Spring 2012 Journal of the of and the Mother Vol. 37, No. 1

Interview with Mona Pinto: Manager of Golconde by Anie Nunnally • The grace of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother: Some reminiscences by K.D. Sethna • Seven guidelines for spiritual living by Larry Seidlitz • Sri Aurobindo’s perspective on Reality by Martha Orton • On the reading of Savitri by Richard Pearson • Current Affairs • AV Almanac • Source Material • Poetry • Apropos

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 1 About the cover This photo of Mona Pinto at Golconde was taken Table of contents in August 1992. It was included in an Ashram Collaboration, vol. 37, no. 1, Spring 2012 exhibition on her husband, the late Udar Pin- to, as well as in a DVD and a book that were From the office ofCollaboration based on the exhibition, “Udar: One of Mother’s children.”(Photo courtesy Gauri Pinto) Notes on this issue...... Larry Seidlitz 3 The authors John Robert Cornell ([email protected]) Current affairs is a writer in Northern California with a particular interest in the Integral Yoga and the American soul. AUM 2012: Roots and branches...... 4 Bridget Horkan (bridget@.org.in), The 2012 Integral Yoga Retreat ...... 4 originally from Ireland, has been living in Auroville Institute for Wholistic Education...... 4 since 2005. She co-founded the Thamarai projects in Savitri Yajna 2012: The year of reading Savitri...... Kumar Sharma 5 Edayanchavadi village, near Auroville. Muthu Kumari, originally from Moratandi vil- Savitri Immersion...... John Robert Cornell 5 lage, joined Auroville in 2005. She is an assistant Auromesa activities...... Tizia O’Connor 6 nurse and yoga teacher and co-ordinates Thamarai SASP retreats focus on the psychic being...... Lynda Lester 6 health and healing centre in Edayanchavadi. Ruth Lamb, R.N., Ph.D. (amaruthama@yahoo. Briefs ...... 6 ca) has a healthcare background in transforma- tive education, administration, clinical practice, AV almanac and international consulting. She coordinates the Advanced Integrative Energy Healing Program at Reclaiming health—A new beginning: Edayanchavady Healing Centre Langara College, Vancouver, Canada...... Ruth Lamb, Bridget Horkan and Muthu Kumari 7 Lynda Lester ([email protected]) is pres- ident of the Sri Aurobindo Association, the publisher of Collaboration. She is also a gifted speaker on Sri Chronicles Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s vision. Anie Nunnally ([email protected]) has The Grace of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother: Some reminiscences...... served on the board of the Foundation for World Edu- cation and is a long-time member of the East-West ...... K.D. Sethna 12 Cultural Center in Los Angeles, where she resides. Interview with Mona Pinto: Manager of Golconde...... Anie Nunnally 19 Tizia O’Connor(tizia@auromesa) is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner and co-founder of Auromesa Center in Hondo-Arroyo, NM. Essays Martha Orton ([email protected]) is Seven guidelines for spiritual living ...... Larry Seidlitz 22 the author of The Quest for Knowledge and Mas- tery and Journey to Oneness, a therapist in Virginia, Sri Aurobindo’s perspective on Reality...... Martha Orton 28 and a faculty member of Sri Aurobindo Centre for On the reading of Savitri...... Richard Pearson 31 Advanced Research. Richard Pearson, a member of the Sri Auro- bindo Ashram since childhood, is an expert on flow- Source material ers and plants, and a contributor to the book Flowers Yogic Force and divine Force...... Sri Aurobindo 33 and Their Messages ([email protected]). Larry Seidlitz ([email protected]) facilitates On opening to the divine Force...... The Mother 35 online courses on Integral Yoga at the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research, , and is The poetry room editor of Collaboration. K.D. Sethna (1904-2011) was a long-time mem- To the sea...... Sri Aurobindo 37 ber of the , a prolific writer, and the editor of Mother , an Ashram journal. From Year of the world...... William Bell Scott 37 He was one of the Ashram’s greatest intellectuals, A meditation...... Paul Hookham 38 who wrote numerous books and articles on varied Sonnet on a sleeping world...... Michael Dillon 38 topics, and was a gifted poet who learned poetry Atonement...... Michael Dillon 38 under Sri Aurobindo’s guidance. Kumar Sharma ([email protected]) is the Arise, my soul! and urge thy flight...... Harriet Martineau 39 Boston-based coordinator of Savitri Yajna 2012. He Love’s Lord...... Edward Dowden 39 is the author of The Age of Ananda: Conscious Evo- lution to the Life Divine (2011; www.ageofananda. net). Apropos ...... 40

2 • Collaboration Spring 2012 From the office of Collaboration Collaboration patrons needed To meet its expenses, Collaboration is in need of more patron subscribers n this issue we feature two articles in our chronicles section dealing with the remark- who could contribute $50-$500 annu- able lives of two Ashramites, K.D. Sethna (a.k.a. Amal Kiran) and Mona Pinto. The ally. We also ask current subscribers first article was originally published in K.D. Sethna’s book, The Vision and Work of Sri to consider making a gift subscription IAurobindo, published by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It deals with some of the significant in behalf of others who may enjoy the turning points in Sethna’s life that were quite obviously aided by the Grace of the Divine. journal. We are trying to expand the I found it interesting and enjoyable both for the light it sheds on his life and work and number of subscribers, and ask for on the ways of the Divine’s Grace. The article helps us appreciate that the successes in his your assistance and support. life and work were largely a result of the Grace. The second Chronicles article, by Anie Nunnally, is about the life and work of the Publisher: Collaboration (ISSN 0164-1522) late Mona Pinto, long-time manager of Golconde residence and guest house. We are is published by the Sri Aurobindo Association publishing this interview now in honor of Mona’s birth centenary which occurred late (SAA), a California nonprofit religious corpora- tion, 2715 W. Kettleman Lane, suite 203-174, Lodi last year on 11.11.11. Mona was highly respected in the Ashram for her dedicated and CA 95242 USA; e-mail: [email protected]. meticulous work for more than 50 years running the Golconde residence and guest Editor: Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar Street, house, perhaps the Ashram’s most prestigious residential facility. The house is known for Vaithikuppam, Puducherry, 605012, India; email: its exceptional spiritual atmosphere and quiet efficiency, simple yet elegant, and its mix [email protected]. The opinions expressed in of Ashram residents and guests. Collaboration are not necessarily those of the edi- tor or the SAA. We follow these articles with three essays. The first by me, Larry Seidlitz, discusses Copyrights: Copyright © SAA, 2012. Pho- seven basic attitudes important in the practice of the Integral Yoga. I partly wrote this tos of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, passages article to complement an earlier one I published in Collaboration on practices in Integral from their works, and excerpts from the books Yoga, which primarily dealt with external activities. This article focuses on the subjective published by the Sri Auro­bindo Ashram Trust are side of the sadhana, which is more central. The seven attitudes I chose, which seemed © Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust unless otherwise noted, and are used here with the kind permission to me essential and complementary, are: aspiration, quietude, equality, sincerity, faith, of the Ashram. harmony and beauty, and patience and perseverance. I have reflected on some of the im- Subscriptions: Send requests to: 2715 W. portant aspects of these attitudes, and their relations with other qualities and each other. Kettleman Lane, suite 203-174, Lodi CA 95242 The second article is by Martha Orton and deals with Sri Aurobindo’s spiritual USA, or call Auromere (209-339-3710 ext. 2) with philosophy, in particular, his perspective on the nature of Reality. This term “Reality” your credit card information; A one-year subscrip- tion (three issues) is $25 ($35 for airmail outside is the one Sri Aurobindo often used as a translation of the Sanskrit term “.” It the USA; a patron subscription is $50 or more). is clearly central to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and to Indian spiritual philosophy in For India residents, send requests along with Rs. general, and is importantly related to other key concepts such as Sachchidananda, the 200 in the name of Larry Seidlitz, 39 Vanniar St., Divine and its relation to the world, and evolution, and the manifestation of Vaithikuppam, Puducherry 605012. a divine life on earth. This article presents in a relatively simple and direct manner many Submissions: Collaboration welcomes writ- ing, photos, and artwork relevant to the Integral of the essential points of Sri Aurobinodo’s philosophy and their interrelations. Yoga and . Submit material by email The third essay is a relatively short one by Richard Pearson that discusses some to: [email protected]; or by post to Collab- essential points to keep in mind regarding the reading of Savitri. Most of these have oration, 2715 W. Kettleman Lane, Suite 203-174, been culled from the conversations of the Mother in her classes, but there are also some Lodi, CA 95242 USA. Collaboration cannot be beautiful anecdotes from Richard’s own experiences. held responsible for loss or damage of unsolicited material. Letters and articles may be edited for In addition to these, we have several articles in our Current Affairs about upcoming style and space considerations. events in the yoga in the US, activities at various US centers, and an ongoing web-based About SAA: The Sri Aurobindo Asso- Savitri reading. In AV Almanac, we have an in-depth article on a health and healing ciation distributes information about Sri Auro- center that was established for villagers and the Auroville community by Ruth Lamb, bindo, the Mother, and Auroville, and supports Bridget Horkan, and Muthu Kumari. Ruth is a Canadian nurse who is bringing energy projects related to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Au- roville, and Integral Yoga activities in America. healing into mainstream health care in Canada, treating patients and training practi- Current members: Lynda Lester, president; John tioners, and has brought her work to Auroville by establishing a healing centre there. Robert Cornell, secretary; Kalpana Patel, trea- This article gives an account of the process of establishing the health center in a Tamil surer; and Margaret Phanes. Collaboration volun- village on the outskirts of Auroville, and is instructive on many levels. teers include Vishnu Eschner and Lucie Seidlitz. In our source material we have selected several pieces from Sri Aurobindo and the Contributions: Donations for the work of the SAA, Auroville, and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Mother regarding the Divine Force and Yogic Force, their nature, and helpful hints on may be sent to SAA. Donations are tax exempt opening to the Divine Force. In the poetry room, we have a fine selection of spiritual under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Rev- poetry, and we conclude with some inspiring quotations in Apropos. enue Code.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 3 Current affairs The 2012 Integral Yoga Retreat The Sri Aurobindo Center South East is pleased to host the 2012 Integral Yoga Retreat this July 18-22 at Furman University. AUM 2012: Roots and branches We invite you to participate in a valuable opportunity to learn more about the many aspects of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother’s Dates: June 21st-24th, 2012 Integral Yoga. The conference offers valuable insights for peo- Venue: Sirius Community, Amherst, MA ple of all ages through activities, discussions, and lectures. The retreat will also include daily physical fitness, meditation and experiential sessions. With powerful speakers from India and This year’s gathering of friends around the vision of Sri Au- the United States, attendees will be richly rewarded with a better robindo and Mother focuses on Auroville and student exchange. understanding of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and For years Living Routes has facilitated young people experiencing its practical application to our everyday lives. For registration Auroville and supervising volunteer work throughout the com- and additional details, visit www.sriaurobindoyogaretreat.com munity for college credit. The root is Auroville and its vision, the or call: 864-248-1571. branches are the Auroville Internationals and the living nourish- Confirmed Speakers:Dr. Alok Pandey, Sraddhalu Ranade, ment are the flows of visitors and Aurovilians back and forth Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Narad (Richard Eggenberger). who have or grow into a deeper connection. The gathering will Registration Options: be experiential and include Awareness Through the Body, Hatha Adult Occupant (Housing, Meals, & Conference Fee): $299/ Yoga and Pranayama along with panel discussions including person (No daily rate available; average cost per day: $60) Skyped-in speakers. Student Occupant (Housing, Meals, & Conference Fee): $199/ Our host in Amherst is the Sirius Community where Au- person (No daily rate available; requires a student ID; average roville exchange students helped work on their main hall, mem- cost per day: $40). bers have a long connection with Findhorn (celebrating its 50th Commuter Only (Meals and Conference Fee): $99/day (Three this year) and Auroville. meals per day); $199/2 days or more. Make your travel plans now with arrival Thursday 6/21 af- Children 12 and under are free. ternoon and departure Sunday 6/24 after lunch. Sirius is closest Payment: Pay online or send a check to: Sri Aurobindo Cent- to Bradley International Airport in Hartford which often has the er Southeast, Inc., 60 Pointe Circle, Greenville, SC 29615. best prices as well. Boston’s Logan and Albany and New York City airports can be considered based on all the considerations (if you plan to rent a car). Use Kayak to check airline times and prices. Institute for Wholistic Education We will help as much as possible to find rides and overnight ac- commodations on Sunday night so you can stay through lunch The Institute for Wholistic Education has begun showing and fly Monday. Directions to Sirius are at this link. DVD sessions of talks by Sri M.P. Pandit commenting on Sri Au- Per person rates for three days including vegetarian meals: robindo’s teaching on a regular basis on Saturday evenings this • Commuters (includes lunch and dinner) $150. spring. Friends gather for dinner, viewing and a brief meditation • Camping on site (bring your own equipment) $240. thereafter. Those interested to attend may contact the Institute to • Shared room $340. be put on the list for updates as new dates and times are arranged. • Private room* $420. The Institute has added articles, audio talks, and chanting of Please pay by check payable to Matagiri and mail it to: mantras by M.P. Pandit to the website www.mppandit.com Matagiri, PO Box 676, Woodstock NY 12498. The systematic daily blog review ofThe Life Divineis pro- Housing at Sirius is limited. Rooms will be allocated in the ceeding and has now reached the chapter “The Ascent Towards order checks are received. Refunds less 5% until May 31st. Dona- Supermind.” There are close to 900 organized blog posts now tions to Matagiri in support of the AUM are needed and welcome available for anyone who would like to follow up on this para- and are tax deductible. graph by paragraph, chapter by chapter review either in whole We hope some scholarships will be available. Please let us or in part. The blog is posted at http://sriaurobindostudies.word- know if you need financial aid in order to attend. press.com The Life Divine should be completed by mid-summer. *Private rooms will be in U Mass dorms ten minutes away. Thereafter we propose taking up the six chapters ofThe Mother, Four private rooms share two baths. If you require a private room and thereafter The Synthesis of Yoga. This blog represents a sys- with a private bath please check out local motels and B&Bs in tematic study guide to these writings. Amherst. Contact: Institute for Wholistic Education, 3425 Patzke Lane, Donate via credit card to Matagiri: Racine, WI 53405, USA; 262-619-1798; www.wholisticinstitute. http://www.razoo.com/story/Matagiri-Sri-Aurobindo-Center org; [email protected]

4 • Collaboration Spring 2012 Savitri Yajna 2012: The year of reading Savitri by Kumar Sharma

To shine the transformative light of Sri Aurobindo’s magnum opus poem on the world at a time of great stress and strain, fol- lowers of the Master and the Mother have been reading Savitri since the Winter Solstice on 12/22/2011, at the rate of about two pages per day. Their pre-recorded Savitri readings are posted at the website www.SavitriYajna2012.net as an inspirational re- source for all those who are interested in the knowledge and practice of Integral Yoga. The yajna will continue till 12/21/2012 to complete the reading of the poem. You are invited to participate in this Yajna and submit your voice recording of Savitrifor posting at the website, along with During a break of the Savitri immersion: Mateo Needham, Savitri Joy, Vishnu Eschner, and Lucie Seidlitz. (Photo courtesy Lynda Lester) an (optional) brief profile. For more information and a Sign Up form, pleasevisit the website. Volunteering readers can choose tried to read for hearing, so that listeners could enter the sound their birthdays, anniversaries, or other special occasions for their and silence of the epic without needing to read to themselves if two-page reading to be posted. We will try to assign you the they wanted. Hearing happened on several levels. There was the date(s) of your choice on a first-come, first-served basis. Please bare perception of the words, clear or indistinct, slow or speedy, indicate your date preferences, if any, from July 1st to December dramatic or plain; the veil of the individual reader thinning or 21st this year, in the Sign Up form. thickening; the vast caravan of worlds transmitted by the poetry. So far, thirty readers from India, the United States, Germany, Reading in a sustained collective setting like this makes and Colombia have taken part in this seva, some of them veteran for an unusual intimacy. Characteristic patterns of each reader readers for decades, and others discovering and reading Savitri stood out crisply for a while against the majestic backdrop of Sri for the first time through this initiative.It would be great if we Aurobindo’s poetry. A voice might seem to massage the words can expand our network, especially tounrepresented continents or hurry past them like a speeding car on the freeway. A voice and countries, so that we will have a truly global range of voices might be slow and determined while another was clear and soft during the second half of The Year of Reading Savitri. Kindly refer and settled in the folds of the epic’s rhythm. One might struggle this message to your friends in uncovered places who might be with comprehension or slow into a clear reverence. As the read- interested to read. ing progressed, the personal patterns seemed to thin or dissolve. With sincere thanks to all current readers, and requesting Gradually some greater presence began to wear through our new voices to participate in The Year of Reading Savitri for a outer personalities, the version of ourselves that we wear to front global audience. Coordinator: Kumar S. Sharma, kssharma@ the world, the habits of thought, the rigidities of attitude and mail.com; www.SavitriYajna2012.net assumption, the bricks and footers of our habitual worldview. Something vast grew above and around us, some other world, some cosmic trance. We found ourselves in a tremendous Savitri Immersion cone of sound, a limitless cave of vision, of terrain and beings, silence and other worlds. Inside the cone there was royalty, vast- by John Robert Cornell ness, great distances and stunning intimacies. We were inside Sri Aurobindo’s yoga in poetic form, his pressing out into English The week of the spring equinox a small group of devotees rhythms and sounds the uncreated and unimagined into images gathered in the yurt on the property of Sri Aurobindo Sadhana and creating-sounds and scenes. The words fell around us like Peetham in Lodi, CA, to immerse ourselves in Savitri. Vishnu and soft rain or thunder. Lightning lit the skies and mountains of Mateo received the inspiration and organized the gathering of 18 subtle worlds. We kept seeing new tellings of evolution’s impos- participants. The ashram offered generous support, encourage- sible ride. We rode to Himalayan altitudes, were privileged to ment, and participation. gaze on immortal goddess eyes again, remembering vaguely that We read together around an inner circle, one at a time, be- strange and breath-taking as they were, they were also strangely tween Wednesday afternoon and Sunday morning, for about familiar. We slipped into the depths of darkness and perversion, 33 hours. There was also an outer circle just for listening. We and hostility surrounded us with him. And we rode the rocket

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 5 of Savitri’s birth and growth. Love came to us, too, in the forest, and the grief and despair of loss. And then with her we went as far inside as we could go to find our soul, which lay in our chest like a happy newborn. While it lasted we sat with and were the high beings and scenery of the worlds and of the vague between places. They came alive in us, broke into our dullness, drew other readers and listeners, sustained our attention. We sat in the theater of crea- tion, listened to the and heroes of old again, became kings and princesses and devouring death and tempting . To some extent we faded away a little and Aswapati and Savitri and - van became the real for a while. We were that to the degree of our capacity to receive and let go. They lived among us in daylight. We heard anew the majesty of Sri Aurobindo’s lines and our own limitations. It was an initiation, and a new hearing of Savitri all-at-once. New, new, new. Wide... Deep... heights and depths. We were in his presence again, looking with his eyes, speaking his Retreat participants explore the spiritual significance of flowers at SASP. words, seeing his seeings, echoing his energy and his cry, stunned (Photo courtesy Bhagavati Merz) by his realizations, thinning into He and She. And then it was over. We passed back from the timeless trance SASP retreats focus on the to the mortal of day and night, work and play, life and psychic being death, with the echoes still alive, and then receding back into the depths. And we brought back home what we could, and more by Lynda Lester than we know. A collective retreat generally attended by 20–30 participants Auromesa activities from northern California is held on the third Saturday of each month at Sri Aurobindo Sadhana Peetham (SASP) in Lodi, CA. The last three gatherings focused on “Introduction to the Psychic by Tizia O’Connor Being,” “Emergence of the Psychic Being,” and “Living in the Psychic Being.” At Auromesa, Wednesday night meditations start at 7 p.m., The aspiration of the retreats was for attendees to experience following a potluck dinner at 6:00 p.m. This year’s broad topic psychic awareness throughout the day. Activities included talks, is Transformation. We focus on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo small-group discussions, participatory exercises, guided medita- and the Mother with themes relating to The Triple Transforma- tions, a multimedia presentation on the psychic flame, coopera- tion—Psychic, Spiritual, and Supramental; Transformation of the tive inquiry (a process fostering group coherence that led to the Nature, of the Mind, of the Vital, of the Physical, of the Subcon- creation of two collages and a play), working with the spiritual scious; Experiences in Transformation. significance of flowers, and listening to music that evoked the Also, on May 26 - 27, 2012, 8 a.m. Saturday - 5 p.m. Sunday psychic being. As part of the youth program ,the children gave a there will be a weekend Re-Treat: Relationships in Yoga. performance called “The Jumping Mouse,” showing how psychic As a Karma Yoga project we will give our magical touch to the can lead to transformation. Airstream. We’ll create a rock garden in front, finish the latilla fence, clean, paint, wall-paper, and add our artistic touches— nothing heavy, but a good way to spend time together. Bring work Briefs clothes, work gloves, hat, swimming gear. Those coming from far away, arrive before dinner on Friday, May 25th. Please register The Seattle meets weekly on Thurs- with Kelly. $33 to cover food. Checks payable to Auromesa. Mail days at 7 p.m., usually in Lake Forest Park, WA. We have oc- to: Kelly Pasholk, PO Box 153, El Prado NM 87529. casional longer retreats on some Sundays. Visitors are always On August 20 - 24, 2012, we will have a Savitri Immersion welcome. Our program incorporates easy movements taken with Rod Hemsell. Please register with Kelly a.s.a.p. as we need from tai chi, yoga, chi gung and mudra chi; reading and discus- to plan for space.. $160. Checks payable to Auromesa; mail to: sion of works on yoga (Integral Yoga and others); Savitri reading; Kelly Pasholk, PO Box 153, El Prado NM 87529. Please include and meditation. Since schedules and meeting places sometimes your contact information, and let us know if you’d like overnight change, please contact Bill Leon for the latest plan: 206-364-6665 accommodations. or 206-914-6663; email: [email protected].

6 • Collaboration Spring 2012 AV almanac

Reclaiming health—A new beginning: Edayanchavady Healing Centre

by Ruth Lamb, RN, MScN, PhD., Bridget Horkan, BA, and Muthu Kumari, BA

The beginning

n 2006 a small team of Canadian nurses were completing a series of internships in North India. This was part of a six year Integrative Energy Healing internship project in Sunlight streams into the airy courtyard of the healing center; covered alcoves in the back and sides provide comfortable places for treat- IDharamsala. Here the Integrative Energy Healing practitioners ments, counseling, or other activities. (Photo courtesy Ruth Lamb) worked with nuns from five nunneries under the auspices of Rinchen Khando, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s sister-in-law. After lunch the village tour is magnificent, a rare opportunity There they taught clinic nuns a three year part-time foundational to glimpse village life: most villagers live in very small two room program in Tibetan Buddhist Integral Healing. The aim was to houses with grass roofs. No furniture. They have a cupboard for promote wellness while utilizing the maximum self-care strate- clothes and pots containing grains and rice stacked up against a gies and the minimum invasive or pharmaceutical approaches. wall. The houses have no or few windows but a door that is almost Just as they completed in the North, Ruth who had been visiting always open. A number of houses had precarious looking electric the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville for a number of years, wires poking through the grass roof to power the television and met Aurovilians Kathy Walking and Bridget Horkan, Manfred, maybe a small fridge. Cooking is done outside on an open fire in and Joseph Vrinte, the latter who was working with Auroville’s a small hut covered by an awning. A few out-houses are visible; health unit. They all decided, along with Ruth’s academic institu- most villagers use the surrounding woods for this function. There tion in Canada, that if the Canadian students were interested, is a village well, no running water in the houses. Near the Ganesha an internship focusing on women and children in the villages temple women wash clothes at a pond that used to be the village’s around the Auroville could be arranged. sole water supply prior to the well. Intermixed with cows, calves In 2007 Ruth coordinated a group of Canadian interns who and dogs, and much laundry hanging over fences and shrubs, they ran the first Integrative Energy Healing internship based out saw a few flourishing kitchen gardens, and some medicine gardens of Auroville working in three Tamil villages. When the intern- developed by the village children. ship was over, and the interns had returned to Canada, Heather The village children obviously enjoy all the attention their Taylor, Judith Ann Donaldson and Ruth, the registered nurses, village is receiving and readily pose for pictures and take many of who had worked in Dharamsala stayed for three more days. their own. (They received an album of pictures as a gift.) When the five young men who were hosting a Tamil Cultural Members of the tour are introduced to two of the seven male day discovered they were still there they invited them to attend. village elders, keepers of the Tamil traditions. They learn a lit- Delighted, they accepted. tle about how western ways have led to disrespect and disregard They arrived at Edayanchavady at 0830 and were welcomed for Tamil customs. And, worse, how the western pharmaceutical at the Thamarai door and blessed. Joining many others they ob- chemical treatment regimes have become primary even replacing served a slide show as one of the young men spoke about Tamil proper diet regimes. Western pills, and better, injections, are the cultural traditions. They were then entertained by youth showing treatment of choice reports the Tamil physician. rather challenging yoga positions, followed by young girls sing- After meeting the elders the tour includes the main village ing traditional songs and moving to the rhythm in traditional temple, an impressive structure, then the village school, and next, dance postures. Street theatre, dynamic and fun to watch came everyone is invited to enter a sad looking abandoned building. next. Just prior to a delicious Tamil lunch served on palm leaves They are told that the building, made of giant granite blocks, is on the floor, they are shown ancient pots and cooking utensils. 1000 years old. It initially was an old way-station for travelers. For example, a large granite rolling pin that, when used, gives off Noting the ancient feel of the building and appreciating the centre micro-particles of granite adding minerals to the diet. square in the middle opening to the sky Ruth thinks, “hmmm,

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 7 This building could be a healing centre.” Interestingly, a week ear- was not to be, or to be elsewhere. Later they received a letter from lier Heather had told Ruth that she would like to donate $2000 to a the village elder council, the panchayat, stating that they are com- project. So after this thought, Ruth went up to Heather and asked mitted to developing the “Old Traditional Building” into a healing if the villagers agreed, would she donate her money to turning this centre. The Tamil Vastu elder has approved the building and told old way-station into a healing centre, and if so, Ruth also would them that it had yogi energy. The village was in agreement. donate $2000. Heather readily said “Yes.” Naively both thought Two building reconstruction quotes were sought. The quote $4000 was a magnificent sum and would be fully adequate. Going chosen was for $12,000 Canadian. This was much more that on this misassumption, they ask Kathy and Bridget, the Auroville Heather and Ruth had anticipated so—the fund raisers among team who work with the village if they all could gather to discuss our students got busy. Funds were raised from the students reg- an idea for a few minutes at the end of the day. Kathy and Bridget istered in the Integrative Energy Healing Program, a three year agree as do the young men. Shortly everyone meets in a small room 700 hour part-time academic and clinical practitioner program, at Thamarai, the Auroville-Edayanchavady community centre. The from graduates of that program, from faculty and staff at Langara idea is shared. The young men from the Village Youth Group im- College in Vancouver, British Columbia. Doug Soo, dean of Con- mediately respond affirmatively. They agree to take the suggestion tinuing Studies and Penny Soo generously hosted a fund raising to their village elders and the village council. They were asked to barbeque at their lovely home overlooking a designer sunset that include a Vastu elder and the ladies who had taken workshops with evening; and a gracious appreciation to Sharlene Oliver, program the interns. assistant at Langara Of these five College, who on her young men, several Set in the middle of a Tamil village, the Edayan- own time organized are attending univer- chavady Healing Centre focuses on health and heal- a fund raiser dance sity, and all of them party and silent auc- are working hard ing as a process of living from the sacred center, from tion in November. to preserve Tamil Thanks also to Ca- culture in their vil- a place of human unity in diversity, and from a place nadian family and lage while support- that honors and supports the planet. friends who contrib- ing modernization uted to this vision. within limits. When Ruth left for The final aspect of the tour included a motorcycle ride to the the next internship in 2008, the team had $14,105.92 Canadian village protector temple and to the Shiva temple several kilom- to deposit in Auroville accounts on behalf of the healing centre eters away placed in an idyllic setting amongst rice paddy fields. construction and employment of a nurse coordinator. Holding on rather carefully as the motor cycle maneuvers a path On Ruth’s arrival in South India in February 2008, the Village with many obstacles, Ruth asked the young man whose bike she Panchayat requested a meeting. Satya from the Youth Group, was on what he thought about the healing centre idea. He re- who had been involved since the first day, was the translator. sponds telling her that some of the young men had already made This evening meeting led to a sense of greater rapport between this suggestion, but it had been turned down. He says, everything Bridget who represents Auroville, Ruth in a rather unique role, was just waiting for the interns to come. Ruth asked him what the Panchayat who represent the village, and Satya and Saty- his mother and father would think of the idea for the village, he amurthy two young men who have championed the idea and smiled and said that they are illiterate and live in one of the grass who provide youth leadership in the village. houses—and he believes they would agree. Following this meeting two estimates for renovation costs After visiting the temples, seeing the beauty and intricacy of the were reviewed, a builder was selected, and an agreed upon Tamil sculpture, and noting the devotion paid to deities, the Cana- amount, $12,000, that could not be exceeded was set. The builder dian team is humbled. This is so different from the Western way. selected had done construction for Auroville and came highly By the next morning when Kathy and Bridget arrive to have recommended by the Panchayat. Subramani has proven to an breakfast, Ruth, Judith Ann and Heather have drafted a mission excellent builder and, with Satya’s assistance, has saved as many statement for the healing centre. Kathy and Bridget were asked to of the ancient building architectural features as possible. edit it and share it with the Village Youth Group and the village Prior to Subramani being able to start construction, the site elders. The nurses then leave for the airport. From there on it is needed to be cleaned, a many hour early Sunday morning project for Kathy and Bridget and the village young men to follow up for 17 interns from Canada, Bridget, Satya and Satyamurthy, coordinating the village–Auroville decision-making processes. plus village youth. This done, everyone was rewarded by chai at Three months later the Canadian team received an email to say a local tea shop. Here the group chatted, laughed, and examined the village was in agreement. A few months on, some villagers had the cows walking by the shop entrance. Next, a puja was required more questions and were unsure. Ruth asked them to fully follow all before the construction could start. The village astrologer pro- village cultural decision making processes as it was fine if the centre vided the day. At 7 a.m. those who wished to participate from the

8 • Collaboration Spring 2012 Canadian group assembled at the Tamil temple across the street Edayanchavady Healing Centre: from the Healing Centre. Bridget joined us as did many youth Original Vision Statement (2007) from the Youth Group. The priest conducted a ceremony and prayer in the temple and then moved us all to the Healing Centre. May we join together in responsible co-creation to honor Here he completed the Puja in the Healing Centre now crowded ancient Tamil healing practices while acknowledging the new with onlookers. science and the evolutionary nature of healing processes as we When the Puja was complete the Canadian group went and look to the future of our children’s children; sat by the village water pond to meditate for a time. May we find ways to embrace the wisdom of the Tamil Elder Healers, providing a space for sharing and learning; The Process May we combine East and West, past and present, and future evolutionary ideas to co-create careers that serve the natural When Ruth and a new group of interns arrived in 2009 the healing and inner wisdom of the body, emotions, mind, and Edayanchavady Healing Centre was open. Subramanu the builder spirit, in addition to protecting this beautiful Earth; had done an excellent job. What was once an abandoned building, May we all share – including the children – in renewing this a catchment for village garbage, had become a welcoming healing granite building of over 1000 years and contribute our love and centre. our labor; The first step before the Canadian team left Auroville fol- May Tamil peoples, and people from all cultures, from baby lowing the successful initial meeting with the young men was to to elder, be welcomed and provided with a range of healing op- develop a mission statement. Here is a slightly revised version of tions designed to support their innate healing potential, their the Mission Statement that reflects more of what is actually hap- karma and dharma; pening at present. May we serve the Mother through our wise and loving dis- cernment, appreciation of harmony and sacred geometry, respect Edayanchavady Healing Centre Mission for vision and detail, and through our courageous action; and May we serve Sri Aurobindo and the Auroville mandate by Remembering: awakening our conscious awareness, deepening our connection The Mother said: The Tamil people have a role to play in the with soul, and realizing the Truth of an evolution of conscious- evolution of consciousness; ness that positively serves the planet and all humanity. Sri Aurobindo said: East and West will join together to create unity in diversity; Original Canadian Team: Ruth Lamb, RN, MScN, PhD; A Tamil story notes: People from foreign lands will make the Heather Taylor, RN, BScN, MSN; Judith Ann Donaldson, RN, desert green again—Auroville. Nurse Midwife. All registered nurses and certified practition- Set in the middle of a Tamil village, the Edayanchavady Heal- ers of Integrative Energy Healing or faculty in the program, a ing Centre focuses on health and healing as a process of living program based in yogic science. Auroville Team: Thamaria Co- from the sacred centre, from a place of human unity in diversity, ordinators, Bridget Horkan and Kathy Walking. Edayanchavady and from a place that honors and supports the planet. In its clini- Youth Club: Sathyamurthy, Sathya, Velu and others. cal and educational endeavors, the Centre integrates, traditional Tamil healing practices, yogic science, integrative energy healing, By 2008 infrastructure was being set in place, for example: and complementary biofield or life force approaches to health, formal village permissions received; construction plans, con- and, where applicable, the new science and research that pro- tract, start and completion dates set; discussions on the Centre motes self-mastery and self-care from the East and West. administration and mandate occurred; an advisory committee However, the Centre’s primary aim is to promote natural heal- selected and meetings with subcommittees established; an excel- ing modalities and provide wellness-based primary health educa- lent half-time Tamil health care provider, Muthu was hired; a tion for children, adults and the elderly. Where possible, efforts village health needs assessment had been started with the assis- will be made to include the healing wisdom gifted to the planet tance of village women’s groups; a list of Tamil Elder healers had by the Tamil people and to re-establish ancient Tamil healing been started; donations of a stereo and tapes, etc. had been grate- practices. fully accepted from Aurovilians; some draft policies and proce- dures had been developed and communication with other health Immediately after developing the mission statement the agencies were in process. Many other aspects of the project have nurses drafted a vision statement, purpose statement, job and been responsibly shepherded through by Bridget, Purani, Satya, role description for the nurse coordinator and a description and Satyamurthy and Lourdes. Manfred from Auroville’s health cen- contract for volunteer commitment, and a time-line for construc- tre graciously agreed to share Muthu who was his employee with tion completion and program development. The original Vision us. And nurses who used to provide teaching under a tree in the Statement follows. village due to lack of space, would use the centre.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 9 By 2009 the work included establishing infrastructure with culturally and professionally appropriate policies and procedures and standards for the Centre; analyzing the village health needs assessment and determine how the Centre can respond; deter- mine initial programs; develop a time-line for program starts; in- terview village woman and men’s groups to ensure they are aware of the Centre mandate, and hear what they feel is important for themselves, their families and the village; interview Tamil Elder healers—one of the reasons for the Centre’s existence is to develop a sustainable curriculum that shares these world views bringing health promotion practitioner programs forth as well as smaller courses. This is how the advisory committee hopes to provide ongoing funding for the Centre—by having teachers volunteer and those who are non villagers pay a fee for program attendance. Thamarai, the Healing Centre’s more established sister asso- ciation, played an enormous role in assisting in the development of the Healing Centre. Here is an excerpt from the Thamarai Janu- ary 2010 newsletter, it speaks to the Thamarai mission and to the Two of the Canadian interns provide energy healing treatment to a Healing Centre, here called the Health Education Centre: client from the local village. (Photo courtesy Ruth Lamb) menstruation course for fourteen year old girls who are also Thamarai learning how to make cloth pads; there is also a course for young- er girls on doll making and story-telling. The elderly come for “Thamarai aspires towards the ideals of Human Unity and massage and health teaching, village women come for yoga, and Evolution of Consciousness by providing spaces and opportuni- once a year the Integrative Energy Healing interns come to offer ties that support relationship building, progressive learning and biofield-based health teaching and Integrative Energy Healing growth” between Auroville and the surrounding villages. treatments with self-care teaching. They also include the children in teaching them biofield-based wellness and health building Thamarai Community & Learning Centre strategies. The medicine garden and kitchen garden projects are being initiated. Founded in November 2006, offers daily play group sessions By 2010 Muthu was ready to add a full curriculum on chil- for preschool children, after school programs for school children dren’s primary health care which covers the topics of under- and special weekend programs including educational tours and standing the body system, hygiene, nutrition, first aid, common exchange programs for children, youth and women. The lively ailments and diseases, natural remedies, yoga and concentration Centre, hosted in a restored traditional Tamil house, is also a techniques, energy body, practices to maintain physical, emo- meeting place for Aurovilians and village groups. tional and mental health and environmental heath. By 2011 the children’s program had been offered to 120 chil- Thamarai’s Health Education Centre dren on a regular basis from the Edayanchavady school. What is more, teachers from another village requested the same curricu- Now a year old, offers daily health education and yoga classes lum for their school children. In 2011 when the Canadian interns and basic healing facilities in its own premises. Both Centers arrived at the Healing Centre they conducted daily children’s are run on donation basis and activities are offered by a team wellness and health building programs as well as healing clinics of 30 volunteers from the village and Auroville as a co-creative, for adults and the village elderly, plus for guests from Pondi- cross-cultural learning adventure. Muthu-kumari has admirably cherry and Auroville. steered Thamarai’s health education & healing centre through its As we write this update for 2011 the following programs are first year. A qualified yoga teacher and assistant nurse, she pro- well developed: Health education, and basic healing techniques vides daily health education. for children and adults; yoga and breathing techniques includ- Muthu Kumari, the Edayanchavady Healing Centre nurse ing energy healing; acupuncture; stretching exercises; steam coordinator, has been instrumental in ensuring the success of ball massage; and nutritional and herbal courses for children. the centre. By late 2009 and 2010 she had developed a primary Muthu completed the Perfect Eye Sight Ashram Program in health teaching series for school children; she also offers herbal Pondicherry and has brought her new-found knowledge about massage; health education; nutritional courses and herbal rem- eye therapy to the Healing centre. She has checked the eyesight edy courses, for example making teas and herbal remedies for of children who attend classes as well as the adults who come for designated health problems; provides regular yoga classes; a treatments. Of the 96 children who received eye examinations,

10 • Collaboration Spring 2012 15 discovered that they needed eye exercise therapy. The children very diverse groups can work together to co-create a new vision. are now coming to the Healing Centre for 30 minute eye therapy Muthu, herself from a Tamil village provided professional sup- sessions to begin improving their vision. These sessions are en- port and multifaceted programming—all increasingly valued joyed and appreciated by all. and advancing to new educational offerings. Muthu reports that the headmaster of PUMS, S. Ponnanan- In 2010 when new members were accepted on the village than, and teacher, S. Ayyanar, wish to continue the connection Panchayat, not everyone agreed with the Healing Centre. There with Healing Centre for the benefit of the children and village. was a lobbying effort to close it and use the building for other The BRTE (Block Resource Teacher Educator), Lakshmanan, village uses. This created conflict in the village and probably from BRC (Block Resource Center) in Vanur Block, came to within the Panchayat. By late spring 2011when Ruth arrived with observe the children’s activities in the Healing Centre. He was the interns she was invited to meet with the Young Men’s Youth happy with what he witnessed and wished for the connection group, with delegates from the group, and then with the village between PUMS and the Healing Centre to continue. Lakshmanan Panchayat and village men for an early morning meeting in the also wants other government schools to have the same opportuni- Temple. The outcome from her perspective needed to be a village ties for health education. In a local newspaper, it was advertized outcome. Either the original agreement was respected or not, for that PUMS had connections with the Healing Centre. The article her it was a lesson in multicultural co-creation—for the village it revealed the pride of that connection. was to use the funds for a Healing Centre as agreed by leadership Several volunteers from Auroville came to visit the healing groups, or to subvert the original agreement depriving the village Centre to learn about the village-Healing Centre connection, of much needed growing effort to promote natural Health and educational and clinical programs. They observed the activities self-care and self-mastery strategies within the village for villag- offered for about two hours. ers of all ages. The incident ended peacefully as the elders did not Plus our new- press the matter est programs: There are innumerable creative options for promoting and the centre Child Protec- continues to tion class: Each natural healing, wellness-based and health-building strat- thrive on the Saturday Surya- original agree- gandhi and Selvi egies to villagers, and the villagers and students, plus ment that the come to talk to their teachers are all avid promoters of this wellness building is of- the children fered rent free about protection initiative. as the village’s issues and are contribution to introducing the its existence. “be true not violent” program. Nutrition Class: Muthu takes a class of 12 teenagers on Saturday mornings for Nutrition classes Future Prospects that promote the use of low cost, freely available ingredients and reinforces awareness of the benefits of good nutrition. Dental The spring of 2013 brings another phase of the program for- Treatment: The dental clinic continues to hold their service for ward. The original three nurses and perhaps an internship team cleaning and check up each Friday morning. Alcohol Awareness: from Canada will initiate a three year part-time train the trainer Muthu has started training with the AA association in village ac- Integrative Energy Healing program for villagers hosted from tion headquarters once a month, and several patients with alcohol Irumbai Village Action Centre. Anbu and Morris, the coordina- problems present to the Healing Centre for advice on health. tors of the Action Centre, have worked with Ruth and the Ca- As can be seen there are innumerable creative options for nadian interns for five years, several educational days have been promoting natural healing, wellness-based and health-building held, and numerous Integrative Energy Healing clinics—these strategies to villagers, and the villagers and students, plus their experiences have led to this new initiative. The three-phase pro- teachers are all avid promoters of this wellness initiative. gram is being specifically designed for village men and women who wish to learn basic Integrative Energy Healing techniques, Reflections and are willing to present these techniques to interested villagers living within the bioregion. A children’s program will be held at From the very start, the Young Men’s Village Youth Club has the Healing Centre. been instrumental—without their efforts this endeavor would Meeting villager needs and providing tools for self-care and not have been initiated or sustained. The co-creative efforts of self-mastery from a Natural Healing health building perspective Kathy Walking and Bridget Horkan from Auroville provided the hopefully will become part of a global initiative—one that can infrastructure support and tone that supported the vision, and embrace village and city in the East and the West: Together Unity the success of Thamarai gave them the insight into how three in diversity can build a better health-focused future for us all.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 11 know which of the two siddhis—multi- Chronicles presence and polyglottism—appealed to me more. Perhaps the latter struck me as the more unusual in a Yogi. But neither drew me into any Virgilian stretching of The Grace of hands for love of the other shore. I must Sri Aurobindo and have been especially dense: many have become Aurobindonians at a slighter pull. the Mother: I continued my quest. But there was Some reminiscences also the ordinary life and its material needs. One day I noticed that my shoes looked rather shabby. So I drove myself by K.D. Sethna to visit the market for a new pair. I never thought the Gods could have anything to do with such a locality, though I had This article is reprinted from the author’s read of Bacon’s idola fori, “idols of the book, The Vision and Work of Sri Auro- market-place.” I bought the shoes I had bindo (second revised and enlarged edition, wanted and the shopman wrapped the 1968/1992, published by the Sri Aurobindo box up in a newspaper sheet. When, at Ashram, pp. 136-152). Special thanks go to home, I unwrapped it, the part of the sheet Shyam Kumari for suggesting the article, that fell over right in front of me bore the The late K.D. Sethna (a.k.a. Amal Kiran) in and for providing it in electronic format. his later years. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo headline in bold type, “The Ashram of Ashram) Sri Aurobindo Ghose.” It was like a sun- There is a lot of “I” in these reminis- burst. A visitor had written a long article. cences. But that is an unavoidable acci- I thus learned a few methods of medita- I devoured it and when I got to the end dent. For, they are penned not because tion but the central self in me remained and understood how the Ashram of Sri of the person to whom certain things unsatisfied. Aurobindo’s Yoga stood for a new life not occurred: they are penned because of the Then—of all persons—a Theosophist rejecting but transforming the main ac- things themselves. And if the person has broke the name of Sri Aurobindo to me. tivities of man (including perhaps even any significance it is that he serves to set That I should bump into a Theosophist the market-place), I rose up with the con- off all the more the incalculable play of who should speak of what he termed Sri viction that I had found what I had been Grace from the Karmic Law of Deserved Aurobindo’s Cosmic Consciousness and seeking. Soon after, I wrote to the Ashram Returns. not preach to me of the “White Lodge” asking for permission to come. I got the and the “Great Masters” and the Isis- permission and some months later—in Part I unveiling Madame Blavatsky—this was a December 1927—I reached Pondicherry. touch of Sri Aurobindo’s Grace already. The shoes I had gone to buy were meant It all goes back to the very beginning What made it the more Grace-ful was that by Sri Aurobindo to be those of a Pilgrim! of my spiritual search. Something had the Theosophist told me: “Nobody except awakened, of which I had never dreamt Sri Aurobindo will satisfy the complex Grace in the next ten and a half years in my ultra-modern philosophy. And as problem that you are, particularly the side during which I was an Ashramite—with a result I who had always kept my head of you which on the one hand is poetic the name ‘Amal Kiran’ given by Sri Aurob- intellectually high and looked down with and on the other philosophic.” indo and explained by him as ‘The Clear a cool superior smile at the heat and A little later I came across a booklet Ray—is a story apart. I shall not deal with hurry of that strange thing called “God- in which there was a picture of Sri Auro- its abundance now. I pick up the thread intoxication” —I looked around hungrily bindo. I do not remember what the book- from when I went back to Bombay for a in the mundane twentieth-century city of let was entitled or who its author was. long stay, keeping in contact inwardly, as Bombay for those flitting figures out of Two memories have stayed with me: Sri well as by correspondence, with Sri Au- the past, clad in ochre robes—the sadhus Aurobindo was credited with the power of robindo and the Mother but outwardly and sannyasis. Several of them I caught being in several places at once and he was unable to return and resume my life in the in various corners of the metropolis and described as a great linguist, having Greek Ashram. Of course I used to make short questioned about the Unknown that had and Latin as his tongue’s tip and knowing trips. And one of them was for the darshan come like a wind out of nowhere into my French like a Frenchman—apart from be- of November 24, 1950. life and blown away all my worldly wits. ing, of course, a master of English. I don’t It was reported that Sri Aurobindo

12 • Collaboration Spring 2012 was not keeping well. I knew that he had in the deepest darkness that may try to had been realised in her. The strange complete control of the physical being. cover me. golden light that many saw upon his body So whatever illness might be his would But the whole afternoon and even- that lay without a touch of discolouration be something which he had consented to ing of December 5 in Bombay were a cry or decay for five days was a sign of the tri- for some inscrutable purpose—had con- to get back to Pondicherry and see once umph that he had wrested for the earth by sented to and yet would fight against in more the countenance which had granted sacrificing his own physical frame. order to work out some paradoxical vic- that sweet parting grace. I requested the Deep within, each of us felt the glory tory. But there was a little tremble in my sister of a friend of mine, whose efficiency that looked outwardly a tragedy. But the nerves. Everything, however, seemed to I admired, to manage somehow a seat for little human heart in us, the outer emo- go right when as usual we saw the calm me on the night-. She herself and an- tional self, could not always share in the magnificence that was he—grand and gra- other Aurobindonian who had returned sense of this glory. And I who had de- cious at the same time, sitting beside the with me from Pondicherry wanted also pended so much on Sri Aurobindo in all radiant Mother. to come. So I said, “We must have three my writing work—when he had woken to From the other end of the long room seats.” The air-office declared that no seats inspiration the labouring poet, stirred to across which we were going up to both were available. There was the additional literary insight the fumbling critic, shaped of them I saw the Mother glance ahead problem of securing accommodation at out of absolute nothing the political com- and then lean a little to one side and say Nagpur where our plane would touch mentator—I who had almost every day something to Sri Aurobindo. His face down and people not only from Bombay despatched to him some piece of writing broke into a smile and he kept looking and but from Delhi and elsewhere would catch for consideration felt a void at the thought smiling. My wife who was just behind me another plane to reach Madras. It might that he would not be in that room of his, said afterwards that he was smiling until I become possible to go up to Nagpur; but listening so patiently to my poetry or disappeared into the next room through what then? My friend’s sister would accept prose and sending me by letter or telegram which we had to pass out again. Such a no defeat. She pleaded with the officials to his precious guidance. A fellow-sadhaka thing he had never done with me before. keep inquiring in all directions. After anx- spoke to the Mother about my plight. On On the night of December 3, I caught ious hours we heard that just three seats December 12 the inmates of the Ashram the train for Madras on way to Bombay. could be found right up to Madras owing met her again and each received from The Mother was to meet us before we left, to sudden cancellations in several places. her hands a photograph of Sri Aurobindo but owing to a slight turn for the worse We arrived at Madras early next morn- taken after his passing. It was dusk, as far in Sri Aurobindo’s condition the meeting ing and took a taxi to Pondicherry. By 11 as I recollect. She must have seen a certain was said to be cancelled. Then suddenly we were in Sri Aurobindo’s own room, helplessness on my face. Smiling as she news was brought that she would see me. I standing beside the glorious body with alone could do, she looked me in the eyes rushed to the Ashram courtyard and at the the face on which there was not merely and said, “Nothing has changed. Call for bottom of the central staircase she came the far look of peace that one often finds inspiration and help as you have always and sat in a chair while I sat at her feet. when the soul has gone out: here was the done. You will get everything from Sri Au- Cool and “translucent” she was as ever and look of a victorious tranquillity, a power robindo as before.” we talked of several things connected with that with no effort, with no loss of peace, This was simultaneously the Grace of my work. was radiating itself and breaking through Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, the crown- A day or so before fixing my departure all obstacles in the earth’s consciousness. ing touch to all that they had done in those I had had a vague feeling that I should Never in all our years in the Ashram had three weeks from November 24 onwards stay on. But I gave no importance to it. I there been such an overwhelming experi- for a poor aspirant whose dependence on reached Bombay in the afternoon of De- ence of what Sri Aurobindo himself had them was abject. cember 5 and before I could leave the sta- called in a line of poetry—Force one with tion a telegram by a friend in the Ashram unimaginable rest.” With a thundering in- I went back to Bombay with the prayer was brought to me from my house that Sri tensity, as it were, from above our heads within me that soon, very soon the Mother Aurobindo had withdrawn from his body the presence and power of Sri Aurobindo might help me and my wife to be near her. early the same morning. plunged down to the depths of the heart. At least the second Pilgrimage became a In the midst of this news that shook Sri Aurobindo had never done anything possibility. As if from something above me to my foundations and still shakes so stupendously creative as his own pass- the head, some uplifted luminous watch- me somewhat after all these years of un- ing from the body! ing Will, as it were, the decision seemed derstanding why Sri Aurobindo took so Later I learned from the Mother that to come in February 1953. When it was drastic a step, I remembered how he had the moment he had left his body what he conveyed to the Mother, she confirmed shed that wonderful sustained smile. The had termed the Mind of Light, the physi- its authenticity. But to make the decision thought of it is always a quenchless light cal mind receiving the supramental Light, practicable in terms of rupees, annas and

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 13 pies was not easy. During one of my short me with a gift of the exact amount which “Well, it must suit me. Will you give visits, I laid before her all the difficulties. I had mentioned to the Mother and which me the address and write to the landlord At that time I was somewhat hard-up and she had confirmed. And, to take me to the about me?” I said, “Mother, I must have Rs. 500 to set- Ashram of Sri Aurobindo, it had to be ap- He scribbled the address down—13 tle a few matters and pay for a thorough propriately an article on Sri Aurobindo rue Ananda Rangapoullé—and I went migration with my wife and our dog.” The and his Ashram! with it to Pondicherry. When I showed it Mother replied, “You must have Rs. 500.” the Ashram people they were surprised. I went back and fixed the time of the In connection with my second coming It was the very flat that the Mother had second Pilgrimage a few months ahead. home there is the extraordinary incident approved of but had been snatched away Weeks rolled by, but there appeared no of the house in which I was to be put. at the last minute. Aided by a sadhak who prospect of those Rs. 500 materialising in Although I got those Rs. 500, I could not knew the landlord well, I got the place a lump sum. In the December of the previ- carry out the migration as planned. A few transferred with ease, and moved into it in ous year an American journalist, Harvey months earlier I had heard from the Ash- February 1954. Breit, had come to Bombay with a scheme ram Secretary that a certain flat had been The Mother’s Grace is a tactician of of the Ford Foundation for a special selected for me with the approval of the unthinkable accuracy. It seemed to with- India-supplement to the Atlantic Monthly. Mother. But the negotiation fell through. draw, as it were, during the first negotia- I met him and he commissioned an ar- A man in Pondicherry stepped in and tions. But that was evidently a matter of ticle on Sri Aurobindo and his Ashram. took away the flat. The Secretary wrote “reculer pour mieux sauter“ —drawback I wrote my piece, to me that the house-problem remained for a better leap 2000 words or so. forward.” And It was approved. I The Mother’s Grace is a tactician of unthink- when it leaped, it asked hesitatingly was with an in- whether there able accuracy... The Mother’s Grace is just the fallible aim. The would be any pay- number of fac- ment. “Of course,” Mother herself—unexpected in turn and attentive tors combining was the answer, to the smallest detail. to bring me my “we’ll write to you destined flat on from the States.” a platter is quite But even after months there was no sign unsolved and was difficult to solve. He big. The man who had butted in must be of payment. Now the September of the suggested that I should myself make a trip known to me: his business had to force next year was approaching, the month in and help in the solution. him to leave Pondicherry: he had to be which I had fixed my return to Pondicher- I arranged to come for the darshan of present at a particular place at a precise ry. Within a fortnight of D-Day (Divine November 24 and stay on till December minute: he had to catch sight of me: he Day, of course) I got a letter from America. 9. I rang up a travel agency and made had to bring up the subject of my settling It said that a cheque was enclosed on the sure about my ticket. A day before leav- in Pondicherry. The Mother’s Grace is just Ford Foundation’s account in an Indian ing Bombay I went by bus to the agency the Mother herself—unexpected in turn Bank. I unfolded the cheque. There, unbe- office to collect it. The bus stops a little and attentive to the smallest detail. lievably, was an order for Rs. 500. Not a pie way off from the office. I got down and more, not a pie less. was about to walk towards the office when On February 29, 1956, I left for Bom- But the story of the Grace does not end somebody hailed me from the bus stand. bay on account of my grandfather, 98 here. A week later I received another let- It was a young man I had been introduced years old, who had been threatening to ter. It was apologetic, saying that owing to in Pondicherry, a merchant. After the expire for quite a long time. The Mother to certain unavoidable circumstances the mutual “Hullo,” I was asked where I had had told me that I should be back before supplement had to be cut down consider- been hurrying. Mentioning the office, I March 29. It was the year in which great ably and that though my article was much said, “I am preparing to go away to Pondi. things were expected. I left by the morn- appreciated it could not be used. This did I shall settle there.” ing train, reached Madras in the evening not mean the withdrawal of the payment. “Where will you be putting up?” and caught the night mail to Bombay. The payment would be made and I was “God knows! Nothing fixed. I’ll have I went to sleep in the compartment even told that the compilers claimed no to hunt for a flat.” and had a dream. I saw a wide open place, right on my article: it could be sold by me “But why? I have a flat there. And as with the Mother seated at one end and anywhere else. my business is not at all looking up I am people going to her to make pranam. I So my article went all the way from In- clearing out. Why don’t you take the place was at the very boundary of the place. It dia to the United States and came back to over?” seemed I might miss the chance of the

14 • Collaboration Spring 2012 pranam. So I tried to hurry. But in the that your grandfather will pass away hurry I somehow could not get my feet shortly.” out of my slippers and in the excite- It was rather important that I ment I woke up. When I opened my should be in Bombay when he would eyes I saw, against the opposite berth die: the family situation and the finan- and the facing wall of the compart- cial problems demanded my presence ment, the Mother standing. Her body there to take charge of everything. So was in shadow, her face was in moon- I took the Mother’s words as again a light and both were transparent so that visitation of her Grace. But it proved through them I could see the wood- difficult to book a berth from Ma- work and a part of the upholstery of dras. None was available till May 8. the berth. I kept gazing for some time. I told the Mother that I would be Not believing my eyes, I shut them and able to leave only on May 7 from opened them again. It made no differ- Pondicherry. “Will this be all right?” ence to the vision. There still stood the She smiled and said, “Yes.” Then she transparent form of the Mother, the added, “I have been packing you with face softly shining. After looking for power all these days.” a quarter minute I once more shut my The train was delayed a little and eyes. When I reopened them the form I reached Bombay towards 4 p.m. on was gone. May 9. Everybody was surprised at On reaching Bombay I wrote to the my sudden appearance. Grandfather Mother about this mysterious appari- had unexpectedly taken a bad turn. tion. I got no reply, but after a time I The doctor was pessimistic, but, wise received letters from my wife in which with past experience, did not dare to it was said that the Mother wished Amal Kiran, “the clear ray,” in his younger years as the make any prediction. In the course me to return soon. From a friend I editor of Mother India, “Sri Aurobindo’s journal.” (Photo of the next morning grandfather got the hint that something wonderful courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) breathed his last. And, strange to say, had happened. I came back as soon as I who had come from a 1000 miles I could. What had happened was the Supramental Manifestation was expected away happened to be the only mem- long-awaited Manifestation of the Super- here, I promised you that I would let you ber of the family present to see him die. mind as a universal Force in the earth’s know at once? I came to you now in fulfil- Nobody else, in spite of living in the same subtle-physical atmosphere. And it had ment of my promise.” house, could appear in time for it when happened on February 29, late in the even- I was absolutely overwhelmed. The summoned by his secretary. ing, during the collective meditation with promise had been kept after no less than 18 In the management of grandfather’s the Mother, in the spacious playground of years! I could only stammer out, “Mother, affairs I was amazed how the several fac- the Ashram. you came to inform me, a person like me? tions in the family disappeared and all Word got round that the Mother had Oh, I feel so grateful, so grateful…” worked as one. Whether I was directly remarked, “Only five people knew what Perhaps after this, everything would thinking of the Mother or no, something took place, two in the Ashram and three read like an anti-climax. But the Mother’s seemed to move irresistibly as if the power outside.” To get some clarification I took Grace has a variety and a versatility that which she had “packed” into me unfolded the report to the Mother. She said that cannot but be marvellous. I have already itself automatically and brought success she had not referred to people’s know- spoken of my grandfather who had been everywhere. The most impossible-looking ing what had taken place: she had meant long a-dying and making fools out of the things became child’s play. that something extraordinary had been best doctors who, night after night, kept Announcing grandfather’s demise to experienced by five people as a result of predicting the worst within hours, only the Mother I wrote jocularly of my new the Manifestation: they might not at all to find that the next morning he would status as the eldest male survivor in the have been aware of the true nature of the be heartily munching his breakfast. In the family. She replied, to my astonishment, event. And she added, “Among those out- middle of April, 1957, he seemed to get “You say as a joke ‘Now I am the grand old side, I counted you. You wrote to me of over his troubles very markedly. He was man of the family!’—but it is not a joke, your experience in the train on the night enjoying the best health he had known for it is true; for all in your grandfather that of February 29. Well, I had come to inform months. But just at that time the Mother was turned towards the good and the right you. Don’t you remember that many years suddenly called me to say, “You must go to went straight into you when he left his ago, when you went to Bombay and the Bombay soon. I have a strong impression body.” Of course the good and the right,

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 15 acting as if in tune with grandfather’s own A further point added to the apparent if at the same time the equally historical will, were much needed by me in man- quixotism: Mother India had, as part of its internal autonomy of Tibet were granted. aging his estate to everyone’s satisfaction. aim, the object of plunging into political Our uncompromising protest, argued out And the Mother’s remark showed clearly problems with a spiritual vision. It strove at great length, created a bit of stir in In- that she had been occultly watchful over to look at national and international situ- dian parliamentary circles. Perhaps even all the results of the working of her Grace. ations from the height of Sri Aurobindo’s more disturbing to current thought was thought. In the hubbub of political slogans the protest, voiced in three slashing edito- Part II it brought a standard of judgment that rials, against recognition of Red China—a was non-political. In general this stand- protest based on an all-round survey of the February 21, the birthday of the Moth- ard may be summed up by saying that in situation. We also spotlighted the delusion er, is also the day on which Mother India every field of activity the aim was to criti- that there could be real cultural bonds be- was born, 71 years later. And the day of cize whatever militated against human- tween India and any country wedded to its birth in 1949 had behind it a special ity’s instinct of an evolving within totalitarianism, or that a China gone Red outbreak of the Grace of Sri Aurobindo itself and to give the utmost constructive and furiously working for world-com- and the Mother. help to all that encouraged that instinct. munism would have no aggressive inten- The journal was in several senses Without flinching, Mother India spoke tions against India. In regard to Pakistan a desperate venture. It was the idea of a forth on many political subjects in direct there was the same attempt on our part businessman, K.R. Poddar, but conceived contradiction of official or popular ideas. to look into the heart of the matter and without any judge issues narrow con- from insight cern for busi- In everything our guide was the vast and impartial into the psy- ness: it sought chological and to make cur- yet dynamically precise wisdom of Sri Aurobindo, occult forces at rent the gold of and we did not care whether we found favour with work behind a spiritual light the scene of at any mate- persons or institutions, whether our circulation soared the immediate rial expense, physical event: and there was or slumped as a result of our unconventional views. India, however no calculation varied, is indi- made about visible and her the length of time it might take for that Those were the days when Stalin over- wholeness must somehow return if her celestial coinage to be accepted. It was be- shadowed, almost overawed, the world, full destiny is to be fulfilled: partition, a cause Sri Aurobindo and the Mother had especially the Asian world. But Mother product of perverse or panicky politics, taken interest in the project and blessed it India, while never advocating stark indi- violated the country’s essential oneness that the journal was launched in the form vidualism or boosting rank capitalism, of being, it cut up the bodily symbol, as of a fortnightly in the midst of that very never hesitated to expose the sham of the it were, of the single Goddess-Spirit by centre of frantic business, the commercial Stalinist sociology and its rigid negation whose presiding genius this manifold na- capital of India, Bombay, where the word of the two beliefs or intuitions that are the tion had been enabled to live its history of “Spirit,” if it meant anything at all, might authentic stamp of homo sapiens: the key- cultural synthesis and diverse approaches connote simply what Prohibition puts out importance of the creative individual in to the Infinite. In everything our guide of the way of celebrating or relaxing busi- the evolutionary process, the presence of was the vast and impartial yet dynamically nessmen. The desperateness of the publi- a secret Godhead who can inspire and en- precise wisdom of Sri Aurobindo, and we cation and its sheer need of Grace from lighten the consciousness of the individ- did not care whether we found favour with the Divine was well hit off by the message ual. Mother India went all out in support persons or institutions, whether our circu- (dated January 29, 1949) received from of the American intervention in Korea, lation soared or slumped as a result of our Aldous Huxley for the first issue: regarding as it did the attack of the com- unconventional views. Did we not have munist North Koreans as inspired by Mao the blessings of the Mother to make us a I wish you all success in your venture. and Stalin and as the first step of commu- success in the sense of being a force that You will, of course, be a voice crying in nism towards conquest of all Asia, includ- made its mark? the wilderness. But if a few individu- ing our own country. Mother India, again, The blessings of the Mother: thereby als pay attention, something will have refused to accept any right of Red China’s hangs a tale, particular no less than gen- been accomplished. to invade Tibet: the historical suzerainty eral. But before we come to it a glance of China over Tibet could only be accepted may be thrown at the peculiar case of the

16 • Collaboration Spring 2012 Editor of Mother In- that Mother India is dia. He was in love my paper?” Here was with poetry and deeply Grace in abundance attached to literary and without stint— criticism; he was a fast initiating, fostering, friend of philosophy shaping, supporting, and on fairly intimate championing. terms with science; he The presence of could even have a close both Sri Aurobindo relationship with his- and the Mother was tory; but politics was felt constantly in all his bête noire, politics the turns of the edito- gave him the shivers. rial activity in Bom- So when the privilege bay. In fact, there of editorial appoint- would have been no ment came his way, he such activity at all if stood at once delighted this presence had not and dazed: it was an openly taken charge honour indeed to fight of things. And here with the pen for the what I have called the Aurobindonian ideal, particular tale of the but the foreignness of Mother’s blessings falls the field, the disagreea- Amal Kiran receiving the Mother’s personal darshan and blessings, with into place. Let us go to bleness of the ground, attending. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) the period of prepara- on which battle was tion before the first is- to be waged, gave him most amazing how their author was called sue saw the light. We pause. He was expected to write thou- in by people for views on this, that and were about to launch a fortnightly with- sands of words on various political themes the other burning topic, as if he were a out any experience of the brass-tacks of in a manner that would be clear, cogent, political oracle! And the wonder was that such an adventure. When the office was exact, penetrating, widely informed, eas- he successfully acquitted himself like one. set up we had only six or seven weeks to ily authoritative. Here was a feat the poor His hearers thought that it was but natural go before the date fixed for the opening fellow could not have performed even in he should talk with expertness and far- number. We had no materials in reserve his wildest dreams. But he had learnt from sightedness: he alone knew that the Grace except for two or three issues. One day a experience as well as observation that the of Sri Aurobindo did all the talking. veteran journalist dropped in and told us Mother was no chaser of rainbows: if she This Grace, fashioning a new mind that we were heading for the rocks: unless put him in the Editor’s Chair, it was surely from poor or no materials, worked in we had six months’ matter in hand it was to get solid results out of him in that posi- many modes at its job which was like that foolhardy to start by February 21. We said tion. Trusting in her wonderful practical of Napoleon who was said to have made that our opening number would be a bril- flair, he unburdened his mind of fears to generals of genius out of mud. Sri Auro- liant one and it was a shame to suppress it. her. “Mother, I have to be an expert po- bindo not only put from afar his mighty A warning finger was wagged in front of litical thinker and writer. But I have no spiritual force to the task of “politicising” the novice Editor’s nose, “It is better to lie turn for politics, no touch on politics.” She the Editor’s grey cells. He also got every quiet for some months than go up a rocket smiled a cool sweet smile and answered, editorial, however lengthy, read out to and come down a stick.” We suggested that “Neither have I.” I got a start. “Well, then him before publication and sent a tel- we would work frenziedly and keep going. what shall I do?” Again the imperturbable egram of approval or modification or re- “Impossible! All journalistic experience is sweetness and then the reply, “There is jection. Matter for Mother India received against you. Mass your forces sufficient- Sri Aurobindo. He will guide you in eve- preferential treatment among the sundry ly—six months’ stuff in hand—and then rything.” A sudden flood of power swept calls on the precious time of the Avatar make your entrance.” over me. “Oh yes,” I said, “Sri Aurobindo of Supermind. And his interest in it had a We were in a quandary. To commence will do the impossible.” And he did. Out directly personal touch. On one occasion, and then flop—this was an unbearable of absolute nothing he created a prolific when a sadhaka’s sceptical attitude to the thought. The editor had at times the ap- commentator on political questions. Ar- opinions expressed in the fortnightly was parently irrational feeling that if hard- ticles simply streamed forth and it was reported to him, he said, “Doesn’t he know pressed he could write the whole journal

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 17 single-handed. But could one rely on such Editor thumping away on his typewriter in could now see into the heart of this mys- delusions of grandeur? Not to be pub- a gust of inspiration. tery and draw out of its depth the speech lished according to the original plan was When matters other than political of revelation, I should be content to drop galling. Yet he could not involve every- were treated—and there were a lot of the pen for ever. I do not care whether I thing in a rapturous risk. He thought it them, since Mother India touched on poli- write anything else after it: but here let me best to consult the Mother. So he sent her tics as only one side of its multiple Auro- not fail.” Once again the old appeal took an urgent note, “All journalists advise us bindonian work—the situation of stand- shape in my mind, “My Master, Mother to postpone publication for some months. still in any sense was non-existent. For, India is your concern after all. Will you They say we are doomed otherwise. My there the Editorial Staff was in its own ele- not save it from failure, from frustration?” own instinct is that of Foch at the Battle ment. But here too the enlivening stream Slowly through the empty days and the of the Marne. When he was asked by his of inner help from Pondicherry was clearly hopeless nights a mass of light was felt in- superior at the headquarters for a report felt. And, paradoxically, the most intense visibly moving towards expression. I had from the field, he sent the message, `Mon experience of it came after the Master had the urge to write. But something told me centre cède, ma droite récule, situation ex- left his body! I had flown to the Ashram to control it. Not till I felt absolutely sur- cellente, j’attaque!’ [My centre is giving on getting the heart-shattering news. As charged with that mass should I put pen to way, my right wing is in retreat, situation already recounted, the Mother had as- paper. I waited. Then at last came the feel- excellent, I am attacking!] But what do sured the appalled disciple that nothing ing that now I should find utterance. For you say?” had really changed and that he would get several days I went on writing—at times On January 27, 1949, I received the as ever the fullest help possible from Sri sitting at my typewriter hour after hour, telegram, “Stick to the date, Live on faith. Aurobindo. But now the greatest chal- producing nothing rather than let any- Blessings, —Mother.” With a whoop we lenge was to be faced: what must be writ- thing unworthy of the colossal theme take went into action—and our faith in the ten about the mystifying event that had form. A long essay progressed towards its Mother’s Grace has kept us in action up just taken place? All the readers of Mother end— perhaps the longest editorial I had to now. India would be looking up to the Editor written. I had the sense that the Grace had for enlightenment. worked, bearing me through my supreme Both the Editor and the Associate Edi- Before leaving Pondicherry I was trial as a writer. tor, S.R. Albless, experienced again and granted an interview by the Mother. She I posted my composition to the Mother. again in their day-to-day movements in said, “The whole event is quite clear to me. It was entitled: “The Passing of Sri Auro- the office and at the press the blessing But I will not tell you anything. You must bindo: Its Inner Significance and Con- and guiding hand of the Mother and Sri write on it all by yourself.” I meditated sequence.” It was read out to her in two Aurobindo. Difficulties rose up of various with the Mother for a while and then left sittings. The Ashram Secretary sent me on kinds—psychological, physical, technical. the same night for Bombay. All through December 27, 1950, the telegram, “Your But all got solved and never was Mother the railway journey to Madras and the Passing of Sri Aurobindo admirable. Fully India late by even a few hours. Occasion- flight from there to Bombay, I kept in- approved by Mother. Nothing to change. ally there was a sudden dearth of contri- wardly invoking Sri Aurobindo and the —Nolini.” My Associate Editor who was butions. An appeal would go forth to the Mother to make me do well the job which still in Pondicherry wrote to me what the secret presence. Not only would the im- seemed the greatest my life could confront Mother had said to our Manager Yogendra mediate need be answered but also “God’s me with—namely the reading of at least Rastogi on December 28. Her words were, plenty” would pour in, making possible a some part of the spiritual secret that was “I have read Amal’s article. It is excellent. sumptuous Special Number close on the behind what looked so mighty a tragedy, Tell him I am extremely satisfied. I would heels of an ordinary issue that had seemed the secret which would reveal in this ap- like to have it printed in booklet form. He hard to fill. On some occasions the Editor parent tragedy a triumph in accord with can get it printed in Bombay, if he wants. would have a relapse into his old non-po- all the earth-divinising Yoga taught and Otherwise I shall have it printed here.” A litical self. A helplessness would settle like lived out by Sri Aurobindo. little later my Associate Editor again re- a cloud over him and he would be afraid Bombay held nothing of interest for ported her as having remarked, “It is quite that the deadline might find him unready. me. I would hardly go even out of my the best thing Amal has written. I would But a deep inner aspiration at night cried room lest the concentration on the hidden like to print 15,000 copies of it.” out to the Master. “After all, Mother India light should flicker for a moment and my Face to face with all this, I could only is your concern. I am only your instru- search fall short of its goal. I said to my- bow my head with inexpressible gratitude. ment. You have to look after it and see that self, “What use my whole career of writing Mother India had found its fulfilment everything is in order. Please get an edito- if now I cannot bring forth words aglow through the Grace of Sri Aurobindo and rial written tomorrow morning.” And the with God’s own truth?” And the prayer the Mother. next dawn would break on the early-risen rose up, “O Mother, O Sri Aurobindo, if I

18 • Collaboration Spring 2012 Interview with Mona lishman only! Their plans to marry were therefore a disturbance to both families Pinto: Manager of and it was only possible for Mona to leave Golconde dormitory England after her father passed away. It was unthinkable for the Pinto family who and residence were wealthy, (Mr. Pinto bought and sold properties) upper class catholics from Hubli near Goa, to let their son marry a by Anie Nunnally non-catholic girl. Mona had to agree to convert to catholicism in order to marry We publish this article in honor of Mona Laurie. Pinto, whose birth centenary occurred on Mona set sail on S.S. “The Viceroy of 11-11-2011. After a full life of dedicated India” in January of 1937. Laurie had set service to the Mother, Mona passed away up a business in Pondicherry three years on 21 May 2004 at the age of 92. earlier (a gelatin business in partnership with Monsieur Gaebele from one of the thel Lovegrove and Laurence Mar- Anie Nunnally. (Photo courtesy Anie Nunnally) oldest French families to settle in the for- shall Pinto first met under the Big mer colony). Mona was only 25 and had Clock at Charing Cross Station in of The Agenda). The Lovegroves lived in left behind all that was familiar to her for Ethe “City of Spires” (London) on 27th April the Poplar section of London and were her marriage and new life in India. The 1932; one day after “Laurie’s” 25th birth- members of the Anglican Church. Augus- British Raj still ruled and it would be an- day. Charing Cross Station is one of the tus was an electrician and eventually went other ten years before India would see its oldest undergrounds in London situated to fight in the First World War leaving independence. On the journey to India she in a charming area of the city surrounded Ethel May behind to care for three small was chastised by some Englishmen aboard by antique bookstores. Ethel (Mona) was little girls. He fought in the famous 1916 the ship for her decision to marry an In- just 20 years old then. They were, of course, Battle of Dardanelles (ancient name, Hel- dian and move to India. She had brought properly chaperoned by Mona’s sister, Ivy, lespont) on the border of European and along her beautiful, white wedding gown and a fellow Indian student and friend of Asiatic territory. He cut a handsome figure and had expected that there would be Laurie’s from Goa, Frank Moraes. Frank as a young man and can be seen in a photo many guests attending her wedding which was an Honor Society Student at Oxford in the family album in full military regalia took place on 6 February 1937 at Pondi- and Laurie was studying engineering at mounted atop a camel! During the war cherry’s Notre Dame Des Anges Catholic London University. Mona worked at the period he was missing after a battle for Church. However, only one member of Gas and Light Company as a secretary some time and there was no communica- the Pinto family attended . . . a brother. (her co-workers nicknamed her “Mona” tion with his family. The British Govern- No jewelry nor family money was given because she was always “moaning” about ment was unhelpful in the situation (as to the bride and groom and when it came the draft in the office. The name stuck.) was the case with many) and the young time for the wedding photo Laurie had to The girls were busy trying to sell tickets mother suffered and often went without set up the camera and then dash back into for a benefit performance of Gilbert and food for herself to be certain her children place next to his bride for the picture. It is Sullivan’s “Trial by Jury” that her company were fed. She learned the millinery trade even said that an uncle had suggested to was producing for charity and a friend had and became a milliner in order to survive Mr. Pinto that he send a telegram to Mona some contacts with Indian students. Mona and earn enough money to care for her in England saying “the wedding has been called Laurie about purchasing tickets and children. Finally, Augustus was found called off” and sign Laurie’s name to it! Of he liked the sound of her voice so much and returned home from the war to be course he could not bring himself to do that he asked her to meet him personally reunited with his family. Eventually three this. In any case, these were the conserva- to sell the ticket; they both agreed to wear more children were born. All the children tive times and traditions were strong. red roses for identification. They were adored their mother and set her up as the In the beginning her new life in India smitten and a most unique destiny was prime example of everything good that was not as she had anticipated. It was not about to be forged between these two very they had learned in life. Mona had been altogether the romantic land of jasmine, attractive young people. smart, winning scholarships at school and roses, elephants and peacocks that she Mona was born to Ethel May and Au- although her father was strict the family had always read about in books. Mona gustus Charles Lovegrove on 11-11-11 was quite open and less conservative than said, “India has the best and the worst of (the Mother had spoken about this auspi- the Pinto family. Mona’s father, however, everything.” She further stated “it is sad cious and unusual birth date in a volume always insisted that she marry an Eng- that India was not allowed to rise to its

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 19 greatest heights.” Mona told me everything was in their home. The that India should have accepted Mother arranged an interview the Cripps Proposal (Sir Stafford with Mona. Later, after seeing Cripps, an English Statesman, was Mona, the Mother said to Datta, a Minister in the national govern- “Are all Englishwomen as pretty as ment under Churchill during the Mona Pinto?” Mona, a stunningly war. His proposal was that India beautiful, slender, porcelain- should accept to become a member skinned young Englishwoman so of the British Commonwealth, al- impressed the Mother that she lowing for self-government with- was given the job as manager of out full independence, rather, a Golconde. She was in her early 30’s stepping stone toward ultimate full then and even at her current age of independence). Mona said that Sri 89 she is still managing Golconde Aurobindo had encouraged the In- with as much enthusiasm as if the dian government to do this, even work had just been handed to her. sending Doraswami as a repre- She goes there on a daily basis in sentative from the Ashram, but she the mornings to attend to all the said “India would not listen to its details and I saw her at her desk in great minds, and if they had done the afternoons at home pouring so there would be no Bangladesh, over and balancing the account no Pakistan, no massacres and no books for Golconde. Her energy famine today.” is remarkable, indefatigable. Her In any case Mona made the best self-effacing humility and sense of of everything and Laurie’s business duty are most inspiring. She told was doing well. They had many me that she is her happiest when friends from the Ashram and en- she goes to Golconde. She said, “I tertained them frequently in their Mona Pinto. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) served the Mother and I am still home. When Mona was six months serving her and am very happy to pregnant Amal Kiran arranged a about the yoga or sadhana. She said, “I do do so, but it was so much easier darshan for them with Mother and Sri not practice sadhana, I just came to Pondi- when the Mother was here, so much eas- Aurobindo. Mona had been educated in cherry to marry an Indian!” I reminded ier. I used to go once a fortnight to clean a Catholic convent in England and all the her, however, that she had been telling me Mother’s refrigerator. When Mother was talk about the “Divine Mother” in Pondi- this story for nearly 35 years! Of course, I here it was quite a different Ashram. She cherry gave her a preconceived idea of a consider Mona to be one of the most dedi- worked like no one else could work. She Reverend Mother and the mental image cated karma yogins that I have ever met. built the ashram herself.” of a Mother Superior or someone who One only has to look at a photograph of Mona told me that in the beginning looked like a nun. She told me she was ab- Mona handing something to the Mother she was reluctant about the work. She had solutely stunned when she saw the Mother or receiving something from the Mother. a problem after delivery and Udar had to for the first time looking so gracious and Her body and her gestures speak the lan- carry her upstairs most of the time. She beautiful and wearing light makeup. This guage of love, devotion, giving. Mona said said in those days, however, Golconde only was August 1937 and their baby girl, Judy to me, “I didn’t have to talk about nor ana- had one floor. She began the work and soon Ann, (later to be named Gauri) was born lyze anything. I just accepted it.” got better and in time could run up and 16 November 1937. By this time there was As destiny would have it, the Mother down the stairs. She personally trained all no question that Laurie had turned in- was planning the building of Golconde the young ladies who were to work with wardly to Mother and Sri Aurobindo and as a place for sadhaks to live in a medi- her. Mona said that the Mother told Sat- all of their lives were about to be forever tative and peaceful atmosphere. She prem, “Mona Pinto likes to do things and changed (Laurie would eventually give needed someone to organize and manage do them well. I never have to worry about all his money to the Mother, become a this project. Datta (Dorothy Hodgson, the Golconde. Things always go well there and full-time Ashramite, begin his work for Englishwoman, whom Mother met in Japan I don’t worry.” Mona said, “I was a proper Harpagon and have his name changed to and who would become her good friend Englishwoman who knew how to serve tea, Udar). and accompany her to Pondicherry (had how to set a proper table, when to use the Mona Pinto had told me before I began seen the home of Mona and Udar.She right dishes, etc. Mother knew she could the interview not to ask her any questions told the Mother how immaculately clean rely on me for all these things.”

20 • Collaboration Spring 2012 I asked Mona she always sat. to tell me some of Anie: Did you the experiences see Sri Aurobindo she had with the in his Mahasama- Mother. She told dhi? me that after her Mona: Yes, baby was born in the end I was her chronic back working in the pains worsened. Mother’s room. One day she was I went to see Sri suffering terribly Aurobindo. He with the pain in was surrounded her back. She said by a light and a the Mother ran her golden aura. I fingers very slowly saw it myself the down her back and same as everyone after that there was else had seen it. never any more The Mother an- pain. The same nounced that af- thing happened, ter five days the she said, when her light had begun arm was riddled to recede and she with pain and she told Udar to make could not even Mona, Gauri, and Udar Pinto. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram). arrangements to lift it. The Mother inter Sri Auro- massaged the arm engulfed in darkness. Then they began to bindo’s body. and “poof,” Mona said, “Gone. No more notice that around the end of the month Udar did not want to do this but of course pain!” The Mother told Mona not to speak the days had begun to grow longer and he followed the Mother’s instructions. too freely about the healings. She said that that there was a return of the light. Christ’s there were always mischievous spirits in birth ultimately became fixed to this time Silence... the atmosphere ready to play their tricks of the year as a symbol of the return of and so to just be quiet about it. Mona said, the light. After this brief interview with Mona “I had a practical, down to earth relation- So, the children began to come to our Pinto, it wasn’t possible for her to give me ship with the Mother. We spoke in an home in 1943. Games were set up in our any more time. Christmas day was fast ap- earthly way with one another about the garden and prizes were given out, hats proaching and her responsibilities were work and often times just as one woman were made and everyone wore a paper mounting in preparing all the gifts and to another. She was the most gracious and hat. All were made by Golconde residents. decorations and details for the event. beautiful lady I ever knew.” Even special crowns were made for Sri Au- Mona and Udar Pinto, in their inspir- Anie: How did the tradition of cele- robindo and the Mother. Dyuman used to ing journey of the soul, played a most vital brating Christmas develop in the ashram? come out in the streets and blow a trumpet role in helping to establish the Mother’s Mona: One year Udar and I set up on Christmas day and a special hat was and Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram. In the be- a Christmas tree in our house (the Red also made for him. Finally the tradition ginning their youthful energy, organiza- House). Nishta (Margaret Woodrow Wil- moved to our current house on Rue St. tional skills, education and expertise, on son) and other westerners came. Nishta Gilles and then to thePplayground and so many levels, were essential elements made a large star and Udar put it on the on to the Theatre when it was built. The in helping to frame the very foundations top of the tree. Later people went to the Mother went to the Theatre and sat in a and infra-structure that were necessary Mother and told her about it. She said, chair and distributed gifts to everyone. for building a solid base for all the sad- “Could it not be done for all the chil- The event remains a joyous celebration haks who were arriving and for the work dren?” The Mother said that Christmas in the Ashram and each Christmas day and life that was forming there. They will had come from very ancient traditions. a tree is set up and decorated by the staff always be remembered with great affec- The wise men of the time observed that of Golconde. Gifts are distributed to all tion and love by many in the Ashram and the days were growing shorter and shorter. ashramites and guests of the Ashram. The around the world. People became worried that they would be Mother’s chair remains in the spot where

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 21 side of the Divine, we must be warriors Essays for the Divine, we must stand and fight against the impulses and ignorance of the lower nature. Yes, we must recognize that Seven guidelines for the Divine Power is there behind our ef- spiritual living forts supporting and leading us to victory, but we must be the willing and obedient by Larry Seidlitz instruments of our own transformation. What must we fight against? We must ow does one do Integral Yoga? fight against greed and selfishness, lust Most other spiritual paths have a and seeking after vital pleasures, anger and fairly clearly defined set of prac- hatred, fear and worry, laziness and un- Htices or techniques. In the Integral Yoga, willingness to change, doubt and narrow- there are specific techniques that may be mindedness, arrogance and pretension. used if one wishes, but they do not form We must fight against the enemies of our Photo courtesy Larry Seidlitz the core of its approach. While I do not own inner progress. These things are natu- deny that various kinds of yogic tech- recognize that ultimately the Divine must ral accompaniments of the lower life in the niques can be valuable aids in the Integral make the change in us and in the world, ignorance, so we need not be ashamed of Yoga, I want to focus here on seven psy- that our human powers in themselves are finding them within us. Indeed, we must chological methods that I believe are more insufficient. Thus, this aspect of aspiration learn to see them clearly for what they are, essential. There are other psychological presumes that we have a certain spiritual but our whole aim is to establish a Divine methods that also are important, but these humility that recognizes we are powerless Life where these things are expelled from seven seem to complement each other without the Divine. The Divine Mother the nature and replaced. They are to be re- and together form a strong, balanced dis- is the Power of the Divine, we aspire to placed with divine peace, light, harmony, cipline. These are relatively simple and the Divine Mother to lead us to the divine love, strength, and ananda. They are not to straightforward things that anyone can Realization. We must ask her, pray to her, be accepted but rather rejected from the understand and practice, though it is not implore her to deliver us from the false- nature. We must not be discouraged if the easy to develop them to a point of perfec- hoods and limitations in which we live process of rejecting these from ourselves tion. Indeed, each of these psychological and lead us to our divine fulfillment. We takes time, as it must, but at the same time qualities can probably be developed more may put it into words as in a prayer, or it we must not become complacent and al- and more to an always higher level until may be a silent unformulated yearning of low them to remain indefinitely. We must the point that they lead us into the higher our heart and soul, but essentially it is this, exercise a steady and persistent will for spiritual consciousness and the transfor- “take my life just as it is, good and bad, I their elimination, and maintain it against mation of our nature. offer it all to you, transform me, lead me to all resistance, however long it takes. the Divine Life.” We must also use our efforts to de- Aspiration Whereas this side of aspiration is velop the positive side of the discipline. closely allied with surrender, another side The three main limbs of the discipline, in The first attitude that we must foster of aspiration emphasizes personal effort. addition to the purification and perfec- is aspiration to the Divine. We must ar- Ultimately, in the long course of the yoga, tion of the nature, are (1) the offering of dently seek the Divine if we are to find, personal effort must melt away into sur- our work and action to the Divine, (2) unite with, and manifest the Divine in our render, but in the beginning and for a long concentration on the Divine, and (3) the life. Indeed, this must become our over- time effort is very much needed. If we cultivation of love and devotion for the riding aim and endeavor in life, our num- overemphasize surrender in the beginning Divine. Part of aspiration is to use our will ber one priority, the focus of all our efforts. there is a dangerous likelihood that it will and effort to put these three things into a We must not only aspire in rare moments, be a passive and inert surrender, which living and eventually a constant practice. when confronted with insurmountable actually is not surrender at all. If we say Service to the Divine is an essential side obstacles or when we are peaceful and in the beginning, “the Divine is doing the of the discipline that we must develop. We alone, but often and then constantly, and yoga for me, I will wait patiently for the should aspire that each of our activities with an intensity that is always increasing. Divine to take care of it,” then we are likely becomes an offering to the Divine. We can There are various aspects of aspiration, to delude ourselves and simply give in to begin by making an offering of our food various ways to aspire. Aspiration is es- and accept our lower nature just as it is, when we eat, consecrating it, seeing it as sentially a call to the Divine. We must call precluding any possibility of real change. coming from the Divine and being offered the Divine down into ourselves. We must We must resolutely put ourselves on the to the Divine within us. Similarly, before

22 • Collaboration Spring 2012 starting our work, we can make an offer- noise and disturbance, leading us down a must be quieted down; there must be an ing of it to the Divine, seeing that it is the myriad dead-end roads, heaping obstacles active will to dampen them as much as Divine Force within us that enables us to on our path, we will not make effective possible, to refuse to give in to them when do it, and asking the Divine’s guidance and progress. While it is desirable in this yoga their impulses threaten to overwhelm us. power to do it efficiently and in service of that the mind should fall silent, what is The power of the intelligent will must the Divine’s will. Secondly, we should also important as a first step is to free the mind be exercised to bring the vital under con- aspire to concentrate more and more on of restlessness and disturbance. One of the trol. At first, our will may be weak and the Divine. It is the aim of the yoga that great abilities of the mind is that it can im- be swept aside by the sheer power of the we are always concentrated on the Divine, agine situations in which things are better vital impulses and their ability to cloud but in the beginning it is very useful to than they are now. Indeed it is this ability the mind or subvert it to their aims, but set aside some time to exclusively focus that enables us to aspire towards a divine through continual efforts that are not on this concentration. This can take dif- life. If this tendency would confine itself discouraged by failure, the intelligent will ferent forms. One of the simpliest is to to showing us a better way it would be al- gets stronger and is able to bring the vi- read something by Sri Aurobindo or the right, but unfortunately the flip side of this tal under greater control. In addition, it Mother for a short time, and then either is that it also can find an endless number is important to keep the intelligence free quietly contemplate on it, or allow oneself of things to regret or be dissatisfied with or relatively free from the vital influence. to go within towards the source of those and complain about. Similarly, while it can It should not justify the lower vital pro- words and thoughts. One of the most ef- show us greater possibilities of the future pensities and become a servant or accom- fective methods of concentration is to to strive towards, it can also imagine an plice in their actions. It should maintain quietly stand back from one’s thoughts unlimited number of dangers or catastro- an objective perspective, see these things and feelings, and any outward sounds or phes that may befall us. Complaints about for what they are and not only from the activities that may be happening around, the past and present and worries about viewpoint of our egoistic preferences or and simply observe them without becom- the future create disturbances in the mind desires. It should look on such vital dis- ing caught up in them. Yet another form of which makes it difficult to open ourselves turbances as an agitation of the outer con- concentration is to focus in an upward as- to the Divine or to receive anything from sciousness which should be discouraged piration to the Divine in the heart center, the Divine. It is like a swirl of disturbing from happening again and which should and if desired, this can be accompanied by energy turned in on itself which can nei- be brought back into quietude and harmo- repeating a mantra. Concentration on the ther give itself to the Divine nor receive ny as soon as possible. This is not to deny Divine, with or without a mantra, can be from the Divine. One possible aid for this that things may happen to us or people gradually extended into one’s normal ac- kind of problem is to focus on the present may do things which are not right, but in tivities as well. And third, we should aspire moment, on what one is actually doing place of vital agitation and conflict there to develop a feeling of love and devotion in the present moment, doing it carefully are quiet, intelligent, more effective ways to the Divine. This can developed during and with full consciousness as an offering to deal with such wrongs. periods of meditation, as well as when we to the Divine. In addition to using the intelligent make offerings of our work and other ac- While an unquiet mind can retard will to constrain unwanted movements, tivities. This can also be fostered through progress, an unquiet vital can be still more it is necessary to shift our psychological prayer, whether by repeating formal upsetting. The vital is the center of our center or poise deeper within, away from prayers, or simply talking within to the passions, desires, emotions, and dynamic the surface consciousness where this agita- Divine. Other ritualistic activities such as energies. It carries in it tremendous energy tion has greater power. In part, this means burning incense, offering flowers, or con- for both good and evil, and while properly it concentrating the attention within, prefer- templating the photos of the Divine can should be an obedient servant of our higher ably in the heart center, and from there also be helpful. Gratitude to the Divine reason or deeper soul, more typically it acts keeping up a closer inner connection or for his gifts of beauty and delight, for his according to its own ignorant and erring remembrance of the Divine. We must learn help and protection, and for his promise of will and desire, leading to emotional up- to concentrate within and feel the peace spiritual growth and eventual realization, heavals and destructive behaviors. Quar- and protection of the Divine which is there is also very helpful for developing a deeper rels, interpersonal strife, anger, jealousy, within us. We should become less preoccu- devotion and closeness to the Divine. despondency, desire and hankering after pied with minor outward things that have food, drink, money, power, sensual pleas- little importance in a wider or deeper view Quietude ure and sex are its common activities. It of things. What is vitally important is our is evident that this type of continual or spiritual growth, the development of our A second great need in this yoga is qui- repeated agitation of the consciousness aspiration to the Divine and our growing etude of the mind and vital. If the mind makes spiritual progress slow and dif- conscious inner relation with the Divine; and vital are always churning, creating ficult. These types of vital disturbances this will have a much more profound posi-

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 23 tive influence on our life than minor out- them, what is it in oneself which they occur in ourselves, we must learn not to ward incidents of everyday life. We must are cast against and what inner profit hide them from ourselves or deny them, learn more and more to keep our poise deep or progress one can make out of them; but to look at them squarely and objec- within, and not be swept away by outside it means self-mastery over the vital tively, without distortion, without dress- waves of emotion or sensual attractions on movements,—anger and sensitiveness ing them up or excusing them. Yes, it is the surface of our consciousness. and pride as well as desire and the natural that we find such things in our- rest,—not to let them get hold of the selves, but if we have taken up the yoga Equality emotional being and disturb the inner in earnest, that means that we must use peace, not to speak and act in the rush our will to reject them from our nature, Quietude develops hand in hand with and impulsion of these things, always and call to the Divine Light and Power to a related psychological quality called to act and speak out of a calm inner help us overcome and transform them. We equality. Equality means to remain un- poise of the spirit… should try to maintain an objective view moved within regardless of what happens Equality means another thing—to of our difficulties, not attribute to them or whatever conditions one may have to have an equal view of men and their a greater power over us than they really face. One must learn to face events, peo- nature and acts and the forces that have, and at the same time we can always ple, circumstances with a perfect calm move them; it helps one to see the truth hold them up before the Divine to elimi- and peace. However disagreeable people about them by pushing away from nate or transform. In reality, the Divine may be to you, however unpleasant the the mind all personal feeling in one’s Power can do everything, eliminate every circumstances in which you must live or seeing and judgment and even all the obstacle, lead us to the heights of spiritual work, however terrible the events that may mental bias. Personal feeling always realization, but it requires our consent and befall you, you must learn to remain quiet, distorts and makes one see in men’s ac- our active aspiration and collaboration in calm, detached, unaffected. Similarly, you tions, not only the actions themselves, its action. To the extent that we give this should not become elated, overjoyed by but things behind them which, more consent and collaboration, our progress pleasant things that may happen to you. often than not, are not there. Mis- will be more swift and smooth. One must learn to be centered within on understanding, misjudgment which the Divine, quiet, peaceful, calm, taking could have been avoided are the result; Sincerity joy only in the Divine, and not be depend- things of small consequence assume ent on the vagaries of outside events or larger proportions. (pp. 661-662) If we are to succeed in our aspiration to people. unite with the divine consciousness and to Naturally this is not at all easy to es- And it is not only with respect to others make ourselves fit instruments for a divine tablish in its fullness, but it is an ideal that or to outside things that we must develop life on earth, then our aspiration must not we can all work towards everyday in our an equal attitude; we must also develop only be ardent but also sincere. This means life. Especially, our interpersonal relations it in regard to our own actions and inner that our aspiration must be wholehearted, with others present frequent opportuni- movements. Sri Aurobindo continues in integral. This integrality, however, takes ties for us to develop, work at, and deepen the same letter: time to establish. To begin with, we must our equality. Sri Aurobindo has empha- have a central sincerity. This means that sized the development of equality in his The first condition of inner progress is the central part of our being, the part yoga, devoting several chapters to it in The to recognize whatever is or has been which we call “I,” truly wants the Divine Synthesis of Yoga, as well as a number of a wrong movement in any part of the and is willing to undertake the necessary letters. His explanation of it in one of his nature,—wrong idea, wrong feeling, discipline and surrender, however long it Letters on Yoga cannot be surpassed, so I wrong speech, wrong action,—and by takes. We must be able to honestly say, “I would like to quote some of the relevant wrong is meant what departs from the want to unite with the Divine, I want to portions: truth, from the higher consciousness surrender all of myself to the Divine, I ac- and higher self, from the way of the cept to undergo the necessary discipline Equality means a quiet and unmoved Divine. Once recognized it is admit- to reach the Divine and transform my na- mind and vital, it means not to be ted, not glossed over or defended,— ture.” If we wish to undertake the Yoga, touched or disturbed by things that and it is offered to the Divine for the we should sincerely ask ourselves whether happen or things said or done to you, Light and Grace to descend and sub- this is what we really want and whether but to look at them with a straight stitute for it the right movement of the we are willing to undertake the necessary look, free from the distortions cre- true Consciousness. (p. 662) discipline, however difficult it may be and ated by personal feeling, and to try to however long it may take to do it. It is fine understand what is behind them, why We must learn not to be shocked or and good if we recognize that presently we they happen, what is to be learnt from ashamed by the wrong movements that are unable to fulfill all the requirements,

24 • Collaboration Spring 2012 that we have weaknesses and defects in ed inner existence with little power for to allow it to continue; at some point it our nature, but we must be willing to com- outward expression. The great difficulty must be faced and it may as well be now as mit our life to sincerely working towards of this yoga is to align all these different later. The problem with “later” is that later the fulfillment of the requirements of the parts of the nature with our central aim, never comes. Years may be wasted, even Yoga. If we are not ready to make this and thus to transform them into effective lifetimes, waiting for this “later” to come. commitment, we can still put ourselves instruments of a divine living. And it is not true that our desires cannot under the Light, Protection, and Influence One of the most formidable obsta- be overcome; they can be overcome if we of the Divine, but we are not yet on the cles to this alignment of the parts of the face them honestly and courageously, and path of Integral Yoga. nature around the central aim is mental if we ardently and persistently call on the But this is only the beginning, and dishonesty, mental self-deception. This is Divine Force and Grace to help us. For the this is where the real work of sincerity almost a universal failing, and it requires Divine Mother, nothing is impossible. begins. Once we have accepted the aim a preserving self-discipline to overcome. of the Yoga as the aim of our life, then we One of the chief occupations of the mind Faith must get to the work of fulfilling the con- is to find justifications and excuses for the ditions of the Yoga. And the fundamental indulgence of the vital nature’s desires. A This requires another quality: faith in condition of the Integral Yoga is that we part of the mind is typically a servant of the Divine and its Power and in the pos- must make an integral offering and sur- the vital, rather than an objective witness sibility of the Divine to overcome our render of ourselves to the Divine. This or master of it as it should be. Instead of difficulties and lead us to spiritual re- work must proceed from the center of our seeing that a mistake is being committed alization and the transformation of our being, that which nature. Essentially has fundamentally One of the most formidable obstacles to this align- faith comes from surrendered and ac- a knowledge of cepted to undertake ment of the parts of the nature around the central aim the soul that is at the discipline and is mental dishonesty, mental self-deception. first hidden deep spread to all the rest within us, but of the parts of our which comes out in nature. Here we will find that although a and should be corrected, it gives a little the course of our spiritual progress. Deep central part of us accepts the aim of the excuse for it and thus a free pass for it to within us, our soul or psychic being, is Yoga, other parts of our nature do not ac- continue. It is necessary to courageously itself a portion of the Divine and knows cept or accept only partly or sometimes. and deeply examine these excuses for our the Divine as like knows like. But usually We will find that there are many different vital indulgences and expose this mental the soul is hidden at first by the activities personalities in us with their own agendas insincerity. We may justify the indulgence of our mind and vital, only sending up that may not be in agreement with our of our desires with such thoughts as, “it is sometimes jets of intuition or experience central resolve or with themselves. This okay, nobody will find out,” “this isn’t so while also putting a general pressure on means that we have conflicts in our nature bad, everybody does it,” “I worked hard, the mind and vital to seek out in life truth which need to be made conscious and rec- now I’m entitled to some indulgence,” “I and goodness and beauty. Such intuitions onciled. Each of the different personalities will deal with this overcoming this desire or early soul experiences provide an initial and tendencies within ourselves has its later,” “this is my weakness, everybody basis for our developing faith; they sug- own will and is very reluctant to surren- has some weakness; I cannot control it.” gest to us that there is something more der it. They are part of who we are and But when we probe such excuses more to life than the mundane and checkered in this yoga we don’t simply want to cut deeply, we will find they do not stand up existence we see around us, that there are them all off, but rather we must convert to scrutiny. It does not matter if we can greater possibilities, that somewhere there them to the central aim and commitment. keep our mistakes hidden from others, it is something that is perfect, whole, fulfilled For example, the mind may have certain is the Divine with whom we must deal. If which we can feel and touch and perhaps interests and activities which it wants to we profess to aspire to truly lead a spiritual become. We also have the living examples pursue independently of the search for life, then other people’s failings cannot be of others who have already travelled the the Divine. Similarly, there are many ten- a justification for continuing our own. In spiritual path before us, and the words of dencies in the vital nature which will seek the spiritual life, desire must be eradicated our Teachers and of others’ Teachers who their own fulfillment regardless of what from the nature and replaced with sur- have explained the possibilities of spiritual our central aspiration is. Some other yogas render and self-offering to the Divine— experience and realization. proceed by silencing all these activities by indulgence of vital desires is in contradic- But we may say, “Oh this is alright for becoming inactive, but this does not lead tion to our aspiration. Postponing dealing great Avatars and saints, but I am a simple to a full divine life but to a very restrict- with a defect of our nature is simply a ruse person, I cannot realize the Divine, I can-

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 25 not transform my nature.” Another, ap- property or attribute. As we turn con- impose our viewpoints on others. On the parently more reasonable form this takes sciously to the Divine Grace for our needs, other side it means learning to communi- is that “this yoga will take many lifetimes, then we will find that the Divine provides cate and express our thoughts and ideas one should not expect to change right all that is truly necessary for our progress, clearly, with precision, harmoniously, away or in the near future.” But these are often through intermediaries. The right and with a kind consideration of differ- tricks of the mind and vital to hold onto person or opportunity may come along ent points of view. It also means learning its limitations and avoid the difficulty of at the right moment, providing the very to see and appreciate the expression of change. The mind and vital nature are thing that we required. If we are in danger, harmony and beauty in others, in nature, full of such ruses and continually try to in illness, or in distress, we should turn in the world around us. We must make a snare and trip us in our aspiration for to the Divine for help, while being wise conscious effort to open our eyes to the the divine life. We must learn to detect enough to be receptive to the help given, beauty that is there, or we can go through and avoid them. Indeed, much change which may well come through the hands life oblivious of the wonders around us. can take place immediately if we set our of another person. When we must make We can also develop our appreciation of mind and heart to it and insist upon it. a difficult decision, we must learn to seek beauty in literature, poetry, art, music, We should not underestimate the power of guidance from the Divine, and become dance, film, photography, architecture, human will, every day it achieves miracles, attentive to receive the guidance which crafts, and other creations of the human great achievements, by ordinary people often may come in inner feeling or intui- mind and soul. Cultivating such apprecia- who are not doing yoga. When we apply tion in our heart center. When we must tion elevates the mind and helps it from our will wholeheartedly to the sadhana, do a difficult task, we must turn to the falling into inertia or vulgarity. calling in to support it the Power of the Divine to support and help us through the We should strive for harmony and Divine Mother, it can achieve even greater endeavor. On the opposite side, whatever beauty in our interrelationships with miracles; at least we should not decide we receive in life, we should have faith, others. This means treating others with beforehand that it cannot achieve much. and develop the vision, that it comes from love and respect and compassion, what- It is better if we keep to the faith that if the Divine. Even our difficulties we should ever shortcomings we might perceive in we have been called to this path of yoga see as coming from the Divine in order to them. All human beings have limitations by the Divine, then the Divine is with us help us to make a needed progress. When and defects in their nature, but all human and leading us on it, and if we cling to the Sri Aurobindo was in jail, he saw even the beings also have a divine soul at their Divine, he will surely lead us to the goal bars of his cell and prison guards as forms center, they also are forms of the Divine. as quickly as possible. Remember, it is of Krishna. In this way, all of life, even our We should be more concerned with over- the Divine Power which does this yoga in difficulties, will be welcomed as a gift of coming our own limitations and defects us, not simply our personal will; we must the Divine to help us grow and progress than in pointing out the defects of oth- have faith in that Power. We should not be and will become full of delight. ers. Let us rather be patient and tolerant impatient, but we also should not expect of other people’s weaknesses, and more failure or little visible progress. Especially Harmony and beauty severe with our own. Each individual has when we learn to keep quiet and centered a unique relationship with the Divine, a within, concentrated in our aspiration to A great help in preparing ourselves to unique karmic history, a unique set of the Divine, we will find our difficulties and be receptive to the Divine Grace is to cre- strengths and weaknesses, a unique role obstacles can quickly melt away. ate within and around us an atmosphere of to fill in the world, a unique trajectory of We must learn to rely on this Divine harmony and beauty. We should more and personal and spiritual development. Usu- Grace and Power more and more for all more cultivate the harmony and beauty of ally we cannot know all these things about things in our life. Normally people rely our mind, our heart, our vital nature, our another human being—it is difficult to on their own ego, their own strength body, our actions and physical movements. know this even about ourselves—so we and ability, as well as on other people, to We should do the same with regard to our should not be prone to judge or advise achieve whatever needs to be done. Peo- physical environment in which we live and others. Rather, let us be supportive of the ple rarely rely on the Divine. It is precisely work. We should keep them in order, peace, positive elements in other people, and in this transition that must be made in the harmony so that the Divine may consent this way foster the growth and the expres- course of the Yoga. Even when our own to dwell in us and with us. This could be sion of their inner psychic being as well as abilities, or those of others are instrumen- called the cultivation of refinement. our own. tal, we must learn to see that it is really the Let us keep our mind and thoughts We must also cultivate harmony and divine Power behind that is responsible. pure and noble and beautiful. On one side beauty in our emotions and in the flow of All power ultimately comes from the one this means refusing to entertain thoughts our vital energies. We must learn to con- Divine Power, it is simply that in our ego- that are low, vulgar, cruel, mean-spirited, trol our emotions and vital energies so that istic ignorance we claim it as our personal selfish, refusing to argue or forcefully they do not lead us into ignorant, violent,

26 • Collaboration Spring 2012 disturbing, or unwholesome acts. Anger Patience and perseverence awareness, this facing more acutely the and lust are perhaps the two most com- defects in our nature is a great progress. mon and difficult challenges of the lower Finally, this yoga requires patience But it doesn’t necessarily feel that way. vital that disturb the peace and harmony and perseverance. One should not expect Another reason it is difficult to gauge of the being. Pride and arrogance are also quick results. I think it is necessary to em- our progress is that progress may be tak- common obstacles associated with the vi- bark on this path with the attitude that ing place on the inner parts of our being tal ego, and should be controlled with the we will proceed to the end however long of which we are not aware. Sometimes, idea that before the Divine we are as noth- it takes; it may take one’s whole life and it if we have some conscious access to the ing and that it is only the Divine within us may take more than one life. It is not that inner consciousness, for example, through that gives our life its significance. Desires we should not expect to see any changes or dreams, we may see there signs of our in- for alcoholic drinks, tobacco, or drugs growth; growth does come, but it may not ner progress. Such progress in the inner may affect some people and can be dan- be very dramatic. For example, over time, consciousness may not manifest immedi- gerous, often disturbing the health of the strong upheavals of the vital may become ately in the outer consciousness, or may body and tending to create or exacerbate less severe and less frequent. This may not not do so in an obvious way. When certain other personal and interpersonal prob- be much for one who is seeking realization difficulties become less frequent or disap- lems. In others, desires for food, comfort, of the Self, but it is an important gain from pear, we may not notice it. But also, some- or luxury can create disturbances in the the point of the view of the transforma- times progress that has taken place in the life and become obstacles on their spiritual tion of the vital nature, an essential aim inner consciousness may take some time path. In such cases, the will may need to be of the Integral Yoga. Similarly, one may before it begins to manifest in the outer strengthened through repeated efforts to find the mind and vital becoming calmer, life which is more under the influence of stop these activities, calling in the support one may see oneself growing in equality, physical inertia. of the Divine Power and Grace, until we or growing in understanding of oneself There is something else. It may be that are able to reject these unhealthy habits. and others, one may find oneself grow- the Divine uses our weaknesses and de- We should also work to establish and ing in devotion, or even simply a stronger fects to its own advantage. One must be a maintain harmony and beauty in our sympathy, empathy, or love for others. little careful not to turn this into an excuse physical surroundings. In part, harmony One may simply feel a stronger sense of for continuing mistakes, but often it seems translates in this sphere to order. We must purpose and direction in life, a stronger that it is our difficulties and the pain they learn to keep our things in order, in places sense of the meaning of life. One may have engender that keeps us motivated towards that are assigned for them, such that they fleeting experiences in dream or while progress. They become a focal point of our can be easily found when needed and do meditating, which although temporarily efforts, almost a symbol of the ignorance, not disturb the beauty and harmony of our uplifting, leave one feeling pretty much unconsciousness, or selfishness that we living space. At the same time, we should the same. All these kinds of changes, while must overcome. They force us to perse- keep our things clean and in perfect work- not dramatic, are yet significant and point vere, to strive harder, more intelligently ing order and condition. When things are to real and lasting progress. and skillfully. They require us to turn damaged or broken they should be quickly Actually, I believe it is difficult to -re to the Divine more completely because repaired if possible or replaced and not left ally gauge progress in this Yoga because of sometimes it seems we cannot overcome in an unusable or dysfunctional condition. its character and aim of transforming the these difficulties by ourselves. We should treat things not merely as ma- nature. It is as if the Yoga Force was work- So we must be patient and persevere. terial possessions, but as instruments of ing on many different parts of oneself at We must not give up because after much the divine manifestation for which we are once, or in no apparent order, sometimes effort we still face the same difficulties. the trustees. Indeed there is even a con- on one thing, sometimes on other things. Mother said that victory goes to the most sciousness within physical things which It may also raise various difficulties in our persevering. We may struggle with some- responds to the care or unconsciousness nature, forcing us to deal with them. In thing for a long time, and then the thing with which we use them, and as we de- such cases, during such periods, we may may suddenly be swept aside and disap- velop a greater consciousness in our use feel as if life is more difficult, not less. In pear. But other things may then take its of things, we begin to see more and more addition, through learning more about the place. One by one we may need to clear the Divine within things. In addition to yoga and through growing in conscious- out many such obstacles from our nature. material things, we must also strive to be ness about our nature, we may see more This yoga is a long labor; it is not easy. in harmony with the Nature of which we clearly or experience more vividly defects There are delights and surprises that come are a part, being conscious and consider- which are there. As we struggle with these in its course, descents of ananda or peace ate of the other living plants and animals defects in our nature, it feels as if we are or light that keep us afloat, encouraged, around us, the air and water and earth not making progress, or even regressing to but there is also much difficult labor. which sustain us. a lower level. But in actuality, this greater

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 27 concept of Brahman, affirming through- Sri Aurobindo’s out his philosophical writings the belief perspective on Reality that All is the Divine. He also affirms the reality of Sachchidananda. From these by Martha Orton two concepts, which need to be seen as conjoined and inseparable, with each nec- essarily implying the other, widely ranging Introduction implications follow. For Sri Aurobindo, the reality of Brahman is unequivocal, as ri Aurobindo’s philosophy consists is the reality of Sachchidananda. These are of the formal expression of spiritual the great truths which exist without quali- realization and truth which he has fication or exception. As a result, from his Sshared with us. As such, it forms the ba- perpective we can take the statement of sis for the perspective which he expresses them completely literally: The Divine is throughout his works. Sri Aurobindo’s view in everything. Everything is in the Divine. of the nature of reality is especially relevant The Divine is everything. Where Sri Auro- as the foundation for understanding his bindo’s perspective differs from more yoga and his writings on the psychology of Martha facilitates online courses on Sri Auro- traditional scholars and seers is that he yoga, as well as for understanding his works bindo’s philosophy. (Photo courtesy Martha Orton) considers even matter to be Divine. The on social and political themes. Moreover, it reality of Brahman is complete, absolute, constitutes the basis from which Sri Au- teachings of others whose spiritual basis is pervasive. This view is especially excep- robindo develops his conceptualization of in the and Upanishads. tional when considered in relation to the the evolution of consciousness. His major Brahman is inseparably linked with traditional Hindu concept of Maya in philosophical work, The Life Divine, is the Sachchidananda, which is the Divine Be- which the world and life in it are consid- primary source for gaining an understand- ing comprised of a trinity of Existence- ered to be an illusion and the only true ing of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, includ- Consciousness-Bliss. These three con- reality to be the Divine, with the Divine ing his perspective on reality. In addition, joined aspects of the Divine are considered seen as the Absolute, the Transcendent, this can be discovered throughout numer- to be what the Divine consists of. The Di- existing above and apart from the mani- ous other writings, including his letters to vine is Existence itself. Existence necessar- festation. his disciples, published as Letters on Yoga. ily implies and consists of Consciousness. In The Life Divine Sri Aurobindo This article examines this perspective, the Then the scriptures explain that Existence weighs the perspectives of the materialist core of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, which itself is Bliss, that Consciousness itself is and the ascetic, carefully considering the has its origins in traditional Vedanta, yet Bliss—essentially that Bliss is the very merits and problems of each. He consid- also differs in some particularly meaning- heart and essence of Existence, of All. The ers the materialist perspective, in which ful respects. three are not only intertwined, but merge only the material world is considered to and are One. There is differentiation, but be real, as having benefited humanity by Brahman and Sachchidananda not difference. helping to dispel superstition and en- Therefore we have a view of reality in couraging rational thought and inquiry. The concept of Brahman is essential to which: (1) There is nothing but the Divine. This has led to significant scientific ad- understanding traditional spiritual beliefs The Divine is in All, All is in the Divine, vances, for example, which have been of which are centered in or derive and All is the Divine. (2) The Divine is great help to humanity and to life in the from it. Brahman is the term used to re- Sachchidananda. The All is Existence- world, increasing our knowledge of mate- fer to the Absolute, the Supreme Being. Consciousness-Bliss. From this we can rial phenomena and our ability to cope Brahman is also considered to be every- only conclude that, at least from this per- with this level of reality. To the extent that thing, the All, and it is believed that there spective of the ancient texts, there is noth- the ascetic perspective, the mystic view is nothing which is not Brahman. In the ing but existence, consciousness, and bliss which considers only the spirit to be real, scriptures, it is referred to frequently as and nothing else exists or is real. regards the world as unreal, as an illusion, “The One without a second,” meaning that Sri Aurobindo describes this as resulting Brahman is all there is and that there is Sri Aurobindo’s perspective on in neglect of the physical world and life nothing else. Sri Aurobindo endorses this Reality within it, consequently leading to degra- understanding of Brahman and it forms dation of life on the material plane. He the foundation of all that follows in his Sri Aurobindo affirms the perspective also explains how the mystic or spiritual philosophy as well as in the thought and described above. He fully endorses the seeker who has experience of the Absolute

28 • Collaboration Spring 2012 can become so absorbed in this realization power to limit itself and create from part was not made only for His amusement, that he or she comes to consider only this of Itself the world of forms. Consequently though that in itself could be sufficient, to be real. High spiritual experience can matter is necessarily, inherently, Divine but has a profoundly meaningful purpose. result in all lesser consciousness and the since it derives from the One. The Divine Most interpretations of the Vedas see this things associated with it appearing to be is all that is. Matter is Its creation. The purpose in terms of human beings coming unreal and completely inconsequential. and our world are expressions of to the understanding that they can seek Yet, most importantly, the ascetic perspec- It. Therefore the Divine is within matter, enlightenment and ultimately become tive acknowledges the truth of the Divine. as well as having created it, and supports absorbed into the Absolute, becoming Consequently each of these two appar- its continuance through Its omnipotence. freed from life on earth, including the ently opposite perspectives has both mer- This involvement, literally, of the Divine chain of life, death and rebirth, according its and disadvantages, and each contains in matter, is what Sri Aurobindo calls the to the belief in reincarnation. Therefore elements of truth. Sri Aurobindo creates a involution of the Divine in the creation. the traditional view of mankind’s purpose new synthesis of the two perspectives, an Hence we see that Sri Aurobindo’s inter- is to discover and unite with the Divine, integral perspective which incorporates pretation of the meaning of Brahman is ultimately being reabsorbed into the Ab- the strengths of both. the most complete and comprehensive solute, essentially returning to the divine In Sri Aurobindo’s view of reality both which can be proposed. In his view, the Origin. matter and spirit are real. Also both are Divine is literally All, The Divine is liter- Sri Aurobindo accepts the view that divine. This conclusion derives directly ally in All, and All is literally, unquestion- the human purpose is spiritual develop- from a complete, wide and comprehen- ably, in the Divine. For Sri Aurobindo, ment and realization with the goal being sive perspective on Brahman. Therefore, the complete and total reality of Brahman to discover and unite with the Divine. instead of understanding Brahman as underlies the entire conceptualization of However, he takes this significantly fur- “the One without a second” to mean that his philosophy and his yoga. ther than previous spiritual thought has there is only the Spirit, all else is unreal, Sri envisioned. Based on his comprehensive Aurobindo understands this statement to The purpose of the creation view of Brahman, Sri Aurobindo sees mean that all is real, all is Divine—Matter, the involution of the Divine in matter Spirit—everything. A central question of human thought as impelling a comprehensive evolution is “Why are we here?” This is sometimes of mind, life and matter. Calling this the Involution of the Divine in matter expressed as “If there is a God, why did evolution of consciousness, Sri Aurobindo he make us, why did he put us here?” The envisions a complete transformation of We need next to consider how the Vedas tell us that the Divine created the mind, life and matter from their original divinity of matter relates to its creation world and all its creatures for His delight. expression in the creation to the realiza- and to the creation of the universe and our This is also spoken of as the Divine play or tion of their full divine potential. This is world. While the reader is referred to The Lila, in Sanskrit. Sri Aurobindo describes a gradual evolutionary process in which Life Divine for a more complete and subtle this view: consciousness and matter itself reveal explanation, a simplistic one is given here. their inner divinity. The involution of Sri Aurobindo describes Reality in a series If we look at World-Existence…in the Divine in the manifestation not only of levels or expressions. It is not a hierar- its relation to the self-delight of eter- enables, but actually makes inevitable, chy as such, since the Divine is indivis- nally existent being, we may regard, its ultimate evolution. The fulfillment of ible, yet when we come to the manifested describe and realize it as Lila, the play, this process is the union of the individual physical world, we necessarily regard this the child’s joy, the poet’s joy, the actor’s being with the Divine. While this ini- as a lower order, since it is not the pure Di- joy, the mechanician’s joy of the Soul tially resonates as similar to the tradi- vine. Essentially there is the Absolute, the of things eternally young, perpetually tional interpretation of the Vedic view, Sri Transcendent—the vast Silent One which inexhaustible, creating and re-creating Auro-bindo does not see the goal as the is and always has been. The Absolute is Himself in Himself for the sheer bliss absorption of the individual conscious- vast, eternal, limitless in every sense im- of that self-creation, of that self-repre- ness back into the Absolute from which it aginable. Its power is Sachchidananda. By sentation, —Himself the play, Himself once came. Instead he envisions the divin- this dynamic power the Absolute extends the player, Himself the playground.1 ized individual being transformed into its Itself to create and sustain the universe. In divine expression and continuing to live in this original extension into the creation Since the Divine is infinite and has lim- the world and, by its influence, facilitating matter was formed. Before the creation of itless capacities for expression, one of the the continued evolution. This is not only matter there was only the one unmanifest forms this took was to create our universe, an individual process, but also a general- Divine. In Its extension creating the mani- our world, and all the forms of life and ized one in which, ultimately, life on earth fest universe, the Divine used its unlimited matter within it. However, the creation can become completely transformed.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 29 Perfection and imperfection However, once an individual has devel- drives the individual toward the ultimate oped at the mental level, the time comes goal of union with the Divine. Where In looking over daily life as well as re- when the ego needs to be transcended for the human individual is concerned, the flecting on human history, it is obvious further growth and development to take psychic being is the direct and clear evi- that life on earth is imperfect and fraught place, for the potential for spiritual growth dence of the involution of the Divine in with problems. We might then ask how to be realized. the creation. It is this involvement which this can be if human beings and, in fact, Human beings have an innate drive both enables and impels the evolution of matter itself, contain an element of the for growth and progress. Sri Aurobindo consciousness. Divine. Sri Aurobindo describes a process writes in The Life Divine of the dissatisfac- of separation as occurring with the crea- tion inherent in humanity, describing it The Divine and the manifestation tion of the manifested world. According as a restlessness and disquiet in the face to this description, the perception of sepa- of imperfection and disharmony. He ex- In order to understand Sri Aurobindo’s rate forms, as separate objects and beings, plains that Nature seeks harmony in all conception of Reality further, we need to cloaks our ability to perceive the actual things and so human beings, driven as consider how he sees the Divine as relat- oneness which, nevertheless, pertains. creatures of Nature, also seek harmony ing to the manifestation. We have briefly The perception of separateness is neces- in their lives. Moreover, because human considered the Divine as creator and also sary to enable interplay and interaction, beings have a spark of the Divine within noted that Sri Aurobindo regards the Di- without which there could be no growth them, they are driven to seek perfection, vine as literally involved in Its creation, and development, no evolution. Therefore to seek to liberate their inner divinity, to present there even at the level of matter individuation, both of objects and of hu- release their divine potential into life and itself. Next we need to explore what this man consciousness into the form of in- action. It is in this way that we then come means in terms of the role and presence dividuals, is essential for the divine play to understand how there is so much im- of the Divine. Sri Aurobindo explains of life on earth, to enable the interaction perfection in beings, while the world is the Divine in terms of the silent, or pas- which provides the field and opportunity imbued with the Divine. The imperfec- sive, and active Brahman. The Divine, as for growth of consciousness and evolution tion is the ignorance, the sense of sepa- the Absolute, the Transcendent, IS. This in general. In the perception of separate- ration from oneness, from divinity, and is a great state of being, infinite and vast ness, then, we move away from a complete cloaks the inner Divine and its potential beyond human conception. As such, It sense of union with the Divine, even hav- for realization and fulfillment. The impul- is also called the Unknowable, mean- ing this completely concealed or masked sion for perfection is there. It is the light ing that It is beyond the range of human from our view. Sri Aurobindo describes and power of the innate divinity within knowledge. However, it should also be this process as moving into the ignorance, the manifestation. It is this that drives the noted that Sri Aurobindo asserts that the with ignorance being described as separa- evolution of consciousness, revealing the Unknowable can be known. By this he tion from the truth of oneness and union inner divinity eternally present. means that human beings have the inner with the Divine. With human beings, this potential to attain spiritual knowledge, the separation, and hence ignorance, becomes The psychic being true knowledge which consists of spiritual complete with the development of the ego. realization and is unrelated to intellectual There is, quite appropriately, much Sri Aurobindo explains that the spe- accomplishment or capacity. denigration in Eastern spiritual thought of cific presence of the Divine in the indi- The Absolute expresses Itself through the role played by the ego. It is seen as the vidual human being is the psychic being. its active power of Sachchidananda, the primary obstacle between the individual Having been a distinguished classical great trinity of Existence-Consciousness- and his or her soul, that which obstructs scholar while studying at Kings College, Bliss which is the foundation of the uni- the spiritual vision and realization in the Cambridge, Sri Aurobindo uses the term verse. Through his extensive research in individual. Sri Aurobindo also regards the “psychic” based on its original Greek the Vedas and his own exceptional spirit- ego as an obstacle to spiritual development meaning, where “psyche” means “soul.” ual realization, Sri Aurobindo discovered for much the same reasons. However, he He identifies the psychic being as “the soul a great power and consciousness which also recognizes that it has an essential role developing in the evolution.”2 It is a tiny he called the Supermind. This is the ex- to play in the process of individuation and element, “the spark of the Divine”3 within tension which Sachchidananda puts forth the consequent growth of the individual. the being. It is the presence of the psychic to enable the creation. In Supermind, It is necessary for the full development of being which enables and, in fact, drives there is still oneness, though Supermind the individual, as one builds one’s person- the evolution of the individual. This pres- enables differentiation, hence creating the ality and individual competencies in life ence of the Divine impels the individual to multiplicity of forms for life in the world. and also one’s initial identity or sense of seek self-perfection, to be dissatisfied with Sri Aurobindo makes it clear that though self in the formation of the outer being. the lower aspects of his or her nature, and there is differentiation at the level of Su-

30 • Collaboration Spring 2012 permind, there is no division. All remains not only the spiritual, material and This can also been explained in terms of as Oneness. Division enters at the level conscious substance of all the ideas the joy of self-finding. For when the ap- of what he terms the Overmind, below and forces and forms of the universe, parently separate beings rediscover their which are several levels of consciousness but their origin, support and possessor, divine Origin and unite with It, they ex- (Intuition, Illumined Mind, Higher Mind) the cosmic and supracosmic Spirit. All perience the bliss of that union. This has descending to what we usually consider the last terms to which we can reduce been regarded as the purpose of human to be mind. Sri Aurobindo explains that the universe, Force and Matter, Name life from the literature of the Vedas. Sri these levels of consciousness are actu- and Form, Purusha and Prakriti [Soul Aurobindo envisions even more than this, ally levels of being. Sri Aurobindo also and Nature], are still not entirely that conceiving of a complete transformation, explains that the Divine extended Itself which the universe really is either in a divinization, of the individual and also through the power of Sachchidananda, itself or its nature. As all that we are is of the collective life on earth in the evolu- through the dynamic creative action of the play and form, the mental, psychic, tion of consciousness. Supermind, and involved Itself in succes- vital and physical expression of a su- sive levels of expression down to the level preme Self unconditioned by mind, life References of mind as we usually think of it (the ac- and body, the universe too is the play tive intellect), and life and matter. Also, and form and cosmic soul-expression All quotations are from: Sri Aurobindo, Brahman is Brahman regardless of where and nature-expression of a supreme Sri Aurobindo Birth Centenary Library and how it is expressed, conceals or re- existence which is unconditioned by (SABCL), Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo veals Itself, and whether active or passive. force and matter, unconditioned by Ashram, 1970. So all these levels are Brahman, though idea and name and form, uncondi- Brahman is concealed further and further tioned by the fundamental distinction 1. SABCL, vol. 18 (The Life Divine), pp. through the descent into matter. of Purusha and Prakriti. Our supreme 102-103. Brahman is One, eternal, undivided. Self and the supreme Existence which 2. SABCL, vol. 22 (Letters on Yoga), p. However, It exists in two aspects: pas- has become the universe are one spirit, 301 sive and active. The vast silent immuta- one self, one existence. The individual 3. Ibid., p. 296. ble Brahman, the passive aspect, is the is in nature one expression of the uni- 4. SABCL, vol. 20, (The Synthesis of support of the creation. It maintains and versal Being, in spirit an emanation Yoga), p. 282. sustains the universe. Through Its active of the Transcendence. For if he finds role, Brahman contains and extends It- his self, he finds too that his own true self into the manifestation, dynamically self is not this natural personality, this On the reading of asserting its influence. In Its expression created individuality, but is a universal and involvement in the life of the world, being in its relations with others and Savitri Brahman also sends forth emanations with Nature and in its upward term a of Itself. These are the avatars who have portion of the living front of a supreme by Richard Pearson come through the ages to offer the direct transcendent Spirit.4 intervention of the Divine in the life of the To read world, doing so by their concrete physical Conclusion inspired presence. When we consider these aspects poetry lifts of the divine Reality, we see that it ranges We can summarize Sri Aurobindo’s us above from the Absolute, the Transcendent, perspective on reality as being based on a ourselves completely and pervasively down through complete and comprehensive view of the to realms all levels of being to Its actual presence reality of Brahman. All is in the Divine. of beauty, in matter, with the Divine being involved The Divine is in All. The Divine is All. delight and actively and comprehensively throughout, From this we see that Sri Aurobindo re- power,— closer to including taking a direct interest and in- gards Sachchidananda, the sublime trinity Photo courtesy Richard volvement in life on earth. of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss as the divinity. Pearson Sri Aurobindo writes extensively of the pervasive omnipresent power emanating In reading nature of Brahman and Its relation to the from the Transcendent, the Absolute. The Savitri, universe and to the individual. The follow- Divine has used its freedom to limit itself however, we can experience what the ing passage comprises a brief summary: to create the universe and the world of Mother said once to Norman Dowssett: separate forms, all of which are expres- “For the opening of the psychic, for the In relation to the universe the Supreme sions of Himself. He has done this for the growth of the consciousness and even of is Brahman, the one reality which is delight of the play, the delight of existence. the improvement of English, it is good to

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 31 read one or two pages of Savitri every day.” self. The Mother agreed and called the few of enjambment, that is the sense of (Amal Kiran, Our Light and Delight; 2nd of us with Svetlana at noon to the Darshan one line running over to the next... So, ed., p. 193) We also become aware of the room. I distinctly remember her seated whether end-stopped or made to flow depths of our own being. in her chair with a table lamp at her side over, there must be in different ways True, we constantly soar upwards, since the shutters were closed to avoid a ‘delay’ between line and line. The ascending to levels of consciousness far outside noise. Vishvanath-da was there to length of the delay is to be decided by beyond our normal ken. We can reach record the Mother’s reading so that later the reciter’s sense of his subject. to terrestrial, universal and even cosmic we could practise by listening to it. The very raison d’etre of the divi- states of consciousness. I believe we also There was a short silence as we sat on sion into lines is the need to show each touch the transcendental level too. the floor in front of her. She smiled and line in its own weight in the metre cho- Let us study how the Mother herself said softly: “Let us read to Sri Aurobindo.” I sen. Savitri is special in its meaning and looked at this self-transforming and world- found this so sweet and touching. She then message. It has a certain rhythm which revealing epic. This is what she observed began to read the oft-heard passage begin- is at the same time like all other poetry while talking to on 18 Sept. 1962: ning with this line: “Choose, Spirit, thy su- and yet with a subtle difference. And its preme choice not given again.” Whenever special character makes it what Sri Au- I am going to take the whole section of she pronounced the word ‘Lord’ there was robindo calls Overhead Poetry—that Savitri (to start with, I’ll see later) from such tenderness in her voice that I felt she is, poetry that comes from planes of “The Debate of Love and Death” to the was addressing Sri Aurobindo himself. Af- consciousness above the mind.” (Moth- point where the Supreme Lord makes ter she had finished I remember her giving er India, Nov. 2011, pp. 964-965) his prophecy about the earth’s future; a Divine Grace flower to each of us. Little it’s long—several pages long. This is for did I realize at the time how great was the Savitri is a crystallization of the Uni- my own satisfaction... Grace we had just received! versal Mother in an earthly personality for I am not doing it to show it to peo- Here are some extracts from letters to the Earth’s luminous future represented by ple or to have anyone read it, but to Narad from Amal Kiran: Satyavan. Everything may be seen as sym- remain in Savitri’s atmosphere, for I bolic. From the time of the rishis, deep ex- love that atmosphere... What Huta told you about reading periences were expressed in double terms: I know that light. I am immediately or reciting Savitri must have been a an inner one for the initiate and an outer plunged into it each time I read Savitri. directive from the Mother— or some- for the outer ear. Sri Aurobindo does call It is a very, very beautiful light. thing mixed with it from what I may Savitri ‘a legend and a symbol.’ So I am going to see. have said: ‘Slowly, clearly, precisely,’ it It is worth recalling what the Mother First of all, I’ll concentrate on it is very fine advice… Read slowly with wrote when asked what was the true meth- just as Sri Aurobindo said it in Eng- an awareness that there is a metre, od to study the works of Sri Aurobindo: lish, using French words. Then I’ll see i.e. long syllables, short syllables and if something comes without changing a combination of them. Metre means The true method is to read a little at a anything—that is, if the same inspira- that there is a design, a pattern and the time, with concentration, keeping the tion he had comes in French. It will be fact that poetry is divided into lines mind as silent as possible, without ac- an interesting thing to do. If I can do means that each line has to be felt in a tively trying to understand, but turned one, two, three lines a day, that’s all I certain shape. So there must be a short upwards, in silence, and aspiring for need: I will spend one hour every day pause after each line even if the sense the light. Understanding will come lit- like that. of the line continues into the next… tle by little. I don’t have anything in mind. All We must not forget that Savitri is po- And later, in one or two years, you I know is that being in that light above etry, generally of five metrical beats: will read the same thing again and then gives me great joy. For it is a supra- that is, it is by and large iambic pen- you will know that the first contact had mental light—a supramental light of tameter. One must be aware of this fact been vague and incomplete, and that aesthetic beauty, and very, very harmo- and also of the variations played upon true understanding comes later, after nious. (Mother’s Agenda, pp. 347-348) this base. Of course one must be fa- having tried to put it into practice. miliar with the usual stress in English (Collected WM, Vol. 12, p. 206). Once, for the second of December words. The voice must not fall into any program, the Mother chose a passage sing-song. English poetry is to be read Following these suggestions in our from Savitri, book eleven. Svetlana was and not sung, but since it is metrical reading of Savitri, we surely will progress directing the performance and I believe in a marked way, some sense of the more rapidly on the path, while also en- she must have asked the Mother to guide metre must come through. Then there joying more fully its wonderful divine us by reading out the whole portion her- is the matter of end-stopped lines and atmosphere.

32 • Collaboration Spring 2012 Source Material

Yogic Force and the divine Force

by Sri Aurobindo

he invisible Force producing tangible results both inward and outward is the whole meaning of the Yogic conscious- ness. Your question about Yoga bringing merely a feeling Tof Power without any result was really very strange. Who would be satisfied with such a meaningless hallucination and call it Pow- Sri Aurobindo in 1950. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) er? If we had not had thousands of experiences showing that the Power within could alter the mind, develop its powers, add new unseen forces of Nature. Or one must have faith and watch and ones, bring in new ranges of knowledge, master the vital move- open oneself and then it will begin to see how things happen, ments, change the character, influence men and things, control it will notice that when the Force was called in, there began the conditions and functionings of the body, work as a concrete after a time to be a result, then repetitions, more repetitions, dynamic Force on other forces, modify events, etc., etc., we would more clear and tangible results, increasing frequency, increas- not speak of it as we do. Moreover, it is not only in its results but ing consistency of results, a feeling and awareness of the Force in its movements that the Force is tangible and concrete. When at work—until the experience becomes daily, regular, normal, I speak of feeling Force of Power, I do not mean simply having a complete. These are the two main methods, one internal, work- vague sense of it, but feeling it concretely and consequently being ing from in outward, the other external, working from outside able to direct it, manipulate it, watch its movement, be conscious and calling the inner force out till it penetrates and is visible in of its mass and intensity and in the same way of that of other, the exterior consciousness. But neither can be done if one insists perhaps opposing forces; all these things are possible and usual always on the extrovert attitude, the external concrete only and by the development of Yoga. refuses to join to it the internal concrete—or if the physical mind It is not, unless it is supramental Force, a Power that acts at every step raises a dance of doubts which refuses to allow the without conditions and limits. The conditions and limits under nascent experience to develop. Even the Scientist carrying on a which Yoga or Sadhana has to be worked out are not arbitrary or new experiment would never succeed if he allowed his mind to capricious; they arise from the nature of things. These including behave in that way. the will, receptivity, assent, self-opening and surrender of the Sadhak have to be respected by the Yoga-force, unless it receives a * * * sanction from the Supreme to override everything and get some- thing done, but that sanction is sparingly given. It is only if the Well, I made the mistake of "thinking aloud with my pen" supramental Power came fully down, not merely sent its influ- when I wrote that unfortunate sentence1 about the force I had ences through the Overmind, that things could be very radically put for the success of the gramophone. As my whole action con- directed towards that object—for then the sanction would not be sists of the use of force, —except, of course, my writing answers rare. For the Law of the Truth would be at work, not constantly to correspondence which is concrete, but even that I am made balanced by the law of the Ignorance. to do by and with a force, otherwise I can assure you I would Still the Yoga-force is always tangible and concrete in the way not and could not do it, —I am sometimes imprudent enough to I have described and has tangible results. But it is invisible—not make this mistake. It is foolish to do so because a spiritual force like a blow given or the rush of a motor car knocking somebody or any other is obviously something invisible and its action is down which the physical senses can at once perceive. How is invisible, so how can anyone believe in it? Only the results are the mere physical mind to know that it is there and working? By seen and how is one to know that the results are the result of the its results? But how can it know that the results were that of the force? It is not concrete. Yogic force and not of something else? One of two things it must But I am myself rather puzzled by your instances of the con- be. Either it must allow the consciousness to go inside, to become crete. How are the schemes of a schemer concrete? Something aware of inner things, to believe in the experience of the invisible happens and you tell me it was the result of a schemer's scheme. and the supraphysical, and then by experience, by the opening But the schemer's scheme was a product of his consciousness and of new capacities, it becomes conscious of these forces and can not at all concrete; it was in his mind and another fellow's mind see, follow and use their workings, just as the Scientist uses the is not concrete to me unless I am a Yogi or a thought-reader.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 33 I can only infer from some things he said or did that he had a an increasing action of the thing that has to manifest, not by a scheme, things which I have not myself seen or heard and which sudden chance or disregard of all the conditions of the work to are therefore not to me concrete So how can I accept or believe in be done. If it were not so, there would be no need of Yoga or time the scheme of the schemer ? And even if I saw or heard, I am not or human action or instruments or of a Master and disciples or bound to believe that it was a scheme or that which happened was of a Descent or anything else. It could simply be a matter for the the result of a scheme. He may have acted on a chain of impulses tathāstu and nothing more. But that would be irrational if you and what happened may have been the result of something quite like and worse than irrational—“childish.” This does not mean different or itself purely accidental. Again, how did you control the that interventions, things apparently miraculous, do not happen music choir? By word and signs etc. which are of course concrete. —they do. But all cannot be like that. 6-2-1935 But what made you use those words and signs and why did they produce a control? And why did the other fellows do what you * * * told them? What made them do that? It was something in your and their consciousness, I suppose; but that is not concrete. Again, What is Sri Aurobindo’s force? It is not a personal property scientists talk about electricity which is, it seems, an energy, a force of this body or mind. It is a higher Force used by me or acting in action and it seems that everything has been done by this energy, through me. Of course it is a Divine Force, for there is only one my own physical being is constituted by it and it is at the base of all force acting in the world, but it acts according to the nature of my mental and life energies. But that is not concrete to me. I never the instrument. Yogic Force is different from others because it is felt my being constituted by electricity, I cannot feel it working out a special power of the spiritual consciousness. my thoughts and life processes—so how can I believe in it or ac- There was an obvious intervention in the case he speaks of— cept it ? The force I use is but the agent or pro- not a sweet blessing—a Yogic Force is different from others because it cess could only be de- blessing (silent) cer- termined if one knew tainly is not concrete, is a special power of the spiritual consciousness. all the circumstances. like a stone or a kick or Such interventions are other things seizable by the senses; it is not even a mere will say- frequent; e.g. my uncle’s daughter was at her last gasp, the doctors ing within me "let it be so"—that also is not concrete. It is a force had gone away telling him that there was no more to be done. of consciousness directed towards or on persons and things and He simply sat down to pray—as soon as he had finished, the happenings—but obviously a force of consciousness is not seizable death symptoms were suspended and the girl recovered without by the physical senses, so not concrete. I may feel it and the person further treatment (it was a case of typhoid fever). Several cases of acted on may feel it or may not feel it, but as the feeling is internal that kind have come within my personal observation. and not external and perceivable by others, it cannot be called con- I have marginalised on the Force—to write more completely crete and nobody is bound to accept or believe in it. For instance, if would need more time than I have tonight. Of course, if it de- I cure someone (without medicines) of a fever and send him fresh pended on a few cases of illness, it would be a thing of no certi- and full of strength to his work, all in the course of a single night, tude or importance. If the ‘Force’ were a mere freak or miracle, it still why should any third person believe or accept that it was my would be equally trivial and unimportant, even if well-attested. It force that did it ? It may have been Nature or his imagination that is only of importance if it is part of the consciousness and the life made him cure (three cheers for those concrete things, imagina- used at all times, not only for illness but for whatever one has to tion and Nature!)—or the whole thing happened of itself. So, you do. It manifests in various ways—as a strength of the conscious- see the case is hopeless, it can't be proved at all—at all. 6-12-1935 ness evenly supporting the life and action, as a power put forth for this or that object of the outward life, as a special Force from * * * above drawn down to raise and increase the scope of the con- sciousness and its height and transform not only by a miraculous The mistake is to think that it [Sri Aurobindo’s Force] must be but by a serious, steady organised action following certain defi- either a miraculous force or else none. There is no miraculous nite lines. Its effectiveness as well as its action is determined first force and I do not deal in miracles. The word Divine here is out of by its own height and intensity or that of the plane from which it place if it is taken as an always omnipotently acting Power. Yogic comes (it may be from any plane ranging from the Higher Mind Force is then better; it simply means a higher consciousness using upward to the Overmind), partly by the condition of the objects its power, a spiritual and supraphysical force acting on the physi- or the field in which it acts, partly by the movement which it has, cal world directly. One has to train the instrument to be a channel to effect, general or particular. It is neither a magician’s wand nor of this force; it works also according to a certain law and under a child’s bauble, but something one has to observe, understand, certain conditions. The Divine does not work arbitrarily or as a develop, master before one can use it aright or else—for few can thaumaturge; He acts upon the world along the lines that have use it except in a limited manner—be its instrument. This is only been fixed by the nature and purpose of the world we live in—by a preface. 6-2-1935 (SABCL, Vol. 26, pp. 197-202)

34 • Collaboration Spring 2012 On opening to the divine Force by the Mother

Sweet Mother, here it is written: “The personal effort has to be trans- formed progressively into a movement of the Divine Force. If you feel conscious of the Divine Force, then call it in more and more to govern your effort, to take it up, to transform it into something not yours, but the Mother's.” But if one is not conscious of the Divine Force?

You must become conscious. Aspire, ask, aspire sincerely. You see, generally speaking, you are here, we have a class, we have just read something, you have questions to ask; while you are here you ask questions and think of the subject. But as soon as you go out or go home, you think of a thousand other things, The Mother. (Photo courtesy Sri Aurobindo Ashram) don't you? So, how do you expect that you will become conscious of the divine Force? We have hardly about half an hour here, that's Mother, last time we read: “It does not matter what defects you not a very long time to become conscious of the Force. may have in your nature. The one thing that matters is your keep- But if it is your sole preoccupation, if truly, with all your be- ing yourself open to the Force.” Mother, if one has defects, how can ing, you want to become conscious of the divine Force, you will one open to the Force? be able to. You can't, simply because you think about it from time to time; when the subject comes up, you ask yourself, “Why, it is I think everyone has defects. So if it were necessary not to true, how can I do it?” And then, the next minute you don't think have any defects in order to be open, nobody could be open. One about it any more. So, how do you expect this to happen? You must always has defects, to begin with. One is not made of a single be very attentive, you must be very silent, must observe yourself piece. This is the main reason. There are many different parts in very clearly. And you must be very humble; that is, be willing not the being which sometimes are quite independent of one another to play a great part in all this story. The misfortune is that usually and take hold of the consciousness almost in turn and sometimes either the vital being or the mental being or even the physical even in an altogether regular order. So, when part of the being being is very anxious to play a part, very anxious. So it swells up, has goodwill and already a kind of perception of what the divine takes up a lot of place, covers the rest; and it covers it so well that force is, you see, this opens the being and puts it into contact with one can't even become aware of the presence of the divine Force this force. But it is not always there. There are other parts which because the personal movement of the physical, the body, the vital, come to the front, which have defects, bad habits, and which can the mind, covers everything with its own importance. veil the consciousness completely. But if one keeps the memory Listen: if every evening before going to sleep you take off of the part which was open, one can keep the opening all the only a tiny minute, like that, and in this little minute, with all the same, though outwardly the part that is active is not particularly concentration you are capable of you ask to become conscious of interested and not even able to understand. But the other part can the divine Force, simply like that, nothing more; in the morning continue to be open and receive the force. (CWM, Vol 6, p. 394) when waking up, before beginning your day, if you do the same * * * thing, take a minute off, concentrate as much as you can and ask to become conscious of the divine Force, you will see, after some How can we make the mind and vital a “clear field”? time, it will happen. Nothing but these small things which are nothing at all and take no time. Make what?... Yes, it is difficult. (Laughter) It is a great task. One day it will happen. Only, you must do it with concentra- Well, it is always the same thing; first of all you must understand tion, intensity and sincerity; that is, it must not happen while you what is meant by being clear. And then you must aspire, and with are asking for this, another part of your being is telling itself, “Af- persistence; and each time something comes to obstruct you, you ter all, this has no importance.” Or maybe you think of something must brush it aside, push it back, not accept it. else, what you are going to put on or the 0person you will meet, The mind and vital have a very bad habit: when one has anything at all, a thousand desires. You must be there, fully, for succeeded through aspiration in having an experience, being in one minute. Of course if you multiply the minute, it goes so much contact with the divine force, immediately they rush forward to the quicker. But as I also said, if one is able not to contradict the make it their own property, you see, like that (gesture) , as a cat next minute the aspiration one had the minute before, it is easier; jumps on a mouse. And then they catch it and say, “It is for me.” if not, it pushes sincerity away. (CWM, Vol. 6, pp. 398-400) And then the mind turns it into all kinds of speculations and

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 35 affirmations and constructions and takes great pride in it, and the says something because one knows it should be said, or as one vital uses the power to fulfil its own desires. thinks something because it is the fashion to think like that but So, in order to avoid this it is said that they must be clear, spontaneously, sincerely, with all their heart) they know that it quiet, peaceful, and must not rush at the force which is trying is not they who have done the thing, but the divine force. When to manifest and make of it a tool for their personal use. For the they have made a progress, when they have changed something mind to be clear it must be silent – at least to a certain extent, in themselves, when they have learnt something, then when is it and for the vital to be clear it must give up its desires, have no that spontaneously, without an effort of will, without thinking, desires and impulses and passions. This indeed is the essential without needing to tell oneself, “One ought to think like this”, condition. Later, if one goes into details, neither of them should spontaneously oneknows that without the divine force nothing have any preferences, attachments, any particular way of being or would have been done ? Look into yourself, it is a very interesting particular set of ideas. (CWM, Vol. 6, p. 396) thing, very interesting, how many times a day you think (without even telling yourself), “I have done this”, “I have been able to do * * * that”, “I succeeded in this”, “I failed in that”, and when you have made a good effort, when you have obtained a result, you need a “Will and aspiration are needed to bring down the aid of the little moment for thought, or more, to tell yourself, “If the divine Divine Force and to keep the being on its side in its dealings with the force had not helped me, probably I would not have been able lower powers.” What is the meaning of “keep the being on its side”? to do it.” The spontaneous thing is, “Oh ! I have succeeded”, isn't that true ? There is indeed a part of the mind which has been “To keep on its side” – it is, for instance... you see, there is educated, which has learnt, has reflected, understood, which is on one side – how shall I put it? – let us take the army, the army well-disposed and truly feels that in reality it is like that, but this of the divine forces, on the other side the army of the forces of is only one part of the mind, and it is not always active, some- ordinary nature; so whether to keep on the side of this army or of times it must be called up, asked its advice, “What is then the best that, that's what it means. attitude to have ?”, “What should I think ?” I believe all who have You do not understand? That is to say, to go to this side, join taken up yoga, if they are sincere, if they reflect for a moment, this or that side. If I keep on the side of the divine forces I join tell themselves, “I was not aware of it, but if I have succeeded, those who are fighting for the divine forces like an army. If I put it was probably because the divine forces were there to help me, myself on the side of the ordinary vital forces of life, I go over to otherwise I would not have been able to succeed.” This is well that side and forsake the others, I go over to that side. (CWM, understood. But there comes a moment when one knows that Vol. 6, 389-90) one would not have been able to lift a finger if these forces had not been there. That comes later...But to begin with, how many * * * times, if one thinks, if one quite simply observes oneself, does one catch oneself saying, “It is I !” And, then, one congratulates During the 1929 talk someone asked what should be done to oneself sometimes, one says, “After all I can do something, I am effect the cure of an illness, whether one should exercise one's capable !” I am going further: how many people would be capable willpower or only live in the confidence that it will be done or rely of doing anything at all if simply deprived of the pleasure of being entirely on the divine Power. Mother replied: able to tell themselves, “I have done this, I have realised that, I have made a progress, how well I played this game” ? How many “All these are so many ways of doing the same thing... people would be able to sincerely do something if this pleasure But whatever you ask for or whatever your effort, you must feel, were taken away ? I have known individuals whose mind was even while trying your best, using knowledge or putting forth power much more developed than the rest of the being, they had under- that the result depends upon the Divine Grace.” (23 June 1929) stood very well (almost too well); they sat down to meditate and all their energy was gone, all vitality evaporated into a kind of But first you must will it, I believe that is quite important ! peace, not unpleasant, but very still. There is no more need to do There is no one method to follow... I read this and at the same anything, no longer any need to move, one dreams... Under a tree, time ask myself how many people would be satisfied to hear arms crossed, one leaves the Divine to do everything for oneself, this. All the materialism and positivism in the world have been including feeding you if you need it. This is perhaps very well, but constructed just because people do not want the Divine Grace this shows that the instrument is not ready; it is not really at the to come in at all. If they are cured they want to say, “It is I who service of the Divine, it is at the service of the ego, and when the cured myself”; if they make a progress, they want to think, “It is ego is taken away, it does nothing any longer. Therefore, so long as I who have progressed”; if they organise something, they want one lives in the ego this illusion is necessary to make you act; it is to proclaim, “It is I who am organising.” And many, many of necessary to keep up action until one is completely transformed those who try to do otherwise, if they look within themselves, or, in any case, till the true consciousness is established. (CWM, would see how seldom spontaneously, sincerely (not as when one Vol. 4, 279-280).

36 • Collaboration Spring 2012

The poetry room From Year of the world*

To the sea Give reverence, O man, to mystery, Keep your soul patient, and with closed eye hear. O grey wild sea, Know that the Good is in all things, the whole Thou hast a message, thunderer, for me. Being by him pervaded and upheld. Their huge wide backs He is the will, the thwarting circumstance, Thy monstrous billows raise, abysmal cracks The two opposing forces equal both— Dug deep between. Birth, Death, are one. Think not the Lotus flower One pale boat flutters over them, hardly seen. Or tulip is more honoured than grass, I hear thy roar The bindweed, or the thistle. He who kneels Call me, “Why dost thou linger on the shore To Cama, kneeleth unto me; the maid With fearful eyes Who sings to Ganga sings to me; I am Watching my tops visit their foam-washed skies? Wisdom unto the wise, and cunning lore This trivial boat Unto the subtle. He who knows his soul, Dares my vast battering billows and can float. And from thence looketh unto mine; who sees Death if it find, All underneath the moon regardlessly, Are there not many thousands left behind? Living on silent, as a shaded lamp Dare my wide roar, Burns with steady flame: —he sure shall find me— Nor cling like cowards to the easy shore. He findeth wisdom, greatness, happiness. Come down and know Know, further, the Great One delighteth not What rapture lives in danger and o’erthrow.” In him who works, and strives, and is against Yes, thou great sea, The nature of the present. Not the less I am more mighty and outbillow thee. Am I the gladness of the conqueror— On thy tops I rise; And the despair of impotence that fails. ’Tis an excuse to dally with the skies. I am the ultimate, the tendency I sink below Of all things to their nature, which is mine. The bottom of the clamorous world to know. Put round thee garments of rich softness, hang On the safe land Fine gold about thine ankles, hands, and ears, To linger is to lose what God has planned Set the rich ruby and rare diamond For man’s wide soul, Upon thy brow. —I made them, I also Who set eternal godhead for its goal. Made them be sought by thee; thou lack’st them not? Therefore He arrayed Then throw them whence they came, and leave with them Danger and difficulty like seas and made The wish to be aught else than nature forms. Pain and defeat, Know that the great Good in the age called First, And put His giant snares around our feet. Beheld a world of mortals, ‘mong whom none The cloud He informs Enquired for Truth, because no falsehood was: With thunder and assails us with His storms, Nature was Truth: man held whate’er he wished: That man may grow No will was thwarted, and no deed was termed, King over pain and victor of o’erthrow Good, Evil. In much wisdom is much grief. Matching his great He who increases knowledge sorrow also Unconquerable soul with adverse Fate. Takes with it, till he rises unto me, Take me, be Knowing that I am in all, still the same: My way to climb the heavens, thou rude great sea. Knowing that I am Peace in the contented. I will seize thy mane, I, Great, revealed unto the Seer, how man O lion, I will tame thee and disdain; Had wandered, and he gave a name and form Or else below To my communings and he called it Veda. Into thy salt abysmal caverns go, To him who understands it is great gain— Receive thy weight Who understandeth not, to him the Sign Upon me and be stubborn as my Fate. And ritual is authority and guide, I come, O Sea, A living and expiring confidence. To measure my enormous self with thee. —William Bell Scott —Sri Aurobindo

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 37 Whate’er betide of seeming good or ill. A meditation* The worst we can conceive but pays some debt Or breaks some seal, The Self is Peace; that Self am I. To free us from the bondage of the Wheel. The Self is Strength; that Self am I. What needs this trembling strife —Paul Hookham With phantom threats of Form and Time and Space? Could once my Life Sonnet on a sleeping world* Be shorn of their illusion and efface From its clear heaven that stormful imagery, Awake and yet asleep! The whole world lies My Self were seen Unconscious of its own unconscious state; An Essence free, unchanging, strong, serene. Destructive of itself and blind to fate, Ignoring all the warnings of the wise. The Self is Peace. How placid dawns For here and there a man may waken, rise, The Summer’s parent hour Shake off the shackles ere it be too late, Over the dewy maze that drapes the fields, His mind to master, anger, greed and hate Each drooped wild flower, Drive out and penetrate the veiled guise Or where the lordship of the garden shields Of man mechanical—his nature true— Select Court beauties and exclusive lawns! Which he perceives, his helplessness he knows; ‘Tis but the show All others cling to dreams that they can do And fitful dream of Peace the Self can know. Whate’er they will—themselves mere puppet shows, Their strings worked by events, nor do they heed The Self is Strength, Let Nature rave, The call to rouse as slaves from fetters freed. And tear her maddened breast, Now doom the drifting ship, with blackest frown, —Michael Dillon Or now, possessed With rarer frenzy, wreck the quaking town, Atonement* And bury quick beneath her earthy wave— She cannot break Not for the faint of heart the search for Truth, One fibre of that Strength, one atom shake. Not for the weak of will or dull intent; Beset with troubles from the very start, The Self is one with the Supreme Pulled back by shackles, torn apart by doubts, Father in fashioning, Until from perseverance, from the dark Though clothed in perishable weeds that feel A tiny ray of light shines down the Way, Pain’s mortal sting, To show a single step ahead—no more. The unlifting care, the wound that will not heal; And if the eyes by then are not too blind, Yet these are not the Self—they only seem. By lengthy struggle with the written word; From faintest jar And if the ears at last are not too deaf, Of whirring worlds the true Self broods afar. From listening to the sounds of argument; And if the teeming brain is not too dulled Afar he whispers to the mind To grasp the Truth, so long and hardly sought; To rest on the Good Law, Then all materialism falls in place. To know that naught can fall without its range, A true perspective of the world is grasped, Nor any flaw Where earthly lusts and wants no longer count Of chance disturb its reign, or shadow of Change; For more than they are worth, in proper place; That what can bind the life the Law must bind— All merged together in the true Desire Whatever hand Which rises over all and with it brings Dispose the lot, it is by that Command; The sense of Happiness, because the feet Are set upon the rightful Way to God. To know no suffering can beset To reach At-onement with the Trinity Our lives, that is not due, Of Beauty, Truth and Love eternally. That is not forged by our own act and will; Calmly to view —Michael Dillon

38 • Collaboration Spring 2012 They pass the moist new grave, Arise, my soul! and urge thy flight* And bid rank verdure wave; They bear through every clime I The harvests of all time, On, on, for ever! Arise, my soul! And urge thy flight, And fix thy view on God alone. III As eagles spring to meet the light, And gaze upon the radiant sun. All men are equal in their birth, Heirs of the earth and skies; As planets on and onward roll, All men are equal when that earth As streams pour forth their swelling tide, Fades from their dying eyes. Press on thy steady course, my soul, Nor pause, nor stop, nor turn aside. All wait alike on Him whose power Upholds the life He gave; Planets and suns shall dim their fire; The sage within his star-lit tower, Earth, air, and sea, shall melt away; The savage in his cave. But though each star of heaven expire, Thou may’st survive that awful day. God meets the throngs that pay their vows In courts their hands have made; In life, in death, thy course hold on: And hears the worshipper who bows Though nature’s self in ruins lie, Beneath the plantain shade. Pause not till heaven-gate be won; Then rest; for there thou canst not die. ‘Tis man alone who difference sees, And speaks of high and low, II And worships those and tramples these, While the same path they go. Beneath this starry arch Nought resteth or is still: Oh, let man hasten to restore But all things hold their march, To all their rights of love; As if by one great will: In power and wealth exult no more; Moves one, move all; In wisdom lowly move. Hark to the footfall! On, on, for ever! Ye great! Renounce your earth-born pride; Ye low, your shame and fear: Yon sheaves were once but seed: Live as ye worship side by side; Will ripens into deed. Your brotherhood revere. As cave-drops swell the streams, Day-thoughts feed nightly dreams; —Harriet Martineau And sorrow tracketh wrong, As echo follows song, Love’s Lord* On, on, for ever! When weight of all the garner’d years By night, like stars on high, Bows me, and praise must find relief The hours reveal their train; In harvest-song, and smiles and tears They whisper, and go by; Twist in the band that binds my sheaf; I never watch in vain: Moves one, move all: Thou known Unknown, dark, radiant sea Hark to the footfall! In whom we live, in whom we move, On, on, for ever! My spirit must lose itself in Thee, Crying a name Life, Light, or Love. They pass the cradle-head, And there a promise shed; —Edward Dowden

*From Alan Jacobs (Ed.), Poetry for the Spirit. London: Watkins, 2002.

Spring 2012 Collaboration • 39 When people say they are looking for hap- There is neither past nor future. There is Apropos piness, I ask, What are you giving to the only the present. Yesterday was the pre- world? —Oprah Winfrey sent to you when you experienced it, and tomorrow will be also the present when A Transcendent who is beyond all world Truth is immediate, radiant, here now. It you experience it. Therefore, experi- and all Nature and yet possesses the world is not that truth has to be discovered— ence takes place only in the present, and and its nature, who has descended with only you have to become aware. Truth is beyond experience nothing exists. something of himself into it and is shap- already here. —Osho —Ramana Maharshi ing it into that which as yet it is not, is the Source of our being, the Source of our Take no notice of the ego and its activities, When your consciousness becomes a still works and their Master. —Sri Aurobindo but see only the light behind. —Ramana mirror, a still lake, a silent reservoir of en- Maharshi ergy, God is reflected in it. —Osho Surrender means to consecrate everything in oneself to the Divine, to offer all one is The soul can grow only in freedom. Love Renunciation of desires does not mean and has, not to insist on one’s ideas, de- gives freedom. And when you give free- asceticism or a negative attitude to life. sires, habits, etc., but to allow the divine dom, you are free, that’s what detachment Without avoiding contact with the dif- Truth to replace them by its knowledge, is. If you enforce bondage on the other, ferent aspects of life, maintain complete will and action everywhere. —Sri Auro- you will be in imprisonment on your own detachment in the midst of intense activity. bindo accord. If you bind the other, the other will — bind you; if you define the other, the other The storm is only at the surface of the will define; if you are trying to possess the The only Real Renunciation is that which being; in the depths all is quiet. —The other, the other will possess you. —Osho abandons, in the midst of worldly duties, Mother all selfish thoughts and desires. —Meher Spiritual freedom is freedom from all Baba We must be free of all selfishness to serve wanting . . . When the soul breaks asunder properly the Divine’s cause. —The Mother the shackles of wanting, it is emancipated It is not the end of the physical body that from bondage to body, mind, and ego. This should worry us. Rather, our concern Everyone has been made for some par- freedom brings realization of the unity of must be to live while we’re alive—to re- ticular work, and the desire for that work all life and puts an end to all doubts and lease our inner selves from the spiritual has been put into him. —Rumi worries. —Meher Baba death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to exter- Our best work is done, our greatest in- You have to grow from the inside out. nal definitions of who and what we are. fluence is exerted, when we are without None can teach you, none can make you —Elisabeth Kubler-Ross thought of self. All great geniuses know spiritual. There is no other teacher but this. Let us open ourselves to the one your own soul. —Vivekananda We stumble and fall constantly even when Divine Actor and let Him act; let us do we are most enlightened. But when we nothing ourselves. —Swami Vivekananda Dive deep. Learn to love God. Plunge into are in true spiritual darkness, we do not divine love. —Ramakrishna Paramhansa even know that we have fallen. —Thomas There is guidance for each of us, and by Merton lowly listening we shall hear the right Divine love makes us true to ourselves and word…For you there is a reality, a fit place to others . . . Divine love is the solution to By having a reverence for life, we enter and congenial duties. Place yourself in the our difficulties and problems. It frees us into a spiritual relation with the world. By middle of the stream of power and wis- from every kind of binding. It makes us practicing reverence for life we become dom which animates all whom it floats, speak truly, think truly, and act truly. It good, deep, and alive. —Albert Schweitzer and you are without effort impelled to makes us feel one with the whole universe. truth, to right and perfect contentment. Divine love purifies our hearts and glori- One’s real life is so often the life that one —Ralph Waldo Emerson fies our being. —Meher Baba does not lead. —Oscar Wilde

A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual Impart as much as you can of your spir- No man is rich enough to buy back his at all. No man can serve two masters. Your itual being to those who are on the road past. —Oscar Wilde life is shaped by the end you live for. You with you, and accept as something pre- are made in the image of what you desire. cious what comes back to you from them. Action speaks louder than words but not —Thomas Merton —Albert Schweitzer nearly as often. —Mark Twain

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