January - February Sunday Activities at the Centre – A glimpse

January 10^th – AGM and Readings from Question and Answers:

                                                                                                                     

Following our AGM, we read a few questions from sadhaks and Mother’s answers for them.

January 17^th - Readings from ‘Essays on Gita’ by Sri Aurobindo:

Sri Aurobindo contributed these articles in Arya magazine from 1916 to 1920. In 1928, he brought out an extensively revised edition in this book form. We read two passages from the first article “Our Demand and Need from the Gita.” These passages talk about how the man kind  attach themselves to certain scriptures and religious beliefs with full knowledge or half knowledge and look down upon other religions and sacred books as impostures.

In recent times mankind has become more tolerant and respectful of other religious truths and less inclined to fight on these grounds. Truth is one and eternal, and all the other truths get their right place and knowledge in the light of the “ONE TRUTH”.

It is essential for us to approach our spiritual or religious text namely Gita or Vedas for the value they are giving to humanity. Over time the statements made in the scriptures undergo various mutations and divisions according to mankind’s mind set.

January 24^th - Savitri, An unending journey:

Meditation on “Savitri” with Huta’s Visuals - Book One, The Book of Beginnings, Canto One, The Symbol Dawn

No one can speak about Savitri with greater authority than The Mother. She has said: Savitri is a revelation. It is a meditation; it is a quest of the Infinite, the Eternal... Our divine association with Savitri continues...

We meditated on the first 12 paintings.

I felt writing the beautiful explanation from Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo gives us the joy of opening to a wider world and beyond!

Before existence, non-existence; before being, non-being.

Before this manifestation of names and forms came to be, it was all a state of indefiniteness, a featureless Blank, as it were. There was simply the Unmanifest; it was an infinite Zero. But this was not an empty zero. It was contentful, holding in itself potentialities without end, immeasurable. And it was because this Nothing contained all in seed in its bosom that things could at all manifest from it.

The Zero is not a negative Void. It exceeds the farthest conception of the mind and strikes it as a blank though it is full in a way that is beyond human comprehension. Out of this Zero issue the Numbers stretching into infinity. Appearance of dawn always carries with it an enchanting beauty that is not of this world but of one beyond; it is bright with hues that bespeak a splendour on which mortal eyes have not rested; it brings the tidings of assurance from a Divine Effulgence, an eternal Light that is forever; though not in evidence today in this world of obscurity and death, it looms above and sends intimations of its existence and advent through the flares of its glow on the horizons of its skies.

The Goddess of Eternal Light forms the link between Timeless Existence and this creation in Time; she renders the truths of the former into terms proper to the latter. She is able to do it for she holds the knowledge of what is to be worked out and in what precise manner. She knows the steps, the course and the goal.

Source: Collected Works of Sri Aurobindo.

January 31^st - Reading from the book ‘THE HOUR OF GOD’ by Sri Aurobindo:

The first piece also titled “THE HOUR OF GOD” Sri Aurobindo guides us on how we must make use of the precious moments when God visits our outer being. When that happens anything we undertake will be a success with little effort. We are at terrible loss when we miss these moments indulged in our ego senses or sleeping in inertia. We should cleanse our being of self-deceit, hypocrisy and vain self-flattering and receive the Power of the Breath of the Lord with trust and go forward.

February 7^th - Reading from AIM Magazine:

We read the Awakening dated October 2014 during our weekly session on 7th Feb 2016. The following is a brief note on the reading. The subject was "Fearlessness in Action - Manifold, unfettered and fearlessness." We read two stories - The first about the Mother when she was about fifteen or sixteen as recounted to Children by Poorna Prema. Mother had fearlessly prevented the dismissal of an art instructor. The second story was about Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare, an American fighter pilot who, single handed, destroyed five Japanese bombers on February 20, 1942, and saved the Aircraft Career Lexington from the possible attack by the Japanese Bombers. Though he was killed a year later in an aerial combat, his hometown not wanting to forget the heroic action named the O'Hare airport in Chicago after him. We also read a small prayer from the Mother entitled "Lead us to Victory.”

February 14^th - Readings from Question and Answers (2^nd May 1956):

Sri Aurobindo says the “UNION WITH THE DIVINE” is threefold. They are the yoga of knowledge, the yoga of love and devotion and the yoga of works. For the Sadhak’s question about whether Supramental has descended upon Earth to bring about the new race, Mother replies as follows:

Like the millions of years passed for the present development of the mind of man, even now some time would pass before the new race would be visible. For people who are inwardly ready, who are open and in direct contact with higher forces, can feel the Supramental light in the earth atmosphere. For people centred in exclusively outer being, think of the sudden and unexpected appearance as miraculous.

-            Jayalakshmi

Along the Way… Feb 2016 Morning Walk - A Review

The morning walk in February was at East Coast Park. This is the event of every month which we always look forward to. East Coast Park which has a total land size of 185 hectares and which is built entirely on reclaimed land, is one of Singapore's most treasured urban getaways. Its scenic coastline stretches over 15 km.

It was raining in the morning and the sky was dark. It was quite evident that the rain would not stop soon. We were eager to meet our friends and join the walk and hoped that everything would be alright and that we would win over the inclement weather when we reached the East Coast Park.

It was a day of inspiration, determination and dedication.

There was no surprise at all when we met Kashyap uncle at the park who had come even in the rainy weather to join all of us who had come for the walk. He is an inspiration to all of us. Whatever may be the circumstances, the message was quite clear—Move on. This inspiration that we got boosted our zeal and determination to continue with the walk.

Everybody was dot on time at 8 AM at the park. There we saw a few families who had been tenting overnight in the park. It was just a start of the long holidays and families were enjoying with camping overnight. Our lovely photo was taken in the rain with everybody holding an umbrella. It was quite thrilling and there was a feeling of satisfaction. After waiting for about half an hour, we started off for the pleasant walk under the swaying coconut palms and Casuarinas. A strong determination was there to keep going.

Along the way, I had the pleasure of a discussion with Mr Ramanathan on topics related to Shrimad Bhagavad-Gita. The atmosphere was just nice to discuss. It was a beautiful moment. A long seemingly unending stretch of road, the blue waters of the sea, with its end nowhere in sight and the droplets of rain falling from the dark skies, the sound of rain drops on the umbrellas that we were holding and a cool pleasant breeze whispering in our ears. These are the moments that we should enjoy and cherish. We all came back to the meeting point at 9.50am. We moved off to Mrs Nisha’s place. After everybody gathered there, we started off with the Opening Meditation. After the Prayers were read we had a lovely brunch. The brunch was no less than a lunch with a variety of items. I should not forget to mention the presence of Ashish, who was there at the Meditation and as a host for the brunch. He had a flight in the afternoon to India. That was dedication.

We went back with the memory of the joyous and the precious moments spent with our dear ones and look forward to the next month’s walk.

-          Kiran Sule

Equality

“Lo! Here are flowers and benedictions! Here is the smile of divine Love! It is without preferences and without repulsions. It streams out towards all in a generous flow and never takes back its marvellous gifts!

Her arms outstretches in a gesture of ecstasy, the Eternal Mother pours upon the world the unceasing dew of Her purest love!”

-      The Mother

From the Editor’s Desk (Feb 2016)

This month’s issue of the newsletter examines the quality of equality. In the English dictionary, it is defined as the state or quality of being equal. Equal means being evenly proportioned or balanced

(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/equal?s=t). In the Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, equality is elaborated as a quality that is when the mind and the vital are quiet and unmoved in the face of all kinds of disturbances that trouble one, all that is said or done to one.  It means to look at all of these without “distortions created by personal feelings” and “understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them and what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them;” In these few lines, Sri Aurobindo makes the meaning of equality in its relationship with spiritual progress, which is actually all about the exceeding of one’s small limited self and growing into a largeness and a height such that there is a progressive shift in one’s state of consciouness. By this, he means a self-mastery over vital movements, such as, “anger and sensitiveness and pride as well as desire”. For once these enter into our system, they disturb inner peace, and throw the being into the vortex of a turbulent sea upon which even to maneavour a raft to its destination becomes a herculean task. The goal in this instance, is for us to reach a “calm inner poise of the spirit” and to work from this centre. Sri Aurobindo also cautions us that to have equality in our possession wholly and perfectly is not easy but that one should try and develop this quality to stand as a firm basis for spiritual progress. 

Once again, self-observation becomes a great help in starting our journey towards aspiring for the quality of equality and establishing it firmly within. For, a first glance and then a dive inwards, treading on the periphery of the being with well fitted goggles of clear glass would show up fuzzy images in murky water. A mind ticking incessantly on its unending cyclic path and a heart crying out in defiance and pain while suffering from a deficit syndrome are common comrades we meet in our journey inwards. It is prudent to understand these movements in one, the causes and cure and follow a rigorous discipline in nurturing the quality of equality and see for oneself the fruits of one’s effort offered. Read the pages that follow for precise insights and guidance on cultivating or nurturing that quality of equality.

The cycle of the annual calendar wheels into our midst the month of February – a month breathing maturity, calm, peace, silence, joy of life, joy of action and joy of being. In its simplicity, it defeats opulence and yet stands supreme amongst the many other months of the lunar calendar. The Mother’s 138th Birth Anniversary falls on the 21st of February, followed by Auroville’s 48th Birthday on the 28th and lastly, but most gloriously appears The Golden Day, on the 29th of February. This was the day marking the Descent of the Supermind in 1956, sixty years ago and six years after Sri Aurobindo left his body to continue his divine work from an occult plane. The Mother had given a special significance to special days such as these. Let us loose no time in finding out about the special significances placed on these dates occurring in the month of February.  These are definitely days on which, by being part of the collective movement of aspiration towards the divine, we can hope to elevate our state of consciousness and better still, try to hold something of the brilliance, something of the Grace they bring. Let this Golden Year carry us on its golden back, its golden wings spread wide all the way through.

Savitri

The first fair life that breaks from Nature's swoon,

Mounts in a line of rapture to the skies;

Absorbed in its own happy urge it lives,

Sufficient to itself, yet turned to all.

It has no seen communion with its world,

No open converse with surrounding things.
There is a oneness native and occult

That needs no instruments and erects no form;

In unison it grows with all that is,

All contacts it assumes into its trance.

Laugh-tossed consents to the wind's kiss and takes

Transmutingly the shocks of sun and breeze:

A blissful yearning riots in its leaves,

A magic passion trembles in its blooms,

Its boughs aspire in hushed felicity.

(Book Four, Canto One)

Waking and sleep lay locked in mutual arms;

Helpless and indistinct came pleasure and pain

Trembling with the first faint thrills of a World-Soul.

A strength of life that could not cry or move,

Yet broke into beauty signing some deep delight:

(Book Two, Canto Five)

Question of the month (Feb 2016)

Q: What is the difference between outer equality and the equality of the soul?

The Mother: The equality of the soul is a psychological thing. It is the power to bear all happenings, good or bad, without being sad, discouraged desperate, upset. Whatever happens, you remain serene, peaceful.

The other is the equality in the body. It is not psychological, it is something material; to have a physical poise, to receive forces without being troubled.

The two are equally necessary if one wants to progress on the path. And other things still. For example, a mental poise; such that all possible ideas, even the most contradictory, may come from all sides without one’s being troubled. One can see them and put each in its place. That is mental poise.

(CWM, Volume 5, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)

The Mother's oneness with Nature

(Dream-white Lotus – Painting by Sudha)

The Force in her drew earth's sub human broods;

And to her spirit's large and free delight

She joined the ardent-hued magnificent lives

Of animal and bird and flower and tree.

They answered to her with a simple heart

What seemed herself was an image of the Whole,

She was a subconscient life of tree and flower,

The outbreak of the honied buds of spring;

She burned in the passion and splendour of the rose,

She was the red heart of the passion-flower,

The dream-white of the lotus in its pool

-       Sri Aurobindo, Savitri

(Book seven, Canto seven)

When she was about twelve, Mirra used to go for solitary walks in the woods at Fontainebleau, and she would often sit for hours at the foot of a tree losing herself in communion with Nature. It was a singular concatenation, the ardent young girl self-absorbed in the infinitudes, and the silent ageless tree with the imperious woods around: quite an equation of the mathematics of the Spirit! The very birds and squirrels made friends with her, and would often perch on her, or crawl lovingly over her. And, indeed, Mirra felt perfectly at peace there in the bosom of Nature, and experienced a sense of identity.

Some of the trees at Fontainebleau were supposed to be quite ancient - perhaps two thousand years old or more ­ and it was as though Mirra had captivated the heart of primordial Nature. The trees almost seemed to understand her, and whisper in a familiar language to her. The spirit of a tree had once become aware of the talk of cutting it down, and when Mirra went to sit under it began soliciting her to somehow save it from the threatened destruction. In later life she

intervened in several cases and succeeded in staying the murderous axe. Her companionship with Nature was thus no pose, no mere figure of speech, but a deep commitment flowing from a sense of spiritual oneness with all life, all Nature.

(‘On The Mother’, Chapter 1 – “Childhood and Girlhood”, K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar, Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry)