19 July 2008

Do not interfere in The Mother's affair

It is an irony that most of the people engaged in writing and discussing on spiritual matters do not have any spiritual seeking personally in their life. They only love intellectual exercises in such matters. They never think –what for such discussions are necessary to them and others. There have been people in all ages who love metaphysical exercises and many of them had important contributions to the subject itself. Metaphysics –in its own way helped mankind a lot. The very stuff of mind in man gets organized through systematic culture and disciplined methods in metaphysical matters. Idea and Reasoning –the two most important elements of human mind –can get sustenance from each other in serious metaphysical approaches and it is an essential evidence of the progression of the development of human mind. Man is after all the mental animal.

But the innate urge for spiritual truth has nothing to do with metaphysics. Spiritual knowledge comes from the direct touch of a living truth-whereas through metaphysics we may only conclude mentally the existence of a truth with the support of our reasoning faculty.

We have seen that some realized spiritual persons explained –what they had realized through their spiritual sadhana-in terms of metaphysics or philosophies. This –they did for two purposes. Firstly, in order to explain the process and background of their realizations to the people (especially the disciples) in respect of the truth. Secondly they felt that study of philosophy and shastra –helped sadhakas acquiring keen discerning ability to differentiate between false appearance of something by mixture or by manipulation through subtle sense faculties and what is real.

The Gurus in ancient India trained and initiated their disciples by infusing the truth of time-tested shastras with their spiritual aspiration. In recent history Anirvan (disciple of Swami Nigamananda Saraswati) grew up as a realized spiritual person –siddha yogi, through this traditional way of spiritual sadhana.

However –for a true and sincere spiritual seeker –it is not indispensible. Great yogis and saints appeared in India and elsewhere –from time immemorial –some of whom were even illiterate. Sri Chaitanya was brilliantly accomplished in his knowledge of shastras and metaphysics –whereas Sri Ramakrishna could barely read and write. But both were equally great spiritual personalities and possessed immense spiritual power to give spiritual shelters to thousands of people. I have written so much only to say that without the inner fire mere discussions of spiritual matters are useless exercises. It’s no way superior to the discussions that people love to enjoy discussing on various matters in Coffee-houses (like Calcutta Coffee House-the most renowned in India in this matter). Even the coffee-house type discussions may prove to be helpful to some philosophers, litterateurs (like Jean Paul Sartre etc in Paris) and students. This is because the subjects discussed in such places fall in the region of mind. But for a devotee, a seeker for spiritual truth –it may prove to be disastrous let alone not being helpful.

To ordinary persons-such discussions (or ‘adda’ in Bengali) are harmless. It is a sign of our shining minds. But when the same persons who feign as devotees and seekers in the path as shown by Sri Aurobindo –and engage themselves in mud-slinging whenever there arise acute differences in expounding Sri Aurobindo and matters associated with his name-we are faced with serious doubt about the chastity of their devotion. They feel themselves as intellectuals. But the most pitiful matter is that they are pseudo-intellectuals who do not have that mental ability or quality to grasp intellectually –how Sri Aurobindo- precisely, meticulously and with extraordinary disciplinary way using his reasoning strides for intuitive gallops (almost turning reason as idea)-established the Truth in his two books Life Divine and Synthesis of Yoga. There is an allurement in Sri Aurobindo-his intellectual appearance. So Tom, Dick and Harry of the West and Ram, Shyam and Jadu in India rush towards him and get engaged in intellectual exercises. They think that they understand Sri Aurobindo in this way. They are mistaken. Sri Aurobindo was never an intellectual. But –in spite of that he is regarded as intellectual. Sri Aurobindo was not a saint-not a philosopher and not even was a yogi. It was he who uttered this about himself. He loved to be seen himself as a poet. Was his uttering about his true identity mere romantic? It is more than half a century now since he left his mortal body. But still –in spite of all his subtle hints we –the ordinary people still in ignorance about the nature of his work and its fall-out and even if he was an Avatar –in what crucial way he was different than the Avatar-Vasudeva! He was a poet –kavi . A kavi is he who is a seer and he was a creator (kavi kratu). He and his manifesting shakti-The Mother brought down newness. A new world –they created. But it’s free from all old impurities. So to us who refuse to accept this newness altogether will see it –face it –experience it as disaster. The world is no more what we conceive of it now and continue to judge it with the now-defunct yardstick of old moral and ethical standards. Why so much stress was given by total surrender? It’s only because –we must erase everything of us –whatever there are we are constituted of-must not exist. We must create a pure blank of ourselves so that they can have that easier for them to create with us new beings. If for at any moment we think or feel that we are as ordinary beings carrying our individual habitual power, notion and ideas-we are not ready.

Unfortunately-after their having said, done and sacrificing everything of their lives for us the ignorant human beings-we sit comfortably in a coffee-house like adda-to judge whether the lives in Sri Aurobindo and Auroville are going according to our own conception of right or wrong. Sri Aurobindo once said that we should never criticize our motherland-unless we can improve it. Sri Aurobindo engaged himself in World War by sitting alone in his room in Pondicherry and guided the situations as he liked. I’ll request those who criticize Ashramites and Aurovillians –to change their way –if it is not right by applying inner spiritual power and not by conniving with corrupted politicians. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother always insisted on changing through change of consciousness.

Finally, the people –the self-appointed judges must think with their old moral norms that many of the Ashramites left their cozy affluent life behind in order to do sadhana. I’m telling of those young boys and girls who are Ashramite now. Many of their pocket-money was more than 50 thousand per month. They left their loving parents, brothers and sisters etc only to lead life as Ashramites. These arm-chair intellectuals must not have any right to speak foul about their abode-given to them –by their Mother. So let the matter be looked over by The Mother and her children of the Ashram.

I will ask these self-appointed critics to help us getting rid of the twenty-first century’s most dreaded enemies-THE POLITICIANS. They steal your money. At least Sri Aurobindo Ashram does not interfere in your personal matters and never has stolen your money.

9 July 2008

Sunday wild & divine flowers

This is a photograph taken by getolina-as she is known in Flickr photographic site. The photo was taken on June 8, 2008 by Canon PowerShot A630. Who is getolina? She is as she informed me in the following words: "Well, to begin with, I'm European, Eastern European, Romanian... so my mother tongue is Romanian and my name is Georgeta... shortly Geta getolina is a name I received from a friend of mine and I like it, so I took it as my name in Flickr." getolina is a friend of mine. She is kind, generous and a very friendly woman. She is also an extraordinary photographer. While visiting her photo stream I found this photo. Later I asked her-"Can such beautiful and soft flowers be wild? I have never seen this flower. But it's very beautiful. I only want to know whether it has sweet fragrance or not. If yes-then call it divine flower instead of wild. And you have made a wonderful shot." In response she informed -"Thank you so much for your interest in my photo. Yes, they are wild flowers, they bloom in Europe, in forests, at the beginning of June. They are the flowers of the elder bush, which can be seen almost everywhere in beech forests. They smell also very well... It's a kind of sweet and stringent smell... but powerful if you collect more flowers... And more... if you pic them, mix them with lemon, sugar and water, you obtain a very refreshing drink. And if you dry them, you can also make tea. I know, but I've never try yet that the black berries they have in August are very good also for making home jam. So, I think you are right... They are divine flowers... Thank you again so much!!" I fell in love with this flowers and so asked her permission in respect of publishing her photograph and her comments (in response to my query). She has soon permitted me to publish all this.

6 July 2008

Judgement of The Mother

Many years ago I came to know from newspapers when I was in Asansol that there was litigation between the Aurovillians and the Sri Aurobindo Society in respect of control over Auroville. It’s not my business here to go into the details on that matter. One of my friends who was very against whatever was associated with Sri Aurobindo and the Mother-taking a cue from that news told bad things against all of them and asked my opinion –why such things could happen with those who were the children of the so called Divine Mother! I was already depressed myself –rather confused and shocked, floundered for a speech in defense of the children. It was –as if an ordeal to me to save somehow the great names that were linked with the litigation as in some quarters there arose questions against the wisdom of such dream for a habitat of future man named after Sri Aurobindo by the Mother as-Auroville. Even it was criticized as a Utopia when the existing habitat of the Indians was in a shabby condition. However in my desperation as a self appointed advocate in defense of the Mother and the Aurovillians I retorted to my friend “ Do you think that Auroville will grow without troubles and problems-internal and external to fulfill the dream of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo-in the midst of hellish mud and mire of human consciousness? Being a devotee of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo-I was delighted to know the event of the foundation of Auroville. I personally cherish and live on the prospect of human evolution as prophesized by Sri Aurobindo. But I can not think that it will come without paying a cost or without being tormented at the struggle between the truth and ignorance within me. Auroville is an infant and is growing as pushed by its own soul from inside it. But it is growing from within us also-though we are not Aurovillians. Like a child it will falter and even fall and even move in a wrong way. But these facts of life can not deter it from attaining its adulthood as visualized by the Mother. And for us-who want to see Auroville to grow in a great exemplary way-must collaborate from outside. Did not the Mother want it from us? We should never forget that for a single fault or fall of a single Aurovillian –the responsibility lies equally with us also being a part of humanity. Aurovillians come also from the same species. Do not try to take the advantage of another’s shoulder for keeping your gun to shoot your target.” But after about forty years, while I myself have felt breaking down under the widespread news from both the print and electronic media that things are far from good with those whom I love as the most exemplary communities for our hope for the future –I prayed to the Mother in the same desperation I remembered her to my friend. After touching the birthday blessing of the Mother on my forehead I woke up in the morning and felt happy on the first day of my individual New Year. But after some hours while surfing the Internet I chanced to see several sites which were full of such information which could not be expected by the devotees of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. My eyes were filled with tears and I asked my Mother why such things happened. Could not be those people be otherwise? All the true answers come from within. None in this world can offer a true answer. We are never denied answers of our sincere and serious questions by the Mother. So after praying to the Mother I tried to become peaceful and calm. After an hour or two I just opened a book casually without knowing the name of the book and its author. I opened the book in the middle of its pages. I saw a heading-JUDGING OTHERS. The Mother says under it: “Unless your vision is constantly the vision of the Divine in all things, you have not only no right but no capacity to judge the state which others are in. And to pronounce a judgment on someone without having this vision spontaneously, effortlessly, is precisely an example of the mental presumptuousness of which Sri Aurobindo always spoke….And it so happens that one who has the vision, the consciousness, who is capable of seeing the truth in all things, never feels the need to judge anything whatever. For he understands everything and knows everything. Therefore, once and for all, you must tell yourselves that the moment you begin to judge things, people, circumstances, you are in the most total human ignorance. In short, one could put it like this: when one understands, one no longer judges and when one judges, it means that one does not know”. The name of the book: The Sunlit Path-page 153

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