Nehdia Sameen says:
Posted on Feb 10, 2008 9:11:37 AM PST Permalink
I
think the reviewer is merely pointing out the dangers of "mental
idolatory", which is a very real possibility with two spiritual giants
like Sri Aurobindo and the Mother (of whom I consider myself a devotee). The
fact of the matter is that anything we might say about their occult activities
is pure mental speculation until we also become fully conscious of our
divinity.
Writes
V. Chidanandam: 'A certain person wanted to publish a magazine and sought Sri
Aurobindo's advice. Sri Aurobindo was reported to have said to him, "What
is it you want to publish? your ignorance?"' ;-) By all means, people
ought to publish what they know about Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, but with
the awareness that they are publishing their ignorance for the most part. ;-)
It
is also true that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother never made a big deal about
their significant occult abilities. As Sri Aurobindo notes: "Great saints
have performed miracles; greater saints have railed at them; the greatest have
both railed at them and performed them."
Nevertheless,
this book is useful if one wants to piece together the details of Sri Aurobindo
and the Mother's lives, and view them in the larger context of what was going
on in the 20th century, with the caveat that mental speculation is no
substitute for spiritual realization. And Georges van Vrekhem is an excellent
writer and had access to a lot of information about these two spiritual
teachers.
The Lives of Sri Aurobindo: Some devotees of Sri Aurobindo
might be put off by Peter’s academic tone in this biography. After all, he
never calls Sri Aurobindo an “avatar” or anything like that in it. Indeed,
Peter paints Sri Aurobindo as humanly as he possibly can in this biography
(which was partly because he wanted a university publisher in order to reach a
wider audience, and partly because that’s his style — to be measured and
detached) ... Peter
Heehs’ The Lives of Sri Aurobindo from The Stumbling Mystic by ned 8:40 AM 11:17 AM Lives
war: 2007 - 2011
Indeed, Tusar, I'm in complete agreement with you.
There just has not been anyone in history who comes even close to Sri Aurobindo
and the Mother in terms of their vast vision. I would say they are the only
truly integrally realized avatars to have graced this planet.
Thanks
Ned for expressing the obvious, which as you have observed in a number of
online forums, people are reluctant to accept. Alan and you, of course,
invariably insist on the experience aspect of the Integral Yoga and that is
certainly the most important facet; but a general appreciation in respect of
The Mother and Sri Aurobindo is sorely missing, and that is not going to
improve as long as we the followers remain ambivalent.
You
must, further, have realized that the opposition to The Mother and Sri
Aurobindo arises out of a concerted resistance that has neither any
intellectual rigour nor democratic ethos. So, it is only apparent that we too
face them with comparable means. I am happy to spot you after a long silence as
The Mother has endowed you with the power of eloquence. Let’s strive to be her
instrument in the best possible way and the victory will be ours.
Ned could say that "Sri Aurobindo and the Mother are truly integrally realised AVATARS to have graced this planet", even though she had never been able to visit Pondicherry. In contrast, Peter Heehs, after staying in the Ashram as an inmate for long 40 years, could not come to this simple realisation, yet. This speaks enough about the muddled and mischievous mind of Peter Heehs, and reflects heavily on the quality and contents of his infamous book.
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