Spring 2011 Journal of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Vol. 35, No. 3

Michael Miovic on Cartier-Bresson’s photographs of Sri Aurobindo • M. Alan Kazlev on Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and the Integral Movement • Larry Seidlitz on spiritual activism, spiritual passivity and Integral Yoga • Current affairs • AV almanac • Source material • Poetry • Apropos

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 1 About the cover This greyscale copy of a watercolor painting by the late Usha R. Patel, an Ashram painter, is from her book, Love Treasures, paintings based on Sri Aurobindo’s book The Mother. The passage inspiring it is: “In all that is done in the Table of contents universe, the Divine through his Shakti is be- Collaboration, vol. 35, no. 3, Spring 2011 hind all action but he is veiled by his Yoga Maya and works through the ego of the Jiva in the lower nature.” It was published in 1985 by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and is used with their From the office of Collaboration permission. Notes on this issue ...... Larry Seidlitz 3 The authors and poets Current affairs Dhyaanavati Ananda ([email protected]) studied and worked in the field of psychology in Opening and mystery: Producing the documentary film Conscious both Croatia and California. She has also pub- lished two books of spiritual poetry. The poem se- ...... Alan Baiss 4 lected here is from an unpublished collection Briefs ...... 6 called “The fire fount.” Alan Baiss ([email protected]) is the founder of Integral Inspirations (http:// AV almanac www.integralinspirations.com) and producer of the films “Integral Consciousness,” Conversa- What’s happening with the Matrimandir lake? ...... Carel Thieme 6 tions with Bina,” and “Conscious.” M. Alan Kazlev ([email protected]) Chronicles is an esoteric philosopher, writer, amateur pale- ontologist, and aspiring sadhak. He is the web- The decisive moment ...... Michael Miovic 9 master and author of Kheper.net, and is working on a book on integral metaphysics and transfor- mation. Essays Michael Miovic ([email protected]) is a psychiatrist currently working for the Cambridge Sri Aurobindo, the Mother, and the Integral Movement ...... M. Alan Kazlev 12 Health Alliance, MA. He is particularly interested Spiritual activism, spiritual passivity and Integral Yoga ...... Larry Seidlitz 22 in integral psychology and geo-spiritual studies. He is a long-time student of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Source material The late Nishikanto (1909-1973) was a member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram whose The spiritualization of society ...... Sri Aurobindo 30 mystical poetry was highly regarded by Sri On the world condition ...... The Mother 32 Aurobindo. Larry Seidlitz ([email protected]) is on the faculty of Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced The poetry room Research where he facilitates courses on Sri Au- The secret knowledge ...... Sri Aurobindo 34 robindo’s yoga. He also edits Collaboration. K.D. Sethna (aka Amal Kiran) was born in a On the ash ...... Michael Miovic 34 Parsi family of Bombay on 25th November 1904. Our thoughts are not ours ...... Michael Miovic 34 He came to the Ashram in 1930, where he was The divine self-assertion ...... Dhyaanavati Ananda 34 and still is editor of Mother India, in which he The Mother ...... Nishikanto 35 wrote many articles on Indian politics and soci- Savior storm ...... K.D. Sethna 35 ety. He is a poet and the author of many books. Carel Thieme (carel@auroville.org.in), who worked as a corporate lawyer in the Netherlands, Apropos ...... 36 joined Auroville in 1986. He served in various Working Committees and as chairperson of the Planning and Development Council and the Funds and Assets Management Committee. Since 1988 he is member of the team that pro- duces the monthly magazine Auroville Today. He recently joined the Auroville Fund Raising cell.

2 • Collaboration Spring 2011 From the office of Collaboration The photographers Henri Cartier-Bresson (22 August 1908 – 3 August 2004) was a French photographer e start off this issue with Current Affairs, which presents an account by Alan considered to be the father of modern photo- Baiss of his work in progress of creating the documentary film Conscious. journalism. He was an early adopter of the 35 mm format, and the master of candid photogra- This film includes interviews with a variety of individuals participating in the W phy. He helped develop the “street photogra- work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in the U.S. and India about the possibilities of phy” or “real life reportage” style that has human evolution and transformation. Produced by Integral Inspirations, this project fol- influenced generations of photographers who lows the 2008 documentary film “Integral Consciousness: Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga and how followed. Haridas Chaudhuri brought it to the West.” The new film will bring out the deeper meta- physical and spiritual principles underlying the Integral Yoga, and how they are being manifested in the lives of people involved in practice and collective work. Alan focuses Publisher: Collaboration (ISSN 0164- on his inspiration and efforts to implement these projects, together with his coworkers. 1522) is published by the Sri Aurobindo Associ- ation (SAA), a California nonprofit religious Alan’s article is followed by announcements about AUM 2011, which is being held this corporation, 2715 W. Kettleman Lane, suite year in Lodi, CA, and about the 2011 Integral Yoga Retreat in Greensville, SC. 203-174, Lodi CA 95242 USA; e-mail: In AV Almanac, we have an article by Carel Thieme, one of the editors for AV Today, [email protected]. about the progress to date on the plans and preparatory work for constructing a lake Editor: Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar Street, around the Matrimandir. Carel has done an admirable job in investigating the past discus- Vaithikuppam, Puducherry, 605012, India; email: [email protected]. The opinions ex- sions and agreements concerning the lake, as well as the preparatory work that has been pressed in Collaboration are not necessarily completed. It highlights how things have not proceeded as had been discussed and those of the editor or the SAA. agreed, and considers different proposals about the size and nature of the lake. Copyrights: Copyright © SAA, 2011. In Chronicles, we have a thoughtful meditation by Michael Miovic about the Cartier- Photos of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, pas- Bresson photographs of Sri Aurobindo in 1950. In addition to recounting some of the sages from their works, and excerpts from the books published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram circumstances surrounding the photographs, Michael takes us deeply into the photo- Trust are © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust unless graphs themselves, contemplating the look of Sri Aurobindo that was captured, and its otherwise noted, and are used here with the kind effects on the viewer. permission of the Ashram. In Essays, our first article which is written by Alan Kazlev is about the relation of Sri Subscriptions: A one-year subscription Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s Integral Yoga with the larger Integral Movement that we (three issues) to Collaboration is $25 ($35 for airmail outside the USA, except India; in India, see manifested in the world today. In this thoroughly researched work, we learn the his- send Rs. 200 to Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar St., tory of a variety of integral philosophies that sprang up contemporaneously with Sri Vaithikuppam, Pondicherry 605012). A patron Aurobindo’s, as well as a number of other integral philosophies and movements that subscription is $50 or more. A sponsorship sub- have developed more recently, some of which have drawn upon Sri Aurobindo’s ideas as scription for residents of India is $5. well as other integral thinkers. The article helps us be more aware of the various thinkers Submissions: Collaboration welcomes writing, photos, and artwork relevant to the and philosophies that have affinities with the Integral Yoga, and to contemplate how we Integral Yoga and spirituality. Submit material may contribute to and benefit from this larger Integral Movement. by email to: [email protected]; or by Our second article in Essays was written by Larry Seidlitz and focuses on the issue post to Collaboration, 2715 W. Kettleman of spiritual activism, which is currently a hot topic in the New Age and Integral Move- Lane, Suite 203-174, Lodi, CA 95242 USA. ments, from the point of view of Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s Integral Yoga. The Collaboration cannot be held responsible for loss or damage of unsolicited material. Letters article structures its discussion by distinguishing between four possible inner poises: to the editor may be published unless you indi- false spiritual passivity, true spiritual passivity, false spiritual activism, and true spiritual cate otherwise. Letters and articles may be edit- activism. It suggests that a true spiritual activism must be founded on a true spiritual ed for style and space considerations. passivity, and helps us to differentiate these states from false or unspiritual substitutes About SAA: The Sri Aurobindo Associa- with which they can easily be confused. tion distributes information about Sri Auro- bindo, the Mother, and Auroville, and supports In our Source Material, we have extended excerpts from Sri Aurobindo and the projects related to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Mother concerning the relation of the individual with the world and its difficult transfor- Auroville, and Integral Yoga activities in Amer- mation. The first, by Sri Aurobindo, stresses the need for a true spiritual transformation ica. Current officers: Lynda Lester, president; of the individual before this change can be spread to the collective. The second, written Vishnu Eschner, vice president; John Robert by the Mother in 1957, discusses the enormous challenges of world change, and sug- Cornell, secretary; Kalpana Patel, treasurer. Contributions: Donations for the work gests one useful individual response to these challenges. of the SAA, Auroville, and the Sri Aurobindo We round out our issue with a collection of inspiring spiritual poetry from contem- Ashram may be sent to SAA. Donations are tax porary and classic Aurobindonian poets in the Poetry Room, and a fine selection of exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. In- thought-provoking quotations in Apropos. ternal Revenue Code.

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 3 side I collapsed on the lawn. A Current Affairs moment later I looked up and standing before me were each of my friends, mercifully ev- Opening and mystery: Producing eryone had escaped. Al- though the fire hoses did their the documentary film Conscious best, the house burnt for most of the night. In time I dealt with my trauma, but a burning by Alan Baiss need to create space in my life for some greater potential had am a little astonished to find myself the steward of Integral been ignited and I started to Inspirations, which is a grass roots organization producing seriously consider closing my Ifilms that feature the meaning of our moment in time and hu- practice. manity’s evolutionary potential. I had no background in filmmak- About a year after the fire ing or Integral Yoga when we began our first film, Integral Con- the third challenge came when sciousness: Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga and how Haridas Chaudhuri Photo courtesy Alan Baiss a dear friend’s body began brought it to the West, released in 2008. This adventure began failing from AIDS. It felt deeply right for me to offer myself during quite unexpectedly and I suppose it was naivety and the quest of his final months and this is when I closed my practice. For me my an ideal that induced me to undertake a project that I had such friend’s dying was a painful and profoundly rich experience. He little knowledge of. was anxious about death and consumed by his fight for life. I We are now making our third and most ambitious documenta- sense he may have only found peace during his last few hours. ry film, Conscious (working title). This film acknowledges the rest- After my friend passed I had no clear plan, but having felt called lessness and dissatisfaction that many people experience in the to return to San Francisco ever since graduating from CIIS, I left contemporary world and it explores the potential lying dormant in my home in Canada and headed south. each of us to realize a far greater future. Conscious asks if human- One Sunday after I arrived in San Francisco, Hilary ity is already racing toward a leap in consciousness that each one Anderson, former professor, dean, and founding board member of us can intentionally participate in and that will advance na- of CIIS, offered a workshop at the Cultural Integration Fellowship ture’s evolutionary impulse. (CIF) on CIIS founder Haridas Chaudhuri. I was interested be- The process that kindled my involvement with these films cause, although I had graduated from CIIS, I knew little about Dr. began while I was a psychotherapist in private practice in British Chaudhuri. As the workshop unfolded I sat completely dumb- Columbia. I had graduated from the California Institute of Integral founded. Moment by moment a passionate discourse from those Studies (CIIS) in 1991 and then pursued a good career in Psycho- who had been Dr. Chaudhuri’s students revealed a spirit that I therapy for over a decade when three very personal challenges had always felt at the core of CIIS, but that I had never been able influenced me to follow a new direction. to put my finger on. During the concluding moments of the work- The first challenge was my coping with my parent’s passing shop Hilary turned and asked if I would like to share. Still flabber- within six months of each other in 2002. As an only child who had gasted, but with the floodgates now unlocked, my enthusiasm just lost his parents it was clear to me that my life would never be spilled over and culminated with my pronouncement that this the same again. In my grief I contacted my longing for greater was amazing and needed to be filmed. meaning and I realized that I didn’t want to look back on my life In short order Hilary and I assembled a small committee and and wonder what might have been if I had taken a chance. I con- received a grant from CIIS to make a film on Dr. Chaudhuri. After tinued my therapy practice, but under the surface something was much planning and hours of filming interviews we all felt that brewing. something wonderful was happening. But before long we made Less than a year after my parents passed, a friend and I trav- the difficult decision to halt the project. It had become clear that a elled to Kansas to visit some friends. We were all asleep in our film on Dr. Chaudhuri needs a good explication of Integral Yoga, friend’s house when, at about 2:00 in the morning, fire broke out in and a film featuring Integral Yoga must carefully and respectfully the kitchen. Thinking that others were trapped by the rapidly present Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It was a very different film spreading flames I remained too long in the blazing building. The that wanted to be made and it would be deeper and broader than advancing inferno very quickly blocked my escape. Labouring to we had imagined. We would begin again, and this time much more breath and feeling terrified, I experienced an invisible presence talent and money would be needed. imploring me to ‘get out now.’ Groping along the floor I fumbled While none of us were filmmakers we passionately believed for what I thought was a table lamp and with it I destroyed a near- that Integral Consciousness was an important film that needed to by window. I scrambled through the shards of glass and once out- be made. We forged ahead and help trickled in from many sourc-

4 • Collaboration Spring 2011 es. Early on, CIIS made Bahman Shirazi available to provide archi- portant in a time that is so stuck for solutions and replete with val and technical support, and little by little donations came in despair for the future. This film would become Conscious, which until the exciting moment when we were able to hire Academy is the working title of the film now in production. Award nominated documentary filmmaker Mark Kitchell to direct I had my camera with me on the February 2008 trip to India, the movie. and as I had done on a previous trip for Integral Consciousness, The money was always tight and on several occasions it I set about requesting interviews for a new film. With the very looked like we would need to stop working. But each time we faced kind assistance of Aster Patel, Suneet Varma, and Kathir a seemingly insurmountable obstacle a new door would open and Radhakrishnan, we were granted many fascinating and inspiring we carried on. Integral Consciousness was embracing some very interviews in Pondicherry and Auroville, and this began the jour- sacred teachings and I began to sense that somehow the sacred ney with Conscious. was having a hand in its production. My challenge was in being Conscious invites the viewer to consider that, even though receptive to a deeper wisdom and trusting the process that was nature has achieved conscious self awareness in humanity, a fur- unfolding. I did find comfort in Dr. Chaudhuri’s words ‘all in the ther development of consciousness and a far greater future may fullness of time,’ which were beginning to sound deeply pro- be humanity’s potential. Haridas Chaudhuri said, “having creat- found. ed man, nature herself, the evolutionary spirit of nature, has risen The support continued and in time we were grateful for the to the level of consciousness.” Could it be that nature is now on gifts from dozens of individuals and several organisations, includ- the cusp of a leap in her ongoing evolution of consciousness and ing CIIS, CIF, and the Foundation for World Education (FWE). We humanity is poised to be her bridge? This future would be differ- persevered until the moment when the first rough assembly of ent from anything that our present consciousness can envision Integral Consciousness was finished and I knew that we had and is likely spiritual in its basis. Finally, the film asks if there is a passed the point of no return, from here there was no turning back. role that each person can consciously take in this transformation The film would be made. and the realization of humanity’s potential. Pressing on we finished the ‘first final’ cut of Integral Con- Eventually, with outstanding interviews, the film’s treatment sciousness just days before I departed on a trip to India in Febru- written, a sample beginning, an informative website, and once ary 2008. In India it would be my honour to debut this cut of the again the kind support of CIIS, CIF, FWE, and now the San Fran- film in Pondicherry and Auroville where we had previously con- cisco Film Society, Conscious was on its way. Nevertheless the ducted interviews for Integral Consciousness. I was quite appre- difficulties facing Conscious are at times daunting, and with ev- hensive about these screenings but, thankfully for my nerves, the ery two steps forward there is frequently an occurrence that reception the film received in India provided me with considerable guides the project in a new and unexpected direction. In some relief. mysterious way these challenges more often than not take the In April 2008, after I had returned from India, we celebrated film to a deeper and richer place, and one of my greatest challeng- Integral Consciousness’s North American debut in San Francisco. es is remaining calm and open to this potential. With this release I thought we were done, but shortly after the San The very serious controversy surrounding Peter Heehs’s Francisco opening a surprise challenge to the film was launched book, ‘The Lives of Sri Aurobindo’ is not at all the subject of and we stopped distribution. Originally we had released the film as Conscious, but nevertheless it has guided the film in a new direc- Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s vision of Supra- tion. The Pondicherry and Auroville interviews were conducted mental Consciousness and how Haridas Chaudhuri brought it just months before the release of Peter Heehs’s book, and as it to the West, a very long title. Unbeknownst to us ‘Integral Yoga’ turned out, some of those interviewed would take very different had been trademarked and our right to use these words was being positions on the book. When we began assembling clips from contested. It was outside our scope to fight this challenge and so, these interviews I was confronted by some well respected indi- after a return to the editing room, the current title Integral Con- viduals whom we had interviewed. These interviewees made it sciousness: Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga and how Haridas Chaudhuri very clear that if the clips or the new website gave voice to certain brought it to the West came to be. Maybe in the end it’s a better other individuals whom we had interviewed then they would ask title. Since this setback distribution of Integral Consciousness to be left out. has steadily climbed. The true depth and meaning of the dilemma I found myself During the final months making Integral Consciousness I facing is vastly beyond my ability to comprehend and, feeling en- yearned to continue my relationship with Integral Yoga and I be- tirely inadequate, I more or less gave in and searched for a deeper gan wondering if we might be honoured with another film to make. wisdom. Within a few days I had an experience that felt much like Although Sri Aurobindo’s powerful philosophy is well beyond recognition as I sensed some clarity emerging into my con- my ability to consciously grasp, I sensed it was deeply resonating sciousness. I became aware that including one group and exclud- with an aspect of my being and, maybe a little selfishly, I wanted ing the other would see the film taking a position in a dispute that this to continue. I began to envision that a film showing Sri Auro- reaches beyond its scope, and including both would be provoc- bindo’s yoga to be relevant and meaningful today would be im- ative. The option that felt most in harmony with the clarity I had

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 5 experienced would include none of the interviewees who had con- fronted me or the ones they were concerned about. AV almanac But this stance would likely alienate me from a number of peo- ple and it would mean trashing much of the work already done on Conscious. What to do? I could not be sure if I had really experi- What’s happening with the enced a deeper truth but, whether right or wrong, I felt I had to trust the best wisdom I had been able to contact. Anything else Matrimandir Lake? felt like I would be betraying myself and the film. This challenge has taken Conscious in a new direction and whether it is in co- by Carel Thieme operation with a greater consciousness may never be known. I am a novice on this path and I cannot be sure if the deepest Reprinted from Auroville Today, January 2011 guidance I can sense is really truth, and I will still at times be se- duced by easy temptations to disregard my best inner wisdom. Author’s Note: In September 2008, L’Avenir d’Auroville pub- Nevertheless, I sense that Conscious has the potential to contact lished in the Auroville News and Notes its intention to give site something of the sacred and as long as I have the profound ho- approval for a Matrimandir Test Pond. It described it as a re- nour of being the steward of this project I must do my best to fol- search project to find out how a lake can be constructed in ac- low the deepest wisdom of which I am capable. cordance with the parameters laid down by Roger Anger and It was some years ago when I began wondering about my causing minimum environmental damage. What has happened potential and in time circumstances led me to open some space so since then? something new could develop. Very quickly the film projects filled that space and in due course they have transformed my life and wo months after the announcement, in November 2008, an my worldview. In some mysterious way I feel the film projects are elaborate Memorandum of Understanding was signed be inviting me to open to a vast consciousness and a deep wisdom Ttween L’Avenir d’Auroville and a Test Pond Project Team. that is beyond my comprehension. It strikes me as ironic that my It stipulated that L’Avenir d’Auroville would eventually commis- work with the films is inducting me into a practice that, from my sion the test pond; that a Test Pond Monitoring Group consisting perspective, is itself very much the subject of the films. of representatives of Auroville working groups and individual Aurovilians would advise on the project’s direction; and that a Briefs Board of Experts of lake and water specialists would be appointed to provide advice and do independent technical auditing of the AUM 2011 will be held 30 June - 4 July in Lodi, CA. The findings of the project. theme of the conference is “A new world is born,” inspired by the The Memorandum also mentioned that three studies had to Mother’s vision of a new world that has already been born and of be delivered by the Test Pond Project Team: an environmental which we are for the most part still unaware. This year we are as- study, a Matrimandir lake feasibility study, and a study of the piring for an experiential and interactive conference, with more Matrimandir lake as an integral part of Auroville’s water system. audience-participatory formats for presentations and workshops Three-monthly reports would be published on AV Net as ‘the as well as a balance of activities. Many speakers, facilitators, project asks for participation of the community.’ The time frame of workshop guides, and activity leaders will contribute to the pro- the test pond project was estimated to take between 3-5 years. gram. Attendees will stay at the Holiday Inn Express (1337 East So far, so good. But what has happened since? No reports Kettleman Lane, Lodi, CA) and experience the profound spiritual were published; the Monitoring Group has not started function- vibration of Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham. See details at: http:// ing; the Board of Experts was never appointed; work on the site www.collaboration.org/aum/2011/index.html never started; and the studies were not delivered. The 2011 Integral Yoga Retreat will be held 20-24 July 2011 Nevertheless, in August 2009 the Test Pond Project Team, ig- at Furman University, Greenville, SC; it is hosted by the Sri Auro- noring the Memorandum, applied for building permission to start bindo Center South East. The conference offers people of all ages the test pond. L’Avenir d’Auroville, instead of rejecting the appli- a valuable opportunity to learn about Sri Aurobindo and the cation out of hand as the three reports mentioned in the Memo- Mother’s Integral Yoga through activities, discussions and lec- randum had not been delivered, also ignored the Memorandum tures. It will also include daily physical fitness, meditation and and instead formed a sub-group to study the matter. It also ap- experiential sessions. With powerful speakers from India and the pointed an expert to look specifically into the possible functions US, attendees will be richly rewarded with a better understanding of the lake. But building permission was never given, as the expert of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and their practical stated that a lake should be considered only in the context of a application to daily life. Visit their website for registration and regional water plan. Moreover, he considered that there was in- details: http://www.sriaurobindoyogaretreat.com/ For questions, sufficient information available to start the test pond of the size please call 864-248-1571. proposed.

6 • Collaboration Spring 2011 All this suggests that the Memorandum was little more than a lame duck and that the promised community participation was ignored. The Test Pond Project Team, meanwhile, continued study- ing the issues. The main person in the Team is Michael Bonke, a friend of Auroville who has been heavily involved with the construction of the Matri- mandir. He wants to manifest the Matrimandir lake for the sole reason that Mother said that “It has been decided and will remain decided that the Matrimandir will be surrounded with water.” For Michael, this is an imperative that indicates that without the lake, neither the Matrimandir nor the city of Auroville will be complete. Aware that the proposed lake has raised strong objections in sec- tions of the community for ecological, environ- mental and logistical reasons, the Team explored solutions for three issues: to determine the func- tion of the lake, determine the size of the lake, and last but not least, solve the question of where the water for the lake will come from.

The function of the lake Roger Anger’s model of the Matrimandir lake. (Photo courtesy Auroville Today)

More than six years ago, in the June-July 2004 issue (#185-186), Auroville Today reported on three studies that The size of the lake had been done to ascertain if the Matrimandir lake could have a function in the water supply of the city. This ideas was first moot- The size of the lake has been the second issue of contention. ed in the 1970s by chief architect Roger Anger, but was not actu- In 1999, a few years before the Kraft study, Roger Anger had de- ally researched till September 2003, when a pre-feasibility study cided to incorporate a big lake into the Auroville Master Plan. by the office of water engineer Harald Kraft in Berlin showed that This led to a ferocious dispute with the then Matrimandir Coordi- the lake, if it is large and sufficiently deep, could be part of the nation Group. For a lake this size would do away with the outer city’s water supply. gardens situated between the lake and the city, which Narad, at Kraft’s study, however, was heavily criticized by Auroville the Mother’s request, had started in the early 1970s. specialists. This led to two further studies by experts in Germany The Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation inter- and The Netherlands, sponsored by Michael, who all concluded vened. Board member Dr. Subhash Kashyap mediated an agree- that the lake has no function to serve in the city’s water supply. ment: a big lake would be created to the east side of the Matri- So what is its function? On June 2nd 2010, Harald and Michael mandir where no gardens had yet been planted, while on the west met to discuss the lake and signed a statement, “We believe that side a smaller water body would be created so that the existing the Mother’s vision for a lake around the Matrimandir was not outer gardens could remain. Mr. Bala Baskar, the then Secretary exclusively aiming at particular practical functions of the lake, but of the Auroville Foundation, explained a few months later that the that more subtle functions like the calmness that a lake radiates, actual dimensions of the lake would be according to an expert its strength and stability or other even more subtle functions opinion, after detailed studies of the problem of water availability which were more decisive than practicalities. In nearly all cities and storage feasibility had been made—studies that are yet to be today we have at the centre a crowded place with hectic traffic. In presented. Auroville, Mother wanted at the centre a place of silence and con- However, it seems that Dr. Kashyap’s solution will be ig- centration. She gave the name ‘Peace’ to the central area. The lake nored. Scale-models and maps of the Matrimandir area, on public which she envisaged is supposed to function as an isolating zone display at the Town Hall, show without exception the large-sized between the Auroville Township and the Matrimandir area.” Few lake. will disagree with the statement. Harald and Michael also opt for the large lake. In their state- ment they write, “It is our duty to construct the lake in such a way that it can serve all possible functions in the best way.” One of

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 7 the possible functions they mention is the lake being a compo- nent of Auroville’s water supply system. Harald’s original con- cept which had already been dismissed by the German and Dutch experts. Apparently, the wish to create a large lake has overruled expert opinion. What is planned for the earth that needs to be excavated? Harald and Michael propose to use conveyor belts to move the earth from the lake bed to two sites so as to form two hills: a small one which will serve as a tourist viewing point [an idea the Mother once discussed with Satprem, eds.] and a big one in the greenbelt which could serve as an uphill power storage that interacts with the lake.

Where does the water come from?

There are four possible water sources for the lake: ground Dr. Kashyap’s model of Matrimandir lake (Photo courtesy AV Today) water, harvested rainwater; treated waste water; and desalinated water. For social and ecological reasons groundwater will not be water supply of Auroville and its surrounding villages when salt used. The Test Pond Team, together with a number of Indian spe- water intrudes into the aquifers. Two years ago he set up a com- cialists, studied each of the remaining options. Their conclusions pany for the exclusive benefit of Auroville, called Varuna Water are as follows: and Energy Ltd., which has already bought two wind generators Harvested rainwater. There is an acute threat of salt-water in- to produce green energy. While part of the proceeds are used to trusion into the groundwater of Auroville’s bio-region, mainly subsidize electricity in Auroville, another part will be used to off- caused by agricultural over extraction. Specialists agree that Au- set the operational costs of a planned 1000 cubic meters a day roville should harvest desalination plant rainwater as much as near the beach. The possible and let it pene- It has been decided and will remain decided land for this plant has trate into the aquifiers that the Matrimandir will be surrounded already been pur- to ward off salt water in- with water. chased and Varuna is trusion and so secure in the process of ob- its groundwater supply. —Mother to Huta on 28 March 1970 taining the required They conclude that it is permissions. not advisable to use harvested rainwater to fill the lake, as this would deprive the aquifers of necessary recharge. The views of L’Avenir d’Auroville Treated waste water. It was once suggested to fill the Lake with treated waste water as the Pondicherry waster water treat- In June 2010, the Governing Board of the Auroville Founda- ment plant almost borders on Auroville. The city of Singapore re- tion appointed a new team to run L’Aveir d’Auroville. So far, this lies for 30% of its water supply on treated sewage which has been team has not discussed the future Matrimandir lake nor the find- purified using dual-membrane and ultraviolet technologies, in ad- ings of the Test Pond Project Team. dition to conventional water treatment processes. This treated The new L’Avenir team will have to decide if and to what ex- waste water is used for non potable applications. tent the 2008 Memorandum of Understanding has to be revived. The Test Pond Project Team has decided not to pursue this It must also take a stand on desalinated water as a feasible option approach as it would imply a long-term cooperation with the to secure the drinking water supply of Auroville and the nearby Pondicherry Government, which has to meet its own water re- villages in case aquifers turn saline; and if it can be used for the quirements, as well as being a high-technology and costly affair. Matrimandir lake. If any of these questions are answered in the Desalinated water. The Test Pond Project Team considers positive, L’Avenir will have to find ways, together with the Test desalinated sea water as the best option to fill the lake as this Pond Project Team, to bring desalinated water from the coast to would ensure a good water quality and allow the lake water level the centre of Auroville. to remain constant in all seasons, one of the conditions laid down The discussion in Auroville is yet to begin. The lake has over by Roger Anger. [The use of desalinated sea water, by the way, the years been the subject of much controversy. The work of the was also approved the Mother in a discussion with Satprem, eds.] Test Pond Team, while not answering to all the concerns ex- Michael is convinced that desalination is the answer for the pressed, may be a basis for more informed discussions. future, not only to fill the lake, but also to secure the drinking

8 • Collaboration Spring 2011 ier-Bresson was to obtain the only photo- Chronicles graphs ever made of Mother and Sri Au- robindo together at Darshan, and on the 25th he was destined to shoot the last liv- The decisive moment ing photograph of Sri Aurobindo, thus completing a remarkable trinity of final statements—Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagavan by Michael Miovic Ramana Maharshi, and Sri Aurobindo. By what Grace or hidden design the enri Cartier-Bresson died on 3 Au- Divine chose Cartier-Bresson to record In- gust 2004, at his home in Paris, dia’s three greatest leaders/spiritual fig- HFrance. He was 95 years old. ures of the 20th century as they stood on Widely respected as one of the founding the threshold of life and death, we can only fathers of photojournalism and a pioneer speculate. But clearly the phenomenon in the art of photography, his pictures are has a profound inner meaning. When Cart- admired for their spontaneity and mastery ier-Bresson arrived in Pondicherry in April of form. A painter both at the beginning Photo courtesy Michael Miovic 1950, Sri Aurobindo had been in retirement and end of his career, Cartier-Bresson took for over 20 years, and had repeatedly de- up photography in 1930 and went on to in Pondicherry on April 23, in time for dars- clined requests to be photographed. In ret- shoot some of the most memorable photos han on the 24th, he was in the midst of an rospect, we also know that Sri Aurobindo of the 20th century. extraordinary series of events. He had just had already decided to leave the body, and Cartier-Bresson always said his aim come from Tiruvannamalai, where he had was deeply engaged in two Herculean was to capture “the decisive moment,” photographed Sri Ramana Maharshi leav- tasks: completing Savitri, and preparing that is, the essence of a situation or event ing his body, and borne witness to the fire- for the first fully conscious descent into that was unfolding before his eyes. Using ball that streaked slowly over Arunachala Death in the history of life.3 In a very real a small hand-held Leica camera, and as lit- at 8.47 p.m., the exact minute of the sage’s sense then, Sri Aurobindo was poised on tle artificial light as possible, for four de- absorption into the Self. On the 24th, Cart- the edge of his own decisive moment. cades he roamed the globe catching Initially, the Mother only gave human beings in the midst of action. Cartier-Bresson permission to pho- From historic events, such as the fu- tograph the premises of the Ashram, neral of Mahatma Gandhi and the as well as ashramites engaged in rise of China’s Mao Zedong, to the their usual activities. However, soon smaller moments of workers relaxing she allowed him to take shots with or a family picnicking by the river Mother in the background, and as Marne, he had a knack for being in the trust grew, Mother even let Cart- the right place at the right time, and ier-Bresson take portraits of herself. seizing the spirit of the moment.1 Cartier-Bresson’s diary shows that There was certainly a yogic ele- he felt the Mother’s sweetness and ment to Cartier-Bresson’s art. He kindness, and his photos of her dis- loved perfection, and his quest as a tributing flowers certainly express photographer was to glimpse eterni- this quality.4 ty in the fleeting instant. Inspired by Yet the greatest photos were the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, still to come. On the morning of April he once said that his photographic 25, 1950, the day after Darshan, Cart- method was to use his open eye to ier-Bresson went to thank the Moth- look through the viewfinder upon er for the favours granted, and to ask the outer scene, while with his other, for one more—permission to photo- closed eye he looked within.2 It was, graph Sri Aurobindo in his private perhaps, this inward gaze that quarters. According to Cartier-Bres- caught the Mother’s attention and son, he finally persuaded her with led her to grant him permission to the statement, “I am only photo- photograph the Ashram in 1950. Cartier-Bresson’s photo of the Mother distributing flowers. graphing the female aspect of the Di- When Cartier-Bresson arrived (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) vine. What about the male aspect?”

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 9 In any case, the quickly. What one Mother consulted sees in these pho- with Sri Aurobindo tos is a meditating and—surprising- sage who seems to ly—consent was have materialized given.5 on the film from the From the me- future. Sri Aurobin- chanical perspec- do barely appears tive, the session to belong to this was quick and quiet. time and place: in Cartier-Bresson the inner eye, one took about 10 min- sees him as bolt of utes, during which frozen lightning on time Sri Aurobindo the verge of strik- impressed the pho- ing, or perhaps tographer with his striking so continu- complete immobility. ously that one can In his diary from the no longer distin- time, Cartier-Bres- guish rest and mo- son wrote “The This is a cropped close-up view from one of Cartier-Bresson’s photos of Sri Aurobindo in his tion; outwardly, it room was so neat room. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) seems as if the and tidy and imper- chair itself is about sonal. Sri Aurobindo did not wink an eye had ‘a tremendous meditation’ far away.”6 to launch forward and fly. Time has during the entire ten minutes I was watch- From the spiritual perspective, on the ceased, and the Timeless is radiating out ing him, he did not seem to belong to that other hand, Cartier-Bresson’s portraits of of Sri Aurobindo’s figure with diamond in- impersonal setting.” During an interview Sri Aurobindo sitting in his armchair stand tensity…. in Paris, 40 years later to the day (25 April among the most substantial documents in However, the frontal compositions are 1990), Cartier-Bresson recollected thus: human history. The side shots, in which Sri more perplexing, especially the head-on “My impressions of the Mother—a power Aurobindo’s face is less prominent, are portrait, so we shall dwell on it further. The woman. Sri Aurobindo was very remote. I unproblematic, so we shall review these first and most obvious feature of Sri Aurobindo’s last portrait is that he is not smiling. Also, he gives no revealing ges- ture or motion of note, and the composi- tion seems rather static. There is nothing here to suggest transcendent bliss, not even that distantly tender smile from the Beyond that Welling captured in his fa- mous bust of Sri Ramana Maharshi, shot only a few years earlier.7 On the surface, at least, Sri Aurobindo seems almost the an- tithesis of the jivanmukti that he was: his face is lined, his expression serious, and the atmosphere grave. This is not the de- lightful face of Krishna, rather the physi- ognomy of a warrior who has marched thousands of miles on foot and has yet, to borrow Frost’s famous line, miles to go be- fore he sleeps. Even the Mother later com- mented that she was surprised by Sri Aurobindo’s look, for it was not the ever- This is one of several side-shots of Sri Aurobindo by Cartier-Bresson. (Photo courtesy Sri patient and sweet visage she had come to Aurobindo Ashram) know and love. “He… he let go…” she said poignantly.8

10 • Collaboration Spring 2011 And yet, I feel, there is a deeper grim predator of darkness that was message and a divine purpose be- stalking my soul recedes, banished hind Sri Aurobindo’s solemnity, and by a diamond Light that shines out artistically the inner dynamism of from behind one human face. this photo is only accentuated by This, for me, is the significance the composition’s seemingly static of Cartier-Bresson’s final portrait of weight. For what we do see in Sri Sri Aurobindo. It extends to strug- Aurobindo’s bare, frank look is the gling mortals the helping hand of an face of the supramental Avatar pre- Avatar who otherwise might have paring to confront Death, to plunge remained forever impersonal and into the very heart of Darkness and distant to us. For though Savitri and sow there the first seeds of the Life The Life Divine bring us glowing Divine. Sri Aurobindo looks grave intimations from a brighter future, here because the moment literally is the weaker parts of us needed grave. Make no mistake, this is no something else, too—this visual re- light lila of a God who does not feel minder that the supramental Avatar the pain of human clay, it is the fully was also human like us. He is not conscious surrender of the God- only above and beyond us, He is head who has become the death- also with and inside us, feeling our bound suffering that we are. Truly, feelings, fighting our battles, facing this last photograph of Sri Aurobin- the same mortality we face. Evident- do is the modern expression of ly, Sri Aurobindo knew exactly what Christ on the Cross, only the pas- he was getting in Cartier-Bresson, sion is inner not outer, and the Lord and he decided the French photog- is dying in order to secure for us life rapher was the right instrument to everlasting on earth, not in some convey the Avatar’s parting gift to a hereafter. suffering humanity—a gift made all Speaking for myself, I feel that Cartier-Bresson’s photo of the darshan on 24 April 1950. the greater by its very humanity. Sri Aurobindo’s last portrait has a (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) unique power of spiritual healing. It References is not an easy photograph to live with, granted, and during my lighter Sri Aurobindo’s left eye, and am taken in 1. “Kingdoms of the world in a mo- moods and in the midst of my quotidian by the soft, receptive compassion of the ment,” in The Economist, August 5, 2004. concerns I cannot bear to contemplate it divine Friend who understands my pains 2. Cartier-Bresson H. and Sand ML. deeply, for it is a profoundly serious testa- and errors because he shares them, whose The Mind’s Eye: Writings on Photography ment. But when I am down, when I am feel- sympathy is boundless because he walks and Photographers. New York: Aperture, ing defeated, when I have reached the ut- right at my side and knows intimately ev- 1999. most limit of my endurance, then this pho- ery rock and pitfall on the Path. I look into 3. Nirodbaran. Twelve Years with Sri tograph comes to me. Especially it speaks his right eye, and am met by the steady Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo AshramTrust: to me in my absolutely darkest passages, gaze of Wisdom that looks dispassionate- Pondicherry, 1972, pp. 265-292. during those dire and decisive inner mo- ly upon the labour of ages and fills me with 4. “Documents in the life of Sri Auro- ments when it feels my very soul is on the a calm knowledge that the final fruits of bindo: the last photographs of Sri Auro- verge of relinquishing the battle because evolution are as certain as the failures of bindo,” in Sri Aurobindo: Archives and the world’s burden is too great and my the moment now seem. I look again upon Research. Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press: own failings unfixable. the lined visage of the great Warrior who Pondicherry, December 1990, pp. 207-09, When I look to Sri Aurobindo’s last has fought so much, endured so much, 216. portrait in such times of critical need, then and a new resolve enters my soul. I think 5. Ibid. suddenly he looks different: I see that his “well, since He has borne so much for me, I 6. Ibid. face is my face, is every human face, is the must give something small in return. I will 7. Bhagavan Sri Ramana: a Pictorial Divine who has taken birth on earthly soil. go one more step forward on the path—in Biography. Sri Ramanasramam: Tiruvan- I feel that his fatigue is my fatigue, is all honour of Him.” And so my heart warms namalai, 1981, p. 102. human fatigue, is the Divine who has as- again, and my will returns. I feel the arm of 8. A conversation of 16 October, 1965. sumed the burden of human toil. I look into the great Protector around me, and the

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 11 West (specifically in America) in the last Essays fifteen or so years a quite distinct tradition, also called Integral,12 that similarly inte- grates East and West, academia and spiri- Sri Aurobindo, tuality, in a universal framework. Like Inte- the Mother, and the gral Yoga, it proposes an evolutionary model that envisages a collective ascent Integral Movement and transformation of consciousness,13 a psychology concerned with all aspects of 14 by M. Alan Kazlev consciousness, and a spiritual practice that addresses all aspects of the being.15 And although the many important concep- I would like to consider here the relation tual differences should not be glossed between Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s over, the similarities are such that at times Integral Yoga, the Integral tradition of it seems like a single multi-faceted intellec- thought, and its newest incarnation the tual and spiritual tradition is being de- (for sake of a better word) Integral move- scribed. Western integralism even counts ment. Because Integral Yoga is a tradition Alan contemplates the world’s integral thinkers. (Photo courtesy Alan Kazlev) among its main founders Sri Aurobindo,16 that engages in the world, some observa- although more often he is only considered tions are offered of ways that Sri Auro- Mirra Alfassa, who he would appoint the one among many.17 bindo, the Mother, and the Integral Yoga Mother of the new ashram,6 she brought How did this strange state of affairs, community might be able to contribute to her own contributions: French and Japa- the similarities between Indian and West- the contemporary Integral movement, nese aesthetics through her interest in art ern Integral philosophy, come about? And and conversely what, in a spirit of collab- and culture,7 her strong practical organisa- what opportunities are there for coopera- oration, the current academic and grass tion in areas such as education, and her tion and dialogue between such “evolu- roots initiative within Integral philoso- knowledge of Kabbalistic and Hermetic tionary allies?”18 For the answers we need phy might have to offer the Integral Yoga occultism via Max Theon, and practical to backtrack a little. community. occultism through his English spiritualist wife Madame Theon.8 Amazingly, Theon Intellectual and cultural context of 1 eginning in 1912, Sri Aurobindo had arrived at his own discovery of the Integral Yoga discovered through his own ex Divinization of the material body (the Bploration in consciousness a new corps physique glorieux) that paralleled To begin with, I do not believe it is yoga or spiritual path, which later became Sri Aurobindo’s.9 accurate to say that in developing their known as Integral (purna – full or com- Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s yogic yoga, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother were plete) Yoga. It was and is a synthesis of all partnership was thus also a profound inte- working in a vacuum. Nature (prakriti) 2 the previous yogas, an all-inclusive ap- gral union of different cultures, practices, was already developing these ideas, un- 3 proach that encompasses all of life, a psy- and realities that shared a common aim, the folding the collecting consciousness of chology that incorporates all aspects of transformation of the Earth through the humanity. Thus, when Sri Aurobindo 4 the being, and a philosophy that brings establishment of a new Divine species, the chose the word Integral to designate his together the insights and wisdom of tradi- supramental race.10 The life and work of system of yoga, and as the translation for tional India (Vedas, Vedanta, and Tantra), these two great Teachers, considered to be the Sanskrit purna, he was selecting a term the non-sectarianism of the Bengali Re- two equal Divine incarnations,11 became that had and would also be independently naissance, Western classicism, and the the foundation of the Integral Yoga com- chosen by a number of innovative Europe- th secular evolutionary understanding of 19 munity. It is a community that has no lead- an scholars and visionaries in the early 20th century European thought. All of these el- ers apart from the inner presence of Sri century in quite similar contexts. The impli- ements, and Sri Aurobindo’s own original Aurobindo and the Mother. In this sense, cation being that, rather than being totally 5 yogic experiments, converged in a radical every Integral Yoga sadhak equally con- unique, Sri Aurobindo and the Mother new approach, a means by which the tinues, both in the outer world and on the emerge as the most profound representa- whole Earth can be transformed, through inner dimensions of sadhana, the mighty tives of a larger evolutionary tendency in the bringing down of the Divine Truth- work established by the two Founders. human consciousness, which for the sake Consciousness, the Supermind, and es- Yet while Integral Yoga constitutes of convenience is called here “Integral tablishing it here. one tradition, an intensely spiritual and consciousness.”19 And if phrases like “In- When Sri Aurobindo was joined by yogic one, there has developed in the tegral consciousness” or “Integral move-

12 • Collaboration Spring 2011 ment”20 are felt to be unsuitable because tin Tsiolkovsky (the Russian father of such as the Theons and their cosmic initia- they are contemporary terms less than a rocket science), Peter Ouspensky, and tive are now are very little known, others decade old, their equivalent, much better Vladimir Vernadsky, who foresaw things have been much more successful. Stein- known terms such as “New Age” (Alice such as planetary consciousness (Vernad- er’s ideas have been very influential in Bailey), “New Paradigm” (Fritjof Capra and sky’s Noosphere) and the future role of continental Europe, Teilhard has become others), or “Planetarisation” (Teilhard de technology and the possibility of a per- one of the central influences of the New Chardin) can just as adequately be em- fected immortal human existence (Fyodor- Age movement, and Sorokin and Gebser ployed.21 What they all have in common ov, Tsiolkovsky); the East-West synthesis have recently been rediscovered by the are at least several of the following themes: of Madame Blavatsky’s Theosophy, from Integral movement. All four therefore de- an evolutionary, developmental, or pro- which the New Age movement would later serve a brief coverage here, especially in gressive understanding of consciousness develop; the 19th century Russian philoso- view of similarities with each other and or even the cosmos as a whole; a univer- pher Vladimir Solovyov25 founder of the with Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, and their sal, “big picture” approach which includes Sorbost (Russian for “Integral”) move- convergence in a new emerging Integralist rather than rejects more one-sided per- ment, and Sergei Bulgakov, whose theolo- academic tradition (more on which a little spectives; transcending dichotomies such gy like Solovyov’s includes the principle later). as spirit and matter, and logic and imagina- of Sophia (Wisdom) as the female polarity The Austrian esotericist and Goet- tion, awakening to trans-rational spiritual of the Divine,26 with obvious parallels to hean scholar Rudolf Steiner established a awareness, and a new socio-cultural or the Supreme Mother in Sri Aurobindo’s body of teaching which also conformed to collective integral consciousness. But be- spiritual philosophy; and the process phi- the integral pattern. In 1906 Steiner con- cause each particular stream of “integral,” losophy of Henri Bergson, whose philoso- trasted “integral evolution” with “Darwin- or “New Age,” or “planetary” conscious- phy has many parallels with Sri Aurobin- ian evolution”, using the word integral in a ness considers itself similar manner to Sri and its own repre- Aurobindo and oth- sentatives or In view of the fact that there were and are so many paral- ers.28 He refers to the founders the highest lel and converging themes and philosophies floating trilogy of thinking, and most paradig- feeling, and willing (or matic, and at times around, only a few of which are mentioned here, it is not head, heart, and tends to misinterpret so surprising to discover parallelism between Integral hands), which corre- rival streams, Sri Au- Yoga and integral philosophy in the West. spond to the mental, robindo and the vital, and physical of Mother relevance re- Integral yoga. Stein- mains little known outside the Integral do.27 Bergson’s theory of creative evolu- er’s etheric Christ is the guiding principle Yoga community. It may be helpful there- tion exerted a strong influence on later in cosmic evolution that reverses the fall fore to provide a bit of historical back- evolutionary philosophers such as Teil- into materialism and introduces a new ground (a more detailed coverage will ap- hard de Chardin and Alfred North White- mode of consciousness as the force of this pear in a forthcoming issue of Sraddha). head (Process philosophy). transformation, and references the trans- Among the many roots and prequels In addition to all of the above, there mutation of the astral, etheric and physical of Integral yoga and philosophy in its var- seem to have been at least half a dozen in- body.29 Here there is a parallel with the ious forms could be mentioned the yoga of dependent, and only later converging, de- transformation of the gross and subtle the Tamil siddhas such as Turumular and velopments of Integral thought in the body in Tantra and in the Tamil siddha tra- Ramalingam;22 the Bengali Renaissance of opening decades of the 20th century: the dition,30 hinting even at the supramental Ram Mohan Roy, Ramakrishna, and Vive- Cosmic philosophy of Max and Alma The- transformation of Integral Yoga, although kananda23 with its rejection of cultic exclu- on (with which the Mother became in- Steiner did not envisage a transformation sivity (“only my religion is true”) and inte- volved), the Anthroposophy of Rudolf of inconscient matter of the sort that Sri gration of European and Indian thought; Steiner, the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, Aurobindo and Max Theon did. the Lurianic-Hassidic tradition of Kabbal- the integral sociology of Pitirim Sorokin, Independently of Sri Aurobindo, the ah, which first proposed that man can par- the evolutionary theology of Pierre Teil- Russian-born American emigre and Har- ticipate in the redemption of the cosmos hard de Chardin and, several decades later, vard sociologist Pitirim Sorokin who de- (tikkun olam), from which milieu Max The- the historical phenomenology of Jean veloped an integral sociology, referring to on came; the German idealism and Natur- Gebser. This is not even to mention the al- the need for a complementary relationship philosophie of Goethe, Kant, Hegel, ready referred to Cosmist and Sorbost between these three channels, physical, Schelling, and Oken; the Russian movements that developed in Russia mental, and spiritual, as each provides its Cosmism24 of Nikolai Fyodorov, Konstan- around this time. And whilst some groups own unique form of knowledge and pre-

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 13 dicting the emergence of a future idealistic Ken Wilber’s Integral Movement Integral Institute left me uneasy, there was or integral society that will replace the cur- a sense of Wilber and his associates trying rent, sense-orientated society.31 It was Perhaps the most influential contem- to appropriate the Integral brand as their only later that he discovered Sri Auro- porary Western figure here is Ken Wilber, a own. It turns out that I was not alone in bindo and spoke very highly of him.32 prolific writer on psychology, spirituality these concerns,40 and I admit it soured my The French Jesuit paleontologist and and philosophy who is more of a synthe- appreciation of Wilber’s achievements. evolutionary theologian Pierre Teilhard de sizer of the ideas of others than an original I had first become acquainted with Chardin taught that evolution and human visionary like Steiner, Sri Aurobindo, Teil- Wilber’s work in 1979 or 1980, about the consciousness are tending towards an hard, or Gebser. I tend to use the term “Wil- same time that I discovered Sri Aurobindo “Omega Point,” a state of collective tran- berian” to refer to this specific strand of and the Mother. At that time he was still scendence in the Divine consciousness,33 Integral thought, and the same word has associated with transpersonal psycholo- which he identifies with Christ. Teilhard’s also more recently been officially applied gy, and was the author of a model of “spec- ideas have been compared with those of to the academic movement that developed trum of consciousness” involving zones Sri Aurobindo.34 Both Sri Aurobindo and from Wilber’s writings.37 I should point of fragmentation or unity, depending Teilhard describe the Divine hidden in and out here that in referencing the Wilber- whether one moves “up” or “down” the emerging out of material evolution. Both inspired Integral movement alongside the scale.41 Over the years his work pro- considered the cosmos itself in a process Integral Yoga community, I am not imply- gressed through a number of iterations, of realizing or making manifest and external ing any close similarity or even natural becoming increasingly complex, until the its own inherent divinity. But for Teilhard, connection. These are simply two evolu- development of “AQAL” in the mid 1990s, the Omega Point meant a divinized human- tionary streams I have been associated and “post-metaphysics” circa 2002. His ity transcending the Earth and the material with for many years, one more intimately appeal lies in his enthusiastic and accessi- bases of evolution for a collective spiritual and spiritually, the other less so. So the ble presentation of a single framework that existence.35 This is contrary to the more reason for this essay is more an accident of can encompass all human knowledge, al- world-affirming approach to nature and its circumstances than a deliberate thematic though his treatment of original sources is transmutation that Sri Aurobindo’s and association. often unreliable, and there is a tendency in the Mother’s statements on the supramen- The Wilber-inspired Integral commu- his more recent work to privilege the con- tal transformation suggest. nity dates to 1998, when Wilber and some cerns of secular academia over both tradi- The Swiss phenomenologist and cul- of his students founded the Integral Insti- tional and contemporary esoteric in- tural historian Jean Gebser developed a tute,38 bringing together a large number of sights.42 similar theory of collective stages of con- intellectual, artistic, new paradigm, and Although a great admirer of Sri Au- sciousness, both associating the evolu- New Age “thought leaders.” Thanks to an robindo,43 Wilber’s primary influences and tion of consciousness not only with socio- aggressive marketing approach, the insti- interests were always in the fields of hu- cultural change but even a transformation tute was able to associate “Integral” in the manistic, transpersonal and develop- of physical reality itself. Gebser describes New Age/New Paradigm memesphere with mental psychology, cognitive science, five distinct “structures” or “mutations” his philosophy, especially with his inclu- non-dual Vedanta and Mahayana Bud- of consciousness, the archaic, the magical, sive typology of “all quadrants and all lev- dhism, and, more recently, contemporary the mythic, the mental-perspectival, and els” or “AQAL.”39 academic philosophy. Because Wilber the Integral-Aperspective. This latter is a The coincidence of name, the univer- comes from such a very different spiritual new, currently emerging structure that he sal approach of the Integral Institute initia- tradition and practice to Sri Aurobindo,44 it predicted would replace the current men- tive, and the shared theme of evolutionary is not surprising that his interpretation of tal-perspectival mode, and which will in- spirituality and global transformation, Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and yoga clude and be transparent to all previous were to inspire my own interest in this would be less than accurate.45 As a result, stages of consciousness. Like Sorokin, he movement back in 2004, when I stumbled a very large part of the Western Integral- came upon the word “Integral” indepen- upon one of these websites. Up until that ism’s understanding regarding this topic dently of Sri Aurobindo.36 time, I had only associated “Integral” in a tends to be filtered through the lens of In view of the fact that there were and spiritual context with the transformative Wilber’s second-hand interpretations, are so many parallel and converging yoga and philosophy of Sri Aurobindo rather than through original source materi- themes and philosophies floating around, and the Mother. Hence it was not surpris- al or dialogue with representatives of the only a few of which are mentioned here, it ing that I had mixed feelings here; on the Integral Yoga community. It is not surpris- is not so surprising to discover parallelism one hand I was pleased to see that these ing therefore that such essential teachings between Integral Yoga and Integral philos- insights were being taken up and popular- as the psychic transformation, supramen- ophy in the West. It seems that both stem ized by a successful new paradigm writer, talization, and the central role of the Mother from a common zeitgeist. on the other, the marketing hype of the early and the Supreme Shakti remain almost

14 • Collaboration Spring 2011 totally unknown in the Integralist commu- part to an imbalance of mental and lack of nered with the Integral Institute both to nity, although it is hoped that this latter sit- an authentic yogic presence (more on this distribute the Journal of Integral Theory uation can change with future co-opera- shortly), and in part to a reduction in Wil- and Practice (a peer-reviewed Wilberian tion and dialogue. ber’s output in recent years; with less new journal) and to publish a new book series For the first six or eight years of its material there was less intellectual stimula- on Integral Theory, with four volumes existence, the Integral community was an tion. Yet at the same time, the academic published in 2010 and more planned or on enthusiastic but insular collective based side of the Integral initiative continued to the way.55 The books are edited by Sean around uncritical adoption and application grow. This academic Integralism, based on Esbjörn-Hargens, perhaps the foremost of Wilber’s own ideas. But as scholars, in- commentary, critique, and pragmatic appli- academic in the Wilberian tradition, and tellectuals, and general readers and inter- cation of Wilber’s writings and to a lesser one of the main advocates of a more open net authors became acquainted with Wil- extent those of other mainstream Integral- approach and dialogue, leaving behind the ber’s philosophy, they noticed more and ist authors by students and “scholar-prac- self-limiting fan-critic dichotomy of the more problems. Many of these were post- tioners,” led to the emergence of an entire earlier Integral community. ed on a website called The World of Ken new academic discipline, called Integral Wilber, later very unfortunately renamed Theory,48 and a community of scholars and Potentials for collaboration Integral World, thus reinforcing the belief, academics who are slowly gaining recog- rejected even by Wilber’s most enthusias- nition in mainstream academia. This brings us to the second part of tic supporters, that “Wilber = Integral.” This new initiative involves neither this essay. In view of the spirit of open- The website was and is maintained by Wil- Wilberian literalism nor blanket criticism, ness and intellectual honesty in Wilberian ber’s biographer and former theosophist but a “Second Wave” of Integral critiquing academia, an opportunity presents itself Frank Visser, who originally was among and inquiry that has emerged from the for collaboration. Sri Aurobindo and the those defending Wilber from criticisms, “First Wave” associated with Wilber and Mother’s teachings and the Integral Yoga but then became more sympathetic to the his early co-workers.49 And especially as community have much to contribute to the critics’ arguments. Inevitably, there was a academia tends to be suspicious of initia- current Wilberian academic initiative, very acrimonious falling out between Wil- tives or movements based around only a which conversely has much to offer as re- ber and his loyal supporters (called “fans,” single individual, this community has, gards the Integral Yoga community’s inter- reinforcing the American pop culture set- starting in 2008, begun hosting biennial action with modernity. At the same time, ting) on the one hand, and Visser and other conferences50 featuring a wide range of there are many in each group, perhaps a critics who nevertheless still support an participants, papers, panels, and speakers majority, who are happy in following their Integral worldview, on the other.46 This (including both supporters and critics), respective particular approach, and there was in 2006, coincidentally at the same and establishing Integral Theory as an au- is absolutely nothing wrong with them time I was first working on material for sub- thentic academic tradition in its own continuing to do so. In other words, while mission to Integral World. At the time it right.51 This has been accompanied even neither of the two traditions needs the oth- was my intention to show the superiority in the mainstream Wilberian movement by er, each has something it can contribute or of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s Integral a broadening out and acknowledging of share. In this regard I have greatly broad- teachings to the more secular and anti- other “integral pioneers,” and a shift of in- ened my position relative to four to five metaphysical approach of Wilber, as well tegral discourse from an earlier “Wilber- years ago, when I argued simplistically as pointing out other problems such as the centric” to a more liberal “Wilber-based” and dogmatically (and I am sure counter- abusive guru phenomenon.47 Unfortu- approach.52 Another positive develop- productively) on the Integral World web- nately, like others involved in this faction ment of Wilberian academia is a shift from site for the superiority of the Integral Yoga fight, my emotions took over, and hence an obsession with mental categorizing in approach over the AQAL/Integral ap- the material I wrote at the time includes terms of quadrants and levels that domi- proach. As the Mother says: “Take some that was more polemic and aggres- nated the earlier, AQAL-based, Integral all...(a)nd then you will begin to under- sive in tone than it should have been. Nev- Theory,53 to the more dynamic and interac- stand.”56 ertheless, I did receive favourable feed- tive “post-metaphysical” enactment ap- A starting premise can be that each back from it, although my taking such a proach.54 tradition has both strengths and weak- partisan approach probably also served to This new academic Integralism is al- nesses. Therefore, each can gain some- help reinforce the schism and general ready contributing to the establishment of thing from the other, as well as contribute sense of “judgmentalism.” a more holistic and spiritual culture by something to the other. This applies of After a year or two, the culture of crit- chipping away at the hegemony of main- course not only in the Wilberian and Au- icism had died down, but so had much of stream intellectual conservatism. In the robindonian contexts, but in the context of the activity in the grass roots Wilberian last few years the respected State Univer- all New Age, New Paradigm, Evolutionary community. This may have been due in sity of New York (SUNY) Press has part- spiritual, and Planetary Ascendance

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 15 visionaries and teachings past and present. spirituality, as popularized by the human the case of Integral Theory, full recogni- I am only considering Integral Yoga and potential movement and Rajneesh, with tion of transpersonal and mystical states Integral Theory here because these are the inevitable slide into abusive behavior of consciousness. And if I have fewer crit- two groups I am familiar with, not because by some (although by no means all!) prom- icisms regarding the Integral Yoga commu- they are the most alike. Indeed, there is inent figures and leaders of the western nity than I do for Integral Theory, this may much more similarity between Teilhard and Integral movement.63 I would even go so simply reflect my own greater compatibili- Sri Aurobindo, or Russian Cosmism and far as to suggest that the whole problem of ty with the former. Integral Yoga, than there is between Sri the authoritarian self-appointed guru (a) The danger of excessive religion- Aurobindo and Wilber. So in a sense the mode of leadership, endemic in the West- ism is well known, but less acknowledged present comparison is taking the teach- ern New Age / New Paradigm movement, is the reluctance among many sadhaks to ings of two of the least similar visionaries, including the mainstream Integral commu- understand Sri Aurobindo and the Mother rather than the two most. Perhaps were nity, can be traced back to a lack of psychic in any but the most idealized terms, as if these two approaches less radically differ- receptivity. they had no human weaknesses and never ent, any dialogue between them would not In this regard it is not unusual that, in existed in a historical and human context. be as radical, just as Sri Aurobindo’s Inte- referencing Sri Aurobindo’s teachings, Yet clearly it was this latter that was re- gral philosophy gains its power from its Western Integralist thought leaders do not sponsible for the extremely negative reac- integration of the “two negations” of this- acknowledge the role of the Mother, or the tions by several members of the Integral worldly materialism and other-worldly psychic transformation. Because of this, Yoga community towards Peter Heehs’ asceticism and mysticism57 in the higher when Sri Aurobindo is addressed, it is only ground-breaking academic biography of synthesis of Integral Yoga. from an intellectual perspective, and even Sri Aurobindo.66 Some of Integral Theory’s shortcom- then only certain aspects of his philoso- I am certainly not saying here that the ings include: phy. The Mother is almost totally un- Integral Yoga community (or any other (a) an imbalance of mental classifica- known in the Integral movement (only the spiritual or yogic group) has to buy into tion and neglecting of other activities and followers of Andrew Cohen acknowledge historical reductionism. Nor that Peter faculties. An attempt at correcting this her,64 albeit as simply one evolutionary vi- Heehs’ biography gives the total picture unbalance has been made with “Integral sionary among many), or for that matter in (obviously by its very nature it can only Life Practice,”58 and this worthy endeavor the New Paradigm or New Age movement. deal with the external material reality, not can only be greatly enhanced by incorpo- In this context, the New Paradigm is an ini- inner occult events),67 or that it is free of rating elements and insights of the far tiative of mental or spiritualized mental re- criticism. But just as on the esoteric and more profound Yoga developed by Sri Au- form, and the corresponding New Age is transcendent level every great avatar and robindo and the Mother. its vital and vital-mental aspect (and vice- prophet accesses and embodies universal (b) a simplistic representation of Real- versa). Truths and uses these as a force for trans- ity, generally in terms of a single evolution- The above four points are likely to be formation, so it is equally the case that on ary series, into which all psychological, obvious to anyone coming from an Inte- the exoteric or outer level they are still hu- sociological, and spiritual and yogic mod- gral Yoga perspective. Yet just as Integral man beings embedded in history and cir- els are forced. Here we find Sri Aurobin- Yoga can contribute to Integral Theory cumstances, and conditioned by personal do’s levels of being included with little or and the Integral movement in general in all and socio-cultural factors. This exoteric no understanding. This schema is still ac- of the above areas, so Integral Theory is view of history is something that the cepted uncritically in the field of Integral able to address certain shortcomings in Western academics emphasize a lot, and in Theory.59 the current Integral Yoga community. this regard Integral Theory and similar ap- (c) a predominantly secular worldview These include a tendency towards reli- proaches can provide a counterpart to the that rejects both traditional and contempo- gionism and hagiography, and insuffi- esoteric approach of Integral Yoga, both rary metaphysical and esoteric insights as ciently addressing 21st century Western being totally valid in their own right. An unnecessary metaphysical “pregivens.”60 academic concerns. I should mention here integral perspective and broad and adapt- This is an area that not only Integral Yoga that the Western academia and Integral able mentality can incorporate both exoter- philosophy, but perennialism61 and esoter- Theory that is being referred to here is not ic and esoteric, historical and mystical, icism62 can restore valuable understanding related to the early 20th century eurocentric empirical and occult; as it recognizes each that the secular West has unwittingly or analysis of Indian culture that Sri Aurobin- aspect supporting and enhancing the oth- deliberately discarded. do and others critiqued,65 but rather to er. And a truly integral, psychic surrender (d) Finally, a lack of authentic yogic methodologies that incorporate interdisci- to the Mother’s Presence is able to accom- techniques and realizations, which means plinary, transdisciplinary, and cross-cul- modate all rational historical analysis with- a reliance on the poor insights and half- tural studies, a sensitivity to historical and out being in the least perturbed, as these lights of Western narcissistic New Age cultural contexts, academic rigor, and, in can only add to, rather than reduce, the

16 • Collaboration Spring 2011 infinity of the One to Pondicherry, 3rd ed., which Surrender is of- 1999, pp. 41ff. fered. In this way 2. “All life is even the most skepti- yoga” became the cal academic method- motto of Sri Aurobin- ologies and insights do’s sadhana, Heehs, can be taken up by p. 238; The Synthesis the Integral Transfor- of Yoga, p. 1. mation. This is in con- 3. Sri Aurobindo, trast to religious- Letters on Yoga, Sri based devotion Aurobindo Ashram where they are simply Press, Pondicherry, rejected and denied. 3rd ed. 1971, pp. All of which leads us 1243ff. to the second point of 4. Sri Aurobindo, discussion. Record of Yoga, Sri (b) A failure for Aurobindo Ashram the most part to ad- Press, Pondicherry, 2 dress Western aca- vols., 2001. demic concerns may seem irrelevant from extreme reductionism and skeptical materi- 5. This being on 24 November 1926, the perspective of Integral Yoga, and alism that it often displays; this is just re- “Siddhi Day,” the descent of the overmen- those who pursue only the inner life do not acting, it changes nothing. By paying at- tal Krishna, pp. 236ff; Georges Van have to concern themselves with the turn- tention to the insights and concerns of Vrekhem, Beyond the Human Species: The ings of the physical mind. But because In- modernity, and working with like-minded Life and Work of Sri Auro-bindo and The tegral Yoga seeks to transform the entire initiatives, the Integral Yoga community Mother, Paragon House, St. Paul, MI, 1998, world, it has to address everything in the can powerfully contribute to and help pp. 143ff. world, and that includes secular and skep- shape the emergence of a new global aca- 6. Nolima Das (ed.), Glimpses of the tical academia. It is significant that Sri Au- demic and spiritual tradition and culture. Mother’s Life, vol. 1, Sri Aurobindo robindo, in his philosophical masterwork In this way we may see the develop- Ashram, Pondicherry, 1978, pp. 173ff; The Life Divine, devotes so much care and ment of a new phase of Integral philoso- Sujata Nahar, Mother’s Chronicles Bk. 2. attention to all manner of intellectual argu- phy and spirituality, growing out of the Mirra the Artist, Institut de Recherches ments and philosophical hypotheses; this convergence of various streams of evolu- Evolutives, Paris & Mira Aditi, Mysore, is not the work of someone not interested tionary, planetary, and integral insight, and 1986. in addressing the rational or “mental transcending the limitations of earlier and 7. Sujata Nahar, Mother’s Chronicles, mind!”68 In the more than nine decades more sectarian and secular approaches. Bk. 3. Mirra the Occultist, Institut de Re- since The Life Divine was written, many This will allow the integration of progres- cherches Evolutives, Paris & Mira Aditi, new philosophical schools and arguments sive Western academia (represented in the Mysore, 1989. have been developed, especially those New Paradigm, Consciousness movement, 8. Mother’s Agenda, Institute for Evo- that fall under the rather ambiguous rubric and Integral community), grass roots plan- lutionary Research, New York, 1982 vol. 3, of “postmodernism,”69 as well as many etary and evolutionary spirituality, Her- p. 45; Sri Aurobindo, Mother India, May new discoveries as regards psychology, metic and New Age “lightworkers,” and 1974, pp. 349-50; A.B. Purani, Evening sociology, science, and other fields. And advanced Integral Yoga and other forms of Talks with Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo while the transcendent and occult truths theurgy and self- and planetary-transfor- Ashram Press, Pondicherry, 1982, p. 140; presented in The Life Divine are not affect- mation. This will pave the way for the emer- and diagram at . discoveries of the surface mental being, a Divine transformation, and further ad- 9. Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, Sri comprehensive account should still incor- vance to the Divine victory, the supramen- Aurobindo Ashram Press, Pondicherry, porate the insights, and refute the errors, talized world of the future. 10th ed., 1977, pp. 971ff; Mother’s Agenda; of all of these contemporary approaches.70 Satprem, The Mind of the Cells, Institute As Integral Yoga is concerned with Endnotes for Evolutionary Research, New York, transmuting the world as a whole, it makes 1982. no sense to deny the concerns of Western 1. Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of 10. Van Vrekhem, Beyond the Human science and academia, or recoil from the Yoga, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press, Species, pp. 103ff. While the principle of

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 17 the avatar or Divine incarnation is central ness,” The International Journal of to also mention the Mother. “Integral” to Viashvanite and other forms of Hindu- Transpersonal Studies, 2003, 22, pp. 47-60. Defined, at the Integral Research Center ism, equivalents are found in Jainism 14. G. Leonard, and M. Murphy, The http://integralecology.org/integralre- (tirthankaras), Buddhism (bodhisattvas Life We Are Given: A Long-Term Program searchcenter/sites/default/files/ and buddhas), Sufism (the Qutb or cosmic for Realizing the Potential of Body, Mind, INTEGRAL_Defined.pdf provides a few pole), and, albeit in once-only form, Chris- Heart, and Soul, Putnam, New York, 1995; foundational quotes by Ken Wilber, Jean tianity. I prefer to use the term Great Real- Ken Wilber, Terry Patten, Adam Leonard, Gebser, and Sri Aurobindo, regarding the izer, or Realized being, as the popular New and Marco Morelli, Integral Life Practice: meaning of integral, these being consid- Age, New Paradigm, and Integralist term How to Design Your Own Training Pro- ered, in a sense, the big three of the Inte- Enlightenment (sambodhi) has been gram for Body, Mind, and Spirit, Integral gral worldview. cheapened by Eastern self-appointed gu- Books, Boston, 2008. 17. The phrase “evolutionary allies” rus and equivalent Western pretenders to 15. Historical Integral Thinkers: Auro- was used at the AUM 2007 conference “In- the extent that it has become equivalent to bindo, his Integral Yoga and Integral Vi- tegral Yoga in Dialogue with the World,” fake spiritual teacher. By the very fact that sion, retrieved 11 February, 2011 . . See also my essay progressive realizations of brahman, va- and Transformative Practice: in Apprecia- Evolutionary Allies: An Integral Ap- sudeva, parabrahman, and supermind tion of Ken Wilber,” in Donald Rothberg & proach, Integral World, Nov 2007, re- (Heehs, The Lives of Sri Aurobindo, p. Sean Kelly (ed.), Ken Wilber in Dialogue: trieved 18 February 2011, . mind, illumined mind, intuition, and over- sonal Thinkers, Theosophical Publishing 18. Adopting the term from McIntosh, mind—intermediate between the ordinary House, Wheaton, IL, 1998, pp. 56-57) Integral Consciousness, p. 2. mental consciousness and the Supermind points to Fichte, Schelling, Hegel, Henry 19. The term “Integral Movement” ap- (The Life Divine, pp. 938ff). James snr, Bergson, Teilhard de Chardin, pears in Brad Reynolds, Embracing Reali- 11. Variously called the Integral ap- Jean Gebser, Alfred North Whitehead, ty: The Integral Vision of Ken Wilber: A proach, consciousness, culture, paradigm, Charles Harsthorne, Sri Aurobindo, and Historical Survey and Chapter-by Chap- philosophy, society, and worldview. See Ken Wilber as representatives of “evolu- ter Guide of Wilber’s Major Works, J. P. for example Steve McIntosh, Integral tionary emanationism” or “evolutionary Tarcher/Penguin, 2004, p. 302. Simulta- Consciousness and the future of evolu- panentheism.” Wilber himself (Integral neously, but quite independently, I began tion, Paragon House, St. Paul, MI, 2007, p. Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psy- informally using the same words, for want 2 (henceforth abbreviated to Integral chology, Therapy, Shambhala, 2000, p. 78) of a better term, on my web pages in 2004 Consciousness). gives a similar list of what he terms “Inte- and 2005, and in my essays, written a year 12. Compare for example Ken Wilber’s gral pioneers,” also including Goethe, or two later, on the Integral World website. Up from Eden: A Transpersonal View of Gustav Fechner, William James, Rudolf 20. Mark Woodhouse, Paradigm Human Evolution, Shambhala Publica- Steiner, James Mark Baldwin, Jürgen Hab- Wars, Frog Ltd., Berkeley, 1996, provides tions, Boston, 1981 and Sex, Ecology, ermas, and Abraham Maslow. Steve McIn- an excellent overview of the New Paradigm Spirituality: The Spirit of Evolution, Col- tosh (Integral Consciousness, pp. 160ff) worldview. His book should be read in lected Works of Ken Wilber, vol. 6, Sham- gives a somewhat similar list (see also Paul conjunction with Wouter Hanegraaff, New bhala, 2nd rev. ed., Boston & London, Marshall, Integral Consciousness and Ac- Age Religion and Western Culture: Eso- 2000, pp. 210-325, with Sri Aurobindo’s ademia Presentation at the 6th Spanish In- tericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought, The Life Divine and The Human Cycle. tegral Conference Barcelona, October State University of New York Press, Alba- 13. Ken Wilber, An Integral Theory of 2008, pp. 7-8. Retrieved 15 February, 2011, ny, 1998. For an integral/academic per- Consciousness, Journal of Conscious- ). Perhaps the most and planetary consciousness: Markus Grand Integral Vision; Living the Inte- comprehensive list is provided by Tom Molz speaks with Jennifer Gidley. Integral gral Life, Paragon House, St. Paul, MN, 2nd Huston, A Brief History of Evolutionary Review: A Transdisciplinary and Tran- ed., 2002; A. Combs & S. Krippner, “Pro- Spirituality, What Is Enlightenment? no. scultural Journal for New Thought, Re- cess, structure, and form: An evolutionary 35, Jan.-Mar. 2007, pp. 82-83, this being search and Praxis, 2008, 6, and J. Gidley, transpersonal psychology of conscious- also the only Western Integralist reference An Other View of Integral Futures: De/re-

18 • Collaboration Spring 2011 constructing the IF Brand, Futures: The 29. T.N. Ganapathy, The Concept of ed by Wilber, his proponents and critics Journal of Policy, Planning, and Futures the Human Body in the Tirumandiram, in (Introduction, in Esbjörn-Hargens (ed.) In- Studies, 2009, vol. 42, no. 2. Terms such as T.N. Ganapathy & K.R. Arumugam (eds.) tegral Theory in Action: Applied, Theo- New Age, New Paradigm, Integral, and The Yoga of Siddha Tirumular (Essays on retical, and Constructive Perspectives on Planetary are more or less synonymous the Tirumandiram), Babaji’s Kriya Yoga the AQAL Model, State University of New and interchangable, being different varia- and Publications, St Etienne de Bolton, York Press, Albany, 2010, p. 8, chapter on- tions of the same consciousness shift. Quebec, 2006, pp. 323-363. line at ). Jyothi and Deathless Body, University of and Positive Psychology: A Comparison 37. . Madras, India, 1980. of Sorokin and Seligman, The Catholic Wilber first used the word “integral” the 22. On the role of Paramhansa Ra- Social Science Review, 2005, 10, pp. 21-40. previous year. makrishna and Swami Vivekananda in the 31. “(F)rom the scientific and philo- 38. Sex, Ecology, Spirituality, pp. 197- development of Integral Yoga, see K. sophical standpoint, the works of Sri Au- 8; A Brief History of Everything, Shambha- Singh, “Sri Ramakrishna: The Initiator of robindo are a sound antidote to the pseu- la, 2nd ed., pp. 63ff; Integral Spirituality, Integral Yoga,” The Journal of Conscious do-scientific psychology, psychiatry, and pp.18ff; Mark Rentschler, AQAL Glossary. Evolution, vol. 2, retrieved 1 February educational art of the West” quoted in AQAL: Journal of Integral Theory and 2010 , and The Evolution of Heehs, Lives of Sri Aurobindo, p. 404. aqaljournal.integralinstitute.org/public/ Integral Yoga, Saarbrücken, Germany: 32 Pierre Teilhard De Chardin, The Pdf/AQAL_Glossary_01-27-07.pdf>. VDM Verlag Dr. Mueller, 2008. Phenomenon of Man, Harper & Row, New 39. See for example, Jennifer Gidley, 23. R. Djordjevic, Russian Cosmism York and San Francisco, 1955. An Other View of Integral Futures: De/re- (with the Selective Bibliography) and its 33 R.C. Zaehner, Evolution in Reli- constructing the IF Brand, Futures: The Uprising Effect on the Development of gion: A Study in Sri Aurobindo and Journal of Policy, Planning, and Futures Space Research, Serbian Astronomical Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Clarendon Studies, 2009, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 125-133. Journal, 1999, Vol. 159. pp. 105-9. Press, Oxford, 1971; K. D.Sethna, Teilhard More often such concerns are expressed 24. S. Esbjörn-Hargens & M. de Chardin and Sri Aurobindo—A Focus informally. Integralist academic Sean Esb- Schwartz, eds., “Vladimir Solovyov and on Fundamentals, Bharatiya Vidya jörn-Hargens, however, denies that there the Russian Tradition of Integral Knowl- Prakasan, Varanasi, 1973; and The Spiritu- is any such sinister plot, and points in- edge,” in Dancing with Sophia: Integral ality of the Future : A Search Apropos of stead to the predominance of use and ap- Philosophy on the Verge, SUNY, Albany, R. C. Zaehner’s Study in Sri Aurobindo plication of the term by Wilberian scholar- NY. (in process). and Teilhard de Chardin. Fairleigh Dick- ship as a systematic intellectual theory 25. S. Bulgakov, Sophia, the Wisdom erson University Press, Rutherford, NJ, (Esbjörn-Hargens, Introduction, in Inte- of God: An Outline of Sophiology (Library 1981; and Beatrice Bruteau, Evolution To- gral Theory in Action, pp.10ff). In the of Russian Philosophy), Lindisfarne Press, ward Divinity: Teilhard de Chardin and present paper and elsewhere therefore I Hudson, NY, 1993. the Hindu Traditions, Theosophical Pub- contrast Integral Theory (Wilberian- 26. Sisir Kumar Maitra, Sri Aurobindo lishing House, Wheaton, IL, 1974. I have based) with Integral Yoga (Sri Aurobindo and Bergson, Sri Aurobindo Mandir, mentioned a few points and included some and the Mother), and understand them as 1942. Reprinted in The Meeting of the East quotations at “The Evolution of Con- non-contradictory and ideally mutually and the West in Sri Aurobindo’s Philoso- sciousness—Teilhard and Sri Aurobindo supportive aspects of the Integral endeavor. phy, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, compared” . Nov-Dec 1974; Psychologia Perennis: The bandhu Prakashan, Gyanpur, 1972. 34. The Phenomenon of Man, Harper Spectrum of Consciousness, Journal of 27. M. Molz & J. Gidley, A transversal Perennial, pp. 270ff. Transpersonal Psychology, vol. 7, no. 2, dialogue on integral education and plane- 35. Gebser claims not to have been in- 1975; and The Spectrum of Consciousness, tary consciousness: Markus Molz speaks fluenced by Sri Aurobindo in his use of the Quest Books, Theosophical Publishing with Jennifer Gidley. Integral Review: A word “integral,” and that their similar us- House, Wheaton, IL, 1977. Transdisciplinary and Transcultural age was a “coincidence.” See The Ever- 41. For my initial critique of such Journal for New Thought, Research and Present Origin, Ohio University Press, “crypto-materialism” see my essay “To- Praxis, 2008, 6, p. 51. Athens, OH, 1985 p. 102, note 4. wards a Larger Definition of the Integral 28. Rudolf Steiner, The Reappearance 36. Sean Esbjörn-Hargens specifically Part 2: The Wilberian Paradigm: A Fourfold of the Christ in the Etheric, Anthropo- defines “Wilberian” in terms of an integral Critique,” Integral World, July 2006, part sophic Press, Spring Valley, NY, 1983. approach built on the foundation provid- 2a, Physicalism,

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 19 www.integralworld.net/kazlev2.html>. retrieved 6 August 2010 . In creating distinctions Integral Theory and Practice, 2010, vol. 5, ular and the mystical approach, see M.A. such as “First” and “Second” waves it is no. 1, originally a paper presented at the Kazlev, Integral Theory and Gnosis: Going important to realise how arbitrary and mis- conference, employs enactment-based In- beyond the “sceptical turn” to a more in- leading such categorizations can be, and tegral Pluralism to social issues around cli- clusive Integral Meta-Theory. In review, how easily prone to what the psychologist mate change. Journal of Integral theory and Practice Jung would refer to as shadow projection 54. Esbjörn-Hargens, Introduction, in (Manuscript on request). (“first wave bad, second wave good”). Integral Theory in Action, pp. 6-7; SUNY 42. “India’s greatest modern philoso- 49. Esbjörn-Hargens, Introduction, in Press blog Integral Theory posted 29 pher-sage,” Integral Psychology, p. 83. Integral Theory in Action, pp. 5-6; . ; Integral Theory at An Introduction to the Psychological gens, Prologue: The Academic Emergence SUNY Press, retrieved 15 February, 2011, Thought of Sri Aurobindo, Tarcher/Put- of Integral Theory: Reflections on and ; Publications : En- 43. Essentially, a Buddho-Vedantic Theory Conference. In Esbjörn-Hargens act Integral, “Books in Process”, retrieved “yoga of ascent” (nonduality) rather than (ed.) Integral Theory in Action: Applied, 15 February 2011, . the difference in my essay Towards a Larg- tives on the AQAL Model. State University 55. Mother’s Agenda, vol. 1, Institute er Definition of the Integral, Part Three: An of New York Press, Albany, 2010. for Evolutionary Research, New York, Aurobindonian Vision. July 2006, Integral 51. D.M. Zeitler, M.D. Forman & S. Es- 1979, p. 163. World, retrieved 21 October, 2009, . ture, PowerPoint presentation, 2010; Frank 57. Wilber, Integral Spirituality, pp. 44. See for example Brant Cortright, Visser, A New Phase of Integral Theory? 201ff; Wilber et al. Integral Life Practice. Psychotherapy and Spirit: Theory and Impressions of the 2nd Biannual Integral 58. The oft-reproduced color diagram Practice in Transpersonal Psychothera- Theory Conference at JFK University, 29 can be found in Wilber, 2006, Integral py, SUNY 1997, p. 78; Garry Jacobs, Re- July - 1 August 2010. Posted August 2010, Spirituality, fig. 2.4, Esbjörn-Hargens & sponse to Ken Wilber’s Integral Theory of Integral World, retrieved 17 August, 2010, Zimmerman, Integral Ecology: Uniting Consciousness (October 2001), , and visser35.html>. World, Integral Books, Boston & London, Rod Hemsell, Ken Wilber and Sri Aurobin- 52. Despite its many practical applica- 2009, color plate 2, and at various places do: A Critical Perspective . Framework for the 21st Century, Integral gral Psychology, pp. 83-84) he has not at- 45. Frank Visser, The Wild West Wil- Institute Resource Paper No. 1. 2009, pp. tempted to use these insights to go be- ber Report: Looking Back on the Wyatt 18-22), AQAL remains a purely abstract yond the one dimensional orientation Earp Episode, July 2006, Integral World, re- notation, a sort of integralist Dewey Deci- (called “altitude”) of his own psychologi- trieved 12 October, 2009, . approach as central to Wilberian philoso- in the Integral post-metaphysics color dia- 46. Because my essay was of some phy, it has also been criticized even by or- gram. length, it was divided into four parts. M.A. thodox Wilberians as detracting from oth- 59. e.g., Integral Spirituality, p. 49. Kazlev, Towards a Larger Definition of the er, equally important elements of Wilber’s Wilber’s main inspiration here would seem Integral; Parts 1 to 4, Integral World, 2006, thought (H. Martin & K. Martin, The Tyr- to be W. Sellars, Empiricism and the Phi- to gral World, posted August 2010, retrieved Sellars’ refutation of classical empiricism 47. Esbjörn-Hargens, Introduction, in 24 August, 2010, ). see R. Audi, (ed). The Cambridge Dictio- 48. R.M. Fisher, Historical Lament: 53. The second Integral Theory Con- nary of Philosophy, 2nd ed., Cambridge Integral Initiatives, Posted 20 March 2010 ference reflects this shift with its theme of University Press, Cambridge, 1999, p. 828. on World’s Fearlessness Teachings, “Enacting an Integral Future.” Sean Esb- Sellars’ position is inspired by that of

20 • Collaboration Spring 2011 Kant. Wilber frequently references Sellars’ movement who acknowledges the Mother. it is not surprising it was excluded. In any concept of the “myth of the given” in both 63. Tom Huston, A Brief History of case, from an integral point of view this in the context of traditional metaphysics Evolutionary Spirituality, What Is Enlight- disagreement is pointless, because each and contemporary spiritual and New Para- enment? no. 35, p. 83; and A History of side presents a valid truth, and arguments digm works. Evolutionary Spirituality, retrieved 15 only become harmful when one side claims 60. Huston Smith’s synthesis (For- February, 2011, . Sri 66. Thus Sri Aurobindo wrote to Dilip haps the clearest exposition. Aurobindo’s academic biographer Peter (Bengali musician, novelist, poet, essayist, 61. Esotericism, theosophy, and theo- Heehs has also been published in Andrew and disciple of Sri Aurobindo), “Neither retical gnosis are overlapping or synony- Cohen’s magazine; see Heehs, The Moth- you nor anyone else knows anything at all mous terms. Although esoteriological er’s Evolutionary Vision, Enlightenment- about my life; it has not been on the sur- scholars so far come from a mostly Europe- Next, no. 47, 2011. face for men to see” (K. R. Srinivasa Iyen- an tradition (e.g., A. Faivre, Access to West- 64. Sri Aurobindo’s Is India Civi- gar, Sri Aurobindo: A Biography and a ern Esotericism, State University of New lized? followed a book of the same name History, Sri Aurobindo International Cen- York Press, 1994; W. J. Hanegraaff, & J. by Tantric scholar John Woodroffe tre of Education, 1985, p. 19), although he Pijnenburg, (eds), Hermes in the Academy, (whose scholarly works on Shaktism and was not altogether against such efforts as Amsterdam University Press, 2009) there Kundalini Yoga even today are still among he sometimes made corrections to ac- are also various forms of oriental esoteri- the most important sources of Tantric counts by biographers (Sri Aurobindo’s cism (Tantra, Sant Mat, Taoist Yoga). studies in the West). Both were respond- Life ). ment. Posted 27 April 2010 on God Bless Aurobindo, The Hour of God: Selections 67. Jyoti & Prem Sobel, The Hierarchy the Whole World, retrieved 12 August from His Writings, Sri Aurobindo Ashram of Minds, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2010, ; Justin Lehmann give India self-government. Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy de- How to respond??? Genpo Merzel. Posted 65. See for example Fundamentalism fines postmodern philosophy as “relating 7 February 2011 at Integral Life, retrieved and the Integral Yoga—Interview with De- to a complex set of reactions to modern 14 February 2011, < http://integrallife.com/ bashish Banerji, Auroville Today, Febru- philosophy and its presuppositions... (It) member/justin-lehmann/blog/how-re- ary 2010 (online . Note that Andrew www.auroville.org/journals&media/avto- tialism, and realism...” (R. Audi (ed.), The Cohen, against whom there have been day/Feb_2010/Feb_2010_Page_2.pdf> Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, some serious allegations of abusive be- and Raman Reddy, Reader’s response (and Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, haviour made by former devotees (I men- Debashish’s response), Auroville Today, 2nd ed., 1999, p. 725). Current Integral The- tioned the implications of this for the Wil- March 2010 (online ). The metaphysics, and attempts to reconcile it Integral Part 2: The Wilberian Paradigm: A pro-Heehs website is IY Fundamentalism with mystical experience. Fourfold Critique, Integral World, July ; the anti- 69. It should also be mentioned here 2006, part 2b Non-Integral Spirituality, re- Heehs website is The Lives of Sri Aurobin- that there is already an approach being trieved 15 February 2011 ), www.thelivesofsriaurobindo.com> (the ti- Yoga philosophy, in the form of the Post- others, however, have reported seeing no tle here being misleading). A letter by human Destinies blog / website main- such signs of abuse (e.g., Steve McIntosh, Raman Reddy gives ex- Culture, Integral Yoga ). This blog is not in any blog.stevemcintosh.com/ life not considered by Heehs, although it is way associated with the Wilberian move- 2008_01_01_archive.html>), is the only obvious that such material would not be ment. leading figure in the mainstream Integral accepted by mainstream academia, hence

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 21 Spiritual activism, movement of the sacred fire of sacred activism organized through ‘networks of spiritual passivity and grace.’”30 The Institute for Sacred Activ- ism’s website is designed to facilitate the Integral Yoga formation and spread of such activist net- works.31 by Larry Seidlitz Various key principles for spiritual activism have been advanced by different piritual Activism has recently be- proponents. Some emphasize compassion come a popular movement in the and related emotional and attitudinal un- SNew Age spiritual literature and derpinnings, others focus on the practical- community, having received strong impe- ities of effecting change on the ground. tus from the work of Andrew Harvey, For example, the first of the Satyana Insti- author1 and founder of the Institute for tute’s principles of spiritual activism cites Sacred Activism;2 Deepak Chopra, author, the transformation of negative emotions and founder of the Chopra Foundation3 (Photo courtesy Larry Seidlitz) such as fear, anger and despair to positive and member of the evolutionary leaders emotions of love, compassion, and pur- network;4 Michael Lerner, author5,6 and not entirely, on the personal and thus pose.32 The Humanity Healing Network founder of the Network of Spiritual Pro- leave the existing oppressive social website emphasizes the role of compas- gressives;7 Claudia Horwitz, author8 and structures in place, spiritual activism sion in several of its key principles.33 The founder of Stone Circles;9 Will Keepin, requires both the personal and the Integrative Spirituality website cites the author and cofounder and director of Sat- structural; it starts with each individu- values of love, forgiveness, inner connec- yana Institute;10 Carla Goldstein, director al but moves outward as we challenge tion with God and others, and equanimity of the Women’s Institute,11 a unit of Omega and transform unjust social struc- as its first four principles, but then dis- Institute, as well others. It has also been an tures. cusses other practical components such increasingly important topic in academics Although spiritual activism be- as mindfulness, creativity and strategy.34 with influential books and papers by such gins at the level of the individual, it The Activist.org website, based on Hor- writers as Barbara Marx Hubbard,12,13 does not result in egocentrism, self- witz’s work, focuses on practical strategies AnaLouise Keating,14,15 Alastair McIn- glorification, or other types of pos- that have been used successfully in a vari- tosh,16,17 Roger S. Gottlib,18-23 Ken Jones,24 sessive individualism. Rather, spiritu- ety of contexts. These methods include David Loy,25 Donald Rothberg,26 and many al activists combine self-reflection the “mapping of the range of people and others.27 and self-growth with outward-direct- groups who would be affected or connected As AnaLouise Keating put it, ed, compassionate acts designed to to a particular issue, campaign, strategy;” bring about material change.28 “SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, …spiritual activism is a visionary, ex- opportunities, threats);” “storytelling and perientially-based epistemology and As Harvey puts it, an impending per- ‘case studies;’” and the “six-stage cam- ethics—a way of life and a call to ac- fect storm of crises facing the world, in- paign framework, as developed and used tion. Spiritual activism is spirituality cluding overpopulation, global warming, by MLK [Martin Luther King] and the for social change, spirituality that rec- environmental pollution, corporate greed [American] Civil Rights movement . . . ognizes the many differences among and corporate controlled media is leading gathering info, doing education and lead- us yet insists on our commonalities towards a catastrophe that can be averted ership development, negotiate, increase and uses these commonalities as cata- only through a large-scale spiritually- motivation for struggle, direct action, new lysts for transformation… The spiritu- based activism.29 Harvey described the es- relationship with opponent;” “scenario al/material, inner/outer, individual/ sence of his vision for confronting this work;” and “tableaus, that allow us to re- collective dimensions of life are parts storm as follows: “It is my prayer that this connect with a particular moment in time of a larger whole—interjoined in a book and the vision of sacred activism it (from our activist work) and the visceral complex, interwoven pattern. This embodies will inspire the spread of inter- impact of success or transformation or synergistic synthesis of apparent op- linked cells of ‘Networks of Grace’ all over pain.”35 posites distinguishes spiritual activ- North America and the world. The time has ism both from mainstream “New Age” come, in Teilhard de Chardin’s words, to Spiritual activism and Integral Yoga movements and from conventional or- “harness the energies of love, and so for ganized religions. Whereas “New the second time in the history of humanity Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s In- Age” belief systems focus almost, if discover fire”—in this case a grassroots tegral Yoga provides a natural and strong

22 • Collaboration Spring 2011 basis for spiritual activism, and can con- and Spirit—silent, immobile, immutable— others and the world would be a natural tribute a greater depth of insight to its spir- was seen as a necessary prerequisite to consequence of the integral realization, itual dimensions. The aim of Integral Yoga the realization of the dynamic supramental but this action could take a variety of dif- embraces a spiritual transformation, a radi- consciousness and force and its transfor- ferent forms depending on the individual. cal divinization of individual and collective mation of life. It might well take predominantly the form life. Sri Aurobindo and the Mother contin- Sri Aurobindo did not view outer so- of a silent inner action, but would be capa- ually contrasted their Integral Yoga with cial activism as a necessary or a primary ble of taking whatever outer forms its inner the traditional yogas of the past in India outer activity that was to flow out of the knowledge and vision saw as useful or which they argued focused on an inner in- inner spiritual realization. Indeed he sug- necessary. dividual realization and neglected the gested that during the development of this In order to elucidate a perspective on transformation of the outer life of the indi- spiritual consciousness, the inner life spiritual activism based on Sri Aurobin- vidual or of humanity as a whole.36 The would take precedence over the outer life, do’s teaching, it will be useful to clarify transformation they envisaged is of a thor- so that it would not be over-flooded and distinctions between what I will call true ough-going nature, and would necessarily submerged by the ignorance, but as the and false forms of both spiritual passivity take within its sweep the more limited polit- spiritual consciousness developed further and spiritual activism. After elaborating on ical, social, or environmental aims of spiri- to the supramental consciousness, this each of these principles, I will come back to tual activism. They argued that it was only vulnerability of the inner consciousness consider what an integration of true spiri- by a radical change of the consciousness would be overcome, enabling a natural and tual passivity and activism might look like that this transformation of the outer life of full outflow of the established inner spiri- in light of Sri Aurobindo’s teachings. humanity could be realized, starting with tual peace, love and power in a full engage- individuals, but progressively spreading ment with the world. As Sri Aurobindo False spiritual passivity to others and into communities.37 While wrote: concentrating on effecting this transfor- At the basis of false spiritual passivi- mation within themselves,38 they worked The peace of God within will be ex- ty is inertia, plain and simple. This is per- tirelessly to guide and materially and spiri- tended in the gnostic experience of haps the most likely and common mode tually assist others to this change,39 laid the universe into a universal calm of that spirituality takes, because inertia is out a detailed teaching and practical meth- equality not merely passive but dy- the dominant principle of our material ex- od for humanity to follow,40 and acted in- namic, a calm of freedom in oneness istence, and the higher evolutionary prin- wardly through spiritual means on the dominating all that meets it, tranquil- ciples of vital activity and mental under- world at large to assist it in its progressive lising all that enters into it, imposing standing and equilibrium develop out of it, change and transformation.41 its law of peace on the supramental against its natural resistance. Its influence Nevertheless, Sri Aurobindo’s Inte- being’s relations with the world in permeates, limits, and distorts the embod- gral Yoga and philosophy should not be which he is living. Into all his acts the ied life and mind’s own characteristic ten- taken as a full endorsement of spiritual ac- inner oneness, the inner communion dencies. tivism as it is presently articulated. Integral will attend him and enter into his rela- False passivity is passive to all kinds Yoga is a discipline aimed at an integral tions with others, who will not be to of inner and outer influences. Inwardly, all union with the Divine, the Divine both in him others but selves of himself in the kinds of mental movements—thoughts, its passive aspect as the underlying one existence, his own universal exist- perceptions, memories, imaginations— ground of all existence, and in its dynamic ence. It is this poise and freedom in may impinge on the mind unfiltered and aspect as the conscious Force which the Spirit that will enable him to take carry it away in various directions one af- drives all energies in the universe; some- all life into himself while still remaining ter another. Whereas the mind may be- thing far more profound than an activism the spiritual self and to embrace even come concentrated and directed toward motivated by spiritual as well as social jus- the world of the Ignorance without specific aims, it characteristically wanders tice and environmental concerns. It aims at himself entering into the Ignorance.42 and loses focus. At the same time, all kinds the realization of a spiritual and supramen- of lower vital movements—desires, crav- tal consciousness, a divine conscious- Because the supramental conscious- ings, impulses to action, anger, fear, worry, ness vastly superior to the ordinary hu- ness embraces the world with which it regret, disappointment, sadness, pride, man consciousness, involving a long and feels its inalienable oneness, it naturally sentimentalism, ambition, striving, strug- difficult discipline to achieve. It aims at a pours its influence on all around and con- gle—are allowed to continue their unquiet, spiritual and supramental transformation tributes to the spiritual elevation and upsetting, and shifting play in the emo- of individual and collective life, not simply transformation of others and the world as tional and dynamic centers of the being. In at social change based on moral or idealis- whole. Thus, concern with and an exten- addition to these varied inward influences, tic principles. The realization of the Self sion of a powerful helping assistance on this type of passivity receives, with little or

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 23 no discernment, all types of mental, vital, ing basis of unconscious influences, a transform the consciousness. Sri Auro- and physical influences from without— measure of dynamic spiritual activity is at- bindo explains: from family, friends, and acquaintances in tempted or achieved, but this is done in a the immediate environment, from the media consciousness still passively receptive to In this yoga the whole principle is to and internet including its unremitting on- all kinds of other influences, interjected open oneself to the Divine Influence. slaught of advertising, news, and enter- into this shifting flux at longer or shorter It is there above you and, if you can tainment, and the more subtle influences intervals. There is little or no filtering or once become conscious of it, you from the physical environments in which curtailing of the mental, vital, and physical have then to call it down into you. It we live and move. All these influences im- influences entering from within and from descends into the mind and into the pinge on the passive person in a continu- without. As a result, the spiritual activity body as Peace, as a Light, as a Force ous manner and the individual remains takes place on an unsteady and shifting that works, as the Presence of the Di- more or less unconscious and oblivious of base, has to compete for time and attention vine with or without form, as Ananda their influences upon him. Sri Aurobindo with innumerable other influences, and [spiritual delight]. Before one has this characterizes it this way: when it does occur, is likely to be swept consciousness, one has to have faith away by them without a moment’s notice. and aspire for the opening. Aspira- To the ordinary man who lives upon tion, call, prayer are forms of one and his own waking surface, ignorant of True spiritual passivity the same thing and are all effective; the self’s depths and vastnesses be- you can take the form that comes to hind the veil, his psychological exist- In contrast to this troubled state of you or is easiest to you.44 ence is fairly simple. A small but clam- affairs, true spiritual passivity is to be pas- orous company of desires, some im- sive only to the Divine influence, and to be In general, a firm distinction must be perative intellectual and aesthetic able to confront whatever outside forces seized between the influence of the higher cravings, some tastes, a few ruling or or contacts that may enter one’s psycho- Divine, or of that which leads towards it, prominent ideas amid a great current logical and spiritual space and atmosphere and all that hampers one’s spiritual of unconnected or ill-connected and with equanimity, such that they do not up- progress. A conscious contact, a clear in- mostly trivial thoughts, a number of set or even touch the inner peace and con- ner perception of the Presence or influence more or less imperative vital needs, al- tact with the Divine. While it is not advis- of the Divine is a necessary prerequisite to ternations of physical health and dis- able or incumbent on the individual to in- the true passivity to the divine Influence. ease, a scattered and inconsequent discriminately expose himself or herself to This inner contact and perception is some- succession of joys and griefs, fre- adverse outward contacts or conditions, it thing that develops with spiritual practice quent minor disturbances and vicissi- may not always be practicable to exclude over time, and is not necessarily an easy tudes and rarer strong searchings and them, or for other reasons, it may be achievement. It generally requires some upheavals of mind or body, and deemed necessary to face them. Thus, we diminution of the unquiet activity of the through it all Nature, partly with the see that there are two main aspects of true mind and vital nature. If the mind is con- aid of his thought and will, partly spiritual passivity: one is passivity to the stantly busy with its own ideas and prefer- without or in spite of it, arranging Divine Power and Influence so that it may ences, and the vital nature is constantly these things in some rough practical work unhindered in the inner and outer busy with the pursuit of its own desires fashion, some tolerable disorderly or- life; the second is the maintenance of an and the play of emotions and ambitions, der,—this is the material of his exist- unmoved, impartial inner equality to all this noisy activity makes it difficult to be- ence.43 outside contacts, whatever their character. come conscious of and perceive the influ- In the course of the practice of ence of the Divine in us. Therefore an inner Spirituality for this type of passive Integral Yoga, the Divine pours its divine calm and peace are a necessary foundation person may consist mentally in interject- Power and Influence upon the individual for the Integral Yoga. ing into this swarm of influences some re- in order to purify, shape, and remould the According to Integral Yoga, deep current ideas of the Divine or of some spir- whole consciousness. The central move- within each of us there is what is called a itual ideal, whether through reading or ment of the practice of Integral Yoga is to psychic being centered around our divine concentration, emotionally through move- enter into conscious relation with this essence or soul. It is the psychic being in ments of devotion, and/or physically Divine Presence and Power, to open and us that is most directly in contact with the through engaging in religious or spiritual surrender to it, so that it may act upon and Presence and Power of the Divine, is open activities such as going to a place for de- transform the consciousness. The first and responsive to it, and is able to clearly votion activities, performing rituals, or en- aspect of true spiritual passivity is to open discern its influences from those coming gaging in a work which is seen as helpful to the Divine and to no other power or from others or from our own mind and vital to the spiritual life. Thus, upon this shift- influence so that it may enlighten and nature. It is through a growing contact of

24 • Collaboration Spring 2011 the outer consciousness with this psychic which open oneself to wrong influences is them to influence one’s condition or ac- being and its coming forward into the out- different from a nondiscriminating passivi- tion. er nature that a conscious contact with the ty to any and all influences. Sri Aurobindo In addition, when the development of Divine and the true response to it comes and the Mother stress the need for a con- the true spiritual equality is incomplete about. Most people are not conscious of stant vigilance to detect wrong influences and the contact with the divine presence their psychic being precisely because they and reject them before they take hold of within is still tenuous and subject to are identified with their surface mental and the consciousness. breaks, the individual may elect to focus vital nature. Nevertheless, the psychic be- The second side of the true passivity more time and effort on inner concentra- ing does exert an influence on the outer life is more properly referred to in Integral tion, and as an aid, temporarily retreat to a in spite of this unconscious condition, Yoga by the term equality. Equality is a key more protected environment free from dis- urging it towards all that is good, true and inner state and condition that is to be de- tractions and disturbing influences. The beautiful. However, in this case it acts indi- veloped in the course of the practice of In- person may find that a partial withdrawal rectly through the intermediaries of the tegral Yoga. Sri Aurobindo explains that from external activities and contacts may mental, vital, and physical nature, and be- “Equality is to remain unmoved in all cir- be useful or necessary in order to perma- cause it works indirectly, its influences cumstances,” and adds, “whatever the un- nently establish and maintain the inner tend to be relatively weak and may even be pleasantness of circumstances, however contact with the divine Presence. To the distorted. disagreeable the conduct of others, you outside world, this may appear as passivi- Therefore, as this development of the must learn to receive them with a perfect ty, because he or she is less engaged with inner contact and conscious perception of calm and without any disturbing reac- the world and with personal and social the Divine proceeds, it is generally impor- tion.”45 This unmoved inner poise has its contacts. However, in actuality the indi- tant to utilize our own mental discrimina- basis in the spirit which underlies and sup- vidual is simply focusing full attention on tion between those influences which fur- ports all the movement and multiplicity of the immediate aim, and is being especially ther our spiritual development and those the universe. Firmly seated in the spiritual vigilant to protect the developing inner which retard it. Indeed this mental discrim- consciousness, no adverse event or circum- contact with the Divine. It is not a relapse ination should remain in place and work stance, even intense physical pain, can into inertia, but rather an intensified one- hand in hand with the development of the break or unsettle the realized yogi’s inner pointed concentration on the Divine. Sri psychic contact and discrimination until peace and composure. Thus, an equal, qui- Aurobindo has cautioned practitioners of the latter is well-established and secure. et, undisturbed, unelated response to out- his yoga not to enter into a complete with- Thus, together with the development of side contacts and conditions, both those drawal from all outer contacts, as this may the psychic being’s more intuitive subtle which appear good and those which ap- lead to certain dangers, but he permitted discernment of what is true and to be ac- pear bad, may appear to be a kind of pas- partial temporary withdrawals from outer cepted as coming from the Divine, there sivity, but ideally the inner being is not activities and contacts during certain should be developed and enforced a quiet, touched or affected by them at all, and at phases in the development of the inner dispassionate, yet vigilant mental discern- least should not be allowed to be swept consciousness. Furthermore, a withdrawal ment of what is helpful or harmful to one’s away by them as in the false passivity. from contacts and activities which are spiritual growth to see that one is not led In the course of establishing this in- both unnecessary and detrimental to the astray by wrong “intuitions” or “inner ner equality and poise of the spirit, aims of the sadhana would not only be per- feelings.” progress may be marked by a gradual de- mitted, but encouraged. In the earlier stages of spiritual devel- velopment of endurance, philosophical opment, one’s sense of the Divine’s influ- detachment, or spiritual submission to and False spiritual activism ence on one’s consciousness, and of what acceptance of outside influences. While kinds of outer events, persons, or activi- each of these three different types of psy- False spiritual activism is activism ties are supportive of one’s spiritual chological attitudes or poises are not yet that does not have a real or sufficiently growth, may be limited and subject to error. the true spiritual equality, each can be a stable basis of spirit behind to support and One’s inner discernment of vibrations, stepping-stone towards it.46 During the guide it, nor a real or a sufficiently pure which might originate from the higher spir- development of one or more of these atti- dynamic spiritual power flowing in and itual consciousness, from movements of tudes, it may outwardly appear that the in- through it. Instead, it is supported by men- the deeper soul within, or from more ordi- dividual is passive to events or circum- tal ideas or ideals mixed with emotional re- nary mental, vital, or physical sources ei- stances, but this passivity is quite differ- actions to perceived injustices or wrongs, ther from within oneself or from outside, ent than the false passivity, because the and is infused primarily with the mental will may yet be deficient and inadvertently al- individual’s aim is to remain concentrated for change and vital life energy for dynam- low mixtures or wrong influences to enter. within on the Divine and remain unaffect- ic power. Because both the mind and vital Nevertheless, such errors of discernment ed by these influences, rather than to allow are subject to error, distortions, and even

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 25 perversions, false spiritual activism can be may have little basis of sound scientific expresses itself in his or her acts. If these or become misguided, degraded, and even evidence to support their cause, and it may are not spiritual in their essence, even if dangerously destructive. It would even be based more on beliefs and political pref- the cause is undoubtedly just, it is simply seem that when it is informed or supported erences. For example, environmental activ- activism and not spiritual activism. Eco- by a limited, narrow religious ideology, car- ists who support the protection of a cer- logical, social, and political activism have rying a certain absoluteness of conviction tain beautiful area of the country from their rightful place and can serve just caus- and need of converting others, there is the industrial development may be expressing es, but they should not be confused with greatest danger for wrong application and a preference for maintaining the particular spiritual activism or be falsely imbued with perversion, as evident in the history of environmental ecosystem in question over the sanctity of the spiritual label simply to violent religious persecution and more economic development. While they may further their cause. recent religious fundamentalism-inspired demonstrate that the proposed develop- When it comes to specifically reli- terrorism. ment will damage that particular eco- gious or so-called spiritual matters, the A clear distinction must be made be- system, there may be other unforeseen same criteria apply. The world is now tween mental ideals and the true spiritual adverse consequences of not developing awash in religious fanaticism. Religious consciousness, the latter of which is it. For example, it may adversely affect the zealots are busy blowing up crowded air- something vast, calm and eternal, while at livelihoods of people in the region leading port and bus terminals, bombing places of the same time extremely powerful. The to economic hardships and adverse social religious worship, assassinating govern- mind, on the other hand, is a thing of ideas conditions, or it may lead to the industrial ment leaders, and trying to replace demo- and convictions, which sometimes may be development of an alternate site, perhaps cratically-elected governments, all in the based on sound reasoning, sound data, with less stringent environmental protec- name of God. The individuals involved in careful reflection, but nearly always is par- tions, leading to even greater environ- these acts are convinced of their justness, tial and subject to errors and omissions. It mental damage. Or in the political arena, of the sanction and perhaps the command often is seriously deficient and perverted activists may prefer a particular social of God for their acts. While the evil of their by wrong influences. agenda which they fight to advance, acts may seem obvious to others who do Let us take the general case of science against other activists with a diametrically not share their fanaticism, it may be impos- as an example. Science is supposed to be opposed social agenda. The point is that sible to convince these extremists. A firm based on careful reasoning, sound evi- in many spheres of social and political distinction must be made between the spir- dence, experimentation and testing, and is controversy, activism is based on particu- itual consciousness, and a religious and supposed to provide us with sound and lar partial mental opinions and prefer- mental and vital consciousness. The dis- reliable data about and explanations of our ences, rather than either a scientific or a tinguishing factor that makes such fanati- existence. But even here philosophers of spiritual basis. cism evil is the underlying consciousness science have argued that it is generally Whereas we may admit that many of that drives them—the hatred, the desire to based on assumptions which may be the social, political, and ecological kill, the perception of others as separate faulty, is typically oriented towards partic- projects of activists may express partial and expendable. ular “fashionable” issues and tilted in viewpoints and preferences, there are cer- favor of certain preferred outcomes, and is tain injustices which would seem incontro- True spiritual activism subject to biases of the investigator and of vertible and absolute. Take, for example, the institutions in which they work, biases human trafficking and forced prostitution, In assessing this inner condition of which may be either conscious or uncon- child abuse, the toxic pollution of the air or the activist, we must refer back to our earli- scious. It should be borne in mind that sci- water of a community by a company. Sure- er formulation of true spiritual passivity, entific conclusions are never certain, and ly standing up to issues such as these is and assert that true spiritual activism must that many of even the most important and not simply based on mental preferences or be based on a true spiritual passivity. It is basic scientific conclusions have been partial viewpoints; can we not take up precisely on the basis of the vast, calm, overturned and undergone revision. such causes as spiritual necessities, as eternal spiritual consciousness that spiri- In some cases, scientific investiga- spiritually-inspired activist causes? tual activism must be founded. If it does tions and conclusions may inform and Whereas there certainly are causes that not have this stable grounding of spirit, support activism, for example, certain are just and social changes that impera- this passivity and receptivity to the inspi- types of environmental activism. While tively must be made in the forward evolu- ration and power of the inner Divine, this careful scientific study can provide a tion of human society and civilization, it is stable basis of unmoved, dispassionate strong basis or a measure of support for not the justifiability of the cause taken up equality to outer circumstances and influ- activism, the point is that it is not infallible that makes activism spiritual, but rather it ences, it will not be the true spiritual activ- and one is likely to find dissenting scien- is the underlying consciousness of the ac- ism. If activism is motivated by mental tific opinions. Often, however, activists tivist and the quality of the force which preferences, emotional recoils or attach-

26 • Collaboration Spring 2011 ments, vital desires for particular out- done. There is no particular work, no This, in short, is the demand made on comes, then it is not the true spiritual activ- law or form or outwardly fixed or in- us, that we should turn our whole life ism in the deeper sense of the term. It may variable way of works which can be into a conscious sacrifice. Every mo- be a noble activism, but it is not true spiri- said to be that of the liberated be- ment and every movement of our be- tual activism. ing…. The action of the liberated doer ing is to be resolved into a continuous While spiritual activism must be of works must be even such an out- and a devoted self-giving to the Eter- founded on a calm, equal, wide spiritual flowing from the soul; it must come to nal. All our actions, not less the small- passivity, it requires something more: it him or out of him as a natural result of est and most ordinary and trifling than also requires the dynamic inspiration, his spiritual union with the Divine and the greatest and most uncommon and guidance, and driving force of the spiritual not be formed by an edifying con- noble, must be performed as conse- consciousness. According to Sri Aurobin- struction of the mental thought and crated acts. Our individualised nature do’s philosophy and yoga, as well as to will, the practical reason or the social must live in the single consciousness ancient Indian spiritual thought, there are sense.47 of an inner and outer movement dedi- both passive and active aspects of the Di- cated to Something that is beyond us vine and the spiritual consciousness, rep- Just as it is not easy to realize the pas- and greater than our ego.49 resented in the Indian tradition by Shiva sive spiritual consciousness underlying and Kali. The dynamic aspect is the One all things, it is not easy to realize this dy- It is through this continual reference Force that acts in all forces, that expresses namic spiritual Force working in and of all our actions to the Divine Force that is itself in all forms in the universe, but can through ourselves in a free and unhin- their true source and power that we over- also act sovereignly and intervene in the dered manner. Whereas ultimately all our come the sense of our own ego as the initi- play of world forces. Supporting this vast actions have this One Force behind them, ator of our acts. As long as we engage in dynamic movement in the universe is the it normally works through the limitations activism based on our own preferences, passive silence of conscious Being, the of our mental, vital, and physical nature, for the satisfaction of our own preferred Witness and Enjoyer of the creation. The and therefore, not in a direct and spiritual outcomes, we are not yet engaged in the ideal spiritual activist is conscious of both manner. The aim here is to allow it to sub- true spiritual activism. It is through a pro- the underlying Oneness of Being and this stitute its own higher and more powerful gressive and continually expanding self- One Divine Force energizing all things and working for our stumbling, misguided, and offering of all our dynamic activities to the flowing into him and driving all his or her faltering efforts. This cannot be done at Divine Force that we remove the barriers to activities. The spiritual activist is no long- once, it occurs gradually over time its unhindered and undistorted action in er merely a separate individual trying to through a disciplined practice of kar- and through us. The spiritual activist is effect change in a resistant world, but a mayoga. All the parts of the dynamic na- not merely a person fighting for higher conscious and responsive instrument of ture must progressively open and surren- principles, but is a conscious and surren- the Force of the Divine breaking up estab- der themselves to the guidance and action dered instrument of the Divine. lished forms and forces and creating new of the Divine Force, rather than move in As this process of inner surrender ones. It is not done out of pity or anger or their own accustomed manner at the be- progresses, the spiritual activist continues revulsion, but as a conscious and natural hest of a mixture of inner and outer influ- to act according to the highest and most flow of the Divine Force through the activ- ences, mental, vital, and physical. clear vision of what is to be done as he or ist’s words and actions. As Sri Aurobindo The Bhagavad Gita is the great scrip- she is capable, and carrying out the action says, tural authority on this matter, and in dis- with as much skill and precision as possi- cussing it, Sri Aurobindo brings out the ble, all the while offering the action to the How he shall do this, in what particu- underlying principles and processes that Divine. The activist must continually seek lar way, can be decided by no general would lead to a true spiritual activism. The and call for the guidance as well as the rule. It must develop or define itself central processes that lead to this taking originating and sustaining power of the from within; the decision lies between up of the dynamic parts of the nature by Divine in the action undertaken. We must God and our self, the Supreme Self the divine Force can be briefly summarized leave the results of the action in the hands and the individual self that is the in- as follows: “Equality, renunciation of all of the Divine, and remain entirely equal strument of the work; even before lib- desire for the fruit of our works, action whether they are successful or not. It is eration, it is from the inner self, as done as a sacrifice to the supreme Lord of not the end result that must be the motiva- soon as we become conscious of it, our nature and of all,—these are the three tion for the action, but the act of offering, that there rises the sanction, the spiri- first Godward approaches in the Gita’s the growing consciousness of the Divine tually determined choice. It is alto- way of Karmayoga.”48 Sri Aurobindo elab- Presence in ourselves and in our activity. gether from within that must come the orates, These are the inner signs of the deeper and knowledge of the work that has to be true spiritual activism.

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 27 Summary and Conclusion because this spiritual consciousness through us into the world and into all alone is pure and untouched by all that those who are around us, awakening them The recent explosion of interest in happens in the world. This spiritual con- to these emerging forces within them- spiritual activism is a healthy development sciousness is distinct from mind, it is the selves. Our activism should be more as a in the field of spirituality, carrying it be- fundamental ground of the universal exist- catalyst awakening these divine powers in yond a self-centered focus on individual ence we see around us. others than as a combatant, though some- health and development towards a fuller From this poise of the spiritual con- times combat too is required when the embrace of the world and its challenges. sciousness, all conditions, all events are opposition is fierce and unrelenting in its However, in its movement outward to- movements of nature, and nature is driven obstruction to the truth that is emerging wards engagement with world challenges, by one conscious Divine Force that domi- from within. spirituality must maintain its inner center nates all existence. In Sri Aurobindo’s These are all very fine as high spiritual and poise in the spirit. Sri Aurobindo’s view, the world is a progressive evolution ideals, one might counter, but as long as ideal of the divine life, which entails a rad- of the divine spirit that lies concealed in we remain stuck in our limited human con- ical transformation of both the individual the stone, emerges in the plant, and be- sciousness, tethered to our mental and and collective existence, does just that. In comes progressively more conscious in vital existence, what are we to do about the order to bring to bear the necessary spiri- animals and humanity. It is a difficult evo- gross injustices and the destruction of our tual power that can truly transform and lution of consciousness in the matrix of planet? Are we to sit quietly and meditate divinize the outer life, it strives to reach the matter. It progresses through a working while our fellow human beings are abused highest heights of inner spiritual experi- out of conflicting forces towards a pro- and the world is destroyed? This is the dif- ence and realization. It is relatively easier gressive harmony and is leading towards a ficult dilemma in which we find ourselves, to attain a settled inner state of spiritual divine delight. Birth and death are merely and we feel that we must act. It is here that peace and harmony when one withdraws incidents in the long evolution of the eter- the Bhagavad Gita advises us to act, but to from the world and its problems, it is when nal spirit. As the Isha Upanishad put it, do our actions as a conscious offering to one aims to change the outer life and the “He whose self has become all existences, the Divine. We must act more and more world that the fullness of the inner spiritual for he has the knowledge, how shall he be with the sense and feeling that it is the realization is more severely tested and deluded, whence shall he have grief, he Divine within us that is carrying out the challenged. Thus, the spiritual activist has who sees everywhere oneness?”50 The actions through us and that we are merely a double task, to attain the inner poise of spiritual activist should be able to look conscious instruments for his work. the spiritual consciousness, and to main- upon the world and its problems with a Indeed it is the Divine that in reality always tain it in the midst of engagement with the calm and equal regard, without repulsion. acts through all actions, whether we are problems of the world. As the Mother said, “You want to correct conscious of it or not. The key is to be- What we have called the true spiritual what the Creator is doing?” We should come conscious of it, and to more and passivity reflects this inner poise of the have, or we should try to develop, a per- more align our will and force with the Di- spirit which must attend and serve as the fect equality for things as they are. vine Will and Force, to filter out competing necessary foundation for a true spiritual But this does not mean that things mental preferences and vital desires. If we activism. As briefly described here, it con- should remain the way they are, or that we act unconsciously of the divine impetus sists of two main elements. One is an exclu- should not be involved in the change of behind our actions, the Divine will work sive passivity to the inner Divine Presence the world. The world is a progressive man- through our unconscious and limited in- and Power, as distinct from other inner or ifestation of the Divine, it is not complete. struments, but if we act consciously, the outer mental, vital, or physical influences. It is constantly changing, constantly Divine will work through our conscious, It is not that no other ordinary human forc- evolving into something that more purely responsive and therefore more effective es are allowed to enter the psychological expresses the higher qualities of the divine and powerful instruments. This inclusion space of the individual, but rather that nature. Love, harmony, beauty, delight, of the dynamic parts of our nature, our they are not passively allowed to enter. knowledge, power must emerge in ever abilities to carry out effective and complex First one must become conscious of their higher and ampler forms. As conscious in- actions in the world in conscious unity presence and influence, and one must ad- struments of the Divine, we must be lumi- with the Divine, is the important and nec- mit only those which are helpful or at least nous instruments of its higher evolution essary ingredient in a true spiritual activ- not harmful. The second element is the de- and manifestation. But here it is necessary ism. This comes only through practice, velopment of an entire equality or equa- that we do not mistake our own limited through work done while consciously nimity to all circumstances, conditions, ideas and notions of what must emerge referring the work to the Divine Force and events. For this latter condition to be- and when with the Divine’s. We must in- behind. It does not come through medita- come complete, one must have a secure wardly unite with the Divine within so that tion or inaction. Act we must, it is impossi- poise in the inner spiritual consciousness, these higher divine qualities may flow ble to completely cease to act, so it is best

28 • Collaboration Spring 2011 that we act consciously, referring our ac- ton, Totnes, Devon, UK: Green Books. 31.www.instituteforsacredactivism.org tions to the Divine, seeking the Divine’s 17. Alastair MacIntosh , Hell and 32. www.satyana.org/principles.html guidance, and progressively aligning and High Water: Climate Change, Hope and 33. http://humanityhealing.net/guid- attuning our actions with the Divine Will the Human Condition, Edinburgh: Birlinn. ing-principles/the-12-keys-of-spiritual-ac- and Force. 18. Roger S. Gottlib (1998). A Spiritu- tivism/ ality of Resistance. New York: Crossroad 34. www.integrativespirituality.org References and endnotes Publishing. 35. www.spiritualactivist.org 19. Roger S. Gottlib (2002). Joining 36. Sri Aurobindo (1970). The Life Di- 1. Andrew Harvey (2009). The Hope: A Hands: Politics and Religion Together for vine. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram. guide to sacred activism. New York: Hay Social Change. Boulder, CO: Westfield See especially pp. 23-24. House. Press. 37. Sri Aurobindo (1970). The Life Di- 2. http://www.andrewharvey.net/ 20. Roger S. Gottlib (Ed.) (2003). Liber- vine. See especially p. 1031. sacred_activism.php ating Faith: Religious Voices for Justice, 38. Sri Aurobindo withdrew from poli- 3. http://deepakchopra.com/chopra- Peace, and Ecological Wisdom, Lanham, tics in 1910 to focus on his spiritual life. foundation/about-2/ MD: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers. 39. In the 1930s, Sri Aurobindo kept 4. www.evolutionaryleaders.net/evo- 21. Roger S. Gottlib (Ed.) (2004), This up an enormous correspondence with his lutionary-leaders Sacred Earth: Religion, Nature, Environ- disciples regarding their spiritual practice, 5. Michael Lerner (2000). Spirit Mat- ment, New York: Routledge. at the peak working up to 10-12 hours per ters: Global healing and the wisdom of 22. Roger S. Gottlib (2006). A Greener day on this correspondence. The Mother, the soul. Charlottesville, VA: Hampton Faith: Religious Environmentalism and meanwhile, looked after all the needs of the Roads. our Planet’s Future, New York: Oxford growing community of Ashramites, show- 6. Michael Lerner (2006). The Left University Press. ering them with love and attention. Hand of God: Taking back our country 23. Roger S. Gottlib, Ed. (2006). Oxford 40. Sri Aurobindo’s writings extend to from the religious right. New York; Harper Handbook of Religion and Ecology, New 37 volumes. The Mother’s collected works Collins. York: Oxford, University Press. consists of 17 volumes, and her conversa- 7. http://spiritualprogressives.org/ 24. Ken Jones (2003), The New Social tions with a disciple, Satprem, during the newsite/ Face of Buddhism, Somerville, MA: Wis- latter part of her life, extends to 13 more 8. Claudia Horwitz, (2002). The Spiri- dom Publications. volumes. Just as importantly, many of their tual Activist: Practices to transform your 25. David Loy (2003). The Great disciples still feel that they are inwardly life, your work and your world. New York: Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory. guided by them. Penguin. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications. 41. See Nirodbaran’s Twelve Years 9. http://stonecircles.org 26. Donald Rothberg (2006). The En- with Sri Aurobindo for an account of their 10. http://www.satyana.org gaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Ap- active use of spiritual force to assist the 11. http://www.eomega.org/omega/ proach to Transforming Ourselves and allies during World War II, and see Sat- womensinstitute the World. Boston: Beacon Press. prem’s Mother’s Agenda for accounts of 12. Barbara Marx Hubbard (2002). 27. I am indebted to Charles Flores for her spiritual interventions in world affairs Conscious evolution: Awakening the several of these references; he has includ- during the latter part of her life. power of our social potential. Novato, ed a thoughtful review of the spiritual ac- 42. Sri Aurobindo (1970). The Life Di- CA: New World Library. tivism literature in his doctoral disserta- vine. p. 942. 13. Barbara Marx Hubbard (1993). The tion: “Integral Yoga Activism: An Explora- 43. Sri Aurobindo (1973). The Synthe- revelation: Our crisis is a birth. Sonoma, tion of Its Foundational Elements and sis of Yoga. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo CA: Foundation for Conscious Evolution. Practices.” [for reference, Proquest LLC, Ashram, pp. 74-75. 14. AnaLouise Keating, (2005) En- UMI number 3392169, Ann Arbor, MI). 44. Sri Aurobindo (1971). Letters on treMundos/AmongWorlds: New Perspec- 28. AnaLouise Keating (2006, Summer Yoga. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, tives on Gloria Anzaldúa, New York: Pal- Issue) Human Architecture: Journal of pp. 604-605. grave MacMillan. the Sociology of Self-Knowledge, IV, ac- 45. Ibid., pp. 661-662. 15. AnaLouise Keating (2002) this cessed 26 March 2011 at: www.okcir.com/ 46. Sri Aurobindo (1973). The Synthe- bridge we call home: radical visions for Articles%20IV%20Special/AnaLou- sis of Yoga, p. 681-686. transformation (co-edited with Anzaldúa), iseKeating-FM.pdf 47. Ibid., pp. 272-273. New York: Routledge. 29. www.ecobuddhism.org/wisdom/ 48. Ibid., p. 97. 16. Alastair MacIntosh (2008) Rekin- psyche_and_spirit/andrew_harvey/ 49. Ibid., pp. 102-103. dling Community: Connecting People, 30. http://www.andrewharvey.net/ 50. Sri Aurobindo (1970). The Life Di- Environment, and Spirituality, Darting- freeexcerpt.php vine, p. 150.

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 29 Source material

The spiritualization of society by Sri Aurobindo

he solution lies not in the reason, but in the soul of man, in its spiritual tendencies. It is a spiritual, an inner freedom Tthat can alone create a perfect human order. It is a spiritual, a greater than the rational enlightenment that can alone illumine the vital nature of man and impose harmony on its self-seekings, antagonisms and discords. A deeper brotherhood, a yet unfound law of love is the only sure foundation possible for a perfect social evolution, no other can replace it. But this brotherhood and love Sri Aurobindo. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) will not proceed by the vital instincts or the reason where they can be met, baffled or deflected by opposite reasonings and other dis- Therefore the individuals who will most help the future of cordant instincts. Nor will it found itself in the natural heart of man humanity in the new age will be those who will recognise a spiri- where there are plenty of other passions to combat it. It is in the tual evolution as the destiny and therefore the great need of the soul that it must find its roots; the love which is founded upon a human being. Even as the animal man has been largely converted deeper truth of our being, the brotherhood or, let us say,—for this into a mentalised and at the top a highly mentalised humanity, so is another feeling than any vital or mental sense of brotherhood, a too now or in the future an evolution or conversion—it does not calmer more durable motive-force,—the spiritual comradeship greatly matter which figure we use or what theory we adopt to which is the expression of an inner realisation of oneness. For so support it—of the present type of humanity into a spiritualized only can egoism disappear and the true individualism of the humanity is the need of the race and surely the intention of Na- unique godhead in each man found itself on the true communism ture; that evolution or conversion will be their ideal and endeav- of the equal godhead in the race; for the Spirit, the inmost self, the our. They will be comparatively indifferent to particular belief and universal Godhead in every being is that whose very nature of form and leave men to resort to the beliefs and forms to which diverse oneness it is to realise the perfection of its individual life they are naturally drawn. They will only hold as essential the faith and nature in the existence of all, in the universal life and nature. in this spiritual conversion, the attempt to live it out and whatever This is a solution to which it may be objected that it puts off the knowledge—the form of opinion into which it is thrown does not consummation of a better human society to a far-off date in the so much matter—can be converted into this living. They will es- future evolution of the race. For it means that no machinery in- pecially not make the mistake of thinking that this change can be vented by the reason can perfect either the individual or the col- effected by machinery and outward institutions; they will know lective man; an inner change is needed in human nature, a change and never forget that it has to be lived out by each man inwardly too difficult to be ever effected except by the few. This is not cer- or it can never be made a reality for the kind. They will adopt in its tain; but in any case, if this is not the solution, then there is no heart of meaning the inward view of the East which bids man seek solution, if this is not the way, then there is no way for the human the secret of his destiny and salvation within; but also they will kind. Then the terrestrial evolution must pass beyond man as it accept, though with a different turn given to it, the importance has passed beyond the animal and a greater race must come that which the West rightly attaches to life and to the making the best will be capable of the spiritual change, a form of life must be born we know and can attain the general rule of all life. They will not that is nearer to the divine. After all there is no logical necessity make society a shadowy background to a few luminous spiritual for the conclusion that the change cannot begin at all because its figures or a rigidly fenced and earth-bound root for the growth of perfection is not immediately possible. A decisive turn of mankind a comparatively rare and sterile flower of ascetic spirituality. They to the spiritual ideal, the beginning of a constant ascent and guid- will not accept the theory that the many must necessarily remain ance towards the heights may not be altogether impossible, even for ever on the lower ranges of life and only a few climb into the if the summits are attainable at first only by the pioneer few and free air and the light, but will start from the standpoint of the great far-off to the tread of the race. And that beginning may mean the spirits who have striven to regenerate the life of the earth and descent of an influence that will alter at once the whole life of man- held that faith in spite of all previous failure. Failures must be kind in its orientation and enlarge for ever, as did the development originally numerous in everything great and difficult, but the time of his reason and more than any development of the reason, its comes when the experience of past failures can be profitably used potentialities and all its structure... (The Human Cycle, pp. 220-21) and the gate that so long resisted opens. In this as in all great

30 • Collaboration Spring 2011 human aspirations and endeavours, an a priori declaration of im- started, it may not advance rapidly even to its first decisive possibility is a sign of ignorance and weakness, and the motto of stage; it may be that it will take long centuries of effort to come the aspirant’s endeavour must be the solvitur ambulando of the into some kind of permanent birth. But that is not altogether inev- discoverer. For by the doing the difficulty will be solved. A true itable, for the principle of such changes in Nature seems to be a beginning has to be made; the rest is a work for Time in its sudden long obscure preparation followed by a swift gathering up and achievements or its long patient labour. precipitation of the elements into the new birth, a rapid conver- The thing to be done is as large as human life, and therefore sion, a transformation that in its luminous moment figures like a the individuals who lead the way will take all human life for their miracle. Even when the first decisive change is reached, it is cer- province. These pioneers will consider nothing as alien to them, tain that all humanity will not be able to rise to that level. There nothing as outside their scope. For every part of human life has to cannot fail to be a division into those who are able to live on the be taken up by the spiritual,—not only the intellectual, the aes- spiritual level and those who are only able to live in the light that thetic, the ethical, but the dynamic, the vital, the physical; there- descends from it into the mental level. And below these too there fore for none of these things or the activities that spring from them might still be a great mass influenced from above but not yet will they have contempt or aversion, however they may insist on a ready for the light. But even that would be a transformation and a change of the spirit and a transmutation of the form. In each power beginning far beyond anything yet attained. This hierarchy of our nature they will seek for its own proper means of conver- would not mean as in our present vital living an egoistic domina- sion; knowing tion of the that the Di- undeveloped vine is con- They will adopt in its heart of meaning the inward view of the East by the more cealed in all, which bids man seek the secret of his destiny and salvation within; developed, they will hold but a guid- that all can be but also they will accept, though with a different turn given to it, ance of the made the spir- younger by it’s means of the importance which the West rightly attaches to life and to the the elder self-finding making the best we know and can attain the general rule of all life. brothers of and all can be the race and a converted constant into its instruments of divine living. And they will see that the working to lift them up to a greater spiritual level and wider hori- great necessity is the conversion of the normal into the spiritual zons. And for the leaders too this ascent to the first spiritual lev- mind and the opening of that mind again into its own higher reach- els would not be the end of the divine march, a culmination that es and more and more integral movement. For before the decisive left nothing more to be achieved on earth. For there would be still change can be made, the stumbling intellectual reason has to be yet higher levels within the supramental realm, as the old Vedic converted into the precise and luminous intuitive, until that again poets knew when they spoke of the spiritual life as a constant can rise into higher ranges to overmind and supermind or gnosis. ascent... But once the foundation has been secured, the rest de- The uncertain and stumbling mental will has to rise towards the velops by a progressive self-unfolding and the soul is sure of its sure intuitive and into a higher divine and gnostic will, the psychic way. sweetness, fire and light of the soul behind the heart, hrdaye gu- This at least is the highest hope, the possible destiny that hayam, has to alchemise our crude emotions and the hard egoisms opens out before the human view, and it is a possibility which the and clamant desires of our vital nature. All our other members progress of the human mind seems on the way to redevelop. If have to pass through a similar conversion under the compelling the light that is being born increases, if the number of individuals force and light from above. The leaders of the spiritual march will who seek to realise the possibility in themselves and in the world start from and use the knowledge and the means that past effort grows large and they get nearer the right way, then the Spirit who has developed in this direction, but they will not take them as they is here in man, now a concealed divinity, a developing light and are without any deep necessary change or limit themselves by power, will descend more fully as the Avatar of a yet unseen and what is now known or cleave only to fixed and stereotyped sys- unguessed Godhead from above into the soul of mankind and tems or given groupings of results, but will follow the method of into the great individualities in whom the light and power are the the Spirit in Nature. A constant rediscovery and new formulation strongest. There will then be fulfilled the change that will prepare and larger synthesis in the mind, a mighty remoulding in its deeper the transition of human life from its present limits into those larg- parts because of a greater enlarging Truth not discovered or not er and purer horizons; the earthly evolution will have taken its well fixed before, is that Spirit’s way with our past achievement grand impetus upward and accomplished the revealing step in a when he moves to the greatnesses of the future. divine progression of which the birth of thinking and aspiring This endeavour will be a supreme and difficult labour even for man from the animal nature was only an obscure preparation and the individual, but much more for the race. It may well be that, once a far-off promise. (The Human Cycle, pp. 265-269)

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 31 On the world condition

by the Mother

ri Aurobindo has written: “The descent of the Super- mind will bring to one who receives it and is fulfilled in Sthe truth consciousness all the possibilities of the di- vine life. It will take up not only the whole characteristic expe- rience which we recognise already as constituting the spiritu- al life but also all which we now exclude from that category....” (The Supramental Manifestation, SABCL, Vol. 16, p. 47)

So, what are you asking? What is excluded? What do we exclude!... It depends on the person. But what are you asking, really? The Mother in 1969. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram)

I don’t see what we are excluding. reach a deadlock—we are very, very close to being unable to do anything, to being tied up in everything. If one wants the smallest Ah! that’s sensible. Here we profess we are excluding noth- thing from another country, one has to follow such complicated ing. That’s precisely the reason. We have taken up all human ac- and laborious procedures that in the end one will stay in one’s tivities, whatever they may be, including those that are consid- own little corner and be satisfied with the potatoes one can grow ered the least spiritual. But I must say it is very difficult to change in one’s garden, without hoping to know anything at all about their nature! But still, we are trying, we put all possible goodwill what is going on and happening elsewhere. into it. Well, these two points are the most resistant. In the human consciousness this is most subject to the forces of ignorance, It is also said that the descent will make the change easier.1 inconscience and, Imust say, quite generally, ill-will. This is what most refuses all progress and all advance towards the truth; and There are two points which resist strongly—all that has to do unfortunately, in every human individual this is also the point of with politics and all that has to do with money. These are the two resistance, the point that remains narrowly stupid and refuses to points on which it is most difficult to change the human attitude. understand anything it is not used to. There it is truly a heroic act In principle we have said that we have nothing to do with to want to take up these things and transform them. Well, we are politics, and it is true that we have nothing to do with politics as it trying this also, and unless it is done, it will be impossible to is practised at present. But it is quite obvious that if politics is tak- change the conditions of the earth. en in its true spirit, that is, as the organisation of human masses It is relatively—very relatively—easier to change economic and all the details of government and regulation of the collective and social conditions than political and financial ones. There are life, and relations with other collectivities—that is, with other na- certain general, global ideas from the economic and social point tions, other countries—it must necessarily enter into the supra- of view which are accessible to human thought: certain libera- mental transformation, for so long as national life and the relations tions, a certain widening, a certain collective organisation, which between nations remain what they are, it is quite impossible to live do not seem absolutely senseless and unrealisable; but as soon a supramental life on earth. So it will just have to change; we shall as you touch on the other two questions, which are however of have to deal with that too. capital importance, especially the political question, it is quite As for financial matters, that is, finding a means of exchange otherwise.... For, one might imagine a life which would get rid of and production which is simple—“simple,” well, which should be all financial complications—although, without playing on words, simple, simpler than the primitive system of exchange in which it would be a veritable impoverishment. In what financial possibil- people had to give one thing to get another—something which ities and processes bring, there is a very considerable wealth of could in principle be world-wide, universal; this is also altogether possibilities, for if they were used in the right way and in the true indispensable for the simplification of life. Now, with human spirit, that would simplify all human relations and undertakings to nature, just the very opposite is happening! The situation is such a very great extent and make possible a complexity of life which that it has become almost—intolerable. It has become almost im- would be very difficult under other conditions. But I don’t know possible to have the least relation with other countries, and that why—except that the worst usually precedes the best—instead much-vaunted means of exchange which should have been a sim- of taking the way of simplification, men have followed the way of plification has become such a complication that we shall soon complication to such a point that, in spite of the aeroplanes which

32 • Collaboration Spring 2011 carry you from one end of the world to the other in two days, in and the will to live according to that knowledge—there remains spite of all the modern inventions which try to make life so for them the possibility of intensifying their aspiration, their will, “small”, so “close” that we could go round the world not in eighty their effort, to gather their energies together and shorten the time days now but in a very few days, in spite of all that, the complica- for the realisation. There remains for them the possibility of work- tions of exchange, for instance, are so great that many people ing this miracle—individually and to a small extent collectively— can’t get away from home—I mean from the country they live of conquering space, duration, the time needed for this realisa- in—because they have no means of going to another one and if tion; of replacing time by intensity of effort and going fast they ask for the money they need to live in another country they enough and far enough in the realisation to liberate themselves are told, “Is it very important for you to go? You could perhaps from the consequences of the present condition of the world; of wait a little, because it is very difficult for us at the moment....” I making such a concentration of force, strength, light, truth, that am not joking, it is quite serious, this does happen. That means by this very realisation they can be above these consequences we are becoming more and more the prisoners of the place where and secure against them, enjoy the protection bestowed by the we are born, while all the scientific trends are towards such a great Light and Truth, by Purity—the divine Purity through the inner proximity between countries that we could very easily belong to transformation—and that the storm may pass over the world the universe or, at any rate, to the whole world. without being able to destroy this great hope of the near future; There. This is the situation. It has grown considerably worse that the tempest may not sweep away this beginning of realisa- since the last war; it grows worse year by year, and one finds tion. oneself in such a ridiculous situation that, unfortunately, as one Instead of falling asleep in an easy quietude and letting is at the end of one’s resources, to simplify what has been made things happen according to their own rhythm, if one strains to so complicated, there is an idea in the earth-atmosphere—an idea the utmost one’s will, ardour, aspiration and springs up into the which might be called preposterous, but unhappily it is much light, then one can hold one’s head higher; one can have, in a worse than preposterous, it is catastrophic—the idea that if there higher region of consciousness, enough room to live, to breathe, were a great upheaval, perhaps it would be better afterwards.... to grow and develop above the passing cyclone. One is so jammed between prohibitions, impossibilities, interdic- This is possible. In a very small way, this was already done tions, rules, the complications of every second, that one feels sti- during the last war, when Sri Aurobindo was here. It can be done fled and really gets the admirable idea that if everything were de- again. But one must want it and each one must do his own work molished perhaps it would be better afterwards!... It is in the air. as sincerely and completely as he can. (Collected Works of the And all the governments have put themselves in such im- Mother, Vol. 9, Questions and Answers 1957-1958, Pondicherry: possible conditions; they have become so tied up that it seems to Sri Aurobindo Ashram) them they will have to break everything to be able to move for- ward.... (Silence) This is unfortunately a little more than a possi- 1“A divine life on earth need not be a thing apart and exclu- bility, it is a very serious threat. And it is not quite certain that life sive having nothing to do with the common earthly existence: it will not be made still more impossible because one feels incapable will take up human being and human life, transform what can be of emerging from the chaos—the chaos of complications—in transformed, spiritualise whatever can be spiritualised, cast its which humanity has put itself. It is like the shadow—but unfortu- influence on the rest and effectuate either a radical or an uplifting nately a very active shadow—of the new hope which has sprung change, bring about a deeper communion between the universal up in the human consciousness, a hope and a need for something and the individual, invade the ideal with the spiritual truth of more harmonious; and the need becomes so much more acute as which it is a luminous shadow and help to uplift into or towards a life, as it is at present organised, becomes more and more contrary greater and higher existence.... It is obvious that if the Supermind to it. The two opposites are facing each other with such intensity is there and an order of supramental being is established as the that one can expect something like an explosion.... leading principle in earth-nature, as mind is now the leading prin- ciple, but with a sureness, a complete government of the earthly (Silence) existence, a capacity of transformation of all upon their level and within their natural boundaries of which the mind in its imperfec- This is the condition of the earth, and it is not very bright. tion was not capable, an immense change of human life, even if it But for us one possibility remains—I have spoken about it to you did not extend to transformation would be inevitable.” (The Su- several times already—even if, outside, things are deteriorating pramental Manifestation, SABCL, Vol. 16, pp. 47 – 49) completely and the catastrophe cannot possibly be avoided, there remains for us, I mean those for whom the supramental life is Pessimism is the demon’s weapon and he senses his situation not a vain dream, those who have faith in its reality and the aspi- (gesture of shaking). Well, if what I see as possible is realised, ration to realise it—I don’t necessarily mean those who have it will be truly a decisive victory over the adverse forces—nat- gathered here in Pondicherry, in the Ashram, but those who have urally, he defends himself as best he can.... (CWM, Vol. 11, Notes as a link between them the knowledge Sri Aurobindo has given on the Way, pp. 256-257)

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 33 The poetry room Our thoughts are not ours3 Our thoughts are not ours, We live in the house of God: The secret knowledge1 Sacred the air we breathe, Sacred the dust we’ve trod. Alive in a dead rotating universe We whirl not here upon a casual globe Our dreams are long arms, they reach Abandoned to a task beyond our force; To lives we cannot see: Even through the tangled anarchy called Fate Sacred our moon-tossed fleeting hours, And through the bitterness of death and fall And sacred our company. An outstretched Hand is felt upon our lives. It is near us in unnumbered bodies and births; Our hopes are high vaults that soar In its unslackening grasp it keeps for us safe To wing-brushed ether overhead: The one inevitable supreme result Sacred the light that shines above, No will can take away and no doom change, Sacred tonight’s resting bed. The crown of conscious Immortality, The godhead promised to our struggling souls Into star-shower fields we are cast, When first man’s heart dared death and suffered life. Like sparks from a glowing core: One who has shaped this world is ever its lord: Sacred the vasts through which we sail, Our errors are his steps upon the way; And sacred the distant shore. He works through the fierce vicissitudes of our lives, He works through the hard breath of battle and toil, All things return in the end, He works through our sins and sorrows and our tears, Are wed and by Oneness bound: His knowledge overrules our nescience; Sacred is joy and sacred pain, Whatever the appearance we must bear, Sacred this threshing ground. Whatever our strong ills and present fate, When nothing we can see but drift and bale, Thoughts are deeds, mighty steeds A mighty Guidance leads us still through all. That ring throughout the spheres: After we have served this great divided world Sacred is silence and sacred prayer, God’s bliss and oneness are our inborn right. Sacred our station here. A date is fixed in the calendar of the Unknown, An anniversary of the Birth sublime: —Michael Miovic Our soul shall justify its chequered walk, All will come near that now is naught or far. The divine self-assertion These calm and distant Mights shall act at last. Immovably ready for their destined task, I am the promised shore, The ever-wise compassionate Brilliances the gateway and Await the sound of the Incarnate’s voice the threshold To leap and bridge the chasms of Ignorance you stumble over, And heal the hollow yearning gulfs of Life again and again. And fill the abyss that is the universe. Look straight —Sri Aurobindo at Me, stand up and see: there is On the ash2 no difference between this world of On the ash My Glory Divine and of Hiroshima, the one wherefrom new flowers. you have come: half of you, almost —Michael Miovic blind, sunken in my gloom;

34 • Collaboration Spring 2011 everywhere, in everything And dark rebellions with thy swift sunrise: I alone am dancing, At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. tremendously enjoying My Cosmic Dance A quintessential Fire of the universe, midst utter chaos and Primeaval Queen, whose youth no ravage mars, order most superb, Vicegerent of Lord Shiva! Thou rainest still in suffering and strife All boons—faith, courage, power invincible as well as in carnal And yet remain’st ethereal, robed by skies: pleasures and At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. joys sublime, deep in the secret caverns of A young sun-glint upon earth’s ancient brow, the darkest darkness, Thou heraldest a New Dawn’s tender glow: high on the mountains of Life’s avenues with new blooms flare apace most dazzling brightness; Where birds sing in a new sky-consciousness, Thou bring’st to deserts sylvan harmonies: around and within, At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. beneath and beyond all, the changeless Colonies of an unglimpsed loveliness ever-changing whole, Are gifts to earth of thy imperial Grace. I am dwelling By thee inspired, surrendering our all forevermore in We win thy lustre’s endless carnival. My sole Being, O Light that sees and Flame that purifies, the Bliss supreme. At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies.

—Dhyaanavati Ananda With the King of mystic seers in union, Stationed in bliss, though farest free and lone: The Mother4 Thy footfalls usher magic floods in sands Life and extinction rock in thy twin hands. Effulgent Mother, aureate as the sun, O thou revered of the last infinities! Who com’st to reave our ignorance shadow-spun,— At thy flower-like feet, the Soul, in homage, lies. Thou art incarnate on the dismal earth To unfold secrets of an Immortal birth: —Nishikanto O luminous lore from the heart of paradise, At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. Savior storm5

Thy advent, a deep precipitate of Light, The immortal music of her mind Annihilates our glooms of aeoned Night. Sweeps through the earth a lustrous wind— Thy sentinel Gleam on life’s peaks knows no sleep “Renounce, O man, thy arduous oar And scintillates in jewels of the deep And, opening out faith’s song-charmed helpless sail, Revealing in a flash eternities: Reach on my breath of love the ecstatic shore! At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. My rush is truth self-beaconed, not thy pale Stranger-surmise: Lone-poised beyond the pauseless swirl of Time, I am a cyclic gale Beyond the atoms and the Vast sublime, That blows from paradise to paradise!” Things sentient thou hast with thy love ensouled: Equal and warm, unique and manifold. —K.D. Sethna (Amal Kiran) Hues’ thrills are thy refracted ecstasies: At thy flower-like feet the Soul, in homage, lies. 1. Savitri, Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1993, p. 59. 2. Initiation, Hyderabad: Sri Aurobindo Society, 2004. p. 286. A mystic Healer of our stricken life, 3. Ibid., p. 287. Leavening with love our squalor, pain and strife, 4. Poems on Sri Aurobindo and on the Mother, Pondicherry: Thou slayest still the demon-hordes with thine Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1954, pp. 119-120. Infinite strength and quellest undivine 5. Ibid., p. 87.

Spring 2011 Collaboration • 35 Look deep into nature, and then you will Keep away from people who try to belittle Apropos understand everything better. —Albert your ambitions. Small people always do Einstein that, but the really great make you feel that you too can become great. —Mark Twain This yoga can only be done to the end by Nature is the art of God. —Thomas those who are in total earnest about it and Browne, Religio Medici, 1635 Say what you mean and act how you feel, ready to abolish their little human ego and because those who matter don’t mind, and its demands in order to find themselves in The creation of a thousand forests is in those who mind don’t matter. —Dr. Seuss the Divine. —Sri Aurobindo one acorn. —Ralph Waldo Emerson People are always blaming their circum- The center of the human is the psychic Faith is an oasis in the heart which can stances for what they are. I don’t believe in which is the dwelling-place of the imma- never be reached by the caravan of think- circumstances. The people who get on in nent Divine. Unification means organiza- ing. —Kahlil Gibran this world are the people who get up and tion and harmonization of all the parts of look for the circumstances they want. And the being (mental, vital and physical) It is better to believe than to disbelieve; in if they can’t, make them. —George Bernard around this center, so that all the activities so doing, you bring everything to the Shaw of the being may be the correct expression realm of possibility. —Albert Einstein of the will of the Divine Presence. —The People who say it cannot be done should Mother Sometimes, simply by sitting, the soul col- not interrupt those who are doing it. lects wisdom. —Zen proverb —Author Unknown What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is, in the end, of little conse- Doubt is a pain too lonely to know that Re-examine all you have been told. Dis- quence. The only consequence is what we faith is his twin brother. —Kahlil Gibran miss what insults your soul. —Walt Whit- do. —John Ruskin man You are never asked to do more than you Love is patient and kind. Love is not jeal- are able without being given the strength You take your life in your own hands, and ous, conceited, proud or boastful, it is not and ability to do it. —Eileen Caddy what happens? A terrible thing: no one to arrogant, selfish, irritable or rude. Love blame. —Erica Jong does not keep a record of wrongs. Love is Man often becomes what he believes him- not happy with evil, but is happy with the self to be. If I keep on saying to myself that There is a destiny that makes us brothers— truth. Love never gives up, and its faith, I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible none goes his way alone; all that which we hope and patience never fail. Love is eter- that I may end by really becoming incapa- send into the lives of others, comes back nal. —1-Corinthians 13:4 ble of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the onto our own. —Edwin Markham belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire To find the universal elements enough; to the capacity to do it, even if I may not have The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to find the air and the water exhilarating; to it at the beginning. —Mahatma Gandhi taste experience to the utmost, to reach out be refreshed by a morning walk or an eagerly and without fear for newer and evening saunter; to be thrilled by the stars There are only two ways to live your life. richer experience. —Eleanor Roosevelt at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a One is as though nothing is a miracle. The wildflower in spring—these are some of other is as if everything is. —Albert Ein- The time is always right to do what is right. the rewards of the simple life. —John Bur- stein —Martin Luther King, Jr. roughs Great spirits have always encountered vio- We need to remember that we are all cre- There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, lent opposition from mediocre minds. The ated creative and can invent new scenarios there is a rapture on the lonely shore, there latter cannot understand it when a man as frequently as they are needed. —Maya is society, where none intrudes, by the does not thoughtlessly submit to heredi- Angelou deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not tary prejudices but honestly and coura- man the less, but Nature more. —Lord geously uses his intelligence. —Albert When we are no longer able to change a Byron Einstein situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. —Viktor Frankl Those who dwell among the beauties and Go confidently in the direction of your mysteries of the earth are never alone or dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined! We are all in the gutter, but some of us are weary of life. —Rachel Carson —Henry David Thoreau looking at the stars. —Oscar Wilde

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