Rich Carlson is not representative of Americans

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Debashish Banerji is a hardcore Leftist": Quite interesting indeed. Debashish cries foul when the Asuric label is used against Peter Heehs but now he is reusing the same label to justify his own opinions. Everything Debashish says is also a contested reality. Let him not be so cocksure lest he be proved wrong later.

The best way to understand Peter Heehs is to observe Rich Carlson. They are cut from the same cloth. One has put his opinions in a book and the other expresses those same opinions on that blog.

1. They view the Mother as just a ordinary woman, an appendage to Sri Aurobindo and a non-intellectual who engaged in devotional theatrics.
2. They look down upon the devotees as inferior and backward people.
3. They trash the direct disciples for not having any critical thinking skills.
4. They claim to be independent and objective (read that as opinionated) scholars.
5. They claim to be practitioners of Integral Yoga though they refuse to accept another human being as their Guru.
6. They (or their physical minded ego) refuses to accept many of Sri Aurobindo's statements derived from Yogic experience. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era at 7:24 PM, July 14, 2009

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Debashish Banerji is a hardcore Leftist": lets face it..the americans are stupid and complete idiots where spirituality is concerned...lets just call a spade a spade...This is what the Mother said in the Agenda.

Disciple "The Americans have so little discernment. They rush headlong at anything".

Mother : "Absolutely no discernment".

If we ask the Americans to leave Ashram and Auroville there will be peace all around. Moreover Peter Hees can start his own ashram with his new disciples. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era at 8:33 AM, July 15, 2009

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Debashish Banerji is a hardcore Leftist": True, one should call a spade a spade sometimes but we (not having Mother's awareness) should resist such extreme characterization. Rich Carlson is not representative of americans many of whom are very sincere. I believe he has little or no real affinity for Mother and Sri A. And if we characterize all americans as we would RC, then RC would have suceeded in misleading us. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era at 10:43 PM, July 15, 2009

Sri Aurobindo is the farthest from the minds of Heehs supporters

Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "Alok never wanted a court case against Peter": "why don't you write and publish your own book to better inform what you consider to be all those "mislead" readers of Heeh's book? That would be constructive and something to be genuinely proud of rather than mere easy and unreflective criticism."

Would you prescribe that all those who read Heeh's book read mine? Oops, I forgot! I cant say that I am an ashram archivist - now, how many will read my book and believe me?! People with privilege and in positions of responsibility should be careful because they can cause a lot of damage before they can be counteracted!

What would be really constructive is if people such as YOU stopped seeing all matters through the narrow prism of "freedom". And lose the blind and immovable faith in Heehs. Again, as I said earlier and as your post demonstrates, Sri Aurobindo is the farthest from the minds of Heehs supporters. By the way, any scholar will tell you that criticism is not always easy or unreflective. Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 11:33 PM, June 23, 2009

Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "Alok never wanted a court case against Peter":

What you miss completely in your obsession with Heehs and his Rights are the points I have made already:

That his book is likely to reach a far wider audience than it might have bcos of the Columbia Univ. press label and the reviews by academics such as Kripal. The US academy (not so much the european ones) is notorious for how it throttles unfashionable views and labels them as non-liberal (and therefore 'uncivilized').

So pl. dont try to brainwash us about how freely anyone can write about anything. That everything is a level playing field is assumed to be a concocted theory of the american conservatives but is clearly also used by their liberal opponents when convenient to them. And of course I was only joking and dont see what credibility you have that will help promote 'my book' if I wrote one!

For some time at least no-one else can refute anything Heehs wrote because of the shield of authority that he has grabbed. Powerful arguments against him have already been made and you shouldn't be as smug as you seem to be that Heehs is intellectually invulnerable. The entire problem is with marketing these refutations and rebuttals and you know that. Maybe that IS the reason why you are so smug and keep repeating ad nauseum about how others too can write a book.

Ever heard of defamation??? You cant defame someone and then say that people who disagreed have only to write a book in response!! Stupid, arrogant solution if I ever heard one.

There clearly appear to be Ashram norms (written and unwritten) and issues of loyalty to the Guru all of which have been undercut by Heehs and his supporters. No institution can and should tolerate it and no US or European institution does - so why are they asking for special privileges in India? Heehs distortions and academic improprieties are being glossed over by people like you in this monominded defense of his rights. And unfortunately they will be overlooked by most of his uninformed readers as well.

And you deliberately continue to ignore the fact that many people might not like to write a book (or a pamphlet or anything else) in responding to Heehs simply because it means dragging Sri Aurobindo into the mud and exacerbating the controversy all over again. It's a dilemma that most of the Americans who are clearly spearheading all of this nonsense will never understand - for them it's only about rights and freedom of speech!

I see your undying support for Heehs but still no expression of any allegiance to Sri Aurobindo. I forgot! You have to be a fundamentalist to do that!

I have my doubts but I still hope you will have the humility to admit some of these. Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 11:57 PM, June 24, 2009

Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "Alok never wanted a court case against Peter":

As expected you skirted all the issues once again! I guess you weren't really interested in anything but your own views and your lack of humility could have been foreseen. But One Heehs has mattered a great deal in this case and it will take a while to set things right. If there is any lesson to be learned in this entire issue, it is probably that people like Heehs should never again be trusted in the Ashram's affairs. Fare well. Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 10:01 AM, June 27, 2009

Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "Alok never wanted a court case against Peter": "cheap and easy citicism of others"

It is you and your Guru Heehs who have taken the cheap and easy way out to defame SA, gain personal glory and profit at the same time, havent you? Not to mention lying about credentials, stealing other people's data, and taking advantage of the Ashram's liberality and rules. Then crying religious fundamentalism when challenged and expecting people to be pushovers. Didnt work, did it? Yes, I think you are wasting your time with me - it might be better spent on the converted at SCIY! Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 3:38 AM, June 28, 2009

I strongly disagree that someone like Kripal is a fellow traveler

A comment has been posted in reference to an article titled: India’s Independence and the Spiritual Destiny: Part A Comment posted by: Srikanth Comment permalink: http://www.mirroroftomorrow.org/blog/_archives/2009/6/22/4229761.html#1253543 Comment subject: Re: National attitudes in yoga Comment body:-------------Judging from how the quotes are directed, I can say that there appear to be two assumptions being made: one that we are all of us the Sadhaks that SA is talking to in those quotations! Second, I had implied by my questions that Indians were on the whole superior to westerners in their approaches to yoga and should keep their identities. I think both are wrong.

I asked several questions, of course, to know what others thought about them. Mainly, I wanted: to flesh out what it was that we were fighting for and to see if it was defensible; to debate the value of the tendency that makes Indians especially to keep out of a controversy and remain uninvolved even when it threatens matters and individuals very critical to their lives; to address the idea that anyone can write anything about SA and those who were offended by it should simply shut out their own better instincts and judgments; to argue against the dangerous assumption many make that everyone helps/contributes in their own ways (it is true at a deeper level Sri Aurobindo tells us but one has also to remember that he acted against those he thought were working against the Truth). I strongly disagree that someone like Kripal is a fellow traveler as Mr Mohapatra seemed to indicate. And not all those who claim to be following Sri Aurobindo should blindly be accepted as “Sadhaks”. Both SA and the Mother have also said that Indians by virtue of their spiritual heritage come with distinct advantages (doesn’t mean they have it easy). The loyalty to the Guru (not a narrow value as some would have us believe) is something that comes naturally to many of them (the contrast is very apparent in this Heehs controversy and they have held SA to be more important than any personal rights or freedom of expression). That does not mean that westerners are incapable of it or have nothing to offer or are unfit for IY – that is not at all what I implied.

I did bring up the issue of colonization for several reasons. Partly, I also wanted to analyze the publically aggressive and provocative behavior of some of Heehs supporters. For eg: one of the first responses of a “Sadhak” on SCIY (who recently floated a benign personality named Tony Clifton presumably to reinvent his image and appear cherubic himself!) to the Heehs controversy was an expression of regret that he had sponsored a visa for one of the letter writers (the lucky privileged few!!) and took a stance that was essentially nationalistic (wrong word? as some one said, Americans call themselves patriots. it’s all the others that may be branded as nationalists). Considering how much the visa is wielded as a weapon by the US, I am sure many who read it would have been particularly irked.

A comment has been posted in reference to an article titled: India’s Independence and the Spiritual Destiny: Part A Comment posted by: Srikanth
Comment permalink: http://www.mirroroftomorrow.org/blog/_archives/2009/6/22/4229761.html#1253545 Comment subject: Re: Re: National attitudes in yoga Comment body:-------------
““The sadhaka of the integral Yoga will make use of all these aids according to his nature; but it is necessary that he should shun their limitations and cast from himself that exclusive tendency of egoistic mind which cries, “My God, my Incarnation, my Prophet, my Guru,” and opposes it to all other realisation in a sectarian or a fanatical spirit. All sectarianism, all fanaticism must be shunned; for it is inconsistent with the integrity of the divine realisation.””

This particular one has been used extensively on SCIY for demonizing all those on the other side as fanatics, fundamentalists and sectarian zealots. I don’t see why I should assume that the SCIYites have arrived at this point (that SA refers to) in their own lives and have started to pursue IY or a spiritual life much less that they were already Sadhaks. In fact, the manner in which they have gone about their business suggests just the opposite. From what I have seen, they anointed themselves as Heehs’ guardian angels and responded to the personal and confidential correspondence of people on the other side (to the Trustees and other Ashramites) with Texan and American styled aggressiveness and expressions of justice. They quickly went on the offensive and in public began to accuse, shame, and prosecute all those they decided were their enemies. There does not seem to have been even a feeble attempt to talk privately or any show of restraint. If anything, the SCIYites talked down to everyone perhaps with the expectation that the other side would buckle and beg to be forgiven! Does anyone think that such misbehavior should be rewarded with love and forbearance or even yogic stoicism?? I don’t see how these quotes of Sri Aurobindo’s would be applicable to this type of Heehs supporters. In fact, you may have arrived on the scene quite late – there was a point when SCIY had become very derisive and critical of anyone that inconveniently quoted Sri Aurobindo or Mother to them!

A comment has been posted in reference to an article titled:India’s Independence and the Spiritual Destiny: Part A
Comment posted by: Kepler Comment permalink: http://www.mirroroftomorrow.org/blog/_archives/2009/6/22/4229761.html#1253593 Comment subject: Re: Re: National attitudes in yoga Comment body:-------------Srikanth, your comments are sharp and stimulating, as usual. Below are a few thoughts in reply.

Srikanth: “Judging from how the quotes are directed, I can say that there appear to be two assumptions being made: one that we are all of us the Sadhaks that SA is talking to in those quotations!“

The first two quotes are from a single long letter (SABCL v23, p555-560). If you read it carefully you'll see it appears to have been written to a westerner. The third quote is from the Synthesis of Yoga where Sri Aurobindo is addressing the broadest possible audience. All three seemed perfectly general to me and pertinent to the questions you raised. That's the only sense in which they were “directed”.

Srikanth: “the idea that anyone can write anything about SA and those who were offended by it should simply shut out their own better instincts and judgments”.

I'm hopeful you're not including support for things like violence, expulsion and imprisonment of an ashramite as part of “better instincts and judgments”. If those are the better ones I'd hate to see the worse.

Srikanth: “I wanted: to flesh out what it was that we were fighting for”

I also wonder what that is. If it's just freedom to express and act on hurt feelings and anger, it may be perfectly understandable human behavior, but let's not pretend there's anything yogic about it. If it concerns the negative impressions Heeh's book might give to others, one needs to also consider the negative impressions the reaction against the book is giving to others.

Srikanth: “And not all those who claim to be following Sri Aurobindo should blindly be accepted as 'Sadhaks'”.

Accepted by whom? Is there a certification board?

Srikanth: [moving on now to your second posted comment] “This particular [quote] has been used extensively on SCIY for demonizing all those on the other side”

The fact that a quote is frequently cited by people you don't like is irrelevant to the validity of the quote. I'll assume you're not disputing what Sri Aurobindo said, but that you just feel it's misapplied to the anti-Heehs campaigners.

Srikanth: “Does anyone think that such misbehavior should be rewarded with love and forbearance or even yogic stoicism?”

Well, if you mean yogic samata and equanimity, then absolutely yes. I could produce dozens of quotes from Sri Aurobindo prescribing yogic samata in the face of perceived insults, rudeness, or insensitivity from others. I can't think of a single quote where he counsels righteous indignation and outrage. That's because the latter have nothing to do with yoga or spirituality – they are purely reactions of the ordinary vital ego. Natural and common, yes; yogic or spiritual, no. And the nationality of those indulging in them is irrelevant. Of course I'm not attempting to disqualify speaking out to question or correct what one feels to be incorrect or misleading; that's a different matter.

Heehs has cast a cloud on his teacher's role as a nationalist

Robert E. Wilkinson has left a new comment on your post "Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville: pregnant diale...":

‘Auroville will become what it must be: only if and when the people living there will stop lying.’ The Mother, Mother’s Agenda, Vol. XIII, 18 Mar. 1973. Posted by Robert E. Wilkinson to Savitri Era at 6:54 PM, July 08, 2009

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Three Musketeers: Murray, Harris, & Webman":

Obadiah Harris in his letter (deliberately?) does not mention his connection with Debashish. Obadiah is the president at http://www.uprs.edu where Debashish is on the faculty. Check the faculty bios on the site. The lawyers of Heehs (SCIY) are working behind the scenes. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era at 11:44 PM, July 03, 2009

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Alok asked me to withdraw some confidential inform...": Paulette, "...the same is true about Purani's innocent comment, which depicts a much 'cool' Sri Aurobindo.".

I believe you are mistaken here. No one who has read Purani will even imagine or question his love and admiration for Sri Aurobindo. Words are not mere words but a means of expression of the consciousness of the writer and are therefore infused with his consciousness. The author here under the garb of rationality and academic posture has damned his teacher, cast a cloud on virtually everything that SA did in his life. He has cast a cloud on his teacher's role as a nationalist.

It is a tragic irony that after 60+ years of India's independance SA finds himself condemned (posthumously) by the "High court" of history that has held him negligent and therefore responsible for the bloodshed that accompanied the partition. And who is the judge of this court? It is SA's own disciple who delivers this stunning pronouncement and revelation. Contrast this with CR Das who stated

"..Long after he is dead and gone, his words will be echoed and re-echoed, not only in India but across distant seas and lands. Therefore, I say that the man in his position is not only standing before the bar of this Court, but before the bar of the High Court of History..".

I do believe you do not see it this way but if you pause and reflect a little the treachery of the book will reveal itself to you. It is because you are sincere that you find yourself withdrawing from the controversy. This naturally translates itself into a suspension of your overt support of the author and his book. Clearly those who are sincere the Divine Grace often prevents the seeker from being an instrument for perpetuating a falsehood. Why let the voice of your "friends" speak for your soul?. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era Open Forum at 12:47 AM, July 03, 2009

from DIBYENDU MUKHERJEE dibyendum@hotmail.com to Tushar Mohapatra tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com, R Y Deshpande rydesh@gmail.com date 7 Jul 2009 00:48 subject Information of National Workshop on Sri Aurobindo

We shall highly appreciate if you please put up the information of a National Worskhop to be held at Kolkata on August 1 & 2, 2009 entitled Sri Aurobindo's Political Life, the Alipore Bomb Trial and his Uttarpara Speech - A Centennial Perspective in your blogs. The workshop is being organized by The Institute of Integral Yoga Psychology, Mirravision Trust, Kolkata. The details of the same is attached herewith in a doc (MS-WORD) file. With best regards and wishes, Dibyendu Mukherjee

Chotochele has left a new comment on your post "Sri Chinmoy": Hello.

In my opinion Chinmoy was deluded. I refer you to the entry for 18th August 1965 of "Mother's Agenda" (Vol. VI). It can be read online in English at the following link: http://mother-agenda.narod.ru/f6.htm ... Thank you. Posted by Chotochele to Aurora Mirabilis at 7:14 AM, July 07, 2009

History and current state of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo

Fundamentalism and the Future

from Science, Culture and Integral Yoga™ by Rich

A two-day conference will be held Friday, September 11 and Saturday September 12 on the topic “Fundamentalism and the Future.” The conference will be at the California Institute of Integral studies in San Francisco, hosted by the Department of Asian and Comparative Religions. Registration is free. For details on the conference, location, and registration, please see http://fundamentalismandthefuture.com

The conference will cover the historical events that have led to the current international range of fundamentalist movements; the social psychology of fundamentalism, with a focus on the particular type as exemplified by Hindutva; the history and current state of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo; and finally a look at how the future may unfold. Speakers at the conference include

• Michael Murphy, the co-founder of Esalen;
• Richard Hartz, a writer and speaker on yoga, and a resident of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry for almost three decades;
• Jim Ryan, a professor at CIIS, expert in Indian culture, and author of a recent encyclopedia of Hinduism;
• Debashish Banerji, a teacher of Asian art history and Indian spiritual culture, and co-founder of the webzine “Science, Culture, and Integral Yoga”;
• Savitra (to be confirmed), who lived in the Pondicherry Ashram and Auroville for 21 years, a frequent speaker, and the author of several books.

For more information on the conference, please see http://fundamentalismandthefuture.com. Articles and other materials related to the conference will be posted at the site as they become available. You may also contact:

• David Hutchinson (dbhutchinson@ucdavis.edu)
• Debashish Banerji (debbanerji@yahoo.com)
• Rich Carlson (rcarlson@olypen.com)

Individuals need and are seeking a deeper personal understanding of the spiritual dimension

International Congress in Auroville, 5-8 January 2010 "Spirituality beyond Religions" A New Path to a Universal Cultural Dialogue

There is an emergent trend worldwide to explore the integral momentum of spirituality. There is a growing awareness that although religious traditions continue to support ethical values, individuals need and are seeking a deeper personal understanding of the spiritual dimension. There is an urgent need to account for an experience of transcendence that is inherent in the universal human potential referred to as “spiritual".

The Enlightenment (Aufklärung) in the West, which founded the high ideal of political and social freedom for individuals in society, should now be combined with the perennial enlightenment as taught in the East to guarantee the spiritual freedom of the human being and promote the suitable evolutionary structures to support this. Social realty proves that it is no longer possible or workable now for a state or religious organisation to impose ethical values on a society -practical wisdom is still a universally warrantable reference, but ethical systems based on a merely intellectual, rational footing have been found wanting; they are too limited for the developed evolutionary life-force humankind has grown into and are impotent to stop the new flows of knowledge opening up in many human beings through means that are often unorthodox and that reason flounders to classify - or support. To come up with the ethical convictions of the future, which will be the foundations on which to build new kinds of society, we need an open cultural dialogue which prioritises experiential knowledge of the spiritual essence of the human being, of humanity as a whole, and of the cosmos. A trans-denominational, interreligious study of religious traditions reveals that they have at least one message in common which is considered by their respective mystics to be of primary importance: the self-transcending capacity of human nature to open to the Divine, as experienced in meditative and contemplative practices. A commitment by all nations to a secular integral spirituality could help open up this cultural dialogue.

A secular integral spirituality would respect the content of all religious traditions while seeing each as a part of a greater whole. It would thus accept their existence but seek to harmonise them through digging deep to find their common meeting places. It would thereby provide individuals with a foothold to transcend all limiting religious forms without having to lose access to their spiritual essence. This approach would also have the advantage of developing a spirituality that avoids exclusivist viewpoints, which engender fundamentalist attitudes and hatred. This is a practical solution which Mankind, in the midst of the diversity of its individual realisations, now calls for - the recognition of a living spirituality beyond religions, East and West.

"There is a common hope, a common destiny, both spiritual and material, for both (East and West) are needed as co-workers. … There has been a tendency in some minds to dwell on a spirituality or mysticism of the East and materialism of the West; but the West has had no less than the East its spiritual seekings and, though not in such profusion, its saints and sages and mystics, the East has had its materialistic tendencies, its material splendours, its similar or identical dealings with life and Matter and the world in which we live." Sri Aurobindo, On Himself, SABCL 26:414.

We are planning an international congress on "Spirituality beyond Religions" in the international township of Auroville in Southern India (www.auroville.org). Auroville has been supported from its very inception in1968 by the UNESCO with four resolutions as a 'laboratory of mankind', a 'learning society" (1983) and in October last year Auroville celebrated her 40th birthday at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. The name Auroville refers to the rise of a new mankind, the City of Dawn (Ville de l'Aurore) and to the Indian sage, poet and philosopher Sri Aurobindo. The international township was brought into existence by Mirra Alfassa, a French artist and visionary whom Sri Aurobindo called "the Mother" as she joined him in Pondicherry. In 1954 she had a vision: "A Dream", and founded Auroville in 1968, "to realize human unity”. In 1969 The Mother had asked the architect of Auroville, Roger Anger, to go to the UNESCO in Paris and plead for the creation of a “University of Human Unity" which would be the key for the existence of Auroville (la clé de la raison d'être d'Auroville).

In November 2006 we started the University of Human Unity Project (www.universityofhumanunity.org, click on what is UHU, then: Introduction). The “University of Human Unity" is meant to be a place of international dialogue on Human Unity, on Eastern and Western philosophy and psychology as well as scientific studies. The UHU is part of a strong community of research in Auroville, the Centre of International Research in Human Unity (CIRHU), the Laboratory of Evolution ...

The interreligious dialogue is one of the major intellectual and cultural challenges for this millennium. The Mother had said:

"All religions will be studied in Auroville", emphasizing the spiritual teaching: "You must not confuse a religious teaching with a spiritual one. Religious teaching belongs to the past and halts progress. Spiritual teaching is the teaching of the future – it illumines the consciousness and prepares it for the future realization. Spiritual teaching is above religions and strives towards global Truth. It teaches to enter into direct relations with the Divine." (On Education, CWM, 12:319).

Auroville's mission is to realize human unity and to advance the spiritual progress of humanity. In his book on the "Ideal of Human Unity", Sri Aurobindo wrote:

“A spiritual religion of humanity is the hope of the future. By this is not meant what is ordinarily called a universal religion, a system, a thing of creed and intellectual belief and dogma and outward rite. Mankind has tried unity by that means; it has failed and deserved to fail, because there can be no universal religious system, one in mental creed and vital form. The inner spirit is indeed one, but more than any other the spiritual life insists on freedom and variation in its selfexpression and means of development. A religion of humanity means the growing realisation that there is a secret Spirit, a divine Reality, in which we are all one, that humanity is its highest present vehicle unearth, that the human race and the human being are the means by which it will progressively reveal itself here. It implies a growing attempt to live out this knowledge and bring about a kingdom of this divine Spirit upon earth". Sri Aurobindo, The Ideal of Human Unity, CWSA Volume 25, pp.577-8. Written between 1915 and 1918; revised in the 30s and in1949.

We plan the International Congress on "Spirituality beyond Religions" for January 2010, Tuesday 5th to Friday 8th. Welcoming and respecting the spiritualities deriving from all religions, the word beyond is meant here in the sense of above: "Spiritual teaching is above religions" (The Mother, cf. above).It is about the universal dimension of spirituality that the mystics of all religions and ages agree upon...As an event of the "University of Human Unity" – a project that as early as in 1969 the United Nations invited the UNESCO to establish in Auroville, with the cooperation of the Centre of International Research in Human Unity (CIRHU), the UNESCO Transdisciplianary Chair "Human Development and Culture of Peace” at the University of Florence and The Californian Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco (CIIS) – this International Congress endeavours to provide an open forum for a process of transformative practices and discussions in the field of philosophy, psychology, religious studies, spirituality and healing arts, sacred music, to study the idea of a secular spirituality from different perspectives.

Workshops, conferences, panels and seminars will provide the arena for a creative, participatory research process. This mail is to welcome you to this Congress with your innovative ideas and papers, inviting you as well to contemplate possibilities of facilitating connections with foundations for donations/grants. Auroville is a non-profit organization. We will be happy to meet with you in Auroville in January 2010! Cordially, Rudy (co-organizing the event – rudolf_schmitz-perrin_phd@hotmail.com)

You are for me a man of the Franco-Indian renaissance

Ishâni (catherine) MUKHERJEE requests the pleasure of your company at the award ceremony of the insignia of the CHEVALIER DANS L’ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES
BY THE MINISTER OF CULTURE & COMMUNICATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE
To PRITHWINDRA MUKHERJEE
in presence of Sm Bhaswati Mukherjee, Ambassador of India at unesco,
Jacques Attali, Bikas sanyal & gérard pedraglio
The ceremony will take place at 6.00 p.m. on 24 june 2009 at the salle indira Gandhi, Maison de l’inde 7 boulevard jourdan, 75014 paris
from Prithwin Mukherjee prithwin.mukherjee@gmail.com to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 26 Jun 2009 20:13 subject hello! Bhâi Tusar,

I had chosen the 24th June for the ceremony of my award, paying thus tribute the centenary of my father Tejendranath's birth.
The President of the event had to be out of station on official mission and had come home to explain to me the situation and to give a DVD recording of his message for the audience. I am reproducing an English translation.
Warm regards. Prithwindra

JACQUES ATTALI (DVD message) Homage.
Well, dear Prithwin, it is really with a great sorrow that I am not among you today, but this is the occasion for me to tell you in a lasting manner – since this DVD will remain – my gratitude for the help you have been to me, in pondering with me on Indian history and by allowing me to understand it and, to tell you as well how much it was for me an occasion to discover the extraordinary person you are.

You are for me a man of the Franco-Indian renaissance. Renaissance because, in the sense of men of the Renaissance, you have an exceptional culture, in literature, in philosophy and of course in music, not only pertaining to the French world, not only to the Indian world, but to the totality of universal culture and you can build such bridges that few people are capable of.

And also the Franco-Indian Renaissance because you incarnate this renewal of relations so necessary between France and India, which are not restricted only to relationship of economics, but which will be increasingly relationship of cultural exchanges, of reciprocal fertilisation, of common fecundation to search into the sources of our music, into the sources of our philosophy, into the sources of our politics, into the sources of our revolutions – wherein you family and your grand-father constitute one of the essential axes of history -, a seed for a better future in which India and France will be the essential actors.
Thanks for everything.
Jacques ATTALI

The Ceremony
It all began on the 24th evening with a DVD message from the President of the ceremony, Dr Jacques Attali, who had to leave on mission and who had come home to give me a recorded tribute for the public. There were about 200 guests, according to the Indian Caterer-in-Charge. As soon as the French text is translated, I shall send you a copy (unless you want the original). Eminent succeeding speakers were: Swami Veetamohananda (President of The Vedanta Centre in France), H.E. Ranjan Mathai (India's Ambassador), Henri Dutilleux (Senior-most Western composer, running 94), Professor Pierre-Sylvain Filliozat (French Academy), Dr Bikas Sanyal (Director of the Maison de l'Inde) and Gérard Pédraglio (representing the Government).

Tribute to the centenary

After bestowing on me the award, GP gave me the microphone; my speech lasted about 20 minutes. It was followed by a song I composed in French for the occasion and beautifully interpreted by Florian Westphal (a well-known opera singer), an item of African drums by my assistant (a professor of music) and, and my patriotic song in Hindi, mâ tujhé bulâtî hain, was interpreted by Bittoo, a young Punjabi singer, with my own orchestration on the computer. It was followed by a grand-scale Indian buffet. Above all, the wakeful and devoted omnipresence of Shrimati Priti Sanyal, Attachée Culturelle of the Maison de l'Inde, added more than an official touch to the preparation and elaboration of the ceremony. Thanks for such a rare gift. My wife offered me the Golden Book with messages from Pandit Ravi Shankar and other personalities. Togo intends to bring it out as a book; in that case, you will receive a copy, of course.

A message from Shri Deepak Mathur, retired engineer in Dassault aviation :
Dear Prithwindra, Again CONGRATULATIONS on this well deserved honour which was bestowed upon you yesterday. It was a pleasure to be a witness to this event and hear your well delivered speech full of emotions and experiences of your life. You have accomplished a journey which has revealed to you so many facets of this worldly existence. The different episodes of your life related during the ceremony by your admirers highlighted your determined efforts to contribute something useful to the benefit of mankind.

If I may say so, you excel in painting the picture with your beautiful command over the languages! Your work should still go on in the field of literature, art and music. On the musical side we have had several occasions to seek your precious advice. I will end now with warm regards to you, Ishani and your family. Deepak.

All those who object to Heehs' book are free to publish their own interpretative works

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Alok never wanted a court case against Peter":

There is a very simple solution to this controversy. Man has fought for thousands of years to gain the right to express his individual views free from compulsion. All those who object to Heehs' book are, fortunately, now equally free to publish their own interpretative works should they find the energy and self-discipline to do so in order that the lay reader may have a fuller choice as to what to believe. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era Open Forum at 1:48 PM, June 22, 2009

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Debabrata Ghosh has left a new comment on your post "When someone is discussing things spiritual, we ar...": Respected Sri Chaki,

There is one very important thing we must ponder over and should realise. From the last phase of the Mother's human life-there has been a sea-change in several matters which is not apparently visible and which could not be proved through mind with its accustomed instruments viz.reason and traditional way of understanding a reality. It's very difficult to explain or tell that the hell with all its nasty mire has come up and touched everything of our life. The most predominant aspects of human life has naturally been deeply affected. They are politics, money and sexual impulsion. These three have become horribly acute in man today. If one is not completely dedicated to the Mother in his/her active sadhana-then these forces can make unimaginable nuisance.

That was my point-on which I differed from Tusar-babu-whom I love much as doer of the Mother's work. I apprehended that if this association with politics-through any person, party and organisation were allowed -the Savitri-Era forum which Tusarbabu has built with so much sincerity and labour and which is still the main platform of the devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother -might be affected one day adversely-in such ways -still unknown to all of us. We are not aware how cunning, clever and powerful are these forces.We have access to immense power within us-i.e. the Mother's power provided we stick to her only unconditionally- oblivious of our separate personal status of doing something-she will be given the opportunity to correct everything. I have only one question-Do we believe it?

This is all I hold on as my conviction. I am unable to offer any logic further. So it's futile to discuss in such matter so far this concerns me. Devabrata Posted by Debabrata Ghosh to Savitri Era Open Forum at 9:50 AM, July 27, 2008 [7:36 AM]

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Tusar Mohapatra on Aspiration Posted by Debabrata Ghosh on September 9, 2008 at 12:04 pm View Discussions What hurts me is Tusar Babu's remarks on Sri Chaki's community. This is not expected from a man who is doing 'Mother's work'. Please let us not put our step in muds...

Replies to This Discussion Permalink Reply by Barindranath Chaki Hello Sri Devabrata Ghosh, I have gone through what Tusar Mohapatra has written and what Sri Ghosh has written in the discussion. First of all, I am thanking you for letting us know what Tusar has written and for praying before the Divine for mending my thoughts...
The Mother has told that the Their Yoga and Teaching is not a Religion and that religion is a thing of the Past. What right has anybody on earth there to name Their Teaching to be a new Religion, when They say that this is not a Religion? ...

Similarly, The Mother asked the Yogi to be away from politics. If one is mistaken if one says that Sri Aurobindo started his practical life in India with politics and he did politics along with Yoga and He did Yoga in the Jail, hence one should do politics with Yoga or politics as Yoga. Any Tom, Dick or Harry cannot be equal to Sri Aurobindo. Anybody cannot swallow poison and remain immortal like Shiva. Everybody cannot create a Gita while in the battlefield...
Mamata Dash has asked a deep question : Who knows? May be he or she has got some order , may be some thing in his or her being should be resolved , which he had not resolved in the past birth. who knows?

Maybe some follower of Sri Aurobindo may have received some order to bring a political change in India. For that one has to be a Fire, a Whirlwind, and not a mud-slinger. One has to take the people with oneself. If the Force is there, the people will automatically follow him and be with him. One need not start mud-slinging...
Indeed, I am in search one who has such a Force in him or her, behind and above him or her. Indeed, I am in search of some such persons who can rebuild the nation and the World.
OOOOO

If some persons have idea that by creating a new religion or by giving the name of a religion to the Teaching of Sri Aurobindo or by forming a political party in His name, and by criticizing the Ashram or Auroville, one is serving The Mother and Sri Aurobindo, then it is their belief and their way of living. I am least concerned about. I am not going to start campaign against them.
Only, one should be sure of oneself. One should ask: Am I really called by the Divine to this? Have I truly received Her Order for this? Am I really obeying the Divine Force, or acting for the Force of the Asura? Or even, am I opposing the Divine Force? ...

Aspiration aims at aspiring for the Divine, calling the Divine. It does not believe in mud-slinging, I say repeatedly. Some one may criticize, but I cannot stoop low and start criticizing him. One should not start finding loopholes in others’ constructions. And it is not mine alone, it belongs to a group who are its members — who aspire, truly. Barindranath Chaki 9-9-2008

Permalink Reply by Debabrata Ghosh the very basic attitude should be to be under true humility while commenting on others. I am sad that Sri Mohapatra thinks that others should accept what he thinks and believes. I fully agree with you and also want that a leader or a party endowed with shakti should evolve to change the face of this suffering nation and the world. But we should not think that we must try to create them. It's simply foolish.

I wonder why some people forget the words of the Mother while founding Auroville that it should not turn to be a religion in future. However -as we have not been given the power to clear off the evils from this world - so also we can not seek to change the mind of Sri Mohapatra. We have not been given sanction for it by the Divine. Till then we should pray and maintain goodwill. Devabrata --Posted to Savitri Era Open Forum on 9/10/2008 10:52:00 AM

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Anonymous has left a new comment on the post "Judgement of The Mother": "Savitri Era Party demands independence of Aurovill...":

It is sad, Mr. Tusar, that though you claim to be some sort of Sri Aurobindo devotee - notwithstanding your coming up with such pathetically shallow and immature notions such as 'Savitri Era Party' - you are now associated and being felicitated by Mr. Nandhivarman, who is part of the pseudo-rationalist tribe, and a known mud-slinger at the Ashram, and at the Mother and Sri Aurobindo themselves, and who does it purely for base political gains.

The Internet is a powerful tool, but in the hands of the ignorant, such as yourselves, and the perverse, such as Mr. Nandivarman, it is easily misused. The 2 of you provide excellent examples of this. Hopefully, your readers will have the discernment to separate the chaff from the wheat - though the wheat is so rare to come by!

A piece of advice to you, to other Aurobindonians, and to myself: Discover the Divine within; the changes outside will follow. The less we encourage this mental and vital fret, the better for our collective growth and progress. For till we don't find Her within, our shrill cries from either bank of the river of phenomenal reality are equally foolish.

As to your occasional unsolicited comments and advice such as how Auroville should be autonomous, and how the Ashram should be better managed, refer once again to the above para. If you still feel the overwhelming urge to 'act' however, get down from your fibre-optic tower and see the deeper ground Reality of things.

It is my conviction - and I am hardly alone - that the Ashram and Auroville are shaping up beautifully, in the hands of individuals who are committed and dedicated even if imperfect, and who work more than they talk, and talk even less than they type. Of course there are wayward individuals everywhere, and all organisations have their share of them too, but the Hand that has guided so far, continues to guide, and slowly, ever so slowly but surely, those who have the eyes to see recognize that these centres of the Divine's concrete Presence and Work, grow onward towards the Light.

It is pointless to reply to your friend Mr. Nandhivarman; his motives are in question. The greater tragedy is when professed devotees like yourself are pulled into their devious game, and do not have the wisdom to realise that our only work is within ourselves, and our only genuine concern the kingdom within ourselves. May we grow wide, as the Vedas say. V

P.S.: If you tell us that you are indeed conscious of that deeper reality within yourself, and that you are truly inwardly realised and convinced that it is necessary to set up 'systems', create a 'Savitri Era Party', 'save' the Aurobindonian community from impending doom and destruction wrecked by the wretched administrators you seem to conjure - well, sound the bugle, and perhaps we shall be inspired to join you. But at present you hardly come across as one who has the Knowledge or the Call.

I can imagine there is much which can be changed for the better, in Auroville, in the Ashram, in India, in the world; but where does that change begin? Nay, Their workings are far more complex, intricate, and mysterious, and "One man's perfection still can save the world…" Post a comment. Posted by Anonymous to BABUL'S WORLD at 09 July 2008 14:00

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Rare video clips from Darshan Days celebrated in ...": Hello Sir,

Thanks for the Darshan day clip. You are at valuable service to THEE...

With loving regards, Hemang Vyas Mumbai. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era Religious Fraternity at 2:38 PM, June 22, 2009

Alok asked me to withdraw some confidential information; being an Aurovilian, it is not right for me to interfere

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com
date 22 June 2009 10:58 subject replies
Dear sir, kindly post the following: To Copernicus and Anonymous,

Had I ever suspected that Sraddhalu could misinterpret that sentence I would have written “I met Alok who, with Sraddhalu, is the other invitee to the AUM conference”, instead of “I met Alok, with Sraddhalu the other invitee to the AUM conference”. It did not enter my mind that anyone could get it wrong because the sentence, with that comma, is grammatically correct; moreover this is common parlance, not some literature treatise!

Besides, nowhere else in the text is Sraddhalu mentioned. Lastly, obviously Alok Pandey would have reacted, had I invented that Sraddhalu was present, but mute and dumb!!! I am bewildered. Can someone like Sraddhalu not be aware of what he does to himself by writing such [...] – on top, without rectifying what he has written? This proves how far this story has gone and what it does to people.

I received three emails from Alok Pandey before he authorized me to publish the text as it is (without questioning that sentence at all). Alok asked me to withdraw some confidential information, which is also the reason why I cannot make his emails public (and don’t even ask him to). There is much more in the exchange we had and I was impressed by his straightforwardness. But I respect Alok’s need to withdraw and I am not going to unveil the other matters we have discussed – which also include my very critical position towards Peter Heehs, starting from the moment the Centenary Edition was changed. I don’t want to discuss this matter because, being an Aurovilian, it is not right for me to interfere – but I had expected that the ashramites did, and I will ask Peter about a specific book. The other question to him concerns the book that Michael Murphy has commissioned Kripal to write to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Esalen, of which Murphy is the co-founder.

I am so equidistant that all my questioning may cost my friendship with Debashish Banerjee Debashish is the only one I know, since years; like Alok, he too has a copy of all the books I have published compiling from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. I have no relationship whatsoever with the others, I don’t even know who they are. Debashish had offered to publish in SCIY my first letter to Deshpande; but I refused, first because the letter was to Deshpande and he wanted to publish it in Mirror of Tomorrow; secondly because I cannot associate myself with anyone splitting reality into black and white. For the same reason I refused Alok’s suggestion to post the clarification I wrote regarding him on Sraddhalu’s blog.

Peter Heehs has collected an incredible amount of data; but he should have presented them in an aseptic way, leaving to the reader how to interpret them, quoting directly and at length the documents. Even more important, quoting what Sri Aurobindo writes on himself. In reply to Anonymous, the same is true about Purani’s innocent comment, which depicts a much ‘cool’ Sri Aurobindo. This has no relationship whatsoever with Paul Richard trying to strangle the Mother and throw her out of the balcony because, choosing instead Sri Aurobindo, she did not accept Richard as the guru-avatar. This is the reference in the Agenda that Heehs duly quotes in his book, immediately after the Purani’s story on ‘marriage’ (the latter’s text is reproduced entirely). Please let’s not connect the two episodes. The two notes come one after the other and there is nothing sacrilegious in them, provided we leave the two issues separate, as they are.

I believe that we started loosing the way with the changes to the Centenary Edition, which had been approved by the Mother. And now we pay the price, occultly and spiritually: all of us, not just Peter. The controversy on the biography is part of the fall-out. The only way to clear the mess is by an integral return to the Source. We have the same problem in Auroville, where some people look at me as a fundamentalist. Paulette

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Following the argument where it leads":

I find the well researched evidence and arguments featured on this site tell us exactly where the power and control seeking insitution created in the image of the arguments propagandized by "Paul" really did lead. www.jesusneverexisted.com/cruelty.html What is also remarkable in 2009 is that anyone can really pretend otherwise Posted by Anonymous to Feel Philosophy at 10:11 AM, June 22, 2009

The book is impelled by falsehood and not the true consciousness

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I nor Alok are in any way responsible for the cour...": Paulette, "I feel living a nightmare, I wish that nothing of this is true..".

This is funny. In the eagerness of your ego to be the hero-reconciler or the mediator and savior you overstepped your limits and here you are with this comment. This imbroglio has at its core an insidious falsehood that impels it and is blinding those that support Peter and despite your sincerity you have also succumbed to it. One seeks in the Divine what lies in one's nature and inspires and moves one. All that one expresses is only an expression of one's consciousness and words are mere symbols.

The author is fascinated by the external biographical details of SA's life and assesses SA consequently by superficial human standards. What fascinates the author is the commonality of SA's mental state with schizophrenia, whether SA's marriage was consummated, whether SA inherited a tinge of lunacy from his mother, whether SA perhaps blundered in the Hindu-Muslim problem etc. He is quite intrigued by Mother and SA holding hands but does not consider it sexual at all. What sort of a consciousness goes to this level?. Of course this is the Author's approach to SA and well to each his way and there ought to be no condemnation.

But you seem to be a sincere seeker and I can't believe that you would be inspired and moved or smack your lips at such pig-manure. One sees in the Divine what is in oneself. SA as the divine mirrors what is in oneself. Again to each his own. Maybe I am mistaken and that you actually find all this uplifting. I believe though that is not the case. You have been only unconsciously swept and blinded by this wave of falsehood. This is seen by your unfortunate and unintended but silly remarks on Barin as well as erroneous phrasing on meeting with Alok which actually could easily be construed as including Sraddhalu, even though I surely understand you did not mean to lie here.

This is how one slips unconsciously. If the inner life is important to you then only a little reflection should reveal to you how all this is very treacherous and that those who consciously support it like SCIY are betraying SA and unlike you are consciously opposed to SA's work to spreading the true consciousness. The book is impelled by falsehood and not the true consciousness. See how it has created division and strife. Noel Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era Open Forum at 6:56 AM, June 22, 2009

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I nor Alok are in any way responsible for the cour...":

Its a little more than that. I read a few articles in SCIY. Its strange. The comments reveal a strange relation. My conjecture is that the White Sahib actually provides sycophantic feed to the Brown Sahib in return for pats on the back and false adulation by the Brown Sahib! This means the White sahib actually looks up to the Brown Sahib! The Brown Sahib is now so drugged by this sycophantic feed that he now starts turning a blind eye to the insults that the White Sahib hurls at Aurobindo.

The ego-feed and ego-food provided by the White Sahib became more important and precious for the Brown Sahib than the soul-food that the Brown Sahib received from Aurobindo. But then I could be wrong. Only the Sahib's could confirm this. I would wager that I am not. Posted by Anonymous to Savitri Era Open Forum at 7:15 AM, June 22, 2009

To be critical of what passes for spirituality -especially those supposed categories of spirituality that champion themselves as supra-ethical/moral/rational seems rightly something to suspect. Because on closer examination these "supra-categories" themselves are intrinsically bound by mental constructions of the "supra".

And to bring this back to current rupture in the IY community the lack of critical introspection and willingness to separate out the spiritual from everyday seems the painfully obvious flaw.

For example, I have heard some caveats by some who are abhorred by the behavior of those denouncing Heehs, that goes something like, "but even if they have behaved badly perhaps they are spiritual at the core" (A/S et al) In other words perhaps there is some deeper mystic quality to be valorized in them despite their surface behavior. (Worse yet of course are those who shamelessly and openly encourage spiritual persecution)

IMO these assessments are indicative of not only flawed reasoning but are also characterized by magical thinking as well. Although I deeply love the Essays on the Gita, and comfortable with a transcendent reality beyond good and evil my feeling is that for us mere mortals to separate out our encounters with others in everyday life from the other worldliness of spirituality is a real slippery slope. And one often used to justify all manner of infra-rational behaviors pushing vital power agendas.

Even though allowances for the mystical to defy our mental constructions are essential paradoxically, all attempts to arrive at and articulate (language) a reality that transcends mental constructions only result in still more mental constructions. Even if you call that mental construction supramental or whatever. (Especially laughable in IY circles is the label "mentalizing" of "too mental" being cast as an invective on the intellectual work of others, even when the very act of assessing someones intellectual effort, is itself a mental act) Re: Unending Desire: de Certau's 'Mystics' by Philip Sheldrake Tony Clifton Sun 21 Jun 2009 06:31 PM PDT Science, Culture and Integral Yoga

Those on SCIY need to realize that they have achieved little by their nastiness

Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "I nor Alok are in any way responsible for the cour...": According to Paulette: "I have my own independent position and have abundantly clarified in the Avnet, in the avcompatforum, and in “Mirror of Tomorrow” what I accept in Heehs’ book, but also where I take a distance and what I don’t accept."

I do respect the fact that she has not yet gravitated to the SCIY site even if she shares some of their major views. And I do believe that she has genuine goodwill unlike the key SCIY sahibs. However, it is not accurate to say that she is equidistant. Paulette is without question a highly enthusiastic, die-hard Heehs supporter who has only a couple of minor questions about his book, his aims and agendas. When compared to the endless outpouring of support she offers in defense of Heehs, she has only lukewarm sympathy for the opposite views. And that’s perfectly okay and she can claim to be independent. But she is by no means neutral.

This is apparent to anyone who has been reading her posts and wont be mitigated by the avalanche of argumentation that one can now expect from her in response.

This matter cant be addressed like this. The dust needs to settle and people like those on SCIY need to realize that they have achieved little by their nastiness. A gentle, respectful discourse (private and public) was always the answer but never considered. It seems to me that one Brown Sahib and one White Sahib on SCIY got together one fine day and decided arrogantly that they wanted to influence matters several thousand miles away and made demands of a community they were never part of and that hardly even knew of their existence!

Even now they dont matter and have achieved at best a little notoriety. This is not how one solves problems in the real world. Grow up guys and behave yourselves! Then, everyone by turn can talk and listen. Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 10:06 PM, June 21, 2009

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New comment on your post #147 "Anurag Banerjee " Author : shanta nahar (IP: 123.236.12.91 , 123.236.12.91) E-mail : shaan08@yahoo.co.in Whois : http://ws.arin.net/cgi-bin/whois.pl?queryinput=123.236.12.91 Comment:

hi my name is shanta nahar..i was trying to find out articles about my family history and i found this..it helped me a lot knowing my family roots..thank u.

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from In Search Of The Mother informationcenter.istm@gmail.com to tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 21 Jun 2009 21:52 subject Video Series (Darshan Day Video)

It feels immense pleasure to present before you the next video of ISTM video series which showcases some rare clips from Darshan Days celebrated in Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Please click the below link to download the same:- http://www.insearchofthemother.net/video/video.html [12:25 PM]

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from mrinalini ushaiza@yahoo.com to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 21 Jun 2009 19:17 subject Re: Demise of Debabrata Ghosh [7:36 AM]

Dear Tusar ji,
Thank you for informing me. Devabrata Ghosh was a good and kind man. He loved Sri Anirvan too.
You are also a good and kind man. May you ever prosper. All the best, Mrinalini

I nor Alok are in any way responsible for the court cases and neither of us has the power to withdraw them

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 21 Jun 2009 04:02 subject reply to Sraddhalu
Dear Sir,
Kindly post the following:
I don’t understand how my sentence could be misread, but for the sake of clarity I reproduce below my reply to Sraddhalu. I hope one day all this will be over.
Paulette

Sraddhalu,
I have already rectified the same with Deshpande (see attachment). The sentence reads: “On Wednesday I met Alok, with Sraddhalu the other invitee to the AUM conference.”

It is true that English is not my mother tongue, but I don’t understand how both of you can misread my sentence, clearly separated by a comma! Nobody else has raised such question; not only the sense is grammatically obvious, but in the clarification I wrote nowhere else your name is mentioned. Had you been present, were you expected to remain mute throughout the entire conversation?

I am concerned by such gross misunderstanding: how can this happen? I submitted my text repeatedly to Alok for checking. He did his own corrections and additions, but not once he has questioned that sentence! This is the third and last email I received from him, after which I posted the text:
Dear Paulette
Yes that would be honest and it is fine with me.
as I said I don't have any urge to clarify with anyone but if it is put up then it is better to put the full thing to avoid more confusion.
do as your inner self tells you.
Love
alok

As for the jargon you use regarding the SCIY, please note that I have deliberately avoided to post anything there, and also in your blog (Alok had suggested that I do), because I don’t identify with either camp. I will never identify with any camp where everything is black and white, an operation that calls for disaster and which I resolutely reject, whatever the stand is.

I have my own independent position and have abundantly clarified in the Avnet, in the avcompatforum, and in “Mirror of Tomorrow” what I accept in Heehs’ book, but also where I take a distance and what I don’t accept.

Please rectify this immediately in http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo. Anyhow, for your peace of mind, I modify the sentence so: “On Wednesday I met Alok who, with Sraddhalu, is the other invitee to the AUM conference”.
I did not want to post my letter in your blog for the above reasons, but as you have misquoted me, please now post my text as well, along with my reply to you, so that everything is clear.
I feel living a nightmare, I wish that nothing of this is true… Praying for better days to come
Paulette

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Jun 20, 2009 Regarding Paulette’s False Claim
I have received an email by Paulette addressed to the "AVCompats" forum purporting to represent minutes of a discussion she claims to have had with Alok Pandey and me on the 17th of June.

This is to place on record that I was not present in any such meeting, and that Paulette's claim of my presence is a blatant lie and purely a fabrication of her imagination with no basis in reality. I have not had any discussion with Paulette either in person or by phone or by proxy. I have had no contact with her in any manner whatsoever for several years at least, and I was not aware of any such meeting.
Alok Pandey informs me that he had made some suggestions in a manner of thinking aloud, with no authority or capacity to act upon them. As usual these also have been twisted out of context by SCIY / IYF and other PH supporters and proxies. We are used to these groups distorting facts, deceiving readers and distracting from the core issue which is the book, but this latest blatant fabrication by Paulette represents a new degree of falsehood in their propaganda and campaign of character assassination.

I take this opportunity to reiterate that neither I nor Alok are in any way responsible for the court cases and that neither of us has the power to withdraw them.
The central issue for us remains that of distortion of facts in The Lives. We consider it our responsibility to assist in exposing these distortions and setting right the record in academia. Independently of this, Alok and I have made certain practical suggestions which could go a long way to help resolve the present conflict and confusion vide our joint "Note of Clarification" dated 10th May 2009 which we continue to stand by.

The note is available at http://www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com/2009/05/note-of-clarification-from-alok-and.html. Sraddhalu Ranade (19th June 2009) A critique of the book "The Lives of Sri Aurobindo" by Peter Heehs Posted by S Ranade at 6/20/2009 11:41:00 PM Labels: Letter

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Copernicus has left a new comment on your post "This book will stand on its own for generations":

Would SCIY give so much of space on their site to the viewpoints of people who disagree with them and are so doggedly argumentative in the most superficial of ways? Bannerjee and Carlson just cut them off, ask them to go elsewhere and remove their posts. Glory to freedom of speech as they understand it! Posted by Copernicus to Savitri Era Open Forum at 4:02 AM, June 21, 2009

This book will stand on its own for generations

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com
cc jocelyn jocelyn@auroville.org.in
date 20 June 2009 07:13 subject comment by an early Aurovilian
Dear Sir, Can you post the following?

Jocelyn is an old Aurovilian and the author of a couple of books on Auroville’s early years. She was running a Thanjavor art school where village girls were trained, and is presently having a studio where she works with a master from Tanjavur. She had asked me to forward to Alok Pandey the following in reply to his clarifications, and has agreed to post the same in Savitri Era Open Forum. The feelings she expresses are shared by many more in Auroville. Paulette

Please give this to alok...

Peter did a great service to people who are interested in Sri Aurobindo and to future generations of people interested in Sri Aurobindo - without many years of diligent service and research such a book would not have been possible. Peter used that material to the best of his ability as a loving tribute - he did not feel the need to hide anything he understood as part of the truth about Sri Aurobindo knowing that the truth could not tarnish Sri Aurobindo in any way.

I feel a great debt of gratitude to peter for having somehow brought back to me the amazing atmosphere of spiritual adventure that I found and fell in love with when I first came to Pondicherry in 1969. It is a book that tries to tell something about Sri Aurobindo's lives, and perhaps inspire a reader to look in their own lives for the joy, radiance, and spiritual quest, that permeate this book.

I hope that these guys who have made this case meet with judges who have read the book and who will give them a huge fine for court costs. I don't think any group or individual needs to judge or plead for this book because this book will stand on its own for generations. Peter Heehs book is a living tribute to Sri Aurobindo - and anyone who finds anything else there - is projecting something on the book that is not there. Jocelyn

I am myself, outspoken and straightforward and I am known as such, and that I don’t take side with anyone

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to "Tusar N. Mohapatra" tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com
date20 June 2009 06:55 subject replies
Respected Sir,
I am not able to reply to the comments by anonymous, probably also because I am not registered.
Can you kindly post the following replies to that person?

1) Kripal
To Anonymous:

Only now I come across your comment, at the same level of you not even having the decency to unveil your name. I use my own name and don’t need to hide behind, or represent anyone: I am myself, outspoken and straightforward and I am known as such, and that I don’t take side with anyone. Regarding Kripal I have written about matters that have been clarified; I have a few questions on my own, and I have written that I will ask Peter Heehs about, when and if the emergency situation is over.

Regarding the science-fiction accusation that Peter wanted to write a Freudian analysis of Sri Aurobindo together with Kripal, I was a direct witness, at that two-days meeting where Michael Murphy announced his book project. Ananda Reddy and his wife Dipika were present the second day and were witness of the horrific fight that ensued. Their only concern was the University of Human Unity and did not intervene regarding the publication of that book; however, I don’t understand why they have not clarified immediately that the book Murphy wanted to sponsor was purely on the bodily transformation. Not once Freud and Kripal have ever been mentioned, having nothing to do with the subject altogether!

The Aurovilians (I was one) who disagreed with the proposed university on several accounts also opposed the book; the one reason is that we did not agree with the publication and usage of Sri Aurobindo’s “Records on Yoga”. Afterwards the project was dropped. Paulette

2) Barin:
I have already clarified the issue on Barin’s ‘suicide’ – not schizophrenia! I had commented in “Mirror of Tomorrow”: “Kepler and so many others have explained that Peter never hinted at Sri Aurobindo as a schizophrenic. What Peter did, precisely to prevent such suspicion due to his mother (his brother Barin too committed suicide), was to analyze the issue so as to clear all doubts. Unfortunately Peter was not properly equipped to do so…” Asked to clarify, I replied:

“Thanks for forwarding me the comment on Barin, and apologies for not having noticed a previous one, due to the fact that I am not familiar with the functioning of this blog. Regarding Barin’s ‘suicide’ it was an old memory; I had just come, 36 years ago, and in my enthusiasm I believed that whatever I was told was true – even that Barin could not live with himself for having left the Ashram. Had this been the case it would have been a not so improbable reaction, which could be humanly understood, without necessarily put the label on Barin of ‘mental instability’ or others. This is how I took it. However, I should have ascertained myself the facts, and apologize for not having done it.

There has never been any intention on my side to belittle Barin, whom I have always admired for the leading role he played as a nationalist. The second book I read, after Sri Aurobindo’s “Doctrine of Passive Resistance”, was Nolini’s “Reminiscences”, and am aware that Barin was one of those youth who experimented their first bomb on a hillock and… Also, I visited thrice the exhibition on Sri Aurobindo during his years as a nationalist leader, occupying the entire Exhibition Hall, where Barin’s role was widely documented, and I got even more impressed.

This had to be clarified. But regarding the doubt of Sri Aurobindo being a schizophrenic, I have abundantly commented on this, and so have done others, and don’t understand how the issue can even arise. I agree that Peter Heehs’s approach is akward, but to attribute to him ulterior motives is ludicrous. I hope that at least on this we can turn the page.” Paulette

Thanks for taking the trouble.
Paulette

Alok never wanted a court case against Peter

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to compats avcompats@aurobindo.org
date 19 June 2009 06:01 subject MEETING ALOK PANDEY: CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING HIS STAND IN THE HEEHS CONTROVERSY

MEETING ALOK PANDEY: CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING HIS STAND IN THE HEEHS CONTROVERSY

On Wednesday I met Alok, with Sraddhalu the other invitee to the AUM conference. Alok repeated what he had already written in an email to me, with copy for a few others: his was an over-reaction, not against me and what I wrote in ‘Mirror of Tomorrow’, for which he apologized, but out of exasperation for having been misunderstood in the blog SCIY (and by others too). In the attempt to solve the Heehs controversy, Alok had come up with a few proposals so as to drop the court case; but these had been twisted as a proof that, as he was proposing alternatives, this meant that he had the power to impose decisions regarding the withdrawal of the court case, hence he was involved in it.

One proposal was that Peter moves to Auroville. Another that a group of twelve senior ashramites takes a final decision, after due hearing from both groups in each other's presence, (he agreed that this is something similar to the system we have adopted in Auroville, but I told him that ours doesn’t always work that well); but this proposal had been misinterpreted by some as him wanting to undermine the authority of the Ashram trust. The other options he had suggested had been turned down too, so he has decided to withdraw altogether.

Alok also explained that, although he has used a strong language, he never wanted a court case against Peter; in fact he is against any court case in general, especially those involving ashramites. Even in his letter to the trustees he had suggested that Peter should step out of the Archives (not the Ashram though).

We discussed other issues, of a common interest for both of us. Alok agrees with the role played by the shadow. He is aware of the avadhuta aspect of young Aurobindo Ghose, and also of the dual nature of the Avatar, divine but also human. He agrees that, instead of Peter explaining and opining, in his own language, Sri Aurobindo’s sadhana and evolution, the transition from his human aspect to that of incarnated divine should have been highlighted using directly Sri Aurobindo’s texts, and particularly “Letters on Yoga” and “On Himself”. And that to highlight this transition is of a paramount importance, instead of keeping aside or minimizing the Avatar issue. Alok has explained his position so, I reproduce his own words:

it is not enough that the writer had this in his mind, it should be explicated in the book itself or in the preface at least, so that things could be put in the right perspective for a lay-reader. By omitting and ignoring this the writer has left scope for ambiguous interpretations.

We discussed other issues as well. It was a constructive meeting. I wish that it had happened earlier and that the issues we have discussed become part of a wider, in depth debate on Integral Yoga, which can no longer be postponed, so that something new is born.

Before posting it I have submitted this text to Alok Pandey and he has done his own corrections. However, he has decided to withdraw from the debate, leaving to me the decision whether to publish this text or not. I feel it should, so as to be evaluated by a larger audience, without preconceived positions, in a spirit of equanimity. Paulette

P.S. Before the controversy commenced I had given to Alok a copy of all the books I have published compiling from Sri Aurobindo and the Mother; ours was a dispassionate discussion within the framework of Integral Yoga, as it should be.
******

The following paragraph has been written directly by Alok Pandey, to further clarify his position and make sure of not being misunderstood:

DIRECT CLARIFICATION

My position regarding the court cases has been simply this that though in principle I do not support them, I however understood why at least the first complainant went to the court as a last ditch attempt feeling helpless against this in action especially as the date of publication of the book was drawing close. The stand I have taken is not against the person and private life of Peter Heehs (whom in all these years I have never met except once and that too in a dream!), but because Peter misused his official position at the Archives to reveal sensitive data in a way that may be easily misunderstood and interpreted dubiously. I am against supression of truth but I do believe in judicious use of information and exercising utmost caution and discrimination when dealing with a varied audience. Alok Pandey

It is Michael Murphy who has a direct connection with Kripal – not Peter Heehs

Suppressing the individual voice for the collective good: A conversation on integral yoga with Alok Pandey & RY Deshpande Tony Clifton Sat 13 Jun 2009 09:42 PM PDT [...] Here is what Paulette had to say and her consored comment, followed by the relevant comment trail leading to these events: The moment I commented on the Indian partition -- Muslims, Avatar of India, sanatana dharma -- Alok Pandey has made Deshpande close the issue! Not only that, Deshpande has also deleted my latest posting, replying on Kripal to Pandey and another one!!!

Supriyo, I have glued together clarifications that have already appeared, here and there, in reply to comments to my first article, “Archetypal images and symbols”, and also in the Auroville and Auroville International forums: Peter Heehs had already condemned Kripal for his way of proceeding and conclusions in one of his books, “Indian Religions”. In that (already quoted) extract, commenting about “sensationalism” Heehs writes that there is no evidence to support Kripal’s views on Ramakrishna, and that ““Kripal himself admits that his interpretations are often "speculative””. This excludes any interest in being acknowledged by Kripal, whose approach Heehs has labelled as “rather dogmatic Freudianism” or, for that matter, to work with him on a book analyzing Sri Aurobindo’s sadhana from a Freudian, I would rather say, post-Freudian perspective.

Kripal has briefly met Peter elsewhere but never came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram or even to Pondicherry . He has no interest in Sri Aurobindo’s “Record of Yoga” or in writing any book on Sri Aurobindo. This has been publicly confirmed by Michael Murphy, one of the two founders of Esalen, whose open letter to SCIY commences so: ““Rumors that I asked Jeff Kripal to write a "Freudian" study of Sri Aurobindo are completely false, and Kripal has no intentions to do so.”” It is Michael Murphy who, upon reading Kripal’s book on Sri Ramakrishna, immediately invited him to Esalen; the culmination of all this was Kripal’s book on Esalen. It is Michael Murphy who has a direct connection with Kripal – not Peter Heehs. Regarding Kripal's endorsement on the back of Peter Heehs's book, Peter has personally clarified to Debashish Banerji that he had not asked for it: the publisher got it and used it. Debashish also commented that, technically speaking, endorsements on the back of books are not necessarily chosen by the author, particularly in the case of major publishers such as the Columbia University Press. It is my intention to ask Peter to clarify whether he is aware of certain statements by Kripal on Sri Aurobindo. However, given the emergency situation, I have decided to wait for more peaceful times before raising questions. I wish to add that I have attended two meetings, in the premises of the Centre for Indian Culture, Auroville, where Michael Murphy announced his intention to sponsor a book that, starting from the premises of Sri Aurobindo’s records on yoga, he saw it as a strategy to make Sri Aurobindo world-renown as the supreme pioneer of the bodily transformation. This is what Michael Murphy was so enthusiastic about – and not the projections, going around now for months, which demonize Peter Heehs as colluding with Kripal and other eventual post-Freudians as well! A posting in the Internet went so far as fantasizing Sudhir Kakar (the heavy-weight post-Freudian psychologist) being in a sexual-Freudian-anti-Aurobindo conspiracy!

Aster Patel, Rod Hemsell, Ananda Reddy and his wife Dipika and all others who, like me, attended those two meetings, are fully aware of Murphy’s intents. However the proposal raised strong reactions (also from me) and it seems that the idea was ultimately dropped. I don’t remember that the name of Kripal was at all mentioned; in fact, I never heard about Kripal until recently, and only because of the controversy. Moreover, a “Freudian study” by Kripal or anyone else was definitely never announced. The Kripal issue raises several questions. Instead of stating, “Michael Murphy’s interest in Sri Aurobindo may be genuine”, why doesn’t Sraddhalu acknowledge Murphy’s responsibility in sponsoring Kripal’s book on Esalen (contrarily to Alok Pandey, who does it)? I too do not doubt Murphy’s sincerity – from within the perspective of the culture he belongs to, given that he has largely contributed to shape the Esalen movement. But, as a corollary, this raises the question of a new, dubious way to relate to yoga, emanating from a culture born in the sixties and which, particularly in the USA – Europe being much more politicized – heralded as major signposts the psychedelic movement and the so-called ‘sexual revolution’. The motifs and raison d’être of such a culture cannot be ignored or undervalued; they mark a historical turning point. But, ultimately, what is the relationship between this and yoga, particularly Integral Yoga – if there is any at all? This is where we stand, eschewing the real debate. Paulette

The One Mind links us in common thought

Mark David Gerson has left a new comment on your post "Intuitably the synaptic is musical, replete with s...": "The muse is the living voice, as each of us experiences it, of intuition."

Beautiful...and very much the theme of my book, The Voice of the Muse; Answering the Call to Write. So wonderful when the One Mind links us in common thought, even though separated by thousands of miles.

Mark David Gerson, author The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write Posted by Mark David Gerson to Musepaper at 9:53 PM, June 11, 2009

At the newly constructed Samadhi, she experienced the ‘living presence’ of Sri Aurobindo

“I am with you”: A Review
By Anurag Banerjee

We often read books penned by intellectuals and we sometimes glance through the works of the pseudo-intellectuals as well but rarely do we come across the works of true souls, of people who consecrate all they have to the Divine. Such children of the Divine do not always express or reveal their inner experiences to the world; it is only when we look into their eyes that we understand which level of consciousness do they reside in. But there are some who, fortunately for us, reveal their inner experiences and cite personal incidents to show how the Divine Grace works in our day-to-day life and activities. One such person—a true child of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother—is Kailas Jhaveri who has gifted to us a mind-boggling book titled “I am with you” in two volumes.

Born on 11 June 1926, Kailas Jhaveri took her B.A. (Honours) and M.A. in philosophy from the university of Bombay. As a student of Elphinstone College she was introduced to the works of Sri Aurobindo, who would become the supreme master of her life as he represented the ‘Supreme Consciousness’ and the ‘Future in the making’, by Dr. J.N. Chubb.

She arrived in Pondicherry on 9th December 1950, just four days after the passing away of the Yugavatar and at the newly constructed Samadhi of the departed sage, she experienced the ‘living presence’ of Sri Aurobindo and received the assurance from him that he would be with her ‘in every ebb and perilous tide.’ Kailas Jhaveri migrated to the United States of America in the 1950s where she worked at the U.N.O. and also took courses for Ph.D in International Organization and International Relations but in due course of time she was disillusioned by the way U.N.O. was functioning and she left U.S.A. and came to Pondicherry in August 1964 to spend the rest of her life at the lotus feet of the Mother whom she had met during her first visit to the Ashram in December 1950 and with whom she had kept a regular correspondence and a deep, inner and living contact.

• The first part of “I am with you”, which has been published in the form of a booklet, deals with the story of how Kailas Jhaveri came to the Ashram;
• the second part portrays her life with the Mother and her association with Sri Aurobindo Society, Auroville, Unesco and Madras Institute of Development Studies while
• the third part illustrates her life after the physical departure of the Mother and it also includes a record of her travels and works in the various parts of America, Canada, Europe and India.

This book is not a mere autobiography. It is the story of the journey of a living soul penned by the living soul herself in the simplest of language. Each and every word conveys her deep love for the Mother whom she considered her “All in all.” One might ponder:

• why did the author decide to include her spiritual experiences she has been blessed with in her autobiography?
• Is it not rather personal? But hasn’t M.P. Pandit said that nothing is personal for a sadhak?

Let’s read what Kailas Jhaveri has to say about this query:

‘…I cannot help but sing aloud the Grace and the Glory of Their living Presence and Help at each moment of my life through all its vicissitudes and share the bliss I experience.’

She has explained the difficulties she had to face as a sadhika and how she conquered them by the Grace of the Mother. The ‘help’ Sri Aurobindo had assured to her was always present to guide her on the path of her sadhana and then there was the presence of the Mother who made her spiritual foundation as solid as a rock and lifted up her consciousness to higher levels and transformed her difficulties into avenues of progress and growth. The book is a testimony which proves that whatever occurs in one’s life is, in fact, an act of grace. Let’s not forget what the Mother has said with reference to this context:

‘When in your life, you meet with hardship, take it as a grace from the Lord, and indeed it will become so.’

Let’s also read what Kailas Jhaveri writes of her hardships:

‘I churn and churn within and without till I come to grips with the forces involved and finding the truth behind, harmonise all movements within. One must never be afraid to search, to discover, to reject, to rebuild—to go through error and pain so that one may know the truth and the delight it veils. One must be prepared to go through hell so that it too may bear the footprints of heave and know its bliss.’ (p. 179)

Thus, her journey of the inner worlds commenced and it went on till the vision of her soul stood victorious.

After the Mother left her physical body on 17 November 1973, her physical absence was acutely felt by all but Kailas Jhaveri tells us that she can still feel the Mother who has provided her with everything that was required for her integral and spiritual progress and she writes:

‘For me, She is concretely present with Her benign smile the minute I utter Her name or even think of Her…I am sure anyone who loves and adores Her and seeks Her guidance can always contact Her as the universal and transcendental Mother. For, She is still in the subtle physical atmosphere for anyone throughout the world to reach out to, just as Sri Aurobindo is present and can be contacted. In truth, She is always seated in our heart.’ (p. 389)

As an able instrument of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, Kailas Jhaveri has spread their message across the world and has inspired many a seeker to come to the Path. But she claims that she has not achieved anything by her own effort and the effort itself was inspired by ‘the Supreme Mother and the Lord’ and she adds:

‘They are the effective Force working behind the scene.’ And she has called herself ‘a tiny drop that has, by Their Grace, learned to experience the bliss of living in the vastness of the limitless luminous ocean of Their Light, Love, Glory and Splendour.’

The practitioners of the Integral Yoga are deeply indebted to Kailas Jhaveri for gifting this treasure house of realizations and experiences to them. Reading the book is like drinking nectar in a golden cup and that too from the hands of the one whose very touch makes the nectar sweeter. This book is an assurance for all those who were born after the physical departure of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother as it assures that when one accepts Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, they in turn take the charge of his life and sadhana and leads him to Light from Darkness. And Kailas Jhaveri informs us:

‘I am certain that every child of Hers has received and is capable of receiving even more that what I have received from the Mother and Sri Aurobindo.’

The book also contains valuable correspondence Kailas Jhaveri had with the Mother along with some of her illuminating articles on Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. It should be read by all those aspirants who want to make considerable progress in the path of sadhana. “I am with you” comes from the pen of a living soul and it indeed touches the soul.

*

Born on 13 October 1984, Anurag Banerjee is an essayist, biographer, poet and researcher. His first book, Nirodbaran: The Surrealist’s Journey was published in December 2006. He wrote the biography of Dilip Kumar Roy at the age of twenty in 2005 and translated 100 poems of Sri Aurobindo into Bengali at the age of twenty-one in 2006. His published works include Nirodbaran: The Surrealist’s Journey (2006), Achinpather Dibyapathik (2008), and Debotar Shrom (2008).
Amal Kiran on the Mind of Light
André Morisset
Arjava
Aspects of Amal Kiran
Attaining immortality
Avatarhood
Datta (Dorothy Mary Hodgson)
Dilip Kumar Roy
Dr. Govindo Gopal Mukhopadhyay
Krishna Chakravarti
Nirmal Singh Nahar on Satprem and Sujata
Nirodbaran, Amal Kiran and Udar Pinto vis-à-vis Satprem
Nishtha
Pournaprema
Prithwi Singh Nahar
Rijuta (Patricia Noonan)
Sri Aurobindo’s Birth Place
Suresh Chandra Chakravorty (Moni)
Udar

School of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies (SOITS)

International Centre for Integral Studies ICIS ► Forums ► Site news ► POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE COURSES BEGINNING 7TH AUGUST 2009

POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE COURSES BEGINNING 7TH AUGUST 2009
by Anuradha Agrawal - Tuesday, 2 June 2009, 11:50 PM
The Postgraduate Certificate Courses in Applied Integral Studies are offered ONLINE by ICIS, in collaboration with IGNOU, under the School of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies (SOITS).
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PARADIGMS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE: A HISTORICAL & CROSS CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE
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Credits: 8 Duration: 150 days
FOUNDATIONS OF GROWTH OF CONSCIOUSNESS
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A philosopher doesn’t want her theory of the world to be directly contradicted by scientific evidence

Science, Culture and Integral Yoga Re: Convergent evolution Kepler Thu 04 Jun 2009 02:50 PM PDT TC,

No doubt convergence in evolution need not discount a role for contingency. And no specific teleology can be read directly off the facts of evolution; those inclined to skepticism, agnosticism or nihilism will still construct their own interpretation in line with their own world-view. But for those inclined to Sri Aurobindo’s world-view, biological evolution seeming to converge in the direction of manifesting consciousness in the physical world is certainly an interesting data point.

Science and metaphysics may have generally incommensurable epistemic approaches, but it’s still natural for them to inform each other’s discussions. A scientist wonders what might be the point of it all, and a philosopher doesn’t want her theory of the world to be directly contradicted by scientific evidence. Any dialog is mediated by language and that imposes some constraints and conditions; the characterization of this as being “condemned to” and “trapped within” language is a particularly pessimistic interpretation expressed in that same (supposedly suspect) linguistic medium. Kepler

Frank has left a new comment on the post "Buddhism in the West": Bill:

I'm a bit late to the conversation, but I think the East-West comparison is a little unequal. Growing up in a "Christian" country, we see people practicing Christianity at all levels. The vast majority don't get very far (or even want to get very far), perhaps because they're going along to get along. The Buddhists we encounter are mostly people who got where they are by swimming against society's tide. We don't see a representative cross-section of Buddhists at all levels as we might if we lived in a "Buddhist" society, where so many people worship the Buddha they meet on the road, and where meditation practice is an anomaly reserved for the few.

Imagine how different Christianity would look if the only Christians we met were mystics! Holy rollers, televangelists, much of the clergy and 99 percent of church-goers would be out of the picture. Once I got really serious about Christianity (which came about in part by seriously studying Buddhism), "original sin" to use your example, looks very different than what's taught in catechism. Post a comment. Posted by Frank to Integral Options Cafe at 1:30 PM

http://freshairfund-newsrelease.com The Fresh Air Fund received a tremendous offer by some very generous donors. From now until June 30th, any gift given will be matched dollar-for-dollar... We are also still in need of hosts for this summer, so any help in getting the message out would be fantastic... Thank you so much, Sara
--Sara Wilson, The Fresh Air Fund sara@freshair.org www.freshair.org
from Sara Wilson sara@freshair.org to tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 5 Jun 2009 01:01 [ 8:30 AM]

Margaret Woodrow Wilson was far ahead of her time

2 Responses to “Margaret Woodrow Wilson was given the name of Nishtha by Sri Aurobindo” 1 Mary Achor June 3, 2009 at 3:38 am I am one of the authors of “All the Presidents’ Children,” by Doug Wead.

When I started researching Margaret, all I could find was that she was “squirrely” and had gone to a guru named “Sri Abobimbo.” Fortunately, I have enough spiritual training to know who was in Pondicherry! The research on her was absolutely fascinating, and she remains my favorite presidential child. She was a woman far, far ahead of her time. (I think we are the first history book to actually give Margaret her due.)

2 Mary Achor June 3, 2009 at 3:40 am
I forgot to let you know that more information about Margaret Woodrow Wilson and other presidential children is available at http://upstairsatthewhitehouse.com/

They have found themselves on the losers’ side of globalisation

Raman Reddy said... The mischief was not so evident in 1988 when Amal Kiran wrote his rebuttal, though the seeds of it were present. But the mischief is very evident now in this biography. One can therefore, to a certain extent, generalise. This is not to deny that Heehs' work has nothing positive. It is because his defendants keep trying to defend him by not mentioning his objectionable points that we keep emphasising them. Finally, all said and done, you cannot get away by saying that he insulted the Master only a few times. May 31, 2009 2:42 PM

Raman Reddy said... Dear Vishwanath, I cannot post the original contents of the manuscript because it is not under my control. But we checked it and found Heehs' wording pretty faithful to the contents of the original. But I would discredit the original itself, because it is a tertiary source, not even a secondary one. It is, as I have recently written in "Are We Religious Fundamentalists?" posted on 31.5.2009, something that Purani noted down of what Nolini told him. Purani himself was not there in Sri Aurobindo's house during this period. He came a little later. Even Mother has some adverse remarks in the Agenda on Purani's notations of Sri Aurobindo's talks. It shows the unreliability of the whole evidence, on which such an edifice of falsehood has been built. May 31, 2009 9:14 PM

May 31, 2009 "Are We Religious Fundamentalists?" by Raman Reddy In fact, if anything has been followed with almost a religious fervour even though it was not imposed, I would say it is physical education, having myself grown up at the Ashram with an overdose of basketball, running and swimming, with the result that I suffer, like so many of my colleagues, from sports related injuries.

• Now which diehard secular fundamentalist would call these activities religious? [...]

The attitude of these over-confident intellectuals on the SCIY forum is to question everything without realising that their very questioning is foolish, because there is no spiritual foundation to it.

• Has anybody there sufficient spiritual development to be able to question the fundamentals of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s Yoga?
• Has anybody found his or her psychic being or has some awareness of the various levels of consciousness above the mind that Sri Aurobindo has written about?
• Even admitting a legitimate need for questioning, is Yoga only a matter of debate and comparative study of spiritual disciplines without prior spiritual experience?
• And what is wrong with those who would rather confine themselves to what Sri Aurobindo has written and not give credence to the Freudian interpretations of a dishonest researcher?
• How do they suddenly become blood-thirsty fundamentalists? [...]

Now, this attitude is reminiscent of the colonial days and the British Raj rather than reflective of the mind of a globalised spiritual community. In fact, I suspect that part of the fury of Heehs’ friends is due to the fact that they have found themselves on the losers’ side of globalisation... Posted by Raman Reddy at 5/31/2009 03:10:00 PM Labels: Article, Background, Refutation, Romance

I first met Father Bede in 1978 and kept visiting his ashram until his death

from Paulette paulette@auroville.org.in to tusarnmohapatra@gmail.com date 31 May 2009 11:36 subject comments and clarifications Respected Sir,

After discovering that you have reproduced in your blog some paragraphs that I have posted in “Mirror of Tomorrow” regarding the prosecution of Peter Heehs’s (the information was forwarded to me by Debashish Banerjee), I started reading some postings in “Savitri Era Open Forum”. I don’t know how to post it myself, but I wish to reply to the following:

“CG, you are headed in the right direction. The idiots who edited the Centenary Publications of Aurobindo's writings (in all probability non-Indians) make the disclaimer that Aurobindo himself distanced himself from his earlier writings. Only Hindus outsource their heritage. Radha Rajan 21 May 2009 [ 7:46 AM ]”

I was so indignant when I read such lines as preliminary to the reading of “Bande Mataram” that I went to the Ashram Archives asking for an explanation. The reply I got was that such disclaim was the only way to go ahead with the publication of the political works of Sri Aurobindo, hampered by a group of Indian disciples, and particularly a renown Aurobindonian. I was shown two large files with the complete documentation…

I don’t know if you feel quoting this, but I have already written in my personal letter to RY Deshpande, which he asked me to post as “Archetypal Images and Symbols” in “Mirror of Tomorrow”:

“It is a fact that over the years there has been a consistent attempt by a certain category of people to bypass or altogether suppress all that does not fit into an artificially constructed image of the guru-avatar. A most disquieting example was the fight to prevent the publication of Vol.1 of the Centenary Edition, Bande Mataram. The person defeating all such attempts was Jayantilal Parekh: a sensitive artist whom the Mother had turned into the guiding force behind the publication of the Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library. As you certainly know, Jayantilal was also the founder of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives in 1973, assisted by a team of which young Peter Heehs too was a member. One day, at the Archives, I was shown two huge files containing the full documentation of the controversy whom Jayantilal withstood and won. It was one of the darkest days in my life. I was shown that there was a movement to suppress Sri Aurobindo’s own writings, the very same writings which had made of him a national hero about whom all Indian children learn in their schoolbooks, and because of which he was considered the enemy number one of the British Empire and charged with sedition. I had already been informed about the same in Auroville when, before quitting the Laboratory of Evolution of which I was a member, I came up with a last stenciled compilation about the ‘nationalist’ Sri Aurobindo—like the previous ones, to be distributed for free to the community.”

So, it is the other way around. When I came from Italy my first readings were about the nationalist Sri Aurobindo. As for Peter Heehs, he has turned into the most outstanding living scholar on the nationalist Sri Aurobindo. Not only having his books published by prestigious publishers, but even displaying an exhibition on the subject that filled up the whole Exhibition Hall, and which was so commending that it was displayed again last fall, in spite of the raging controversy on “The Lives of Sri Aurobindo”.
*
Also, regarding the following:

“Sri Aurobindo is another one of those people whom traditionalists find completely unacceptable
Cosmo-Drama and the Reality of Time from One Cosmos by Gagdad Bob
One anonymous commenter thought I was trashing non-dual mystics such as Sri Ramana Maharshi. However, one would really have to distort what I said to arrive at that conclusion. One would have to have an agenda -- a narrative even -- and be playing a role in a drama with me as bad guy.
Bear in mind that I said quite clearly that I was not using his example for the purposes of criticism but comparison. My only point is that his acosmic, impersonal, and ahistorical mystical view is not reconcilable with Christianity, as traditionalists apparently believe. In other words, in no way can we suggest that Christ was nothing more than a non-dual mystic, even the "highest" one; nor can we say that Ramana Maharshi was the only begotten son of God. The two points of view might both be worthwhile, but they cannot be said to convey the identical truth.
Yes, I disagree with Schuon on the equivalence of revelations. What can I say? I've said many times that Schuon wouldn't even like me, let alone agree with me, even though I absolutely hold him in the highest regard, our differences notwithstanding.
I am actually very interested in the reconciliation of Eastern and Western religions (cf. Henry LeSaux/Swami Abhishiktananda). After all, I am again not arguing Christianity from the inside out, but from the outside in. I am coming toward it from a neo-vedantic tradition.”

Given his interests, I am surprised that the writer doesn’t refer to Father Bede Griffiths (Swami Dayananda), a Benedictine monk and missionary who became the head of Shantivanam Ashram, near Tirucirapalli, founded by Monchanin and Le Saux. While Le Saux kept struggling with himself until his death to reconcile Christianity and Advaita, Griffith is the most effulgent example of the two melting into one. The author of many books, participating in international symposiums gathering the brightest minds along with most outstanding spiritual personalities, endowed with an encyclopedic knowledge, Bede Griffith was both a saint and a scholar. He used to read Sri Aurobindo daily, for years; his correspondence with Udar Pinto and Amal Kiran (Sethna) has been published.

The following is taken from the Wikipedia:

““Although he remained a Catholic monk he adopted the trappings of Hindu monastic life and entered into dialogue with Hinduism. Griffiths wrote twelve books on Hindu-Christian dialogue. Griffiths' form of Vedanta-inspired Christianity is called Wisdom Christianity.
Griffiths was a proponent of integral thought, which attempts to harmonize scientific and spiritual world views. In a 1983 interview he stated,
"We're now being challenged to create a theology which would use the findings of modern science and eastern mysticism which, as you know, coincide so much, and to evolve from that a new theology which would be much more adequate."[1]
Griffiths died at Shantivanam in 1993. The archives of the Bede Griffiths Trust are located at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.””

I first met Father Bede in 1978 and kept visiting his ashram until his death.
Paulette

Nietzsche and Sri Aurobindo by Mohapatra Nilamani Sahu and Dr. Archana Nayak

SAVITRI 28 May 2009 by Hrushikesha Mohanty For nearly last one month I'm reading a Odia book 'Atimanaba: Sambhabana and Pratisurti – Nietzsche and Sri Aurobindo” by Mohapatra Nilamani Sahu and Dr. Archana Nayak. It's a fantastic scholarly book on two philosophers who dealt with the ...

Bubli said...
one thing i cannot believe about future is that : man conquers death and becomes immortal. And even if he becomes immortal, i don't think this world will be any better place than it was now.. On the other hand, i am afraid that this immortality could possibly raise the immorality level and further deteriorate the society .. we can safely arrive at this conclusion becoz we always see people who are unwilling to attempt things becoz they see life as fleeting and nothing is permanent/eternal. For many, it is true that glory is like a ripple that spreads in the pond; it spreads and spreads unceasingly only to disappear in the next moment.But when ppl become immortal, they might easily attempt for glory. And we all know that the paths to glory are stained with blood (most of the times). [[ .. this is just what i am thinking right now, and my opinions are subject to change any moment; so , no offences whatsoever : ) ]] May 28, 2009 4:53 AM

Dr. Debajyoti Mukhopadhyay said...
I thoroughly enjoyed this article entitled "Savitri" written by my friend, Prof. Mohanty. India's true strength lies in its old age tradition. Modern world might offer temptations of its materialistic achievements, but the hidden treasures of Indian tradition offer us many such practices and beliefs which help forming our self, providing nourishment to our soul. "Savitri" is written in such a lucid manner that it offers a vivid description of the traditional practices. May 28, 2009 7:58 AM