October 31, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle at the residence of Binod Bhai, Kotpada, Odisha Events Calendar
Friday, 31 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction to Auroville ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Fri ::: 10:00 AM
Sustainable mobility Live Dialogue! ::: www.aurovilleradio.org ::: Fri ::: 5:15 PM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Fri ::: 8:00 AM
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Tamil Nadu News: Engagements
Thursday, 30 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Thu ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Thu ::: 8:00 AM
Rangashankara’s Theatre & Arts Appreciation Course 2008 By ambatisreedhar Aurobindo Society Seminar Hall. Session VI. 2.30-4.30 pm. Photography and Performance Art. Audio-visual presentation by Navroze Contractor on his work with Jazz Musicians. Aurobindo Society Seminar Hall. 2 Nov. Session VII ...Anchored by Sadanand Menon
October 29, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle at the residence of Satyanarayan Sahu - Jayanti Apa, Itamati, Odisha Events Calendar
October 29, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Parents' Association Conference, Matrupitha, Chainpur, Dhenkanal, Odisha Events Calendar
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu : Engagements / Coimbatore : Coimbatore Today
Wednesday, 29 Oct Kirtan! with Jivan and friends ::: Verite Hall ::: Wed ::: 7:00 PM
Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Wed ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Wed ::: 8:00 AM
Amal Kiran on the Mind of Light
By Anurag Banerjee
In 1949, when the Bulletin of the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education was launched, Sri Aurobindo was requested by the Mother to initiate it with an article of his. On her request Sri Aurobindo dictated a series of eight articles. Though the initial articles were meant to reveal the value and importance of sports and gymnastics but the later articles took a different and new turn and revealed some extraordinary facts in detail regarding the functioning of the Supermind. The articles were brought out in the form of a booklet titled The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth in 1952, that is, two years after the departure of Sri Aurobindo. This booklet was rightly termed as the sequel to The Life Divine by K.D.Sethna alias Amal Kiran. In the sixth article titled Supermind in the Evolution, for the first time we come across the term ‘a mind of light’. The chapter begins with the following words:
“A new humanity would then be a race of mental beings on the earth and in the earthly body but delivered from its present conditions in the reign of the cosmic Ignorance so far as to be possessed of a perfected mind, a mind of light which could be a subordinate action of the supermind or Truth-Consciousness and in any case capable of the full possibilities of mind acting as a recipient of that truth and at least a secondary action of it in thought and life. It could even be a part of what could be described as a divine life upon earth and at least the beginnings of an evolution in the Knowledge and no longer entirely or predominantly in the Ignorance.” (page 87)
Despite its immense significance only a handful of Aurobindonian authors have truly understood the actual importance and among them, the most notable are Amal Kiran, R.Y.Deshpande and Georges Van Vrekhem. In this present article, we shall attempt to discuss Amal Kiran’s views on the Mind of Light.
What is the Mind of Light? The Mother has simply described it as ‘the physical mind receiving the supramental light’. The definition is indeed simple but profound in meaning. But how did Sri Aurobindo who was the possessor of the Mind of Light describe it and its characteristics? Let’s quote a few passages from the booklet The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth to illustrate the definition and its traits elaborately.
1. “A new humanity means for us the appearance, the development of a type or race of mental beings whose principle of mentality would be no longer a mind in the Ignorance seeking for knowledge but even in its knowledge bound to Ignorance, a seeker after Light but not its natural possessor, open to the Light but not an inhabitant of the Light, not yet a perfected instrument, truth-conscious and delivered out of the Ignorance. Instead, it would be possessed already of what could be called a mind of Light, a mind capable of living in the truth, capable of being truth-conscious and manifesting in its life a direct in place of an indirect knowledge. Its mentality would be an instrument of the Light and no longer of the Ignorance. At its highest it would be capable of passing into the supermind and from the new race would be recruited the race of supramental beings who would appear as the leaders of the evolution of the earth-nature. Even, the highest manifestations of a mind of Light would be an instrumentality of the supermind, a part of it or a projection from it, a stepping beyond humanity into the superhumanity of the supramental principle. Above all, its possession would enable the human being to rise beyond the normalities of his present thinking, feeling and being into those highest powers of the mind in its self-exceedings which intervene between our mentality and supermind and can be regarded as steps leading towards the greater and more luminous principle. This advance like others in the evolution might not be reached and would naturally not be reached at one bound but from the very beginning it would be inevitable: the pressure of the supermind creating from above out of itself the mind of Light would compel this certainty of the eventual outcome.”(Ibid., page 98)
2. “Mind founded in life developed intellect, developed its types of knowledge and ignorance, truth and error till it reached the spiritual perception and illumination and now can see as in a glass dimly the possibility of the supermind and a truth-conscious existence. In this inevitable ascent the mind of Light is a gradation, an inevitable stage. As an evolving principle it will mark a stage in the human ascent and evolve a new type of human being; this development must carry in it an ascending gradation of its own powers and types of an ascending humanity which will embody more and more the turn towards spirituality, capacity for Light, a climb towards a divinised manhood and the divine life. (Ibid., page 99-100)
3. “In the birth of the mind of Light and its ascension into its own recognisable self and its true status and right province there must be, in the very nature of things as they are and very nature of the evolutionary process as it is at present, two stages. In the first, we can see the mind of Light gathering itself out of the Ignorance, assembling its constituent elements, building up its shapes and types however imperfect at first and pushing them towards perfection till it can cross the border of the Ignorance and appear in the Light, in its own Light. In the second stage we can see it developing itself in that greater natural light taking its higher shapes and forms till it joins the supermind and lives as its subordinate portion or its delegate. In each of these stages it will define its own grades and manifest the order of its beings who will embody it and give to it a realised life. Thus there will be built up, first, even in the Ignorance itself, the possibility of a human ascent towards a divine living; then there will be, by the illumination of this mind of Light in the greater realisation of what may be called a gnostic mentality, in a transformation of the human being, even before the supermind is reached, even in the earth-consciousness and in a humanity transformed, an illumined divine life.” (Ibid., page 100-101)
4. “The Mind of Light is a subordinate action of Supermind, dependent upon it even when not apparently springing direct from it, in which the secret of this connection becomes evident and palpable.” (Ibid., page 103)
5. “In the Mind of Light when it [Mind] becomes full-orbed this character of the Truth reveals itself though in a garb that is transparent even when it seems to cover: for this too is a truth-consciousness and a self-power of knowledge. This too proceeds from the Supermind and depends upon it even though it is limited and subordinate. What we have called specifically the Mind of Light is indeed the last of a series of descending planes of consciousness in which the Supermind veils itself by a self-chosen limitation or modification of its self-manifesting activities, but its essential character remains the same: there is in it an action of light, of truth, of knowledge in which inconscience, ignorance and error claim no place. It proceeds from knowledge to knowledge; we have not yet crossed over the borders of the truth-conscious into ignorance.” (Ibid., page 103-104)
6. “…the Mind of Light is a transitional passage by which we can pass from supermind and superhumanity to an illumined humanity. For the new humanity will be capable of at least a partly divinised way of seeing and living because it will live in the light and in knowledge and not in the obscuration of the Ignorance.” (Ibid., page 104-105)
7. “In the order of the evolutionary descent we stand in the Mind of Light on that border and a step downward can carry us beyond it into the beginnings of an ignorance which still bears on its face something of the luminosity that it is leaving behind it. On the other hand, in the ascending order of the evolution we reach a transition in which we see the light, are turned towards it, reflected in our consciousness and one further step carries us into the domain of Light.” (Ibid., page 105-106)
The process of transformation involves the transformation of the physical mind first, followed by the physical vital which would become the second centre of operation after receiving the supramental light; it would be followed by the supramentalization of the physical proper and thus, the complete divinization of the nature of the earth will be executed. Now, this physical mind has to be converted into the Mind of Light in order to be utilized for the process of supramentalization of the body vital and the body matter.
However in his monumental book titled The Vision and Work of Sri Aurobindo, Amal Kiran makes us cautious that it would be unwise and wrong to assume that the Mind of Light was created by ‘a linking up of the human mental with the Supermind in the manner of Spiritual Mind’s ladder.’ He warns us of another misconception which makes us believe that the Mind of Light is “the last rung of Spiritual Mind’s ladder, an already existent plane on its own, in which that ladder continues at the end where Higher Mind is stationed, instead of breaking at this end and leaving the human mental a level of ignorance.” (The Vision and Work of Sri Aurobindo, page 109)
Regarding the passage (on page 108 of The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth) where Sri Aurobindo writes about the Mind of Light as another development ‘in this series of the order of existence and as the last word of the lower hemisphere of being, the first word of the higher hemisphere,” Amal Kiran explains that it is something which is not present in any of the hemispheres but “forms between the two in the course of time a link of transition by which the human passes towards and fuses with the superhuman, a state in which the lower itself finds a culmination in Light and becomes a plane of knowledge like those of the higher hemisphere, a plane which preludes the realisation of the whole higher hemisphere in the human.” (Ibid., page 110) He adds: “It is when we look at this link after it has been formed, this state after it has got realised, that it stands as “the last of a series of descending planes of consciousness in which Supermind veils itself by a self-chosen limitation or modification.” It does not stand already existent but takes shape as a result of the Supermind’s action upon the human mental: it is a conversion of ignorance into Light, making, as Sri Aurobindo says, “human mentality an adjunct and a minor instrumentation of the supramental knowledge.”’(Ibid., page 110)
At the same time Amal Kiran reminds us: ‘Sri Aurobindo also speaks of “the pressure of the Supermind creating from above out of itself the Mind of Light” at a certain stage of earth’s development and, although he frequently refers to the replacing of the human mental ignorance by the Mind of Light, he nowhere alludes to the Mind of Light descending, as he does to Spiritual Mind descending or Supermind descending—an omission impossible if the Mind of Light were an pre-existent plane above the human mental instead of “the physical mind receiving the supramental light.” Besides, if this Mind were a plane belonging to Spiritual Mind’s ladder, Sri Aurobindo would certainly mention it in The Life Divine where he gives a detailed description of the various rungs.’(Ibid., page 110)
But he admits that with reference upon to the passage mentioned above, two suggestions could be thought of. What are they? The first one is that when the Mind of Light takes shape, it is a “creation of Supermind on the same principle as are the grades of Spiritual Mind, so that it seems to be not Supermind itself in the physical mentality but a newly arrived member of the family of Spiritual Mind.”(Ibid., page 110-111) The second one is that the Mind of Light “gets its membership in this family pretty low in the scale, for it appears to be a state inferior to Higher Mind though still a state of knowledge and not of ignorance.” (Ibid., page 111)
Regarding the family of Spiritual Mind, Sri Aurobindo writes in the last article of The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth titled Supermind and Mind of Light: “We may say that there is a higher hemisphere of our being in which Mind luminous and aware of its workings still lives in the Light and can be seen as a subordinate power of the Supermind; it is still an agent of the Truth-Consciousness, a gnostic power that has not descended into the mental ignorance; it is capable of a mental gnosis that preserves its connection with the superior light and acts by its power. This is the character of Overmind in its own plane and of all the powers that are dependent on the Overmind: the Supermind works there but at one remove, as if in something that it has put forth from itself but which is no longer entirely itself but is still a delegate of the Truth and invested with its authority. We are moving towards a transitional border beyond which lies the possibility of the Ignorance, but the Ignorance is not yet here.” (page 105) And in this light, the Mind of Light is defined as the Supermind’s subordinate action which is dependent on the Supermind though it does not arise from it. Therefore Amal Kiran corrects us that the Mind of Light is not just a plane which pre-exists but it is actually “a luminous kingdom” which has been created due to the conversion of the physical mentality and that the Mind of Light is ‘a manifestation from above in the human mentality; a manifestation in which, to quote Sri Aurobindo’s words, “inconscience, ignorance and error can claim no place.”’ (The Vision and Work of Sri Aurobindo, page 112)
Since the Supermind is the Supreme Creator and everything is actuated by it, therefore it is only the Supermind that is capable of bringing about the changes marked by the Mind of Light “in the stuff of ignorance” caused by the liberation of the luminous ladder. Hence, no matter how restrained the movement of the Mind of Light may be ‘from truth to truth’, it is indeed an accurate expression “of the supramental power operating in persona propria and not, as in Spiritual Mind, with a change of characteristic poise in the deployment of knowledge” and it is “itself Supermind creative in the field of terrestrial evolution and operating in human mind-terms.” (Ibid., page 114)
Now Amal Kiran darts a difficult question: “how can a creation by Supermind of itself in the embodied mentality be inferior to a plane which, for all its lack of ignorance, is still pretty far from Supermind?” He answers this question himself but with a brief preface in which he says that the Mind of Light must be possessing numerous forms in the place of its manifestation, that is, the field of terrestrial evolution. If it appears to be inferior compared to the Higher Mind at some stage, then it is capable of developing itself beyond it. In contains in its very initial form the entire Truth-Consciousness, that is, the Supermind which “escapes all Spiritual Mind” and not even the vastness of the Overmind is capable of comprising it.
According to Amal Kiran, the Mind of Light’s initial form does not have ‘an iota of ignorance’ despite its apparent inferiority to the Higher Mind. Though it is ‘less intense’ and ‘immense in actual outburst’ but even then it is absolutely clear. Amal Kiran discusses it in detail in the following words: “The mass-ideation of Higher Mind, the far-ranging colourful vision-glow of Illumined Mind, the piercing intimate ubiquitous lightning-seizures of Intuition, the resplendent multitudinous catholicity and globality of Overmind may import into the human mental on their descent into it a certain richness as well as swiftness which the initially realised Mind of Light does not exhibit; yet, while the richness and swiftness will not always work in utter purity everywhere since they are still working on an unabolished though subdued ground of ignorance, the Mind of Light from the very start is utterly pure in whatever restrained quality of knowledge it exhibits.” (Ibid., page 115)
Again Amal Kiran puts a question on behalf of his readers and all the aspirants of the Path: can the Mind of Light which is a result of the Supermind’s descent be created in the body unless the Higher Mind, the Illumined Mind, the Intuitive Mind and the Overmind have been realized in descent and have also functioned on the plane of physical mentality? “The answer”, according to him, “is at once Yes and No.” He explains it further: “For we have to draw a line between the Mind of Light forming at a highly advanced stage in the course of the Aurobindonian Yoga and the same essential power manifesting afterwards in humanity in general as an effect of this formation or in those who have not gone far in that Yoga. The one presupposes in the individual a whole history of spiritual realisations and it climaxes a long series of descents and preludes the descent of the Supermind into bodily life-force and bodily matter. The other is a condition of various sorts. Broadly, it is that produced in people not yet ready for embodying the supramental Gnosis but sufficiently responsive to change radically from mere mind under the sovereign pressure of a Supermind descended on a large scale through the Aurobindonian Yoga into the occult atmosphere, so to speak, of earth’s being. In the long run it could be in mankind a condition even from birth as mere mind is today and that would be most in line with what is generally meant by evolutionary achievement. In many cases the condition will be of those who, though responsive to the supramental Gnosis, have not had any substantial commerce with Spiritual Mind’s gradation and into whom therefore there cannot have been a previous descent of Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, Intuition and Overmind. But this condition will be precisely what facilitates substantial commerce by rendering it natural. And, through the commerce, one who lives in this Mind of Light will be by right effort able to climb towards and into Supermind as well as call it down.” (Ibid., page 116)
But then Amal kiran adds: “But neither the substantial commerce with Spiritual Mind nor the dealings with the supramental Gnosis will everywhere be present. While in a number of human beings they will both be present, in others Spiritual Mind alone will be more or less freely contacted and in still others no free contact even with Spiritual Mind and so none with Supermind either will be there. From the first group recruits will be drawn for the expansion of the gnostic race whose nucleus we may expect to take shape out of those who are living in the Aurobindonian Yoga. The remaining two groups will be stages between this race and whatever of the human species with mind, as we ordinarily observe it, may persist for a shorter or longer time.” (Ibid., page 116-117)
Now let’s come to the topic of ascent and descent of the Mind of Light. Once the Mind of Light has been shaped, it can reflect perfectly in its absolutely purified and exalted condition ‘something of the overhead planes’ and then rise to the higher altitudes of the Higher Mind, the Illumined Mind, the Intuitive Mind, the Overmind and the Supermind. But it must be noted that the ascent of the Mind of Light will not be the same experience as compared to the ascent of the ordinary mind. This is due to the fact that they will receive something that is the Supermind itself ‘in mental terms’ and their experience will be ‘a progressive movement from the lowest to the highest note of the Supermind’s own gamut, as it were, rather than a conversion from the ordinary mental to the spiritual mental by a change of characteristic poise and again, by another such change, to the supramental.” (Ibid., page 117-118) This ascent which is of a new kind will act as an ‘accompaniment’ and would also foster the descent into the physical mind, physical vital and physical proper.
Regarding the descent of the Mind of light, Amal Kiran writes: “Its initial form which seems a continuation, below Higher Mind, of the luminous ladder is the precursor of one in which the human mental acts as if it has been completely assimilated, step after step, by the Light of descended Spiritual Mind…The presence of the Mind of Light in one indicates that the stuff of ignorance, in which no change can be dynamically absolute before Supermind has come on the scene, is not resistant in one any longer: the Supermind has come and ignorance has radically ceased. But now not only has a continuation of the luminous ladder been brought about; a possibility has also been introduced of the total assimilation by Spiritual Mind of the human mental. The thorough and embodiment, therefore, of all the grades of Spiritual Mind can happen now after Supermind has started taking a direct hand instead of playing on the human mental indirectly through those grades. Once the Mind of Light begins it reign Higher Mind, Illumined Mind, Intuition, Overmind can found themselves securely and authentically on its supramental basis and reach their own perfection as embodied powers. When they do this, the Mind of Light assumes it second form. Repeating the name of Sri Aurobindo gives to Spiritual Mind in its own undescended hierarchy as well as to the Mind of Light ascended there, we should call the Mind of Light in its second form in the body mental Gnosis as distinguished from the Gnosis proper which is Supermind.” (Ibid., page 118-119)
And he further adds: “Beyond mental Gnosis the Mind of Light manifests, in complete assimilation of the human mental, the Gnosis proper and assumes its third and sovereign form. But what the two kinds of Gnosis are in the hierarchy above the human mental is not what they are here. There they are separate though connected levels, each a cosmos with its own type and function: here the one is merely the other partially unfolded. For, the Mind of Light is not anywhere anything else than the Supermind in progressive manifestation in embodied nature. As we have observed, its very inception signalises that the Supermind is acting directly and is in immediate presence on the level of the physical mentality. But in its initial and middle forms the directness and the immediacy are, in different measures, restrained: the third form employs them freely. The supreme divinity which releases a little of its magnificence under the form of an apparent continuation at the lower end of Spiritual Mind’s gradation and then “an ampler ether, a diviner air” in the form of wholly descended mental Gnosis, is utterly laid open—a towering apocalypse in the terms of the human mental—by the third form the Mind of Light takes.” (Ibid., page 119)
Next in terms of moon-phases, let’s discuss the phases of the Mind of Light. It can be said that there would be growth of light ‘from silver to more ampler silver’ till the Overmind is crossed. When the Supramental is discerned, the silver transforms into gold(as gold signifies the colour of the Supermind), “the full moon shows itself as a sun white-seeming in its immediate front before the aureate depths are found shining out.” (Ibid., page 122) The Mind of Light’s phases would be of “a moon golden” or “a sun behaving like a moon” right from its actual commencement. This is because the Divine Mind is looked upon not in its permanent existence in the Supermind as the third strand of the Supramental’s ‘triple status’ but “in its manifestation in an evolving scheme on earth, in which there is a stage-by-stage expression of the supramental epiphany.” (Ibid., page 122-123) This phases of sun-moon symbolizes the successive states of the embodiment of the Supermind. So Amal Kiran writes: “…when the Supermind acts directly, the preliminary to their descended condition as brought about by it is the Mind of Light in its initial form. Thus, in terms of phases of a sun-moon, the human mind re-created as a somewhat diminished continuation of Higher Mind will be the crescent, a thin bright curve with upward-pointing arms within which the rest of the sun-moon’s rondure is faintly visible, a rim of Light which is not really severed from the solar-lunar globe but only put forth for a certain purpose and play as the apparent edge of a secret splendour.” (Ibid., page 123)
Before we conclude the article, let’s make a synopsis: the supramental transformation of the matter of the body cells, rather, the mind of the body cells was termed the Mind of Light by Sri Aurobindo. It is the genuine Truth-Consciousness or Unity-Consciousness which exists in the mental consciousness of matter. It marks not only the descent of the Supermind into the physical mentality but also the manifestation of that which can be termed as the counterpart in the Supermind ‘of this mentality’s terms.’ The manifestation of the counterpart is the third form of the Mind of Light and it has to be a power which is ‘mental’ and not ‘supramental’ or else the mind would not be resulted into and the Spiritual Mind will also be deprived of its foundation in the Supreme Consciousness. The descent of the Supermind which resulted in the birth of the Mind of Light ‘in its full orb’ brought ‘the progressively unfolding action of the whole [that is, the Supermind].’(Ibid., page 124) When Sri Aurobindo, who was the sole possessor of the Mind of Light in his body, descended into death the Mind of Light got realized in the body of the Mother who herself had admitted it. What was meant by the entry of the Mind of Light into the Mother’s body was that Sri Aurobindo himself had entered into her and she had said many a time that he was always present in her, around her and with her. And she continued the work of bringing down the Supramental on earth and on 29 February 1956 the much-awaited manifestation took place. On 25 September 1914, she had written in her diary:
“The Lord has willed and Thou dost execute:
A new Light shall break upon the earth.
A new world shall be born,
And the things that were promised shall be fulfilled.”
And she proclaimed this great event in the Bulletin of April 1956 in the following words:
“Lord, Thou hast willed, and I execute:
A new light breaks upon the earth,
A new world is born.
The things that were promised are fulfilled.”
But how with the Mind of Light was the Mother able to bring down and cause the manifestation of the Supramental on earth is a different story and hence it would be discussed elsewhere.
***** 29.4.2008 from Anurag Banerjee <anuragbanerjee2002@yahoo.co.in> to tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 28 October 2008 00:40
Tuesday, 28 Oct Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Tue ::: 8:00 AM
Presentation of the UNESCO event ::: Town Hall ::: Tue ::: 5:00 PM
Dear friends,
There will be a presentation of Auroville's 40th anniversary celebration that took place in UNESCO recently.
The event was a great success attended by 700 people for the round table and nearly 1000 people for the concert by Nadaka. The team from Auroville is happy to share their experience with the community.
Venue: Town Hall, Time: 28th October 5.00 pm
All are welcome, UNESCO team, posted by AVnet
October 27, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle, DNK Colony, Koraput, Odisha Events Calendar
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: Coimbatore Today
Monday, 27 Oct Chanting the Rainbow! with Jivan and friends ::: Verite Hall ::: Mon ::: 7:00 PM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Mon ::: 8:00 AM
Deepawali celebration in Upasana ::: Upasana ::: Mon ::: 6:00 PM
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore 26th October 2008 Sunday 6.00 pm Savitri - Talk by K.S. Rajah October 2008 Program
Aurobindo Ashram: Lecture on “The Human Cycle” by Dr. Ramesh Bijlani, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Aurobindo Marg, 10 a.m. to 11-15 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements - New Delhi: In the capital today
Sri Aurobindo Society: Meeting, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 10.30 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: Chennai today
Sunday, 26 Oct Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Sun ::: 8:00 AM
United Nations Day 2008 Manila Bulletin - Two years later, the UN General Assembly adopted a United States-sponsored resolution declaring October 24 United Nations Day to be celebrated annually by ... UN celebrate 63rd anniversary of the establishment Trend News Agency - came into effect on this day in 1945. UN Charter was prepared by representatives of 50 countries on 25-26 April 1945 in San Francisco at the conference, ...
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode,. Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House, Tatabad, The Hindu: Engagements: Coimbatore Today
Friday, 24 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction to Auroville ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Fri ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Fri ::: 8:00 AM
C I N E M A - Juno ::: Bharat Nivas, Auditorium ::: Fri ::: 7:45 PM
Thursday, October 23, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Youth Study Circle Sanapipilipali, Odisha Events Calendar
Thursday, October 23, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Women's Study Circle Jagiapada, Athagarh, Odisha Events Calendar
Thursday, 23 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Thu ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Thu ::: 8:00 AM
Deccan Herald - An experiment worth emulating
The Sri Aurobindo International Center of Education follows its own ... The Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education (SAICE) stands out as an ...
Bipin Chandra Pal « My Best Friend
He wrote a series of studies on the makers of modern India such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Keshab Chandra Sen, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, ...
Organiser - Content
His fervent zeal in the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother led to this book. ‘Integral yoga is a very powerful synthesis of different schools of ...
Getting the ball rolling… By JeffO - Pranjal is a director of some sort at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram (An ashram, from my own observation, is a place to study, meditate, and learn how to live simply. Though some of them are religious in nature, this one is not.
from saroj patnaik <sarojpatna@gmail.com> to BHARAT CHHEDA <bharatac@hotmail.com>
cc "Tusar N. Mohapatra" <tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com>
date 19 October 2008 22:37 subject Re: Fastest train route to Kechala (Koraput distt. in Orissa) from Mumbai. This is in response to your mail dtd. 13th October. For reaching Kechala from Koraput you have to take the water route, it is about 45 minutes drive by motor lunch. You can contact Prajnalji of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi branch (Mobile No. 09810076614) for conveyance to Kechala from Koraput. Wish you a happy journey. With regards, saroj patnaik.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008: Foundation Day Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre (SAIEC) Raygada, Odisha Events Calendar
Wednesday, 22 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Wed ::: 10:00 AM
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House, Tatabad, 10 a.m. Engagements - Coimbatore today Religion The Hindu Wednesday, Oct 22, 2008
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Wed ::: 8:00 AM
Express Seminar on IDEAL Method ::: Multi Media Centre, Town Hall ::: Wed ::: 4:30 PM Seminar on IDEAL method of healing
6pm Discourse on ‘The Life Divine’ - by Prof. Biswanath Roy Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, Kolkata (map)
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithiri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House Road, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: Coimbatore today
Tuesday, 21 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Tue ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Tue ::: 8:00 AM
Tue Oct 21 Polarity Therapy and Wellness Education Auroville, Tamil Nadu, India (map)
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Violence against Peter?":
"Measured and Detatched" - Sorry "Ned" - Peter Heehs does not come through measured or detatched. His personal venom and disdain for Sri Aurobindo and especially the Mother is evident in his words. Recently I heard a recording of his interview. It seemed like he enjoyed raising laughs talking derogatorily about the Mother (he speaks about he stopped Sri Aurobindo from smoking). He successfully made his fawning audience break into giggles. Well, you speak authoritatively about what Peter Heehs WANTED. Please refer the reading public to examples of his declared intentions. 11:51 AM, October 20, 2008 11:06 AM
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Re: Thought Reform and Pondicherry
by Rich on Mon 20 Oct 2008 08:23 AM PDT Profile Permanent Link
The ringleaders of the excommunication movement have consciously or unconsciously incited forces that have arisen straight out of the dark side. Because of this there have been things that have happened that have physically crossed the lines of what can be called civilized behavior.
Those leading the charge against the author of this book have managed to evoke both psychological and physical forms of violence that desecrate the very principles of the yoga and mockingly trample on the large tolerant spirit of its founders. rich Reply
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ned has left a new comment on your post "Violence against Peter?":
As for the Peter Heehs controversy I have no personal stake in it nor do I care much about the emotional reactions people are having to his biography. He has his opinions and my faith in Sri Aurobindo and the Mother is strong enough to not be affected by such trivial things. I do find it really sad that people who are *supposed* to be "spiritual" are resorting to such petty reactions and even to violence against Peter, if that's the case. It only shows the lack of actual spiritual experiences -- when you start having experiences you stop reacting like this. Posted by ned to Savitri Era Open Forum at 7:51 PM, October 20, 2008
Atulprasad Sen Birth Anniversary: Mon Oct 20 6 pm – 8 pm (Annually at 6pm on October 20) Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, Kolkata (map) The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) Metro Timeout October 20 at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, 3 Regent Park; 6 pm: Birth anniversary programme of Atulprasad Sen will feature songs by Swastika Mukhopadhyay, Maitryei Majumdar, Debarati Shome, Swapan Shome and Aniruddha Singha.
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House, Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: Coimbatore today
Monday, 20 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India Building, Auroshilpam (behind Auromode) ::: Mon ::: 10:00 AM
Photo Exhibition: The Mothers Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga Hall ::: Mon ::: 8:00 AM
A Talk and power-point presentation on Development Economics- by Dr. Rohini Sahni ::: SAWCHU ::: Mon ::: 5:00 PM
Online Degree Programs » History Of Modern Indian Thought Course ...
Department of Philosophy Degree Programs : School of Humanities at Ateneo De Manila University
Ph 113 History Of Modern Indian Thought (3 units). A survey of the six orthodox systems of Indian philosophy and a study of the philosophies of Sri Aurobindo, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Mahatma Gandhi.
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore 19th October 2008 Sunday 5.00 pm Essays on The Gita Reading Circle, 6.00 pm Savitri Circle October 2008 Program
Sri Aurobindo Ashram: Lecture on “The Life Divine” by Prashant Khanna, Sri Aurobindo Marg, 10 a.m. to 11-15 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements / New Delhi: In The Capital Today
Sri Aurobindo Society: Meeting, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 10.30 a.m. Date:19/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/19/stories ...
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Shanthil Palikkum Sri Annayin Arul Sakthi, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Azad Road, R.S. Puram, 10 a.m. The Hindu : Engagements / Coimbatore : In Coimbatore Today
Mother’s prayers: K.Ramaswamy, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 6.30 p.m. In Chennai Today The Hindu Saturday, Oct 18, 2008
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Tatabad, 10 a.m. In Coimbatore Today The Hindu Saturday, Oct 18, 2008
Sri Aurobindo College of Commerce and Management organised the 4th Inter-School Declamation Contest today. As many as 13 teams participated in the contest. 18 Oct 2008 - The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - LUDHIANA
Saturday, 18 Oct Alcoholics Anonymous, Meeting (open), every Saturday ::: Center Guest-house, Merriam Hill Center ::: Sat ::: 6:00 PM
India: as she Shapes her Future - by Prof. Varun Sahni ::: SAWCHU ::: Sat ::: 5:00 PM
October 17, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Amlan Jyoti Study Circle, Raighar, Odisha Events Calendar
Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, West Power House, Tatabad, 10 a.m. Date: 17/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/17/stories ...
Deccan Herald - 'Teach Sanskrit as second language' Great sage of 20th century India Sri Aurobindo had said many times that Sanskrit should be the national language.
The Chipmunk Press: Volume 1 Issue 12 Oct 2008
The Chipmunk Press. A Journal for the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Wednesday, October 8, 2008. Volume 1 Issue 12 Oct 2008
Recent Events NEW... 1 October: Explorations towards a New Creation at the Gnostic Centre
Weekly Study Circle (Wednesdays, 6.30-7.30pm), Facilitated by Ameeta Mehra. Ameeta emphasized that true renunciation is to be able to renounce one’s way of thinking, and feeling and acting. The renunciation of the Outer parts of the being which are stuck to their old formations, and when these formations however useful at one time, become hindrances in the path to progress, one has to renounce these. But true renunciation as the Mother states above is done with the joy of progress…..We ended the session with a re-reading of the Prayer and a meditation. along with a meditation. http://www.gnosticcentre.com/home_events.asp [9:54 AM]
CELEBRATIONS Sri Aurobindo's Shrine at the Gnostic Centre: 15th August 2008
9th October: Vijaydashmi Special meditation
October 16, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Teachers' Study Circle, Sri Aurobindo Bhaban, Koraput, Odisha Events Calendar
October 16, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle at the residence of Manoranjan Dash, C-503, Krishna Tower, Bhubaneswar, Odisha Events Calendar
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
Thursday, 16 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Thu ::: 10:00 AM
Introduction to sustainable farming in Auroville ::: Buddha Garden Community Farm ::: Thu ::: 10:00 AM
October 11-15, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Suhrud Goshthi Students' Camp, Odisha Events Calendar
Kathopanishad: V. Purushothaman, Sri Aurobindo Society Centre, AP – 514, J Block , 8th St., Anna Nagar, 6 p.m. The Hindu : Engagements / Chennai : In Chennai Today
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre , Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu : Engagements / Coimbatore : In Coimbatore Today
Wednesday, 15 Oct Insight Seminars: Introduction-to-Auroville Lecture ::: Inside India building, behind Auromode ::: Wed ::: 10:00 AM
University Of Human Unity programme ::: Savitri Bhavan ::: Wed ::: 4:00 PM
Exhibition: The Mother’s Shrine Reaching Completion ::: Pitanga (extended till 31 October) ::: Wed ::: 8:00 AM
Open Source: Origins, Trends and Relevance to Auroville ::: Town hall, Conference Room ::: Wed ::: 4:30 PM
from S Krishnan <srinivasan.krishnana@gmail.com> to tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com
date 14 October 2008 11:54 subject PH
Hello I guess you know that Mr. Heehs has been asked to leave the Archives. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram has also disassociated themselves from the Publication per se and a circular to the internal departments of the Ashram has been sent. Just for your information! Best S. Krishnan
Reply from Tusar N. Mohapatra
That's fair, I think, in the present circumstances; less severe than book-banning. Thanks Tusar
October 11-15, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Suhrud Goshthi Students' Camp, Odisha Events Calendar
October 13, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Jyotirmayi Study Circle, MIG-15, Khandagiri Enclave, Bhubaneswar, Odisha Events Calendar
October 13, 2008: Anniversary Celebrations of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle at the residence of K. Seshagiri, Malisahi, Koraput, Odisha Events Calendar
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: writing of Savithri Episode, Sri Annai Meditation Centre , Tatabad, 10 a.m. The Hindu: Engagements: In Coimbatore Today
Monday, 13 Oct 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
A Presentation and Demonstration of Agnihotra - Vedic Fire to Heal our Planet ::: ILC Hall, Verite ::: Mon ::: 5:00 PM
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore 12th October 2008 Sunday 6.00 pm Guided Meditation- from Meditations I (CD) October 2008 Program
Sun, Oct 12, 9:00 am – 6:30 pm 11th All Orissa Conference of Sri Aurobindo Engineering and Technical Group Sri Aurobindo Shrikshetra, Dalijoda, Cuttack (map) Events Calendar
October 10-12, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Youth & Students' Camp, Belabahali, Keonjhar, Odisha Events Calendar
October 11-15, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Suhrud Goshthi Students' Camp, Odisha Events Calendar
October 12, 2008: Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Conference, Pujariguda, Odisha Events Calendar
4pm Durga 2008 - an exhibition with Durga as its theme Galerie La Mere, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, Kolkata (map)
Sri Aurobindo Ashram: Bimal Mohanty to deliver lecture on "Spiritual Approach to Life”, Sri Aurobindo Marg, 10 a.m. to 11.15 a.m. Engagements - New Delhi In the Capital Today RELIGION The Hindu Sunday, Oct 12, 2008
Sri Aurobindo Society: Lecture on 'M.P. Panditji in America’, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 10-30 a.m. Engagements - In Chennai Today Culture The Hindu Sunday, Oct 12, 2008
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Prayers to Sri Annai, Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Tatabad, 10 a.m.; Sasi Balika Vidya Mandir, R.S. Puram, 9.30 a.m.; Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Kovaipudur, 4 p.m. Engagements - In Coimbatore Today RELIGION The Hindu Sunday, Oct 12, 2008
Mirapuri World Literature Fest 2008 - Michel Montecrossa ... FRIDAY, 24th OCTOBER 200818:00 Opening of the book and multimedia exhibition with the welcome-speeches byMichel Montecrossa and Mirakali on ‘Poetry and Literature of Peace and Climate Change’Presentation of books and multimedia by the Mirapuri authors Michel Montecrossa, Mirakali, Anand Buchwald, Diana Antara, Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa in english and german language.Presentation of books by guest author Enrico Frandino in Italian language... SUNDAY, 26th OCTOBER 200812:00 Meditation at the Miravinci, the Meditation Center of Mirapuri13:30 Lunch and Farewell
