Special Double Issue on Sri Aurobindo's Savitri, a Legend and A
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Summer & Fall 2011 Journal of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Vol. 36, Nos. 1-2 Special double issue on Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri, A legend and a symbol Summer & Fall 2011 Collaboration • 1 About the cover “Creation of the gods.” This is a grayscale copy of a painting by Shiva Vangara done in Alkyds, Table of contents the most advanced colors from Winsor and Collaboration, vol. 36, nos. 1-2, Summer & Fall 2011 Newton, London. Throughout this issue we fea- ture Shiva’s fine paintings, many of which are based on Savitri. These paintings and others can be viewed in all their exquisite colors on From the office ofCollaboration his blog: http://visionsoncanvas.blogspot.com. Notes on this issue ............................................................Larry Seidlitz 3 The authors and poets Current affairs Anurag Banerjee is the founder and chairman of the Overman Foundation (see http://overman- Sri Aurobindo Learning Center .................................................... Swaha 4 foundation.wordpress.com). His email address is: Auromesa Center ........................................................... Tizia O'Connor 5 [email protected]. The Passing of Amal Kiran (K.D. Sethna) ...................Anurag Banerjee 6 Arabinda Basu, a member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, is a philosopher and scholar of Integral Briefs .................................................................................................. 710 7 Yoga, and editor of the journal Gavesana (Quest for Light). He has taught and lectured on comparative philosophy and religion internationally. AV almanac Kalpana Bidwaikar (kalpanacb@rediffmail. About Savitri Bhavan ......................................................Muriel Ghion 8 com) is an Assistant Professor of English at the Col- lege at Bilaspur (Chattisgarh State). She also lec- tures on the vision and works of Sri Aurobindo and Chronicles the Mother in Chattisgarh and Delhi. Muriel Ghion ([email protected]) is a Savitri: A revelation ........................................................... Mona Sarkar 10 newcomer to Auroville from Belgium who is working Reading Savitri for progress and delight ...........................Shraddhavan 13 at Savitri Bhavan. Richard Hartz ([email protected]) is a scholar on Sri Aurobindo’s thought who works in Essays the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Archives Department on the publication of Sri Aurobindo’s Complete Works. Savitri: A brief introduction ........................................... Kailas Jhaveri 17 Kailas Jhaveri ([email protected]) is a Two biographies and an autobiography ................... Mangesh Nadkarni 25 member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Her biogra- 'A god come down and greater by the fall' ......................Arabinda Basu 33 phy, I am with you, was published in two volumes by The everlasting Yes: Savitri, the epic of affirmation ........ Richard Hartz 39 the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The late Mangesh Nardkarni (1933-2007) Vision of the future: Supramental transformation ...Kalpana Bidwaikar 50 was a gifted and widely-known speaker on Savitri Some key symbols in Savitri.............................................Larry Seidlitz 59 and other aspects of Sri Aurobindo’s thought. He was connected the Sri Aurobindo Society and often traveled to the US. Source material Tizia O’Connor (tizia@auromesa) is a certified The overmind aesthesis .................................................... Sri Aurobindo 65 Ayurvedic practitioner and co-founder of Auromesa Center in Hondo-Arroyo, NM. On several important passages .............................................The Mother 67 Mona Sarkar is a senior member of the Sri Au- robindo Ashram. whose outstanding books Sweet Mother: Luminous Notes and The Supreme recount The poetry room (Selections from Savitri) his conversations with the Mother. From "The yoga of the king: The yoga of the soul's release" ................. 691 Larry Seidlitz ([email protected]) is a facili- From "The secret knowledge"................................................................. 691 tator of online courses on Sri Aurobindo’s thought at the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research From "The descent into Night" ............................................................... 701 and editor of Collaboration. From "The gospel of death and the vanity of the ideal" ......................... 701 Shraddhavan ([email protected]) From "The debate of Love and Death" ................................................... 711 is the director of Savitri Bhavan in Auroville (www. From "The eternal day: The soul's choice and the supreme auroville.org/education/edu_centres/savitribhavan_ consummation" ................................................................................ 711 main.htm). She is also the editor of the institute’s journal Invocation, and holds classes on Savitri. Swaha (formerly Kathryn Van Note; svahaus@ Apropos .......................................................................................... 721 gmail.com) is the new steward of Sri Aurobindo Learning Center in Crestone, CO. 2 • Collaboration Summer & Fall 2011 The artist From the office of Collaboration Shiva Vangara ([email protected]) is from an artist family in Andhra Pradesh. He lived in the n this special issue, we focus exclusively on Savitri, and reproduce a number of excel- Ashram from 1983-1986, and was initiated to Savitri lent articles that have been written on Sri Aurobindo’s great epic poem. In Current by a senior Ashramite. Inspired by the Mother’s Affairs, we have articles on two U.S. centers that specially concentrate onSavitri , the words, his view of art developed. For the past 18 ISri Aurobindo Learning Center near Crestone, CO by Swaha, and Auromesa, near Taos, years he has been working to realize his dream of a NM by Tizia O’Connor. Both centers engage in regular Savitri study, and often have Hollywood adaptation of Savitri, in IMAX 3D, fol- lowed by 7 sequels to cover the entire epic poem. At special Savitri workshops in the summers. Both are located in relatively remote scenic present he lives in Mumbai pursuing the film project. locations not far from each other that readers may like to visit. We also have a report Apart from film and painting, his interests include by Anurag Banerjee on the passing of Amal Kiran, at age 106, who was so instrumental contemporary dance, Bio Technology, Nano Tech- in eliciting Sri Aurobindo’s explanations about the overhead poetry used in Savitri. In nology, and Quantum Physics and Consciousness. Briefs, we report on a Savitri play that was staged at the AUM 2011 in Lodi, CA (more Publisher: Collaboration (ISSN 0164-1522) on the AUM in next issue), and bring news from Matagiri and a new Savitri study group. is published by the Sri Aurobindo Association In AV Almanac, we have an article by Muriel Ghion on Savitri Bhavan, a center of (SAA), a California nonprofit religious corpora- tion, 2715 W. Kettleman Lane, suite 203-174, Lodi Savitri studies in Auroville, home to “all kinds of materials and activities to enrich our CA 95242 USA; e-mail: [email protected]. understanding and enjoyment of Sri Aurobindo’s revelatory epic.” It is also noteworthy Editor: Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar Street, that Savitri Bhavan publishes the Invocation newsletter (more like a journal), from Vaithikuppam, Puducherry, 605012, India; email: which four of the articles included in our special issue have been selected, with the kind [email protected]. The opinions expressed in permission of Shraddhavan, the director. Savitri lovers should consider subscribing. Collaboration are not necessarily those of the edi- tor or the SAA. Our main articles start off in Chronicles with Mona Sarkar’s account of the Mother’s Copyrights: Copyright © SAA, 2011. Pho- discussion with him about Savitri, in which she conveyed its extraordinary importance tos of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, passages and value. Upon reading this recollection, which was written seven years after their from their works, and excerpts from the books discussion, the Mother said that although she could not remember her words, it was published by the Sri Auro bindo Ashram Trust are correct and true as an appreciation of Savitri, and recommended others to read it. This © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust unless otherwise noted, and are used here with the kind permission is followed by an article by Shraddhavan, in which she discusses various ways in which of the Ashram. to read, study and utilize Sri Aurobindo’s epic poem. These first two articles do not focus Subscriptions: Send requests to: 2715 W. on the content of the poem per se, but on its value and on ways to appreciate and use it. Kettleman Lane, suite 203-174, Lodi CA 95242 The next article, in Essays, by Kailas Jhaveri, provides a stimulating summary of USA, or call Auromere (209-339-3710 ext. 2) with Savitri, recounting the plot and highlights of the spiritual journey that is revealed. Using your credit card information; A one-year subscrip- tion (three issues) is $25 ($35 for airmail outside ample quotes, it gives a synopsis of the poem especially helpful for newcomers, and for the USA, a patron subscription is $50 or more). others it is an excellent review preparatory to the articles that follow. Next comes a talk For India residents, send requests along with Rs. by the late Mangesh Nadkarni, a widely known speaker on Savitri. This is also an overall 200 (for three issues) to Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar summary, but focuses on certain aspects of the poem he found