Monday, December 31, 2007

Swami Vidyanand continues to teach yoga at Sri Aurobindo Society, Adchini, Delhi

Sunday, December 30, 2007 Advisory Board of Yoga Alliance Swami Vidyanand (India) Founder - President of Yoga Alliance International Honorary President of World Yoga Council of International Yoga Federation 2008-2010 President of Asia Yoga Alliance, President of Yoga Alliance of India.
Swami Vidyanand mastered yoga in the traditional Indian yogic way, through apprenticeships under enlightened yoga masters in India and anonymous ascetics in the Himalayas. Swamiji is inspired by the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo The Mother and was developed when he taught yoga for more than a decade at the Sri Aurobindo Society, Adchini, Delhi, where he continues to teach. Posted by World Yoga Parliament at 7:51 PM

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Just replace the word "Savitri" with the word "Mother"

Savitri By Sri Aurobindo Friday, December 28, 2007 [Savitri] The Growth of the Flame by Joydip Chakladar
A key to a Light still kept in being's cave,
The sun-word of an ancient mystery's sense,
Her name ran murmuring on the lips of men
Exalted and sweet like an inspired verse
Struck from the epic lyre of rumour's winds
Or sung like a chanted thought by the poet Fame.
But like a sacred symbol's was that cult.
The quality of experience, of Savitri, in the Human world, becomes richer and richer. And so becomes the subtle use of words. The poetic beauty and the musical rhythm, of this metre, can very well stand, the test of time. Even if Savitri, didn't had any spiritual significance, and mantric powers, which is not the case anyways. The poetry and the musical rhythm, which goes by each metre, could put it, into the category, of the best poetry, ever written on human understandable languages.
I am not basing the inherent logic, of the above statement, on the framework of my belief system towards Sri Aurobindo and Mother. But, being very objective and dispassionate , and with the comparative studies, on different other forms of literary expression, of spiritual experience, I could pretty well say, that lot of the spiritual experience, which have been talked in Savitri, are never been talked in any spiritual literature, till now, as far as I have read. And my reading list, was quite comprehensive, which includes all spiritual literatures, related to early Indian and Chinese traditions, obviously not excluding the western counterparts.
This metre, is also an example of new line of spiritual experience, with a comprehensive manifestation and judicious use of semantics, carrying a very subtle message. The opening line talks about a mystical light which is still now invisible and staying on the 'being's' cave. From there the metre continues, to create new grades of mystery. There is also judicious of the word 'Sun-word'. The 'Sun-word’, or the mantra of the sun, is a very fundamental stuff, for all the civilisation, which existed in earth upto this extent. It is very pervasive, to our existent in earth.
And in this context, author, takes us to the mystical significance of the word "Savitri" who seems to be the daughter of 'Sun-god'. He shows us that how even "Savitri" name is also like an inspired verse which goes on murmuring on the lips of man. And it takes a shape of Sacred symbol, for all of them. The name itself gives the magical solution for a wide range of situation. Now, you might think, that it is just a beautiful poetic description with a high degree of musical rhythm. But wait. Sri Aurobindo, has always more to say, that what we could understand from our thought process.
Just replace the word "Savitri" with the word "Mother". And you can see, he is talking a phenomenon, which is already there among us. For us the name of "Mother", is a magical solution, which could drive away a lot of problem, from our life. It is an inspired verse which keeps us murmuring on the lips of all devotees. Mother, herself described a vision, before her death where he could see, how people from all over the world by uttering her name only, are getting all kinds of spiritual support, they want in their life. She was earlier, little concerned about how the things will be carried on, after her. But, after that, her all concern was gone, and she was very confident, that things should carry on, even if she was not there.
Now after describing this we have only ended with the symbolic portion of the metre. But we have, not really contemplated on the more deeper and subtler message, he is throwing light into. Under this poetic, rhythmic and symbolic metre there is an important message which is carefully wrapped up. That message says, about an ancient yogic process which is known as 'Nam-Japa'. 'Nam-Japa' is a process by which a person attains higher state of spiritual experience by uttering the name which he loves. And that name, becomes a sacred symbol to that person. This doesn't end there. There are more subtler messages which are there which itself will make a book, and, might not be a good idea to discuss on the mailing list.
The message of this metre and all the metres have different levels. The depth of the levels are revealed according to psychological makeup of reader. And the meaning can expand more and more, we go back to the same passage, and read again and again. In fact, Savitri is the knowledge of universe in a compact form. Spread the word del.icio.us Digg Furl Reddit Ask BlinkList blogmarks Google Ma.gnolia Netscape RawSugar Rojo Shadows Simpy Socializer Spurl StumbleUpon Tailrank Technorati Windows Live Wists Yahoo! Help Posted by Joydip Chakladar at 10:53 PM Labels: Growth of Individual soul

Sunday, December 23, 2007

We followed it up for 6 years

Re: English Heritage Blue Plaque for Sri Aurobindo
by sunayana on Sat 22 Dec 2007 01:21 PM PST Profile Permanent Link
The blue plaque put up by English Heritage was a project initiated by me and my husband (Giles Herdman seen in the photo). We followed it up for 6 years after sending the letter of proposal in 2001. There will be a report about this work in the next issue of Golden Chain.We thought that Mounnou best represented the Ashram among all the devotees living in London to do the unveiling because she had a very close contact with the Mother from her early childhood. She is the granddaughter of Rishabhchand, one of the biographers of Sri Aurobindo.
Reply Re: English Heritage Blue Plaque for Sri Aurobindo
by RY Deshpande on Sat 22 Dec 2007 04:01 PM PST Profile Permanent Link
Congratulations for this wonderful achievement, Sunayana. What persistence! I'm looking forward for the full article in the Golden Chain and at the sciy. RYD

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Huta's paintings

In March 1967 Huta began the work of expressing some of Sri Aurobindo’s poems through paintings. Under the Mother’s inspiration and guidance she selected certain passages from the poems and completed fifty-four paintings, which were all ...
Fifty-four paintings
11 minutes ago by Tusar N Mohapatra
When Huta first exhibited the paintings she has now collected in her new book Pictures of Sri Aurobindo's Poems the Mother had written: "Those who appreciated the illustrations of Savitri will surely like to see these paintings. ...

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Liam O'Gallagher, the artist and sound poet

an ARTSJOURNAL weblog ArtsJournal Home AJ Blog Central Main December 16, 2007 Liam O'Gallagher, R.I.P.
Our old friend Liam O'Gallagher, the artist and sound poet, checked out on Dec. 4 in Santa Barbara, Ca. He had a good run, though. He turned 90 in October. Coincidentally, the date of his death is almost the same (it's off by a day) as that of Sri Aurobindo, the yogi master whose teachings he greatly admired.
(E.g.: "An inch of experience goes farther than a yard of logic."
"The example is more powerful than the instruction."
"Yoga means a change of consciousness; a mere mental activity will not bring a change of consciousness, it can only bring a change of mind.")
Liam was buried in Santa Barbara. He is survived by Robert Rheem, his partner of 58 years.

Sri Aurobindo Study Course (Pramod Ranjan Sen Endowment)

TALK December 18 at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, 8 Shakespeare Sarani; 6 pm: Sri Aurobindo Study Course (Pramod Ranjan Sen Endowment) by Dr V. Ananda Reddy of Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research, Pondicherry. Subject: Four aspects of Savitri. Front Page > Calcutta > Timeout The Telegraph. Tuesday , December 18 , 2007

Monday, December 17, 2007

Miracles are natural happenings in the life of a devotee

Our Indian scriptures are not story books or disposable paperbacks. They are storehouses of knowledge, eternally relevant and universally pertinent...
The court scene of dice vitiates the atmosphere. It is a game of lies where men and women throng to see the worst happening. A court of justice turns into a casino and the eldest daughter-in-law becomes a human stake. Gambling is an addiction inspired by greed and sustained by pride. The gambler does not know that he is not playing but is indeed the victim of foul play. The devotion in Draupadi proves that miracles are natural happenings in the life of a devotee — what sage Aurobindo means when he writes the logic of the infinite is magic for the finite! Mahabharata current account Prema Pandurang FE Home - Story: Sunday , December 16, 2007

Friday, December 14, 2007

She was able to run her family because of The Mother

BY N. THYAGARAJAN
Perhaps Vadivukarasi is one of the very few actresses like Sita and Sulakshana who could fit in charming and glamorous mothers' role in films and tv serials as well and this is the reason why she is most sought after nowadays by producers. Very recently, after her mother's role in the film Sivaji for Rajnikanth she has come back to act in small-screen soaps...
Vadivukarasi is now busy with the schedules with various Tamil films and is also acting in mega-serials like Megala and Gauravam. She gratefully acknowledges Mother Aurobindo's blessing makes her to feel lightly whatever be the obstacles that come in her way. She said that she had lost all her earnings over a row with her husband in the year 2003 and she was able to run her family because of the Mother. She had acted in many other serials like Archanai Pookal, Kudumbam, Agal Vilakku, Amman, Muhurtham and a dozen of other soaps won her name. Posted by N.THYAGARAJAN at 5:20 AM FILMS-CHANNELS

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Even though all the significances were given by the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's touch is undoubtedly felt

BLOSSOM LIKE A FLOWER
Spiritual Significance of flowers
This blog is dedicated to present the Spiritual significances of flowers given by the Mother in Sri Aurobindo ashram. The Mother gave spiritual significances to more than 800 flowers. This is an attempt to present each flower with its significance, comment given by the Mother on the significance, the botanical name of the flower,common name, and its colour or colours and if necessary the description of the flower.
Even though all the significances were given by the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's touch is undoubtedly felt since the spiritual significances of the flowers correspond to His incisive psychological analysis of the different planes of consciousness and parts of our being. Growing in contact with the flowers may also be a part of Integral Yoga since the Mother used flowers as a help in sadhana, teaching us how to master and transform our lower nature and realise the highest possibilities that await us...Posted by Aravind D Reddy at 8:41 PM Saturday, December 8, 2007

Sri Aurobindo came to earth and is here to change the Earth and bring in Joy and Life and Light and conquer Death

The Withdrawal 1 from All choice by Barindranath Chaki
My soul unhorizoned widens to measureless sight,
My body is God’s happy living tool,
My spirit a vast Sun of deathless light.
[Sri Aurobindo]
They say that Sri Aurobindo passed away on 5th December 1950. Even, it is said that it was His withdrawal. Did He really pass away, away from us, from the Humanity and the World? Did He pass into ignominy and ignorance and Darkness, into Death? Did He really withdraw Himself from the Mankind, from His Work of the Supramental Manifestation and Transformation?
In 1956, one of my teachers, son of one who closely knew Sri Aurobindo and remained in the Ashram, asked me the question: why did He die? At that time, I could not explain the matter or meet the challenge thrown to me. But the question lived in me and forced me to find the answer in course of time.
Majority of the people, now and then, took it and believed and knew it as a great withdrawal of a great Person, of a great Divine Person, who endeavored to cause descent of the Supermind and Manifestation of the Supramental Consciousness and Force. Indeed, the very event was beyond human words. Sri Aurobindo’s “Withdrawal” was a necessity for the Supramental Descent on earth.
Prior to that, Sri Aurobindo was ill. His illness continued and it caused a deep concern in the Ashram. Dr Nirodbaran and Dr Sanyal looked after his treatment. The illness prolonged. The Mother told Dr Sanyal: “He is fully conscious within, but he is losing concern in himself.” Champaklal, however, asked Sri Aurobindo : “Are you not using your Force?” The Master replied : “No.” Dr Nirodbaran asked then: “if you don’t use you Force, how is the disease to be cured?” The reply was: “Can’t explain, you won’t understand.”The reply, if possible for us, to the human question about the Withdrawal would have also been—“You won’t understand.”
As K D Sethna puts it, Sri Aurobindo was both a Pilgrim of Day and also of Night. He went to the Highest height of Consciousness and, as well, he went to the lowest of the planes of Darkness and Inconscience, in order to kindle the Light there and accelerate the Transformation of the Earth and the mankind. He had to combat with Death, so that in due course, in the Next Evolution, Death comes to an end.
I made an assignation with the Night;
In the abyss was fixed our rendezvous:
In my breast carrying God’s deathless light
I came her dark and dangerous heart to woo.
I left the glory of the illumined Mind
And the calm rapture of the divinised soul
And travelled through a vastness dim and blind
To the grey shore where her ignorant waters roll.
I walk by the chill wave through the dull slime
And still that weary journeying knows no end;
Lost is the lustrous godhead beyond Time,
There comes no voice of the celestial Friend,

And yet I know my footprints’ track shall be
A pathway towards Immortality.
[A Pilgrim of Night : Sri Aurobindo]
The Mother wrote on 9th December, which is for the mankind the mantra of rejuvenation and of starting anew from the stupefaction that resulted from His “Withdrawal”:
“To THEE who hast been the material envelope of our Master, to THEE our infinite gratitude. Before THEE who hast done so much for us, who hast worked, struggled, suffered, hoped, endured so much, before THEE who hast willed all, attempted all, prepared, achieved all for us, before THEE we bow down and implore that we may never forget, even for a moment, all we owe to THEE.”
As everybody knows, this has been inscribed on the Samadhi. This inscription has been addressed to “the material envelope” of Sri Aurobindo, but not to Sri Aurobindo himself.
Sri Aurobindo is a Being and a Consciousness and a Force that cannot die. His coming to earth was, and is, a Hope for the Earth and the Mankind, a Promise by the Supreme for the conquest of Ignorance and Darkness and Death on earth, a Dream to be fulfilled.
Sri Aurobindo did never leave us. His Presence is always with us here on earth. His "Withdrawal” was simply the act of leaving the body. The Mother wrote on 7th December 1950:
“Lord, this morning Thou hast given me the assurance that Thou wouldst stay with us until Thy work is achieved, not only as a consciousness which guides and illumines but also as a dynamic Presence in action. In unmistaken terms Thou hast promised that all of Thyself would remain here and not leave the earth atmosphere until earth is transformed. Grant that we may be worthy of this Presence and henceforth everything in us be concentrated to the fulfilment of Thy sublime work.”
The Mother has even said that "Sri Aurobindo has come to announce to the world the beauty of the future that will be realized. 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."
Thus, Sri Aurobindo is not only a Hope, He stands for a certitude — the certainty that through further Evolution and Progress, there will come the conquest of Ignorance and Darkness and Death. He embraced Death, so that Death and Darkness and Ignorance shall be conquered on earth. The Dream which Sri Aurobindo has bought for us is positively a Future Reality.
He dies that the world may be new-born and live.
[Savitri]
He is a turning point in the Evolution, in the Next Evolution. With his Descent on earth, the New Evolution has begun. He came to earth and is here to change the Earth and bring in Joy and Life and Light and conquer Death. He made a supreme sacrifice and left His Body, so that the Way is open to conquer Ignorance and Darkness and Death on earth.
He who has found his identity with God
Pays with his body’s death his soul’s vast light.
His knowledge immortal triumphs by his death.
[Savitri]
Sri Aurobindo’s sacrifice has been sufficiently and greatly fruitful, as The Mother continued His Work, which is also Her Work, and then there was the Supramental Descent on earth on the 29th February 1956. And then began the Supramental Manifestation on earth. The Mother walked into the New Body on 17-11-1973. [Ref: The Transition— The Seventeenth November, by Barin Chaki]. There has been some progress, in the meantime, in the transition from Man to Superman. The Mother has said on 15 April 1972 :
The transition from man to the supramental being is accomplished through the overman. There may be a few overman - there are - who will actually make that transition.
[Mother’s Agenda]
Barin Chaki
8-12-2007
Reference: The Withdrawal by Barin Chaki
Written on 5th December and revised on 7th and 8th.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Yogi Ravindra

Thursday, December 6, 2007
Sri Aurobindo & Mother Meera's teachings - Yogi Ravindra
Yogi Ravindra, Chachaji is a yogi from India. He is a retired professor of Philosophy and Commerce. He has spent 15 years with Mother Meera at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry India. http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org
He has assisted individuals on their spiritual path as well as in family life.He lives in Madhya Pradesh,India. Posted by Universal Servant at 1:11 PM The Gateway To Eternity

Savitri and Mother is one and undivided personality

They felt a larger future meet their walk;
She held their hands, she chose for them their paths:
They were moved by her towards great unknown things,
Faith drew them and the joy to feel themselves hers;
They lived in her, they saw the world with her eyes.
What a beautiful metre it is packed with our own experiences....!!
It describes exactly our relationship with Mother. Specially the line "She held their hands, she chose for them their paths:". It's so true for anybody who has felt the presence of Mother. It's very hard to put this experience in words yet it is so true that looking at Mother we feel the larger future which is embracing humanity slowly and gently. It's so great to be part of that larger future of humanity when we see a new human race with a new conciousness evolving from the old.
Sri Aurobindo in this metre, has put this experiences of every common man who loves Mother, so beautifully in words which is almost "next to impossible" to put in words. Every part of experiences in this metre, describes the picture of our meeting with Savitri's presence in the form of Mother. We are move towards great unknown things like supramental transformation, transformation of human race into a divine race. And there is continous growth of faith towards Mother and the joy to be one with her.
And then we reach in a situation where we start seeing the world from Mother's eyes .. a world full of beauty, harmony, peace, bliss and creativity in multifarous direction.
Infact this entire set of metres, help us to come into a very important conclusion that Savitri and Mother is one and undivided personality.