Winter 2010/2011 Journal of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother Vol. 35, No. 2

Interview with Matthijs Cornelissen and Neeltje Huppes on the Indian Psychology Institute • Richard Hartz on Reinhold Niebuhr, Sri Aurobindo and America’s spiritual future • Angelo Salerno on spiritual peace • Review of the journal NAMAH • Current affairs • AV almanac • Source material • Poetry • Apropos

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 1 About the cover This greyscale copy of a watercolor painting by Table of contents the late Usha R. Patel, an Ashram painter, is from Collaboration, vol. 35, no. 2, Winter 2010/2011 her book, Love Treasures, paintings based on Sri Aurobindo’s book The Mother. It was pub- lished in 1985 by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and From the office of Collaboration is used with their permission. Notes on this issue ...... Larry Seidlitz 3 The authors and poets Alan (alan@auroville.org.in) is a British Au- Current affairs rovilian who in 1988 helped initiate Auroville’s monthly news magazine Auroville Today, and Overman Foundation ...... Anurag Banerjee 4 since then has been one of its editors. Website developments ...... 5 Anurag Banerjee is the founder and chair- man of the Overman Foundation. He has pub- lished books on Dilip Kumar Roy, Nirodbaran, AV almanac and Bengali translations of Sri Aurobindo’s poet- ry. He has an MBA, and is developing an integral “Everybody who has grown up here feels a strong connection to the approach to management. His email address is: Auroville spirit” ...... Alan 6 [email protected]. Matthijs Cornelissen ([email protected]) and Neeltje Huppes ([email protected]) are Chronicles members of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram where they The Indian Psychology Institute: An interview with Matthijs Cornelissen direct the Indian Psychology Institute and teach in the Ashram college. and Neeltje Huppes ...... Interviewed by Larry Seidlitz 8 Richard Hartz ([email protected]) is a member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram where Essays he works in the Archives and is a scholar on Sri Aurobindo’s thought. Serenity, courage and wisdom: Reinhold Niebuhr, Sri Aurobindo and Kailas Jhaveri ([email protected]) America’s spiritual future ...... Richard Hartz 15 is a member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Her biography, I am with you (part 1), from which this On peace—A brief introduction ...... Angelo Salerno 24 poem was taken, was published in 2004. Rachana Kaur is a young devotee from Hy- Source material derabad who has been coming periodically to the Ashram since her childhood. The Higher Consciousness...... Sri Aurobindo 25 Shyam Kumari is a member of the Sri Auro- On the Spirit ...... The Mother 28 bindo Ashram and is an author, poet, editor, and director of a Sanskrit school in Pondicherry. She may be reached at [email protected]) Journal review Narad (Richard Eggenberger) ([email protected]) is currently working on NAMAH—New Approaches to Medicine and Health ...... the development of the Ashram website, where ...... Reviewed by Larry Seidlitz 30 many of his writings are now available. He con- ducts ‘OM choirs,’ and is a horticulturist. Sunil Narayan ([email protected]) is an The poetry room Indian-American poet living in Beaverton, Ore- gon. He has published some of his poetry in vari- The Witness and the Wheel ...... Sri Aurobindo 32 ous literary journals and on the web. On Sri Aurobindo’s passing—5 December 1950 ...... Kailas Jhaveri 32 The late Nishikanto (1909-1973) was a From The beggar princess ...... Dilip Kumar Roy and Indira Devi 33 member of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram whose po- etry was highly regarded by Sri Aurobindo. A light on earth ...... Narad 33 The late Dilip Kumar Roy (1897-1980) and Full moon is here ...... Shyam Kumari 33 Indira Devi (1920-1997) were early members of Sacrifice of the heart ...... Sunil P. Narayan 34 the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and later founded the The chariot of life ...... Rachana Kaur 34 Hari Krishna Mandir ashram in Pune. They com- The soul’s cry ...... Nishikanto 35 posed music and were singers, and they have pub- lished various literary works together. Angelo Salerno ([email protected]) Apropos ...... 36 is a member of Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham in Lodi, California, where he works at Auromere Ayurvedic Imports and as a gardener.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 2 From the office of Collaboration The photographers We wish to thank the various anonymous photog- raphers who have contributed their photos for n this issue we feature in our Chronicles section an interview with Matthijs Cornelis- our issue. The photo of Sri Aurobindo on p. 25 was of course taken by the famous photographer sen and Neeltje Huppes about the Indian Psychology Institute (IPI). Matthijs and Cartier Bresson. The flower photo on p. 24 was INeeltje, originally from the Netherlands, came to India in 1976 and lived for 15 years at scanned from the beautiful Ashram 2 vol. set, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Delhi Branch before joining the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in The Spiritual Significance of Flowers, by the Pondicherry. Well-known for their earlier work in Integral Education, they are presently Mother, published in 2000. The photo of Rein- involved in a variety of projects concerned with the development of a new approach to hold Niebuhr on p. 16 appeared on the web blog http://rjosephhoffmann.wordpress.com without psychology based on the Indian tradition. To this end they founded the Sri Aurobindo copyright notice or photo credit. Centre for Consciousness Studies in 2001, and the IPI in 2006. They have also organized several successful academic conferences on Indian Psychology, and Matthijs has edited Publisher: Collaboration (ISSN 0164- several books on the subject, and has written numerous papers. In this interview we dis- 1522) is published by the Sri Aurobindo Associ- cussed the aims and activities of the IPI. ation (SAA), a California nonprofit religious corporation, 2715 W. Kettleman Lane, suite In our featured Essays, we present a thoughtful paper by Richard Hartz: “Serenity, 203-174, Lodi CA 95242 USA; e-mail: courage and wisdom: Reinhold Niebuhr, Sri Aurobindo and America’s spiritual future.” [email protected]. Richard, an American living at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry, is well-known in Editor: Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar Street, the US for his editorial work at the Sri Aurobindo Archives and his talks at various AUM Vaithikuppam, Puducherry, 605012, India; conferences. In fact, this paper was presented at the AUM in 2010. Partly due to its depth email: [email protected]. The opinions ex- pressed in Collaboration are not necessarily and complexity which are not easily absorbed in a brief sitting, and partly for those who those of the editor or the SAA. missed his talk, we felt that publishing the paper here was important. Richard explores Copyrights: Copyright © SAA, 2010. Niebuhr’s three key concepts—serenity, courage and wisdom—in their spiritual depth Photos of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, pas- and complementariness, in light of Sri Aurobindo’s thought. He also brings out the par- sages from their works, and excerpts from the allels between the two thinkers, and sheds light on the American mind and soul. books published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust are © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust unless In addition, we also include a short essay by Angelo Salerno on peace. This essay otherwise noted, and are used here with the kind nicely clarifies the distinctions between ordinary peace and true spiritual peace, which permission of the Ashram. typically comes only with the practice of sadhana. Angelo is a member of the Sri Auro- Subscriptions: A one-year subscription bindo Sadhana Peetham ashram in Lodi, CA, where he has been residing for the past (three issues) to Collaboration is $25 ($35 for seven years. The article carries with it an air of authentic spiritual experience, and as airmail outside the USA, except India; in India, send Rs. 200 to Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar St., such, is helpful in communicating the deeper quality of spiritual peace to the reader. Vaithikuppam, Pondicherry 605012). A patron In our Source Material, we focus on a related theme, that of the higher or spiritual subscription is $50 or more. A sponsorship sub- consciousness. We have selections from Sri Aurobindo’s Letters on Yoga and a longer scription for residents of India is $5. segment on the spiritual transformation from the The Life Divine. We also include an in- Submissions: Collaboration welcomes teresting talk by the Mother about the nature of “the spirit” or spiritual consciousness, writing, photos, and artwork relevant to the Integral Yoga and spirituality. Submit material in which she characterizes it as an intermediary between the human and the Divine. by email to: [email protected]; or by We have included a review of the journal NAMAH, short for New Approaches to post to Collaboration, 2715 W. Kettleman Medicine and Healing. We wrote this as part of a joint effort of the two journals to make Lane, Suite 203-174, Lodi, CA 95242 USA. our respective readers more aware of each other’s journals. The journals are nicely com- Collaboration cannot be held responsible for plementary to each other and are likely to be of interest to each other’s readership. After loss or damage of unsolicited material. Letters to the editor may be published unless you indi- learning about the journal, we hope you will consider subscribing to NAMAH. cate otherwise. Letters and articles may be edit- In Current Affairs, we have an article on a new organization called the Overman ed for style and space considerations. Foundation, which is based in Kolkata. The author and founder of the organization, About SAA: The Sri Aurobindo Associa- Anurag Banerjee, is an energetic scholar in his mid 20s with several books already to his tion distributes information about Sri Auro- credit. The article describes the Foundation’s spiritual aims and its practical activities, bindo, the Mother, and Auroville, and supports projects related to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, which are further discussed on its blog: http://www.overmanfoundation.wordpress. In Auroville, and Integral Yoga activities in Amer- this section we also note recent updates to the Ashram website and the IPI website. ica. Current officers: Lynda Lester, president; In AV Almanac, we have reprinted a recent article by Alan, an editor of Auroville Vishnu Eschner, vice president; John Robert Today. It pertains to the youth in Auroville and their connection to the “Auroville spirit.” Cornell, secretary; Kalpana Patel, treasurer. He interviewed a group of 18-20 year olds about their experience of Auroville, how it may Contributions: Donations for the work of the SAA, Auroville, and the Sri Aurobindo differ from their parents, and about their interests in going abroad. Ashram may be sent to SAA. Donations are tax We conclude the issue with a wonderful selection of poetry from both classic Auro- exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. In- bindonian and newer poets, and a stimulating assortment Apropos quotations. ternal Revenue Code.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 3 supermen [alternatively, Overmen]. Current Affairs This species may be considered a transitional species, for it is to be foreseen that it will discover the means of pro- ducing new beings without going through the old animal Overman Foundation method, and these beings—who will have a truly spiritual birth—will constitute the elements of the new race, the su- pramental race. by Anurag Banerjeev So we could call supermen [Overmen] those who, be- cause of their origin, still belong to the old method of gener- new organization dedicated to the mission and philoso- ation but who, because of their accomplishment, are in con- phy of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother has come into exist- scious and active contact with the new world of supramental Aence on 29 March 2010. It was established by Anurag realisation. (Collected Works of the Mother, Vol. 9, pp. 313- Banerjee who is serving the organization as its Chairman. The 314) objectives of Overman Foundation are as follows: 1. To promote spiritual progress in its absolute sense for Hence Overman Foundation has as its aim to inculcate the everyone without any discrimination based on caste, creed and ‘urge’ to rise over our mundane aspects of life and delve deeper gender. into our inner ‘I.’ The Foundation reaches out to society with an 2. To spread the evolutionary vision of Sri Aurobindo and invitation to participate in its aspiration to conceive the new spe- the Mother with respect to the establishment of a divine life in a cies of Overman—a transitory state in the creation of Superman. divine body in all fields of life. The organization firmly believes that it is the duty of every indi- 3. To spread and help to spread the teachings of Sri Auro- vidual moved by this ideal to ardently seek the Divine, and amidst bindo and the Mother in the towns and villages of West Bengal, the trivialities of our surroundings, to strengthen this aspiration the land of Sri Aurobindo’s birth. with the learning required to become an ‘Overman.’ The Founda- 4. To conduct researches on the lives of Sri Aurobindo, the tion supports this learning through its sharing of Sri Aurobindo’s Mother and the eminent sadhaks of the Integral Yoga and collect and the Mother’s spiritual work and teachings. The motto of all and preserve documents related to them. the members of the organization can be best summed up in the 5. To conduct seminars and workshops to promote the following words of Sri Aurobindo: views of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother on Integral Management and Social Unity. The coming of a spiritual age must be preceded by the ap- 6. To recognize the contribution of the scholars and work- pearance of an increasing number of individuals who are no ers of the Aurobindonian movement in various fields. (For this longer satisfied with the normal intellectual, vital and physi- purpose, the ‘Auro-Ratna’ award has been created which would cal existence of man, but perceive that a greater revolution is be given out every year based on the recommendation of the Ad- the real goal of humanity and attempt to effect it in them- visory Board.) selves, to lead others to it and to make it the recognised goal 7. To publish literature and books for the promotion of the of the race. In proportion as they succeed and to the degree teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. to which they carry this evolution, the yet unrealised poten- tiality which they represent will become an actual possibility The Mother had once said: of the future. (The Human Cycle, p. 261)

Anyway, we have now arrived at a certitude since there is al- The administration of Overman Foundation is monitored by ready a beginning of realisation. We have the proof that in its Advisory Board, whose members are Nirmal Singh Nahar certain conditions the ordinary state of humanity can be ex- (Founder-Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata), Prof. Kittu ceeded and a new state of consciousness worked out which Reddy and Krishna Chakravarti. enables at least a conscious relation between mental and su- pramental man. Research It can be affirmed with certainty that there will be an in- termediate specimen between the mental and the supramental On 4 September 2010, Overman Foundation has launched an being, a kind of superman [surhomme, alternatively translat- online research facility through which relevant research materials ed as ‘Overman’] who will still have the qualities and in part are provided to interested researchers and scholars through post the nature of man, which means that he will still belong in his and email in return of which a nominal sum of money is charged as most external form to the human being of animal origin, but fees. It is the only research organization in India which provides that he will transform his consciousness sufficiently to be- such services. The treasure-chest of research materials available long in his realisation and activity to a new race, a race of at Overman Foundation includes a vast collection of British Gov-

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 4 ernment documents and press coverage on Sri Aurobindo, rare the work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Accordingly it orga- books and articles in English and Bengali on Sri Aurobindo and nizes memorial services on the birth anniversaries of the departed the Mother, hundreds of photographs of Sri Aurobindo, the souls. On 18 November 2010, a Memorial Service was held to Mother, their family-members and disciples to name a few. The commemorate the 107th Birth Anniversary of Dr. Nirodbaran Ta- organization also possesses a number of unpublished correspon- lukdar, known in the Aurobindonian community across the globe dence of Sri Aurobindo, the Mother and their disciples which are as Sri Aurobindo’s scribe and renowned for his books like Talks not issued but can be viewed only with due permission granted by with Sri Aurobindo, Correspondence with Sri Aurobindo, the Chairman. At regular interval, some of the archival treasures Twelve Years with Sri Aurobindo and Memorable Contacts with are shared with interested readers through the blog: http:// the Mother to name a few. On 12 December 2010, a Memorial Ser- www.overmanfoundation.wordpress. vice was held to commemorate the 85th Birth Anniversary of Suja- ta Nahar, former inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram who was also Treasures one of the co-founders of Mira Aditi Centre and author of the well- known series on the Mother’s life titled Mother’s Chronicles. Overman Foundation possesses several objects used by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, for instance, a full-length sari worn by the Mother. These rare treasures have been gifted to the organiza- Website developments tion by the inmates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, as a token of appreciation and encouragement of the noble work done The Sri Aurobindo Ashram website—http:// by it. These invaluable treasures are meticulously preserved at the www.sriaurobindoashram.info—has been considerably upgrad- Branch Office of the organization where a shrine is under con- ed and continues to be expanded. (This is one of two Ashram struction. websites, the other is: www.sriaurobindoashram.org.) This web- site has a plethora of content pertaining to the works of Sri Au- Auro-Ratna Award robindo and the Mother, their disciples, and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. You can find concise descriptions of the life and work of The ‘Auro-Ratna Award’ was initiated by Overman Founda- Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, as well as searchable collections tion to recognize the invaluable contribution of the poets, writers, of both their collected works. The site also carries searchable col- philosophers, scholars and members of the Aurobindonian move- lections of the works of many early and later disciples; this is one ment who have worked tirelessly for the mission of Sri Aurobindo aspect that has been considerably enlarged. In addition to writ- and the Mother. The first recipients of the award were K.D. Sethna ten works, there are audio recordings of conversations, music alias Amal Kiran, Prof. Arabinda Basu and the late Jugal Kishore and/or recitations of the Mother and various disciples, such as Mukherjee. Sunil, Nolini, Nirodbaran, Amal Kiran, Udar, Dilip Kumar Roy and others. The artists’ section also has undergone expansion, and Forthcoming publications there currently are collections of the following Ashram artists: Sanjiban Biswa, Champaklal, Janina, Priti, Dhanavanti and Niran- Based on the materials available at Overman Foundation, a jan Guha Ray. Regarding the Ashram itself, there is extensive in- number of research projects in English and Bengali have been formation about its life and its various departments, as well as undertaken by Anurag Banerjee, the Founder-Chairman of the or- photos. One can find the messages which were given for each of ganization. Its first Bengali project, Ananya Nishikanto, which the darshans observed each year since 1927. saw the light of the day on 24 November 2010 comprises of about The website of the Indian Psychology Institute, and its sis- 34 unpublished poems of Nishikanto Rai Chowdhury, the well- ter organization, the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Consciousness known mystic-poet of the Ashram whom Sri Aurobindo had called Studies, have been upgraded considerably during the last few the ‘Brahmaputra of Inspiration,’ and a set of rare epistolary ex- weeks. The website of IPI can be found at http://ipi.org.in. It changes between Sri Aurobindo and the poet. Some of the organi- contains articles by different authors on psychology related zation’s forthcoming projects in English include Sri Aurobindo: issues, as seen from the various consciousness-based perspec- His Political Life and Activities, The Alipore Bomb Trial Judg- tives of the many Indian spiritual and intellectual traditions. Of ment, Nishikanto’s Dream Cadences with Sri Aurobindo’s Com- special interest may be the page where these articles are sorted ments, The Mother: The Growth of the Flame, Sri Aurobindo and by subject: http://ipi.org.in/lists/topics-all.php. The website of Rabindranath Tagore and Sri Aurobindo on Ethics. SACCS is available at http://saccs.org.in. It has texts by Sri Au- robindo and the Mother. Of special interest may be the two Memorial services compilations of psychology-related texts which are available at: http://saccs.org.in/texts/integralyoga-comp.php. Also of inter- Overman Foundation believes in remembering the noble in- est may be the Thematic Index of the Collected Works of the mates of Sri Aurobindo Ashram who had dedicated their lives for Mother, which is available at http://saccs.org.in/mcw-index.html.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 5 AV almanac

“Everybody who has grown up here feels a strong connection to the Auroville spirit” by Alan

Reprinted from Auroville Today, November 2010, No. 257

or those adults who don’t have teenagers of their own or who lack regular contact with Auroville teenagers, the From left: Sushant, Vasanthi, Amba, Anandi and Teresa. (Photo Fyouth of this community are something of an enigma. courtesy Auroville Today) Glimpsed briefly on the roads or from across a crowed Solar Café, it is all too easy to stereotype them, both for better or worse. But thing extra to Auroville.” what are they really like? What do they find to celebrate about this So those Aurovillians who argue that providing a first-class place and what frustrates them? And what is the nature of their university education in Auroville would prevent an exodus of the relationship to Auroville? young are probably wrong. Nevertheless, a few of these students To find out more, Auroville Today spoke to two classes of 18- would consider this option if it was available. “Probably I would 20 year olds at Future School. Some had joined Auroville relatively stay in Auroville if there was higher education here,” says Nitzan. recently, but almost half of them were born in Auroville. “I’ve lived in other countries, like Israel and the U.S., so I don’t All these students will graduate next year. When asked what lack this experience. The educational approach I’ve been looking they will do next, all reply that they plan to leave Auroville for a for I’ve found in Future School and Auroville in general. Educa- longer or shorter period, the most popular option being to pursue tion here is more authentic.” Vika agrees. “I’m very comfortable further academic studies in Europe. Anandi explains, “I want to go and familiar with the way things are taught in Future School and to university abroad and deepen my knowledge of music.” Why if there would be a higher level taught by the same people I would abroad? “Because over there you can meet and interact with many definitely stay on.” young people who share your interest.” In fact, all of them admit that they will miss certain things But is this the only reason why the students want to leave here. “This is home,” says Nisha, “it’s like a big family here. Auroville and go abroad? “No,” says Nisha, “Most of my life I’ve When I come to school in the morning I see ten people on the lived in Auroville so I have a curiosity about how it is outside. It’s road that I say ‘hi’ to. You kind of know everybody and you’re not that I feel I lack something here, but I want to step out of the comfortable with everybody.” “In the West,” says Nitzan, box for a bit, just to see what else is out there. I don’t want to miss “you’re surrounded by so many more distractions that you have out on something.” “I think that once you have experienced what a tendency to lose yourself in them. Here there are a lot of differ- is outside,” adds Vasanthi, “you can make a conscious choice ent opportunities in terms of doing sports or arts without having about whether you want to be in Auroville or not.” to pay for them. You can just go up to somebody and say you’re “I think my major reason to go abroad,” says Emanuele, “is to interested in learning something and they will help you. This is challenge myself, to see if I can live on my own for the first time.” one of the most beautiful things about this place.” Sushant agrees. “I want to see how the world will challenge me. I Teresa agrees, and she adds, “When I go for holidays to want to discover what I’m good at and how I can cope socially Europe and see the youth there I realize they are growing up in a with being in a much larger group. When I spent a year out of completely different environment: what we have in Auroville is Auroville at Kodaikanal School I learned to play the guitar. It made unique.” Anandi explains, “The Western world is easily manipu- me realize you can discover a lot of new things in yourself if you lated by consumerism and appearances, but when I realize I am step out of your comfort zone.” “Auroville is a beautiful place,” being pulled into that world I can step back: I recognize it’s not adds Amba, “but it is also a small bubble: we are not always aware me.” “People abroad tend to get caught up in the superficiality of of what is happening outside of our bubble. I think if you go out materialistic needs,” says Vasanthi. “In Auroville we can step and learn something in Europe or America and bring it back, it cre- away from that.” ates a stronger connection with the outside world; it brings some- It sounds as if Auroville is something of a paradise, an ideal

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 6 Of course, tensions and conflicts between youth and adults are common to many societies. But unlike most societies, Au- roville has high ideals. Does this exacerbate the tensions here and make them more difficult to resolve? Teresa replies, “We don’t feel that there is a substantial con- flict between the youth and the adults. We try to respect each other’s needs and talk about a conflict when it arises so that we can find a compromise.” But do they believe that some adults have problems with the youth in Auroville because they think they are not ‘spiritual’ enough, that they don’t know enough about the spiritual dimen- sion of Auroville? “It depends what you mean by spirituality,’ says Vasanthi. “Maybe we cannot quote Mother and Sri Aurobindo, but if we are talking about our consciousness of ourselves and of our sur- roundings and, basically, how we connect to ourselves and to others, then I would say we are quite spiritual.” From left: Nitzan, Nisha, Emanuele and Vika. (Photo courtesy Auroville Today) “I’ve often been told that as a youth I should know more about Auroville and what Mother and Sri Aurobindo said,” says society. Is there no downside for the youth? Sushant. “But we do try to understand the notion, the feeling, the “Educationally there’s a wide range of possibilities here but general direction, in our attitudes and the way we live.” Anandi they’re not really established or developed enough and they lack adds, “I think the most important thing is to get to the root of depth,” says Anandi. what Mother meant and be able to make decisions from that per- “The main downside for me,” says Emanuele, “is that be- spective.” cause everybody knows you, if you make the tiniest mistake ev- A recent article by a visiting researcher said that the Au- erybody will learn about it and judge you. Making mistakes is roville youth had “lost faith in the faith,” that they had lost hope human, but some people keep bashing on us instead of looking at in the future of Auroville. their own mistakes,” Sushant adds, “One faux pas or mistake can “I wonder who this researcher spoke to!” exclaims Nisha. lead to a long-lasting label and from then on some names are con- “The way I see it the youth here are very open, very dynamic, so sistently brought up as the ‘wrongdoers’ for all youthful indiscre- I think as long as we can keep this openness and don’t become tions. At the same time, I realize the way we behave in a group can rigid Auroville can develop into the future.” Vasanthi clarifies, be loud and disruptive; for example, when we come to the Solar “Auroville is more than just infrastructure; it’s also the spirit of Café.” “I think some people who judge us may have done similar the community which lives within us.” things,” says Vasanthi. “They may unintentionally project their “Auroville is not yet perfect,” says Anandi, “but here there’s mistakes onto us.” an aspiration for a different kind of world. Once you’ve been in Vika wonders, “Are the youth and adults two completely dif- contact with that, going somewhere else is like taking a step ferent entities? Aren’t we meant to learn from one another?” back.” “Often we find ourselves not knowing where to go,” adds “I think all of us feel connected and want to come back,” Sushant. “We really try to find places where we can be ourselves says Amba. “Whenever I am in Germany I want to return, basical- without disturbing the neighbours.” But what about the Youth ly to see the progress which is happening here, even if it’s only Centre and the youth community of Kailash? Aren’t these places small. For example, the new roads make me happy. I want to be where the youth can organise themselves and be themselves? part of these changes.” Sushant agrees, “I want to participate in Sushant replies, “Kailash is a place where people live and not moving Auroville forward. It’s really hard to believe that Au- a place to hang out, which leaves us the Youth Centre.” Nisha roville might fail. We might not reach the ideal number or build the considers that “something new has to come.” Galaxy but we’ll still reach somewhere.” Some adults seem to have a poor image of the youth in Au- “It’s a process,” says Vasanthi. “There might not be the re- roville because they fail to live up to their expectations. “I guess sult that everyone expects but the best part is the journey. Every- the young people, like anybody else in Auroville, are confronted body who has grown up here can feel a strong connection to the by this force which pushes us to confront ourselves,” says Rolf, Auroville spirit and I don’t think it is possible for us to lose that one of their teachers. “The youth are working with these issues connection. We will always carry it within us.” but they are judged on basically three or four external elements. A lot of other things they are and do may not always be properly valued. Judgments do not help us to connect and build trust.”

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 7 Aurobindo and in- Chronicles tegral yoga, and http://ipi.org.in which is about In- dian approaches The Indian to psychology in a Psychology Institute: more general sense. One of our An interview with main activities is Matthijs Cornelissen that we give regu- lar courses and and Neeltje Huppes workshops on In- dian Psychology. ollaboration: What is the Indian Some of them are Psychology Institute? What are held in Pondy, and Cits aims and its main activities? they attract mainly Matthijs: Every culture uses a number people from south of different knowledge systems to deter- India and some we mine what is true and not true. In our glo- give in Delhi for bal civilization, most people still use some Matthijs Cornelissen and Neeltje Huppes at their IPI office in people from north religious knowledge system to guide their Pondicherry. (Photo by Larry Seidlitz) India. Occasional- private lives, but for public life, science is ly we have people increasingly dominant. The problem with ness changes the whole perspective of from abroad attend. For our weekly classes, mainstream science is, that it has a physi- what life is about. people come mainly from Pondy and Au- calist bias, and this makes it a rather unfit Collaboration: How much do you fo- roville and so most of them are devotees, and clumsy tool for dealing with psycholo- cus on the earlier Indian tradition and how but otherwise it is clear from the aims of IPI gy, which is basically about conscious- much on Sri Aurobindo? that our main focus is on academics who ness. Mainstream psychology is presently Matthijs: We largely use Sri Aurobin- feel that there is something more to psy- rather limited and superficial because it do’s thought, but while that may sound chology, but who somehow can’t really ar- has not understood how to deal with con- sectarian to those who don’t know his gue why. To them we try to give the mental sciousness, whereas the Indian tradition work, Sri Aurobindo has made such a vast, arguments, the intellectual and practical, has. The basic idea behind the Indian Psy- such a comprehensive synthesis of the psychological “tools” to deepen their un- chology Institute is to see if some of the entire Indian tradition that the question of derstanding and inner mastery. ideas and know-how from the Indian tradi- a limited, sectarian approach simply Collaboration: Is this something that tion can be made use of for the types of doesn’t arise. We’re not in any way involves just you two or are others in- problems that modern psychology deals against any of the other Indian systems. In volved as well? with. practice I don’t see very much scope for Matthijs: The core group is small, but Collaboration: What types of prob- myself to study any of the other systems there are some others who are interested. lems? in depth, but if other people are interested Most others are embedded in the academic Matthijs: Problems of identity, per- they can certainly do so. world, so their available time is more limited. sonality, character, knowledge, cognition, Collaboration: Okay, that pretty well Neeltje: Some of the main professors memory, motivation, relationships, work, covers your aims; what about your activi- in the main Indian universities have gotten therapy, personal growth, organization, ties? What are the main things that IPI interested in it and cooperate. That means education, you name it. In all those fields, does? that their students also get interested, and the Indian tradition is able to add some- Matthijs: We have organized, partial- many of these students who have shown thing that is actually essential for a com- ly as IPI and partially as its predecessor, interest are themselves furthering it, so it is plete understanding. And of course, Sri the Sri Aurobindo Center for Conscious- spreading quite a bit. Aurobindo synthesizes and reformulates ness Studies, a number of conferences, Matthijs: The first conference we or- that ancient knowledge within the frame- and we are still doing that. Some of these ganised was about Integral Psychology in work of an ongoing evolution of con- we organize entirely ourselves and some 2001 and for that conference just four Indi- sciousness, and that makes it really spe- of it we do as assistance to others. We also an psychologists came who were known cial. Sri Aurobindo’s view of the complex, maintain two web sites: http://saccs.org.in to have this interest. Then I helped to or- evolutionary manifestation of conscious- which is exclusively about the Mother, Sri ganize the Indian Psychology section of

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 8 one of their conferences. After that we chology. People are not used to look at it in the best ones are published in books and were asked to organize a conference fully that way. People in the West who have for those there is a problem of copyright, devoted to Indian approaches to psychol- studied the Indian tradition have looked at so it is a little difficult to tease them out. ogy. We thought initially that about 30 it mainly as Indian Philosophy or Indian Some of the material may not be so easily people would come. At the end, we had Religion, as an exotic, foreign culture, not accessible, but if people take the trouble about 200 academics attend, and almost as something that would offer valid knowl- then of course they can get at them. We 100 papers were presented. There were edge about human nature in general. So I have recently got permission to put many people who were totally surprised that col- think this is the main change that is taking more articles on our web page, so we can leagues whom they thought they knew place. expect the situation to improve over the quite well had secretly this same interest. Collaboration: When these courses coming months. Many people responded, “Oh, you are are being taught in the universities, what Collaboration: For some time you also interested in this?” In subsequent kinds of things are being covered? have been doing workshops here in conferences, we received well over 100 pa- Matthijs: It depends completely on Pondicherry and in Delhi. Can you tell us pers. So more people are interested than it the person who teaches. In one place there what those involve? had seemed earlier, and they include peo- is a lot of bhakti and music, and in another Neeltje: It is important to understand ple in positions of authority. Earlier there place that aspect is not there at all. This that Indian concepts are based on a deep had been just a few individuals who were variety fits the Indian tradition. inner experience and not just on a superfi- openly interested, but it never became a Neeltje: But on the whole, these cial mental knowledge. Western psycholo- sustained movement. It was just one indi- courses try to cover a comprehensive psy- gy, which is based on a materialistic world vidual here or there, who trained a few peo- chological content, issues such as person- view is something that can be studied with ple around himself, but the whole action ality, motivation, etc. but with all these is- the surface mind, whereas Indian psychol- would fizzle out when that person wasn’t sues explained in the framework of Indian ogy which is based on consciousness is there anymore. I think this is the first time psychology. different because we can’t see conscious- that it is developing collectively on a larger Matthijs: Yes, we try to convince peo- ness outside, so unless we go within and scale and on a hopefully more permanent ple that they should not organize such experience it in ourselves we have missed basis. courses in the form of studies of Jainism, the boat. That makes an enormous differ- Last year for the first time there were Buddhism, Patanjali, and so on—not to ence, and that is why up till now we have several psychologists who gave courses organize them historically or by Indian never thought of doing long-distance edu- on Indian Psychology in their university, school—but rather organize them around cation. The experiential component is very systematically, just like other subjects. modern issues, and then see what the dif- important in getting to what Indian psy- They were exceedingly surprised by the ferent schools in the Indian tradition can chology is about. number of students who opted for the contribute to those issues. Or if they ap- Collaboration: How do you bring courses. proach it as a study of the Indian tradition, that out in the workshops? Neeltje: Now Indian Psychology is a then it should still not be looked at as his- Matthijs: There is a system and a subject at a number of universities includ- tory or as philosophy, but the course method to it, but the most important part of ing: Allahabad, Delhi, Mysore, and Banga- should stay focused around direct, human it takes place implicitly in the atmosphere lore. experience, because otherwise it becomes of the workshop. So, on the outside it al- Matthijs: I think it is very likely that again something that people study about most looks as if we are giving lectures, be- the same thing will happen in the rest of others, while psychology should be stud- cause we do transact some content, but the world, for students are interested. As ied as a science that deals with ourselves. the content is always a means for getting India gets more status, because it devel- Collaboration: Have you contribut- people to think about themselves. So while ops economically, this will follow. That is a ed textbooks or other materials for these it looks like a lecture, there is a lot of open- little strange, but I think it is a fact. People courses? ness, questions and inviting of reactions will start to take the Indian intellectual tra- Matthijs: In the last 10 years, quite a as part of the process; the sessions are dition also more seriously. A major break- lot of articles and book chapters have been highly interactive. And we do introduce through will come when people will begin written on Indian Psychology, so teachers short exercises, like helping people to feel to look at the Indian tradition as a source who want to start teaching have for each how it is to be centered in one’s head or for psychological insight. Till now the In- subject quite a lot of source material on centered in one’s heart, or what it means to dian tradition has been mainly looked at as this. But there is no standard textbook on be silent and stand back and watch your a source for philosophy, for language, for Indian Psychology yet. thoughts without getting carried away by art and of course for personal enlighten- Collaboration: Do you have many of them. Most people get that part. We give ment or mukti, but not as a valuable knowl- these articles available on your website? them exercises and they take them home, edge system in the academic field of psy- Matthijs: Well, we do have some, but and in the morning they practice them for

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 9 five, ten, or twenty minutes, which then appreciates it. Even some hard core scien- This pattern has worked out very well. helps them for the rest of the day. tists told us that it is better that we do our Because after the workshop people get The fun part for me is that we have a courses in Pondy, because it adds some- confronted: “In the workshop I was happy, group of about 15, 20, sometimes 35 people thing to these workshops. And even in but now I’m not.” “There I felt good, now I who are all totally different; we basically Delhi, we do it again in the Delhi Branch of get irritated.” They get all those conflicts, tell them the same thing; and then they all the Ashram, which has its own atmo- and it is those conflicts which actually learn something entirely different; they all sphere, and that also helps. make them grow. So people say, “when I discover something special, something The effect we see may also to some come for the weekend, I get high, my tank that is different for each person. We help extent be due to the fact that in the group is full, then I come home and for a little them with finding their uniqueness during activities there is no judgment, and people while all goes fine, but then my tank gets the workshop. An important part of the are really free to attune to their own states, empty again, and before long another workshop is that everybody has to work to their own svabhava. We pay a lot of at- weekend session comes and I fill up on some kind of individual project, which tention to the fact that everybody has to again.” That cycle of going through this may start with factual information—we do grow in his own way. frustration and noting the differences is provide quite a bit of reading material and Neeltje: There is a stress on free painful, but also very useful, I think. so on—but this information has to be ap- progress, an inner free progress. Neeltje: With this approach the inner plied by them to something of their specif- Matthijs: Also, on the weekends, in growth gets sustained. ic interest. addition to the “lectures”, we have people Collaboration: Do you discuss these Neeltje: The issues in the project is chosen groups? by the people indi- There is a system and a method to it, but the most Matthijs: vidually, they Both in the groups choose their own important part of it takes place implicitly in the atmo- and individually. center of interest. sphere of the workshop. So, on the outside it almost We make rounds Matthijs: For in the group just example, one may looks as if we are giving lectures, because we do to share, whatever work on “how do I the people want to open my heart transact some content, but the content is always a share with the center,” another means for getting people to think about themselves. group, but every- one may work on body also has is- “how do I get more sues that they silence in my life,” or “how do I get over communicate in small groups and to work only want to share individually. They may my depressions,” or “how do I improve my on their own stuff on their own. of course even have issues that they don’t relationships.” So they try to approach Collaboration: So do these work- share at all. We have some discussions their issue using these methods and to see shops occur in a series of consecutive with the whole group, some in smaller how they work. We ask them to keep a dia- days, or are there some gaps in between? groups, and some individually. For the re- ry of what works, how it works, what is the Matthijs: When we started out with a ports, we always say, “write the report first progress that they have made, etc. workshop of 10 consecutive days, people just for yourself, then write a second ver- Neeltje: Another important compo- liked it, but our experience was—and oth- sion for others, because if you start writing nent is that during the weekends, we hold ers who do inspirational workshops tend for others, then you filter out too much of with each participant an individual discus- to have the same experience—that after- the really important stuff.” sion about their questions, their progress, wards the effects simply fizzle out. So what Collaboration: Do they write a report their difficulties, etc. That half hour is very we did was to make that 10 day course for each weekend session or just at the end? valuable in the overall work. shorter, we turned it into a week, and then Matthijs: Theoretically, they are sup- Matthijs: There is mixture of a number we added to that six weekends which were posed to write each time, and some of them of factors. We do transact some content, spread out over the following year. And of do. We encourage them to do it each time, but that content is almost a tool or an ex- those six weekends, we did one set in but many find that difficult. Everyone cuse for something else to happen in Pondy and one set in Delhi. For those Del- writes at the end of the course. which their own activity is important. Be- hi weekends, we go to Delhi, and the par- Neeltje: There are people who are sides this, the atmosphere is important. ticipants come either from Delhi or from very regular and they say that having to The main workshop is always in Pondy, elsewhere in north India. And for those in write every month helps them to sustain and that itself contributes something to Pondy, people come from Pondy itself or their progress. They are grateful that they the workshop, and I think everybody from other places in south India. have been asked to do it.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 10 Matthijs: Writing about these the essence of it, as far as I am con- inner processes is actually extremely cerned. Most of the research on difficult. Imagine if you yourself yoga or meditation is on its effects meditate for half an hour and then sit on blood pressure, or improving re- down and write about what happens laxation, or reducing stress, but during that half an hour, it may take that has never been the aim of yoga hours, perhaps days to get it fully or meditation! right. But I think the attempt is use- Instead one should see what ful. Some people say that one should are the intrinsic methods by which not talk about these things, and there the Indian tradition has developed is an obvious point to that. But I think its inner knowledge. How has Sri much depends on how the story is Aurobindo acquired that fabulous received. We make it very clear that amount of psychological insight one’s experience and one’s judgment that he obviously possessed? How about it should be kept separate. It is did he do that? From where did that quite seldom that we have people in knowledge come? Can we do some- the group boasting about their expe- thing similar to take that kind of riences. If it does happen, it fizzles knowledge further? out very fast. Neeltje: And to help other Neeltje: Respect for each other people… is very much a part of the process. Matthijs: Many people have Collaboration: Do you provide used, for example, meditation and some guidelines for these discus- yoga to help in psychotherapy, be- sions? cause it works. We met somebody Matthijs: No, not explicitly; it Neeltje Huppes, assistant Divya Parasher, and Matthijs in Delhi who is very enthusiastic for develops largely by our way of re- Cornelissen at the IPI office. (Photo by Larry Seidlitz) psychoanalysis, for traditional, sponding. We try to react in a way hard core psychoanalysis. She is that helps everybody to go as deep and be Another thing which we didn’t men- known for that. She admitted, somewhat as honest as they can be. Never forcing tion is that each of these weekends has a hesitantly and blushingly, but still she ad- them to say more than they want, but en- theme. For example, the first one is “parts mitted, that the only times that she had felt couraging them to think and feel more of the being,” the second one is “motiva- really satisfied that her clients had im- deeply than they are used to. tion and knowledge,” and then the third proved were when they were doing at the Neeltje: If they see the other partici- one is “relationships,” etc. So there is a same a Vipassana course. In the West it pants are serious, they also try and natu- kind of focus for these. has now become very common to use Vi- rally get more respect for each other. Some Matthijs: This allows us to go deeper passana or other things like Hatha Yoga might think, “Oh, what kind of question is into the main issues, and also, from our together with psychotherapy. But people this, he wants to show off.” But when we side, we want to develop material and a have not used it, as far as I know, for the really go seriously into that question, they better understanding. So when we can, we development of psychological knowledge see how the person is helped. Then the try to encourage people to participate who and know-how, except a little bit in next person is more open, and the whole are involved in academics or in profession- transpersonal psychology, but that is a idea that you should criticize others goes al practice. During the last two years we strange hybrid if I may say so. What we try out completely. also encouraged people to write reports to do is quite close to what transpersonal Matthijs: People do get encouraged that potentially could contribute some- psychology does, but we try to stay a little by seeing how other people grow, because thing to science. But it is still a complicated more consciously and deeply within the in groups like this there are always some issue how this is to be done. We are still Indian tradition when we develop this people who make a huge jump, which is trying to work that out, because Indian knowledge. wonderful to see. Psychology will only get somewhere when Collaboration: So are you trying to Neeltje: Also, they really help each we find our own way of doing research. bring out reports of their experiences of other out. After seven in the evening, we Mainstream psychology only does these things? go and have our dinner at home, but they research about yoga or about the effects Matthijs: We have, for example, asked make their own groups, sometimes until 12 of meditation, but that research is based someone to collect reports from different or 1 o’clock at night, which is for some of entirely on Western methods of acquiring Indian spiritual traditions about spiritual them a good support. knowledge, and it actually misses out on experiences and the effect of sadhana on

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 11 life and work. We are trying to see whether description could serve as an inspiration, cause it is the one area of psychology we can put that in some form that is pub- as a source of ideas. There is a lot in com- where people can make serious money. It is lishable. We have also had people work on mon between spirituality and science. In only when we combine the sincerity and the relation people have with their guru, science also, people are trained not only in intellectual rectitude that are typical for which is very interesting. There are lots of the technicalities of their subject but also good science with a methodology that is studies about the relationship of people in becoming a scientist. In yoga, that really appropriate for subjective knowl- with their psychotherapist, but obviously transformative aspect of the training is edge, for understanding consciousness, the relationship of a sadhak with his guru probably more important, that’s all. that we will begin to see real progress. is different. There is some traditional writ- Neeltje: The subject matter is not an There would be much scope for the ing about it, but that kind of writing tends end in itself, it is a means for a growth in application of such an extended, more hu- to be prescriptive and idealistic, and some- consciousness. mane psychology in fields like education, times it is quite over the top. It is not al- Matthijs: In many ways, the person because the present educational system is ways realistic about how people actually who gives the course is more important still based on behavioral studies which look at their guru. For example, in the than the content he uses. In science it is were done on rats and pigeons in the Ashram, do people see the Mother as the actually also like that, but it is rarely made 1950s. These behavioral studies on cogni- Divine, or as someone who helps them explicit. tion were based on a learning theory in reach the Divine? One can have so many Collaboration: How do you see this which motivation was “operationalized” in different relations with what Sri Aurobindo approach expanding more broadly. terms of deprivation: rats were deprived of calls “the Master of the work!” One can Neeltje: It is happening. In the begin- food so that they would be better motivat- also take up more down to earth things. ning we have already discussed how it has ed to learn randomly chosen behaviour We had a participant who had terrible spread in Indian universities. It also gets a when rewarded by well-calculated mea- fights with one of her family members, and different flavor there according to the per- sures of food-pellets; children who feel she got completely over that. That made son who teaches. deprived of inner emotional strength can so much difference to her whole life, that in There also is a desire to get this greater be cajoled into learning anything as long the next year we had a few applications depth in business, because at the moment as they are offered grades as reinforce- from people who knew this person, and there are so many of these inspirational ment; and finally we end up with a society who were marveling at how she had speakers. We know several people that are in which adults are willing to do any kind changed. In such cases it would be inter- looking at how to get this deeper approach of work, as long as they get rewarded by esting to see what the ingredient is that in business, so it is not just that you orga- money. If we could develop instead an ed- actually helps people to get out of one pat- nize a weekend workshop so that on Mon- ucational system that was based on the tern of behavior into another. day your people work a little bit harder, but intrinsic need of the heart to love, of the Collaboration: How do you see this it is truly for the sake of an inner develop- mind to learn, and the soul to grow, then type of workshop fitting into your larger ment, which in the end can spread into the society would really start moving. aims for Indian psychology? Do you see whole business. Collaboration: Do you have people Indian psychology being taught in the Matthijs: It is fascinating that within in these areas now coming to your work- classroom, or is this more the way that it the field of psychology, there are many shops? should go? people that are trying to use this knowl- Matthijs: Yes. Matthijs: My sense is that for a long edge outside the academic world, who use Collaboration: So you see the poten- time there will be a use for hybrid pro- it in their professional work, because they tial for expanding into these areas? grams, where part is done in the academic work with people and they want their work Matthijs: Again, yes, there is an infi- setting and part in workshops outside the to be successful. At the moment, Indian nite potential, but we have to see how we academic ambience. We have to work that methods and ideas are mainly used in ther- can expand while remaining sincere. out, I’m not quite sure. Some people have apy and in business, because therapists Neeltje: Every year we are getting asked us for the syllabus of our course, and business people know that it works more and more participants. but the syllabus is clearly not the main and they are not so obsessed with method. Matthijs: But it takes long for a per- point. The main point is the inner process- But for science to progress, we need to get son to change; to really get the essence of es that take place during the workshops. the methodological issues sorted out and it takes a long time. But in the end, the We are now trying to get different people find a rigorous way of being subjective. whole society has to be remodeled on the to describe what actually happened to Then only science itself can get into it on a basis of spiritual psychology. them, people who have seen it, who have big scale. Neeltje: Or at least on the basis of some insight, so that others can get a Presently, a problem with manage- consciousness. sense of the way we do it. Not that others ment applications is that it is very easy for Collaboration: You bring up the should do it in the same way, but such a an opportunistic element to creep in, be- length of time it takes to change, but you

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 12 have a relatively short program. How does sincerely as you can, and honestly leave Of course, we all distort the messages that that work? the result to the Divine. come to us, but we try to stay close to their Matthijs: Many people are already fa- Collaboration: Are many of these intention, and She does give the indica- miliar with these things before they come. people who come already on a spiritual tions. In the end it is Their program, and we Also, every year, about one quarter of the path, or do you see people turning to spir- try as much as possible to be good instru- participants wants to do it another year. ituality? ments. And that is alright. In a way, it blocks places Matthijs: We have the whole range. Matthijs: As we go forward, we also for new participants, but those who repeat We have people coming with a complete learn and grow and we are all the time con- tend to go much deeper; the impression we mental faith in their scientific approach, fronted with our own mistakes and short- get is that people often change more in the and then slowly, or sometimes even quite comings. second year than in the first. suddenly, it changes. There are other peo- Neeltje: That is the divine economy: Neeltje: I can only continue doing ple who come with the whole Sanskrit tra- you grow, and the people around you this work thinking that it is not the num- dition solidly fixed in their head, they know grow, and your work will grow. That has bers that count. It is similar to Mirambika, everything before they come, and then been my experience: She puts you in a the school we started at the Delhi branch slowly you see that they open up. There place, and all the time you are confronted of the Ashram. You actually see the whole are other people who come with quite a bit with yourself, and like that, you grow, and societal change growing much faster than of spiritual experience right from the begin- because of the work you do, you make oth- you thought, because all the people con- ning. For some, you offer the intellectual ers grow, and the environment grows. She nected with it have an influence around tools to give a mental shape to things they knows how to spread it. And we are in be- them. You do what you can, and all the time already know experientially. Other people tween. you try to feel whether it is still what it is come because they look for a more fulfilled Matthijs: Sometimes you can see meant to be—now I am talking like a devo- life but know hardly anything of the Indian things quite clearly. In 2003 I wrote a letter tee—is it in the direction that Sri Aurobin- tradition. For them you open a window to someone about the things I expected to do and the Mother want it to go? So in- into a totally new world. The whole range happen in the next few years, and they all wardly there is a whole other process that is there. It is really a very wide group. happened exactly like that. But at the mo- helps you to stay on line and do what really You have people who have the whole ment I don’t know. There are too many op- has to be done. And They have their ways spiritual stuff hidden, but ready, and you tions, too many possibilities. I think it will of making use of the people that have gone just open the door and it all comes out. We expand quite fast, that is my feeling, but out again into the world. You see that some had a young man last year, an engineer. We whether that will be here with us, or Mother of them all of a sudden get into situations told the participants to stand back and will find better instruments elsewhere, I where they can spread what started here. watch their thoughts, and so he watched have no idea. But it is absolutely not our doing, but his thoughts. Next he silenced his Collaboration: Are there people Their doing. thoughts. And he told, “It works marvel- coming up in your workshops that might Matthijs: For me personally, sadhana ously, I can do sports better, I can deal with carry this forward? is more important than work. And some- people better, I even do my engineering Matthijs: Sure. I have a lot of hope for times there seems to be a conflict. Some- job better: I let my body, my heart, my mind people who are in engineering and infor- times you have people come from outside, work on their own, and when I don’t inter- mation technology, because in India, psy- and they ask, “Have you done this, have fere with what they do, they all do their job chology has not attracted the brightest you done that, have you contacted these better than before.” Amazing! Within a students. It is a kind of last choice. So I ex- people?” They want it to spread fast, be- month, everything had changed for him. pect more from people who are bright, who cause they are used to advertisement in Other people move no more than half got into engineering or IT, and then get fed business. But we are not doing that. We an inch. It is very interesting to see, and up with that because it is too limited, and are trying to keep it as sincere and small sometimes you feel that Mother is watch- then start looking for something else. I scale as we can, and yet hope that the ex- ing us fumble around with a very sweet think that is the group that is most promis- ample will spread in its own way, and I smile. ing, and slowly more people seem to be think it works. But it is an area of tension. Collaboration: Where do you see coming from there. And they do change. The Ashram as a whole is very much intro- this going for you in the near-term? We had an IT engineer, who decided to verted and not used to this sort of thing, Matthijs: I have no idea. I can very leave the technical side of his field, and and we are already a little bit on the edge of well see it expanding pretty fast, but may- who got a dream job in the human resource that. be not. department of another big IT company, in Neeltje: We got permission to do this, Neeltje: I think I said it before. You try spite of the fact that he had no training or and we would have never done it if we to do it as sincerely as possible, try to be education in that direction. He was very didn’t get permission. You try to do it as receptive and listen as much as possible. clear that he wanted to get out of his tech-

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 13 nical position and into one in which he Matthijs: No, till now, this has not personal liberation, and for that you don’t could help people to grow. This new com- been a serious problem. There are many need to know much about psychology, pany is seriously interested in helping people in our courses who have their own you only need to find one good way out, their people to grow, and is willing to guru. If there is any conflict, we always tell and you can do that by any method. So spend money on that. people beforehand, before they take the most traditional paths advocate one sin- Neeltje: The students that do these course, “Discuss it with your guru and do gle, specialized method, and that is good Indian psychology courses at the univer- it only if your guru is happy with it. Other- enough, because that is all they need. sities, if they are really turned on, they look wise you shouldn’t do it.” So far we have Whereas what Sri Aurobindo has done is for more. never had a conflict with that. And, as to open up the whole spectrum, and for Matthijs: A few of these are now get- Neeltje said, we have no pretense of being that you need this knowledge, and that ting into positions where they can do a lot. gurus. No way! knowledge, and this other also. For one Some of the young people that have come Neeltje: Also, we do encourage other person bhakti may be best, but other pos- through the program are now teaching on approaches. When they do their reports, sibilities may also be there in him. For their own, so that all helps things to turn for instance, we say, “If there is any other someone else it may be easiest to find the around. We’ll see. It is a slow process. literature you would like to bring in, please Divine by going above the mind. We en- Collaboration: One question that bring it in.” The whole idea is that it is truly courage people to try once in a while to keeps coming to my mind is how do you an integration. Although we draw mostly look for the Divine in another way than see the relationship between what you are on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother for our they are used to, and experience the differ- doing and the older guru-disciple relation- texts and our examples, we make it clear ence. Whatever way is in harmony with ship and method of spiritual teaching that that this is one approach, and that for a one’s nature at a given moment, one has been the tradition in India? Do you see particular individual something else might should follow. If another way adds some- it as an alternative to that? work better. There is a great variety of peo- thing, then use that as well. So you break Matthijs: No, more as an extension of ple in this world, and one approach cannot open these artificial boundaries and limita- it. It integrates well with it. In the Ashram be suitable for everybody. tions. For some people, that in itself is a we have a guru, but our guru is not physi- Matthijs: Sometimes this issue actual- great relief. Sometimes we get people who cally present. I used to think that this was ly does arise. For example, you may have are very fixed in one of the traditions. Ini- rather exceptional and that it was like this someone who has done a lot of Buddhist tially, they may be skeptical and a little only in our Ashram, but it appears to be meditation, and who believes that the ulti- scared, and then they slowly discover that quite common that people have a guru but mate Reality is impersonal, not personal. it just widens things up. Sri Aurobindo’s do not meet him daily. Many people have a But in our language, we often illustrate approach doesn’t in any way invalidate guru who is not alive any more, and yet, things with examples from our own more what they had been doing, it just offers the they still feel guided by him or her. Even personal relationship with the Divine. possibility of widening, and for most peo- many who do have a living guru see him Then you have to become aware of the is- ple that is a good experience. I’m not sure it physically only once a year or so, but still, sue, notice that there is someone in the works for everybody like that, but for most they feel guided throughout the rest of the group who doesn’t look at things in the people in our courses it seems to work. year. So this is a far more complicated and way you happen to do it. Then you may And that is very satisfying to see. subtle relationship than it looks. It is not have to say the same thing in another way, For academic use, I think that Sri Au- that you necessarily stay with your guru in in another kind of language. And after a robindo has done an enormous amount of the same house. You can go to your IT job while, most people get it. They may have spade work by looking at the whole spec- while your guru is in another city, or has to translate what we say into their own lan- trum of underlying psychological patterns left his body 100 years ago. guage, or we may translate it specifically and focusing on how that knowledge can Neeltje: But also, I would like to stress for them, but after a while it becomes clear help towards a complete and integral that I never feel myself in the role of a guru. that what we seek is beyond such differ- transformation of life. Most spiritual Let that be very clear. I know my own ences, and there is no serious disharmony. schools seem to have developed a more weaknesses, I know where I am in sadha- Collaboration: Another aspect of my limited range of psychological, spiritual na. In fact, sometimes I try to exaggerate question is how is your approach different and occult knowledge. There are very few, the other side so that people don’t try to than the traditional model? if any, that have such a broad and deep un- take that relation. I don’t know if that was Matthijs: I’m not sure if we bring in derstanding of how human nature works the point of your question. anything different, but Sri Aurobindo has because they do not aim at the complete Collaboration: No, it is more that the brought in lots. The main thing is that in divinization of nature. The integrality of guru-disciple relation is an established in- the traditional paths—and this is very well knowledge that Sri Aurobindo developed stitution in India, and I was wondering described in the introduction to The Syn- is only needed if one aims at a total trans- whether there was any problem with that. thesis of Yoga—the only issue is one’s formation of one’s whole way of being.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 14 the new country had leaders who were Essays under the influence of the European Enlightenment. Evangelical Christiani- ty was then in a state of temporary ex- Serenity, courage haustion between the so-called First Great Awakening of the 1730s and ’40s and wisdom: and the Second Great Awakening Reinhold Niebuhr, Sri which swept through the land in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Aurobindo and Ameri- It may have been partly in reaction to ca’s spiritual future such excesses of religious enthusiasm that some of the founding fathers were drawn to the abstract Deism reflected by Richard Hartz in the Declaration of Independence. Under these circumstances the nation f we study America’s religious past for Richard Hartz contemplates Niebuhr’s came into being as a distinct political clues to its spiritual future, we have to philosophical thought (Courtesy Richard Hartz) entity. Iacknowledge at the outset the promi- But adopting a secular constitu- nence of the Judeo-Christian element in America did not extend much beyond con- tion could not stop Americans from seeing that past. On the other hand, freedom, plu- versations among Protestants, Catholics themselves as a chosen people, a self-im- ralism and dialogue are at the heart of what and Jews. Now, however, Niebuhr must be age with decidedly biblical overtones. Re- America represents. The various religious reassessed in a more radically pluralistic inhold Niebuhr discerned “a deep layer of cultures of the Native Americans have in and multicultural age confronted with is- Messianic consciousness in the mind of common a message of harmony with na- sues he could not have anticipated. America.”2 He warned of the danger this ture which we ignore at our peril. Nor can By comparing his thought with that of poses, now that the country finds itself we disregard the growing presence of reli- Sri Aurobindo (1872–1950), the foremost wielding unprecedented power in the gions from all parts of Asia. In the early spiritual philosopher of modern India, I in- world community. The Puritans had ar- nineteenth century, some of the Transcen- tend to suggest Niebuhr’s continued rele- rived in New England convinced of their dentalists were among the first Americans vance in a larger framework than that of the God-given mission to create a society free to be inspired by Eastern spirituality, as so Protestant Christianity and American sec- from the vices of Europe. Their doctrine of many have been since. The Parliament of ularism to which he primarily addressed human depravity was at the opposite pole Religions in Chicago in 1893 was the be- himself. At the same time, I hope it will be- from the Jeffersonian optimism that pre- ginning of organized interfaith dialogue come clear that the writings of Sri Aurobin- vailed at the time of the Revolution. Yet and a landmark in the spread of Asian do, which so far have attracted little atten- Niebuhr notes a peculiar affinity between teachings to the West. However, the most tion except in India, have been neglected the New England Calvinists and the Virgin- dramatic surge in religious diversity has much too long. ian Deists in their understanding of our occurred as a result of the influx from the collective character and destiny. For all non-Western world since the passage of American exceptionalism their differences, both of these groups the Immigration Act of 1965. which shaped the national mentality and As a non-Christian who has spent The founding documents of the Unit- institutions believed that America had a equal time in the United States and India, I ed States guaranteed religious freedom divinely bestowed mission “to make a new keep all this in mind when I read the works and made possible the eventual emer- beginning in a corrupt world.”3 of Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971). A Prot- gence of a pluralism such as could hardly The resulting illusions of unique na- estant theologian and political philoso- have been conceived in the eighteenth tional virtue and innocence are now com- pher active in the mid-twentieth century, century. We now take this for granted. Yet, monly known as “American exceptional- Niebuhr belonged formally to America’s considering the strength of religious feel- ism.” Though this expression does not oc- religious mainstream. But he was critical of ing throughout much of the history of the cur in The Irony of American History, Nie- many things in both liberal and conserva- colonies and the early republic, it could buhr’s book is a critique of the exceptional- tive American Protestantism, and his in- easily have been otherwise. It has been ar- ist mindset that remains as relevant today sights into the social and political prob- gued that it was mainly the timing of the as when it was published in 1952. “The lems of his day were perhaps more influen- Revolution that saved the United States American dream is not particularly tial outside the church than within it. Dur- from becoming an officially Christian na- unique,” Niebuhr admits. “Almost every ing his lifetime, interreligious dialogue in tion.1 Independence was achieved when nation has had a version of it.” Nor is the

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 15 dream itself necessarily a bad thing, apart Niebuhr analyzes how the austere Pu- from the collective egoism that attaches it- ritans gradually became infatuated with self to it. But recent circumstances have worldly comforts and luxuries. Once they made the United States unusually suscep- had survived the initial ordeals of life in the tible to temptations of what Niebuhr calls wilderness, the settlers found that the nat- “managing history.” Illusions about the ural abundance of this fertile continent ability to do so invariably involve, he ob- was conducive to a more plentiful exist- serves, “miscalculations about both the ence than they had ever imagined. In the power and the wisdom of the managers course of time, gratitude for God’s bless- and of the weakness and the manageabili- ings gave way to a more self-congratulatory ty of the historical ‘stuff’ which is to be attitude. This was partly due to the doc- managed.”4 The underlying problem is trine of “special providence,” the belief that “modern man lacks the humility to ac- that particular acts of divine intervention cept the fact that the whole drama of histo- reward virtue and punish vice. If so, clearly ry is enacted in a frame of meaning too God was pleased with the Puritans and large for human comprehension or man- they had good reason to be pleased with agement. It is a drama in which fragmen- themselves. This, in Niebuhr’s view, was tary meanings can be discerned within a one of “two elements in the Calvinist penumbra of mystery....”5 creed, which transmuted it from a faith which would take prosperity and adversity Prosperity and happiness Reinhold Niebuhr (Courtesy http:// in its stride to a religion which became pre- rjosephhoffmann.wordpress.com) occupied with the prosperity of the new One of the illusions to which Ameri- community.” The related Calvinist belief cans are especially prone is the belief that sions and reduce internal dissent by re- that “godliness is profitable to all things”10 our universally envied prosperity, whose sorting to the safety valve of territorial, contributed to the same attitude. causes include a good many fortuitous economic and technological expansion. For the American Puritans, therefore, factors, is entirely the reward of our own Unfortunately, as Reinhold Niebuhr virtue was the source of prosperity. The merit. By this self-flattering assumption, warned over half a century ago, “This ex- Jeffersonians, on the other hand, expected Niebuhr noted, we “have complicated our pansion cannot go on forever....”8 Thus, prosperity to lead to the flowering of the spiritual problem for the days of adversity America cannot avoid facing in an acute social virtues. Starting from the anti-Cal- which we are bound to experience.”6 He form the crisis of Western modernity, vinist conviction of the innate goodness saw that the chances of such adversity whose centuries-long expansionist thrust of human nature, they reasoned that if ev- were increased by a bourgeois ideology has been halted by the finiteness of the eryone had ample means to satisfy their which overestimates the self-regulating globe. legitimate needs and desires, the motives capacity of the market. The glorification of The problem with modernity lies not for crime, exploitation and conflict would the principles of laissez-faire, Niebuhr in the idea of progress itself, but in the pre- disappear. Regrettably, as Niebuhr re- pointed out, “makes for tardiness in deal- occupation with the externals of progress marks, this excellent theory overlooks “the ing with the instability of a free economy.” to the neglect of its inner dimension. That perennial conflicts of power and pride He added presciently: “Some believe that misplaced emphasis has led to a danger- which may arise on every level of ‘abun- the lessons taught in the great depression ously unhealthy imbalance. At this point, dance’ since human desires grow with the of 1929 have been so well learned that a the religious resources of the American means of their gratification.”11 In any case, recurrence of such a catastrophe is impos- tradition might have been expected to whether virtue was thought to be the basis sible; but it is not altogether certain that come to our rescue. Religion, if anything, of prosperity or prosperity the basis of vir- this is true.... From the viewpoint of Eu- should be able to serve as a corrective to tue, their close association in the other- rope, whose economic health has become the greed and materialism of an unsustain- wise contradictory Puritan and Jefferson- so dependent on the American giant that a able way of life—the so-called “American ian currents of American culture fostered tremor in our system creates serious way of life” which a recent U.S. president moral confusion. The outcome of it all, Nie- shocks in the world economy, we remain declared “is not negotiable.”9 The difficul- buhr maintained, was “a preoccupation an irritatingly incalculable element in world ty, however, is that religion was complicit with the material circumstances of life stability.”7 almost from the beginning in the creeping which expressed a more consistent bour- Due to the resources and opportuni- materialism that has become virtually syn- geois ethos than that of even the most ad- ties offered by a huge continent, America onymous with America in the eyes of its vanced nations of Europe.”12 has long been able to alleviate social ten- critics. With his lifelong passion for democra-

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 16 cy and social justice, Reinhold Niebuhr able number of people have found it to be it is Niebuhr’s are unconvincing. It is true, was certainly not unsympathetic to the effective. It takes the form of a mantra though, that there is some confusion spirit of Thomas Jefferson’s great procla- known as the “Serenity Prayer.” These are about when it was written. Elisabeth Sifton mation in the preamble to the Declaration Niebuhr’s most famous words: traced it to 1943 in her fascinating memoir, of Independence: “We hold these truths God, give us grace to accept with se- The Serenity Prayer: Faith and Politics in to be self-evident, that all men are created renity the things that cannot be changed, Times of Peace and War. But recent re- equal, that they are endowed by their Cre- courage to change the things that should search pushes its date of origin back to the ator with certain unalienable Rights, that be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish early or mid-1930s, since variants of it— among these are Life, Liberty and the pur- the one from the other.15 evidently due to oral transmission—began suit of Happiness.” Nevertheless, Niebuhr The immense popularity of the Sereni- to appear in print by 1936. An essay pub- voiced concern about the place that the ty Prayer has brought it well-deserved at- lished by Niebuhr in 1934, “The Assurance pursuit of happiness, as commonly under- tention, but sometimes in contexts that ob- of Grace,”18 shows that he was preoccu- stood, has come to occupy in American scure its relation to the subtleties of Niebu- pied around that time with precisely the conceptions of the aim of life. “Happi- hr’s thought. The great theologian’s cele- ideas that are packed so succinctly into ness” has a broad range of meanings. Jef- brated prayer has a deceptive simplicity the Serenity Prayer. ferson’s own idea of personal happiness that conceals its depth, especially when No doubt, writing this brief prayer was far from hedonistic, influenced as it his already concise sentence is further was a minor incident in the eventful period was by Epicurus’ identification of happi- shortened to the version that was adopted of Niebuhr’s life to which it seems to be- ness with a tranquility achieved through by Alcoholics Anonymous and is in gener- long. He could not have foreseen then self-discipline. But for most members of an al circulation: how it would take on a life of its own. So increasingly materialistic society, “happi- God, grant me the serenity to accept when he was questioned about it years lat- ness” depended on external conditions. the things I cannot change, courage to er, it is not surprising that he was unable to The Industrial Revolution linked happi- change the things I can, and wisdom to pinpoint when he had composed it. His ness to the growing ease and luxury pro- know the difference.16 typically modest and candid answer was duced by the continual advance of tech- Niebuhr’s daughter, Elisabeth Sifton, that it “may have been spooking around nology. As heirs to this legacy, modern tells us that her father’s friends “were for years, even centuries, but I don’t think Americans are exceptionally ill-equipped amused by the irony of having the austere so. I honestly do believe that I wrote it to deal with a decline in their accustomed Niebuhr associated with feel-good Hall- myself.”19 No doubt, some of the ideas level of opulence. Yet sooner or later, set- mark sentimentalities.” She remarks: “All contained in the Serenity Prayer had in- backs are inevitable in a situation where, too often the Serenity Prayer has been deed been “spooking around” for a long as Niebuhr observed, “the paradise of our construed as a way to say something clev- time—at least since the days of the Stoics. domestic security is suspended in a hell of er about life’s difficulties, rather than as a However, this only means that its original- global insecurity.”13 true petition for grace and wisdom in an ity lies not in its separate ingredients, but “The real question,” he wrote, “is impossible world….” She acknowledges in their unique combination. The resulting whether a religion or a culture is capable of that Niebuhr “was happy to have his formula expresses a distinctive attitude interpreting life in a dimension sufficiently prayers used in whatever context people which is nothing if not Niebuhrian. profound… to achieve a serenity… which wanted or needed them, and he respected What Niebuhr stressed throughout is something less but also something more the intense gratitude that AA members ex- his life was “the importance of accommo- than ‘happiness.’”14 This is a question pressed for the Serenity Prayer.”17 At the dating the vision of perfection to an imper- that a nation shopping for happiness in a same time, the fact that toward the end of fect world, without losing the urge to per- world of vanishing resources, environ- the Second World War the prayer was fect the world.”20 To lose the urge to per- mental crises and international instability printed on cards given to soldiers going fect the world is defeatism. On the other might do well to start asking itself. into battle reflects an aspect of its original hand, to imagine that the world will easily spirit that tends to be forgotten in its cur- let itself be perfected is a sentimental illu- The Serenity Prayer rent association with the “twelve-step pro- sion. Defeatist pessimism exaggerates the grams” of the self-help culture. obstacles to change, while sentimental op- Reinhold Niebuhr not only diag- In any case this well-known sentence timism underestimates them. Both are nosed America’s addiction to a delusive is quintessential Niebuhr, though it has of- equally fatal to responsible action. In the happiness resting on crumbling founda- ten been cited without attribution or erro- language of the Serenity Prayer, we need tions; he also provided a practical way to neously ascribed to a variety of other the courage to change what can and attain an inner serenity less vulnerable to sources. In fact there is no serious rival should be changed. Elsewhere Niebuhr the vicissitudes of history. He offered this candidate for its authorship, and whatever speaks of softening the incongruities of remedy almost inadvertently, yet a remark- reasons have been given for doubting that life; we must try to narrow the gap between

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 17 how things should be and how they actu- ient to endorse and comment on an accom- thetically of the religions and societies of ally are. But there will be things we cannot panying “Declaration of Freedom.” This India and of Asia in general. He writes, for change, for “all such strategies cannot fi- document was intended “to clarify for our- example: nally overcome the fragmentary character selves and for all people who love free- of human existence. The final wisdom of dom, the values for which we struggle.” Spiritually the Orient is informed by life requires, not the annulment of incon- The letter to Sri Aurobindo was signed by religions which are either mystic and gruity but the achievement of serenity Leo Cherne, Norman Cousins, Archibald pantheistic such as Buddhism and within and above it.” Niebuhr goes on to MacLeish and Reinhold Niebuhr.22 Hinduism; or humanistic and collec- suggest memorably that only a larger con- Conceivably, Niebuhr might have first tivist such as the Confucianism of text provided by hope and faith can save heard Sri Aurobindo’s name from his close China or the Shintoism of Japan. Pan- us from despair: friend, Sir Stafford Cripps. Cripps came to theistic religions can find no signifi- India in 1942 on behalf of the British gov- cance for the individual in the integral Nothing that is worth doing can be ernment with a proposal which, if accept- unity of his spiritual and physical life. achieved in our lifetime; therefore we ed, might have led to a smoother transition The purpose of religious redemption must be saved by hope. Nothing to Indian independence after the war than is the annulment of individual exist- which is true or beautiful or good what eventually occurred. At a crucial ence and its incorporation into a di- makes complete sense in any immedi- juncture, when his mission still had a vine unity. ate context of history; therefore we chance of success, Cripps was grateful to must be saved by faith. Nothing we receive a far-sighted offer of support from After contrasting this with Confucianism do, however virtuous, can be accom- Sri Aurobindo, who had been a leader of —which, despite its humanistic character, plished alone; therefore we are saved the independence movement early in the also allegedly fails to grant the individual a by love. No virtuous act is quite as century before he withdrew from politics. “significant place in the scheme of things” virtuous from the standpoint of our A year or so after Cripps’ return from India, —Niebuhr concludes: “There is thus no friend or foe as it is from our stand- Niebuhr visited England and they spent a spiritual basis in the Orient for what we point. Therefore we must be saved by good amount of time together.23 But if know as the “dignity of the individual.”25 the final form of love which is forgive- Cripps ever mentioned Sri Aurobindo to Such sweeping depreciations might ness.21 Niebuhr, it would have been only in pass- make us suspect a Eurocentric bias, except ing and in a political connection. There is that it is not only Asian culture which Nie- Reinhold Niebuhr and no reason to believe that Niebuhr knew buhr faults for inadequately supporting Sri Aurobindo anything of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy. individuality. For the same reason he criti- This is a pity, for an acquaintance with it cizes even the classical Western world- Some aspects of Reinhold Niebuhr’s might have induced him to take a more fa- view, in contrast to the biblical tradition. thought show surprising resemblances to vorable view of Indian spirituality and Even today, he asserts, the concept of in- that of an older contemporary of his in In- widened his outlook on the non-Western dividuality “belongs to that class of cer- dia. Sri Aurobindo formulated his philoso- world. tainties of modern man about himself phy against a very different cultural back- Niebuhr was not hostile to Indian which his own history has gradually dissi- ground, but like Niebuhr he applied the in- mysticism in the spirit of religious exclu- pated.”26 sights of an ancient spiritual tradition to sivism that even today is all too common But as regards the Orient and particu- the problems of the modern world. Niebuhr among Christians. In a passage in his first larly the social effect of the mystical reli- had apparently heard of Sri Aurobindo, major work, Moral Man and Immoral So- gions of India, the notion that these reli- but we have no clue to what, if anything, ciety, he quotes Ramakrishna as saying: “I gions provide no spiritual basis for the he knew about him. In August 1951, un- have come to the stage of realisation in dignity of the individual is not entirely aware that Sri Aurobindo had passed away which I see that God is walking in every consistent even with Niebuhr’s own state- the previous December, Niebuhr and some human form and manifesting himself alike ments. In The Nature and Destiny of Man, others sent a letter addressed to him from in the sage and in the sinner.” Between ref- he points out that all mystic religions Freedom House, New York. There was erences to Jesus, St. Francis and Paul, Nie- “have the characteristic of accentuating nothing personal in this appeal from prom- buhr cites the words of this nineteenth- individuality inasfar as individuality is in- inent Americans concerned with the pres- century Indian saint to illustrate “the ca- herent in the capacity for self-conscious- ervation of freedom “in a world of expand- pacity of the religious imagination to view ness emphasized in mysticism and is ing and aggressive authoritarianism.” It the immediate and the imperfect from the something more than mere bodily particu- was an individually typed, addressed and perspective of the absolute and the tran- larity.” On the other hand, he goes on to signed copy of a request to “leading citi- scendent.”24 assert that “all mystic philosophies ulti- zens of the free world,” inviting each recip- Often, though, he speaks less sympa- mately lose the very individuality which

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 18 they first emphasize, because they sink fi- individual thought, will and conscience.” transcendent, individual and universal as- nite particularity in a distinctionless divine He added: pects. In Niebuhr’s prayer, the transcen- ground of existence.”27 But the admitted dent (“God”) is addressed in the second accentuation of individuality by these phi- That is an idea, a truth which, intellec- person; the individual perspective is rep- losophies, in all but the most advanced tually recognised and given its full resented by ourselves, speaking in the and uncommon stages of spiritual realiza- exterior and superficial significance first person (“us”) as separate conscious tion, surely cannot be ignored in consider- by Europe, agrees at its root with the beings; what remains is the universal, re- ing their implications for the value of indi- profoundest and highest spiritual con- ferred to in the third person by the all-in- vidual existence. India’s “spiritual individ- ceptions of Asia and has a large part clusive designation “things”. These three ualism,” as Swami Vivekananda called it,28 to play in the moulding of the future.30 dimensions of existence also correspond has always counterbalanced the social roughly to three levels of consciousness. tendency, common to all ancient cultures, Reinhold Niebuhr’s passing com- God is suprarational; we are at least partly to subordinate the individual to the de- ments on Eastern religions and what he rational; outside things, as well as the mands of the collectivity. calls “the sleeping cultures of the Ori- most problematic part of human nature in In any case, it is not true that all mys- ent”31 are based on superficial stereo- oneself and in others, are largely infrara- ticism culminates in the self-annihilation of types, not on first-hand familiarity or in- tional. Niebuhr and Sri Aurobindo both the individual in the absolute. The view of tensive study. In contrast to his masterly distinguish the suprarational, the rational Sri Aurobindo, who is widely regarded as analysis of the phases of Western civiliza- and the infrarational using the same terms the greatest mystic of modern India, is that tion, he accepts misleading Orientalist and similar ones, such as “ultrarational” in “the right rela- Niebuhr’s case tion of the soul and “supra- with the Su- The Serenity Prayer is concerned with the rela- mental” in Sri preme” is “nei- tions among three entities—God, us and things: Aurobindo’s. ther to assert Their points of egoistically its “God, give us grace to accept with serenity the agreement are separate being things that cannot be changed...” These sum up all due to a great nor to blot itself extent, I be- out in the Inde- that we can imagine or experience as reality in its lieve, to their finable.”29 This shared recog- broadly agrees transcendent, individual and universal aspects. nition of the in- with the Judeo- teraction of Christian position championed by Niebu- generalizations and largely overlooks the these three domains in the infinitely com- hr. Nor is it an idiosyncratic view within the creative responses of contemporary Asia plex phenomenon we call life. Indian tradition, since it is supported by to modernity. But we need not be detained The Serenity Prayer supposes some no less a scripture than the Bhagavad Gita. by his misconceptions about things of tension between “us” and two types of But even if this were not so, what mat- which he had insufficient knowledge. In- “things”—those we can change and those ters today is not what a tradition may have stead, let us take the message distilled in we cannot. “God” is invoked to help us re- said in the past about individuality or any- the Serenity Prayer and use it as a starting- solve this tension. But God is not part of thing else, but how the heirs of that tradi- point to explore what Niebuhr unexpected- our normal human experience and the ex- tion are reshaping it under present condi- ly has in common with Sri Aurobindo, not- istence of any such being can rationally be tions. Sri Aurobindo was one of India’s withstanding the inevitable differences doubted. Accepting this reservation about leading thinkers in the twentieth century, between a Protestant theologian and this the need for God, we could modify the as Niebuhr seems to have been vaguely pre-eminent modern exponent of the spiri- opening of the prayer to express a more aware. It is significant, therefore, that Sri tuality of India. self-reliant attitude: “May we accept with Aurobindo considered the “deeper truth serenity the things that cannot be which individualism has discovered” to be God, us and things changed....” Without God and grace it is of the utmost importance. The individual, no longer a prayer, but otherwise the orig- he wrote, “demands freedom, space, initia- The Serenity Prayer is concerned with inal idea would seem to be intact. tive for his soul, for his nature, for that the relations among three entities—God, Minus the grace of God, what remains puissant and tremendous thing which so- us and things: “God, give us grace to ac- of this formula is reminiscent of Stoicism. ciety so much distrusts and has laboured cept with serenity the things that cannot The distinction between what is under our in the past either to suppress altogether or be changed...” These sum up all that we control and what is not is central to the to relegate to the purely spiritual field, an can imagine or experience as reality in its ancient Stoic discipline. Stoicism teaches

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 19 us to cultivate tranquility of mind by sys- cepts, the existence of God, that is to serenity and courage. The kind of courage tematically training ourselves not to worry say of the omnipresent, omniscient, he had in mind, like his serenity, was root- about things that “are not up to us,” as omnipotent, yet always transcendent ed in a deeply religious consciousness. He Epictetus puts it at the beginning of his Being who manifests the world and explained that “there must always be a reli- Handbook.32 This largely frees us from Himself in the world,… then the hu- gious element in the hope of a just society. being troubled by external circumstances man being has to start from a great, a Without the ultrarational hopes and pas- and reacting to the behavior of people or difficult act of faith. Finding himself in sions of religion no society will ever have the turns of events with anger, grief or oth- a world which is apparently a chaos of the courage to conquer despair and at- er negative emotions. A good deal of the battling powers, a clash of vast and tempt the impossible; for the vision of a benefit that so many derive from the Seren- obscure forces, a life which subsists just society is an impossible one, which ity Prayer may be due to the dose of Stoic only by constant change and death, can be approximated only by those who do philosophy they receive from it. menaced from every side by pain, suf- not regard it as impossible.” In the same Reinhold Niebuhr appreciated the no- fering, evil and destruction, he has to paradoxical vein, he continued: “The tru- bility of Stoicism and its refusal “to lobby see the omnipresent Deity in it all and est visions of religion are illusions, which in the courts of the Almighty for special conscious that of this enigma there may be partially realised by being resolute- favors,” as William James criticized Chris- must be a solution and beyond this ly believed. For what religion believes to tianity for doing. Niebuhr considered the Ignorance in which he dwells a be true is not wholly true but ought to be Stoic outlook to be true “as far as it Knowledge that reconciles, he has to true; and may become true if its truth is not goes”;33 but he thought it did not go far take his stand upon this faith, doubted.”39 enough. The Stoics developed highly ef- “Though Thou slay me, yet will I trust In the Serenity Prayer, Niebuhr ex- fective methods of strengthening the ra- in Thee.”35 pressed his sense of the need to balance tional element in human nature against our ethical striving and the courage to work for irrational tendencies. However, humanity Serenity, courage and wisdom change, on the one hand, with a relaxation seems to have a deeply ingrained, persis- of moral tension and resigned acquies- tent and ultimately irrepressible intuition The supplication for the grace of God cence in the world’s unavoidable imperfec- of something that reason cannot fathom, in the Serenity Prayer is not, then, an emp- tions, on the other. This acquiescence is but which is not merely irrational. Summa- ty formality. Serenity was intimately asso- inwardly liberating, though it may seem an rizing the relationship of the human being ciated with grace in Niebuhr’s experience. admission of defeat in the struggle to real- to God and the world as seen in the Jewish Those “who live with any degree of seren- ize our vision. The key to resolving the and Christian traditions, Niebuhr states: ity,” he wrote, “live by some assurance of potential contradictions between serenity It is not assumed that God’s purposes grace.” He added: “In every life there must and courage lies in the third and rarest can be fully measured by any measuring at least be times and seasons when the achievement aspired for in the prayer: wis- rod of human ideals. In one of the greatest good is felt as a present possession and dom. To the extent that wisdom is within books of religious poetry, the book of Job, not as a far-off goal.”36 The experience of human reach, Niebuhr ascribes this, too, to man questions the justice of God in terms grace that intervenes at these times can be grace: of human standards, but is finally over- interpreted as “the apprehension of the whelmed by the majesty and mystery of absolute from the perspective of the rela- Thus wisdom about our destiny is de- existence.... Something of that idea, i.e., tive. The unachieved is in some sense felt pendent upon a humble recognition that the world is intensely meaningful, to be achieved or realized.”37 A sign of the of the limits of our knowledge and our even though its meaning transcends hu- mysterious workings of the power that power. Our most reliable understand- man comprehension, runs as one strain shapes our lives is that adverse circum- ing is the fruit of ‘grace’ in which faith through all profound religion.... It express- stances are often most favorable for tast- completes our ignorance without pre- es a trust in life even when the immediate ing “the peace of God, which passeth all tending to possess its certainties as facts of life seem to outrage our concep- understanding.”38 This is not a mere con- knowledge....40 tion of what life ought to be: “Though he solation prize for those who are defeated slay me yet will I trust him” (Job 13:15).34 by life. It is “the good” itself, the very aim The Serenity Prayer and Confirming that this is indeed a strain of our existence, momentarily “felt as a Integral Yoga that runs through profound religion every- present possession.” where, Sri Aurobindo writes along similar But the serenity that temporarily rec- The dialectical interplay of opposites lines in his Essays on the Gita, even allud- onciles us to the world as it is could easily that pervades Niebuhr’s thinking is equal- ing to the same biblical verse: undermine our commitment to transform- ly characteristic of Sri Aurobindo’s. Sri ing the world into what it should be. There- Aurobindo writes in The Life Divine, for [I]f we accept at all, as the Gita ac- fore Niebuhr prayed simultaneously for example, that “it is the right way of self-af-

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 20 firmation and self-negation taken together perfection—at once spiritual and this- apparently impossible and carry it through in place of the wrong, because ignorant, worldly, individual and collective—in in spite of all dangers, suffering, failures, way of the ego… that we have to discov- which “all the aim of human existence in all obstacles and oppositions.”47 One is re- er.”41 This discovery could be said to un- its parts” would be “fulfilled, even while it minded of Niebuhr’s ultrarationally in- derlie his method of spiritual practice as is transfigured.”43 He developed his “Yoga spired “courage to conquer despair and expounded in The Synthesis of Yoga. As of self-perfection” as a discipline for realiz- attempt the impossible.” we will see in a moment, there is a structur- ing this ideal with regard to the transforma- The wisdom that “unifies, marries al correspondence between the three sec- tion of the individual. contrasts in a single harmony” is sought in tions of the Serenity Prayer and the outline The first major step in this discipline the third part of the discipline of self-per- of an important part of Sri Aurobindo’s In- involves the cultivation of equanimity—or fection. The key to the entire Yoga is the tegral Yoga. The reason for this correspon- “equality” as Sri Aurobindo terms it, trans- transition from a life precariously guided dence is, I believe, that Niebuhr was trying lating literally the Sanskrit word used in by reason, the faculty that “divides, fixes in his own manner to find, like Sri Aurobin- the Bhagavad Gita. The practitioner must details and contrasts them,”48 to a life illu- do, “the right way of self-affirmation and become capable of “an even acceptance of mined by a deeper wisdom that unites and self-negation taken together.” His prayer all God’s workings within and around harmonizes. Yet the ability to distinguish reflects this. Serenity requires self-abne- him.”44 This has several stages which need things is not lost, but enhanced by the gation; courage manifests a mood of self- not be described here. But a point worth flowering of the faculties of a suprarational affirmation; only wisdom can discover the noting is that—like Niebuhr’s serenity, consciousness. However, there is little right way to harmonize these apparent which is a gift of grace—Sri Aurobindo’s point in speaking of these exceptional fac- contraries. equality, though it may be achieved to ulties as long as our reasoning mind itself Sri Aurobindo noted that it “is com- some extent by personal effort, is complete is subject to infrarational influences that mon ground to all thinking humanity” to only when our being is filled with “the eter- distort its workings and vitiate its conclu- suppose that the human being “is capable nal tranquillity of the Infinite.”45 sions. The principal factor usually respon- of self-development and of some approach The second part of the Yoga of self- sible for the mixture of reason and unreason at least to an ideal standard of perfection perfection, almost the antithesis of the in our thinking is the intrusion of the ego. which his mind is able to conceive, fix be- first, is concerned with the development of fore it and pursue.”42 Admittedly, it is only all the sides of our personality and the Pessimism, optimism and the for a minority that this is an absorbing pre- heightening of all our capacities for future of America occupation and there are differences of thought, feeling and action. This is to be opinion about how far human nature is achieved through “a searching and subtle The problem of the ego preoccupied perfectible even at best. But the sharpest self-knowledge” and “a vigilant and insis- both of our thinkers. Expressing them- disagreements are about what kind of per- tent will of self-modification and self- selves in the context of their respective tra- fection should be pursued. Depending on transformation.”46 There could hardly be a ditions, Sri Aurobindo and Reinhold Nie- the relative importance given to the inner clearer indication of the intent of reconcil- buhr agree on the nature of the human ego and the outer life, various ideals have been ing self-negation and self-affirmation than as a false center of existence. Sri Aurobin- adopted in Eastern and Western civiliza- the juxtaposition of these first two divi- do puts it philosophically: tions from ancient to modern times. At one sions of the Yoga with their contrasting extreme is the quietism of the ascetic reli- emphases on passivity and activity. This is the sign of the original igno- gious ideal which takes the world to be ir- In the second division, the parallel rance which is the root of the ego, that redeemable and seeks salvation in the se- with the Serenity Prayer is less exact than it can only think with itself as centre renity of the spirit. At the other extreme is in the first. Courage is only one of the as if it were the All…. This mental self- the activism of the ascetic mundane ideal many dynamic qualities that are to be culti- sufficiency of man creates a system of of a rational society to be achieved vated, but it is representative of them all. If false accountantship which prevents through gradual progress or a revolution- the discipline of self-perfection is to be an us from drawing the right and full val- ary upheaval. effective preparation for world-changing ue from life…. To recognise that we, or There have been attempts to arrive at action, the cultivation of this psychologi- rather the results and appearances we a balance between the religious and mun- cal attribute is clearly most essential. Sri call ourselves, are only a partial move- dane ideals, between quietism and activ- Aurobindo gave enough importance to ment of this infinite Movement and ism, between serene acceptance and cou- courage to justify distinguishing two that it is that infinite which we have to rageous struggle, between the pull of self- forms of it. “Passive courage” or fearless- know, to be consciously and to fulfil negation and the push of self-affirmation. ness must be complemented by an “active faithfully, is the commencement of But Sri Aurobindo felt the need for a new courage” consisting of “the daring to un- true living.49 formulation of the ideal of an integral dertake any enterprise however difficult or

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 21 In an essay on Augustine, Niebuhr nevolent or even self-sacrificing ac- gards the agape of the Kingdom of states from a Christian perspective much tions is the acid test of sincere self- God as a resource for infinite develop- the same view of the nature of the ego: introspection, nor can anyone really ment towards a more perfect brother- quite know himself who has not made hood….56 Man, according to the biblical view, ruthlessly this often painful analy- may use his freedom to make himself sis.52 Sri Aurobindo foresaw a similar possi- falsely the center of existence; but bility of human unity with an equally spiri- this does not change the fact that love When we move from the individual to tual basis: rather than self-love is the law of his the collective scale, things only become existence, in the sense that man can worse. Niebuhr described collective ego- A deeper brotherhood, a yet unfound only be healthy, and his communities ism as “compounded of the egoistic im- law of love is the only sure foundation at peace, if man is drawn out of himself pulses of individuals, which achieve a possible for a perfect social evolution, and saved from the self-defeating more vivid expression and a more cumula- no other can replace it… for the Spirit, consequences of self-love.50 tive effect when they are united in a com- the inmost self, the universal Godhead mon impulse than when they express in every being is that whose very na- Niebuhr’s somewhat misleading repu- themselves separately.”53 For Sri Aurobin- ture of diverse oneness it is to realise tation as a pessimist is largely due to his do, likewise, “a collective egoism, result of the perfection of its individual life and keen insight into the role of the ego in hu- the united egoisms of all,” was “often an nature in the existence of all….57 man life even at its most virtuous. In Moral uglier and more barbarous fetish than the Man and Immoral Society, he comments: egoism of the individual.”54 America’s destiny is inseparable from Yet these sobering perceptions did the destiny of humanity, but has its special In analysing the limits of reason in not lead Sri Aurobindo to despair about potentialities of fulfillment and its own morality it is important to begin by humanity. Nor did Niebuhr’s similar un- dangers of going astray. Niebuhr saw as recognising that the force of egoistic masking of an all-pervasive egoism cause assets the “youthful belief in historic pos- impulse is much more powerful than him to renounce his qualified optimism sibilities in our American culture” and the any but the most astute psychologi- about our destiny. “An adequate religion,” “confidence that problems can be solved.” cal analysts and the most rigorous he pointed out, “is always an ultimate opti- But he cautioned that, in the challenging devotees of introspection realise. If it mism which has entertained all the facts times ahead of us, “the only possibility of is defeated on a lower or more obvi- which lead to pessimism.” Elaborating on success for our nation and our culture... ous level, it will express itself in more the grounds for this optimism, he ex- lies in our capacity to make sacrifices and subtle forms. If it is defeated by social plained, that it “is based upon a faith in a to sustain endeavors without complete impulse it insinuates itself into the so- transcendent center of meaning which is certainty of success.” He believed that cial impulse, so that a man’s devotion never fully expressed in any partial value “America’s moral and spiritual success in to his community always means the and is never exhausted in any concrete relating itself creatively to a world commu- expression of a transferred egoism as historical reality. But though it is not ex- nity requires… a reorientation of the whole well as of altruism.51 hausted in any such reality it is incarnated structure of our idealism,” coming to terms there.”55 with “the limits of all human striving” and Sri Aurobindo summarizes precisely More specifically, Niebuhr’s ultimate “the fragmentariness of all human wis- the same results of rigorous introspection optimism was translated into a hope that dom.” Among other things, there must be when he speaks of the “balancing of ego- the divisions, inequalities and mutual mis- “a generous appreciation of the valid ele- istic and altruistic motive in our conduct”: understandings of humankind can be pro- ments in the practices and institutions of gressively overcome: other nations though they deviate from Often enough altruism is there chiefly our own,” as well as “a disavowal of the in profession or at best a quite super- There are no limits to be set in history pretentious elements in our original dream, ficial will which does not belong to the for the achievement of more universal and a recognition of the values and virtues centre of our action; it becomes then brotherhood, for the development of which enter into history in unpredictable either a deliberate or else a half-con- more perfect and more inclusive mutu- ways.”58 scious camouflage by which egoism al relations. All the characteristic As for Sri Aurobindo, he regarded the masks itself and gets at its object hopes and aspirations of Renaissance “sufficiently widespread eagerness and without being suspected. But even a and Enlightenment, of both secular openness of mind to new things” in Amer- sincere altruism hides within itself the and Christian liberalism are right at ica as a “considerable advantage.” He ego, and to be able to discover the least in this, that they understand that added a qualification that seems as valid amount of it hidden up in our most be- side of Christian doctrine which re- today as when it was written early in the

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 22 last century: 61–71. 36 Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold 19 http://www.yalealumnimagazine.com/ Niebuhr, p. 64. We have to see whether this will be issues/2008_07/serenity.html 37 Ibid., p. 62. sufficient to open the mind also to 20 Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold 38 Philippians 4.7. deep and true things. The spiritual fu- Niebuhr, p. 70. 39 Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral ture of America is not yet decided; it is 21 Niebuhr, The Irony of American His- Society, p. 53. in the balance. There is a great possi- tory, pp. 62–63. 40 Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of bility before her, but it depends on 22 Document in Sri Aurobindo Ashram Man, vol. 2, p. 321. Americans themselves whether she Archives. 41 Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine will make good and realise it.59 23 Sifton, The Serenity Prayer, p. 276. (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 24 Reinhold Niebuhr, Moral Man and 2005), p. 649. Notes Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and 42 Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of Politics (London: Continuum, 2005), p. 39. Yoga, p. 616 1 Garry Wills writes in Head and Heart: 25 Niebuhr, The Irony of American His- 43 Ibid., p. 622. American Christianities (New York: Pen- tory, pp. 124–25. 44 Ibid., p. 722. guin, 2007), p. 7: “It is probable that the 26 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Nature and 45 Ibid., p. 692. great break with history signified by Dis- Destiny of Man: A Christian Interpreta- 46 Ibid., p. 739. establishment could have taken place at tion, vol. 1 (Louisville: Westminster John 47 Sri Aurobindo, Record of Yoga no other time in American history than the Knox Press, 1996), p. 21. Sri Aurobindo (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, founding era.” similarly observes the modern paradox 2001), p. 1469. 2 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Irony of Amer- that the “discovery by individual free- 48 Sri Aurobindo, Essays Divine and ican History (Chicago: University of Chi- thought of universal laws of which the in- Human (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo cago Press, 2008), p. 69. dividual is almost a by-product and by Ashram, 1997), p. 424. 3 Ibid., pp. 24–25. which he must necessarily be governed... 49 Sri Aurobindo, The Life Divine, p. 80. 4 Ibid., p. 72. seems to lead logically to the suppression 50 Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold 5 Ibid., p. 88. of that very individual freedom which Niebuhr, p. 130. 6 Ibid., p. 49. made the discovery and the attempt at all 51 Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral 7 Ibid., p. 105. possible“ (The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Society, pp. 27–28. 8 Ibid., p. 29. Human Unity, War and Self-Determina- 52 Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, 9 George H. W. Bush at the 1992 Earth tion [Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, The Ideal of Human Unity, War and Self- Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 1997], p. 21). Determination, p. 628. 10 Niebuhr, The Irony of American His- 27 Niebuhr, The Nature and Destiny of 53 Niebuhr, Moral Man and Immoral tory, pp. 49–50. Man, vol. 1, p. 15. Society, p. xii. 11 Ibid., p. 30. 28 www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/ 54 Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, 12 Ibid., p. 53. vivekananda/volume_8/ The Ideal of Human Unity, War and Self- 13 Ibid., p. 7. sayings_and_utterances.htm Determination, p. 255. 14 Ibid., p. 54. 29 Sri Aurobindo, The Synthesis of 55 Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold 15 Elisabeth Sifton, The Serenity Yoga (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Niebuhr, p. 6. Prayer: Faith and Politics in Times of Ashram, 1999), p. 22. 56 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Nature and Peace and War (New York: W. W. Norton 30 Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, Destiny of Man: A Christian Interpreta- & Company, 2005), p. 7. The Ideal of Human Unity, War and Self- tion, vol. 2 (New York: Charles Scribner’s 16 This is the version that is almost al- Determination, pp. 24–25. Sons, 1943), p. 85. Quoted in The Essential ways reproduced, with minor variations, 31 Niebuhr, The Irony of American His- Reinhold Niebuhr, p. xi. when the prayer is printed in a calligraphic tory, p. 123. 57 Sri Aurobindo, The Human Cycle, form or illustrated (as in the images at 32 William Irvine, A Guide to the Good The Ideal of Human Unity, War and Self- http://photobucket.com/images/ Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy (New Determination, p. 220. serenity%20prayer/). York: Oxford University Press, 2009), p. 86. 58 Niebuhr, The Irony of American His- 17 Sifton, The Serenity Prayer, pp. 294, 33 Niebuhr, The Essential Reinhold tory, pp. 135, 145, 133, 79. 342, 346. Niebuhr, p. 37. 59 Sri Aurobindo, Autobiographical 18 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Essential Re- 34 Ibid., p. 14. Notes and Other Writings of Historical In- inhold Niebuhr: Selected Essays and Ad- 35 Sri Aurobindo, Essays on the Gita terest (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo dresses, ed. Robert McAfee Brown (New (Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Ashram, 2006), p. 388. Haven: Yale University Press, 1986), pp. 1997), pp. 47–48.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 23 Further than this, in the context of the On peace – A brief Integral Yoga is the establishing and de- introduction scent of that higher spiritual peace into the stuff of our mind, our heart, our life, and into the very cells of our body. And as we by Angelo Salerno grow deeper and higher in the spirit, this peace also deepens, widens, and extends A talk given at a recent Sri Aurobindo into the infinite and eternal. It is this peace, Sadhana Peetham monthly retreat established in the nature, which will form the basis and foundation for the further his is a brief introduction on the transformation of the nature and the de- subject of ‘peace’ in the context of scent of the other powers of the higher TYoga, especially for any of us who consciousness including the divine force, may not be so familiar with the Integral strength, light, knowledge, love, and bliss Yoga or with Sri Aurobindo’s teaching. I leading ultimately to the complete diviniza- would like to make a distinction in this con- Angelo at the Lodi Ashram. (Photo courtesy tion of the being and of life on earth. Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham) text between ‘spiritual peace,’ and the ordi- nary notion of ‘peace,’ common to most. nothing. As I said earlier, it is naturally The main difference I would like to draw intrinsic to the higher or spiritual con- between them is that the ordinary notion sciousness and is a fundamental attribute of peace is dependent upon external con- of the Divine Presence. It is in every way ditions while the spiritual peace is intrinsic superior to the ordinary human peace just to the higher or spiritual consciousness to described, and gives a settled sense of lib- which we may rise or open to in the pro- eration and deliverance, rest and release. cess of yoga. The divine peace is not easily described or When everything is going our way, communicated to someone who has not and our basic needs and desires and en- experienced it, as the ordinary human joyments are met and satisfied on a stable, peace, though it is an approximation and routine basis, and there is no external con- imitation, ultimately pales in comparison. It flict or disharmony strong enough to dis- is above and superior to the dualities of life turb it, then we may say to ourselves that such as pain and pleasure, joy and grief, we are contented, fulfilled, at peace. But etc., and to one who has this peace, Joy of integral peace. “Calm and tranquil, when the external conditions upon which though on the outside there may be loss, an unfailing smile.” White with light pink. (Courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) our peace was based give way, then our misfortune, or apparent tragedy, within or peace is gone. For many in the world this above, this peace is not lost or affected In peace there is besides the sense of peace is a hope or a dream, not easily, if and remains. It is secure against the vari- stillness a harmony that gives a feeling ever, achieved. For those who find some ety of time. of liberation and full satisfaction... measure of peace in life, it is easily lost. By the process of yoga, we can experi- It is quite usual to feel an estab- For life being such as it is, a field of con- ence this peace ourselves by rising into lished peace in the inner being even if stant change, the peace and security we the higher spiritual planes of conscious- there is disturbance on the surface. In do find is constantly under siege. We lose ness where it is found, or opening to the fact, that is the usual condition of the our job, our health, our friends or loved Divine Presence and receiving it as a gift yogi before he has attained the abso- ones due to ill health or tragic circumstanc- from God. Peace is the basis of our own lute samata in all the being... es, our money or possessions, things to true spiritual nature and through yoga it When the peace is fully estab- which we have grown accustomed and at- can be recovered. When the Mother was lished everywhere in the being, these tached. We lose these things, and conse- asked once how could one get or experi- things [reactions of the lower vital] will quently, we are disturbed, and lose our ence this peace, she answered that the first not be able to shake it. They may come peace. And as these things are, to some necessity was to feel the need for it, to first as ripples on the surface, then only degree at least, inevitable in life, this peace want it, to ask, to aspire. As for the Di- as suggestions which one looks at or is by nature fragile, insecure, and unreli- vine’s part, we can be sure of his answer, in does not care to look at but in either able. time, and in proportion to our receptivity. case they don’t get inside, affect or dis- On the other hand, the peace of the To quote the Mother, “If you ask from turb at all. (Sri Aurobindo, Letters on spirit is self-existent and depends upon within for peace, it will come.” Yoga, pp. 644-649)

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 24 Source material

The Higher Consciousness by Sri Aurobindo

here are two states on consciousness in either of which one can live. One is a higher consciousness which stands Tabove the play of life and governs it; this is variously called the Self, the Spirit or the Divine. The other is the normal con- sciousness in which men live; it is something quite superficial, an instrument of the Spirit for the play of life. Those who live and act in the normal consciousness are governed entirely by the com- mon movements of the mind and are naturally subject to grief and Sri Aurobindo. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) joy and anxiety and desire or to everything else that makes up the ordinary stuff of life. Mental quiet and happiness they can get, but it can never be permanent or secure. But the spiritual conscious- open yourself and receive it and at the same time reject all the ness is all light, peace, power, bliss. If one can live entirely in it, movements of the lower nature which prevent it from remaining there is no question; these things become naturally and securely and which are ruled by desires and habits inconsistent with the his. But even if he can live partly in it or keep himself constantly true being, the true power and the true knowledge. Of course the open to it, he receives enough of this spiritual light and peace and superior power will itself reveal to you and remove all the obsta- strength and happiness to carry him securely through all the cles in your nature. But the condition is that not only your mental shocks of life. What one gains by opening to this spiritual con- but your vital and physical being must open and surrender to it sciousness, depends on what on seeks from it; if it is peace, one and refuse to surrender themselves to other powers and forces. gets peace; if it is light or knowledge, one lives in a great light and As you yourself experienced at that time, this greater conscious- receives a knowledge deeper and truer than any the normal mind ness will of itself bring the development of the higher will and of man can acquire; if it is strength or power, he gets a spiritual knowledge. Psychic experiences of a proper kind are of course a strength for the inner life or Yogic power to govern the outer work great help but in your case it may be that any rich development of and action; if it is happiness, he enters into a beatitude far greater the psychic will only come after or in proportion as this con- than any joy or happiness that the ordinary human life can give. sciousness with the calm knowledge, will and samatâ takes pos- (Supplement, pp. 415-416) session of the different parts of the being. (Letters on Yoga, pp. 1208-1209) * * * * * * A word about your sadhana. It seems to me that the key to your future development is contained in the experience which you The realisation of the Purusha consciousness calm, free, ob- say you often attained for a few days at K. “A state which was full serving the play of forces but not attached or involved in them is of knowledge, calm serenity, strength and wide consciousness— a means of liberation. The calm, the detachment, a peaceful all questions automatically solved—a continuous stream of pow- strength and joy (âtmarati) must be brought down into the vital er passed into the body through the forehead centre—extremely and physical as well as into the mind. If this is established, one is powerful, having undisturbed samatâ, calm conviction, keen sight no longer a prey to the turmoil of the vital forces. But this calm, and knowledge.” This was the consciousness of the true Purusha peace, silent strength and joy is only the first descent of the Pow- in you aware of his own supramental being and it is this which er of the Mother into the adhar. Beyond that is a Knowledge, an must become your normal consciousness and the basis of the executive Power, a dynamic Ananda which is not that of the ordi- supramental development. In order that it may so become, the nary Prakriti even at its best and most sattwic, but Divine in its mind has to be made calm and strong, the emotional and vital be- nature. ing purified and the physical consciousness so opened that the First, however, the calm, the peace, the liberation is needed. body can hold and retain the consciousness and power. I notice To try to bring down the dynamic side too soon is not advisable, that at the time you had it the body also expressed it. This is a sign for then it would be a descent into a troubled and impure nature that the capacity is already there in your physical being. The calm unable to assimilate it and serious perturbations might be the and strength will descend from above, what you have to do is to consequence. (Letters on Yoga, p. 287)

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 25 In the practice of yoga, what you aim at can only come by the an enduring deep peace and inner stillness and release becomes opening of the being to the Mother’s force and the persistent re- a normal character of the consciousness, the foundation indeed jection of all egoism and demand and desire, all motives except the of a new consciousness, calm and liberated. (Letters on Yoga, p. aspiration for the Divine Truth. If this is rightly done, the Divine 1197) Power and Light will begin to work and bring in the peace and equanimity, the inner strength, the purified devotion and the in- * * * creasing consciousness and self-knowledge which are the neces- sary foundation for the siddhi of the yoga. (Letters on Yoga, p. The Power above the head is of course the Mother’s—it is 604) the power of the Higher Consciousness which is preparing its way of descent. This Higher Consciousness carrying in it a sense * * * of wide and boundless existence, light, power, peace, Ananda etc. is always there above the head and when something of the spiri- The feeling you had in the afternoon of the cessation of tual Force comes down to work upon the nature, it is from there thought and the sensation of something within you going up that it comes. But nothing like the full descent of the peace, bliss above the head is part of the movement of the sadhana. There is a etc. can come so long as the being is not ready. Very usually the higher consciousness above you, not in the body, so above the first preparation is to work on the mind and vital and physical head which we call the higher spiritual or divine consciousness, nature in such a way that the soul, the psychic being can have a or the Mother’s consciousness. When the being opens then all in chance of manifesting itself and influencing the rest of the na- you, the mind (head), emotional being (heart), vital, even some- ture; for that purpose all the main darknesses in the mind and vital thing in the physical consciousness begin to ascend in order to have to be combated and thrown out and the physical also pre- join themselves to this greater higher consciousness. One has pared in a material way so that the descent may be possible. This when one sits with eyes closed in meditation the sensation of is what has been done so long in you. It has to be made stronger going up which you describe. It is called the ascension of the low- and more complete,—but sufficient has been done for it to be er consciousness. Afterwards things begin to descend from possible to prepare the descent of the higher consciousness. above, peace, joy, light, strength, knowledge etc. and a great There are two things that take place; an ascent of one’s con- change begins in the nature. This is what we call the descent of sciousness to the higher levels in and above the head, and a de- the higher (the Mother’s) consciousness. scent of the higher consciousness which is above into one’s The unease you felt was because of the unaccustomed na- mind, vital and body. How it is done or by what stages or how ture of the movement. It is of no importance and quickly goes long it will take varies with each person. But this new conscious- away. (Letters on Yoga, pp. 1130-1131) ness is very different from the ordinary one and many things hap- pen in its coming which would not happen to the mind and might * * * seem strange to it—e.g. the dissolution of the ego and the open- ing into a wider self or spirit not limited by the body, to which the Yes, when things begin to descend, they must come down on body is only a small instrument and nothing more. One must a solid basis. That is why it is necessary to have peace as the first therefore dismiss all fear of new things and accept with calm and descent and that it should become as strong and solid as possi- confidence each field of new experience, relying on the Divine ble. But in any case to contain is the first necessity—then more Mother Force for guidance and support and protection through- and more can come and settle itself. Once these two things are out the change. (Letters on Yoga, pp. 1207-1208) settled—peace and strength, one can bear any amount of every- thing else, Ananda, Knowledge or, whatever it may be. (Letters on * * * Yoga, p. 1191) When the Peace is established, this higher or Divine Force * * * from above can descend and work in us. It descends usually first into the head and liberates the inner mind centres, then into the Your description of the solid cool block of peace pressing on heart centre and liberates fully the psychic and emotional being, the body and making it immobile makes it certain that it is what we then into the navel and other vital centres and liberates the inner call in this yoga the descent of the higher consciousness. A deep, vital, then into the Muladhara and below and liberates the inner intense or massive substance of peace and stillness is very com- physical being. It works at the same time for perfection as well as monly the first of its powers that descends and many experience it liberation; it takes up the whole nature part by part and deals with in that way. At first it comes and stays only during meditation or, it, rejecting what has to be rejected, sublimating what has to be without the sense of physical inertness or immobility, a little while sublimated, creating what has to be created. It integrates, harmo- longer and afterwards is lost; but if the sadhana follows its normal nises, establishes a new rhythm in the nature. (Letters on Yoga, course, it comes more and more, lasting longer and in the end as pp. 1166-1167)

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 26 If the rift in the lid of mind is made, what happens is an open- light descends and touches or envelops or penetrates the lower ing of vision to something above us or a rising up towards it or a being, the mind, the life or the body; or a presence or a power or descent of its powers into our being. What we see by the opening a stream of knowledge pours in waves or currents, or there is a of vision is an Infinity above us, an eternal Presence or an infinite flood of bliss or a sudden ecstasy; the contact with the supercon- Existence, an infinity of consciousness, an infinity of bliss,—a scient has been established. For such experiences repeat them- boundless Self, a boundless Light, a boundless Power, a bound- selves till they become normal, familiar and well-understood, re- less Ecstasy. It may be that for a long time all that is obtained is the velatory of their contents and their significance which may have occasional or frequent or constant vision of it and a longing and at first been involved and wrapped into secrecy by the figure of aspiration, but without anything further, because, although some- the covering experience. For a knowledge from above begins to thing in the mind, heart or other part of the being has opened to descend, frequently, constantly, then uninterruptedly, and to this experience, the lower nature as a whole is too heavy and ob- manifest in the mind’s quietude or silence; intuitions and inspira- scure as yet for more. But there may be, instead of this first wide tions, revelations born of a greater sight, a higher truth and wis- awareness from below or subsequently to it, an ascension of the dom, enter into the being, a luminous intuitive discrimination mind to heights above: the nature of these heights we may not works which dispels all darkness of understanding or dazzling know or clearly discern, but some consequence of the ascent is confusions, puts all in order; a new consciousness begins to felt; there is often too an awareness of infinite ascension and re- form, the mind of a high wide self-existent thinking knowledge or turn but no record or translation of that higher state. This is be- an illumined or an intuitive or an overmental consciousness with cause it has been superconscient to mind and therefore mind, new forces of thought or sight and a greater power of direct spir- when it rises into it, is unable at first to retain there its power of itual realisation which is more than thought or sight, a greater conscious discernment and defining experience. But when this becoming in the spiritual substance of our present being; the power begins to awake and act, when mind becomes by degrees heart and the sense become subtle, intense, large to embrace all conscious in what was to it superconscient, then there begins a existence, to see God, to feel and hear and touch the Eternal, to knowledge and experience of superior planes of existence. The make a deeper and closer unity of self and the world in a transcen- experience is in accord with that which is brought to us by the first dent realisation. Other decisive experiences, other changes of opening of vision: the mind rises into a higher plane of pure Self, consciousness determine themselves which are corollaries and silent, tranquil, illimitable; or it rises into regions of Light or of consequences of this fundamental change. No limit can be fixed Felicity, or into planes where it feels an infinite Power or a divine to this revolution; for it is in its nature an invasion by the Infinite. Presence or experiences the contact of a divine Love or Beauty or This, effected little by little or in a succession of great and the atmosphere of a wider and greater and luminous Knowledge. swift definitive experiences, is the process of the spiritual trans- In the return the spiritual impression abides; but the mental record formation. It achieves itself and culminates in an upward ascent is often blurred and remains as a vague or a fragmentary memory; often repeated by which in the end the consciousness fixes itself the lower consciousness from which the ascent took place falls on a higher plane and from there sees and governs the mind, life back to what it was, with only the addition of an unkept or a re- and body; it achieves itself also in an increasing descent of the membered but no longer dynamic experience. In time the ascent powers of the higher consciousness and knowledge which be- comes to be made at will and the consciousness brings back and come more and more the whole normal consciousness and knowl- retains some effect or some gain of its temporary sojourn in these edge. A light and power, a knowledge and force are felt which first higher countries of the Spirit. These ascents take place for many take possession of the mind and remould it, afterwards of the life- in trance, but are perfectly possible in a concentration of the wak- part and remould that, finally of the little physical consciousness ing consciousness or, where that consciousness has become suf- and leave it no longer little but wide and plastic and even infinite. ficiently psychic, at any unconcentrated moment by an upward For this new consciousness has itself the nature of infinity: it attraction or affinity. But these two types of contact with the su- brings to us the abiding spiritual sense and awareness of the In- perconscient, though they can be powerfully illuminating, ecstat- finite and Eternal with a great largeness of the nature and a break- ic or liberating, are by themselves insufficiently effective: for the ing down of its limitations; immortality becomes no longer a belief full spiritual transformation more is needed, a permanent ascen- or an experience but a normal self-awareness; the close presence sion from the lower into the higher consciousness and an effectu- of the Divine Being, his rule of the world and of our self and nat- al permanent descent of the higher into the lower nature. ural members, his force working in us and everywhere, the peace This is the third motion, the descent which is essential for of the infinite, the joy of the Infinite are now concrete and con- bringing the permanent ascension, an increasing inflow from stant in the being; in all sights and forms one sees the Eternal, the above, an experience of reception and retention of the descending Reality, in all sounds one hears it, in all touches feels it; there is Spirit or its powers and elements of consciousness. This experi- nothing else but its forms and personalities and manifestations; ence of descent can take place as a result of the other two move- the joy or adoration of the heart, the embrace of all existence, the ments or automatically before either has happened, through a unity of the spirit are abiding realities. (The Life Divine, pp. 911- sudden rift in the lid or a percolation, a downpour or an influx. A 913.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 27 On the Spirit by the Mother

“As Mind is established here on a basis of Ignorance seek- ing for Knowledge and growing into Knowledge, so Super- mind must be established here on a basis of Knowledge growing into its own greater Light. But this cannot be so long as the spiritual-mental being has not risen fully to Su- permind and brought down its powers into terrestrial exist- ence. For the gulf between Mind and Supermind has to be bridged, the closed passages opened and roads of ascent and descent created where there is now a void and a silence. This can be done only by the triple transformation to which The Mother. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) we have already made a passing reference: there must first be the psychic change, the conversion of our whole present sphere created by the Divine Grace in the universe to save it from nature into a soul instrumentation; on that or along with the darkness into which it has fallen. that there must be the spiritual change, the descent of a The soul is a kind of individual concentration of this Grace, higher Light, Knowledge, Power, Force, Bliss, Purity into its individual representative in the human being. The soul is the whole being, even into the lowest recesses of the life and something particular to humanity, it exists only in man. It is like a body, even into the darkness of our subconscience; last, particular expression of the spirit in the human being. The beings there must supervene the supramental transmutation,— of the other worlds do not have a soul, but they can live in the there must take place as the crowning movement the ascent spirit. One might say that the soul is a delegation of the spirit in into the Supermind and the transforming descent of the su- mankind, a special help to lead it faster. It is the soul that makes pramental Consciousness into our entire being and na- individual progress possible. The spirit, in its original form, has a ture.” (The Life Divine, SABCL, Vol. 19, pp. 890 – 91) more general, more collective action. For the moment the spirit plays the part of a helper and guide, What is the role of the spirit? but it is not the all-powerful master of the material manifestation; when the Supermind is organised into a new world, the spirit will One might say that it is both the conscious intermediary be- become the master and govern Nature in a clear and visible way. tween the Supreme and the manifestation, and the meeting-place What is called “new birth” is the birth into the spiritual life, of the manifestation with the Supreme. the spiritual consciousness; it is to carry in oneself something of Spirit is capable of understanding and communicating with the spirit which, individually, through the soul, can begin to rule the highest Godhead and at the same time it is the purest, one the life and be the master of existence. But in the supramental might say the least distorted intermediary of the highest Godhead world, the spirit will be the master of this entire world and all its in the outermost manifestation. It is spirit which, with the help of manifestations, all its expressions, consciously, spontaneously, the soul, turns the consciousness towards the Highest, the Di- naturally. vine, and it is in the spirit that the consciousness can begin to In the individual existence, that is what makes all the differ- understand the Divine. ence; so long as one just speaks of the spirit and it is something It might be said that what is called “spirit” is the atmosphere one has read about, whose existence one vaguely knows about, brought into the material world by the Grace so that it may awaken but not a very concrete reality for the consciousness, this means to the consciousness of its origin and aspire to return to it. It is that one is not born into the spirit. And when one is born into the indeed a kind of atmosphere which liberates, opens the doors, spirit, it becomes something much more concrete, much more liv- sets the consciousness free. This is what enables the realisation ing, much more real, much more tangible than the whole material of the truth and gives aspiration its full power of accomplishment. world. And this is what makes the essential difference between From a higher standpoint, this could be put in another way: it beings. When that becomes spontaneously real—the true, con- is this action, this luminous and liberating influence that is known crete existence, the atmosphere one can freely breathe—then one as “spirit”. All that opens to us the road to the supreme realities, knows one has crossed over to the other side. But so long as it is pulls us out from the mud of the Ignorance in which we are stuck, something rather vague and hazy—you have heard about it, you opens the doors to us, shows us the path, leads us to where we know that it exists, but... it has no concrete reality—well, this have to go—this is what man has called “spirit”. It is the atmo- means that the new birth has not yet taken place. As long as you

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 28 tell yourself, “Yes, this I can see, this I can touch, the pain I suffer the mind tries to obtain the second power, it is unable to do so, from, the hunger that torments me, the sleep that makes me feel since it is a power that belongs to the Spirit and arises in the hu- heavy, this is real, this is concrete...” (Mother laughs), that means man being together with the spiritual consciousness. that you have not yet crossed over to the other side, you are not Knowledge is something that the mind can obtain through born into the spirit. much effort, although this is not the true knowledge, but only a mental aspect of knowledge; whereas Wisdom does not at all be- (Silence) long to the mind, which is altogether incapable of obtaining it, because, in fact, it doesn’t even know what it is. I repeat, Wisdom In fact, the vast majority of men are like prisoners with all the is essentially a power of the Spirit and it can arise only with the doors and windows closed, so they suffocate, which is quite nat- spiritual consciousness. ural. But they have with them the key that opens the doors and It would have been interesting to ask what Sri Aurobindo windows, and they do not use it.... Certainly there is a time when means when he speaks of “the truth seen in a distorted medium.” they don’t know they have the key, but long after they have come First of all, what is this “distorted medium,” and what does the to know it, long after they have been told about it, they hesitate to truth become in a “distorted medium”? use it and doubt whether it has the power to open the doors and As always, what Sri Aurobindo says can have several levels windows or even that it is a good thing to open them! And even of meaning—one is more specific, the other more general. In the when they feel that “after all, it might be good,” there remains most specific sense, the distorted medium is the mental medium some fear: “What will happen when these doors and windows are which works in ignorance and which is therefore unable to ex- opened?...” and they are afraid. They are afraid of being lost in press truth in its purity. But since life as a whole is lived in igno- that light and freedom. They want to remain what they call “them- rance, the distorted medium is also the earth-atmosphere which, selves.” They like their falsehood and their bondage. Something in its entirety, distorts the truth seeking to express itself through it. in them likes it and goes on clinging to it. They still have the im- And here lies the most subtle point of this aphorism. What pression that without their limits they would no longer exist. can the mind arrive at by groping? We know that it is always That is why the journey is so long, that is why it is difficult. groping, seeking to know, erring, returning upon its previous at- For if one truly consented to cease to exist, everything would be- tempts and trying again... Its progress is very, very halting. But come so easy, so swift, so luminous, so joyful—but perhaps not what can it grasp of the truth? Is it a fragment, a piece, something in the way men understand joy and ease. In truth, there are very which is still the truth, but only partially, incompletely, or is it few people who do not enjoy fighting. There are very few who something which is no longer the truth? That is the interesting could accept the absence of night, few can conceive of light ex- point. cept as the opposite of darkness: “Without shadows there would We are used to being told—perhaps we have also repeated be no picture. Without struggle, there would be no victory. With- many times—that one can only have partial, incomplete, frag- out suffering there would be no joy.” That is what they think, and mentary knowledge which therefore cannot be true knowledge. so long as one thinks in this way, one is not yet born into the spirit. This point of view is rather trite: one need only to have studied a (Collected Works of the Mother (CWM), Vol. 9, pp. 428) little in life to be aware of it. However, what Sri Aurobindo means by “the truth seen in a distorted medium” is far more interesting * * * than that. Truth itself takes on another aspect; in this medium it is no 1 – There are two allied powers in man: knowledge and Wis- longer the truth, but a distortion of the truth. Consequently, what dom. Knowledge is so much of the truth, seen in a distorted can be seized of it is not a fragment which would be true, but an medium, as the mind arrives at by groping; Wisdom what the aspect, the false appearance of a truth which has itself melted eye of divine vision sees in the spirit. (Sri Aurobindo, away... Thoughts and Aphorisms) The truth is a whole and everything is necessary. The dis- torted medium through which you see, the mental atmosphere, is Someone has asked me, “Why are the powers allied?” unsuited for the manifestation or the expression or even the per- I suppose that we are so used to seeing all the elements in ception of all the elements—and one can say that the better part man quarrelling among themselves that the idea of their being “al- is lost. So it can no longer be called the truth, but rather some- lied” causes astonishment. But these quarrels are only apparent. thing which in essence is true, and yet no longer so at all in the All the powers which come from the higher regions are in fact nec- mental atmosphere—it is an ignorance. essarily allied—they are united, they have agreed to fight the So, to summarise, I shall say that knowledge, as it can be Ignorance. And Sri Aurobindo says clearly enough—for those grasped by the human mind, is necessarily knowledge in igno- who understand—that one of these powers belongs to the mind rance, one could almost say an ignorant knowledge. and that the other belongs to the Spirit. This is precisely the pro- Wisdom is the vision of truth in its essence and of its appli- found truth that Sri Aurobindo wants to reveal in his aphorism: if cation in the manifestation. (CWM, Vol. 10, pp. 1-3)

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 29 and give a better idea of the nature of the sciousness. The bricks and mortar are only Journal Review journal, it will be useful to describe in external props.” He discusses the impor- greater detail some of the articles appear- tance of ethical and aesthetic aspects of ing in recent editions. In each of the last the space, as well as its consonance with NAMAH— two issues, there are articles by James the geography and topography of its loca- New Approaches to Anderson, each of them interesting and tion. He then describes some features of personal excursions into the depths of his the design of the healing space that can Medicine and Health being. While Anderson’s articles, like facilitate different types of healing, de- those that have appeared previously in pending on the nature of the disorder. He Reviewed by Larry Seidlitz Collaboration, share commonalities of discusses various design elements that theme and style, each focuses on different would be conducive to the healing of dis- his quarterly journal (typically 50 aspects and discoveries in his inner jour- harmonies at the physical, vital, and men- pages) is published by Pradeep ney. For example, in “The riddle of life” tal levels. Unfortunately, the article is more TNarang on behalf on the Sri Auro- (July 2010 issue), he discusses his explora- of a teaser than an in-depth treatment of bindo Society. The managing editor is Vi- tion and transformation of his vital nature, the issue, but it suggests some interesting jay Poddar; other editor’s include Drs. whereas in “The secret Will” (October ideas for future study and consideration of Alok Pandey, Soumitra Basu, and Vandana 2010 issue), he examines his inner discern- a typically overlooked or superficially re- Gupta; Dr. A.S. Dalal is also on the editorial ment of the inner and higher will from the garded, but important aspect of healing board. The journal’s website is at: http:// divided and transient “willings” of the practice. www.namahjournal.com. We elected to re- lower nature, and the alignment of the na- In another article, “The question of view this journal as part of a mutual effort ture with the true will. Clearly these two is- immortality” (October 2010 issue), Basu to make our respective journals better sues are interrelated, but yet each article discusses various perspectives on the na- known to each other’s readers. focuses on different aspects of the prob- ture of immortality and its relations to inte- Many Collaboration readers may al- lem, and each gives unique insights into gral health. The first of these has to do ready be familiar with the writings of fre- the work of the sadhana in Sri Aurobindo’s with the spiritual and mystical tradition of quent contributors to NAMAH, such as yoga. One would be hard-pressed to find the realisation that an intensely developed James Anderson (who is on NAMAH’s another author who is able to articulate consciousness along one or several di- journal team and an occasional contributor with such insight and clarity the yogic pro- mensions can outlive the individual’s to Collaboration), as well as those of Alok cess of inner exploration, discovery, and lifespan. It may inspire others, not only Pandey (author of Death, Dying and Be- mastery. through the individual’s example, but “as a yond, and frequent speaker on Sri Auro- We also find in these two issues sev- concrete presence in the consciousness, bindo’s and Mother’s teachings) and eral insightful short articles by Soumitra an internal energizer, a motivator to repli- Soumitra Basu (author of Integral Health). Basu. In “Metaphysics and health—the cate, innovate and act out ideals and val- Along with these, other frequent contribu- evolution of the concept of Integral ues in consonance with the Time-Spirit.” tors include Dr. K.H. Krishnamurthy, an Health” (July 2010 issue), Basu discusses Another aspect is the capacity of certain expert on medicinal plants used in Ayurve- how several “seed-ideas” from the open- exceptional individuals of “voluntarily da, and Dr. Vandana, an expert on flower ing page of Sri Aurobindo’s The Life Di- ‘willing’ one’s death by soul-choice essences. Each issue typically also in- vine, provide key principles and insights through yogic endeavor.” He suggests cludes a piece on health or healing by Sri into Integral Health. These seed-ideas are that this capacity, if made more commonly Aurobindo or the Mother. “God, Light, Freedom, Immortality.” He accessible through yogic practices, could There is a fairly wide range of content. shows us how each of these four concepts obviate the ethical dilemmas related to Articles may focus on physical or mental underlie or constitute central tenets of the passive and active euthanasia. A third as- health; on the insights and applications of integral approach to health, with important pect is that the distinction between the im- Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s views practical ramifications for both under- mortality of the soul and the mortality of on health, illness and transformation; on standing health and disease and treating the bodily frame emphasizes the need for alternative paradigms of health and ill- disorders. the development of the consciousness of ness; on various types of diseases; on In “The healing space” (October 2010 the psychic being, which can bring the various approaches to healing and well- issue), Basu considers the importance of psychological experience of immortality, being, such as homeopathy, ayurveda, the design of the physical space which is as well as a greater harmony and integra- naturopathy, hathayoga, and flower reme- used for healing. He notes that it should tion of the outer being. The fourth aspect dies. There typically are book reviews and not be constructed “as a consumer pack- has to do with the quest for the immortality editorial letters or perspectives. age in a corporate set-up,” but rather “is of the human species. He notes that the To help flesh out these general topics constructed primarily by elements in con- human species is endangered from several

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 30 directions. He further notes that Sri Auro- that, her anger outbursts dramatically de- for hoarseness of voice, nausea during bindo saw the necessity to evolve a new creased in frequency and intensity. Van- pregnancy, increasing milk secretion after physical form in consonance with the su- dana mentions that some people who have childbirth, colic in children, and bodily pramental consciousness as the way to taken the remedy have had dreams of see- pains and runny nose due to colds, among transcend the need for the dissolution of ing their past and their patterns of the way other uses. Caraway seeds are used in the physical form. For this to occur, the they were acting and living, bringing a Ayurveda for heart disease, swelling, vom- first necessity is organize the being clarity and detachment that enabled them iting, poor digestion, and chronic fever. It around the psychic center, a key aim of the to shift the pattern. is used in various mixtures as a household integral health paradigm. Another person had a severe psychi- remedy for vomiting, prickly heat, jaun- In the last of a series of four conversa- atric illness involving anxiety and depres- dice, increasing the appetite, mouth ulcers tions between Nancy Whitlow and Dr. sion, which apparently ran in the family. and bleeding gums, diarrhea, and colds. Vandana, “Flower essences from SAIIIHR This person would get severe headaches, The article is more detailed and informative (IV)” (July 2010 issue), Vandana discusses as have others who benefitted from this than these brief highlights, but this is per- her therapeutic experiences using the es- remedy, and she also had a urinary prob- haps sufficient to show the practical value sence of the flower of the Eucalyptus, lem. Both of these physical problems, of this type of article—there are hundreds whose significance according to the which were related to her psychological of such medicinal plants in Ayurveda— Mother is ‘Abolition of the Ego.’ She first disorder, went away after taking the reme- which occurs fairly commonly in the journal. describes the physical characteristics of dy. She also began to sleep better, she be- I have related here just a few of the the flower and the circumstances in which came more calm, and her interactions with main articles in these two issues, but they she obtained it to prepare the essence. She others became more harmonious. Al- also contain other interesting articles. notes here that to make the remedies, you though she herself did not see these im- Both issues also contain selections from must make it near the plant when you pluck provements, her husband did. This person the Mother’s conversations, one on “Ill- the flowers. “You cannot pluck a branch, had been taking the remedy periodically ness and its causes,” and the other on carry it away a distance and then make the for a period of 5-6 years, and it would al- “The two ends of existence,” which dis- remedy. The vibration must be very pure, ways help. Then it seemed to stop helping, cusses spiritual perfection and human per- nothing in between, only the flower and and it was substituted with a different rem- fection and the importance of combining the water.” She also mentions that the rem- edy, ‘Divine Will acting in the subcon- them for an integral perfection. The July edy does not help everyone, it tends to scient,’ which had been working success- issue includes an article based on extend- help only those who have a particular need fully since that time. This article is not in- ed excepts of conversations of Sri Auro- for it, and who are at the right stage in their teresting not only for the light it sheds on bindo on homeopathy, which have been development for the dissolution of a par- this particular flower remedy and its pro- culled from Nirodbaran’s Talks with Sri ticular rigid pattern. found results, but also for its wider impli- Aurobindo and Correspondence with Sri Vandana then describes her use of the cations on healing, on the relations be- Aurobindo, and Purani’s Talks with Sri remedy with several clients. In one of tween mind and body, on the relations be- Aurobindo. Both issues also contain re- these clients, “She said it opened knots in- tween nature and mankind, and on the views of interesting books, and both con- side her which had been there ever since spiritual dimensions of our existence. tain short letters on relevant issues. she could remember. And it allowed the In an article pertaining to Ayurveda, Readers who are interested in alter- light (which had always been there) to en- “Jeeraka or cumin and caraway,” the late ative approaches to health will find that ter these knots. And then it was as if all the Dr. K.H. Krishnamurthy discusses the bo- this journal will expand your knowledge of parts of her being that were dense became tanical properties, medicinal uses and various modalities, as well as deepen your filled with tiny, tiny dots of light, moving in “household remedial” uses of these two understanding of the fundamental princi- an ocean. It made her free. This remedy commonly used seeds. Whereas the bo- ples and processes that underlie these ap- helps you to relax. It helps you to dissolve tanical and biochemical properties it dis- proaches. There is a strong emphasis on patterns.” cusses may be of interest primarily to prac- approaches that are based on or influ- A different girl would often fly into titioners of Ayurveda or nutritionists, the enced by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, rages which were followed by depression. medicinal and remedial uses of the seeds is but there are also more general articles that After giving one dose to this girl, Vandana of interest and practical benefit for the examine ancient approaches such as could see the change occurring before her general reader. For example, we learn that hathayoga and Ayurveda. There is an in- eyes in her office: “It was as if suddenly cumin is used in Ayurveda for the treat- teresting mix of articles, letters and book something, some framework had dropped. ment of indigestion, dysentery, enlarged reviews that will interest and benefit all She was free.” At the time of the visit, the spleen, flatulence and vomiting, and is those who aim for integral development of girl had a severe headache, and within a used more widely in various decoctions their being—spiritual, mental, vital and minute the headache was gone. And after and preparations as household remedies physical.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 31 —the incontestable certitude The poetry room of Thy victory of Truth decreed? Thy transporting vision of the Future and Thy transmuting touch reassuring? The Witness and the Wheel1 Where shall I seek Thy inspiration to uplift me on its wings high-soaring? Who art thou in the heart comrade of man who sitst How shall I see the splendour and glory August, watching his works, watching his joys and griefs, of Thy creative Force, All-transforming? Unmoved, careless of pain, careless of death and fate? Or find the plenitude of Thy Bliss Supreme? Witness, what hast thou seen watching this great blind world Moving helpless in Time, whirled on the Wheel in Space, On the day of Thy transcending That yet thou with thy vast Will biddest toil our hearts, the mortal remains of Thy living, Mystic,—for without thee nothing can last in Time? I asked Thee again and again We too, when from the urge ceaseless of Nature turn with tears incessantly streaming Our souls, far from the breast casting her tool, desire, from the depths of my being: Grow like thee. In the front Nature still drives in vain O Lord of self-effulgent Light, The blind trail of our acts, passions and thoughts and hopes; O Lord of Bliss everlasting, Unmoved, calm, we look on, careless of death and fate, Why hast Thou forsaken me, Of grief careless and joy,—signs of a surface script who sought none but Thee Without value or sense, steps of an aimless world. to lead me on Thy path of Bliss? Something watches behind, Spirit or Self or Soul, * Viewing Space and its toil, waiting the end of Time. Deep came Thy reply, Witness, who then art thou, one with thee who am I, ringing sure and clear, Nameless, watching the Wheel whirl across Time and Space? echoing in my vacant heart: “I’ve not left you, be sure, —Sri Aurobindo O my daughter of Delight. I shall ever be by your side On Sri Aurobindo’s passing—5 December 19502 and lead you through every ebb and perilous tide; Why hast thou forsaken me, Leave all your worries aside, O mighty splendour of the Supreme, I alone shall be your guide. descended on earth to uplift the race? Fear not. Be free and candid. Why hast thou forsaken me, Do my will and act as I bid when I sought only Thy Light in the luminous silence to guide me on Thy path of Delight? of your surrendered self. I longed to sit at Thy lotus-feet I shall answer your every call, to learn my lessons of life, The moment is yours, mine the goal! and Thy way its ordeals to face. Why hast Thou left me then, All doubts ceased, questions erased alone and helpless to strive in thy all-powerful Presence sweet. and surmount its tempests, * its deep and turbulent waters, Then on the seventh day after Thy passing, O Lord of my sublime existence? I saw Thy resplendent face Following Thy luminous trail, ever reassuring in The Mother sweet— I yearned to soar to the supernal heights, Her eyes of Light penetrating my being. and roam in the infinite Vasts of Thy glory Following me wherever I be with Thee as my omniscient guide unerring. with Her look, Her smile, Why then, O my magnetic beacon-light, Her Presence, all-embracing! hast Thou forsaken me? * Years rolled on and half a century gone, Where shall I find now Rich with experiences of Thy decisive Presence. Thy deep understanding and With absolute conviction now can I say: divine compassion? Thou art living, indeed present,

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 32 My Master and Guide, A light on earth4 with our mighty Mother by Thy side, Secretly leading the whole world I looked upon the outer sheath I wore, by Thy unerring golden Light A countenance well-known, both friend and foe towards the advent of the New Race. Yet stranger to a wisdom held before, Salutations to Thee, O Lord ineffable, Beyond the many births so long ago. and to the Mother ever-gracious! I did not ask of God my soul to fill —Kailas Jhaveri With moving poetry nor tore my breast In anguish when the Muse’s voice was still, From The beggar princess3 Beyond my self I knew that I was blessed.

Oh, who stole softly into A moment came when a high voice was heard The temple of my heart That counselled me to find the secret cave And woke me from my slumber Where the sacred Om, first and final Word, With all His tender art? Uplifted me as on a giant wave.

A riot of wind then wafted And in that hour of divine largesse The rumour of some far shore. Awaking from a momentary trance I heard a deep-toned flutelet I saw the child-god roam and play at ease; That opened in me a door… His face I saw in every human glance

An auspice Gleam then entered And in the presence of a transformed earth, And kindled my twin thrilled eyes… Returned to beauty from the grasp of man And my life acclaimed the Stranger, Nature looked on all with joyous mirth Augur of a new sunrise Like a deer pursued who all the hounds outran.

But the Herald was a visitant I was at peace and all the world was still Disturbing to my peace, Yet vibrant with a golden inner core, Even as the moon to the ocean, Guided by a great unerring Will Yet a weaver of harmonies. A light so vast one must kneel to adore.

As I mused, the alien-intimate This universe in wondrous vision seen In a mystic smile broke out… At the cosmic edge where night and day are one, When, Lo, a curtain lifted A place recalled where once my soul had been And I spied an angel rout! A light on earth more brilliant than the sun.

A sunken world revived then —Narad With the flow of time reversed And I saw we ran to the Rasa Full moon is here Where nightly for Him we rehearsed I hewed in Her cosmic forests, The parts for us predestined Life after life, from dawn to dusk. By our soul’s one Lord again, My act done, I stood at Her door; Who was born to us as Beauty Yet, instead of paying, she danced away In this our sphere of pain. To Her empyrean. I begged for a glimpse of Her, Ever in vain. In Him we found our Guru, I sowed my love in the fields of self, The drop revealed the Deep, And ploughed and toiled from dawn to dusk. When merged Mira’s restless heart in My fields were green and full of sap, His soft heart of song and sleep. I cut and winnowed the harvest. Yet, life after life, the kernel escaped, —Dilip Kumar Roy and Indira Devi I gathered only the husk.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 33 And in my eves, humbled and empty, Lamps adorn the water, unmoving but showing me the whole I faced my inexorable Mistress: earth She turned Her cruel face from me. Even then an infinitesimal something I do not know what you want me to do tonight Nurtured my being; and after ages But I caught myself obeying your every command, a hornet in The spark grew into a golden-tongued flame. your catacomb Ensnare my seducing eyes to make me see just your body Then I planted a garden for Her, which crushes me into glass pieces Pulled out weeds and showered Your voice screams like a wolf when mating Every flower-face with my love. I picked out each withered leaf When you are done I am gone: an existence leaving behind And swept the paths free of thorns and stones, encapsulated love Lest they lacerate Her lily-soft feet. Your soul is not in your body so devour it! At last spring laughs from the boughs I am the reason for you to continue living in a demon-filled And nectar-laden is the heart of buds. world Drunken is the crooning of the bees Sûrya gave me love to give to you! And the wind wanders in a swoon. My task done to the best of my ability Your tears become little drops of pearls for which the fairies I lay aside my pick and shovel. hurriedly gather Eager and expectant I listen in silence The door for this world is sealed shut as you dwell in a cage of For Her quiet footfall and sudden laughter. timeless ecstasy. Tonight the flowers are most bewitching And beauty is perfect in my garden. —Sunil P. Narayan O my elusive Eternal Bride! The full moon is here— The chariot of life Isn’t the season to harvest near? I lived in my surface being —Shyam Kumari Filling the moments with cheer Unaware and incognizant Sacrifice of the heart About my life’s jolting steer. Each thought, an alien signature A capsule of love is sitting in my heart Every vibration, a foreign contact It grows like the thick hairs on your mountainous chest Source of this immense universe I sit in a meditative state, chanting your name till Sûrya arises Slowly invades the native inhabitant Calmness and warmth, the two things he taught me Past the grounds of friable reason Or through the frail thirsty emotion Saranyû runs away from him every night, frightened and Living for others I forgot myself secretive For an experience of the lost self. Sunlight rushes into the world as the Aœvinau storm through Within kept burning the secret fire the sky in their chariots As a hidden formula of an early revolution I close my eyes to prevent any pain from occurring To oust the tenants from surface nature But open to see nothing while your breath trickles down my And mold the being in a true Person. neck “Oppose, none can in all the worlds, When He utters the final Word.” Your scent of trees with pine needles containing clear sap This the voice within spoke to me The birds singing a song of romantic mating And lifted my wounded self to heal. No! Don’t feed me your sap, my lord! Now I know from the depths of resistance Rub it onto my lips as if they were your sweat That “I” only shadows the real existence. Altered will be the life’s cosmic traverse, We slither into the corridor under a grassy hill Since He dwells in all the beings’ strife, All the way into another world of playful fairies And infallibly guides our chariot of life. Little moss-covered wooden homes surround a clear clairvoy- ant lake —Rachana Kaur

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 34 The soul’s cry5 A myriad rainbows are ranging; My heart now bears the boon I can stop not, O master, Of thy peaceful silver moon. I would reach the goal; I fly faster and faster— My muses are many of mould A fire-winged soul. But their aim is for One— I stir with my flaming flute My soul is sleepless morning gold, The eternal vast and mute— A sun-fire swan— Its rhythms through my luminous brush In your depths of unfathomed blue On an endless canvas rush; Fronts the virgin coral hue I play and paint all the while And pearls my nude mermaid-speech In its great-winged burning style. That glowing grows inner-rich, The core of a quivering clear In my flawless lines flows Ruby-rapture atmosphere. Heaven’s stream of delight, And the bloom-gold glows Into thunder-light’s splendour, In my flower-flight. Into wild rocky ocean, A spirit—daring, far-leaping Into storm-swift surrender From ranges to ranges sweeping I cast my motion, A vermilion passion, my life On the shimmering slender green top Overtopping mountain and cliff, I am dancing with the dewdrop Tears the veil of Time My life plays with all—and with all With its victor sunrise rhyme. It blends its fluted footfall; All my channels I fill Inspirations come With an intimate One-ward thrill. From a God-white source— And my heart-beats drum O, Lord of beauty, To their wide-open force: Tune, tune thy lyre, Each second and every hour Teach me my duty A stark uplifting power To thy spirit-fire; Releases my soul like a dove Come to me in all thy grace, On the ways of freedom and love Let us stand here face to face,— To the touch of thy crimson kiss, Till a music of heavenly mirth To thy rose-rich intensities. Shall deliver my grief-pursued earth From dreams and bear my soul The response of your smile To its paradise-radiant goal. Illumines my art; Your starhood’s proud will —Nishikanto Is to mate with my heart; I am a clear point and clean Of thy bounding bold javelin,— References I hurry through cloud and snow, Piercing the demon foe,— 1. Sri Aurobindo, Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library, Vol. 5 Driven by thy hand in the fight (Collected poems), Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1972, p. 562. Vindicating the claim of the Light. 2. Kailas Jhaveri, I am with you, Sj. Bhagavan Jena, Jalada, Balasore, Orissa, 2004, pp. 3-5. It is now my decision 3. Dilip Kumar Roy and Indira Devi, The beggar princess: A To play in your play historical drama in five acts, Hari Krishna Mandir, Pune, Only with your vision 1999, pp. 44-45. Of crystal-crownèd day. 4. Narad, Posted at http://www.sriaurobindoashram.info/ under Now my body’s a bowl that brims, e library>disciples>Narad>Poems by Narad. With thy nectar-drenching dreams; 5. Nishikanto, Dream Cadences, Kishore H. Gandhi, Sri And my thoughts are forming, changing; Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, 1946, pp. 11-14.

Winter 2010/2011 Collaboration • 35 Faith consists in being vitally concerned Education is an admirable thing, but it is with that ultimate reality to which I give the well to remember from time to time that Apropos symbolical name of God. Whoever reflects nothing that is worth knowing can be earnestly on the meaning of life is on the taught. —Oscar Wilde The Divine Grace and Power can do every- verge of an act of faith. —Paul Tillich thing, but with the full assent of the Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting sadhak. To learn to give that full assent is As for the future, your task is not to fore- a hard battle. —Plato the whole meaning of the sadhana. —Sri see it, but to enable it. —Antoine de Saint- Aurobindo Exupery Religion is the last refuge of human sav- agery. —Alfred North Whitehead Indeed the starting point is to observe We live in an age when unnecessary oneself, not to live in a perpetual noncha- things are our only necessities. —Oscar Death is not extinguishing the light; it is lance, a perpetual apathy; one must be Wilde only putting out the lamp because the attentive. —The Mother dawn has come. —Rabindranath Tagore To live a pure unselfish life, one must It is easier to fight for one’s principles than count nothing as one’s own in the midst of The secret of health for both mind and to live up to them. —Alfred Adler abundance. —Buddha body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate Love does not cause suffering: what causes Even when no one is seeing, God is watch- troubles, but to live in the present moment it is the sense of ownership, which is love’s ing your actions always. Do everything wisely and earnestly. —Buddha opposite. —Antoine de Saint-Exupery with this awareness. —Sri Sathya Sai Baba The public have an insatiable curiosity to The truth is often a terrible weapon of ag- Nothing in the affairs of men is worthy of know everything, except what is worth gression. It is possible to lie, and even to great anxiety. —Plato knowing. —Oscar Wilde murder, with the truth. —Alfred Adler If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can total- We come nearest to the great when we are Better than a thousand days of diligent ly transform one million realities. ¯ Maya great in humility. —Rabindranath Tagore study is one day with a great teacher. Angelou —Japanese Proverb Love does not consist of gazing at each When the character of a man is not clear to other, but looking outward in the same di- Know how to listen and you will profit you, look at his friends. —Japanese Proverb rection. —Antoine de Saint-Exupery even from those who talk badly. —Plutarch The first duty of love is to listen. —Paul When there is no enemy within, the ene- Be silent, or say something better than Tillich mies outside cannot hurt you. —African silence. —Pythagoras Proverb Happy is the man who has broken the A man is ethical only when life, as such, is chains which hurt the mind, and has given If everyone demanded peace instead of sacred to him, that of plants and animals as up worrying once and for all. —Ovid another television set, then there’d be that of his fellow men, and when he de- peace. —John Lennon votes himself helpfully to all life that is in He who asks questions, cannot avoid the need of help. —Albert Schweitzer answers. —African Proverb What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth. —Jewish Proverb It is better to laugh about your problems Meditation is the discovery that the point than to cry about them. —Jewish Proverb of life is always arrived at in the immediate At times our own light goes out and is re- moment. —Alan Watts kindled by a spark from another person. Only in love are unity and duality not in Each of us has cause to think with deep conflict. —Rabindranath Tagore If we could see the miracle of a single flow- gratitude of those who have lighted the er clearly, our whole life would change. flame within us. —Albert Schweitzer But you can catch yourself entertaining —Buddha habitually certain ideas and setting others Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It aside; and that, I think, is where our It is only with the heart that one can see moves your internal organs around. It en- personal destinies are largely decided. rightly; What is essential is invisible to the hances respiration. It is an igniter of great —Alfred North Whitehead eye. —Antoine De Saint-Exupery expectations. —Norman Cousins

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