Thursday, November 17, 2005

Sri Aurobindo Movement and the Bahá'í Faith

by Anil Sarwal
The Mother met Abdu'l-Bahá in Paris in 1913 during his second visit to France.[2] This period according to her own testimony was the most important for her spiritual growth.[3] She attended may Bahá'í meetings held at the homes of Monsieur and Mme Dreyfus Barney, M. and Mme. Scott and Miss Edith Sanderson. These were the early French Bahá'ís and some of them had taken pilgrimage to Akká. They were the constant companions of Abdu'l-Bahá whenever he visited France.
We also know that Sri Aurobindo himself had the knowledge of the mission of Bahá'u'lláh. Speaking to a disciple on March 7,1924 who told him that there were indications that Muslims fanaticism might disintegrate he commented that it would not be sufficient to "change their whole outlook. What is wanted is some new religious movement among the Mohammedans which would remodel their religion and change the stamp of their temperament. For instance, Bahá'ísm in Persia that has given quite a different stamp to their temperament."[11] Sri Aurobindo, though did not know very many details of the Bahá'í Faith, but he was aware of its growing influence in Europe and in the West. Talking of the religions in the United States of America, he says that Bahá'ís is just what suits the common mind. Talking of Islam, he emphasized that Mohammedans should turn towards the Bahá'í Faith: "If the Mohammedans get a religion of that sort it is much better than what they are having now.[13] Bahá'í Library Online

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