Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Upasana Centre for Dance - Concept & choreography: Ashim Bandhu

September 29-30, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Workers' Conference, Rajgangpur, Odisha Events Calendar

Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. Engagements - Coimbatore today - The Hindu Tuesday, Sep 30, 2008

Tuesday, 30 Sep Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Tue ::: 10:00 AM

Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 31 October) ::: Tue ::: 8:00 AM

Durga 2008 - an exhibition of paintings and drawings with Durga as its theme Timings: 4 pm to 8 pm, Sunday to Friday (Closed on Saturday) Date Sun Sep 28 - Sun Oct 12 , Galerie La Mere, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, Kolkata (map)

September 30 at Gyan Manch; 5.30 pm: As part of the centenary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo’s Uttarpara Speech (on May 20, 1909), Upasana Centre for Dance presents two items, Om Shakti and Vasudeva (a workshop production based on the life of Lord Krishna depicted as Karma Purush and Kal Purush). Concept & choreography: Ashim Bandhu. The Telegraph-Calcutta (Kolkata) Metro Timeout PERFORMING ARTS Tuesday , September 30 , 2008

Unity In Diversity 20 hours ago by ElJay Arem (IMC OnAir) Filmed last year on our trip to India, our interview with Arabinda Basu, a philosopher and scholar of the yoga of Sri Aurobindo, has recently been added to our online video library. In this interview, Basu describes the subtle but ...

you learn through play.. By priti (priti) I visited Pondicherry, Auroville and Chennai for the first time in April 2007 with my dance friends, teacher. We stayed in mothers ashram for some days in Pondicherry and visited Auroville’s Matrimandir for one day..I love both these places so much for the amount of peace and discipline these places follow,While roaming around mother’s guest house area, her ashram, areas near her samadhi, cottages, all departments, specially the place where we used to eat.. wow.. one must experience the silence, peace, discipline and ‘food’ out there. In reality I feel they are the only one who execute pin drop silence. no one wants to check mobile phones… no one dares to.. you are not compelled to do the same .

Mazes, Mandalas and MudBy doowaaditty This afternoon we biked to Auroville Botanical Gardens. It is a young garden, only seven or so years old. It is amazing the growth that has happened in such a short time. We toured the grounds; the nursery filled with seedlings,

Chembur-Ghatkopar Plus - Puducherry all the way!, Features,
If you are in Puducherry, be certain to visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. This world famous organisation was founded in the year 1926, by Sri Aurobindo,

Gnosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the teachings of Sri Aurobindo, the Gnostic being refers to the future supramental state of divinised humanity, living a spirit-filled existence [17].

10676 Centres of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo in Odisha - August, 2008
28 Sep 2008 by Tusar N Mohapatra Sri Aurobindo's action in Orissa 8488 Sri Aurobindo Study Circles 1443 Sri Aurobindo Women's Study Circles 745 Sri Aurobindo Students' Study Circles 10676 Total No. of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles 477 Sri Aurobindo Integral Education

Monday, September 29, 2008

If one Peter Heehs is pardoned today, a thousand would rise in future; he should not be pardoned or excused

from Anurag Banerjee <anuragbanerjee2002@yahoo.co.in> date 28 September 2008 20:18 Sri Aurobindo and the Mother vis-à-vis Avatarhood and Peter Heehs
By Anurag Banerjee


Who is an avatar? Literary, it means descent in Sanskrit, the roots of the word are ava meaning ‘down’ and tri meaning ‘to pass.’ The avatar is the embodiment of the Supreme Lord in a human form; in other words, he is an incarnation of the Divine. Sri Aurobindo writes about the avatar: “It is a coming down of the Divine below the line which divides the divine from the human world or status.” Elsewhere he adds: “The Divine puts on an appearance of humanity, assumes the outward human nature in order to tread the path and show it to human beings, but does not cease to be the Divine.” And he continues: “An Avatar or Vibhuti have the knowledge that is necessary for their work, they need not have more…An Avatar even does not manifest all the Divine omniscience and omnipotence; he has not come for any such unnecessary display.”
An avatar comes to fulfill a particular and special mission on earth. And this is evident if we study the roles played by the avatars—from the Fish to the Buddha—who had descended on earth. However, if we study the roles played by the ten avatars, we would observe a unique evolution of which Sri Aurobindo writes: “The Hindu procession of the ten Avatars is itself, as it were, a parable of evolution, the progression is striking and unmistakable.” The tortoise, that followed the fish, represented the amphibian, the boar represented the mammal, the Narasimha or the Man-Lion represented the ‘transitional being’ between the hominid and the animal, the dwarf represented the actual hominid, Parashurama represented the homo habilis, Rama represented the mental being followed by Krishna who represented the Overmental being, the Buddha represented the Absolute. Regarding Kalki, Sri Aurobindo has written: “…too much importance need not be attached to the details about Kalki, they are rather symbolic than an attempt to prophesy details of the future.” Sri Aurobindo too, on his part, had come to continue this process of evolution, that is, from man human to man divine. The part of this evolution was unknown and it was Sri Aurobindo who, with the Mother, became the path-finder. The work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother was to take evolution a stupendous leap forward, to transform mankind and activate the supramental power and manifest it in the earth-substance. In Savitri, Sri Aurobindo writes about his mission:

Into the abysmal secrecy he came
Where darkness peers from her mattress, grey and nude,
And stood on the last locked subconscient’s floor,
Where Being slept unconscious of its thoughts
And built the world not knowing what it built.
There waiting its hour the future lay unknown,
There is the record of the vanished stars.
There in the slumber of the cosmic Will
He saw the secret key of Nature’s change.

However, Peter Heehs in his new book on Sri Aurobindo titled The Lives of Sri Aurobindo has dared to denounce Sri Aurobindo as an avatar despite being an inmate of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for the past thirty-seven years. He went to the extent of saying (p. 380): “Disciples took it for granted that he was an avatar, or incarnation of God. He never made any such claim on his own behalf; on the other hand, he never dissuaded anyone from regarding him in this way.” He wrote his book on Sri Aurobindo based on new materials and records that were “stored in gunny sacks covered with bat droppings, heaped up in an unused attic.” His book, according to him, is unique because all the books written on Sri Aurobindo till date “were based his reminiscences, supplemented by an assortment of secondary sources.” And in a blog posted at Columbia University Press, he has declared:
“There is general agreement among students of religion that Aurobindo was a remarkable mystic, but few are willing to swallow the claim of some of his followers that he was an avatar, like Krishna, Chaitanya or Christ…Aurobindo spent the last forty years of his life immersed in the practice of yoga. He wrote about his yogic experiences in a diary, the Record of Yoga, and in letters to his followers. Are these the sort of sources that a scholarly biographer can cite? It certainly would be uncritical to accept at face value all that Aurobindo wrote about his inner life; but it would be a different sort of negligence to refuse to consider accounts of inner experience a priori grounds, or to explain them away according to the assumptions of one or another social-scientific orthodoxy.” And he adds: “What about the assertion that Aurobindo was an avatar? I can’t say that the question interests me very much. Aurobindo never claimed the distinction for himself, and I don’t think anyone alive is in a position to say one way or the other. The Aurobindo that interests me is the one who turned from a life of hectic action to a life of contemplation, but was able, during his forty-year retirement, to write a shelf full of books on philosophy, political theory, and textual criticism, along with thousands of letters, and, yes, that epic in iambic pentameter.”
Thus, in a few words, Peter Heehs has described how he has portrayed Sri Aurobindo in his The Lives of Sri Aurobindo. He has taken into consideration the views of some of the ‘students of religion’ who does not consider Sri Aurobindo to be an avatar. And what about those students and believers who consider Sri Aurobindo an avatar? Has he considered them? First of all, the concept of a series of avatars does not exist in Christianity where only Jesus Christ is recognized and regarded as the ‘Saviour’ and ‘Son of God.’ Similarly, in Islam Prophet Muhammad is hailed as the incarnation of the Divine. It is only the Hindu tradition that speaks of the ten avatars. However, according to Rishi Vyasa, the author of Mahabharata, there would be twenty-four avatars. The descent of the Divine in human form is made to carry out a special mission for a special purpose; just as Sri Aurobindo had come to take evolution a step further. Along with the avatar his workers come to execute his work. Nolini Kanta Gupta writes about the avatar and his associates:
“When the Avatar comes down, we know, there comes down with Him a whole host of His comrades and followers. They form a unit, a nucleus, of the new creation that the Avatar initiates…It is said that the Avatar descends with His family repeatedly age after age pushing forward the Earth’s march towards its divine goal.”
This statement explains the meaning of the following words of the Mother: “We have all met in previous lives…and have worked through ages for the victory of the Divine.”
Peter Heehs says that Sri Aurobindo never claimed himself as an avatar—it was his disciples and followers who had taken for granted that he was an avatar. Did Parashurama declare that he was an avatar? Did Rama declare that he was an avatar? Krishna revealed himself only when he made Arjuna have the Viswarup Darshan. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa revealed his true being some time before his mahasamadhi when he said that He who had been Rama and Krishna was now Ramakrishna. Just because Sri Aurobindo never made any such declarations denote that he was not an avatar! What an assumption!
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother hardly declared anything about them openly. Whatever details we know about their inner lives are obtained mainly from their personal writings, correspondence and intimate talks which they had with some of their disciples. It is true that Sri Aurobindo never made any declaration of his being an avatar directly but if one reads his writings, one can easily identify him as an avatar. The following passages from his letters to his disciples would reveal the essence of his avatarhood:

1. “As for the Mother and myself, we have had to try all ways, follow all methods, to surmount mountains of difficulties, a far heavier burden to bear than you or anybody else in the Ashram or outside, far more difficult conditions, battles to fight, wounds to endure, ways to cleave through impenetrable morass and desert and forest, hostile masses to conquer—a work such as, I am certain, none else had to do before us. For the Leader of the Way in a work like ours has not only to bring down and represent and embody the Divine, but to represent too the ascending element in humanity and to bear the burden of humanity to the full and experience, not in a mere play or Lila but in grim earnest, all the obstruction, difficulty, opposition, baffled and hampered and only slowly victorious labour which are possible on the path.”
2. “I have borne every attack which human beings have borne, otherwise I would be unable to assure anybody: ‘This too can be conquered.’ At least I would have no right to say so…The Divine, when he takes on the burden of terrestrial nature, takes it fully, sincerely and without any conjuring tricks or pretence. If he has something behind him which emerges always out of the coverings, it is the same thing in essence even if greater in degree, that there is behind others—and it is to awaken that that he is there.”
3. “As for faith, you write as if I never had a doubt or any difficulty. I have had worse than any human mind can think of. It is not because I have ignored difficulties, but because I have seen them more clearly, experienced them on a larger scale than anyone living now or before me that, having faced and measured them, I am sure of the results of my work. But even if I still saw the chance that it might come to nothing (which is impossible), I would go on unperturbed, because I would still have done to the best of my power the work that I have to do, and what is so done always counts in the economy of the universe.”
And in his book On the Mother, Sri Aurobindo writes: “The Divine puts on an appearance of humanity, assumes the outward nature in order to tread the path and show it to human beings, but does not cease to be the Divine. It is a manifestation that takes place, a manifestation of a growing divine consciousness, not human turning into divine.”
And again: “It is not for personal greatness that I am seeking to bring down the Supermind. I care nothing for greatness or littleness in the human sense…If human reason regards me as a fool for trying to do what Krishna did not try, I do not in the least care…It is a question between the Divine and myself—whether it is the Divine Will or not, whether I am sent to bring that down or open the way for its descent or at least make it more possible or not. Let all men jeer at me if they will or all Hell fall upon me if it will for my presumption,—I go on till I conquer or perish.”
Not only was Sri Aurobindo an avatar but a modern avatar or a scientific avatar as well. While moving in the ‘virgin forest’ to find the ‘path’, he experimented day and night to seek the destination he was aspiring. To quote his own words:
“I think I can say that I have been testing day and night for years upon years more scrupulously than any scientist his theory or his method on the physical plane. That is why I am not alarmed by the aspect of the world around me or disconcerted by the often successful fury of the adverse Forces who increase in their rage as the Light comes nearer and nearer to the field of earth and Matter.”
Because: “To form no conclusions which are not justified by observation and reasoning, to doubt everything until it is proved but to deny nothing until it is disproved, to be always ready to reconsider old conclusions in the light of new facts, to give a candid consideration to every new idea or old idea revived if it deserves a hearing, no matter how contradictory it may be of previously ascertained experience or previously formed conclusion, is the sceptical temper, the temper of the inquirer, the true scientist, the untrammelled thinker.”
When Sri Aurobindo was asked by a disciple what he and the Mother were doing in their previous births while it was only in this life that they had shown their divinity, Sri Aurobindo had replied: “Carrying on the evolution.” When asked to elaborate, he wrote back: “That would mean writing the whole of human history. I can only say that as there are special descents to carry on evolution to a farther stage, so also something of the Divine is always there to help through each stage itself in one direction or another.” When he was asked that since the Mother and he were on earth continuously from the beginning, what was the need for the avatars to descend on earth ‘one after another’, Sri Aurobindo answered: “We were not on earth as Avatars.”
About the avatar, Sri Aurobindo has written: “The Avatar is one who comes to open the Way for humanity to a higher consciousness.” And here are some more words from a letter he had penned to his disciple: ‘I have said, “Follow my path, the way I have discovered for you through my own efforts and example. Transform your nature from the animal to the spiritual, grow into a higher divine consciousness. All this you can do by your own aspiration aided by the force of the Divine Shakti.” That, if you please, is not the utterance of a madman or an imbecile. I have said, “I have opened the way; now you with the Divine help can follow it.” And in this very letter, he speaks about “the Path I have opened, as Christ, Krishna, Buddha, Chaitanya, etc. opened theirs.”
Thus, Sri Aurobindo has explained how he and the Mother had taken up human bodies to carry on the work of evolution. The Mother and Sri Aurobindo were not different—they had the same consciousness (that’s why they are called the ‘dual avatars’), their path, tasks and even sufferings were identical. The only difference was that Sri Aurobindo hardly spoke about how much he had to suffer while finding the path whereas the Mother revealed her sufferings in her conversations with Satprem recorded in the Agenda. He called himself ‘a path-finder hewing his way through a virgin forest’; likewise the Mother too had said: “I am really hewing a road in a virgin-forest. What is the road? Is there a road? Is there a procedure? Probably not.”
Every avatar had to struggle and fight against several odds; Sri Aurobindo too had to struggle about which he writes in his autobiographical poem A God’s Labour:

I had hoped to build a rainbow bridge
Marrying the soil to the sky
And sow in this dancing planet midge
The moods of infinity…

He who would bring the heavens here
Must descend himself into clay
And the burden of earthly nature bear
And tread the dolorous way…

I have been digging deep and long
Mid a horror of filth and mire
A bed for the golden river’s song,
A home for the deathless fire…

My gaping wounds are a thousand and one
And the Titan kings assail,
But I cannot rest till my task is done
And wrought the eternal will…

A voice cried, “Go where none have gone!
Dig deeper, deeper yet
Till thou reach the grim foundation stone
And knock at the keyless gate.”

I saw that a falsehood was planted deep
At the very root of things
Where the grey Sphinx guards God’s riddle sleep
On the Dragon’s outspread wings.

I left the surface gods of mind
And life’s unsatisfied seas
And plunged through the body’s alleys blind
To the nether mysteries.

I have delved through the dumb Earth’s dreadful heart
And heard her black mass’ bell.
I have seen the source whence her agonies part
And the inner reason of hell.

Did Peter Heehs not come across these writings? Or was he impudent enough to ignore the inner messages and meanings of these declarations?
The Mother too, in several messages of hers, has declared and described the avataric yoga of Sri Aurobindo. Some of them are as follows:
1. “What Sri Aurobindo represents in the world’s history is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme.”
2. “Sri Aurobindo came upon earth to announce the manifestation of the supramental world. Not only did he announce this manifestation, but he also partially incarnated the supramental force and gave us the example of what we must do to prepare ourselves for this manifestation. The best way for us is to study everything he told us, strive to follow his example and prepare ourselves for the new manifestation. This gives life its true meaning and will help us to overcome all obstacles.
Let us live for the new creation and we will become stronger and stronger, while remaining young and progressive.”
3. “Sri Aurobindo has come on Earth not to bring a teaching or a creed in competition with previous creeds or teachings, but to show the way to overpass the past and to open concretely the route towards an imminent and inevitable future.”
4. “Sri Aurobindo has given up his body in an act of supreme unselfishness, renouncing the realization in his own body to hasten the hour of the collective realization.”
5. “Sri Aurobindo has come to announce to the world the beauty of the future that will be realised. He has come to bring not a hope but the certainty of the splendour towards which the world is moving. The world is not an unfortunate accident: it is a miracle moving towards its expression.”
But Peter Heehs did not bother to accept the statements issued by the Mother nor Sri Aurobindo’s own indirect statements declaring his avatarhood. On the contrary, he preferred to listen to the ‘students of religion’ who were reluctant to accept Sri Aurobindo as an avatar. In a way, he has dared to defy the Mother and Sri Aurobindo! By the way, did anyone ask him how many ‘students of religion’ has refused to accept Sri Aurobindo as an avatar? We would love to know the answer.

Peter Heehs, in his book, has called the Mother Sri Aurobindo’s ‘partner.’ Was the Mother only a partner of Sri Aurobindo? Time and again Sri Aurobindo ahs written about the Mother:
1. “The Mother is not a disciple of Sri Aurobindo. She has had the same realization and experience as myself.”
2. “The Mother’s consciousness and mine are the same, the one Divine Consciousness in two, because that is necessary for the play.”
3. “There is no difference between the Mother’s path and mine, we have and have always had the same path, the path that leads to the supramental change and the divine realization; not only at the end, but from the beginning they have been the same.”
4. “What is known as Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga is the joint creation of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.”
5. “When I came to Pondicherry a programme was dictated to me from within for my Sadhana. I followed it and progressed for myself but could not do much by the way of helping others. Then came the Mother and with her help I found the necessary method.”
6. “All creation and transformation is the work of the Mother.”

As mentioned earlier, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were dual avatars; they had the same consciousness and realization despite being in different bodies. The Mother too had declared she “has descended upon earth to participate in nature [of her children]. Because if she did not participate in their nature, she could not lead them farther. If she remained in her supreme consciousness where there is no suffering, in her supreme knowledge and consciousness, she could not have any contact with human beings. It is for this that is obliged to take on the human consciousness and form: to be able to enter into contact with them.” Therefore, the word ‘partner’ is a cheap word to describe what the Mother was to Sri Aurobindo and his Yoga.

Peter Heehs calls himself a sadhak of the Integral Yoga. What kind of a sadhak is he who refuses to accept the writings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo? Swami Vivekananda has said in his Inspired Talks: “Worship your Guru, but do not obey him blindly; love him heart and soul but think for yourself. No blind belief can save you.” As a historian and critic, Peter Heehs is most welcome to follow his observations and hence, come to his own conclusion but before doing so, he has to think twice or thrice about the credibility of his own judgment. He has portrayed Sri Aurobindo as a mortal whereas the Mother has said repeatedly that nothing was mortal about Sri Aurobindo. Is it at all possible to write about Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s inner lives? No, never. It is improper to mentalize supramental realizations.
Sri Aurobindo never wished to have his biography written. To one of his early biographers, he had written: “I see you have persisted in giving a biography—is it really necessary or useful? The attempt is bound to be a failure, because neither you nor anyone else knows anything at all of my life; it has not been on the surface from men to see.” The Mother too saw to it that no one represented Sri Aurobindo’s life in a way which was far from reality. That’s why she guided Satprem in every step while he was penning his masterpiece on Sri Aurobindo (Sri Aurobindo or The Adventure of Consciousness) and that explains why the book was such a success. On another occasion, when it was suggested to complete Rishabhchand’s Sri Aurobindo: His Life Unique (the book ends at Sri Aurobindo’s coming to Pondicherry), the Mother strongly objected and said:
“That’s enough. There’s no need to add anything, just a note—a sentence or two will do. There’s nothing to say about his life here…Basically no one really knows the life he led here. I am afraid they’ll write a lot of nonsense. I would prefer that nothing be said—they can say he retired to Pondicherry to lead the life of Yoga and henceforth only that mattered, and it’s better not to speak of it. That’s all…We have everything he wrote, and it’s much better than anything we can say about it.”
Despite being associated with the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for such a long period, Peter Heehs has failed to trace any divinity in Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. And yet he calls himself a practitioner of the Integral Yoga! What a joke!

Those who have a sympathetic attitude towards Peter Heehs and the controversy created by him have written:
“Anybody who is acquainted with the dynamics of the publishing industry a bit is aware of how authors are gradually drawn into the vortex of a gigantic greed machine, and consequently, they cease to be independent and impartial. What the author writes is actually “commissioned” in advance and he becomes a pawn in this promotional strategies. Thus, one can understand the plight of Peter Heehs, for without succumbing to these he cannot publish otherwise.
The other aspect is in the course of a person’s life a phase may come where his faith is depleted and rationality rules the roost. But such lean periods pass away with time, and everything is forgotten. May be Peter Heehs is passing through such a phase because of the predominantly empirical nature of his daily work. Besides, the continued stress of witnessing the Ashram metamorphosing into a variant of Hindu religion might have taken its toll.” (12.9.2008)

And:

“Writing an irreverent book is not a crime, and therefore, punishing someone for this sole reason is patently illogical. As an author and researcher, Heehs deserves our respect, support, and goodwill and in that we should not be wanting at this crucial juncture.” (19.9.2008)

I would like to request them to read the following excerpts from an interview of Peter Heehs that had appeared in Auroville Today in August 2008:
“I believe what is significant about this new book is not the presence or absence of new facts—though there are plenty of them there—but rather the overall picture that emerges. I believe that the Sri Aurobindo that emerges from the new biography is much more lifelike, more unpredictable, more complex, than the Sri Aurobindo of earlier biographical writing, including my own…
When I began writing this book, I had to decide who I was addressing. Among people interested in Sri Aurobindo there are, first, the devotees. But there are also many people in the academic world who are interested in Sri Aurobindo not as a spiritual figure or object of devotion but because of his writings or because he was a revolutionary.
Both readerships have legitimate needs that have to be taken into consideration by a biographer. But both have limitations: there are topics they consider inappropriate, materials they don’t want to hear about, preoccupations that they consider unquestionable verities.
For various reasons, I gave a certain priority to the academic approach. As a contributor to historical journals, I have developed an admiration for the scrupulousness and rigour of academic discourse. I feel comfortable with this approach, and feel uncomfortable with the loose, ‘devotionalistic’ or ‘New Age’ sort of expression that is popular among many people who write about spiritual figures.”
This particular interview proves that neither did Peter Heehs succumb to the pressure of the publishing industry nor did his faith get depleted. Whatever he wrote in his book and whatever he said in his interview was done in the full presence of his mind and senses. And therefore he should not be pardoned or excused. Because if one Peter Heehs is pardoned today, a thousand Peter Heehs would rise in future and dare to repeat this crime.
And history tends to repeat itself.
****
Amal Kiran on the Mind of Light
Pournaprema, the Mother’s Granddaughter
Moni’s elder brother Prafulla Chakravorty
Nirmal Nahar has refuted the preposterous claim
If one Peter Heehs is pardoned today, a thousand

***
Born on 13 October 1984, Anurag Banerjee is an essayist, biographer, poet and researcher. His first book, Nirodbaran: The Surrealist’s Journey was published in December 2006. He wrote the biography of Dilip Kumar Roy at the age of twenty in 2005 and translated 100 poems of Sri Aurobindo into Bengali at the age of twenty-one in 2006. His published works include Nirodbaran: The Surrealist’s Journey (2006), Achinpather Dibyapathik (2008), and Debotar Shrom (2008). Anurag Banerjee
Amal Kiran on the Mind of Light
André Morisset
Arjava
Aspects of Amal Kiran
Attaining immortality
Avatarhood
Datta (Dorothy Mary Hodgson)
Dilip Kumar Roy
Dr. Govindo Gopal Mukhopadhyay
Krishna Chakravarti
Nirmal Singh Nahar on Satprem and Sujata
Nishtha
Pournaprema
Prithwi Singh Nahar
Rijuta (Patricia Noonan)
Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Place
Suresh Chandra Chakravorty (Moni)
Udar [12:12 PM]

Moni's elder brother Prafulla Chakravorty was killed while experimenting with a bomb at Deogarh

Download the original attachment from Anurag Banerjee <anuragbanerjee2002@yahoo.co.in> date 28 September 2008 20:18 Regarding Peter Heehs’s Proclamation of Suresh Chakraborty Not Being a Yogi
By Anurag Banerjee

Many an Aurobindonian has reacted sharply to the controversial biography of Sri Aurobindo titled The Lives of Sri Aurobindo penned by Peter Heehs where he has denounced the fact that Sri Aurobindo was an Avatar. His own beliefs has led him to this conclusion and therefore he has completely ignored what the Mother has said about Sri Aurobindo in her numerous messages. It is true that Sri Aurobindo never declared himself as an Avatar but if one goes through the features of an Avatar, he would easily recognize Sri Aurobindo as the Avatar who had come to carry forward the process of evolution. But Peter Heehs chose to follow his own instincts, convictions and intuition; he preferred to give his own explanation for, after all, he is the self-proclaimed authority on Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and Integral Yoga. His own words ‘…because I…know a lot more about him [Sri Aurobindo]…’reflect his true self.

Through his book, Peter Heehs has tried to nullify the greatness of Sri Aurobindo but in vain. But should we be surprised? No—because years ago, he had done the same in the case of Suresh Chandra Chakravorty alias Moni in another book of his titled Sri Aurobindo: A Brief Biography. In that book on page 132, he writes:

“Moni, for instance, evinced no interest in yoga at all, and Sri Aurobindo (in the words of a contemporary diarist) ‘never even once’ told him anything about it."

However he did not disclose the identity of the diarist. He has said that personal reminiscences don’t count in a scholarly biography (I have no hesitation to admit that I have never come across such a strange and weird assumption), so if we go by his own declaration, then this particular comment of the diarist should not be taken into consideration at all. But since every person is entitled to express his own views, we can say that it was the diarist’s notion that Suresh Chakravorty was told nothing about yoga by Sri Aurobindo. But it is the duty of the biographer to evaluate properly all the facts available from other sources as well. Did Peter Heehs do so? No, he didn’t.

In this context, a few words about Suresh Chakravorty would not be irrelevant as he is not quite well-known since he had left his body fifty-seven years ago. Born on 12 December 1891; he was a revolutionary who, at the tender age of sixteen, came in contact with Sri Aurobindo with whom he was destined to stay for the rest of his life. His elder brother Prafulla Chakravorty was killed while experimenting with a bomb at Deogarh. When Moni, as Suresh Chakravorty was lovingly called, came to Calcutta, Sri Aurobindo took him under his wings. Sri Aurobindo trusted him immensely and looked upon him as his son.

Because of the unshakeable and impregnable trust he had in Moni, Sri Aurobindo had sent him to Pondicherry in March 1910 to arrange his accommodation. Sri Aurobindo reached Pondicherry on 4 April 1910 and from then, Moni stayed with him. After the arrival of the Mother in 1920 and her taking charge of the newly-formed Ashram in 1926 (after Sri Aurobindo’s retirement), many of the old followers of Sri Aurobindo left Pondicherry because they were unable to accept the Mother. Bejoy Nag left; so did Barindra Kumar Ghose (Sri Aurobindo’s younger brother; however, he did not leave because he was unable to accept the Mother, he left because he was unwilling to accept the discipline imposed by her in the Ashram; prior to her arrival, the followers led a camp-life.) and Saurin Bose (Sri Aurobindo’s brother-in-law) to name a few.

But Moni did not leave Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Some of the inmates had the impression that Moni was against the Mother but those who knew him closely vouch the fact that never did they hear a single word against the Mother from him. He was a poet and the author of more than a dozen books who was taught several foreign languages by Sri Aurobindo. When some people started writing imaginary and distorted facts about Sri Aurobindo’s journey from Calcutta to Chandernagore and then to Pondicherry, Moni took up his pen and wrote a series of articles on what had actually happened (since he was present there and therefore was an eye-witness); thus he silenced the mouths and pens of the numerous so-called researchers and authors like Girijashankar Roychowdhury, who based his book on Sri Aurobindo on unreliable and untrue facts. Later, those articles were included in his most notable book Smritikatha (Reminiscences).

Some historians like Peter Heehs might argue that since Moni did not do any work in the Ashram, hence, he cannot be termed as a Yogi and that he did not evince any interest in Yoga. But they forget that even Dilip Kumar Roy was not associated with any departments of the Ashram; he always remained busy with his literary and musical activities. Does it mean that Dilip Kumar was not a Yogi? He was called a ‘born yogi’ by Sri Aurobindo himself! Moreover, has Sri Aurobindo not written: “The Mother has not created any work for those who have the capacity for meditation”? This particular statement explains everything!

Moni never spoke about his inner life and his aspiration; in the garb of external ordinariness he kept himself hidden. The Mother too had a soft corner for him. But his life was shattered when Sri Aurobindo left his body on 5 December 1950. Chimanbhai Patel recalls (on 9 December, during the entombment ceremony of Sri Aurobindo) Moni “coming out of the crowd and gaping at the casket while it was being carried by the pall-bearers…He bent forward and was looking up at the casket as it passed in front of him. There was an expression of disbelief over his face, as if he could not fully understand what was happening.” Indeed, because Moni was an inseparable part of Sri Aurobindo whose world revolved around his Guru.

Nirmal Nahar, the founder-trustee of Sri Aurobindo Bhavan (Calcutta), had told the author that one day, he had gone to Moni for some work. Moni told him: “I won’t be able to do it as I am not going to stay here.” And often he used to tell Nirmal Nahar that ever since Sri Aurobindo had left, he was disinterested about the Ashram. His statements of not going to stay in the Ashram was interpreted in a different sense—it was thought that he would probably leave the Ashram and go elsewhere.
One day, Ravindra Khanna who used to carry Moni’s food to his place, found the door of the latter’s house closed. He kept the tiffin-carrier in front of the door and left. When he returned the next day, he found the tiffin-carrier lying untouched. He had some doubts and when the door was opened, it was found that Moni had left his body peacefully in his sleep. It happened on 28 April 1951, just four months after the mahasamadhi of Sri Aurobindo. He had followed his Guru in life and in death.
Should anyone raise a question or doubt about such a person? But Peter Heehs would do so! He preferred to base his conclusion on the observation of the diarist. If he had researched a bit more then he would have come across the tribute paid to Moni by Nolini Kanta Gupta. What follows is a roughly translated version of the tribute:

“Suresh Chakravorty sometimes used to say that he was only a litterateur and not a yogi, sadhak or a spiritual person. But when he was questioned that how and why then was he in the Ashram for such a long period, he smiled and said with some hesitation—it was difficult for one who had come closer to Sri Aurobindo to stay away from him. What else could be the identity of a yogi or a sadhak apart from this is not known to me. Suresh Chandra abhorred pretensions and superstitions. His was a straight, one-pointed, clear vision. Many people identify yogis with frauds—sadhana means to the masses certain artificial ways or practise of austerities and penances. But if being spiritual means the highest manifestation of the consciousness and immense development of the self—which is nothing but Sri Aurobindo’s sadhana—then Suresh Chandra was undoubtedly a follower of the Path. His devotion to literature was a part of the sadhana of his soul.
When Suresh Chandra had come to Sri Aurobindo, he was a young boy of sixteen—from sixteen to sixty. Suresh Chandra was nothing but a product created by Sri Aurobindo. After Sri Aurobindo had left his body, he was heard saying—now it was their turn. The Body to which his body was so close, it was expected that with the absence of the Body, his body would too feel displaced and this explains why he left so suddenly and quietly.
But as Sri Aurobindo has not gone away—he is doing his work from a different plane, similarly his closest companions too are with him—they are associated with him as the workers of his Work even after death just as they had been when they were alive.”

Should any word be uttered after this statement? No—only the sound of silence should be made—the silence conveying profound regards for Suresh Chandra Chakravorty alias Moni.

Ashok Chatterjee delivered Sri Aurobindo memorial oration in Andhra University

September 29, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Jyotirmayi Study Circle, Similia, Odisha Events Calendar
September 29-30, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Workers' Conference, Rajgangpur, Odisha
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. Engagements - Coimbatore today RELIGION The Hindu Monday, Sep 29, 2008
Monday, 29 Sep Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India Building, Auroshilpam (behind Auromode) ::: Mon ::: 10:00 AM
University Of Human Unity programme ::: Savitri Bhavan ::: Mon ::: 4:00 PM
Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 31 October) ::: Mon ::: 8:00 AM
The Hindu : Education Plus : ‘UoH on par with global varsities’
Andhra University organises Aurobindo memorial oration every year and this year secretary of Sri Aurobindo International Education and Study Centre Ashok Chatterjee delivered the lecture at a special function organised in the campus.
Sri Aurobindo was a spiritual revolutionary who worked hard for the spread of education that would help in social awareness and protection of culture, Lt. Col. (Retd.) Chatterjee said.
Vice-Chancellor B. Satyanarayana presided over the meeting. - K. Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, in Hyderabad Andhra University
Shankarlal Purohit - DigitalJournal.com: The Power of Citizen ...
Sri Aurobindo, one of 20th century’s greatest spiritual masters and seers, ... Both Sri Aurobindo and Mother were convinced that the person who was thus ...
28 Sep 2008 -
Master in our personal lives : Experiences with His Holiness Sri ...
I am reminded of Sri Aurobindo, that "the divine working is not the working which the egoistic mind desires or approves; for it uses error in order to ...

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Sri Aurobindo surpassed the acme of human possibility and perfection and gave a goal to his aspiration

Re: Sri Aurobindo and the Future of Humanity
by Debashish on Sat 27 Sep 2008 11:53 PM PDT Profile Permanent Link [5:16 PM]

On R.Y. Deshpande's request, all his comments (and corresponding responses) were removed from this article, so to clarify certain questions, I am re-posting one of my own responses. Since the issue of the avatarhood of Sri Aurobindo has featured prominently in certain recent discussions, I may draw attention to my conversation with Nirodbaran on this subject, which I have introduced in this comment: ...

Finally, a word about avatarhood. I remember asking Sri Aurobindo's attendant Nirodbaran, whether he thought Sri Aurobindo was an avatar. He said he had tried in many ways to get Sri Auroboindo to confirm this proposition, but in vain. But, he went on to say, this question did not concern him anymore. In fact, he felt it was a question that ought not to concern anyone. For him, Sri Aurobindo surpassed the acme of human possibility and perfection and gave a goal to his aspiration. In the growth to this goal, it may be given to him to know what an avatar is and that Sri Aurobindo is an avatar. At that point, the question of avatarhood would make sense, but not now. These words of Nirod-da have stayed with me since then and have moulded my approach to Sri Aurobindo.DB

Bhadrak District Sri Aurobindo Women's Study Circle Conference, Odisha

Re: Corrections to textual excerpts of The Lives of Sri Aurobindo by Peter Heehs by koantum on Sat 27 Sep 2008 Profile Permanent Link [7:03 AM]
Thanks, Rich. Very timely. Hopefully it will restore some semblance of sanity. I am reminded of a note written by the Mother and, by her own account, inspired by the New Consciousness of 1969:
Why do men want to worship? It is much better to become than to worship!
(Mother's Agenda, April 30, 1969)

As one who wants to become, I read Sri Aurobindo's books when I want to learn about the inner Sri Aurobindo, and I read Peter's refreshingly level-headed biography when I want to learn about the outer Sri Aurobindo. I don't mean this in a mutually exclusive sense. The outer Sri Aurobindo is an integral part of the inner. The hagiographies, which tell us more about their authors than about Sri Aurobindo, are for those who are content to worship — and to worship a figment of their imagination at that. No wonder they get upset if this clashes with reality.

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore 28th September 2008 Sunday 6.00 pm Savitri - Talk by K.S. Rajah

September 28, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Women's Study Circle Conference, Bhadrak District, Odisha

September 28, 2008: Spirtual Workshop at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre (SAIEC), Shahid Nagar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha - 10 AM to 12 Noon

September 27 - 28, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Conference, Dhenkanal District, Odisha

September 28, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Jyotirmayi Study Circle, Ostapal, Dhenkanal, Odisha Events Calendar

Sri Aurobindo Society: Meeting, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 10 a.m.
Sri Aurobindo Society Centre: Meeting, AP-514, J Block, 8th St., Anna Nagar, 6 p.m. The Hindu: Engagements: In Chennai Today Sunday, Sep 28, 2008

Sunday, 28 Sep Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Sun ::: 8:00 PM

The Statesman ... Ramakrishna, Sri Aurobindo and so on. All these religious thinkers were endowed with perception of transcendentalism incomprehensible to ordinary men.

Weaknesses of the Hindu heart and mind Indian Express - New Delhi, India. Those Hindus who are sincerely striving to strengthen Hindu-Muslim amity would do well to study the thoughts of Sri Aurobindo. There is a prescient passage... The truth of the yogi’s thoughts speaks to us with undiminished ...

The Golden dome in Matri Mandir By amrit. This was a sunday morning in Marti Mandir. The sky and the golden globe was in a pleasing contrast when I took this photo with a polarizing filter to darken the hue of the sky. Those who are not familiar with Auroville and the concept ...

Sprucing Up The New Office By Kiruba Shankar. Paper Lamps: I've seen some awesome paper lamps at Auroville. Some of them are huge round ones and the others are taller than me. Should get a few of those. Get those big paper lights and those long standing ones I found in Auroville ...

The Greening of Auroville By Rohit Dabrai. When Australianborn Joss Brooks visited Auroville way back in 1969, there was nothing but a few scattered palm trees in the vast acres of wasteland. A year after the young law and philosophy graduate decided to be a part of an ongoing ...

Satprem's Pyramid By Draconian. Rain my trip to auroville can never be complete without a visit to this temple. Its a beautiful little structure in Compressed Stabilised Earth Bricks manufactured by the Auroville Earth Institute. Its a two year old structure.

India-France relations set to move into high gear (Special) ... Thaindian.com - Bangkok, Thailand. busy schedule will allow him to bring Carla Bruni to the Taj Mahal in 2009. But in any case, India-France relations are set to improve. (Claude Arpi is a commentator on current affairs. He can be contacted at claude@auroville.org.in )

Aurobindo, the father of Dialectical Integralism According to Dialectical Integralism of Aurobindo, the whole process of creation takes place between two involutions, Matter in which everything is involved and everything evolves to the other pole of Spirit, Spirit in which everything ...

1 Million Person Arcology Type Ecocity Planned for Dubai By basac. Arcosanti is designed or envisioned to be a prototype for that larger scale vision of Arcology but is currently more like an ecovillage, similar in some respects to Auroville in southern India. We at oneVillage Foundation have ...

New York Yankees etc.: Mussina and Giambi It requires a warmer climate though (30-35 degrees C), so it isn’t able to be grown globally. http://www.spirulina.com/ - address for general information http://www.auroville.org/health/food/spirulina.htm - an article written about the

Brief Introduction to Mukesh Mukesh (b.21st September 1957) is a Postgraduate in Sanskrit and Philosophy and has worked as Private Secretary to the Chairman, Auroville Foundation, Auroville and also with Chairman of Indian Council of Philosophical Research, ...

How Lord Krishna managed the great war and restored peace
Sri Aurobindo "The idea that man is like unto an inverted tree seems to have been current in by gone ages. The link with Vedic conceptions is provided by ...

On the Limits of Naturalism 25 Sep 2008 According to Sri Aurobindo, it is “a middle term of the evolution, not its end, crown or consummating masterpiece.” Our species “cannot be the end and highest height of the mysterious upward surge of Nature.... A godhead is imprisoned ... The Scientific and Medical Network Blog

Which is the best place to see in pondicherry?
by Paco 2. Sri Aurobindo ashram 3. Beach 4. Auroville beach

A man by nobody@flickr.com (raodk45) He has need of death to find a greater life. His life is a blind-man’s bluff, a hide-and-seek; He seeks himself and from himself he runs; Meeting himself, he thinks it other than he. ~ Sri Aurobindo.

Twin Soul by Vincent 'The highest state of human love is ... the unity of one soul in two bodies' Sri Aurobindo It's a fascinating thought, that somewhere on earth of in the spheres somebody lives, who is your twin soul. Somebody who makes up one soul ...

Personal Journeys In India, Lessons on Yoga and on Life - New York ... Lessons on Yoga and on Life New York Times, United States - My wife and I have come to Pondicherry in southeast India mostly for the yoga. The classes used to be held in one of the many parcels of the Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo on the Tantra Sri Aurobindo on the Tantra TANTRIC YOGA A BOLD SYSTEM PURANO-TANTRIC RELIGION SPIRITUAL CONTENT SCIENCE OF ... the general tendency of Prakriti, Tantric Yoga largely lost its principle in its ...

ELECTRONIC MEDIA NOT COVERED BY PRESS COUNCIL 26 Sep 2008 The "TV 18 Network" of CNN-IBN, on their own decided to tell the people at large about the on-going happenings of Sri Aurobindo Ashram to ensure corrective measures are carried out to uphold the dignity of ashram.

INTERDEPENDENCE BETWEEN THOUGHT AND REALITY THAT DEFIES THE ... 26 Sep 2008 by Rachael Rocamora [and this reminds me of the event that so altered Sri Aurobindo’s life, when his brother lay extremely ill in his home in India, and the ash-covered sadhu came to the door, probably begging for food, as was the custom.

Liberal or a bigot 26 Sep 2008 by chandrabhan. It is no less than a wonder in human history that Hindu society and culture not only survived the storm, but also produced a counter attack under Maharshi Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi such as earned for ...

National Symbols 26 Sep 2008 by amit. The English translation of the stanza rendered by Sri Aurobindo in prose1 is : I bow to thee, Mother, richly-watered, richly-fruited, cool with the winds of the south, dark with the crops of the harvests, The Mother!

Re: the origin of the name Allah 25 Sep 2008 by Wormhole Charley ... the wriggling motion without the snake, or of the snake without its wriggling motion. These are two aspects of Reality: Purusha and Prakriti. He who is the Purusha is also Prakriti. Both are the embodiment of Bliss." -- Sri Aurobindo.

ON FAITH 25 Sep 2008 by kirtimukha ~Sri Aurobindo No one can call upon God without knowing Him. St.Augustine wonders: "May it be that a man must implore You before he can know You?" The only things to count on are longing and the occult directives of desire.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

Dhenkanal District Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Conference, Odisha

September 27, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles:

September 27 - 28, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Conference, Dhenkanal District, Odisha

Sri Aurobindo Society: M.K. Ramaswamy, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 6.30 p.m. The Hindu: Engagements: In Chennai Today

Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: In Coimbatore Today

Saturday, 27 Sep Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Sat ::: 8:00 PM

Faith Healer, a play by Brian Friel ::: Sri Aurobindo Auditorium ::: Sat ::: 7:30 PM

Hate is found in the heart Express Buzz, India - For an answer to this paradox let’s go to the Bhagavad Gita, “the greatest gospel of spiritual works ever yet given to the race” (Sri Aurobindo).

In India, Lessons on Yoga and on Life New York Times, United States - The classes used to be held in one of the many parcels of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram scattered across the colonial city. But for this retreat, there’sa new ...

25 Sep 2008 - TERRORISM-ISLAM IN INDIA MUST BE DIFFERENT! : TERRORISM-ISLAM IN ...
As Sri Aurobindo said, “Mohammed’s mission was necessary, else we might have ended by thinking, in the exaggeration of our efforts at self-purification, ... krishnabaalu2.sulekha.com/blog/

Friday, September 26, 2008

I do not readily accept disciples, as this path of Yoga is a difficult one

Friday, 26 Sep Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Fri ::: 8:00 PM

C I N E M A - Chronicles of Narnia 2 - Prince Caspian ::: Bharat Nivas, Auditorium ::: Fri ::: 7:45 PM

PERFORMING ARTS September 26 at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, 8 Shakespeare Sarani; 5.30 pm: Rabindranather Raater Gaan, an evening of Tagore songs by Arghya Sen, Purabi Mukhopadhyay, Rahul Mitra, Debarati Som, Suchhanda Ghosh, Sumita Das, Supriya Chakraborty, Subrota Pal, Shukla Sengupta, Kakali Banerjee, Urabi Bhattacharya and Rusha Goswami. Compere: Sohini Sengupta. Cocept & direction: Kalyan Guha. - The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Metro Timeout Friday , September 26 , 2008 Front Page > Calcutta

My post at the Scientific and Medical Network Blog by Ulrich Mohrhoff According to Sri Aurobindo, it is “a middle term of the evolution, not its end, crown or consummating masterpiece.” Our species “cannot be the end and highest height of the mysterious upward surge of Nature…. A godhead is imprisoned in

The Integral Yoga Practice Page What I mean by subtle methods is psychological, non-mechanical processes eg, concentration in the heart, surrender, self-purification, working out by inner means the change of the consciousness.” (Sri Aurobindo to Dilip, Vol.3)

In Silence by Barindranath Chaki [Quotations are from The Mother by Sri Aurobindo.] Such a vital being is to be obtained in order to have a true mental silence, and this too needs a sincere practice. Let us find what Sri Aurobindo has said in this connection:

Aurobindo-Savithri A substantial part of Sri Aurobindo's writings is poetry and on poetry. To Sri Aurobindo poetry, like all art, is an interpreter of the Reality, whether finite or infinite. It is not a decorative element in life.

The Fatal Seed by Nila-kantha-chandra I have been re-reading Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri. I bought a copy to gift to a young friend, Anuradha, as a belated wedding gift. When I met Pratim in Kotagiri recently, he mentioned to me that Savitri had been translated into Bangla by

With Krishna in Alipore Jail by Swaminathan the very grating that did its duty for a door and again I saw Vasudeva. _ It was Narayana who was guarding and standing sentry over me. _ Or I lay on the coarse blankets that were given to me for a couch and felt the arms of Sri Krishna

Daily Meditation Thursday, September 25, 2008 ... truths and the symbols or the particular discipline of a religion into a hard and fast dogmas, is a sign that as yet we are only infants in the spiritual knowledge and are yet far from the science of the Infinite. - Sri Aurobindo.

One x One = Someone; One x Nothing = Nobody 24 Sep 2008 by Gagdad Bob Sri Aurobindo expressed it well, when he wrote in a letter that "I do not readily accept disciples, as this path of Yoga is a difficult one and can be followed only if there is a special call." In another letter he balked at the notion

Exploring cob By dv I went over to Auroville and studied the process for a day. It was too demanding and needed a team of six, needed cement and produced far too many blocks. I decided it was for good sized communities that wanted to use their own labour ...

Unconscious mind and social order Times of India, India - According to Sri Aurobindo, “A fully developed mind in man must in all climes search after pure Truth and unmixed Bliss.” Knowledge of the unconscious ...

Women against the Raj: Sri Aurobindo did not become “prominent” as “founder of Auroville”. Auroville was inaugurated 18 years after his death. Sri Aurobindo’s philosophical writings brought him renown. SUNANDA K. DATTA-RAY The Telegraph Friday , September 26 , 2008

Press Release - Priyatosh Bhattacharjee Inducted into Cambridge ... Mr. Bhattacharjee brings more than 20 years of professional experience to Sri Aurobindo Society. In addition, he specializes in writing poetry and is a... Coral Springs, FL, September 26, 2008--Cambridge Who's Who

A Beautiful Experience Sri Aurobindo to Dilip. Part 39 Psychic Experience, Jonas1, Videos - Yoga, 0, 09-16-2008 09:04 PM. Sri Aurobindo to Dilip. Part 39 Psychic Experience ...

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Powers Within The Hidden Forces Of life by Sri Aurobindo (Paperback - January 1, 1995) ... Psychic Being (Soul: Its Nature, Mission, Evolution) by Sri Aurobindo

Book Review: The Silent Monsoon (Salvation) Sri Aurobindo writes in his essay "The Essence of Poetry" The critic of a certain type or the intellectually conscientious artist will

active minds Integral psychology (Sri Aurobindo). These various Minds and Mental principles of being include: ... eeling of things, and expresses the desires, feelings,

shru's place Sri Aurobindo Integral and Research Centre · adarsh house · Indrajit & Family · Rumah Kos Dedi (96-99) ·

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Stay there and soak into the place, one is bound to feel the all-encompassing presence of Sri Aurobindo

September 23 - 25, 2008: Round-up of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles, Rayagada District, Odisha

Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: In Coimbatore Today 25 Sep 2008

Thursday, 25 Sep Introduction to sustainable farming in Auroville ::: Buddha Garden Community Farm ::: Thu ::: 10:00 AM
Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Thu ::: 8:00 PM

Presence of Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry Economic Times, India - 11 hours ago Once you reach Pondicherry, stay there for a day or two and soak into the place, one is bound to feel the all-encompassing presence of Sri Aurobindo.
Integral Yoga Hindu, India - 22 Sep 2008 TO INTERPRET Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual vision in any of our languages requires a lot of patience, learning and ability of expression.
Hate is found in the heart Express Buzz, India - 3 hours agoFor an answer to this paradox let’s go to the Bhagavad Gita, “the greatest gospel of spiritual works ever yet given to the race” (Sri Aurobindo).

The Mother in Japan II from sunayana.com
Going to a place a second time can never be like the first. The novelty of the first visit can not be repeated because the first impressions have an intensity that one can never find again. A second visit to a well-loved place, on the other hand, is like meeting an old friend. We had [...]

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

University Of Human Unity programmes at Savitri Bhavan

September 23 - 25, 2008: Round-up of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles, Rayagada District, Odisha

Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu : Engagements / Coimbatore : In Coimbatore Today

Wednesday, 24 Sep University Of Human Unity programme ::: Savitri Bhavan ::: Wed ::: 4:00 PM
Theater Improvisation ::: ILC Verite ::: Wed ::: 7:00 PM
Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Wed ::: 8:00 PM

Good news India By AnUpaMa (AnUpaMa) Given a choice, I would like to live like how some people live in Auroville, grow vegetables in my own garden, use organic farming methods and reduce pesticide/fertilizer usage. And build a house based on Lauri Bakers designs.

Want the diet to great health? Daily News & Analysis - Mumbai, India Nandita Shah, homeopath and resident of Auroville, who works for Sharan-India (an organisation that promotes the vegan form of eating), explains: “I believe ...

Discipline your Child Express Buzz - Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India... this was the revelation of a counseling session held by the Psychology students of Osmania University at Aurobindo International School.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Round-up of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles, Rayagada District, Odisha

September 23, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles:

September 23 - 25, 2008: Round-up of Sri Aurobindo Study Circles, Rayagada District, Odisha

Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. Engagements - In Coimbatore Today Religion The Hindu Tuesday, Sep 23, 2008

Tuesday, 23 Sep THE UNIVERSITY OF HUMAN UNITY PROJECT IN AUROVILLE presents: FALL SEMESTER COURSES Sept-Dec 2008. ::: Savitri Bhavan ::: Tue ::: 4:00 PM
Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 30 September) ::: Tue ::: 8:00 PM
Compassionate Communication Introductory Workshop with Tewa ::: Pavilion for Tibetan Culture ::: Tue ::: 9:30 AM
Being Well: A Two Day Retreat, Sep 20-21, 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. ::: SAWCHU ::: Tue ::: 9:00 AM

Integral Yoga Hindu - Chennai, India TO INTERPRET Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual vision in any of our languages requires a lot of patience, learning and ability of _expression.

Daily Meditation Tuesday, September 23, 2008 (fasting also comes under the head) stands on the same level as free indulgence; in both cases, the desire remains: in the one it is fed by indulgence, in the other it lies latent and exasperated by suppression. - Sri Aurobindo. The Meditation Society of Australia - http://meditation.org.au/rss.asp

Sep 23 - autumnal equinox By ram nath(ram nath) The truth of the Divine and the descent of the supramental will be the foundation of the work of the future. The yoga for tomorrow will be to find the Divine in work and in relation to the world. -The spirit of auroville. indiatoday - http://indiaivathu.blogspot.com/

Pondicherry - A Little Bit of France in India By Priyanka Returning for breakfast, we planned to visit the Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville that day. First stop, the Aurobindo Ashram, which lies inside the town itself. The ashram contains the samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Richard who is ... bohemia - http://kingfisherworld.com/bohemia

Pondycherry Trip - 1-3 June 2008 21 Sep 2008 by ROHIT KUMAR Also a Long pending desire to visit Pondycherry. We Stayed there for Three days. Fortunately got a accommodation in Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the sea facing view was magnificent. It was very close to nature. Events - http://rohitevents.blogspot.com/

Guest houses at Sri Aurobindo Ashram. By Malathy (Malathy) Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry is just a 3 hour drive from Madras. We used to visit the ashram quite frequently but of late, our visits have become dearer. Time dear is one commodity that can't be purchased. ... Mala's Musings - http://computerknowledge1.blogspot.com/

ADDRESS TO SEND OUR OFFERING TO MOTHER by Annaischild ADDRESS:- TRUSTEE SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM TRUST PONDICHERRY - 605002 you can money order the offering. if u want any thiruru,you can write below the money order form as kindly provide as mothers or aurobindo photo ... SriAravindharAnnai - http://sriaravindharannai.blogspot.com/

Integral Yoga by saswata98 As I practice the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, I find in it some differences in the approach with the other yogas. I am not there to quote from the writings of the Master, but from my own humble experience which I could not fail to ... Reflections... - http://innermission.wordpress.com

Understanding the popular quote of Bhagvad Gita by Bhavik According to Sri Aurobindo, Bankim Chandra Chatterji gave almost exclusive stress on the expression Kartavya Karma , the work that is to be done, which they render by duty, and on the phrase “Thou has right to action, but none to the ... ARE WE JUDGED BY THE WORDS OUT OF OUR MOUTH? - http://bhavikpatel.blogspot.com/

God is a Joke and Bill Maher is a Barbaric Idiot By Gagdad Bob (Gagdad Bob) That's interesting, because you could say the identical thing about Sri Aurobindo, which is again why I think that the two approaches are so compatible. Remember, Aurobindo was educated at Cambridge, and had no knowledge of his homeland ... One Cosmos - http://onecosmos.blogspot.com/