Saturday, September 16, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Manibhai's razor
Something atrocious is being perpetrated by the Sri Aurobindo Society newsletter. Religious festivals and the Deities are being given undue importance and instead of appreciating the writings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo about them in abstraction, they are presented literally. It is not unusual to see the picture of the Deities along with The Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s being worshipped in some Centres of the Society. Audio CDs & Cassettes are also being promoted.
This kind of revisionism is really astonishing. The two quotations from The Mother cited in the very first page of A Practical Guide to Integral Yoga are quite unequivocal. Then why such compromises are being made? Is it due to infiltration from the RSS?
When Advani extolled the virtues of secularism by praising Jinnah, he was reprimanded. Now, when Comrade Subhas Chakraborty said he was "first a Hindu and a Brahmin and then a Communist", he too is facing the music. Such kind of Puritanism is also needed to be enforced in the Savitri Era religion. Otherwise our dream of a Supramental Age will always remain as a chimera.
This kind of revisionism is really astonishing. The two quotations from The Mother cited in the very first page of A Practical Guide to Integral Yoga are quite unequivocal. Then why such compromises are being made? Is it due to infiltration from the RSS?
When Advani extolled the virtues of secularism by praising Jinnah, he was reprimanded. Now, when Comrade Subhas Chakraborty said he was "first a Hindu and a Brahmin and then a Communist", he too is facing the music. Such kind of Puritanism is also needed to be enforced in the Savitri Era religion. Otherwise our dream of a Supramental Age will always remain as a chimera.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Split loyalty
Rohit Mehta, the author of Dialogue with Death and other books on Sri Aurobindo’s thought, was also a noted theosophist. V.K. Gokak has written several perceptive books on Sri Aurobindo’s poetry and yoga, but in his later years his devotion was divided between Sri Aurobindo and Sri Sathya Sai Baba.
Dr Karan Singh loves to recite Sri Aurobindo’s famous poem, “Who” in his sonorous voice, but never forgets also to sing a hymn to his Lord Shiva. Prema Nandakumar’s brilliant Study on Savitri ranks only second to A.B.Purani’s. But she avers that she is a Vaishnava and does not believe in Sri Aurobindo’s notion of physical immortality.
Another scholar, Makarand Paranjape speaks and writes on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, but always maintains a critical eye. Similarly, there would be thousands of others who try to accommodate The Mother and Sri Aurobindo within the Hindu pantheon of Gods, Goddesses, and Avatars.
That The Mother and Sri Aurobindo came precisely to fight “the past that seeks to endure” is conveniently glossed over. When the speakers, celebrities, and writers openly profess such split loyalty, the next generation too easily imbibes promiscuity.
Unfortunately, in our Seminars and Conferences, these types of persons occupy the chairs of honour and the devotees are eclipsed. A shakeout is certainly the need of the hour, the way Ken Wilber conducted recently to segregate his followers from the pseudos.
Dr Karan Singh loves to recite Sri Aurobindo’s famous poem, “Who” in his sonorous voice, but never forgets also to sing a hymn to his Lord Shiva. Prema Nandakumar’s brilliant Study on Savitri ranks only second to A.B.Purani’s. But she avers that she is a Vaishnava and does not believe in Sri Aurobindo’s notion of physical immortality.
Another scholar, Makarand Paranjape speaks and writes on The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, but always maintains a critical eye. Similarly, there would be thousands of others who try to accommodate The Mother and Sri Aurobindo within the Hindu pantheon of Gods, Goddesses, and Avatars.
That The Mother and Sri Aurobindo came precisely to fight “the past that seeks to endure” is conveniently glossed over. When the speakers, celebrities, and writers openly profess such split loyalty, the next generation too easily imbibes promiscuity.
Unfortunately, in our Seminars and Conferences, these types of persons occupy the chairs of honour and the devotees are eclipsed. A shakeout is certainly the need of the hour, the way Ken Wilber conducted recently to segregate his followers from the pseudos.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Half a dip
There is a good number of journalists and columnists of Bengali origin whose bylines adorn our national print media. But no one ever writes anything about Sri Aurobindo except for occasional critical references. So, when Nilanjana S Roy ventured to recommend the Auroville website recently in the Business Standard, it was a pleasant surprise. She, of course, took care to mention the history of Pondicherry, Taj Mahal, etc. lest her secular credentials would be sullied. #
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Be Indian, be Aurobindian
The recent controversy over the singing of Vande Mataram had a positive facet in that the name of Sri Aurobindo reverberated in the Blogosphere and his translation of the poem appeared in a number of sites. But the fact that Sri Aurobindo himself is a great poet and creator of the epic, Savitriwas hardly mentioned by any.
Reading a sample of such blogs can be a frustrating experience. Instead of delving a little bit deeper and talking about the teachings or writings, often only a skin-deep nationalism is invoked. While such chauvinism might be offering our youth their quota of self-esteem, the kind of intellectual lethargy that it perpetuates is really frightening.
Reading and discussing the works of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo can be a refreshing exercise. If one really takes pride in being an Indian, then he must be willing to undertake a journey to discover the Himalayan heights of Sri Aurobindo.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Convert to Savitri Era
History very seldom records the things that were decisive but took place behind the veil; it records the show in front of the curtain. --Sri Aurobindo
Spirituality respects the freedom of the human soul, because it is itself fulfilled by freedom; and the deepest meaning of freedom is the power to expand and grow towards perfection.... --Sri Aurobindo
Spirituality respects the freedom of the human soul, because it is itself fulfilled by freedom; and the deepest meaning of freedom is the power to expand and grow towards perfection.... --Sri Aurobindo
Clinical psychologist, spiritual aspirant, and author of the much acclaimed book, One Cosmos Under God, Robert W. Godwin (Gagdad Bob) has remembered the words of Sri Aurobindo in his blog One Cosmos on the anniversary of 9/11. Nothing can be more appropriate than this.
At a time when all the Semitic religions are busy engaged in internecine warfare, the war of words is also begetting a lot of fresh insights as regards civilizational crises. And, Savitri Era must fish in the troubled waters. There can't be a better moment than this to call upon all the people in the world to convert to Savitri Era. Bereft of any theological lacunae, Savitri Era can usher in peace and harmony in the hearts of people as well as in the world. [TNM1296mmyp]
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Savitri Era at war
Barindranath Chaki said... Thank you, Tusar, for this posting. I praise your endless energy and relentless war, like a true Karmayogi. Barin 18-09-2006 11:52 PM
Tusar N Mohapatra said... So kind of you, Chaki babu, for the words of encouragement. During the past one year I have hardly received any feedback except perhaps the following two:
Tusar N Mohapatra said... So kind of you, Chaki babu, for the words of encouragement. During the past one year I have hardly received any feedback except perhaps the following two:
From: "naresh kumar" To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Subject: Regarding your blog Savitri era Date: Sat, 7 Jan 2006 02:44:19 -0600 Dear Tusar,
I browsed through your blog about Sri Aurobindo's work and it struck me as an effort to disabuse the general public at large about a perceived inaccessibility of his works, - whether it is owing to his (perceived) difficult diction or owing to a lack of the necessary orientation to receive his ideas the way he intended for his readers, - and provide an orientation that could help read the works.
From: "M Alan Kazlev" To: tusarnmohapatra@mail.com Subject: Integral Transformation - new blog Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 08:48:41 +1000 Dear Tusar,
I've been very impressed by your Savitri Era Learning Forum for some time now. m alan
Opposition to the Teaching of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother is but natural. It comes from the old world of darkness and ignorance and falsehood and half-truth.
We are for Truth that Sri Aurobindo stands for. We must have to fight, to bring the Transformation to mankind and the Earth, as willed by the Supreme.
Barin
26-09-2006