12.12.12: Ujjain is recipient of Relics of Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo's relics consecrated at Aurobindo Yoga Shakti Peeth ... Free press journal - Ujjain: December 13, 2012 12:09:33 AM By FP NEWS SERVICE

Ujjain: As the spiritual leader and great philosopher Sri Aurobindo wished to be the part of rich legacy of the city of Mahakal, his Relics were consecrated at Sri Aurobindo Yoga Shakti Peeth located at Tirupati Vihar at 12.15 pm here on Wednesday under the aegis of Sri Aurobindo Society, Ujjain Branch. Sri Aurobindo Vigrah Divyansh Pratishthapana programme was inaugurated after the flag hoisting ceremony.

IG Upendra Jain was chief guest while president of Aurobindo Society, Ujjain branch Vijay Kumar Podarkar, Makhanlal, Ujjain Development Authority chairman Kishore Khandelwal and Dr Alok Pandey were special guests on this occasion. As the relics reached at oga Shakti Peeth, police jawans accorded welcome with a guard of honour. Suman Didi recited a poem composed by Mother who was close spiritual collaborator of Aurobindo. Member of Aurobindo Society Renu also expressed her views on philosophy of Aurobindo.

Huge crowd prevailed there to have darshan of relics of Sri Aurobindo. Special guest Dr Alok Pandey addressing on this occasion gave introduction of Ujjain branch of Aurobindo Society and said that it was established in 1992 by secretary Sukhdev Prasad Thakur. A land of 21500 square feet area was purchased for developing the branch office in 2006. Dr Pandey further said it was high time when one could gather his energy through spiritual philosophy.

Someshwar Kher conducted the programme. President Vibhash Upadhyay, secretary Sukhdev Prasad Thakur and treasurer Madhusudan Shrivastava were also present on this occasion. BJP organising Secretary Arvind Menon and BJP city president Anil Jain Kaluheda were also present on this occasion.

Aurobindo's ideas are ever relevant: Shivraj Central Chronicle - Staff Reporter, December 12, 2012 11:13 pm Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan attended the farewell programme of the sacred Diwyanash of Sri Aurobindo here today at Auro temple situated at Tulsinagar.

Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that we recall Sri Aurobindo with respect and honour. His ideas for world peace are ever relevant. Vidhan Sabha Speaker Shri Ishwardas Rohani, Urban Administration Minister Shri Babulal Gaur, Commerce & Industries Minister Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya, MP Shri Anil Madhav Dave and a large number of followers were present on the occasion.

Integral education for transformation Harvinder Kaur, Dec, 13, 2012: ESSENCE OF EDUCATION Deccan herald Supplements › DH Education

My earlier experiments and search for a deeper, wider and more relevant education led me to explore Integral Education, inspired by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Integral Education is an education that seeks to transform the entire being — the body, heart, and head while seeping into the deeper layers of the inner being. An education that is not a mere rat race or a vanity appeaser, an education where the child is not a mere ‘product’, an education that lets a child be a child. 

One of the key features of Integral Education is to help the child to move to a space of self knowing, while working on the physical, mental and emotional dimensions.  It is not just about acquiring information, it is about developing powers of the mind (concentration, memory, reasoning…), emotional development (sensitivity, compassion, joy…), having values, and a strong healthy body while discovering your deeper inner self.
Integral Education, is more than all-around education, it has an integral approach. Knowledge is whole, we divide it into ‘subjects’ to ease the acquisition of knowledge. The human too, is an integral being, the physical, emotional, and mental dimensions are interconnected. This means that the dimensions of the individual not only have to be addressed but also their integral nature, has to be understood.  Understanding the inherent connectedness of knowledge and the child’s own inherent interests is easily facilitated through hands on, interdisciplinary, theme based project work.

Needless to say, this is not easy when the vast framework of organised education is still in old moulds.  Firstly, it needs committed educators who are constantly working on themselves, striving to become better people and better teachers. 

It’s both a privilege and challenge, as the teacher is expected to facilitate self-discovery and self-discipline, rather than merely disseminate information. The child is not seen as someone to be shaped into a pre-set mould but a ‘soul in evolution’, someone in whose journey you get to hold their hand for a while. They do their own walking, but perhaps you can point to the light. Giving the child attention is important and that is why schools inspired by the principles of Integral Education strive to keep numbers small.

Creating a friendly environment of ease, naturalness and approachability for the child, in contrast to ‘factory mode’ schooling certainly helps! This is important to ensure physical, mental and emotional space for the child, where a child’s inherent nature can be observed and nurtured.

One of the key aspects of Integral Education is to help the child go deeper within herself to find inner treasures while developing powers of the mind and qualities of the heart.  This is practically possible in schools by organising regular classes geared to develop faculties of concentration, imagination, memory, creativity, while developing deeper values of compassion, care, calmness, honesty.

Periods of silent reflection can be interwoven with regular activities, thereby changing the feel and fabric of regular classes.Integral Education seeks to transform the individual from within, it strives to create a link to the bridge that takes the child to a whole new level of being.  A paradigm shift in education for the new age! (The writer is Director, India Council for Integral Education, Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry.)