Monday, June 29, 2015

Marx, Jacques Ranciere, and The Mother

In reply to an earlier post on Mar 9, 2015 Ashtar Command says: Don,
You are right that Aurobindo is usually seen as an intellectual, theoretical guy, like the Hindu version of Teilhard (who is also seen as intellectual-theoretical in this scenario). I originally thought so to, until reading M Alan Kazlev's criticism of Ken Wilber's view of Aurobindo at the "Integral World" site of Frank Visser. Aurobindo was (surprise) a mystic and yogi - Teilhard was also a mystic, although I know very little about it. Perhaps they choose to clothe their mysticism in intellectual garb as a "skillfull means" to attract, say, intellectual types like the Ashtar Command? ;-)

Another thing, unrelated to the present discussion... 
Concerning Marx, yes, the first and lower stage of communism, known as socialism, should be characterized by the principle "from each according to ability, to each according to his contribution". Only in the higher stage of communism will there be "to each according to need". To Marx, this wouldn't be totalitarian, since he believed that technology could create a society of super-abundance! 
OK, that was a side point. Permalink

By immersing oneself in the original works, one gets a sense of the depth, comprehensiveness and majesty of Sri Aurobindo’s being that no compilation or third-person essay can ever convey. ~ Matthijs Cornelissen (SABDA Newsletter, May 2008)

The Common Cause: Postcolonial Ethics and the Practice of ... - Page 3

https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=022602007X
Leela Gandhi - 2014 - ‎Preview - ‎More editions
Postcolonial Ethics and the Practice of Democracy, 1900-1955 Leela Gandhi. believed that the threat of democracy was best answered through totalitarian self- development based upon the cultivation ... by the philosopher Jacques Ranciere as incorporating the following thesis: “Democratic government . . . is bad when it is  ...

But Sri Aurobindo's theory of mantra, the text of Savitri itself, and our experience, seem to support rather emphatically the notion that it is the audible sound, with its dynamics of pitch, rhythm, image, and conceptual spiritual content that has a unique potential and power to effect in the fit outward hearer the experience of which it speaks, and of which it is the living symbol.
It is to demonstrate the truth of this hypothesis, at least in part, that we have undertaken the Savitri/Agenda experiment--a series of immersion workshops in which we simply allow the Word to be heard and absorbed, in as clear and deep a manner as we can manage at the present time. And in the context and atmosphere thus created by Savitri, we turn to the Mother's Agenda with the aspiration to hear and know as profoundly and intimately as possible her experience of transformation. The effect of this attempt thus far has been overwhelmingly gratifying. And it has made dramatically clear the fact that the experience of transformation narrated by Sri Aurobindo in Savitri and by the Mother in her Agenda are one and the same. The two together create a resonance that seems to literally dissolve the membrane that separates our worlds and unite us with them in a remarkably vivid and tangible sense. Savitri (book) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If we practice Sri Aurobindo’s yoga of poetry, it can be very similar to a daily or weekly visit to the Matrimandir chamber. You can take a Canto of Savitri, or one or two short poems dealing with a certain spiritual consciousness, and immerse yourself in those poems for half an hour or an hour and you are transported into a completely different vibrational range. It can be a practice like going to the Matrimandir occasionally to become transparent. I have no doubt that Sri Aurobindo intended that. His poems are attempts to capture a certain vibration that carries a consciousness of a reality and he has concentrated on communicating these various planes and types of experience in the poems. So, we will know at a certain moment that we have received that intention. Then you can go back to it and gradually familiarize yourself with that way of seeing. And it is very specific. THE POETRY OF SRI AUROBINDO: MANTRA, METRICS AND MEANING BY ROD HEMSELL 1:03 PM

HUTA: What should the Ashramites, if they truly wish to transform themselves totally, do in order to make things easy for themselves, for others and for The Mother as well?
THE MOTHER: By definition, the Ashramite has resolved to dedicate his life to the Divine Realisation. But to be true to his resolution he must be sincere, faithful, modest and grateful in his consecration, because these qualities are indispensable for all progress, and progress, a steady and rapid progress, is indispensable to follow the pace of Nature's evolutionary advance.
Without these qualities, one may have sometimes the appearance of progress but it is only an appearance, a pretence, and at the first occasion it crumbles down.

The Mother Mirra Alfassa was a much misunderstood Guru outside the confines of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Some derided her as authoritarian presumably because she supervised parades in the Ashram (these were intended to instill the discipline required for yogic transformation). Others, after reading of her intimate involvement in the day-to-day decisions of the disciples, concluded that she had turned the Ashram into a cult. Men especially had difficulty accepting an European (not to mention French) woman as a Guru. Many hasty, as well as nasty, misconceptions arise because we superficially evaluate her external behaviour based on our own preconceptions and prejudices. 
A proper appraisal of her functioning as a Guru requires some patience along with a nascent psychic sensitivity to perceive the luminous consciousness behind her frontal personality. 

Mirror of Tomorrow :: Integral Leadership by Anurag Banerjee 14 Jul 2011 – A question might arise: which style of leadership did Sri Aurobindo and the Mother follow? The answer would be that the Coaching Style was followed by Sri Aurobindo while the Mother followed the Authoritative Style. In the Coaching Style, the leader enables his subordinates to identify their strengths and weaknesses, helps them in their aspiration and encourages them to work for the accomplishment of their developmental aims. Sri Aurobindo’s view was: “All life is yoga”, so his followers were free to choose their own mediums of doing the integral yoga. Some adopted music as a part of their sadhana, some took up painting, some took up literary activities; those who found physical work attractive worked in the Press, laundry, gardens, bakery. So we find that every individual was given the freedom to pursue his aspiration in his own way. One may argue that since the inmates were given the freedom to select their own mediums of doing the yoga, the leadership style adopted by Sri Aurobindo could have been that of Laissez-faire. One must understand that Laissez-faire is a group-oriented leadership in which the members train themselves up and provide their own motivation and don't depend on their leader for motivation or increasing morale. But that was not the case with Sri Aurobindo. The inmates always looked upon Sri Aurobindo for motivation and encouragement. Moreover, in the Laissez-faire style, we know that delegation of authority is done at the fullest level. But neither Sri Aurobindo nor the Mother delegated absolute authority to any of the department-heads. The leaders following the “Coaching Style” provide regular feedback and encourage interaction between him and the employees; he conveys to them what he expects from them. And that is what Sri Aurobindo did. He always gave directions and advice whereas the leader following ‘laissez-faire’ would not do so. 

The Mother, as mentioned earlier, followed the Authoritative Style. As a visionary, she knew what she was doing and her followers/disciples also knew what and why they were doing and how their tasks would fit into the organizational goal. To ensure that the performance of the followers were in accordance with the vision of Ashram the Mother had defined the standard around the vision and provided feedback wherever and whenever necessary. But after determining the goal, she would leave the means of achieving them to her followers with the freedom to bring in innovation. In the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the supreme authority rested in the hands of the Mother. Though all the assets were purchased in the name of Sri Aurobindo, it was the Mother who managed everything. It was she who took all the major decisions; it was she who saw to it that her instructions were implemented. She assigned work to the inmates and also set standards for the assigned work. No deviation or alteration in the plans of action could be incorporated without her approval. All the department-heads or managers had to report to her informing her of the progress made or difficulties faced and also for her advices regarding the concerned matter. Every detail of all the service-departments was presented to the Mother for her scrutiny and approval and the department-heads executed her orders. In certain important departments like the Atelier, even for the most trivial task an expressed approval of her was required. It was she who would decide what should be done and in which order. She believed in centralization and practised it accordingly. 10:02 PM


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

The Clasp of Civilizations, The Singularity & Socialism

Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.



Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Manga and Regina in Dallas

Savitri Era of those who adore, Om Sri Aurobindo & The Mother.

Thursday, June 4, 2015

Mirambika and PJ, the new age Mangaraj

Mirambika Crisis – Vatika and Ravindra Agarwal’s Reiz work together

Here are a few screenshots of website pages of the commercially interested defenders of the Pickles Dallas Gloat plan to marginalize Mirambika and set up an engineering college in its place. Vatika and Reiz (part owned by Ravindra Agarwal, the SAES appointed leader of those gullible parents who have been conned into intervening against the petitioner parents) have a working partnership! However, in order to appear innocent, the Bijliwala is alleged to have commented that Divya Bhalla is so close to the Ashram Management that she can’t be let into discussions concerning how to restore Mirambika to its rightful place and also that Rahul Batra can only be PJ’s cheerleader because he prostrates at TD’s feet – just as AIADMK leaders do before Jayalalitha – in gratitude for the admission of his younger daughter in Mirambika in breach of the DOE norms .
Would the conscience of gullible parents who have been conned into intervening against the petitioner parents stir up now? Would they still continue to follow the Bijliwala?
Pic 1 + Pc 3 – Vatika group website lists their maintenance services (ENVIRO) to Mirambika 
Pic 2 – REIZ web page list of clients includes Vatika
Pic 4 – Listed on F6s ( the #1 free network where founders get deals, list &
recruit Startup jobs, apply for funding) – TeachersLike Me one of the newer
start-ups of Rahul Batra with his wife Shilpa Tayal and sister Bharti Batra.
Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4

Mirambika Crisis – Oriya Consciousness – Fakir Mohan Senapati’s novel Chha Mana Atha Guntha, or Six Acres and a Third

As the land obsessed PJ, the new age Mangaraj, forgets the SAES’s objectives and the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, it is time to remind our dear Oriya brothers & sisters that blind faith in the pretentious followers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother will not lead to any gain for them or their progeny.
Luckily, the great Oriya writer Senapati’s novel Chha Mana Atha Guntha, or Six Acres and a Third tells us a similar story set in colonial Indian society during the early decades of the 19th century. It tells a tale of wealth and greed, of property and theft. It is the story of an evil landlord, Ramachandra Mangaraj, who exploits poor peasants and uses the legal system to appropriate the property of others. Toward the end of Mangaraj’s story, he is punished by the law and the “Judge Sahib” orders that his “zamindari,” be taken away. It is sold to a lawyer, who — as rumor in the village has it — “will come with ten palanquins followed by five horses and two hundred foot-soldiers” to take possession of Mangaraj’s “zamindari”. The ordinary villagers react to this news by reminding one another of an old saying: “O horse, what difference does it make to you if you are stolen by a thief? You do not get much to eat here; you will not get much to eat there. No matter who becomes the next master, we will remain his slaves. We must look after our own interests.”
So, dear Oriya brother & sisters, listen to your conscience and rise against your good faith being exploited by those who do not represent Sri Aurobindo or the Mother or are ignoring their teachings. In Court and outside, they have repeatedly admitted their obsession with possessing the Mirambika School land by hook or crook and they will now use your names & signatures to justify the slow but sure demise of Mirambika to set up a technical / engineering college in its place. They have used innocent Oriya Diyas to convince you that that college will be for Oriya students but that’s a blatant lie. No engineering college can pick and admit students by choice. It has to be open for all Indians alike so don’t be conned into supporting a sin against Mirambika, which indeed represents the vision & blessing of the Mother. Don’t let Mangaraj pass on his ill gotten “zamindari” to his real estate jackal friends while you say “Mate ekutiya chadi diyantu!

Mirambika Crisis – full swing construction of Maqbara e’ Mirambika is on

In an attempt to somehow keep alive his pipedream of establishing & running an engineering college from the Mirambika Building (which is subject to the 6th May 2015 status quo order of the Delhi High Court), under the disguise of ‘roof repair’, PJ aka Shahzada has ordered full steam construction atop and around the Matri Commercial Store, UCO Bank and MIS uniform & book store bang along the Sarvodaya – Begumpur Road.

Mirambika crisis – decoding the ‘majority’ supporting the Management’s offences

Here’s a brief description of various constituents of the motley crowd gathered by the Management to support its case before the Court:
Parents Sans Conscience – Striving to preserve and increase their benefits from the Ashram, SAES and the proposed technical college, they don’t give a damn to Mirambika or its children or to law, ethics or morals. Unless they withdraw from supporting the Management’s 14/4 actions, etc, each of these parents will be exposed in the Court.
Diyas – Selfless lovable unpaid tapasvees, most from very poor corners of Odisha, completely dependent on the Ashram for food, water & shelter, though some of them have been given the impression that they are a part of the Management, they have no choice or say in the matter. For the Diyas, Mirambika is their only child so when someone threatens to suffocate it unless they support the Management, they just sign any paper. They also know that if they say or choose anything that the Management does not like, they’ll be victimized till they vanish like Rajesh Bhaiyya.
Parent Diyas – These are parents who volunteer to help at the School. They are handpicked by the Management and they sing and dance to its tunes. If they have no children studying in the School, they should refrain from meddling in its affairs by signing letters etc in support of the Management.
Ignorant Parents – They were induced to sign a letter or two prepared by M/s Me2, Endee, Achlysi, Sirpuny, Toilet Seat Terrier, Cloudini & others on the basis that the same would be used to support Jayanthy Didi and the School in case the DOE talks of derecognising the School. These parents now find the Management using their letters in Court for exactly the opposite purpose i.e., justifying the illegal shift and relocation of Mirambika into an illegal premises. As of yesterday, three such parents have publicly disassociated themselves from the foregoing exercise.
EWS Parents – Threatened, bullied and blackmailed into signing in favor of SAES by Eggroll & Gang. Innocents caught in the crossfire, they fear that their children would suffer if they do not support the Management. Some quietly shifted their children to MIS on the Management’s command and in exchange gave letters supporting the Management’s 14/4 actions, etc.
Hocus Pocus Parents – Some parents who have moved their children to MIS or are in the process of shifting their children to MIS, Vasant Valley or some other school have also signed up to support the Management’s 14/4 actions, etc. These hocus pocus parents have no locus in the matter and should withdraw from participating in Mirambika matter.
Hocus Pocus Parents – Some parents who have moved their children to MIS or are in the process of shifting their children to MIS, Vasant Valley or some other school have also signed up to support the Management’s 14/4 actions, etc. These hocus pocus parents have no locus in the matter and should withdraw from participating in Mirambika matter.

Mirambika Building – quoting from A History of Architecture by Sir Bannister Fletcher

It is said that the the Mirambika Building is based on the Mother’s yantra and she blessed it for the purpose of integral education of children. May be, the fact that it is being disturbed to be used for another purpose is inviting the negativity that besets us all today. Hope those controlling and managing SAES think about the foregoing and take corrective action before such negativity completely destroys 30 plus years of work by so many selfless people. This may well be an opportune time to read the following from ‘A History of Architecture’ by Sir Bannister Fletcher
“The building was conceived as a place to hold an innovative program of education, research, training, and scholarship. Mirambika is a ‘free progress’ school where the stress is on child-centric value-oriented education. There is a very light curriculum that is customized to each child, no strong subject divides, no mainstream examination or testing – instead, there is continuous and ongoing feedback and evaluation.
The spaces were designed to be organic, amorphous, and such that the boundary between inside space and outside space would vanish. This reflected the spirit of the organization – breaking of all barriers, actualizing the self and achieving excellence through consulting the inner consciousness.
The spaces were designed to be organic, amorphous, and such that the boundary between inside space and outside space would vanish. This reflected the spirit of the organization – breaking of all barriers, actualizing the self and achieving excellence through consulting the inner consciousness.
The building is planned as a space filling modular grid on a basic structural dimension of 7.2 m, with concrete ribs subdividing the slab into eight or four equal panels. Though they are very few, walls can be shifted to any of these locations on the ribs, and and the floor which is made under them will need to be ground, while the electrical services in the ceiling are redundantly arranged so that they can just drop down according to flexible arrangements of the spaces below. Water based services (sinks, toilets, water play areas) are placed in defined, relatively inflexible, locations. Even the planning was done in parts by a participatory process so that after the basic modular structure the infill walls and windows were indeterminate.
The building is furnished with white terrazzo and china mosaic roofs, extensive courtyards and vegetation for cooling and ventilation, and integrated solar hot water.
The design team was apprehensive that the type of building detailed – almost like a verandah, with few walls, therefore open to dust – might prove a liability due to heat and dust, but as it turns out, the dust-free environment of the Ashram around has allowed this building to actually be comfortable in all seasons.
This project is considered a pioneering interpretation of learning space representing an evolution towards openness and acceptance of the natural environment, and is mentioned in the twentieth edition of one of the main reference works in architectural history.”
May God save the Mirambika Building – a true labor of love – for the purpose that Mother pronounced i.e., integral education of children.