Spring 2012 Journal of the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo 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 ([email protected]), 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, Pondicherry, 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 Sri Aurobindo Ashram, a prolific writer, and the editor of Mother India, 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 Auro bindo 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 “Brahman.” It the USA; a patron subscription is $50