Savitri Era

Danton, Dickens, and Dostoevsky

2012-02-10T16:15:00.001+05:30

[Auroville Press - Danton and the French revolution In his studies of human evolution, Sri Aurobindo gave a special importance to the French Revolution as one of those rare moments when the Spirit seems to move directly masses of humanity. And for him, the role of Danton in those events was crucial: “There are times when a single personality gathers up the temperament of an epoch or a movement and by simply existing ensures its fulfilment. It would be difficult to lay down the precise services which made the existence of Danton necessary for the success of the Revolution. There are certain things he did, and no man else could have done, which compelled destiny; there are certain things he said which made France mad with resolution and courage. These words, these doings ring through the ages.” Rs.215.00, 128 pages]

[writing advice from Object-Oriented Philosophy by doctorzamalek (Graham Harman) If you feel like you have nothing original to say, remember the following point from Alphonso Lingis: “Go outside on a starry night and get a sense for the vastness of the universe. And realize that your fingerprint is enough to make you unique out of all that universe. And then think about how much more complicated your brain is than your fingerprint. Your brain is wired to do something that nothing else in the universe can do. And if you don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.”]

[From the satirical Onion magazine New Biography Reveals Einstein Devised Theory Of Relativity On Paper Because He Wasn't Smart Enough To Invent Microsoft Word PRINCETON, NJ—A new biography by science historian Tanya Medel has rocked the physics world with the revelation that theoretical physicist Albert Einstein wasn't smart enough to invent Microsoft Word and use it to devise his theory of relativity.]

[Ralph Fiennes Will Star As Charles Dickens In 'The Invisible Woman ... Tuesday, February 7th, marked the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens, and as a result, the author is one of the hottest properties around at the moment. Among the many Dickens related projects in the works, the coming year ...]

[Dostoyevsky from Marginal Revolution by Tyler Cowen

Brothers Karamazov spent seven or so years as my favorite book, starting in high school. I’m not suggesting it is juvenile, only that I find it hard to go back and enjoy things at lower levels than I did before (I also don’t like to eat in still-good but declining restaurants). I no longer find Notes from Underground interesting, as I regard its questions as a dead end.]

Hunger for fiction waned after high school, and hence, no luck with Dickens or Dostoevsky. But repeated reading of Uncle Tom’s Cabin in Odia then, I suppose, compensates to a great extent. [TNM55]

Women are more afraid

2012-02-10T12:02:00.000+05:30

[Why do we feel afraid and how to overcome it from Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother by Sandeep

There are three reasons. First, an excessive concern about one's security. Next, what one does not know always gives an uneasy feeling which is translated in the consciousness by fear. And above all, one doesn't have the habit of a spontaneous trust in the Divine Continue reading →]

[Re: [sbicitizen] Re: Fw: [GHHF] Christian Students attend Lecture on from sbicitizen at Yahoo! Groups by mythili bhusnurmath

hi folks Have been following the animated discussion on religion in a desultory fashion and my take (quite unsolicited!!) is, is there nothing else we can ... by Neeta Bhargava Yes, I fully agree. There are so many other topics to discuss / debate. We should stay clear of such controversial / personal issues. Re: [sbicitizen] Re: Fw: [GHHF] Christian Students attend Lecture on from sbicitizen at Yahoo! Groups by Desh D Kapoor

Neeta amd Mythili: That is precisely the problem with the Indian citizenry today. They want Govinda style Bollywood trash. Anything that makes people think]

Though politically incorrect, it is perhaps true that women are more afraid of courting controversies than men in general. [TNM55]

Outgrow poverty-oriented politics

2012-02-09T20:25:00.000+05:30

[Not to be Left behind Editorials, Hindustan Times - February 07, 2012

Think global, act global seems to the CPI(M)'s new motto, a variation on the old think global, act local… Of course, the Karatian vision is based on opposing casteism, communalism, gender-based exploitation, and taking into account tribal, regional and ethnic issues as well as the struggle against neo-liberal economic policies pursued by the government. When it comes to simplicity of purpose and language, you really have to hand it to the lads in the CPI(M). We admire people who are consistent.]

[Medha Patkar for "one family, one elected rep" formula Hindustan Times - February 09, 2012

Deprecating rise of political dynasties, activist Medha Patkar today suggested the "one family, one elected representative" cap in politics.]

There is no gainsaying the fact (echoing Nikhil Chakravarty) that the Left has some of our most honest politicians. They can’t be faulted for honesty of purpose also. But compulsions of international affairs skew their domestic policies, and as a result, they have not been able to outgrow the poverty-oriented politics. Caste and religion are their Achilles heel, an honest appraisal of which can definitely provide them some headway. [TNM55]

Galaxy and fallacy

2012-02-09T17:23:00.002+05:30

[Nature's Plans? Dear Devinder, I am not sure that Nature has a plan. Where do we find a plan that nature has? Would like you to educate me on that. Regards, Viswa RE: [sbicitizen] Nature's Plans? Dear Nilanjan, Nature simply has no goals about anything… I hope we will do more due diligence rather than simply claim that nature has plans. Regards, Viswa]

[Re: Nature's Plans? Viswa's question cannot be indubitably answered by pointing to Sri Aurobindo's remarks on the matter. Such a response is no different than asking someone to read the Bible or Koran and believing in whatever is written there!

One would have to have first-hand experience of a greater reality in order to decipher if Nature has a plan, and that is only possible when one has advanced beyond a certain level in Yoga. For the rest, it should be a hypothesis which is provisionally accepted –Sandeep Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother]

[Religion and Philosophy: Thinking, Feeling, and Willing the Absolute Posted by Matthew David Segall on February 7, 2012 Footnotes to Plato “Philosophy is the intellectual search for the fundamental truth of things; religion is the attempt to make the truth dynamic in the soul of man.” -Sri Aurobindo

Levi Bryant’s recent post complicates this picture: …the choice of philosophy over religion…cannot be completed by demonstrating that philosophy is the “rational” choice over religion, nor that the claims of religion are inadequate as descriptions of reality. Rather, philosophy only surmounts religion in completing its project of thinking being…]

[The Web Site for Critical Realism | Epistemic and Ontic Fallacies The epistemic fallacy first projects the external world onto a subjective phenomenal map, then the ontic fallacy projects the phenomenal entities of that subjective map back out on the world as objective sense data, of which we have direct perceptual knowledge. So reality independent of thought is first subjectified, then the subjectified elements are objectified to explain and justify our knowledge.]

I am not sure that Nature has a plan. The first part of this statement relates to epistemology and the second to ontology, thus turning it a sitting duck for Roy Bhaskar’s famous fallacies. Besides, both Husserl and Gödel also would agree on the absurdity of such a demand. Finally, Sri Aurobindo’s Logic of the Infinite and Exclusive Concentration come to the rescue, but reading The Life Divine takes about a year. [TNM55]

Savitri Era Religion releases from vacillation

2012-02-08T13:20:00.000+05:30

[One can have Multiple Religions - by Choice - by Dilip Kumar Roy Jan 10, 2012 11:55 AM, How about this one - one can adhere to multiple religions, if that synchronises well within your consciousness? I am a Hindu by birth … What is my religion? - a Job Application Form asked me 20 years back.]

[A critique of the book "The Lives of Sri Aurobindo" by Peter Heehs: Prof. Kamal Das's Response to Ramchandra Guha: Dilip Kumar Roy - Jan 9, 2012 04:10 PM, 1:02 PM I am an ordinary devotee, … I claim no rights, I have no vote, no authority. For the Ashram, I am a 'visitor'… Pranams at the Mother's Feet, Dilip Kumar Roy www.facebook.com/diliproymumbai]

[Re: [sbicitizen] Re: The Poetry of Sri Aurobindo I think we could form a smaller group within this discussion group who would be focussed on discussing Sri Aurobindo's works and his yoga. Dilip Kumar Roy Feb 6, 2012 11:55 AM]

India

has one Constitution but multiple civil codes. This makes declaring one’s religion a legal prerequisite for each citizen. Religion, thus, is not merely a matter of heart or inner consciousness but a hard fact of social existence (with political implications). Multiple religions is, therefore, an oxymoron.

Legality apart, religion is more or less like monogamy straying outside the boundary of which is promiscuous. Conversion rituals conform to the divorce and remarriage analogy. Further, flattening of all sources of inspiration seems neither objective nor honest. Confusing cultural aspects as the core of religion is another naïveté.

Savitri Era Religion releases one from this life long vacillation. One can boldly dedicate himself to the brass tacks without worrying about the social pressures of camouflaging the secret love. These are the compulsions of floating this new Religion, and not any personal ambition. No ascetic renunciation either of political dividends that accrue in due course. [TNM55]

Lele, then and now

2012-02-07T15:40:00.000+05:30

[Ken Wilber’s breadth and its importance via Love of All Wisdom by Amod Lele on 2/5/12

While I think Hegel was more methodologically sophisticated than Wilber, there is a lot missing from Hegel’s synthesis. Science, especially, has changed a lot, making Hegel’s philosophy of nature difficult to accept; so too, Hegel’s thought has no room for the shining achievement of the 20th century, namely feminism and the liberation of women. And while Hegel at least attempted to include Asian philosophies in his synthesis, in a way that few had before, they were stuck at the earliest and lowest level of his philosophy, making Hegel “strong with respect to time and weak with respect to space”. All of these vast gaps in Hegel’s thought – science, feminism, Asian philosophy – Wilber has tried hard to give a central place in his thought. His attempted synthesis is the widest one I know of – Wilber gives us some vision of what a unified synthesis now could look like.]

[Wilber-and-Aurobindo-on-intelligent-design T.R. Raghunath, a professor in Nevada, gave an interesting talk at the SACP conference explaining Aurobindo Ghose’s theory of the development of consciousness. Feb 6, 2012 08:38 AM]

[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sri-sris-sutras-on-ego & other-side-ego]

Like Hegel, Sri Aurobindo’s insights have travelled far and wide. Many of his concepts have become so common that no one bothers to notice the original source or credit him. That The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, jointly, have inaugurated the Integral perspective is an indisputable fact. No theoretical formulation can surpass that either on ontological grounds or in their practical translation. Our effort to make them “interesting, constructive and convincing,” however, must continue. [TNM55]

Reblogging and parasitic SELF Group Blogs

2012-02-06T20:55:00.001+05:30

[Blogs from within the Integral Yoga community Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. - Family of blogs by Tusar N Mohapatra. I won't give all of them, there are two many, but if you go to the first one, Savitri Era Learning Forum (or SELF for short), which was started in 2005, you can follow the links to the others. Posts a huge amount of material, often totally unsorted, of anything that appears on the Web that is in any way related to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, usually with editorial comment in the headings only. Adopts a religious devotee approach. M Alan Kazlev]

[Robert E. Wilkinson Aug 13, 2009 06:31 AM This is a classic example of someone taking their own unfounded hagiographic inflation to extremes. What is most revealing is Tusar’s desire to get away from all formulation, mythic or otherwise which allows him to believe whatever fantasy he likes without the inconvenience of having to deal with proof of his claims and the facts that support them. He does so by putting them “up there” on the Transcendent heights beyond the reach and explanation of mortal man. This is a perfect example of how devotees with no yogic experience and realization attempt to turn this epochal spiritual work into a Religion. What remains are un-provable pronouncements about Sri Aurobindo and the Mother solely derived from Tusar’s subjective devotional fervor. His hopes are pinned on the ‘years to come’ and any fellow disillusioned Aurobindonians who might rally to his flag. Update - August 2009]

[Tusar N Mohapatra Aug 14, 2009 01:48 AM

I believe in the future and in every word of the Five Dreams delineated by Sri Aurobindo. Thanks to The Mother & Sri Aurobindo I feel liberated from all past religions and their tangled mythologies. Yes, I admit, that’s a great convenience. Born in a free country, I have the right to believe in my own beliefs, and no one need be troubled for that. TNM]

[PLEASE do not refer to any of the blogs maintained by Tusar Mohapatra as "the Aurobindo site". With his many cross-linked parasitic blogs, this character has achieved an altogether undeserved prominence among Google searches for "Aurobindo". (It's the same technique by which porn site bootstrap themselves upward.) Mohapatra's agenda is political (he's even founded a party!) --Ulrich Mohrhoff, Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry, India Managing Editor, AntiMatters 13 Sep 2009 (plagiarized from)]

[Introduction (SE): The “Savitri Era” group of blogs and the so-called “honeycomb” of websites (listed below) are created and administered by Tusar N. Mohapatra, President of the Savitri Era Party. Our Critique - The personal political and religious ambitions of the editor cast a shadow on the intentions of the editor. - The editor’s persistent attack on the management of the Ashram and his repeated calls for the resignation of the Managing Trustee betray the editor’s personal ambitions of seemingly wanting to determine the fate of Sri Aurobindo’s teachings as well as that of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram institution.]

When the honeycomb of parasitic SELF Group Blogs rolled out in 2005, I remember having received several mails accusing me of plagiarism and even threats of legal action. They, apparently, were unaware of the advantages of linking and cross-posting. Many, however, have benefited over the years from this mode in terms of traffic and now that WordPress has made Reblogging a breeze, old inhibitions are thrown to the wind.

The cyberspace is fast expanding like our galaxy and it is easy to sink within it without leaving a trace. Therefore, there should be collaborative effort to stay aloft even among those who fight, just like attracting controversies is common for movie promos. For there is a vast audience out there of whom some might chance upon our sites, today or tomorrow. [TNM55]

Sam the carpenter

2012-02-06T11:49:00.000+05:30

[Freedom, for the privileged - Indian Express February 6, 2012

Like salvation in ancient times, free speech is now an exalted goal in itself

[Caste arithmetic takes centre stage again Medieval battle for Uttar Pradesh Rediff.com» News» February 6, 2012 Such is the weight of identity here in India's heartland that Rahul Gandhi brought into the UP battleground even Sam Pitroda -- the Chicago native and technocrat -- who says he is proud to be born in a carpenter's family.]

Rooting for rootedness and genealogy in scientific anthropology but denouncing the same within cultural anthropology is a strange paradox. Recognising the hard demographic reality instead of worshipping exalted and imagined goals is what the political parties are perhaps rightly pursuing. [TNM55]

Emergence of Savitri Era in the national scene is providential

2012-02-05T09:39:00.002+05:30

[Creation therefore is not a making of something where nothing existed, but a selection and new formation out of existing material; not a sudden increase, but a continual rearrangement and substitution; not an arbitrary manufacture, but an orderly development…

When man has mastered the physical world and its forces, when the earth is his and the fullness thereof, he must turn his efforts towards mastering the world within himself. Instead of allowing the soul to use the body for its own ends, he must learn to master both soul and body and use them consciously for the purposes of the spirit, that Eternal Will and Wisdom which at present operates in secrecy, veiled with darkness within darkness and seeming even to be blind and hidden from itself. In the end he will be master of spirit, soul and body, a Jivanmukta using them at will for cosmic purposes or transcending them to feel his identity with the Self who is pure and absolute existence, consciousness and bliss. CWSA, Isha Upanishad, The Karmayogin, pp. 226-32 Spiritual Evolution in Brahman—by Sri Aurobindo by RY Deshpande on Sun 05 Feb 2012 03:30 AM IST Permanent Link]

[In search of a true leader:

India

needs a leader of stature and credibility, one who commands respect and is acceptable to all. As we march past yet another Republic Day, it is time we figured out what is wanting in most of our leaders claiming to fit the bill. Here are a few tips from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

The first and foremost requirement of a true leader is that he must be able to put aside what he wants, and wishes to know what God wants… He must have faith in the wisdom of divinity.

An important precondition is not to have one’s own personal interest as a goal. The first qualities needed are boldness, courage and perseverance. A true leader must be conscious that he knows nothing compared to what he ought to know, that he can do nothing compared to what he ought to do, that he is nothing compared to what he ought to be. PRAMOD PATHAK, The Pioneer Sunday Edition Agenda SPIRITUALITY Hiddensouls SATURDAY, 04 FEBRUARY 2012]

[A free and natural growth is the condition of genuine development. There are souls which naturally revolt from their surroundings and seems to belong to another age and clime. Let them be free to follow their bent; but the majority languish, become empty, become artificial, if artificially moulded into an alien form. It is God’s arrangement that they should belong to a particular nation, age, society, that they should be children of the past, possessors of the present, creators of the future.

The past is our foundation, the present our material, the future our aim and summit. Each must have its due and natural place in a national system of education. Excerpts from Aurobindo’s writings, The Pioneer Sunday Edition Agenda SPIRITUALITY Educating the mind and soul SRI AUROBINDO SATURDAY, 04 FEBRUARY 2012]

[The power of one - Indian Express Shekhar Gupta: Sat Jul 31 2010

It was something that Justice Verma said, while explaining the challenge of institution-building that should get us all thinking. An institution can rise to its true strength, and truly play the role the founding fathers mandated for it, only if it is led by a person “who has no past, and no expectation (of any reward) from anybody in the future”.

Someone who has no past and no greed for anything in the future? Simple enough, you might think. But it isn’t as simple as that. It is tough enough to find many people with nothing to hide in their pasts, so they are not prone to blackmail, or pressured by IOUs conceded. People who can judge a case, run an election, prosecute a criminal politician, investigate a corrupt bureaucrat effectively and fairly.

But where do you find someone who, in addition to this, would be willing to retire quietly into obscurity? Our system is much too brutal and clever to let such rare people rise anywhere close to the top. That is why it is only providentially, rather than by choice, that one such is put in charge of an institution. And then the institution changes, and rises to its true power.]

Emergence of Savitri Era in the national scene is not only providential but also a Hobson's choice. The Five Dreams are but to unfold in concrete details, and hence, the present chaos can never be an indication of their negation. The trick, however, is to hearken to earnest voices instead of chasing celebrities. [TNM55]

Savitri Erans can contribute a lot to serve the country

2012-02-04T18:56:00.000+05:30

[Re: “India has to reorganise herself”—Submitted by Kittu Reddy by RY Deshpande on Fri 03 Feb 2012 05:29 PM IST | Profile | Permanent Link Churchill turned out to be a very good instrument in this work when fate of the entire civilization was at a stake. Indian politicians of the time were dumb and deaf to these things; one manifestation of it was the rejection of the Cripps’s Proposals that had come on the wings of superior vision and inspiration. Unless

India

is organized on the material plane, she cannot open to these possibilities.

During the World War Two Winston Churchill was asked: “What is your aim in the War?” He simply replied: “Victory.” In that one word is the quintessence of time that shaped history. Some other power had entered into operation and it seized the ready instrument. It is some noble force of that kind which must enter into our reckoning. The Fallacy of Interfaith Dialogue—Apropos of Rajiv Malhotra’s Being Different by RY Deshpande on Fri 27 Jan 2012 03:30 AM IST Permanent Link]

[Activism: Why Swamy gets it right and Team Anna wrong Akshaya Mishra - Feb 2, 2012 But what makes Dr Subramanian Swamy so effective as a crusader? ‘Knowledge’, should be the one-word answer. Extended a bit, it is his ability to work out the beguiling nuances in the functioning of institutions correctly and framing the problem areas as legal questions. Feb 3, 2012 12:25 AM]

Survival compulsion is driving the Fourth estate to function like the Fifth column in the country. Opposition parties, too, are turning willing partners in this rabble rousing game, thus weakening the fine threads of the national fabric. The huge working capital of the democracy industry including the media paraphernalia has become leviathan-like dominating all other aspects of the collective life. The effect is so all encompassing that the very definition of ethics or corruption has been warped. Such perversions leading to plutocracy is likely to deteriorate further. Savitri Erans can contribute a lot to stop this rot. [TNM55]

Interesting, constructive and convincing innovations

2012-02-03T15:10:00.000+05:30

[Activism: Why Swamy gets it right and Team Anna wrong Akshaya Mishra - Feb 2, 2012

But what makes Dr Subramanian Swamy so effective as a crusader? ‘Knowledge’, should be the one-word answer. Extended a bit, it is his ability to work out the beguiling nuances in the functioning of institutions correctly and framing the problem areas as legal questions. Feb 3, 2012 12:25 AM]

Tusar N. Mohapatra says: February 3, 2012 at 9:27 am

Thanks for the well-rounded reply. More so, for clarifying that there is room for alternative perceptions and practices as against the implied monolithism of the original post. A more tolerant posture towards this plurality, however, will go a long way in encouraging “interesting, constructive and convincing” innovations. [TNM55]

Reverting to referendum

2012-02-03T12:15:00.001+05:30

[A DECLARATION OF SOLIDARITY Or we may decide that now is the time to make our voices heard…

There are vested interests attempting to create the impression that a majority of Ashramites are sympathetic to those filing lawsuits against the Trust, but nothing could be further from the truth. We will not allow this false and dangerous notion to gain further ground. This is the time to stand firm, stand together in the face of this assault on the core values of our Ashram, to lend our voices in support of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother's institution and its appointed representatives against the forces that are out to destabilize our community.]

The Heehs camp has always maintained that the Ashram is beyond democratic principles and what the Trustees utter are inviolable lines of Veda. Hence, it’s good that they are now finding virtue in majority support and raising voices, thus recognizing that each individual vote matters. A referendum, we reiterate, would be the best means to assess and diffuse the present unrest blowing in the Ashram. [TNM55]

Reddy-made Religion

2012-02-01T18:42:00.001+05:30

Tusar N. Mohapatra says: February 1, 2012 at 1:05 pm

In the interest of truth, it needs to be mentioned that the Supreme Court judgment in the S.P. Mittal etc. vs. Union of India case referred to above includes the considered dissenting verdict of considerable length (and of no inconsiderable significance) by Justice O. Chinnappa Reddy. A discussion on the same, however, can throw much light on this contentious topic and dispel doubts and misunderstandings. [TNM55]

Leveraging 52 plus

2012-02-01T17:29:00.001+05:30

OTC formulations for vitality, memory enhancement and umpteen nutritional supplements receive high voltage marketing by leveraging the Ayurvedic tag. Manufacturing and marketing Ayurvedic medicines is also integral to many Ashrams (including Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry). Nurturing traditional knowledge systems is one thing, but commercial exploitation on account of people’s ignorance and absence of adequate calibration is another. How far our traditional yoga systems are sync with these products and how their large scale consumption has benefited the Indians vis-à-vis the Westerners is a subject which Sandeep might like to explore. [TNM55]

Sri Aurobindo Ashram: now a battle ground

2012-01-30T15:12:00.001+05:30

[Manoj Das Gupta (the Managing Trustee of the Ashram Trust) declared in his letters dated 5.10.2008, 8.10.2008 and 5.8.2009 that the book had “crossed all limits of simple decency!” He acknowledged that the book does in fact “denigrate Sri Aurobindo” and warned of its “potential danger” and the need to ensure that it “should reach as few readers as possible”. He claimed that he had “initiated” “a few corrective measures” with “more on the anvil”. Among them he claimed that “Legal aspects are being looked into as to whether the Indian publication may be at least modified if not stalled.” He acknowledged that the book involved theft and misuse of “access to privileged material” and recognised the publisher’s malafide motives saying “the publisher would be only too eager to exploit the situation in order to promote its sales!” In response to pleas for legal action to stop the book he wrote “if you feel that some legal action is the need of the hour, I am game for it.” From: Sraddhalu Ranade, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry To: Dr Karan Singh, Chairman, Auroville Foundation, Auroville. 23 January 2012 Sub: Letter from SAIER dated December 12, 2011 and delivered on January 14, 2012.]

Guided by survival instinct and expediency, Manoj Das Gupta has turned the Sri Aurobindo Ashram (Puducherry) into a battle ground. Since, he is neither the sole claimant to be the head nor has inheritance rights over the post, his personal career is none of our concern. Others, too, have aspirations and the required talent, and so, fairness demands that there should be rotation with fixed tenures. And, in fact, this is the method mankind has adopted the world over in order to avoid dictatorship and tyranny. But, it is a pity that Das Gupta has succumbed to incurable addiction to power and been blundering around in arrogance. [TNM55]

Manoj Das Gupta should resign on the age criterion

2012-01-29T13:29:00.001+05:30

The Lives camp seems to be in an overdrive and Kittu Reddy and others have been served show cause notices. SAIIER of Auroville Foundation has also issued letters to Anand Reddy and others. They are securing approving letters from sympathetic sources like Sabda functionaries and also approached the judiciary for revoking the ban on the book. Overall, fresh enthusiasm seems to have been infused, may be, due to firm assurances from the high ups in the political circle.

The root cause of all this is the continuation of Manoj Das Gupta as in-charge. He should resign on the age criterion so that the Ashram recovers its reputation and sense of direction. [TNM55]

Stop worrying and start Erasing

2012-01-28T14:47:00.000+05:30

[Jehangir N. Chubb (1972) Sri Aurobindo as the Fulfillment of Hinduism. International Philosophical Quarterly 12 (2):234-242]

[Heehs on Sri Aurobindo and Indian Communalism anti-matters.org by M Kvassay - “Among Hindu leaders,” writes Heehs, “those most often mentioned as proponents of religious nationalism are Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, ...]

["Sri Aurobindo on Hinduism" by Peter Heehs ... - A critique of the book 12 Aug 2010 – The following paragraph is from a booklet by Peter Heehs entitled Sri Aurobindo on Hinduism and published by the Sri Aurobindo Society, ...]

Worrying about the old religions is sheer wastage of energy. Many devotees of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo, on the other hand, consider a new religion as shameful or blasphemous. Instead of dwelling in this twilight zone, Savitri Erans proudly march forward towards their destination for fruition of their intention. [TNM55]

Ambition and ambivalence at Fifty six

2012-01-27T18:28:00.000+05:30

A blog, by definition, is personal and informal, and so, it is no surprise that my personal views and opinions reflecting my hopes and ambitions find expression in it. These, I think, are quite valid activities for an individual under the Constitution of India, and hence, I fail to understand why I shouldn’t be entitled to any higher ambition at the age of 56.

It is also no secret that my posts harbour ample ambivalence and incoherence which I attribute to my modest education, average intelligence, and limited memory. This, obviously, is normal of human condition and finitude as theoretical finality has not been achieved in any sphere of knowledge, as of yet. Interrogating the teachings as percolated through my own course of life and permeated into the intellectual itinerary, therefore, has been a priority rather than an anodyne parroting pastime.

While being thankful for the attention showered (by devoting so many pages after as many years), I’d like to emphasize once again that the ivory tower approach is pathetically outmoded. Pretence of superior perception and prognosis by barely a handful of people is absolutely unbecoming of the needed humility, dignity and soberness. [TNM55]

A new Constitution and a new Manifesto

2012-01-26T12:19:00.000+05:30

Prakash Karat performed a yeoman’s service to the nation by forcing the 'historic blunder' leading to the Left collapsing under its own weight. Manoj Das Gupta, however, seems to be lucky but his props are bound to come down very soon. The argument that The Mother has irrevocably designed the grids of administration for all time to come is utterly fallacious, and Sri Aurobindo Ashram is definitely in the dire need of a new Constitution and a new Manifesto.

Limiting Sri Aurobindo’s action and relevance to the Ashram and Auroville alone is another canard. It is illogical to delink agency from history, therefore; and repeating the mistake of disregarding the ripples at the margins. [TNM55]

Living in a religiously plural society

2012-01-25T21:05:00.001+05:30

[Religion takes a back seat to rights in court, says theologian Telegraph.co.uk - ‎ By Andrew Hough 6:30AM GMT 25 Jan 2012 The courts are endangering religious freedom because the judiciary are giving it a lower priority than equality, a leading philosopher has claimed.

Prof Trigg, the founding President of the British Society for the Philosophy of Religion, said that as a result the courts were “limiting human freedom itself”.

“Religious freedom and the right to manifest religious belief is a central part of every charter of human rights,” he said on the eve of the launch of his book on Wednesday.]

[Religious freedom under threat from courts, professor warns The Guardian David Shariatmadari Oxford academic Roger Trigg points to 'clear trend' privileging secular values over religious conviction The Guardian, Wednesday 25 January 2012

Religious freedom in the US and Europe is under threat from the courts, an Oxford professor has warned. In his latest book, Equality, Freedom and Religion, Roger Trigg, who runs the Centre for the Study of Religion in Public Life at Kellogg College, argues: "There has been a clear trend for courts in Europe and North America to prioritise equality and non-discrimination above religion, placing the right to religious freedom in danger." … The academic, a former president of the European Society for Philosophy of Religion, complains that courts are attempting to determine the nature of religious faith for themselves.]

[Secularism: Its content and context - The Immanent Frame by Akeel Bilgrami on Oct 20, 2011 1:06 PM I propose, then, something like the following non-arbitrary stipulation as a characterization of secularism that contains all of the three features I had mentioned at the outset.

(S): Should we be living in a religiously plural society, secularism requires that all religions should have the privilege of free exercise and be evenhandedly treated except when a religion’s practices are inconsistent with the ideals that a polity seeks to achieve (ideals, often, though not always, enshrined in stated fundamental rights and other constitutional commitments) in which case there is a lexical ordering in which the political ideals are placed first. Much commentary is needed on this minimal and basic characterization.]

[Tusar N. Mohapatra has left a new comment on your post "Welcome Auro Truths": Posted to Savitri Era at 6:17 PM, January 25, 2012

Religion being a tangible form of spirituality runs as an amalgamation of politics and culture. The teachings of The Mother & Sri Aurobindo aim at transformation in all these spheres and hence should be perceived as revolutionary. TNM55]

A self-proclaimed authentic voice of the so called the Aurobindonian collective imagines a world without religion and politics. Cushioned living in the Ashram may be the reason for such hallucination, but imposing the same on others is certainly not cricket. [TNM55]

Six degrees (and a third) of separation from Fakir Mohan

2012-01-25T19:48:00.000+05:30

[Salman Rushdie is poor, substandard writer: Juctice Katju Times of India PTI | Jan 25, 2012

Referring to the Jaipur festival, Katju said one would have expected "serious discussion on literature, particularly indigenous literature" of the likes of Kabir, Premchand, Sharat Chandra, Manto, Ghalib, Faiz, Kazi Nazrul Islam and Subramania Bharti. … Katju maintained that the whole history of the great Indian literature, rich in its variety, from Valmiki and Vyas to modern times should have been discussed. There could also have been a discussion on foreign writers like Dickens, Shaw, Victor Hugo, Balzac, Flaubert, Upton Sinclair, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Gorki and Pablo Neruda, he said. …

He said India is facing massive socio-economic problems today and literature should address these. "The struggle which Kabir waged against narrow sectarianism, which Sharat Chandra waged against the caste system and women's oppression, which Faiz waged against despotism, which Subramania Bharti waged for nationalism and women's emancipation, which Dickens and Gorki waged against exploitation and social injustice - these are the matters which should have been discussed at Jaipur. Instead, Rushdie dominated most of the show," he said.]

[Falling In Love With The Novel from The Middle Stage - Dec 7, 2011

Oriya writer Fakir Mohan Senapati’s limber and anarchic Six Acres and a Third, every bit as powerful today as it was when first published in 1902. Other great books of an Indian pantheon might include UR Ananthamurthy’s Samskara and Bharathipura (Kannada), Salma’s The Hour Past Midnight (Tamil), and the Bengali novels of Mahasweta]

[Fakir Mohan Senapati and the Indian novel from The Middle Stage - Oct 9, 2011

Oriya writer Fakir Mohan Senapati appears to have asked himself: “Is there an Indian way of writing a novel?” Ramanujan had to identify or isolate his answer; Senapati had to invent his. Senapati poured his idiosyncratic novelistic awareness into a story called Chha Mana Atha Guntha, published in serial form in an Oriya magazine from 1895-97, then as a book in 1902, and at long last in an English translation adequate to its linguistic energy and narrative agility as late as 2006.]

Katju is unaware of Fakir Mohan Senapati, it seems. Odisha Peoples’ Unity Council is organizing 2nd Fakir Mohan Memorial Lecture and Award Presentation ceremony on January 31, 2012 at 5.3o pm in the Constitution Club, New Delhi. [TNM55]

Farce of the dwarf-JP

2012-01-25T14:05:00.000+05:30

[P.C. Joshi and Indian Cultural Renaissance - Mainstream Weekly › June 09, 2007 by Anil Rajimwale

P.C. Joshi, the General Secretary of the CPI from 1935 to 1947, left an indelible mark on the modern cultural history of India, in both the pre- and post-independence periods. And this is an extraordinary event of history. … The first All India Progressive Writers’ Conference was held on April 10, 1936 (in Lucknow). … P. C. Joshi mobilised a great many writers and artists prior to and in the course of the formation and growth of the PWA and IPTA. …

The foundation conference of the IPTA coincided with the First Congress of the CPI (May 23 to June 1, 1943). The first CPI Congress was a great political event. But it was also a great cultural event, which is equally important. … THE foundation Conference of the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) was held on May 25, 1943 in Marwari Vidyalaya, Bombay (now Mumbai).

The Conference was preceded by several preparatory events culminating in the IPTA—formation of the PWA (1936), foundation of the Youth Cultural Institute in Calcutta in 1940, creation of the People’s Theatre in Bangalore in 1941 by Anil de Silva, a lady of Ceylonese origin, formation of the Bombay IPTA in 1942 with herself (Anil de Silva) at the centre and other events.]

[The politics of culture in the shadow of capital - Google Books Result - 593 pages Lisa Lowe, David Lloyd - 1997 - Business & Economics

Through linguistic diversification, IPTA artists used the theater as a vehicle for awakening a spirit of protest among "the people" that would merge into a collective antifascist and anti-imperialist consciousness. Similarly, joint authorship of plays indicates a collective political undertaking …]

[588 Sumangala Damodaran, Protest through music Seminar.com 2008

THE use of music as a mode of expressing protest has historically involved the adoption of diverse forms from across cultures, ranging from the traditional to the new. … The formation of the Indian People’s Theatre Association in 1943 marked a formal adoption of the idea that music and theatre would be used for the conscious articulation of protest. In India, this was one of the early, if not the first, attempts to use music, dance, theatre and art for the systematic articulation of protest against oppression, particularly class based. Across the country, a large number of the best-known artists of the time became part of the IPTA, attempting to create alternative aesthetic products. Regional and provincial branches of the IPTA were formed, all engaged in the creation of this alternative aesthetic… Notes from the revolution - Times Of India 27 Dec 2010 – (Crooning glory: The IPTA choir in K A Abbas's film 'Dharti Ke Lal'.) And protest music from the first half of the 20th century.]

The Left turn of culture has paid rich dividends in the pre-tv age, but now they look like fossils. The Hindutva brigade, unfortunately, prefers the safety of mythology instinctively and plays defensively against cultural imperialism. The present chaos involving language and creativity in India may be a fine tension for throwing up inspired works with the potential of electrifying the whole nation, but the kind of receptivity required for such galvanization is sadly absent.

The rise and fall of Anna Hazare is illustrative of all that is detrimental in the Indian society today. The appeal of this dwarf-JP has rather more affinity with the Advani-led Mandir movement. And the most devastating aspect is the colossal intellectual and cultural vacuum within which he and his cohorts operate. [TNM55]

Savitri Era is a distinct religion

2012-01-24T20:08:00.001+05:30

[Puja in govt offices won't hurt secularism: HC Timesof India - A Subramani, TNN Jan 18, 2012, CHENNAI: Is conducting Ayudha Puja or Saraswathi Puja in government offices a non-secular activity deserving to be banned? 'No', the Madras high court has ruled.

"Showing respect to the place of work and the objects of work will in no way offend the feelings of others or affect secularism. Ayudha Puja is referable to prayer, reverence or respect given to objects through which an individual performs his profession or occupation. Ayudha Puja in its real terms transcends all religion," a division bench of Justice R Sudhakar and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan has said.]

[Delhi High Court issues orders to turn volume of loudspeakers at ... India Today - 8 Jan 2012 Here's some music for the ears of those looking for a respite from the "noisy" loudspeakers at temples, mosques and other religious institutions in Delhi… Turn down the volume: HC on loudspeakers for prayers - Indian Express 11 Jan 2012 – “Such acts are likely to lead to simmering of ill-will and grievances, which, in turn, leads to communal tension. Therefore, such practices and ...]

[UPSCStudy Notes: Uniform civil code vs. Right to Religion upscportal.com 17 Feb 2010 – S.P. Mittalvs. Union of India: The Majority in this case taking a very restricted view of religion held that the teachings of Sri Aurobindo constituted a philosophy and not religion even if their followers claimed them to be their religion.

Chinnappa Reddy, J: In a dissenting opinion said "the question is not whether Sri Aurobindo refused to claim or denied that he was founding a new religion or a new school of religious thought but whether his disciples and community thought so because religion is a matter of belief and doctrine, concerning the human spirit, expressed overtly in the form of ritual and worship and since Aurobindo's disciples took Aurobindo's teachings in that spirit the teachings constituted a distinct religion.]

Courts in India continue to deliver conflicting verdicts regarding matters related to religion. The fight for securing the status of a “distinct religion” (as adjudicated by Justice Reddy), however, is long for the Savitri Erans. [TNM55]

18 minus

2012-01-24T16:24:00.000+05:30

A home-tutor once commented that the school-goer is his employer. The ubiquity of children appearing in tv-ads also tells how they are crucial to sales. Since the shape of the future society leans upon the young of today, passing on the ethical values and the rationale thereof onto them assumes importance. It is, of course, debatable whether the human goodness is intrinsic and unfolds from the beginning or socially useful skills need to be inculcated in children in a structured manner. Be that as it may, the thought that our fate lies in the hands of the youngsters strikes as a bit disconcerting.

Bulk of political thought, ordinarily, leave out the ambition of women and children from its ambit. While men blame the Government or God for the ills of society, women blame men, and the children their elders. The dynamics of empowerment, therefore, is a much more complex affair than what is understood superficially. Monochromatic political ideals may be surviving due to university sponsorship, but the social reality is otherwise. The age of majority, too, needs lowering in view of inescapable exposure to visual media and social networking avenues. [TNM55]

Five dreams and seven facets

2012-01-24T14:44:00.000+05:30

[Even those who reject my ascription of R1 noumenato Heidegger will probably concede that they are defended by Kant. What this means is that all six realist doctrines in Braver’s matrix have been upheld by at least one of his anti-realist heroes. Hence, there would seem to be no central anti-realist thread in his story. This is why I proposed an additional A7 doctrine of Privileged Human-World relation; surely A7 is the one common thread leading through continental anti-realism from Kant to Derrida. A FESTIVAL OFANTI-REALISM 203 Graham Harman PHILOSOPHY TODAY SUMMER 2008 10:26 AM]

[Whorf also discusses the planes of linguistics: “But in the science of linguistics, the facts of the linguistic domain compel recognition of serial planes, each explicitly given by an order of patterning observed…First, the plane “below” the strictly linguistic phenomena is a physical, acoustic one, phenomena wrought of sound waves; then comes a level of patterning in rippling muscles and speech organs, the physiological-phonetic plane; then the phonemic plane, patterning that makes a systematic set of consonants, vowels, accents, tones, etc. for each language; then the morphophonemic plane…then the plane of morphology…then the further planes still…” (p 248) The book is available online. Comment on Linguistic abilities of babies by Sandeep from Comments for Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother by Sandeep]

Approaching Sri Aurobindo is an enormous challenge and perhaps the best course is to proceed like a blind man encountering an elephant. The possible seven facets can be like the following and still the fear of missing his essence remains. [TNM55]

Indian culture and literary criticism
Savitri and other creative output
Vedic and scriptural commentaries
Yoga psychology and transformation
Education, ethics, and the evolutionary imperative
Philosophy and integralism
Political thought and the five dreams