Let our mind be free from all conventional separative thoughts including religion and nationality

[Debabrata Ghosh]

Dear Sri Chaki and all the Members of ASPIRATION,

On this occasion of Vijaya -I like to covey my GOOD WISHES.
Yes -as a child of the Mother -I can not accept this day as a parting time with the Mother. Sri Aurobindo wrote in Bengali-".....tomake paile aar visarjan koribo na...". But whether I am able to be with Her consciously or not in all the moments-it's meaningless for the true spiritual sense to bid good bye to my Divine Mother. It's a part of religion-only now. However I take this occasion only to let you know my warm and loving good wishes.

Namaskar

Peace.

Devabrata




For a long time I have severed all connections from my official religion-Hinduism. I do not participate in any religious ceremony. Not because that I hate them but because it all seem to me sheer childishness. I am more than convinced that the days of religion have gone. I do not know how one goes to a temple or a church to worship. The other day an American friend asked me -" Devabrata, is it true that you-Hindus are born in classes/castes?" There was a sarcastic tone in his question. So I replied to him writing " Long long after this day -say after five hundred years -a child will ask his father -whether the Christians built a house (Church) -in order to find or catch hold of their God there! Why were they so stupid to understand that God can not stay in such small places. It is right also for the Mosques, Temples etc. We Indians have still some bad and wrong notions about classes or castes. We should get rid of it. But first of all we should rid ourselves from our conceptions of God". But after writing that letter I thought why it pained me -this criticism against a religion or a country-when I did not like to belong to any religion and country?
That is the thing of great importance. One who looks forward to a future Supramentalised world must keep it a part of his/her sadhana -not to belong to any form of separative community or collectivity.
At least -this will help -for the near future -lessening the occurences the strifes between different religious communities.
Let me remember again the Mother -that "a drop of practice is better than an ocean of theories and good resolutions."

Let this issue of our religious mind be a point of discussions-this time.

[Debabrata Ghosh]

Mrinalini,
You have missed my spirit. I told even that I think it even a hindrance to belong to any country including India.
You have not understood the meaning of the word 'separative'. Whenever I identify myself as a Hindu I mean that I'm not a Christian or Muslim. Whenever I claim my nationality as Indian I mean that I'm not a French or a Pakistani.
Have you visited Auroville? Have you read what my Mother advised the Aurovillians. There should not be any religion and no nationality. She advised them -not to make a religion of Auroville.
I think you are not aware of the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. I would request you to read them. Otherwise I will not be able to answer your opinions. I invited opinions from those who were devotees of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. It's futile to ask opinions from a Jain, a Hindu, a Persi, a Catholic.
Devabrata
mrinalini said:

I do not think that Hinduism or Sanatan dharma is separative. It is inclusive. It does not segregate people at all. Caste and community are not part of religion. These communities have formed out of convenience according to occupation, but the prescribed worship of God remains the same.
When people go to the temple to worship it is a uniting force. People feel the same link joining them, and their fervour for God is strengthened and increased. There is strength in unity. Yes I know that ultimately each person is on his/her own, but the character of friendship is to help and strengthen in that bond.

Why do we have Aspiration? For the same reason.

And by the way,God can stay in any place, small or big. In fact even in a bindu.

[Barindranath Chaki]

Sri Aurobindo and The Mother are for the entire humanity. But Their Teaching and philosophy and Yoga are not religious. They have not formed a religion or taught a religion. The Mother has said emphatically that the age of religions is over.This has been thoroughly dicussed in the conecerned Forum here, many have said the same thing, including Mamata Dash, Donna, Devabrata, ned and Gopal. A true follower of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother has no religion.

Aspiration has no religion — Sri Aurobindo and The Mother are not aainst any religion. Simply, the age of religions is OVER> Because man is growing, evolving towards superhumanity. Whatever is the best in any religion has been there in the Teaching of Sri Aurobindo — minus the external paraphernalia.

And the word Hindu is personally not accepted by me. Sanatan Dharma — it is. The word Hindu is NOT there in the Vedas, in the Upanishads, in Ramayana or Mahabharata. There is nothing called Hinduism — it is a nameless way of life— the eternal Way, not a religion.

Nationality is a truth — but the bigger and the highest for all men and women is The Humanity — vishvamanava.

In each human being, there the essential human that aims at growing towards supermanhood.


Barin Chaki
11-10-2008

[Barindranath Chaki]

On August 4, 1926, Sri Aurobindo has said, while replying a disciple :

Dharma is not religion, though it has been customary to translate "religion"by "dharma." Dharma is law — it includes the social and moral laws; and also the law of one's own being, one's own nature is said to be dharma — swadharma.

The Mother has said on June 9, 1929, in course of a discussion :

When you stop at a religious creed and tie yourself in it, taking it as the only truth in the world, you stop the advance and widening of your soul.

Barin Chaki
11-09-2008

[Debabrata Ghosh]

Dear Sri Chaki,

You are absolutely right. When I wrote I meant 'religion' not 'dharma' in its proper sense.
But the ordinary people -do not distinguish between the two.
What is one's dharma-swadharma? It can only be determined when one is aware of one's true
individual swarupa. It's one's psychic being. I initiated the discussion only for those who are devotees
of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and not for those who have religious bend of their nature.
In ordinary life it is extremely difficult to be aware where one is limiting oneself in one's existence-social -political-economical and notional -in everyway we are bound in limitations. So we have to reach beyond all conventional selves in order to be moulded by the new conciousness.
I do not like to discuss on the difference between dharma and religion. I want to initiate a discussion on how necessary it is to exceed oneself in all his identities(notional). The point is then to get an identity free from all conventions. It's only the psychic being -who only is aware of our dharma. In ancient India they believe this inner propensity of individuals -and a way of life was conceived so that one might best fulfil one's true potentiality. On that basis -the conception of dharma came in India which is in no way comparable to the concept of religion. But -with the passage of time -the dharma gradually went to be determined in creeds and affected the society to grow as an institution -to determine and impose its own law in contradictionl to individual ways for existence.
Perhaps I am telling uselessly more as this matter is widely discussed for the last two centuries by the elites of India-including Sri Aurobindo. I want to limit my point to those sadhaks who want to travel in the path as asked by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
From the very first day I began to think in accordance to Supramental Yoga -the very first thing I have been successful is to obey one- an one liner advice of Sri Aurobindo -that "..do not bring anyone however great he or she may be- between you and your Mother.." So in spite of his intense love I never tried to follow Sri Anirvan. He knew it. So he also never tried to chalk out a way of sadhana for any person whom he loved. I need not require to learn what Sri Gautam Bhattacharya or Sri Gautam Dharmapal say in such matter. They are basically not in the arena of Sri Aurobindo.
Best regards.
Devabrata
PS: The quote of Sri Aurobindo is made from memory. So this may differ in words but not in spirit.
Devabrata

Barindranath Chaki said:

On August 4, 1926, Sri Aurobindo has said, while replying a disciple :
Dharma is not religion, though it has been customary to translate "religion"by "dharma." Dharma is law — it includes the social and moral laws; and also the law of one's own being, one's own nature is said to be dharma — swadharma.
The Mother has said on June 9, 1929, in course of a discussion :

When you stop at a religious creed and tie yourself in it, taking it as the only truth in the world, you stop the advance and widening of your soul.

Barin Chaki
11-09-2008

[Debabrata Ghosh]

Dear Mrimalini,

I felt sometime ago that It's futile to go on discussions on spiritual matters with those who are not devotees of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo is no religion. He laid bare many secret spiritual truths of India in his writing including the Secrets of Veda. Before him The Veda was discardrd as something where Rishis propitiated the Gods for worldly wealth. Sayan and Western scholars were responsible for holding the Vedas as books of primitive men. Sri Aurobindo translated the Rig Veda and some Upanishads. It was for him at least I was proud of India. None before him tried to re-discover India and her spiritula truth and the immense wealth. The Mother -by birth a French also highly spoke of India and she regarded India as her soul's country.
In spite of this I again tell you that I do not like to know my identity as Indian. I belong to the whole and one Humanity. Even -perhaps I belong to a more something..I do not know. I have come to this understanding after being graced by The Divine Mother of the Pondicherry Ashram. But I know more than you that the above words will confuse you more and you will find some contradictions in my statements. So I requested you to read Sri Aurobindo and the Mother -before telling anything to the devotees of Sri Aurobindo. You may well involve in such discussions with those who are interested in spiriritual matters -but unaware of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
You are factually wrong in many matters -I'll only cite two of them.
No -there is not everthing in the Gita. But what makes me to tell it -is not a thing understandable to a person who never cared to read Sri Aurobindo-the Master who sopke most highly and elaborately on this wonderful great book -which is called as -'Pancham Veda'. If you really know in depth of the spiritual depth of Ivdia -please do not hesitate to spend a bit -to buy the book -"Essays on Gita" by Sri Aurobindo. I am insisting you to know India and the Gita by reading this book. Discussions in the internet is a good pastime-but to know India and her spiritual wisdom is one's life-time ardous work. I had to take almost forty years to read the books of Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, Sri Anirvan, Swami Vivekananda and many other stalwarts. I read all of them in original-except the Mother's. I do not know French.
Secondly-have I any time told you why I had asked Anirvan-ji about the river Ganga? There was a personal experience -and for that matter I asked Anirvan-ji about it after telling my experience. How have you come to a conclusion that there is a relation between Anirvan-ji and Aakash? Do you know the spiriritual meaning of Aakash-in the sense Anirvan-ji used it? I only told that it was my wife who liked to know him as Aakash Maharaj.
Do not jump into conclusion. Unless you read more-know more sincerely in addition to your aspiration to be more-you can not have the access to know the spiritual matters.
Finally-if you like to remain ignorant about what Sri Aurobindo and The Mother are -it's futile to tell you anything to you. I'm not a teacher because I am still a learner and I do not have much time to answer your writings.

mrinalini said:

Dear Devabrataji,
Earlier you wrote to me as follows -

"Actually I came to his (Sri Anirvan's) association in the last few years of his life when he was completely bed-ridden. And then I was living in Asansol -another city of West Bengal. So whenever I visited him -my only purpose was to feel his personal presence. He loved me-I do not know why. I felt profound love in his presence. Sometimes it came in waves that it was unbearable for an ordinary man like me. He never made me wait for my visit-even if it was odd hour for visiting a person like him. One day he asked me "Devabrata (I'm Debabrata -but he always wrote Devabrata) -ask me what you have to ask". I told him "I thought to tell you something but I do not know how to form my question." He smiled and told me -"Yes -there is nothing to ask i. e. questions are unreal. You are right." I visited him only for my love and great regard. I asked him some questions on the veracity of some of our beliefs. So one such question was whether there is Ganga (river) above us. He emphatically told me that -there is Akash Ganga and patal Ganga both above and below. One can experience them if they are pure and have quality to realise subtle worlds. Only such questions. I did not like to stay for a long time as I did not want him to suffer by talking. But it was he -who insisted for a longer stay with such words " You have come to know much things -feel much things-though you will not agree to it. So why are you hurrying? Sit here." It was his love."

When you have experienced the miracle of Unconditional Love - for Sri Anirvan was of Akash Enlightenment, sending out waves of LOVE all the time, which CLEANSE AND PURIFY any persons fortunate to be in that presence with ITS RADIANCE, who needs a Guru? Sri Anirvan has done all the work for you out of SHEER LOVE AND COMPASSION. WHY were you drawn to Him all the time? It was LOVE which you could not resist. How utterly fortunate you were! and that blessing of purification and radiance is still with you.

There is no Mother. There is no Sri Aurobindo. There is no Sri Anirvan. There is only the ONE AND ONLY who chooses to manifest, from time to time, in various guises...Krishna, Buddha, all the great ones who have appeared throughout the ages to guide us..poor simple creatures enmeshed in our karma. The Manifest Ones come to free us out of the bounty of their LOVE.

We must be grateful for their COMPASSION. We must recognise our supreme good fortune in meeting with even One of them. They are ALL ALL the Supreme Being.

Bow down and be humble, my fellow beings. Let us prostrate ourselves in gratitude.

[Barindranath Chaki]

Mrinalini has written: “There is no Mother. There is no Sri Aurobindo. There is no Sri Anirvan. There is only the ONE AND ONLY who chooses to manifest, from time to time, in various guises...Krishna, Buddha, all the Great Ones who have appeared throughout the ages to guide us...poor simple creatures enmeshed in our karma. The Manifest Ones come to free us out of the bounty of their LOVE.”

This is an expression of a point of view, which does not properly belong to Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The Mother, who was at the last limit of the human evolution before his so-called passing away, never spoke that there is no Sri Aurobindo.

Huta had asked The Mother: Mother, to love you, to love the Lord or to love Sri Aurobindo? Whom can I love?
She told Huta: Love, love, love as much as you can — the Lord, Sri Aurobindo and me. None of this love is wasted.
When I say that there is no Mother and no Sri Aurobindo, it is I who say — an individual human being, living on earth, a material speck in the limitless universe, but a place which is the chosen field of Evolution, where the Supramental Consciousness is now manifesting. And I am in search of Truth. I stand in ignorance on earth, admit my existence, my question, admit ignorance and darkness, but fail to admit the existence of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. That would be a total intellectual failure on my part. When I believe in the Truth of my search, Why should I disown Their existence?

Such a pattern of thought comes, because of my thinking in a partial way, partly and wrongly influenced by a wrong interpretation of the thought of Shankaracharya — brahma satya, jaganmithya. Any how, that is NOT the Teaching of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. When the earth IS there where I stand question and seek, when I AM there and questioning as an individual seeker, why should and how can I imagine that there is no Sri Aurobindo, no Mother? Because I am in the deepest depth of Ignorance, thinking that They are as ignorant and transient human beings as I think I am and others are.

Indeed, to know and understand Sri Aurobindo and The Mother is a Sadhana. It needs realization. They are not only Gurus, not only manifestations of the Divine — all human beings are manifestations of the Divine — They were the Divine Avatars, who have come with a new message, with a new consciousness, who have come to lead the humanity beyond humanity, towards Supermanhood. They have come with a specific and NEW task, wherein we are to take part. To bow down, remembering the Divine’s compassion will come spontaneously, when we realize the compassion. But the Divine will be happy when we will understand our task ahead.

Aspiration is place where the Aim is the collective progress in and the Realization of Sri Aurobindo’s Yoga. We are here not in search of Moksha. We are here NOT to generalize our search, ignoring Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and the task ahead.

And what Sri Aurobindo has taught us in His books — mainly in The Life Divine, The Synthesis of Yoga, Letters on Yoga, Savitri and the Supramental Transformation — is completely new and is not there in Srimadbhagavadgita or in any other book of any religion or of even of what is understood as the Sanatana Dharma, excepting a rare and unexplained mention in the Rig Veda. For, it is NEW and unique.

And let us all try to understand this reason, this aim why we are here in Aspiration.

Barin Chaki
11-10-2008

[Barindranath Chaki]

Sorry, Mrinalini, I have not failed to understand what you have said. Rather you have not tried to unserstand what I have explained. When I, as a seeker, think I exist and seek, how can I think that there is No Sri Aurobindo. If He does not exist, how can I exist?

I am not seeking by mind or or intellect. The Mother knows it. Sri Aurobindo knows it. Even for the sake of a vague statement, I cannot think that They are not existing. They are not mere ideas or expressions. If you try to understand, you will. I donot like much of arguments. I simply request you understand what I have said. I know you will understand and realize.