Sunday, July 31, 2011

Inauguration of Sri Aurobindo Bhavan in Guwahati by J.B. Patnaik


Governor opens Aurobindo Bhavan Assam Tribune Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, July 31 – Governor JB Patnaik today formally inaugurated the Aurobindo Bhavan at Panjabari at a function organised by Sri Aurobindo Society.
In his address, Patnaik lauded the efforts of the organisers in setting up the Aurobindo centre in Assam, and said that it would help spread the eternal message of the great saint-philosopher of modern India in the North-east. 
Referring to Sri Aurobindo’s prophecy that a day would come when the division of India’s would go and it would again become its undivided self, the Governor exhorted all to “pray and work for that day to come and try in the meanwhile to tread on the noble path he has shown for us.” 
Giving an account of Sri Aurobindo’s life and works, Patnaik said that he was not just the greatest saint and philosopher of modern India but was the noblest messenger of the eternal essence ingrained in Indian philosophy to a global audience for ages. Gopal Bhattacharjee, international secretary, Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry, Prof KK Deka, Vice Chancellor, Dibrugarh Universty, among others, were present at the function.

After opening up a few centres in the State, Sri Aurobindo Society – an international organization recognized by the Government of India – will open its new branch in Guwahati. The Sri Aurobindo Bhavan will be inaugurated by Assam Governor JB Patanaik on July 31 at Panjabari in the city.
The branch has been set up with the objective of spreading the teachings and ideals of Aurobindo Ghosh. It will initially start a few meditation programmes, said Sri Aurobindo Society international secretary and Northeast coordinator Gopal Bhattacharjee.
A meeting and a cultural programme will be held on July 31 at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra. Dibrugarh University KK Deka will attend the programme as the chief guest and will release the Assamese translation of four books – Prayers and Meditation, Sunlit Path, Supreme Discovery and Sidelights on the Mother. The books have been translated by Sri Aurobindo Society, Assam State committee secretary Indrajit Goswami.
Sri Aurobindo Society Guwahati branch secretary Ellora Goswami said that among other projects, the branch plans to build a library which will include books and writings of Aurobindo Ghosh.
The English play, “Auroville, an awakening” dwelt on the sequence of events culminating in the creation of the Matri Mandir at Auroville. The play also featured certain pivotal moments in the life of Sri Aurobindo. 
The Hindu : NATIONAL - TAMIL NADU : Coimbatore today
Sri Aurobindo Devotees: Pushpanjali offerings, Sasibalika Vidya Mandir, 9.30 a.m.; Sri Annai Meditation Centre, Kovaipudur, 4 p.m. 
Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Motilal Roy attempted to establish deva-sangha in seed-form in Chandernagore


SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011
Chennai today Sri Aurobindo Society: Meeting, 5, Smith Rd., Anna Salai, 10.30 a.m.
Coimbatore today Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Group: Pushpanjali offerings and prayers to Sri Annai, Sasi Balika Vidya Mandir, Azar Road, R.S. Puram, 9.30 a.m., Sri Annai Meditation Centre, WTC, Kovaipudur, 4 p.m.
Madurai today Sri Aravindar Annai Trust: Collective meditation, TVS Community College, 8 Goods Shed Street, 10 a.m.
Auronet auroville Sunday 24 Jul
Meeting / 2011-07-24 00:30 regular meeting
Class / 2011-07-24 09:00 Sunday Group Meditation at Verite
Class / 2011-07-24 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Class / 2011-07-24 16:00 Reading Savitri at Savitri Bhavan
[Discourse on the ‘Upanishad’ – by Dr. Shikha Mukherjee, Sat, July 23, 6:30pm – 7:30pm Monthly on the fourth Saturday, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture, Kolkata]
Integral Consciousness (Trailer) | Yoga Classes Yoga Training Yoga ...
The film includes a history of Integral Yoga, from Sri Aurobindo's origins as a revolutionary leader determined to free India from British rule, ...
The Radiant Daughter. A spiritual biography of Savitri as we have in Sri Aurobindo's epic Savitri. The Brilliant Summoner's Chant ...
Savitri: the Light of the Supreme :: 09: The Radiant Daughter: The ...
The Radiant Daughter. A spiritual biography of Savitri as we have in Sri Aurobindo's epic Savitri. Till then no mournful line had barred this ray. ...
Savitri Era Devotees: Sri Aurobindo is now in the subtle physical ...
Sri Aurobindo shows himself according to the need of each one and in the subtle physical the things are not as fixed as they are ...
the Orchid and the rOse: Family, country, money, & monkey mind
Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. ... In the following selections from various works, Sri Aurobindo points out the true ...
The community of those who want the deva-jivana is the deva-sangha. Motilal has begun an attempt to establish this kind of community in seed-form in Chandernagore and to spread it across the country. If the shadow of the fragile ego falls upon this sort of endeavour, the community turns into a sect. 
Excerpt from “The Alternate Nation of Abanindranath Tagore” by Debashish Banerji Abanindranath does not seem to have been sympathetic to the deconstruction of the subject attempted by Cubism. In a conversation with Nandalal Bose and Kshitimohan Sen, he spoke of Cubism as having “brought anarchy in its train.”
The Foundations of Indian Culture, by Sri Aurobindo, Sri AurobindoAshram ... Mother India and Her destiny, by the Mother. Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, ...
Spirituality & Practice: Book Excerpt: Seeking the Sacred, by ...
"From India, twentieth-century teacher Sri Aurobindo put it like this: ..."What Sri Aurobindo in his wisdom was pointing to is a question of perception. ...
'Sri Aurobindo Foundation for Integral Management' (SAFIM) is a centre of Excellence in Management, established by Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry. ...
Having now completed a review of the options that do not involve the concept of rebirth, and having found them wanting in various major criteria as to an explanation of the facts we find when reviewing human existence, Sri Aurobindo now turns his attention to an assortment of concepts that have come up in various parts of the world to explain the reality and the mechanisms of rebirth. 
Tusar N Mohapatra (b. 1955) is Founder President of Savitri Era Party that draws inspiration from the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. As Director of Savitri Era Learning Forum (SELF) based in Indirapuram,Ghaziabad, he has been engaged in blogging since 2005 for dissemination of integral approach to self-development. His comments on diverse subjects appear regularly at Savitri Era. A selection of his poems is at Tusar N Mohapatra and his voice at silikaa (You Tube). Other notable blogs tended by him are rainbOwtherMusepaperMarketimeFeel Philosophy, & Evergreen Essays. Besides, he is Advisor of Odia Mahamanch. [TNM55] 8:08 PM 

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Four pillars of the contemporary wisdom literature of India


Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry: The Eye & I Workshop/Retreat on Creative Thinking and Writing (new)
Are you interested in tapping your inner creativity and its expression? Sri Aurobindo Society is organising a three day workshop/retreat on Creative Thinking and Writing (The Eye and I) at our Delhi Centre on 26th, 27th and 28th August 2011. For details please download: E-BrochureCreativity Workshop Registration Form Email for more information: response@sriaurobindosociety.org.in 
Lecture "Integral Yoga" by Kundan Singh | India Currents
Singh obtained his Ph.D. from the San Francisco-based California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in East-West Psychology. He has a deep knowledge and sincere commitment to the philosophies of Sri Aurobindo and Haridas Chaudhuri, who brought Integral Yoga to California in 1951. Kundan teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and CIIS, where he offers a lively comparison of the works of Aurobindo and Chaudhuri with postmodern philosophers, both East and West. In this lecture, Kundan will outline the salient points of Integral Philosophy including its core teachings from Aurobindo and Chaudhuri, as well as its roots originating from the teachings of Ramakrishna and Vivekananda, forefathers who brought Indian spirituality to the West.
SundaySep 112011 - 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Organized By Cultural Integration Fellowship, 2650 Fulton St., San Francisco, 94118 Contact Info (415) 668-1559 culturalfellowship@sbcglobal.net, www.culturalintegrationfellowship.org
Mahabiplabi Arabindo was released on 1971 Bengali film starring Dilip Roy, Tarun Kumar, Bhanu Banerjee, Gita Dey, Subrata Chatterjee, Ajitesh Banerjee, Shekhar Chattapdhyay, Nirmal Ghosh, Padma Debi. The Bengali film is directed by Dipak Gupta. Hemanta Mukhopadhyay scored the music in the film. The story is as Arabinda Ghosh the brilliant boy of Bengal after completion of his education from abroad joined Baroda estate. He was well-connected with Bengal from Baroda. Arabinda wrote some great article on independence from there. Armed revolution took and important role in Bengal under the leadership of different leaders in that time. Arabinda came from Baroda and joined that movement. Later he was convicted in Alipore Bomb Case. C R Das the great leader and advocate stood in the support of Arabinda Ghosh.
He fought against the British and after a long battle C R Das won the case. Arabinda came out of jail with a different mind. He started his new life on the path of religion and philosophy and became an avid devotee of god... Watch it on (Streamindian.com)
Sri Aurobindo Society is an international non-governmental organization recognised by the Government of India as a charitable and research institute.
Beyond the Limitations of the Physical ... - Sri Aurobindo Studies
Sri Aurobindo raises questions to move our thought process beyond this limitation: “But what if it were found with the increase of our knowledge, ...
Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. Skip to content. Home · Cosmology · Nature of SpaceTime · Constitution of Man ...
Aurora Mirabilis: One must not cling to the memories of past ...
Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother. ...According to Sri Aurobindo, when one dies do we retain memories in a certain way, ...
Tusar N Mohapatra: The Mother's many volcanic ideas that shook us ...
[Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.] Director, Savitri Era Learning Forum. [SELF posits a model of counselling and communicative ...
Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. ...Demolishing Sri Aurobindo's opposition is our prime task. Sri Aurobindo is yet to ...
Flowers and their Messages by The Mother at Vedic Books
Though primarily a book of the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's touch is invariably... In 1914 she journeyed to India to meet the Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo in ...
And for that purpose the Centre is taking lessons from Rabindranath Tagore, Swami Vivekananda, Mahatma Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo – the four pillars of the contemporary wisdom literature of India ... [Management by Values: Towards Cultural Congruence, Spirituality in Management, Means or End (Indian Perspective)]
Saturday 23 Jul
Class /2011-07-23 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Workshop /2011-07-23 09:30 Somatic Movement - one day workshop
Class /2011-07-23 16:00 Reading Savitri at Savitri Bhavan
Workshop /2011-07-23 17:00 Mudra-Chi - A body prayer

Friday, July 22, 2011

Sri Aurobindo was like I was, confused and bewildered, confronted with a million existential questions


Sri Aurobindo Devotees Prayer Centre will organise essay, oratory and question and answer contests for students in connection with Sri Aurobindo's 139th birthday celebrations. ... contact: A. T. Ravindran, principal organiser, 347, Alagesan Road, Saibaba Colony, Coimbatore – 641011. Mobile numbers: 9629730809.
Since 1963, he has been an ashramite at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. Manoj Das is currently an English professor at the Sri Aurobindo International ...
And from there to S. Murali's invocation of Sri Aurobindo's Savitri, an epic poem published in 1970, which aspires to transcend the material plane and “the ... [The mantra of vision: An overview of Sri Aurobindo's aesthetics]
Sri Aurobindo and Ramana spoke to me. I lived through the struggles of these great minds. While Ramana sounded simple at the outset he made me pause and think. Sri Aurobindo was tough. But then I was fortunate enough to read through all that he wrote, not missing out any single line. His complexity I found was only at the outside, while deep within he was like I was, confused and bewildered, confronted with a million existential questions, relishing the great aesthetic experience of being and becoming, at one with the universe. Of course it took me only a little while to recognize his great and steadfast will that gave him the continued impetus to forge ahead in the supreme quest of the spirit. I felt I understood the reason for his overt withdrawal from the world of politics into the silence and solitude of the ashram. It was not a withdrawal at all but an all inclusive immersion into the larger being of the cosmic spirit.
What delighted me most about this amazing intellectual yogi was his continued openness to the questions of the body and the intellect. Someone had called him a radical mystic. Yes, Sri Aurobindo gave clear cut answers to many of my questions. However the greatest challenge was in unlocking these observations in the laboratory of ones own mind. Behind every Jekyll there is this Hyde. It might be one thing to follow these teachings of these noble masters as teachings but another to experientially encounter them. My questing mind was always alert and devious, mischievous. I wanted the cake and to eat it too. Yoga and spirituality demanded great disciplining of the senses and the mind. I was worried whether these might lead to an incarceration of the sensuous self. I wanted the passions of the body and the soul to be equally well balanced. It was a virtual impossibility.
New Videos & Article - Conscious Evolution, Sri Aurobindo, 2011 AUM Conference, Alan Baiss
We would like to share some exciting videos and an article related to the production of our current film Concious. You may especially enjoy the 2011 AUM Conference clips. Thank you for your support Also visit our website Our mailing address is: Integral Inspirations, 895 Academy, VictoriaBritish ColumbiaV8V 2X8
Alan Baiss is the founder of Integral Inspirations and producer of the films Integral Consciousness, Conversations with Bina, and Conscious.  Alan graduated from the California Institute of Integral Studies and pursued a good career in psychotherapy until  a series of personal challenges redirected his life and he produced Integral Consciousness. For over two years this project was his passion and focus, and the beginning of a deeply personal journey.
Now, with the completion of two films, Alan's attention is devoted to Conscious. Two trips to India and countless hours of organizing profoundly fascinating interviews have placed this important project well on its way.
Integral Inspirations is a grassroots organization that believes an evolutionary leap in human consciousness is humanity's potential and birthright, and may be our best hope if we are to continue the human adventure.  Integral Inspirations is dedicated to playing its part in this spiritual transformation. 
Integral Inspirations film projects, which have been well received in venues around the world, feature the insights and wisdom of scholarly and respected individuals. 
Sales of Integral Consciousness are helping to produce the current film, Conscious (working title). See how you can become involved.
Aster Patel: Speaking on CHANGE at the 2011 AUM Conference, 73 seconds VIEW HERE More Aster Patel at the 2011 AUM and Loretta Shartsis CLICK HERE to view on Facebook 
Matthijas Cornellison: “OUR PRESENT STATE CANNOT BE THE FINAL STATE”, interviewed forConscious, 58 seconds VIEW HERE
Brian Swimme:   "WHAT WE SEE TODAY COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BY CHANCE", interviewed for Conscious, 67 seconds CLICK HERE to view on Facebook
ARTICLE: MAKING CONSCIOUS, film in production
An article in the Spring 2011 edition of Collaboration Journal that follows the unexpected and personal journey of the films Integral Consciousness and ConsciousTo view CLICK HERE  [from Integral Inspirations integralinspirations@yahoo.com date 22 July 2011 03:58]
 
Events Friday 22 Jul
Cinema /2011-07-22 (All day) Cinema::Cause Toujours
Class /2011-07-22 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Discourse on the ‘Upanishad’ – by Dr. Shikha Mukherjee
Sat, July 23, 6:30pm – 7:30pm Monthly on the fourth Saturday
Sri Aurobindo Institute of Culture tffs.anasua@gmail.com

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Birth of the next cycle of European civilization


Her flight path The Hindu July 21, 2011 ARTS » DANCE  Well-known dancer Anita Ratnam shares the trajectory of her journey through Bharatanatyam.
I carry with me now the monograph of Sri Aurobindo's “The Mother” which I read many years ago. His description of Mahashakti Mahakali Mahasaraswati is a seminal description of the ideal woman. So as I said, little windows and doors were beginning to open. I started to focus on women in myth and legends, but I couldn't just do them the way I was taught.
I had to re-imagine them and I realised that my strength would be new ways of speaking the old, but in a very convincing way — not just changing costume and doing the same choreography, or keeping the old costume of classical dance and just doing new choreography.
Born as Margaret Noble, Nivedita, who was also close to Rabindranath Tagore and Jagadish Chandra Bose and Sri Aurobindo, came to Kolkata in 1898 on a request from Swami Vivekananda to spread education among Indian women. She set up a school in 1899 ...
There's one thing that greatly worries Auroville-based artist Rajkumar Sthabathy — the disappearance of the man-on-the-street and his way of life. ...
The speaker at the workshop, Aviram Rozin, co-founder of Sadhana Forest, built on the outskirts of Auroville, spoke about his experience of turning 70 acres ...
The Rainbow Bridge - Sri Aurobindo's Savitri as a mantra for transformation. Under this title the second Dr. M.V. Nadkarni Memorial Lecture was given by ... 
“Food for Thought” and short introduction on national and European soul (introduction at the European Pavilion Meeting in Berlin, June 10-13, 2011) European Pavilion Meeting in Berlin On Saturday morning the meeting started with an introductory speech by Georg, who gave a summary of what Sri Aurobindo has said about the relationship ...
But here we come back to the very beginning of this introduction; the question then is, whether a European Union is just a temporary formation on the way to a spiritual mankind and can thus be – on the long rung – neglected as a collective body or if there is some kind of eternal truth in the European-unit, some kind of a true individual, that does not depend on present forms or ideas, if there is not only a vital soul, a life-soul and a communal mind, but as well the genuine spark of the divine developing into a European psychic being.
Do we have to deal, in the end, in a spiritual age, with the true individual, the true nation and a true humanity or with the true individual, the true nation, the true Europe/Asia/America/Africa/Australia, and the true humanity? – Is continental grouping thus truly genuine or a temporary phenomenon? 
So much as food for reflection for a hopefully inspiring and integrating experience.
Theories of Existence That Deny an Immortal Soul or Personality ...
Sri Aurobindo Studies. Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga ... Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Book 2, Part 2, Chapter 20, The Philosophy of Rebirth ...
The Madhya Pradesh Government has decided to introduce Gita lessons for school children in the State. Gita symbolises Indian culture and this decision reflects the desire of the BJP to influence the collective mind of the young and use the Gita to start a cultural renaissance in the State
Following Krishna, many a nation builders such as Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Vinoba Bhave, Vivekanand and in recent times, ...
An introduction to Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga
Sri Aurobindo Society is organising a talk on An introduction to Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga. By Ashesh Joshi On 27th July 2011 (Wed.) at 6:00 to 7:00p.m. All are welcome 
Venue - Sri Aurobindo Society 11, Sahakar, Opp: Sydnehm College,
B Road, Churchgate - 400 020. Ph: 022 2204 3076
Ashesh introduction 
“Born in Gujarat, Ashesh Joshi was an imate of Sri Aurobindo ashram for 20 years and since 2007, he is in Auroville. Since last few years he has been giving regular weekly workshops introducing various approaches to the Integral Yoga, at Savitri Bhavan, Auroville. He has just returned from a visit to Russia, Germany and Switzerland where he was invited to give talks and multimedia presentation on Sri Aurobindo’s Integral Yoga.”
Re: Union with our Inner Being MICHAEL MIOVIC mmiovic@..
For those who are open, Greece is still a treasure trove of mystical experience, and one can still experience the so-called "ancient" Gods in their inner or yogic reality in many spots--Delphi, Cape Sounion, at the Parthenon,Olympia, some islands, and many other spots both natural and man-made.  The re-discovery of these Gods and Goddesses still awaits the birth of the next cycle of European civilization. 
Coming Events
Thursday 21 Jul
Workshop /2011-07-21 (All day) Flowers and their Message.
Class /2011-07-21 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Event /2011-07-21 10:30 Foodlink Fresh
Class /2011-07-21 11:15 Dancing Astrology
Meeting /2011-07-21 15:00 working group regular meeting
Friday 22 Jul
Cinema /2011-07-22 (All day) Cinema::Cause Toujours
Class /2011-07-22 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Saturday 23 Jul
Class /2011-07-23 09:00 French Classes at Savitri Bhavan
Workshop /2011-07-23 09:30 Somatic Movement - one day workshop
Class /2011-07-23 16:00 Reading Savitri at Savitri Bhavan
Workshop /2011-07-23 17:00 Mudra-Chi - A body prayer

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Sri Aurobindo's mammoth contribution to modern Psychology

The ancient rishis and yogis realized, like their modern counterparts, that what ordinary people know about themselves is not worth much, but they did not shy away from the problem. Instead they analysed the causes for this human incapacity and then they set to work on methods to overcome these defects. They found that the two main problems were egoism, and a too naive reliance on what the senses make us believe.
Regarding the former, they found that the egoism expressed itself through desires, preferences and the natural “vested interests” we all have in the outcome of our self-observations. All such factors lead in their own way to distortions. What is more interesting is that they found that it is actually possible to remove these obstacles, and that this not only leads to greater clarity of thought, but also to a remarkable type of unconditional inner joy and effectiveness in action. The latter may be a surprise to those who have been brought up on the virtues of “ego-strength”, but there is convincing scientific evidence that the detachment furthered by yoga and meditation actually does lead to greater social effectiveness and life-satisfaction. An anecdotal but almost certainly historical support for this comes, besides, in the form of the life of the Buddha, a living example of selflessness, and yet, one of the most influential individuals who ever lived. …
Given the obvious treasures of psychological knowledge one can find alike in ancient scriptures like the Rg Veda, the Upanishads, and the works of modern yogis like Sri Aurobindo, it would be a great loss for humanity if modern Psychology chose to ignore this contribution. For the rishis developed something which mainstream psychology did not: a rigorous and effective method to develop detailed and reliable knowledge of the subjective domain. And this might well be the one thing humanity is presently most in need of. This entry was posted in Cognition & MethodologySociety. Bookmark the permalink.
Today we are publishing a unique collection of Sri Aurobindo’s letters to his wife which gives us a rare opportunity to peek in to the past of our Master, his early years of private life which reveals us something of his own personality in making or rather revealing of it out of ordinary human stuff.
The Creation Myth « Sri Aurobindo Studies
Sri Aurobindo is careful to point out that for those who are adherents to religious traditions, they may rely on their faith in the precepts of their ...
From man to superman « Evolving Judaism
The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision[4] is the evolution of life into a “life divine”. In his own words: “Man is a transitional being. ...
Auronet Sunday 17 Jul
Meeting/2011-07-17 00:30 regular meeting
Class/2011-07-17 09:00 Sunday Group Meditation at Verite
Class/2011-07-17 16:00 Reading Savitri at Savitri Bhavan