The biggest change after the Mother’s passing away is the dilution of the spiritual motive in Ashram life, and this is the prime culprit in all the internal conflict in the Ashram. But that cannot be helped with the passing away of the Gurus. In such a situation, when this downward gravitational pull affects everybody in the Ashram, the onus is on the present Trustees to realise that they cannot expect the same kind of obedience from the present Ashramites as what they themselves perhaps gave to the Mother... An Ashram without the Gurus or spiritually mature administrators is not an Ashram but an institution which has to be run on democratic lines...
Everybody in the Ashram and all the devotees who visit the Ashram on a regular basis know that the Ashram does survive on public donations, that it will go bankrupt if the donations and offerings stop, and that its businesses can hardly provide the finance to make both ends meet. In fact Ashram businesses and farms are white elephants and are mostly run at huge losses... But don’t be surprised if the Trustees have to step down sooner or later from their high pedestals! Posted by General Editor at 8/29/2014 12:54:00 PM
Therefore the Ashramites who have filed this “new case” are not against the Ashram but the Ashram Trust, which runs the Ashram in the most irresponsible manner. Their demand is to revamp the present administration through a Government intervention without which no structural changes can be brought about in the governance of the Ashram. The changes will ensure transparency and accountability, the utter lack of which is the hallmark of the present setup. The introduction of some democracy into the highly autocratic functioning of the present Trustees would also be a welcome measure. All these demands are fundamental to any institution in modern times and, if the excuse for not conceding to them is that the Ashram is a spiritual institution and not a secular one, then show me these “highly spiritual disciples” among the present Trustees who can guide the Ashram to its spiritual destiny!
Why don’t the Ashram Trustees hand over the administration to five of their own supporters for a change in order to show that they have no personal stake in it? Posted by General Editor at 8/22/2014 09:30:00 AM
It is more difficult to convince Aurovillians that meditation at the Matrimandir can also become a ritual. It is true that there are no flowers or incense sticks, no deity or Guru, but there are symbols of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother built into the very design of Matrimandir. Beneath the crystal at the centre of the inner chamber is the Mother’s symbol and the crystal itself is supported by four symbols of Sri Aurobindo; also the twelve pillars in the Meditation Hall and the four ramps outside correspond to the twelve outer petals and the four inner petals respectively of the Mother’s symbol. What I mean is that despite the fabulous beauty and perfection of the Matrimandir, the meditation in the inner chamber can still become mechanical and boring, and after a time, artificial and ritualistic, because with the passage of time everything becomes old and customary. Posted by General Editor at 8/09/2014 09:35:00 AM
Avoiding the slightest public homage to Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda in spite of knowing their crucial roles in Sri Aurobindo’s and Mother’s sadhana for fear of being branded a religious institution. But regularly commemorating the life and works of Tagore in poignant speeches and emotive presentations, knowing that he had not the slightest role in Sri Aurobindo’s or Mother’s sadhana; knowing that, in the Mother’s opinion, his spiritual attainments were not exceptional and the fame he has gained in the West is only “because his stature does not go beyond the understanding of the Western mind”, whereas “India has far greater geniuses than him in the most varied fields, scientific, literary, philosophic, spiritual”.[9] Posted by General Editor at 9/04/2014 09:45:00 AM
Avoiding the slightest public homage to Sri Ramakrishna and Vivekananda in spite of knowing their crucial roles in Sri Aurobindo’s and Mother’s sadhana for fear of being branded a religious institution. But regularly commemorating the life and works of Tagore in poignant speeches and emotive presentations, knowing that he had not the slightest role in Sri Aurobindo’s or Mother’s sadhana; knowing that, in the Mother’s opinion, his spiritual attainments were not exceptional and the fame he has gained in the West is only “because his stature does not go beyond the understanding of the Western mind”, whereas “India has far greater geniuses than him in the most varied fields, scientific, literary, philosophic, spiritual”.[9] Posted by General Editor at 9/04/2014 09:45:00 AM
