Come festive season, you dont really need to find another excuse to indulge in all your favourite things, whether its hanging out with your friends and family, fireworks, mithai or a whole lot of shopping. In fact, most families plan an annual shopping trip around this time to prep for all the upcoming festivitieswhich is probably why youll spot a number of exhibitions and pop-ups cropping up during this season too. If you live in Delhi, or are travelling there soon, weve curated an edit of all the places you need to visit for your retail fix, whether youre looking for clothes, jewellery, handicrafts or even home decor.

With over 300 exhibitors and 650 brands, the eighth edition of The Delhi Jewellery and Gem Fair will showcase everything from silver jewellery and diamonds to pearls and gemstones this year. As one of the most sought after exhibitions in the country, this is definitely the ideal platform to meet prime jewellers and suppliers, as well as importers and exporters.

When: Sep 28-30, 2019Where: Pragati Bhawan, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

If youre looking for the latest trends in prt and couture fashion, or shopping for accessories, home decor, or beauty and wellness products, this exhibition has it all. Organised and conceptualised by Ramola Bachchan, a renowned name in the exhibition industry, Runway Rising is showcasing collections from more than 130 Next Gen designers this year.

When: Sep 30, 2019Where: The Ashok Hotel, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

A one-of-a-kind shopping experience that lets you buy ethnic wear from various designers at outlet prices, Warehouse by Mudita is back with a massive trunk show. The pop-up will showcase the work of famed Indian designers such as Gauri & Nainika, Tarun Tahiliani and Anita Dongre, among others. The silhouettes will be at 70 per cent off, so we suggest you get there as early as you can to avail the offers.

When: Sep 30, 2019Where: The Grand, Nelson Mandela Marg, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

As you start blocking fates your calendar for all the parties and celebrations this festive, make sure youve put together a host of different looks for back-to-back events. At Diwali Fiesta, youll be able to do just that. Expect products ranging across apparel, footwear, bags, jewellery, home decor and more here.

When: Oct 4, 2019Where: Hyatt Regency, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

A fashion and lifestyle pop-up, you can find everything from festive outfits and accessories to home decor at discounted prices at The Sorbet Soiree. 45 designers, including Saburi, Musk Meadows, Amaltas and Summer by Priyanka Gupta, are showcasing this time.

When: Oct 11, 2019Where: Hyatt Regency, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

An annual holiday market run by the Blind School Association, this one is the go-to place for a festive shopper. Theres not just apparel, home decor and accessories, but the fair also has food, entertainment and art to offer. The best part? The chocolates, diyas and candles are handmade by the visually impaired.

When: Oct 18-24, 2019Where: Blind School Relief Association, Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, New Delhi

Needless to say, the India International Trade Fair is one of the most sought after fairs in the country this time of the year. Apart from a wide range of products including apparel, accessories, decor, footwear and cosmetics, it also plays host to a variety of books and handicraft collections.

When: Nov 14-27, 2019Where: Pragati Bhawan, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi

If youre looking for a high-end, contemporary arcade, Khan Market is definitely the place to be. With a line-up of designer boutiques ranging across apparel, accessories and home decor, it has everything you'll need to update your festive wardrobe. Head to the Anita Dongre or Ritu Kumar stores, AM:PM by Ankur & Priyanka Modi, Anokhi or Fabindia to plan your festive looks, and style them with accessories from Amrapali and Amethyst by Rahul Popli, among others. And dont forget to visit Good Earth store for home decor gifting options too. For accessories, theres Amrapali and Amethyst by Rahul Popli among other brands. In case youre someone who likes to shop till you drop, there are plenty of restaurants and cafes to grab a quick post-shopping meal at too.

Where: Rabindra Nagar, New Delhi

An open-air craft bazaar, Dilli Haat is a must-visit shopping destination if youre in the capital. Featuring a wide array of handicrafts from artisans across the country, it offers everything from ethnic wear, bags, jewellery and footwear, to embroidered and woven fabrics, rugs, paintings and other home decor items. The stalls on display rotate every few days, so theres always more to look forward to. Dont miss out on the food plaza this season either.

Where: Sri Aurobindo Marg, Kidwai Nagar West, Kidwai Nagar, New Delhi

One of Delhis greenest and less-crowded patches, Santushti is loaded with a great collection of stores for ethnic wear and jewellery. The designer and apparel stores include Ranna Gill, Inchie Tape, Art Indus, Anokhi, Ogaan, Christina and more. Its a calm oasis if you need to be away from the city's hustle-bustle for a few hours to indulge in your festive shopping in peace.

Where: Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi

This pop-up is bringing Sri Lankas emerging fashion scene to Mumbai

Conscious shoppers cant miss this designer pop-up at Fort Kochi

Pernia Qureshis online Pop-Up Shop makes its brick-and-mortar debut

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Shopping for festive season in Delhi? Head to these exhibitions and pop-ups - Vogue India

For 10-and-a-half long years, while jailed for alleged sodomy, Anwar Ibrahim was busy singing songs and reading.

The current Peoples Justice Party (PKR) president sustained himself on music and the musings of prolific writers and thinkers, such as French economistThomas Piketty known for his books onwealth and income inequality and international affairs expert and Singaporean academic Kishore Mahbubani, he revealed during a dialogue at the Milken Institutes Asia Summit in Singapore on Thursday (Sept 19).

Also on his reading list were titles by Indian philosopher Sri Aurobindo, a politican-turned-yogi, andRussiannovelist FyodorDostoevsky who incidentally, also spent10 years in prison and exile, and whose books examine the human psyche.

Anwar, who joked that he had to include the Quran in the list to be politically correct, added that his favourite author while behind bars was none other than famed English playwrightWilliamShakespeare.

Shakespeare makes still the best companion, unrivalledin challenge, he said, adding that his extensive reading had taught him to be human, and humane.

(Reading taught me that) politics is just not about power, but about integrity, about legacy, about defending the rights of the people, the common man, he added.

Read also:20 years later, Dr Mahathir says he shouldnt have dealt with Anwar by complying fully with law

Anwar added that while he had lost precious time with his wife, children and grandchildren, he had chosen to forgive the gross injustice committed against him as needs of the nation took precedence over his personal suffering.

Calling himself a happy man, the prime minister-in-waiting said he could now talk about prison and even make jokes on it.

We need to move on.People ask me: Do you really forgive Mahathir? Look, he did his part. You cant deny the fact that he did contribute to the last phase of this change to unseat Najib at the last elections.

You have to decide what is best and best is to move on, forget the past, forgive, Anwar added. Otherwise it is a disease of the heart.

To great laughter from the audience, he added that the biggest shock he experienced upon being freed was learning about Trumps presidency.

Read also:From prison to palace: a recap of Anwars first day as a free man after being granted a full royal pardon

Constant successionquestions embarrassing for Mahathir: Anwar

When pressed to confirm a May 2020 handover date, the PKR head was noncommittal and saidhe did not appreciate the constant questioning around handover details.

He added it was quite embarrassing to see PM Mahathir slapped with questions on his retirement at every media session, adding that the premier had been consistent and unambiguous about a government transition and identifying Anwar as his successor.

Sometimes hell say: in three years, or two years, but that is Mahathir. You cant change him at 94, Anwar said. I dont believe it is fair to go harping (on it), knowing it is next year.

Read also:I will not go beyond three years, Mahathir says of PM post, confirming that Anwar will succeed him

He added that he had the majority support needed to become PM, and that Mahathir was aware ofparty leaders sentiments.

The former deputy PM also suggested that Mahathir was reluctant to announce a specific date for the handover to avoid becoming a lame-duck Prime Minister.

The term refers to an outgoing politician who has lost power due to the election of a successor.

Anwar said he had no reason to question Mahathirs sincerity, adding that he would patiently wait for the role.

I happen to be one of the most patient people I have been known as the Prime Minister-in-waiting since 1999, he added,again to laughter.

Waiting for a few more months or years is not a question,he added. Inshallah (God wiling), it will happen.

Read also:

Continued here:
Shakespeare was Anwars best companion in jail, he says - Business Insider

In less than 10 days, the second edition of the Pondy Lit Fest will take place. Our team, a small and very dedicated group of friends, is spending sleepless nights trying to ensure that the festival goes off seamlessly.

We are working on several fronts simultaneously from speakers to venue management, from answering all the queries we are receiving to a comprehensive publicity campaign, from fundraising to ticketing with the hope that every piece of the puzzle eventually falls in the right place.

This is the second edition of the festival, and there is no doubt that we have come a long way. Our line-up of speakers this time outshines last years line-up. The venue is a much larger one, with several amenities. Many like-minded people have offered their help and support to us. The cherry on the cake is that several sessions will be televised.

The hurdles we faced in the run-up to the first edition of the festival could have potentially put an end to the festival for good. My colleagues and I had never organised anything so daunting before, and the onslaught against us brought with it the kind of challenges that we had never encountered before.

A section of the media and the intelligentsia systematically worked to shut us down before we could even begin. Politicians threatened us with violence. The venue partner attempted to sabotage the festival by throwing us out on the street hours before the festival began. The effort to damage and demoralise us could not have been more concerted.

Clearly, some interests perceived our festival as a direct threat to the fortress they had so painstakingly built for decades. They believed that they were the sole custodians of truth, and just like politics, media, pop culture and several other walks of life, they were entitled to hold a monopoly over literature festivals too, forever.

Unfortunately for them, times have changed. Their fortresses began falling one after another, and perhaps the Pondy Lit Fest was destined to break their literature festival fortress. And break the Pondy Lit Fest did.

Many in the audience who had attended literature festivals before told us that what they witnessed was unimaginable. Literature festivals were supposed to speak about communalism, and Indias poverty and backwardness. They were supposed to be a pessimistic gathering of elites, passing sermons and sipping champagne.

But here was a literature festival that spoke about Indias economic prowess, its military might, its history and culture. The air was optimistic and unapologetic. The definition of literature festival in India had changed.

When the festival was initially conceived, the idea was for it to revolve around the concept of Bharat Shakti. The term Bharat Shakti was coined by Sri Aurobindo when he wrote, "India is the Bharat Shakti, the living energy of a great spiritual conception, and fidelity to it is the very principle of her existence.

The vision of this festival was to create a platform for the foremost thinkers to come together and find ways for India to achieve its potential in every walk of life, in the light of what Sri Aurobindo had written.

When the foremost thinkers of the country agreed to be a part of this festival and came down to Pondicherry (Puducherry) to speak, it was a giant step for India in the game of narratives. When they spoke unapologetically about Indias inherent greatness and how we would go about realising it, it was a giant victory for India.

Our resources were limited, and our setting was modest, but we set the narrative. People thronged the halls to listen to our speakers, and in the days to come, our content received lakhs of views online. The festival had placed itself on the map.

The successful emergence of an alternate perspective in the domain of literature festivals is a positive beginning. The inroads have been serious enough to send a chill down the spine of those who believed that their so-called intellectual supremacy would prevail forever.

One can perceive it from the narrow prism of ecosystems and proclaim that these beginnings are necessary. One can perceive it from a much broader perspective too, about where the country is headed and whether every voice deserves to be heard or not, to arrive at a similar conclusion. Therefore, it is imperative that the second edition of this literature festival be a roaring success.

With less than 10 days to go for the second edition of the festival, we would like to believe that the spectacular first edition was just the beginning. We would like to believe that this festival will grow every year, that this festival will not just make a mark in the countrys intellectual discourse but dominate it. For a festival like ours, the second edition is probably the most critical edition in our evolution.

I would like to take this opportunity to invite the readers of Swarajya, our social media partner, to the Pondy Lit Fest 2019. The brilliant minds who will speak at the festival are not have-been luminaries, but people who understand ground realities. Many of them are lawmakers and policymakers, men and women with real power and the capacity to bring about real change.

Do go through the speakers list on our website, there is no way you will miss this opportunity. In the spirit of our literature festival, we have kept entries completely free of cost. We hope to see you in Pondicherry, for it is your participation that will determine if this festival survives the test of time.

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The Stage Is Set For Second Edition Of Pondy Lit Fest - Swarajya

Reason must no longer be the summit and the master. For a very long time in life, until one possesses anything resembling knowledge, it is indispensable that reason be the master, otherwise one is the plaything of ones impulses, ones fancies, ones more or less disordered emotional imaginings, and one is in danger of being very far removed not merely from wisdom but even from the knowledge needed for conducting oneself acceptably.

But when one has managed to control all the lower parts of the being with the help of reason, which is the apex of ordinary human intelligence, then if one wants to go beyond this point, if one wants to liberate oneself from ordinary life, from ordinary thought, from the ordinary vision of things, one must, if I may say so, stand upon the head of reason, not trampling it down disdainfully, but using it as a stepping stone to something higher, something beyond it, to attain to something which concerns itself very little with the decrees of reason; something which can allow itself to be irrational because it is a higher irrationality, with a higher light; something which is beyond ordinary knowledge and which receives its inspirations from above, from high above, from the divine Wisdom.

That is what this means. As for the knowledge of which Sri Aurobindo speaks here, it is ordinary knowledge, it is not Knowledge by identity; it is knowledge that can be acquired by the intellect through thought, through ordinary means. But once again-and in any case we shall have occasion to return to this when we study the next aphorism-do not be in a hurry to abandon reason in the conviction that you will immediately attain to Wisdom, because you must be ready for Wisdom; otherwise, by abandoning reason, you run a great risk of falling into unreason, which is rather dangerous.

The Mother, Sri Aurobindo Ashram

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Guiding Light: Rising Beyond Reason - Free Press Journal

"Sri Aurobindo: An Eternal Birth-2" a series of talk given by Dr. Ananda Reddy in a Workshop for the Marathi Group "Sri Aurobindo: The Mounting Fire" on 7th to 14th August 2019 at Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR) PuducherryDr. Ananda ReddyDr. V. Ananda Reddy, the Founder-Director of Sri Aurobindo Centre of Advanced Research, (SACAR) Puducherry is a well-known figure among the scholars and devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. He also holds the position of the Chairman of the Institute of Human Study Hyderabad. _e only aim of his life has been to disseminate Sri Aurobindo's vision to every corner of India and the world. He has travelled wide across India, to USA, Europe and far East to share his insights and research on Sri Aurobindo's works. His deep understanding of his works has come about by his incessant study for last 50 years. Dr. Reddy got his school and undergraduate education from Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, commonly known as Ashram School. Living directly under the care of the Mother from 1958, he had many interviews and letter exchanges with Her. With the Mother's blessings he also served in Auroville for about seven years. In the year 1998 he built SACAR in order to facilitate the study of the vision and work of Sri Aurobindo in a systematic manner.E-mail: sacarstudycamps@gmail.com;Web: http://www.sacar.in

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Sri Aurobindo: An Eternal Birth (Part-2)

Sri Aurobindo (1872 1950) was an early Indian revolutionary, who later left politics to pursue his spiritual sadhana. Sri Aurobindo founded an ashram in Pondicherry, where he became a prominent spiritual philosopher, poet and Spiritual Master. His greatest work was the epic poem Savitri.

Aurobindo Ghose was born in India on 15th August 1872. At a young age, he was

Upon graduating he decided to return to India where he took up a position as a teacher. It was also on returning to India that Aurobindo recounts his first most significant spiritual experience. He relates on how returning to Indian soil he was inundated with a profound peace. This experience came unsought but at the same time, he continued to become more deeply connected with the Indian independence movement. Aurobindo was one of the first Indian leaders to openly call for complete Indian independence; at the time, the Indian Congress wanted only a partial independence. In 1908 Aurobindo was implicated in the Alipore bomb plot in which two people died. As a consequence, Aurobindo was jailed whilst awaiting trial.

In prison, Aurobindo underwent a profound and life-changing spiritual experience. He began to meditate very deeply and inwardly received spiritual instruction from Swami Vivekananda and Sri Krishna. From the depths of the British prison, Aurobindo saw that Brahmin or God pervaded the entire world. There was nothing that was separated from the existence of God. Even in the worst criminal, Aurobindo saw at heart God or Vasudev.

During his spiritual transformation, Sri Aurobindo received an inner command to give up politics and devote his life to spirituality and the descent of a new spiritual consciousness. He also received an inner guarantee that he would be fully acquitted in his forthcoming trial. Due to the tireless efforts of C.R.Das, Aurobindo was acquitted and was free to leave. However, the British were still very suspicious, and so Aurobindo decided to move to the French province of Pondicherry where he began to practise meditation and spiritual disciplines. In Pondicherry, he also began to attract a small group of spiritual seekers who wished to follow Sri Aurobindo as a Guru. A couple of years later, a French mystic by the name of Mirra Richards (b. Alfassa) came to visit Pondicherry. Sri Aurobindo saw in her a kindred spirit. Later he would say himself and the Mother (Mirra Richards) were one soul in two bodies. After the Mother settled in the ashram in 1920, the organisation of the Ashram was left in her hands whilst Sri Aurobindo increasingly retreated to give him more time for meditation and writing.

Sri Aurobindo was a prolific writer writing some of the most detailed and comprehensive discourses on spiritual evolution. Sri Aurobindo said that his inspiration to write came from his inner pilot, from a higher source. Sri Aurobindo wrote extensively, in particular, he spent many hours patiently replying to the questions and problems of his disciples. Even on the smallest detail, Sri Aurobindo would reply with great care, attention and often good humour. It is interesting to note that Sri Aurobindo often refused to write for prestigious newspapers and journals, he frequently turned down requests to return to leadership of the Indian independence movement. Sri Aurobindo was also a Seer Poet of the highest order. His epic Savitri is a testimony to his own spiritual sadhana. For over 20 years he continually refined and amended this mantric poetic output. It became one of the most powerful testimonies of his spiritual consciousness.

A burning Love from white spiritual fountsAnnulled the sorrow of the ignorant depths;Suffering was lost in her immortal smile.A Life from beyond grew conqueror here of death;To err no more was natural to mind;Wrong could not come where all was light and love.

From: The adoration of the Divine Mother, Savitri

After moving to Pondicherry, Sri Aurobindo rarely made any public announcements. However, on rare occasions, he did break his silence.

In 1939, Sri Aurobindo publically states his support for the British war effort against Hitlers Nazi Germany. This was a surprise given his opposition to British rule in India, but Aurobindo frequently warned of the stark dangers of Hitlers Germany.

Hitlerism is the greatest menace that the world has ever met if Hitler wins, do they think India has any chance of being free? It is a well-known fact that Hitler has an eye on India. He is openly talking of world-empire (May 17, 1940)

In 1942, when the British made an offer of Dominion status to India in 1942 in return for full co-operation during the war, Aurobindo wrote to Gandhi, advising him to accept. But, Gandhi and Congress rejected his advice. Aurobindo wrote to Sir Stafford Cripps

As one who has been a nationalist leader and worker for Indias independence, though now my activity is no longer in the political but in the spiritual field, I wish to express my appreciation of all you have done to bring about this offer. I welcome it as an opportunity given to India to determine for herself, and organise in all liberty of choice, her freedom and unity, and take an effective place among the worlds free nations. I hope that it will be accepted, and right use made of it, putting aside all discords and divisions. I offer my public adhesion, in case it can be of any help in your work. (source)

Apart from these rare forays in public comment, Sri Aurobindo concentrated on his inner work and writings. In November 1938, Sri Aurobindo broke his leg and retreated, even more, seeing only a small number of close disciples. However, he kept his written correspondence with them. Aurobindo felt his real calling was to bring down a spiritual consciousness. He expressed his spiritual philosophy

The one aim of [my] yoga is an inner self-development by which each one who follows it can in time discover the One Self in all and evolve a higher consciousness than the mental, a spiritual and supramental consciousness which will transform and divinize human nature.

Sri Aurobindo once wrote that it is impossible to write a biography of a spiritual Master because so much of their life happens on the inner plane and not outer plane.

India achieved her independence on August 15, 1947. Sri Aurobindo remarked on this event.

August 15, 1947 is the birthday of free India. It marks for her the end of an old era, the beginning of a new age, but we can also make it by our own life and acts as a free nation, an important date in a new age opening to the whole world for the political, social, cultural and spiritual future of humanity. August 15 is my own birthday and it is naturally gratifying to me that it should have assumed this vast difference. I take this coincidence not as a fortuitous accident, but as the sanction and seal of the divine force that guides my steps on the work with which I began life, the beginning of its full fruition. Indeed on this day, he says, I can watch almost all the world movements which I hope to see fulfilled in my lifetime; though then they looked like impracticable dreams arriving at fruition or on their way to achievement. In all these movements, free India may well play a large part and take a leading position.

On 5 December 1950, at the age of 78, Sri Aurobindo left his physical body. He had recently said that he could continue his spiritual work from the souls world.

Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. Biography of Sri Aurobindo, Oxford, UK http://www.biographyonline.net. Published3rd August 2009. Last updated 19 February 2018.

Sri Aurobindos Yogaat Amazon

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Sri Aurobindo Biography | Biography Online

Sri Aurobindo (Bengali: Sri robindo) was an Indian nationalist and freedom fighter, major Indian English poet, philosopher, and yogi. He joined the movement for India's freedom from British rule and for a duration (190510), became one of its most important leaders, before turning to developing his own vision and philosophy of human progress and spiritual evolution.

The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."

The principal wr

The central theme of Sri Aurobindo's vision is the evolution of life into a "life divine". In his own words: "Man is a transitional being. He is not final. The step from man to superman is the next approaching achievement in the earth evolution. It is inevitable because it is at once the intention of the inner spirit and the logic of Nature's process."

The principal writings of Sri Aurobindo include, in prose, The Life Divine, considered his single great work of metaphysics,The Synthesis of Yoga, Secrets of the Vedas, Essays on the Gita, The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, Renaissance in India and other essays, Supramental Manifestation upon Earth, The Future Poetry, Thoughts and Aphorisms and several volumes of letters. In poetry, his principal work is Savitri: a Legend and a Symbol in blank verse.

Originally posted here:
Sri Aurobindo (Author of The Life Divine) - Goodreads

Sri Aurobindo Ashram The Mother

The Mother was born Mirra Alfassa in Paris on 21 February 1878. A pupil at the Academie Julian, she became an accomplished artist, and also excelled as a pianist and writer. Interested in occultism, she visited Tlemcen, Algeria, in 1905 and l906 to study with the adept Max Theon and his wife. Her primary interest, however, was spiritual development. In Paris she founded a group of spiritual seekers and gave talks to various groups.

In 1914 the Mother voyaged to Pondicherry to meet Sri Aurobindo, whom she at once recognised as the one who for many years had inwardly guided her spiritual development. After a stay of eleven months she was obliged to return to France due to the outbreak of the First World War. A year later she went to Japan for a period of four years.

In April 1920 the Mother rejoined Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry. When the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was formed in November 1926, Sri Aurobindo entrusted its full material and spiritual charge to the Mother. Under her guidance, which continued for nearly fifty years, the Ashram grew into a large, many-faceted spiritual community. In 1952 she established Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, and in 1968 an international township, Auroville.

The Mother left her body on l7 November 1973.

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Sri Aurobindo Ashram The Mother

Sri Aurobindo Ashram Donations

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AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City State (Holy See)VenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

AfghanistanAlbaniaAlgeriaAmerican SamoaAndorraAngolaAnguillaAntarcticaAntigua and BarbudaArgentinaArmeniaArubaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBahamasBahrainBangladeshBarbadosBelarusBelgiumBelizeBeninBermudaBhutanBoliviaBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswanaBouvet IslandBrazilBritish Indian Ocean TerritoryBrunei DarussalamBulgariaBurkina FasoBurundiCambodiaCameroonCanadaCape VerdeCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChadChileChinaChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombiaComorosCongoCook IslandsCosta RicaCote D'IvoireCroatiaCubaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkDjiboutiDominicaDominican RepublicEast TimorEcuadorEgyptEl SalvadorEquatorial GuineaEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Faroe IslandsFijiFinlandFranceFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaGabonGambiaGeorgiaGermanyGhanaGibraltarGreeceGreenlandGrenadaGuadeloupeGuamGuatemalaGuineaGuinea-BissauGuyanaHaitiHeard and McDonald IslandsHondurasHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIndonesiaIran (Islamic Republic of)IraqIrelandIsraelItalyJamaicaJapanJordanKazakhstanKenyaKiribatiKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwaitKyrgyzstanLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanonLesothoLiberiaLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacauMacedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascarMalawiMalaysiaMaldivesMaliMaltaMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritaniaMauritiusMexicoMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonacoMongoliaMontenegroMontserratMoroccoMozambiqueMyanmarNamibiaNauruNepalNetherlandsNetherlands AntillesNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaraguaNigerNigeriaNiueNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorwayOmanPakistanPalauPanamaPapua New GuineaParaguayPeruPhilippinesPitcairnPolandPortugalPuerto RicoQatarReunionRomaniaRussian FederationRwandaSaint LuciaSaint Vincent and the GrenadinesSamoaSan MarinoSao Tome and PrincipeSaudi ArabiaSenegalSerbiaSeychellesSierra LeoneSingaporeSlovakiaSloveniaSolomon IslandsSomaliaSouth AfricaSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpainSri LankaSt. HelenaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSudanSurinameSvalbard and Jan Mayen IslandsSwazilandSwedenSwitzerlandSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwanTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailandTogoTokelauTongaTrinidad and TobagoTunisiaTurkeyTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUgandaUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUnited StatesUruguayUzbekistanVanuatuVatican City State (Holy See)VenezuelaViet NamVirgin Islands (British)Virgin Islands (U.S.)Wallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambiaZimbabwe

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Sri Aurobindo Ashram Donations

In the following letters, Sri Aurobindo describes his major inner realisations. In the first letter, he describes his Nirvanic experiences and how it blossomed further into a much more positive and integral realization. The second letter is also from Sri Aurobindo but here he refers to himself as a third person with his name.

I have never said that things (in life) are harmonious nowon the contrary, with the human consciousness as it is harmony is impossible. It is always what I have told you, that the human consciousness is defective and simply impossibleand that is why I strive for a higher consciousness to come and set right the disturbed balance. I am glad you are getting converted to silence, and even Nirvana is not without its usesin my case it was the first positive spiritual experience and it made possible all the rest of the sadhana; but as to the positive way to get these things, I dont know if your mind is quite ready to proceed with it. There are in fact several ways. My own way was by rejection of thought. Sit down, I was told, look and you will see that your thoughts come into you from outside. Before they enter, fling them back. I sat down and looked and saw to my astonishment that it was so; I saw and felt concretely the thought approaching as if to enter through or above the head and was able to push it back concretely before it came inside.

In three daysreally in onemy mind became full of an eternal silenceit is still there. But that I dont know how many people can do. One (not a discipleI had no disciples in those days) asked me how to do Yoga. I said: Make your mind quiet first. He did and his mind became quite silent and empty. Then he rushed to me saying: My brain is empty of thoughts, I cannot think. I am becoming an idiot. He did not pause to look and see where these thoughts he uttered were coming from! Nor did he realise that one who is already an idiot cannot become one. Anyhow I was not patient in those days and I dropped him and let him lose his miraculously achieved silence. The usual way, the easiest if one can manage it at all, is to call down the silence from above you into the brain, mind and body.

*

Now to reach Nirvana was the first radical result of my own Yoga. It threw me suddenly into a condition above and without thought, unstained by any mental or vital movement; there was no ego, no real worldonly when one looked through theimmobile senses, something perceived or bore upon its sheer silence a world of empty forms, materialised shadows without true substance. There was no One or many even, only just absolutely That, featureless, relationless, sheer, indescribable, unthinkable, absolute, yet supremely real and solely real. This was no mental realisation nor something glimpsed somewhere above,no abstraction it was positive, the only positive realityalthough not a spatial physical world, pervading, occupying or ratherflooding and drowning this semblance of a physical world, leaving no room or space for any reality but itself, allowing nothing else to seem at all actual, positive or substantial. I cannot say there was anything exhilarating or rapturous in the experience, as it then came to me,the ineffable Ananda I had years afterwards,but what it brought was an inexpressible Peace, a stupendous silence, an infinity of release and freedom. I lived in that Nirvana day and night before it began to admit other things into itself or modify itself at all, and the inner heart of experience, a constant memory of it and its power to return remained until in the end it began to disappear into a greater Super consciousness from above. But meanwhile realisation added itself to realisation and fused itself with this original experience. At an early stage the aspect of an illusionary world gave place to one in which illusion is only a small surface phenomenon with an immense Divine Reality behind it and a supreme Divine Reality above it and an intense Divine Reality in the heart of everything that had seemed at first only a cinematic shape or shadow. And this was no reimprisonment in the senses, no diminution or fall from supreme experience, it came rather as a constant heightening and widening of the Truth; it was the spirit that saw objects, not the senses, and the Peace, the Silence, the freedom in Infinity remainedalways with the world or all worlds only as a continuous incident in the timeless eternity of the Divine.

Now that is the whole trouble in my approach to Mayavada. Nirvana in my liberated consciousness turned out to be the beginning of my realisation, a first step towards the complete thing, not the sole true attainment possible or even a culminatingfinale. It came unasked, unsought for, though quite welcome. I had no least idea about it before, no aspiration towards it, in fact my aspiration was towards just the opposite, spiritual power to help the world and do my work in it, yet it camewithout evena May I come in or a By your leave. It just happened and settled in as if for all eternity or as if it had been really there always. And then it slowly grew into something not less but greater than its first self! How then could I accept Mayavada orpersuade myself to pit against the Truth imposed on me from above the logic of Shankara?

*

Sri Aurobindo has no remarks to make on Huxleys comments with which he is in entire agreement. But in the phrase to its heights we can always reach very obviously we does not refer to humanity in general but to those who have a sufficiently developed inner spiritual life. It is probable that Sri Aurobindo was thinking of his own experience. After three years of spiritual effort with only minor results he was shown by a Yogi the way to silence his mind. This he succeeded in doing entirely in two or three days by following the method shown. There was an entire silence of thought and feeling and all the ordinary movements of consciousness except the perception and recognition of things around without any accompanying concept or other reaction. The sense of ego disappeared and the movements of the ordinary life as well as speech and action were carried on by some habitual activity of Prakriti alone which was not felt as belonging to oneself. But the perception which remained saw all things as utterly unreal; this sense of unreality was overwhelmingand universal. Only some undefinable Reality was perceived as true which was beyond space and time and unconnected with any cosmic activity but yet was met wherever one turned. This condition remained unimpaired for several months and even when the sense of unreality disappeared and there was a return to participation in the world-consciousness, the inner peace and freedom which resulted from this realisation remained permanently behind all surface movements and the essence of the realisation itself was not lost. At the same time an experience intervened; something else than himself took up his dynamic activity and spoke and acted through him but without any personal thought or initiative. What this was remained unknown until Sri Aurobindo came to realise the dynamic side of the Brahman, the Ishwara and felt himself moved by that in all his Sadhana and action. These realisations and others which followed upon them, such as that of the Self in all and all in the Self and all as the Self, the Divine in all and all in the Divine, are the heights to which Sri Aurobindo refers and to which he says we can always rise; for they presented to him no long or obstinate difficulty. The only real difficulty which took decades of spiritual effort to carry out towards completeness was to apply the spiritual knowledge utterly to the world and to the surface psychological and outer life and to effect its transformation both on the higher levels of Nature and on the ordinary mental, vital and physical levels down to the subconscience and the basic Inconscience and up to the supreme Truth-consciousness or Supermind in which alone the dynamic transformation could be entirely integral and absolute.

SRI AUROBINDO

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