Monday, December 17, 2007 Two very different "Integral" projects:The Gnostic Centre - a research centre for the growth of consciousness, based on Aurobindonian Integral philosophy. "Gnostic" here would seem to be a reference to Sri Aurobindo'sd term for higher consciousness and supramentalised being (see The Life Divine Book II ch.27) To quote from the site:
based in new delhi, set up as a non-profit public charitable trust, in 1996, engaged in research, training and education...
Includes an "International Centre for Integral Studies" (ICIS) which is quite different to both the Californian Institute of Integral Studies and the Wilberian Integral Institute, although the similarity of topic titles to Wilberian I-I i\s intriguing. Obviously, the content will be very different (and no doubt much more practical and grounded in authentic spirituality). But I am extremely pleased to see this development, which shows that the Wilberians do not have a monopologly on "integralism". Indeed, my main criticism of Wilber is not his philosophy (as I consider his attempt at a grand synthesis very inspiring) but his hegemonistic claim to ownership of "Integral" (see the AQAL glossary) and to represent and build upon Sri Aurobindo, who he seriously misinterpretates. If he even half-correctly interpreted Sri Aurobindo I would be all for him! Yet, ironically, even he is still furthering the Divine Work established by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother The Gnostic Centre / International Centre for Integral Studies seems to have been around for over a decade (founded in 1996, the journal goes back to 1997), which intriguingly is also about the time the Wilber Integral Institute was established (1997-98)...
An interesting development, were it to happen, would be a New Paradigm convergence of Integral Movement (secular, exoteric) and Integral Yoga (esoteric). If Wilber keeps publicising Sri Aurobindo, maybe something like this might actually happen, despite Wilber (and most of the mainstream Integral movement)'s complete misunderstanding of what Sri Aurobindo and the Mother actually taught. That is why I say that even Wilber is, unknowingly, furthering the Divine Work established by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Labels: Integral Institute, integral movement, Integral Yoga, integralism, Ken Wilber, New Paradigm, Open Source Integral, Sri Aurobindo, The Gnostic Centre posted by m alan kazlev at 5:59 PM Integral Transformation
I beg to differ. The only beings, male or female, who make any real difference to the Divine Work of Humankind are the living realizers---the saints, yogis, mystics and sages.
ReplyDeleteEverything else is at best preparation to get the aspirant to the Holy Jumping Off Place---or to the state of postive dis-illusionment with all of the usual word games and hence to a state of rotting ripeness for the invasion of Divine Grace.