirdi Sai Baba (1838-1918), Sri Narayana Guru (1856-1928), Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902), Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950), Ramana Mahrashi (1879-1950) Swami Ramdas (1884-1963) and Sadhu Vaswani (1879-1966). That he should have passed away so early in life made India that much poorer...Home > 2007 Issues > May 27, 2007 Bookmark The man who inspired the Mahatma By M.V. Kamath Atma-Siddhi: In Search of the Soul; Translated by Chandrika: Vakils, Feffer and Simons, Mumbai; pp 347, Rs 340.00

With a quiet mind

We can engage in a practice that allows the mind to still so we can see what it is and what it is not. From that discerning vantage, we become familiar with its loops, its habits, its patterns, its weaknesses and strengths. With a quiet mind, we can exit our totally self-referential frame of mind. Sri Aurobindo indicates that this is how we allow room for God to find union in our lives, in our actions and attitudes. adamargento Smoove Sailing

Shuddhanadha Bharati spent 20 years in silence at the Aurobindo Ashram

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’. He campaigned against evils of untouchability, Liquor and slaughter of animals in the name of God. His Holiness Sri Narasimha Bharati, Sankaracharya of Sringeri gave him the titles- `Kavi Yogi’ and `Bharati’, Shri Sivananda conferred on him the title `Maharshi’. Kaviyogi spent 20 years in silence at the Aurobindo Ashram, Pondichery. He wrote hundreds of books in Tamil, French, English, Sanskrit, Hindi and Telugu...Posted by SHUDDHANANDA at 11:18 AM

Tarachand Barjatya, a deep devotee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram

During the past six decades, Rajshri has explored and set new trends in the entertainment world. Tarachand Barjatya, a deep devotee of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry set philosophies of promoting good cinema, producing wholesome musical entertainers and introducing new talents in every sphere of filmmaking that have been rightly upheld by his sons Kamal Kumar Barjatya, Rajkumar Barjatya and Ajit Kumar Barjatya. The Rajshri legacy is now being carried forward by Sooraj R. Barjatya, Rajjat A. Barjatya and Kavita K. Barjatya guided by the principles of honesty, transparency and fair play in business, a reputation Rajshri is widely known for. Posted by RAJSHREE AMATYA at 5:40 PM

Give up lower desires for higher desires

One cannot suppress desire. One cannot ignore desire. One cannot kill desire because it is indeed timeless. The moment, the infant suckles his mother’s breast, he has embraced desire. Desire has no beginning, yet it has an end. The end of desire is the end of ignorance. Desire stems from ignorance of our real nature, which is ever free. Desire is only extinguished with the dawn of the knowledge of our real nature.

Sri Aurobindo said “desire is the helper, desire is also the final barrier”

The SOLUTION is thus, to give up lower desires for higher desires. The lower basal and carnal desires that bind, are to be given up for higher desires. Desire to be selfish and desire to help the world are both rooted in ignorance. Yet, the desire to serve this world is infinitesimally higher than the desire to gratify the selfish desires of the flesh. The former illuminates our path, the latter causes bondage to the darkness of ignorance. sunkan

Alice has come to the Emerald city

Wednesday, May 16, 2007 Auroville: There are no wicked witches here. Not the yellow brick road, but red sand winding path through this jungle. Poppy fields? Who knows.. Found opium incense though…Alice has come to the Emerald city. Let’s see what we find along the way. Ozoville…?

Weirder than expected, in some ways. A village where it takes more than a kilometer for a phone call or a local shop, we don’t go out after six as there are no streetlights; but people speak English and wi-fi is in the air.

I sometimes feel that this place is in a way, stuck somewhere in the middle of past, present and future, but is surviving and doing pretty well for itself. Fascinating. Auroville, the green forest that we see now, was made on a barren plateau and it powers itself largely on solar energy. I am constantly reminded of doing something in life that reaches beyond myself, and my doubts about doing something larger for the general good of the world and environment seem to fade a bit. This place is a symbol of hope for the environment and humanity.

When I finally went to Matrimandir, the experience was both extremely peaceful, yet a little scary for me. The ray of sunlight falling on the crystal, pure whiteness all around and Absolute Silence. I had never experienced such silence before. I could not hear anything outside of me. Nothing. That made me sharply aware of the sounds ringing in my ears. Three different pitches of loud ringing in my own head. How we lose track of ourselves in the outside world. The room had so much peace in it, that I realized that it is only my mind that needs to rest. By the end of the ten minutes, the ringing probably reduced, or maybe I got used to it. I wouldn’t know that until a few more visits to Matrimandir. We have nothing else but ourselves to deal with.

I would describe Auroville as a place that gives hope and harmony. It’s beautiful, but that doesn’t make me miss college any less. As I struggle to type this on Neelam’s Mac, wishing it was Windows instead, thanking heavens for wi-fi; I count the number of days to get back to college. Almost a month. Even though Alice likes the trip to Oz she really belongs to the Wonderland. She has the magic shoes to come back anytime she wants. And she’ll keep them safely. posted by Cool Spice 1:59 PM 1 Comments:

Alok said...It was great reading your post. I stayed in AV for over a year in Bharat Nivas. Check these: http://all-i-do-is-dream.blogspot.com/2006/08/auroville-1.html

http://all-i-do-is-dream.blogspot.com/2006/08/auroville-2.html You may like them. 12:47 AM

A multiplicity of beings and sub-beings

One’s entire being is very complex and is composed of a multiplicity of beings and sub-beings, each with a life of its own, and interactions/relationships between these beings. This is what I am gradually realizing after reading the works of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. They are difficult to read and understand and cannot be approached easily, especially because of the unique language and vocabulary that they used. I read that The Mother said it is the Vital Being that is usually the one which goes out of the body. I am yet to come to a fuller understanding of what the vital being means, and so will not comment further. Posted by Apurva at 11:03 AM
Labels: Lucid Dreaming, Out of Body Experience

The red-earth path to the Matrimandir turned into a mud-track

17 May 2007 Pondicherry... the ashram... and finally the monsoon Chidambaram to Pondicherry

By lunchtime I had arrived at the ashram guest house (Park Guest House) in Pondicherry; in Tamil it’s called Pudducherry, or affectionately just “Pondy”. The guest house must be one of the loveliest places I have ever stayed in. Not because of its comfort but because of the tranquil location. Every room is named after a virtue, joy, peace, compassion etc. and has a balcony facing the sea. There is a meditation garden where all you can hear are the sound of lapping waves. The large windows of the vegetarian canteen are yards from the shore and give the semblance of being on a boat far out at sea.

There is an unmistakable French feel to Pondicherry. There are Alliance Francais, restaurants that serve Bordeaux and cigars, and the police wear red kepis like Gendarmes. The well-planned streets, all arranged in right angles have French names like Goubert Avenue and Dumas Street and are lined with trees that provide shade from the unbearable 45 degrees lunchtime blaze. The houses are whitewashed, with old wooden doors and well-watered blooming gardens. Today the Frenchness is but a hint alluding to bye-gone days of a colonial past. Pondicherry became Indian in 1954 and there is the unmistakable busy feel of a typical Indian city in the more inland parts of Pondicherry, dusty streets, hooting vehicles and people scurrying around.

The ashram in the city was founded by Shri Aurobindo in 1926, and after he died the Mother took over as spiritual guide till she died in 1973 aged 97. Their bodies are laid to rest in tombs of the courtyard of the main ashram building on Marine Street. Auroville is the ashram community 10 kilometres north of Pondicherry in Tamil Nadu (Pondicherry itself is a Union territory); it was started by the Mother as an experimental place where people could live in a higher spiritual awareness, and harmony.

It has 80 settlements over an area of 20 kilometres each devoted to projects ranging from alternative technology, agriculture, tree planting and handicrafts, education and health; the many buildings are spread out connected by roads winding their way through newly-planted trees. The centre of the settlement is the imposing Matrimandir with a huge bronze-coloured dome. Inside most of it is still under construction but the white marble meditation chamber at the top is complete – it has a hazy light coming from a mirror on the roof which is refracted through a solid crystal 70cms wide. The room is cool and has strong calming feeling about it; a steward advised me that at 4.30pm some people would be allowed in to meditate there, once the crowds had gone home.

While I queued the rumble of thunder resounded and electric-blue lightning flashes cracked the sky. Rain fell in torrents and the air cooled as people sheltered under a large banyan tree, leaning on its vertical roots. The red-earth path to the Matrimandir turned into a mud-track and the meditation session was cancelled. I rode my motorbike back to Pondicherry through paths of mud, round puddles and past fallen branches, soaked to the skin. The rain felt strangely pleasant, the heat and humidity was gone. The Monsoon had eventually arrived in full measure, loud, spectacular and very wet. Posted by Loons at 03:55 Labels: Aurobindo ashram, monsoon, pondicherry

Money can trap us but it can also be a force

Sunday (May 20th ) 1:00 PM: Mother Book Study Group . This class we will explore chapter four, Money Power and the Spiritual Path. Money can trap us but it can also be a force for the supramental manifestation. Sri Aurobindo's classic, The Mother Book describes in beautiful flowing poetic prose an integral Path of Yoga which incorporates love, faith and surrender as dynamic tools for bringing the supramental force into our lives and the planet. All are invited

6:00 PM: World Peace Meditation. This group meditation seeks to expand World Peace by using a special mantra and breathing technique. We will be finished by 7:00 PM. This program are OPEN to ALL.

All these programs are free; everything here is supported by your loving donations. If you wish to contact us please use our email which is divinemission.sactr@gmail or call us at the Center phone number 916 529-4102. Posted by Divine Mission Sacramento Center at 4:46 AM Sacramento Center 11101 Moose River Court Rancho Cordova, CA 95670 916 529-4102

Sujata remembered

We had a meditation session in the quarter of Suprabhadi, sister of late Sujatadi, at Puducherry on 12.5.2007 at 5 pm to remember her and the Mother and Sri Aurobindo on the occasion.

Aju Mukhopadhyay, 2007 3:01 PM

K.R. Neelakantan on Srimad Bagaud Gita

Spiritual discourse ChennaiPlus home 12 May 2007

Sri Aurobindo Society Centre, AP 514, J Block, 8th Street, Anna Nagar(16th Main Road, behind Sri Devi Hospital) Chennai – 40, will organize a spiritual discourse on Srimad Bagaud Gita by Mr. K.R. Neelakantan at 6 p.m on May 13 at Sri Aurobindo Society Centre. For details, contat: 26161876.

Sri Aurobindo - Divine Anarchy

Life Positive: SRI AUROBINDO
Sri Aurobindo - Divine Anarchy
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 realise human More...

Revolutionary, poet, yogi, spiritual teacher, visionary—Sri Aurobindo was all this and much more. This prophet of the New Age not only predicted the perfectibility of the human condition but also assured that the day is not far when man's supramental consciousness achieves its fullest fruition on earth. More Information:

Aurobindonian Manoj Das on the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo.

An interview with Aurobindonian Georges Van Vrekhem.

An excerpt on Integral Yoga, taken from Sri Aurobindo's book Synthesis of Yoga.

The Auroville in Pondicherry, India.

A report on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo.

World Guru, Divine Anarchy
Related Links Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry The official site of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry, India, with monthly newsletter, calendar of events, and a section on Auroville, the model town based on the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother A comprehensive site dedicated to the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, with special emphasis on their philosophy of Integral Yoga. The Sri Aurobindo Association of America Information on Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, as well as the organization's activities. The Future Evolution of Man Full text of this book written by Sri Aurobindo. The Auroville International Township The official site of Auroville, Pondicherry, India. The Mother An account of the transformation of Mirra Alfassa into the Mother. Back to Home

An Evolutionary Agenda by Alan Sasha Lithman ‘Savitra’

Creating a New World - Auroville: A Wonderful Example of Spirituality in Action

Creating a New World is an exciting new podcast which shares the inspirational storiesof people who are actively creating a new world of joy, sustainability, and abundance. We interview today’s pioneers, those who through their passion and dedication, venture into the unknown….to create something new. Join us as we share with educators, musicians, poets, writers, scientists and more….Join with us as we welcome in a new world.

There is an amazing global community in India called Auroville. It is a Sri Aurobindo Ashram. What started with barren land and harsh living conditions has become amodel of spirituality in action. Auroville’s many projects include environmental restoration projects, innovative educational projects and more.

In this podcast, we interview Alan Sasha Lithman, also known as ‘Savitra’ who hitchhiked from London to India to meet the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. He lived there for 21 years before returning to the United States. In this podcast, Alan shares the exciting story of how the first group began to develop the Auroville of today.

His own work and writings over the decades have brought him into a broad spectrum of collaborative relations including Margaret Mead, David Brower, Michael Murphy, Barbara Marx Hubbard and Matthew Fox. His latest book, “An Evolutionary Agenda for the Third Millennium”, was published by White Cloud Press, with the support of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Contact Oshana through her website www.togobeyond.com or email her at dhimot@yahoo.com.

The first historian of the human race

Veda Vyasa V.K. SUBRAMANIAN The Hindu Young World Friday, May 11, 2007

Veda Vyasa (13th century B.C.) is considered the first historian of the human race. Veda Vyasa, the author of the epic poem Mahabharata, is considered the first historian of the human race. Sri Aurobindo considers Vyasa, Valmika and Kalidasa to be the essence of the history of ancient India. The literary output of Vyasa, however, outstrips that of the other two...This is an extract from the book The Great Ones by V.K. Subramanian, Abhinav Publications, New Delhi

No mental gymnastics please!

My Own Experiences May 10, 2007 • I just wanted to describe a few characteristics of what I believe was my experience with what Sri Aurobindo calls the “psychic being”. I have been describing these things in detail in a series of posts under the category of personal journey, but I realize that many people won’t have the time to read all of that!

I’m very open to feedback on this, especially if someone wants to suggest that my perception of having experienced what Sri Aurobindo has called the “psychic being” (whether directly or indirectly) is incorrect. I don’t think I have experienced it directly, but it may have been working through other inner hypostases. Here is a description of what I have experienced (but unfortunately never been able to sustain for very long! ): ...

Overall, I got this sense that the inner being is watching all the lower nature with a calm, almost amused detachment, just waiting for us to become more identified with it.

So this is a fairly detailed description of what I have experienced so far. Again, I’ll be really interested in hearing about other people’s experiences, and getting some feedback on this. I suspect even people who are not necessarily interested in Sri Aurobindo might have had similar experiences of the soul.

You can e-mail me at ned@naqsh.org. But no mental gymnastics please! I don’t expect everyone else to have experienced the exact same thing as myself at all! We all have our own individual laws and own individual routes to the Divine, but ultimately Truth is a pathless land. Posted by ned. Filed under Personal Journey.

Sujata

Supramentale conscience
“The Man is not the top of the evolutionary process…”
Reception The Community By the way Contact A propos du site contact L'Homme après l'homme Liens

Sujata also left us

10. May 2007, 5:15 Uhrjj.vanhoutte
For informed the community that Sujata would have also left us, more or less a month after Satprem, on May 4, 2007.

It was 81 years old and lived since the age of 9 ans in Ashram de Sri Aurobindo.

By the way Welcome on Supramentale.com Subjects articles (2) Talks with Mother (12) General (5) The Diary of Mother (2) Books and Documents (4) Personalities (4) Satprem (6) Friendly sites (1) Yoga (6) Recent comments
01.05.07, 10:38: Departure of Satprem (of ADAMOVIC)
30.04.07, 10:12: Satprem (of ADAMOVIC)
30.04.07, 10:10: April 28, 1953 (of gayatri)
02.04.07, 10:29: Peace (of gayatri)
07.02.07, 22:10: Mail received of International Diary France (of gerard.dkfrance)
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31.01.07, 15:18: Introduction to the Diary of Mother (of Sophie)

The most direct way to achieve surrender is by the constant repetition of the Mother’s name

Nama-Japa in the Yoga of Transformation— Ramkrishna Das

Available since 05-Mar-2007 Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 81 Price: Rs 60

Translated and revised from the original Oriya text, this book is a passionate argument for the effectiveness of nama-japa in Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. The author’s premise is that through all the difficulties and arduous trials of the yoga of transformation, the safest and least difficult path is that of complete surrender to the Mother, and that the most direct way to achieve such a surrender is by the constant repetition of the Mother’s name. In concise and affirming language, he describes how to use nama-japa in work, in worldly life, to overcome obstacles from within and attacks from adverse forces, and how to make its practice natural, spontaneous, and effective.

I respect and adore these two teachers utterly

Introducing myself spiritofnow in glbt_hindus Posted on May. 7th, 2007 at 03:49 pm Link

Hi everyone. I've officially left LiveJournal and don't really post on my own journal anymore, but when I saw this community I thought I should join it. I have a very strange perspective, since I was raised as a Sunni Muslim in Pakistan, became a secular agnostic, came out as a lesbian, had a series of spiritual experiences, all of which led me to the integral yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, which has basically changed my life completely. I respect and adore these two teachers utterly.

My interests are, well, just about everything under the sun. The integral philosophy and yoga of Sri Aurobindo has more or less knocked my socks off -- there is so much he is trying to express and I fear that I am at the moment barely scratching the surface of it. I just thought I would drop a link to my current blog: http://www.thestumblingmystic.com/ -- where I've described some of my own journey and how I see gender and sexuality tying into spirituality and particularly into Sri Aurobindo's vision. I also joined this group in the interest of perhaps building some bridges between India and Pakistan -- after all, at the deepest level, our soul is one. Take care

How again can Hinduism be called a religion when it admits all beliefs, allowing even a kind of high-reaching atheism and agnosticism and permits all possible spiritual experiences, all kinds of religious adventures? -- Sri Aurobindo

The Bhagvad Gita translated by Sri Aurobindo and the Holy Koran

Two scriptures are placed before me. Both are English language translations – one from the original in Arabic and the other from the original in Sanskrit. Both scriptures are believed to be the words of God. Over two billion people, representing a third of the humanity, swear by one or the other...

I have, of course, been reading from the Bhagvad Gita translated by Sri Aurobindo and from the Holy Koran translated by Maulawi Sher Ali. It hardly matters which quote is from which; the messages are so similar in spirit – even in words – that each can be from either of two. And why not? If the Almighty God won’t be consistent, who will?

Islam baiters have ridiculed Allah’s refrain in the Koran about His own greatness and of Allah’s commands that the faithful must worship Him and Him alone. Taking a clue from die-hard Islam bashers Dante, Carlyle, Walker, Goiteir, and others, Arun Shourie has called Allah ‘the jealous God’ in his writings on Islam...Posted by S A Abbasi at 8:14 AM

The greatest yogi of our time, Sri Aurobindo

The purpose of giving this to the awakened humanity is neither to attain fame, nor to earn money, but to share the experiential wisdom which has not been presented to man in such a magnitude by anyone, anywhere at any time. I have read almost all the published commentaries on Gita from, beginning with the commentary by Jagadguru Shankaracharya and ending with the greatest yogi of our time, Sri Aurobindo...Gita Advanced Course 1-6 released This entry was posted on Sunday, May 6th, 2007 at 4:09 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.

Sri Aurobindo, my favorite yogi: the modern day initiator of Integral Yoga

Once i worked in a cosmopolitan place where the hiring of workers from all across the globe was common; over the course of a quarter of a century they came in waves, responding to troubles in their homelands and the possibilities offered for succor here in the United States. Among these co-workers was a young fellow from India; occasionally he and i would chat about bits of Indian lore that i had stumbled upon in my readings and practice. Maybe something about the courtroom scene of a young Indian man, falsely accused of sedition, who at trial, came to realize that the judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney were revealed to be the three aspects of the Hindu divinity, Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva; later this defendant would be known as Sri Aurobindo, my favorite yogi: the modern day initiator of Integral Yoga...Princess Kunti, a mother of note Last post 10 hours, 26 minutes ago by charlesb.

Prof. Prapatti Memorial Lecture at Matrujyoti, Jharsuguda on 30th of April

PROF. PRAPATTI REMEMBERED
From: Saroj Kumar Patnaik, Rourkela sarojpatnaikrourkela@indiatimes.com

Date: Sat, 05 May 2007 23:12:40 +0530

Prof. Kangali Charan Pati, popularly known as Prapatti, the name given by the Mother, is remembered throughout the state of Orissa by all Sri Aurobindonians on his 81st birth anniversary on 30th April this year. The day is also observed as Integral Education Day in the Integral Education Centres in the state as a mark of respect to the late Professor for his contribution to the establishment and spread of Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centres in Orissa.

Prof. Prapatti, born at Kalapada in the Cuttack district of Orissa, was greatly influenced/ impressed by the ideals of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo while serving as Professor of Philosophy in Govt. Colleges in Orissa. He preferred to become a Sadhak of Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga to teaching Philosophy in Colleges and left for Pondicherry while serving at Vikram Dev College, Jeypore (Koraput), and remained there till he left the body. During his life time he worked under the guidance of Sri Ramakrushna Das, popularly known as Babaji Maharaj and both of them extensively toured Orissa for the spread of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles and Integral Schools. As a result of which today we find more than 10,000 Sri Aurobindo Study Circles and about 500 Integral Education Centres in different parts of the State.

To mark the occasion of the Birth anniversary of Prof. Prapatti, 'Prof. Prapatti Memorial Lecture' are arranged every year on 30th of April, i.e. on his birthday at Matrubhaban, Cuttack and the following day at a district headquarter town. This year this was held at Jharsuguda, a western Orissa district headquarter town. The Lecture was delivered this year by a young Sadhak Sri Sanjay Kumar Mohapatra, Principal of Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Kalupadaghat, Distt. Khurda, Orissa and the topic was "The necessity of Spiritual Transformation" taken from Sri Aurobindo's "The Human Cycle". An audience of more than 500 patiently heard Sri Mohapatra, who at length discussed this vast subject for more than an hour.

Introduction to the subject was given by Sri Prasad Tripathy (Babuli Bhai), Secretary, New Life Education Trust, Cuttack. Amongst others Sri Shankar Mohanty, Joint Secretary, NLET and Sri Niranjan Mohanty, Secretary, Matru Vihar & Sri Aurobindo Integral Education & Research Centre, Sundargarh deliberated on their experience with late Prapattiji. While Sri Surendra Kumar Behera, Distt. Organiser, Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Committee, Jharsuguda district welcomed the participants, Sri Gagan Bihari Das presided and Sri Saroj Kumar Patnaik co-ordinated the programme. The programme was really meaningful with Mother's Grace and active cooperation of the teachers of Auromaa Centre of Integral Education, Jharsuguda and members of Matrujyoti, Jharsuguda. LONG LIVE PRAPATTIJI.

I have always been amazed at the answers, they are relevant most of the times

Guidance for inner growth: One aspect that has always nagged me about listening to the divine messages is about understanding and distinguishing between divine and not divine. If I could really distinguish between the two, why would I have to struggle so much? One tool that I have used is the online link on Sri Aurobindo's site,

www.sriaurobindosociety.org.in/quotes.htm

I have used it for 4 years now and it works! I contemplate on the question that is troubling me and then click the button.I have always been amazed at the answers that usually come..they are relevant most of the times. They seem irrlevant some times. The messages would repeat ( because there would obviously be a limit on the storage capacity of the software). But the repeat messages or the seemingly irrlevant ones would still be relevant if I read them again and again...posted by deepti @ 9:47 PM Deepti Panuganti Location: Mumbai, Maharashtra, IN Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Manoj Das at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata

Talk May 3 at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, 8 Shakespeare Sarani; 6 pm: Manoj Das of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry will deliver Sri Aurobindo Annual Lecture (under Sitaram Jhunjhunwala endowment) on All Life is Yoga — The Doctrine’s Relevance to our Life. The Telegraph Calcutta > Timeout Thursday, May 03, 2007

Auro Maha Sakthi garden project in Auroville

Pondicherry Youth on 'global warming campaign' on bicycle

Puducherry, May 1 (PTI): A 28-year-old youth today commenced his campaign on bicycle from here, covering 1,000 kms to spread awareness on global warming. Manikandan, attached to Auro Maha Sakthi garden project in Auroville would be pedalling through Puducherry and Tamil Nadu and meeting people.

He would cover 30 to 40 kms a day and would meet the youth, villagers and also members of various voluntary organisations to generate awareness among them on the need to preserve the Earth. With a motto, 'one earth one people', he would seek a mass movement to curb the impact of global warming. K Swaminathan, Secretary of Puducherry unit of the Sri Ramakrishna Seva Sangh and the organiser of Deiva Sekkizhar Mandram (Puducherry), M Ardhanari greeted the youth before his campaign in the vicinity of Sri Manakula Vinayagar temple today. The Hindu Tuesday, May 1, 2007 : 1910 Hrs Pondicherry