Next Future June 2008

Sri Aurobindo Society June 2008
Next Future Editorial
Eternally Yours O Divine and adorable...
Living Words When, in our despair...
Flower of the Month Psychic Love
Question of the Month Life is a Dynamic Mirror
Genius of India The Beginnings of Indian Civilisation - V M.S. Srinivasan
Rishayah – The Seersof Ancient India Maharshi Bhrigu Dr. Sampadananda Mishra
Commentaries on Dhammapada Impurity The Mother
True News Bridging the Gap
The Upanishad Katha Upanishad Sri Aurobindo
Art of Life Does God Exist? Anonymous
Whispers of Nature Nature Channels Song J. Donald Walters
Creative Corner Welcome to my World Vilasni Narayanan
Food for Thought The Way to Think Mencius
Integral Health Search and Research (Part II) Dr. Alok Pandey
Integral Education The Teaching Profession... M.P. Pandit
Savitri Instalment-V Mangesh Nadkarni
Tales Told by Mystics The Sinner Manoj Das
Reflections Preparing the Path The Mother
Spotlight Yaksha
Your Voice
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The Awakening Ray: Secrets of Health

Current Issue: Secrets of Health
Editorial : Anuradha
The Awakening Ray : Sri Aurobindo and The Mother
KEYNOTE
Swasthya: Anuradha
Secrets of Health : Kakoli Banerji
POWER OF ATTITUDE
A Personal Experience : Leena Chatterjee
Sunseeds
An Infallible Cure (story) : The Mother
Who Won the Battle? (a Chinese tale) : Author unknown
ISSUES OF LIFE
What Health Means to Me : several contributors
HEALTHY LIVING
Herbal Teas for Health : Yogita
DID YOU KNOW
What the Ancients Knew? : compiled by Anuradha
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Dharanidhar Pal gave a brief account of the construction work of SAU at Dalijoda

All Orissa Conference of Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada & Annual State Level Science Exhibition, 6th and 7th September 2008
Dear friends,
You may be aware, the All Orissa Conference of Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada and & Annual State Level Science Exhibition for year 2008 will be held at Matrubhaban, Cuttack on 6th and 7th of September 2008 (first Saturday & Sunday of September).
A letter in this regard had been sent to all schools earlier requesting to send us details of projects being planned by the schools for exhibition by end of April. We hope you must have received the
same. We have so far received a few responses to that letter.
We hope you have already started working on the projects you plan to exhibit. We would appreciate if you can send us the details of your projects by end of July 2008 so that we can stay prepared.
Please note that participation in exhibition is open for students from Std-5 to Std-10. We invite projects (Maximum 2) from your school.
You can confirm your participation through the following channels:
1. Intimate Samarendra Bhai (Ph: 9438436620)/ Muni Apa (Ph. 9437277208) at Matrubhaban (0671-2344338)
2. Send the details to The Convener,
Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada
Matrubhaban, Sri Aurobindo Marg
Cuttack – 753013
3. E-mail your project details to matrubhaban@bsnl.in
4. Provide your details to the state organizers of Sri Aurobindo Study Circle Committee during the July tour
In any case please send the project details to Matrubhaban address mentioned above.
Sri Prasad Tripathy Er. Ananda Subudhi Er Biraja Kinkara Sinha

Sri Aurobindo Engineering and Technical Group
MATRUBHABAN, CUTTACK
Dear Friends,
SAETG has been in existence for quite a few years now. While each one of us has contributed towards the cause and objective of the group in some capacity over the years, we are sure each one of us also believes that there is so much more to do than what we are able to do now. We believe there is a significant need to build the strength in our organization to come together and do something different. We need to get organised, communicate with each other, share our thoughts and ideas to make it a much more effective group. Needless to say it requires absolute sincerity from each one of us.
We feel its time for each of us to think seriously about it and work with more commitment and sincerity to achieve the objective. Towards this we have jotted down a few thoughts as our action plan for this year.
1. As the first step towards getting effectively organised and sharing our ideas, let’s have a meet of all SAETG district convenors and other interested members in the month of September 2008. We can organise it on 6th of September at Cuttack. This date coincides with the date of Annual State Level convention for Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada and also almost a month prior to the Annual State Level conference of SAETG.
2. We urge the SAETG district convenors to conduct similar district level meets to organise the team at Block levels to make it more effective and participative. Apart from these two key points we feel there are few other activities that can be taken up by us during this year.
1. SAETG monthly special pathachakra may be held in the residence of a member every month in rotation. It has been observed that this pathachakra plays an important role in organizing the unit. District convenors and SAETG convenors are requested to ensure minimum of 12 pathachakras in every district.
2. In the last few annual conferences, we have felt the need to compile a list of SAETG members in different parts of Orissa to help communicate to everyone regarding our activities and to build the organization. We request SAETG district convenors to compile and send us a list of the members of SAETG in their areas with details such as Name, Address, Phone, Mobile, e-mail etc.
3. While we believe many of the schools have now constituted Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada in their schools, there might still be some schools where this has not been implemented yet. It would be prudent on our part to identify such schools and work with them to organize the Bigyana Parishada. We request all the SAETG district convenors to work towards this.
4. Similarly many schools, districts and zones are now organizing school, district and zonal level science exhibitions. We request all the SAETG district convenors to continue their focus towards this and help organise such events in a way that meets our core objective and aspiration.
5. Workshops, seminars, awareness programs in schools and centers on safety, solid waste management, energy conservation continues to be our focus and we urge the SAETG disctrict convenors to work towards it as before State Level Program for 2008
1. All Orissa Conference of Sri Aurobindo Bigyana Parishada and & Annual State Level Science Exhibition to be held on 6th and 7th September 2008.
2. All Orissa Annual Conference of SAETG for 2008 will be held on 12th October at Dalijoda, Cuttack. Theme for this years conference is considered to be "Architecture".
Sri Prasad Tripathy Er. Ananda Subudhi

Proceedings of the meeting of Sri Aurobindo University held on 08.06.08
A meeting of the district convenors of SAUER (Sri Aurobindo Unit of Educational Research) and the Counsellors and Registered Learners of SAU ( Sri Aurobindo University) was held at 10-30 a.m. on 8th June,2008 at Matrubhaban, Cuttack in order to discuss the progress in the activities and some organisational matters. Altogether 25 members attended the meeting and Sri Prasad Tripathy, Convenor of SAU presided over it.
The meeting started with a silent prayer at the Lotus Feet of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo. The Convenor Sri Prasad Tripathy welcomed the members and briefly explained the purpose for which the meeting was called. He also hinted on the points that were discussed in the 2nd Annual convention of SAU held at Dalijoda and called upon the members to expedite its activities.
With the request of the President Sri S.C. Mishra briefly pointed out the future programme to be undertaken by SAU. He particularly emphasised on the activities of the University to be introduced in the Integral Education Centres of the state so as to create the Junior learners and the Teacher Counsellors. He suggested that the New Life Education Trust (NLET) may be requested to discuss the matter at their level and take suitable steps to implement it.
The President then requested the District Convenors of SAUER to present brief reports of the activities undertaken by SAU in their districts. Accordingly, the district convenors attending the meeting presented their reports and suggested some programmes for better implementation of the activities of SAU. Those were as follows.
1. Sri Lambodar Dey, (Baleswar):- There is not much progress in the activities of SAU in the case of senior level Learners. In the junior level, the work has just been started and the application forms have been distributed among the schools with classes above Std. VII.
Suggestions:- Some writings of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo should be included in the syllabus prepared by NLET for awareness among the students.
2. Sri Sahadeb Sahoo, (Sundargarh):- A project has been under proposal to write the history of the three Relic Centres of the district by three members of Pathachakras in the senior level. In the Junior level activities of SAU have been started at SAIEC, Biramitrapur and 22 students and 04 teachers have been involved in the programme. The SAIECs at Sundargarh and Rourkela have been contacted to start the work soon.
3. Dr. Kanakalata Sahoo, (Jajpur):- All the 22 SAIECs of the district were requested to start the programme of SAU as soon as possible. Only 02 schools have reported to have started the work. There are two senior registered learners in the district and their projects are in progress.
4. Dr. Golakbihari Sahoo, (Bhadrak):- There are two senior registered learners in the district and one of them, Sri P.Hrushikesh has submitted his thesis on Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press which is under examination. The other is slowly progressing. In the junior level the activity has been started in the SAIEC at Charampa. It is yet to be started in other schools of the district.
Sggestions:-Some orientation camps with the learners and counsellors should be organised at Dalijoda. A good library should be developed there or at Matrubhaban , Cuttack for their use.
Each counesellor of SAU should be requested to submit a model synopsis on some of the topics of his/ her choice that would be published in Matrubhaban Patra or a bulletin of SAU for the benefit of the learners. Every project taken up by the learners should have a definite objective to find some new findings /ideas.
His model synopsis on "A comparative study between Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga and the Yoga of the Geeta" may be published in the Matrubhaban Patra for guidance of interested learners and counsellors, if felt so.
5. Kamalini Mishra, (Dhenkanal):- The activities of SAU in senior/junior level is yet to be started in the district. Steps would be taken soon to implement it in the SAIECs of the district.
6. Sarat Chandra Mishra, (Cuttack):- There are three registered learners in the district and their projects are in progress. In the junior level the work has been initiated in the Integral Schools at Matrubhaban, Cuttack and Kalapada. It will be started in other SAIECs of the district having classes above std. VII just after the summer vacation.
Suggestions:-The New Life Education Trust should be requested to take steps for implementation of the programme of SAU in all the SAIECs having classes above Std. VII of the state. A student will be allotted the Project in Std. VIII and must complete it before the Annual examination of Std. IX. The teacher counsellors should be oriented phase – wise to go ahead with the programme.
7. Sri Bhagirathi Mahapatra, (Ganjam):- There is only one registered learner in the district. In the junior level the programme is yet to start in the SAIECs. It will be taken up soon.
Suggestions:- References on the topics suggested for school level should be prepared by some counsellors and circulated to the Principals of the SAIECs and the District convenors of SAUER for guidance and progress in the activities of SAU.
The counsellors of the registered learners should be requested to review the progress of the learners from time to time and intimate to SAU.
As per the agenda the President then requested the registered learners to mention briefly their progress in the projects. Accordingly the five registered learners:-Sri P. Hrushikesh, 2. Sri Rasabihari Mahapatra, 3. Smt. Jyotshnarani Dash, 4. Smt. Kanakalata Sahoo, 5. Sri Kalandi charan Senapati and 6. Sri Pradeep Jena expressed their experiences and difficulties faced by them during the progress of their Projects.
Counsellor, Sri Dharanidhar Pal gave a brief account of the progress made in the construction work of SAU at Dalijoda. He expressed that nearly four rooms would be ready within the next four months to start small workshops there. He emphasized on the submission of synopsis for any research project, particularly in the case of senior learners.
He said that the aim of SAU is to make one enter into the consciousness of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo through study.
Sri Pravakar Mishra, counselor, explained point-wise the writings of The Mother on Psychic Discovery and requested everyone present in the meeting to practise it in daily life for progress in consciousness.
In his concluding remarks Sri Gadadhar Mishra impressed upon all the tremendous possibilities behind the implementation of the project and requested every body to work with sincerity and patience for the success of the programme. He hoped that all hurdles in the path would be overcome slowly and gradually by the Grace of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo.
Sri Prasad Tripathy mentioned that a copy of each letter sent to the learners/ counsellors /principals should be sent to the respective district convenor for information and required action.
After a vote of thanks extended by Sri Ramesh Chandra Dalai, the meeting ended with a note of gratitude at the lotus Feet of The Mother and one minute’s silent prayer.
Sri Prasad Tripathy
Convenor, SAU

THE MATRUBHABAN PATRA JULY 2008
Printed, Published & Edited by Sri Gadadhar Mishra on behalf of the Matrubhaban Trust & Printed at Graphic Art Offset Press, Nuapatna, Cuttack-1 & Published at Matrubhaban, Sri Aurobindo Marg, Cuttack - 753 013. E-mail - matrubhaban@bsnl.in Please visit us at : www.matrubhaban.com

Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved to the Library House (in the Main Building) on 25th October 1922

From: "SABDA eNews" mail@sabda.in to sabda@auromail.net CC: Subject: Ashram Main Building Date: Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:49:16 +0530

This issue features a new book about the Ashram main building, the block of four houses where Sri Aurobindo and the Mother lived for more than fifty years. Concerned almost exclusively with the physical structures, Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building traces its history, which began when Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved to the Library House on 25th October 1922, paying as rent the then handsome sum of one hundred rupees per month. Soon the Rosary House and the Secretariat were acquired and finally the Meditation House, into which they moved on 7th February 1927. Thus a small world was created within the compound walls of these now connected properties—a world that was the very centre of the lives of all the sadhaks.

Renovations, reconstructions, alterations and additions to the structure are all detailed here through the text, quotations from letters and other documents written during those early years, detailed graphic explanations, drawings and diagrams, and many old photographs, often juxtaposed with similar views of the same scene taken recently. The result of this meticulous research is a book filled with interesting details that will be new to many readers. More significantly, perhaps, is that the book helps to recreate an atmosphere from those early years, when an important part of life at the Ashram was the daily contact of the disciples with the Mother within the Ashram compound. In that context we asked a few sadhaks to share some memories from those days—memories that contribute to the story of the Ashram Main Building.
The Kitchen in the Rosary House

The Kitchen with the branches of the Service Tree on its tiled roof1932-1942View from south-west

Tara-ben Patel, after two earlier visits, settled in the Ashram in 1930 when she was 18 years old. In those days everyone took up a work assigned by the Mother. Tara-ben and her elder sister Lila-ben were asked by the Mother if they would like to do the cooking. Lila-ben replied that they were just village girls from Gujarat and didn’t know any dishes outside of their village cooking. When the Mother offered to teach them, they happily agreed, and soon took up the work in the tiled-roof kitchen that stood in the centre of the courtyard. You can see this building here, with the branches of the Service Tree resting on its roof.

The sisters would prepare a variety of dishes after looking at the available vegetables. When once asked by the Mother to repeat a particular preparation that she had liked, Lila-ben replied that she could not at all remember how to make it. She had cooked it while in a trance-like state of inspiration, thinking only of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Thus began the Mother’s Kitchen, which ultimately was shifted across the Rue Saint Gilles to the place where Grace is now located. The Mother’s Kitchen only closed after Dyuman passed away in 1993. Tara-ben worked in this kitchen and also at the Dining Room up until this time.

The Library House Backyard
Prosperity courtyard View from east 2001
Banana garden View from south-west 1922-29

In the Prosperity courtyard there is a small garden which back in the 1920s was a lush banana garden. The photographs above clearly show the transformation of this space. Noren Singh Nahar recalls that several years after he came to the Ashram in 1936, he asked the Mother if he could take up gardening work. One day in 1940 she called him to the window in Pavitra’s room on the first floor of the Secretariat, where he worked on the Ashram stamp collection, and pointing to this small garden area, asked him if “this would do”. And so he began growing vegetables for the Mother. In the morning before Balcony Darshan he would pluck the ripe vegetables and put them before the Mother. He recalls that she was especially fond of green beans and tomatoes, of which he even grew an heirloom variety called the Mikado tomato. When Ali and Alice Hyderi came to the Ashram in 1940 or ‘41 they suggested he also grow asparagus and artichokes. While he grew many varieties of vegetables, the artichokes were not a success!

Noren Singh-da also remembers that the place was used for growing paddy, which he used to water daily with more than one hundred cans of water. But the soil was not good for paddy and only a few stalks came up. This was the first attempt at farming in the Ashram, before the Cazanove and Rizière farms were acquired.

The First Construction Work
Construction of the Balcony blockcirca September 1929View from south
Completed Balcony blockcirca October 1930 View from Rue Saint Gilles

Almost immediately after the Secretariat and the Library House were purchased in 1929, construction of the Balcony block began, providing one long hall and a room for Pavitra upstairs and a place for his workshop, the Atelier, downstairs. When Robi Ganguly came to the Ashram in 1941 he was just ten years old, and the Balcony block and the new Secretariat building had been complete for almost ten years. He was given work at the Atelier, very simple work for a child such as turning on the bellows, and he remembers that tinning, or the enamelling of old pots and the like, was going on in the portico outside the Atelier throughout the day. The Mother, who spent most of the time in her salon on the first floor across the courtyard from the Atelier, was serenaded with the tok-tok-tok sounds of the tinning work. Robi-da remembers with what joy everyone worked throughout the day. No one sat idly by; all were carried along in their enthusiasm to do the Mother’s work.

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ENGLISH
Sri Aurobindo Ashram: The Story of the Main Building
— Edited by Raman Reddy ISBN: 978-81-7058-892-4 Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry Binding: Hard Cover Pages: 184 Price: Rs 550
The block of four houses that we know collectively as the Ashram Main Building was the abode of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother for more than fifty years, from October 1922 until November 1973. This book tells the story of how the houses – the Library House, the Rosary House, the Secretariat, and the Meditation House – were originally taken on lease, subsequently purchased, then renovated or reconstructed over the years. Later chapters describe the construction of the Mother's rooms on the second floor in 1962 and the history of the central courtyard where the Samadhi and the Service Tree are located. The book describes every structural change since the time Sri Aurobindo and the Mother moved in, using detailed drawings, explanatory graphics, old photographs, extracts from letters, and notes from some of the early sadhaks as it traces the story of the Ashram Main Building.
Becoming One
The Psychology of Integral Yoga— Compiled from the writings of the Mother Publisher: Project Coordination Group, Auroville Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 406 Price: Rs 250
This compilation presents some of the Mother's conversations and talks on subjects of a psychological nature. The selections cover such topics as the unification of the inner being; ego, desire, and opening to the adverse forces; the play of the universal mind; using sleep, dreams, meditation and concentration to become more conscious; and the nature of the inconscient, the subconscient, and the subliminal. In the Introduction the compiler provides a brief background to the relationship between Indian and Western systems of psychology and compares certain aspects of the work of Freud and Jung to the psychology of Integral Yoga, quoting from the work of Indra Sen in this regard. An Appendix of one hundred pages includes articles on related topics by the compiler, David Johnston, and Raymond de Becker as well as extracts from the books of Satprem, Nolini Kanta Gupta, and Kishor Gandhi.
HINDI
Kramvikas aur Parthiv Bhavitavyata
— Nolini Kanta Gupta ISBN: 978-81-7058-887-0 Publisher: Shankar Prasad Khare/ Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, Pondicherry Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 134 Price: Rs 70
Sri Aravind Ka Purnayoga (J. P. Tiwari)
— J. P. Tiwari Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Society, Lucknow Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 95 Price: Rs 40
BENGALI
Sangeet Satadal (Part 1)
Sur o Swaralipi— Tinkodi Bandopadhyay Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Kolkata Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 109 Price: Rs 100
RUSSIAN
Na Puty
— Perepiska Materi so Shyamom Sundarom Publisher: Sri Aurobindo's Action, Pondicherry Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 171 Price: Rs 175
The Mother's correspondence with Shyam Sundar.
Na Puty k Bessmertiyu
Fragmenti iz rabot— Iz rabot Sri Aurobindo i Materi ISBN: 978-5-7938-0050-1 Publisher: Aditi (Russia) and All India Press (India) Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 82 Price: Rs 80

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Shivakumar spoke on "Why read Sri Aurobindo and the Mother"

News from Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry)
Recent Events at Beach Office
Release of Book: "Dr. M.V. Nadkarni: A Journey on the Sunlit Path" on 4 April 2008
On the Dais (L to R): Shri Ranganath, Shri Manoj Das, Shri Manojdas Gupta, Shri Vijaybhai and Mrs. Nadkarni
A function was held at the Beach Office of Sri Aurobindo Society to release the book "Dr. M.V. Nadkarni - A journey on the Sunlit Path" edited by Shri Ranganath, in which tributes were paid to Dr. Nadkarni who passed away recently. The book contains a few articles from his talks as well. In front of an audience who loved and cherished Dr. Nadkarni, the book was released by Shri Manojdas Gupta, the Managing Trustee of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.
A view of the audience
Shri M. Jamshed compered the entire programme, introducing all the speakers and also sharing some of his own reminiscence of Dr. Nadkarni. The Editor of the book Shri Ranganath briefly recounted Dr. Nadkarni's life and his love for Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Dr. Nadkarni used to encourage new, young speakers to share their thoughts and develop their power of truth expression. In this spirit, three young speakers also were part of the function and they spoke on the following topics:
The young speakers: Devdip Ganguli, Shivakumar and Dr. Sampadananda Mishra
Devdip Ganguly gave a summary of Dr. Nadkarni's book: "India's Spiritual Destiny - Its Inevitability and Potentiality" Shivakumar spoke on "Why read Sri Aurobindo and the Mother" Dr. Sampadananda Mishra spoke on "Sanskrit in the Light of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother"
Shri Vijaybhai spoke on his association with Dr. Nadkarni and described as the Narada of this age, singing Sri Aurobindo's works in a way the common man can understand, appreciate and enjoy. The main speaker, Shri Manoj Das, in his speech recalled some memorable events related to Dr. Nadkarni. The function concluded with a Note of Thanks by Mrs. Nadkarni.
Education Camp - Study And Dialogues Cum Workshop: 20-27 May 2008
This year the annual All India Education Camp-Cum-Workshop was organised at the Beach Office of the Society from 20 to 27 May 2008. Fifty-one participants including teachers, educationists, principals and parents from various parts of the country attended the Camp. The details of the Camp will be given in the next month's Newsletter.
Visit by Dr. Sampadananda Mishra to University of North Bengal, Siliguri - 28 March 2008
On 28 March 2008 Dr. Sampadananda Mishra, head of the Society's Sanskrit dept., visited the University of North Bengal, Siliguri, to participate in a National Conference on Moral Language Analysis. Dr. Mishra presented a paper on the morals of Bhartrihari in which he pointed out that though Indian philosophers have not formulated any moral theory as such, the ethical and moral thoughts are available in the written records of ancient India i.e. Vedic and classical periods, and can very well be used for any illuminating discussion on Moral Philosophy. He concluded the paper saying that Bhartrihari's Nitishataka is a perfect guide to the art of right living and it presents a Moral Philosophy - not only in thought but in action also.
On 30 March 2008 he delivered a talk on the Gita at the Siliguri branch of Sri Aurobindo Society.
News from Branches and Centres
News from Abroad
Nairobi (Kenya)
On 9 April 2008 two members of the Nairobi Centre visited the Doctors' plaza at the M.P. Shah Hospital and distributed fifty sets of mini booklets.
On 14 April 2008 one of the members of the Nairobi Centre addressed the school assembly of Kutchi Leva Patel Samaj School which has students from all religious backgrounds. The assembly was briefed about the ideals of Sri Aurobindo Society and the students were invited to participate in these ideals by promoting harmony and unity in the school and the country which is passing through a difficult phase at large. About 2,200 booklets were presented to the school. The Society member also presented approximately twenty books, Mother's Morning Prayer, Mother's ideal on Beauty, Mother's Listening to the Inner Law and a calendar of quotations. The Chairman of the Board of the school Mr. Naran Hirani and the Headmaster Mr. Gill expressed the school's appreciation for the offering.
Hong Kong - Visit by Dr. Alok Pandey
Dr. Alok Pandey was invited to Hong Kong by Nimu Dani, Chairperson of Sri Aurobindo Society Centre there. He delivered two talks on 9 April 2008.
In the first talk Dr. Alok Pandey spoke about the need of gathering one's energies - mental, vital, physical and spiritual, and offering them to the Divine with an aspiration to find Him, to know Him and to serve Him. That is the essence of our Godward endeavour.
His second talk at the Visual Arts Centre, was based on "Evolution and Creation" as per Sri Aurobindo's vision. He said that evolution is the process of God's self-fulfilment through the emergence of better and better forms capable of manifesting the higher Perfection upon earth and in embodied life.
News from India
"Exploration" Workshop by Safier, Mumbai - 5 to 9 May 2008
SAFIER unit of Mumbai conducted a workshop called "Exploration" at the Shantivan Garden Nepeansea Road, Mumbai, for a group of young adults aged 12 to 18 years from various schools and colleges in Mumbai. The workshop was held during 5 to 9 May 2008, everyday for 2 hours between 9 to 11 am. There were 12 participants. The sessions included the following:
Veerabhadraasan
1. An Exploration of who we really are versus what we think ourselves to be. Low self esteem is almost an epidemic among our youth today. The toxic environment in which they grow up takes them far away from their true Selves. This session was designed to expose the youth to the practice of self exploration. As they come closer to their selves, the One Self that pervades all existence, they contact a love and dignity which is the very fabric of that Self. This exploration was done through discussions followed by Yogasanas.
2. Tuning into goodwill (Maitri) that is inherent in us, based on the oneness we share in our secret Selves with all life forms.
Exploring the 5 Elements
3. The understanding of creation as different permutations of the Pancha-Mahaabhootas (the Five Elements - sky/ether, air, fire, water, earth). The essence of each element was explored along with their relevance to their own thinking processes and emotions, and were incorporated into different Yogasanas. These activities brought out the essence of each of the 5 elements.
Exploring using the Senses
4. Sense awareness exercises like blind folded nature walk, to give them the experience of 'seeing' with the ears and 'hearing' with their bare feet. These exercises aim at refining the senses into more perfect instruments of perception.
5. Auro-sealing techniques to put the youth in touch with the protective Mother's Force that constantly hovers over them. This was aimed at giving the youth an experience of the fact that they are not alone in their struggles, that they are indeed a part of a magnificent whole which forever nurtures them.
Some Feed Backs: -- "Connecting with the 5 universal elements was the best because I could really connect with them & they actually relieved me of a few things." Rajvi Std 10th.-- "Yoga to me is the only thing that brings me closer to the truth. It is not just asanas, it is the way of life." Priyasha std 10th. -- "Yoga has brought me closer to the Mother and the Mother is everything for me." Shreyas Std 10th-- " I always knew that in the end it is only God who matters but there are always turns I would end up feeling low, after coming to this workshop it gave me an inner feeling that I have to keep on working on 'Oneness' with God. It is not impossible." -- "The Nature walk & the aura shielding makes one realise there is so much more to life than worry." Kaushali Std 12th.
Noida (U.P.) - May 2008 Programmes
Discourses 4 May 2008: On Sunday, the 4th May 2008, Brahmachari Govind Chaitanaya, Director, Chinmaya Yuva Kendra of Chinmaya Mission, gave a talk on "Meditation & Consciousness - in the context of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother". About 40 devotees and their families took part in the function.
Talk on "Sri Aurobindo's Yoga": Shri Vijay, Chairman, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research and Social Sciences, Puducherry, addressing the gathering. On the dais are Dr. Pradeep Puranik, Vice-Chairman, Sri Aurobindo Society, Noida Branch
Talk on "Sri Aurobindo's Yoga": Shri Vishwa Mohan Tiwari, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) addressing the gathering. On the dais are Shri Vijay and Dr. Pradeep Puranik
24 May 2008: On Saturday, the 24th May 2008, Shri Vijay N. Poddar, Chairman of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Research and Social Sciences, Puducherry, gave a talk on "Sri Aurobindo's Yoga" which was followed by Question - Answer session. The Talk evinced keen interest among the participants. Present on the occasion included Shri T.N. Chaturvedi, former Governor of Karnataka; Shri Vijay K. Poddar, Chairman SAS (Hindi Zone) and Shri Vishwa Mohan Tiwari, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.). About 80 devotees and their families attended the Talk.
Daily Reading of Savitri at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan: 'Savitri' is being read daily at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan from 5:00 to 5:30 pm.
Education at Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan 17 May 2008: Shri Satinder K. Puri, Director, Knowledge Exchange Centre, had an interactive session with the Children of Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan for about an hour. Thereafter the children were explained about the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Sri Maa and all of them paid tributes to the Holy Shrine.
3, 10, 17 and 24 May 2008: During the month of May 2008, on 3, 10, 17 and 24 May 2008, Shri Vishwa Mohan Tiwari, Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) and Col. M.K. Nigam came to Sri Aurobindo Bhavan and interacted for two hours with the children of Sri Aurobindo Shiksha Niketan. Poems, stories, good manners and discipline were explained to the children.
Health Treatment by Acupressure Therapy: Acupressure Treatment for two hours daily from Monday to Friday by Mrs. Sudha Kesharwani at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan is going on well. While giving treatment, she is also using the relevant quotations of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and the persons coming for acupressure treatment are evincing keen interest in them.
Free Eye Check-up/Consultation on every Sunday at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan: Free Eye Check-up/Consultation is being organised on every Sunday, for two hours from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm by Dr. P.S. Chauhan, Eye Specialist and Project Director, National Blindness Control Programme, Govt. of India, at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Noida. Development of Women: Agarbatties, Candle, Chalk and Toys Making Classes: Agarbatties, Candle, Chalk and Toys Making classes at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan are going on well. About 20 girls are learning these activities regularly.
Sewing & Tailoring Classes: Sewing & Tailoring Classes are being conducted daily from Monday to Friday at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan by Smt. Jaya Nigam and about twenty ladies/girls are learning the same.
Other Activities: 3rd Anniversary of Enshrinement of Sacred Relics: On Thursday, the 1st May 2008, on the occasion of completion of three years of enshrinement of Sacred Relics at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan, Noida, a programme of Bhajans on Sri Aurobindo and the Mother by Mrs. Kuntala Dasgupta was organised at Sri Aurobindo Bhavan. Shri O.P. Dani briefly talked on the Significance and Importance of Sacred Relics. About 40 devotees and their families took part in the Programme.
Regular Activities: Besides the above, regular activities of Meditation with the Mother's music daily in the morning and evening, Library, Playing of spiritual audio/video CDs etc. are held.
Chennai branch: K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar Annual Endowment Lecture on 17 April 2008
Shri Erwadi Radhakrishnan speaking during Prof. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar annual endowment lecture: Also seen are Shri C.D. Ayyan, Shri Tiruppur Krishnan and Shri Srinivasa Gopalan
Chennai branch organised the Prof. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar annual endowment lecture on 17 April 2008. Shri C.D. Ayyar, Chairman of the Chennai branch, presided over the function. Shri Ayyar explained the salient features of Prof. K.R. Srinivasa Iyengar's writings and recalled his own experiences with him and Dr. Venkatasubramaniam who created the endowment. Dr. Tiruppur Krishnan welcomed the chief guests. The main speaker was Shri Srinivasa Gopalan, Retd. Dy. Secretary (Finance), Govt. of Tamil Nadu. He spoke on "Grace in Day-to-day Life". Kalaimamani Erwadi Radhakrishnan spoke on "Annai Potrum Pennmai" (The Mother on Woman). He also quoted some valuable guidance from the book "How to Bring up a Child?" About 150 persons attended the meeting.
A view of the audience
The Chennai branch arranged the following special talks during the month of April 2008:
Date Speaker Topic
01.04.2008 Shri M.K. Ramaswamy "Rose as Divine's Intense Grace"06.04.2008 Shri Janagan "A few Pages in a Book"13.04.2008 Shri Venkat "Supramental Ship"20.04.2008 Mrs. V. Janaki "Thoughts Full of Flashes"27.04.2008 Shri M.K. Ramaswamy "Magnificent Silence"
West Bengal State Conference and 4th Annual Conference of the Jharkhand State Committee
The ninth Annual Conference of the West Bengal State Committee of Sri Aurobindo Society was held at the Bankura branch on 5 and 6 April 2008. About 200 members from 12 branches and centres participated. Shri Gopal Bhattacharjee from Pondicherry presided over the conference. Important issues on work were discussed. Group discussions were also held. A steering committee consisting of 10 members was formed to look into the various projects pertaining to the work of Society in West Bengal.
The Annual Conference of the State Committee of Jharkhand was held at Doranda, Ranchi, in the premises of the branch on 12 and 13 April 2008. A large number of delegates including citizens of Ranchi city attended the conference. The conference had a happy beginning and an equally happy ending. Shri Gopal Bhattacharjee from Pondicherry presided over the conference.
Bhopal (M.P.) - Mother Memorial Lecture Series on 16 to 20 May 2008
The Annual Mother memorial lecture series was held at Bhopal from 16 to 20 May 2008. The central theme of the lecture series was Veda and Upanishad. Shri Vishwa Mohan Tiwari (Air Vice Marshal, Rtd.) was the resource person. On the last day he spoke on the topic "Old Age is a Boon, Not a Curse". Shri Manoj Sharma compered the programme.
Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh)
Dr. (Mrs.) T.V. Nagaranjani delivered six talks on some important portions of "Synthesis of Yoga", as part of the programme of lecture series Sri Aurobindo Vyakhyanamala, from 21 to 26 April 2008 at the Hyderabad branch.
On 24 April, Darshan day, besides the above talk, there was rendering of devotional songs by Mrs. Swati Srinivas in the evening and a special flower decoration and lighting with candles around the Samadhi containing the Relics.
Delhi - Darshan Day Celebrations on 24 April 2008
Delhi branch celebrated the Darshan day on 24 April 2008 and had an evening of Bhajans by Mrs. Kuckoo Mathur, a devotee of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The Mother's grace was invoked and the function started with a meditation. Mrs. Kuckoo Mathur sung the bhajans, whose lyrics were written by Dr. Alok Pandey. She kept the audience spell bound with her enchanting voice. Mr. Jai Singh, Executive Committee Member gave away the memento. All present made flower offerings and lit diyas at the Shrine. Prasad was distributed to all.
Vadodara (Gujarat)
1. The Women's Council of Sri Aurobindo Society's Vadodara branch arranged a one-day seminar on 20 April 2008. The subject was "Let us meet the Lord while Working". Smt. Jyotiben Thanki conducted the seminar under the chairmanship of Shri Hanskumar Mankad. It was attended by about 75 participants. The importance of work was emphasised in the light of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. A book in Gujarati on the same subject has also been published.
2. A State level resident youth camp was organised by Abhipsa Yuva Circle from 25 to 27 April 2008. 28 students from Dhari, Amreli, Himmatnagar, Rajkot, Gandhinagar, Oori and Vadodara participated in the camp and breathed in the spiritual atmosphere of Sri Aurobindo Niwas, Vadodara.
Study and workshop on different subjects like, Nature, Music, Art, Poetry, Physical Education, and India, in the light of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, were the theme of the shivir. All the students participated with enthusiasm and enjoyed their stay at the Niwas. Four exhibitions on different subjects with Sri Aurobindo's and the Mother's writings were also arranged during the shivir. On the last day a visit to Laxmi Niwas palace of Baroda was also arranged.
Sultanpur (Uttar Pradesh)
The Sultanpur Branch organised readings by Ashwinbhai Kapaida from "Prayers and Meditation" in morning and evening session on 7 and 8 April 2008.
A collective meditation was organised by the Branch on 24 April 2008 - the Mother's final arrival day at Pondicherry - both in the morning and in the evening.
On 18 April 2008, Dr. J.P. Singh of Sultanpur Branch visited the Badlapur Centre. A meeting was organised by the centre and Dr. J.P. Singh spoke on the relevance of Sri Aurobindo.
Gulbarga (Karnataka)
On the morning of 24 April 2008 the Mother's final arrival day at Pondicherry, a Marathi book "Amchi Aaee Tumachi Aaee" was released by Shri Prabhakar Noolkar from Sholapur. Shri P.M. Galgali delivered a talk on the Mother's life, Shri T. Gandhoji and Shri Prabhakar Noolkar were the other speakers. The Mother's message was distributed along with prasad.
In the evening at 4:30 pm painting of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother by Dr. S.M. Pandit was exhibited at Chaitanya Mayi Art Gallery.

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