A homage to the holiest of holy man Sri Aurobindo by Bishwa Nath Singh,Cordinator,Global Peace & Universal Brotherhood as flashed on the f.b. on May 25,2011.

A homage to the holiest of holy man Sri Aurobindo by Bishwa Nath Singh,Cordinator,Global Peace & Universal Brotherhood.
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Sri Aurobindo’s full name was Aurobindo Ghosh.He was born in Calcutta on August 15,1872, in a Kayastha family to an anglicised father Dr Krishna Dhan Ghosh. District Surgeon of Rangapur, Bengal, and Swarnalata Devi, the daughter of Brahmo religious and social reformer, Rajnarayan Basu. Dr. Krishna Dhan Ghose had chosen the middle name Akroyd to honour his friend Annette Akroyd He had spent his first five years at Rangapur, where his father was posted since October 1871. Dr. Krishna Dhan Ghose, who had previously lived in Britain and studied medicine at King's College, Aberdeen, was determined that his children should have an English education and upbringing free of any Indian influences. In 1877, he therefore sent the young Aurobindo and two elder siblings - Manmohan and Benoybhusan - to the Loreto Convent school in Darjeeling.At the age of seven,, he was sent to study in England. Firstly, he studied at St Paul’s School in London and then at Kings College in Cambridge.. His father Dr. K.D. Ghose had aspired that his sons should pass the prestigious Indian Civil Service, but in 1889 it appeared that of the three brothers, only young Aurobindo had the chance of fulfilling his father's aspirations, his brothers having already decided their future careers. To become an ICS official, students were required to pass the difficult competitive examination, as well as study at an English university for two years under probation. With his limited financial resources, the only option Aurobindo had was to secure a scholarship at an English university, which he did by passing the scholarship examinations of King's College, Cambridge University. He stood first at the examination He also passed the written examination of ICS after a few months, where he was ranked eleventh out of two hundred fifty competitors. He spent the next two years at the King's College at London. His life in England was often tough for him as his resources were meager and for many years he had to often survive on a frugal diet. However by dint of his hard labor, he proved his worth to be a scholar of great intellect and capability. He had mastered the classics and English poetry and that helped him later to write extensively on the English poets. The famous don Oscar Browning had declared him as one of the greatest scholars he had ever seen. It was at Cambridge University, he became aware of the plight of his country, at the time under the rule of the British Empire. Aurobindo got inspired to join a society committed to overthrowing British rule. This period was an important landmark in his life.By the end of two years of probation, Aurobindo became convinced that he did not want to serve the British; he therefore failed to present himself at the horse riding examination for ICS, and was disqualified for the Service. At this time, the Maharaja of Baroda, Sayajirao Gaekwad III was travelling England. James Cotton, brother of Sir Henry Cotton, for some time Lt. Governor of Bengal and Secretary of the South Kensington Liberal Club, who knew Aurobindo and his father secured for him a service in Baroda State Service and arranged a meeting between him and the prince. He left England for India, arriving there in February; 1893.In India Aurobindo's father who was waiting to receive his son was misinformed by his agents from Bombay (now Mumbai) that the ship on which Sri Aurobindo was traveling had sunk off the coast of Portugal. Dr. Ghose who was by this time frail due to ill-health could not bear this shock and died Aurobindo got inspired to join a society committed to overthrowing British rule. Therefore at the age of twenty one, he returned to India increasingly committed to working for Indian independence. On his return to Indian Soil, he was overwhelmed with a feeling of intense inner peaceIn Baroda, he joined the state service, working first in the Survey and Settlements department, later moving to the Department of Revenue and then to the Secretariat, writing speeches for the Gaekwad. At Baroda, Aurobindo engaged in a deep study of Indian culture, teaching himself Sanskrit, Hindi and Bengali, all things that his education in England had withheld from him. Because of the lack of punctuality at work resulting from his preoccupation with these other pursuits, Aurobindo was transferred to the Baroda College as a teacher of French, where he became popular because of his unconventional teaching style. He was later promoted to the post of Vice-Principal He published the first of his collections of poetry, The Rishi from Baroda. He also started taking active interest in the politics of India's freedom struggle against British rule, working behind the scenes as his position at the Baroda State barred him from overt political activity. He linked up with resistance groups in Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, while travelling to these states. He established contact with Lokmanya Tilak and Sister Nivedita. He also arranged for the military training of Jatindra Nath Banerjee (Niralamba Swami) in the Baroda army and then dispatched him to organise the resistance groups in Bengal. He was invited by K.G. Deshpande who was in charge of the weekly Induprakash and a friend from his days in Cambridge to write about the political situation. Aurobindo started writing a series of impassioned articles under the title New Lamps for the Old pouring vitriol on the Congress for its moderate policy. The Congress which practised more mild and moderate criticism itself, reacted in a way which frightened the editors of the paper who asked Aurobindo to write about cultural themes instead of Politics. Aurobindo lost interest in these writings and the series was discontinued. His activities in Baroda had also included a regimen of yogic exercises and meditation, but these were minor in comparison to the work he would take up in his later life. By 1904 he was doing yogic practices for five-six hours everyday This experience came unsought and was an indication of his future spiritual capacity. He used to take many excursions to Bengal from Baroda at first in a bid to re-establish links with his parents' families and his other Bengali relatives, including his cousin Sarojini and brother Barin, and later increasingly in a bid to establish resistance groups across Bengal. But he formally shifted to Calcutta (now Kolkata) only in 1906 after the announcement of Partition of Bengal. During his visit to Calcutta in 1901 he married Mrinalini, daughter of Bhupal Chandra Bose, a senior official in Government service. Sri Aurobindo was then 28; the bride Mrinalini, 14. Marrying off daughters at a very young age was very common in 19th century Bengali families. In Bengal with Barin's help he established contacts with revolutionaries, inspiring radicals like Bagha Jatin, Jatin Banerjee, Surendranath Tagore. He helped establish a series of youth clubs with the aim of imparting a martial and spiritual training to the youth of Bengal. He helped found the Anushilan Samiti of Calcutta in 1902. When the Partition of Bengal was announced, there was a public outpouring against the British rule in India. Aurobindo attended the Benares session of Congress in December 1905 as an observer, and witnessing the intensity of people's feelings decided to throw himself into the thick of politicsHe joined the National Council of Education and met Subodh Chandra Mullick who quickly became a supporter of Aurobindo's views. Mullick donated a large sum to found a National College and stipulated that Aurobindo should become its first principal. Aurobindo also started writing for Bande Mataram, as a consequence of which, his popularity as a leading voice of the hardline group soared. His arrest and acquittal for printing seditious material in Bande Mataram consolidated his position as the leader of aggressive nationalists. His call for complete political independence was considered extremely radical at the time and frequently caused friction in Congress. In 1907 at Surat session of Congress where moderates and hardliners had a major showdown, he led the hardliners along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The Congress split after this session. In 1907–1908 Aurobindo travelled extensively to Pune, Bombay and Baroda to firm up support for the nationalist cause, giving speeches and meeting various groups. He was arrested again in May 1908 in connection with the Alipore Bomb Case. He was acquitted in the ensuing trial and released after a year of isolated incarceration. Once out of the prison he started two new publications, Karmayogin in English and Dharma in Bengali. He also delivered the Uttarpara Speech hinting at the transformation of his focus to spiritual matters . However at that time his main concern and main passion was political independence of his beloved motherland. As a result, he threw himself into revolutionary politics, associating with the great figures of Bengal such as Bipin Pal, B.C Chatterji. He was dismayed with the weakness of Congress and argued for direct action aiming for complete independence. Through his journal Bande Mataram, he was the first leader to call for the full independence for India.For several years ,he was a pivotal figure in the movement connected with independence of India. He had both the large heart and good qualities of being a natural leader but was always happy to work in the background as much as possible. It was during this period that he also became increasingly interested in Yoga and meditation. Whilst engaged in spiritual disciplines ,he came across a teacher of meditation, Lele Maharaj who had taught Sri Aurobindo how to control thoughts and not let them enter into his mind. Sri Aurobindo followed his instructions to the letter and sprit and within three days he got succeeded in completely emptying his mind and entered into a state of nirvana( unconcious). This same experience, his teacher Lele Maharaj had taken over six years to attain. His teacher Lele Maharaj was amazed at the progress of his young disciple Aurobindo .However it was the political struggle which held the greatest sway on him as the freedom of India was his primary concern. After a fatal incident involving revolutionaries, he had become a most wanted man by the Police.. In 1908, he was arrested for the possession of weapons and was held in jail for a year before his case came to court. His trial became a major event with much attention placed on the incident. The evidence against Aurobindo was quite weighty and he feared he would be convicted. However Aurobindo was fortunate to have C.R.Das as his defense lawyer. Barrister C.R.Das threw himself heart and soul in to this case for Aurobindo’s defense. His commitment and capacity had a real meaning those days and due to this reason, Aurobindo had felt completely assured and did not have to even concern himself with his own defense. By a curious stroke of fate it was in a British jail that Sri Aurobindo began to be seriously awakened to the inner life. Confined to his own prison cell Sri Aurobindo was able to practice meditation and read about the ancient principles of yoga, undisturbed by outer commitments. Sri Aurobindo began to have profound meditations. Entering into higher realms of consciousness he became aware of the omnipresence of God. Sri Aurobindo himself had said in his speech at Uttarpara on May 30,1909. “I looked at the jail that secluded me from men and it was no longer by its high walls that I was imprisoned; no, it was Vasudeva who surrounded me. I walked under the branches of the tree in front of my cell but it was not the tree, I knew it was Vasudeva, it was Sri Krishna whom I saw standing there and holding over me his shade. I looked at the bars of my cell, the very grating that did duty for a door and again I saw Vasudeva. It was Narayana who was guarding and standing sentry over me. Or I lay on the coarse blankets that were given me for a couch and felt the arms of Sri Krishna around me, the arms of my Friend and Lover. This was the first use of the deeper vision He gave me. I looked at the prisoners in the jail, the thieves, the murderers, the swindlers, and as I looked at them I saw Vasudeva, it was Narayana whom I found in these darkened souls and misused bodies. Amongst these thieves and dacoits there were many who put me to shame by their sympathy, their kindness, the humanity triumphant over such adverse circumstances."It was also in prison that Sri Aurobindo was visited by the soul of Swami Vivekananda, who instructed Sri Aurobindo about the workings of the super consciousness which was above the mind. Sri Aurobindo also became aware of a divine inner guidance that was never to leave him. From this divine source he was given an order “inner command” that henceforth he should not worry about politics. India would gain her independence in due course but this would be achieved by others. The task for Sri Aurobindo was the renewal of “Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.” To pursue this spiritual task it was necessary for Sri Aurobindo to leave the political arena. In his own words Sri Aurobindo said of his mission.”We must return and seek the sources of life and strength within ourselves… It is the spiritual revolution we foresee and the material is only its shadow and reflex.” After gaining a dramatic acquittal Sri Aurobindo was released, but was still pursued by the British, who considered him “the most dangerous man we have to reckon with…” It was around this time that he again came into contact with Sister Nivedita, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda and fellow revolutionary. She warned Sri Aurobindo of the dangers he was in. After a while Sri Aurobindo followed another “order” to move to the French province of Pondicherry. The British persecution continued because of his writings in his new journals and in April 1910 Aurobindo signalling his retirement from politics, moved to Pondicherry. On April 4, 1910, he finally landed in the French colony of Pondicherry. At Pondicherry Sri Aurobindo was able to dedicate himself fully to his spiritual disciplines. Despite frequent requests to return to politics, Sri Aurobindo spent much of his time in meditation becoming more aware of the super mental consciousness. Through his practice of Yoga he had also gained the capacity to be a prolific writer writing many articles and poems.. Since then,spiritual seekers began gradually to be attracted to Pondicherry and so an informal Ashram began to be set up. A significant moment in the life of Sri Aurobindo and the fledgling ashram was the arrival of a French women, Mira Richards, who would later be affectionately known as the Mother of the Sri Aurobindo ashram. The Mother instantly recognized Sri Aurobindo as the one who had been guiding her Sadhana (spiritual practices). In turn Sri Aurobindo entrusted the organization and management of the said Ashram of Pondicherry to the Mother and under her guidance, the Ashram was looked after very well and that she continued for nearly fifty years,,By the time, the Ashram had grown into a dynamic spiritual community. Even today,Sri Aurobindo Ashram has been flourishing well and has a unique character in the sense that it does not involve retreating from the world. In the words of Sri Aurobindo,the said Ashram has a place of pride in hearts of many and he had very rightly said on many occasions that the way of Yoga followed here at Pondicherry has a purpose different from others, - for its aim is not only to rise out of the ordinary ignorant world-consciousness into the divine consciousness, but to bring the supramental power of that divine consciousness down into the ignorance of mind, life and body, to transform them, to manifest the Divine here and create a divine life in Matter.Sri Aurobindo was a rare combination of poet, philosopher, writer and spiritual Master. During his time in Pondicherry he wrote several books explaining his view on Yoga and spirituality. His most notable exposition was perhaps in “The Life Divine” which is a comprehensive explanation of his integral yoga. He was also a noted poet. Many of his poems are vivid and soulful portrayals of his supramental experiences. For example.”Only the illimitable Permanent ;Is here. A Peace stupendous, featureless, still.;Replaces all, - what once was I, in It;A silent unnamed emptiness content: Either to fade in the Unknowable,Or thrill with the luminous seas of the Infinite”It was his last verse of Nirvana of Sri Aurobindo.In November 1926 Sri Aurobindo would retreat from Ashram life, as he had felt this withdrawal was necessary to be able to complete his work ,however he spent many hours every day carefully replying to the letters of his disciples. These letters were an opportunity to explain his yoga and how it applied in particular situations. With good humor and great compassion he was able to relieve the fears and anxieties common to many seekers. Sri Aurobindo's letters show great wisdom and he often displayed a good sense of humor as he had said himself. He had very rightly said that :”A God who could not smile could not have created this humorous universe.” It is rewarding to read these letters and also stories by disciples such as Dilip Kumar Roy who maintained a long and fruitful written communication with his Guru. In these letters and other writings Sri Aurobindo gives an insightful look into the play of cosmic forces that work unseen behind external circumstances. Although distanced from any direct involvement in politics Sri Aurobindo still took a keen interest in political events from around the world. In particular he saw in Hitler and Nazi Germany a great threat to the whole of civilization Therefore at the outbreak of the Second World War, Sri Aurobindo, the former revolutionary against the British Empire, came out with his full public support for the Allies and their cause. Some Indians who still saw Britain as the main enemy did not always appreciate this decision. However although he was a prolific writer he felt his main task was to bring down a new consciousness, which would usher in a new era where spirituality and truth were given a higher profile. But Sri Aurobindo went to great pains to say he did not wish to bring about a new religion or creed. As he wrote in his article “Sri Aurobindo On Himself “in August 1934 This is Sri Aurobindo's teaching and method of practice. It is not his object to develop any one religion or to amalgamate the older religions or to found any new religion - for any of these things would lead away from his central purpose. The one aim of his 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 divinise human nature.”He offered a new vision of yoga and a spiritual path that could be followed by sincere seekers. However Sri Aurobindo never desired to have a large numbers of disciples or followers. He admitted his path was not always easy and could be quite arduous. But to attain a real transformation of one's nature was not possible without maintaining certain spiritual standards and spiritual discipline. Sri Aurobindo taught that the different world religions were right in their own way. However, he had also stated that there was no need to repeat what had happened in the past. He had synthesized Eastern and Western philosophy, religion, literature, and psychology in writings. Aurobindo was the first Indian to create a major literary corpus in English. His works include philosophy; poetry; translations of and commentaries on the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Gita; plays; literary, social, political, and historical criticism; devotional works; spiritual journals and three volumes of letters. His principal philosophical writings are The Life Divine and The Synthesis of Yoga, while his principal poetic work is Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol The world is in continuous evolution and there is a need to bring down a higher truth with each age. Continuing the vision of Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo sought to combine the best from Eastern spirituality and Western materialism. What he had described in Savitri- a holy book, his words are reproduced here."I saw them cross the twilight of an age.The sun-eyed children of a marvelous dawn...The massive barrier-breakers of the world..The architects of immortality...Bodies made beautiful by the Spirit's light,Carrying the magic word, the mystic fire,Carrying the Dionysian cup of joy.. "On August 15, 1947, on his seventy fifth Birth Anniverasary, when India attained its political independence fronm British Rule, a message was asked from Sri Aurobindo. In his message, which was read out on the All India Radio, he had dwelt briefly on the five dreams he had cherished all his life and which, he noted, were on the way of being fulfilled.After a short illness Sri Aurobindo entered his mahasamadhi on December 5,1950. During his last illness Sri Aurobindo refused any major surgery or even to heal himself. He said by leaving his body he would most effective in continuing his spiritual mission.His life was of constant service to bringing down a higher ideal and vision. What he had rightly said in this context, is being reproduced."The vast universal suffering feel as thine:Thou must bear the sorrow that thou claimst to heal;The day-bringer must walk in darkest night.He who would save the world must share its pain.If he knows not grief, how shall he find grief's cure?If far he walks above mortality's head,How shall the mortal reach that too high path?If one of theirs they see scale heaven's peaks,Men then can hope to learn that titan climb.God must be born on earth and be as manThat man being human may grow even as God." Sri Aurobindo's close spiritual collaborator, Mirra Richard (b. Alfassa), came to be known as The Mother simply because Sri Aurobindo started to call her by this name. On being asked by why he called her the Mother, Sri Aurobindo wrote an essay called The Mother in order to shed light on the person of Mirra.Mirra was born in Paris on February 21, 1878, to Turkish and Egyptian parents. Involved in the cultural and spiritual life of Paris, she counted among her friends Alexandra David-Neel. She went to Pondicherry on March 29, 1914, finally settling there in 1920. Sri Aurobindo considered her his spiritual equal and collaborator. After November 24, 1926, when Sri Aurobindo retired into seclusion, he left it to her to plan, run and build Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the community of disciples that had gathered around them. Some time later when families with children joined the ashram, she established and supervised the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education which, with its pilot experiments in the field of education. When Sri Aurobindo died in 1950, the Mother continued their spiritual work and directed the Ashram and guided their disciples. In the mid-1960s she personally guided the founding of Auroville, an international township endorsed by UNESCO to further human unity near the town of Pondicherry, which was to be a place "where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities." It was inaugurated in 1968 in a ceremony in which representatives of one hundred twenty one nations and all the states of India placed a handful of their soil in an urn near the center of the city. Auroville continues to develop and currently has over two thousand members from forty three countries, though the majority consists of Indians, French, and Germans. The Mother also played an active role in the merger of the French pockets in India and, according to Sri Aurobindo's wish, helped to make Pondicherry a seat of cultural exchange between India and France. The Mother stayed in Pondicherry until her death on November 17, 1973. Her later years, including her myriad of metaphysical and occult experiences, and her attempt at the transformation at the cellular level of her body, are captured in her thirteen volume personal log known as Mother's Agenda. Sri Aurobindo's spiritual vision extended beyond the perfection and transformation of the individual; it included within its scope the evolution and transformation of human society. In both the individual and in society, the soul and spirit is at first hidden and occult. This, he argues, influences the direction and course of development from behind, but allowing nature to follow its gradual, zigzagging, and conflict-ridden course. Afterwards, as mind develops and becomes more dominant over obscure impulses, the ego-centered drives of vital nature. This results in a more objective, enlightened perception and approach towards human existence and the potential developments that become possible. At the highest stage of mental development he argues that a greater possibility and principle becomes apparent, which is spiritual and supramental in nature. At this point a true solution to humanity's problems becomes visible in the context of a radical transformation of human life, into a form of divine existence.He had very clearly stated in “Sri Aurobindo” that one aim of his 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. One of the most significant contributions of Sri Aurobindo was his setting forth an esoteric meaning of the Vedas. The Vedas were considered by some to be composed by a barbaric culture worshiping violent Gods. Sri Aurobindo felt that this was due to non-grasping of vedic symbolism, both by Occidental and Oriental scholars.He had believed that there was a hidden spiritual meaning in the Vedas. He viewed the Rig Veda as a spiritual text written in a symbolic language in which the outer meaning was concerned with ritualistic sacrifices to the gods, and the inner meaning, which was revealed only to initiates, was concerned with an inner spiritual knowledge and practice, the aim of which was to unite in consciousness with the Divine.In this conception, Indra is the God of Mind lording over the Indriyas, that is, the senses (sight, touch, hearing, taste etc.). Vayu represents air, but in its esoteric sense means Prana, or the life force. So when the Rig Veda says "Call Indra and Vayu to drink Soma Rasa" the inner meaning is to use mind through the senses and life force to receive divine bliss (Soma means wine of Gods, but in several texts also means divine bliss, as in Right-handed Tantra). Agni, the God of the sacrificial fire in the outer sense, is the flame of the spiritual will to overcome the obstacles to unite with the Divine. So the sacrifice of the Vedas could mean sacrificing ones ego to the internal Agni, the spiritual fire.Sri Aurobindo's theory of the inner spiritual significance of the Vedas originally appeared serially in the journal Arya between 1914 and 1921, but it was later published in book form as "The Secret of the Veda." Another book, "Hymns to the Mystic Fire", is Sri Aurobindo's translation of the spiritual sense of many of the verses of the Rig Veda. He will be greatly cherished as an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet who had joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders before developing his own vision of human progress and spiritual evolution. The central theme of his vision was the evolution of human life into life divine. He had clearly written "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.” He had very clearly synthesized the eastern and western philosophy, religion, literature, and psychology in writings. Aurobindo was the first Indian to create a major literary corpus in English. His works include philosophy; poetry; translations of and commentaries on the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Gita; plays; literary, social, political, and historical criticism; devotional works; spiritual journals and three volumes of letters. His principal philosophical writings are The Life Divine and The Synthesis of Yoga, while his principal poetic work is Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol.He was indeed a very great man with religious fervor. His Mahasmadhi Sthal ( memorial place) at Pondicherry has become a place of pilgrimage for over thousand of People who pay their respects to Him every day.Let us join to pay our humble obeisance to His lotus feet and our respectful homage to Him and seek His bliss for well-being of all living-being of this universe!

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Photos: (1) Photo of Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) while he was young. (2) Photo of Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) (3) Another Photo of Sri Aurobindo (1872 - 1950) (4)Mahasmadhi Sthal( Memorial Place) of Sri Aurobindo who had died on died on December 5, 1950 atPondicherry (now Puducherry).

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Bishwa Nath Singh:

Sri Aurobindo ,the holiest of holy man ( August 15,1872 – December 5,1950 and Mira Alfassa( February 21, 1878 - November 17, 1973) had founded the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1926 to accommodate the growing number of people who became interes...ted in the Integral Yoga. She came to Sri Aurobindo's retreat on March 29, 1914 in Pondicherry, India. Having to leave Pondicherry during World War I, she spent most of her time in Japan where she met the poet Rabindranath Tagore. Finally she returned to Pondicherry and settled there in 1920. After November 24, 1926, when Sri Aurobindo retired into seclusion, she founded his ashram (Sri Aurobindo Ashram), with a handful of disciples living around the Master. She became the leader of the community, a position she held until her death. The Trust she had registered after Sri Aurobindo's death in 1950 continues to look after the institution.The experiences of the last thirty years of Alfassa's life were captured in the 13-volume work The Agenda. In those years she attempted the physical transformation of her body in order to become what she felt was the first of a new type of human individual by opening to the Supramental Truth Consciousness, a new power of spirit that Sri Aurobindo had allegedly discovered. Sri Aurobindo considered her an incarnation of the [[Mother Divine and called by that name: the Mother. When asked why he called her the Mother, Sri Aurobindo wrote an essay The Mother by introduction to the Mother's person. That's how she came be known as the Mother.After 1926 Mira Alfassa became known as The Mother, the individual expression of the power of spiritual consciousness.Sri Aurobindo continued his work of Consciousness Evolution and Spiritual and Supramental Transformation till December 5,1950 when he left his body. During the years 1926-1950 Sri Aurobindo wrote innumerable letters, answering questions about the Integral Yoga, a multitude of poems describing his spiritual experiences and far reaching essays on the Supramental Manifestation on earth. In 1950 he had completed his major work 'Savitri' which presents the complete vision and realization of the Integral Yoga of himself and The Mother in the form of a deeply touching epic poem of nearly 24000 lines.Mira Alfassa - The Mother continued the work of Consciousness Evolution till 1973, leaving a stunning legacy of wisdom, knowledge, realization and impulses for making physically effective the Integral Yoga in a life where Spirit and Matter are one: Shortly before 1950 The Mother envisaged the foundation of an Ideal City in Hyderabad where she would live together with Sri Aurobindo, an idea which was dropped after Sri Aurobindo left his body. In 1951 she founded instead the Sri Aurobindo International University to modernize and expand the scope of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. This endeavour she further strengthened when she established the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch together with Surendranath Jauhar in 1956 and The Mother's International School which is also located in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi Branch and has since then grown into one of the biggest and most important schools of its kind in India. Throughout her life she wanted to create a new type of city for all those who want to develop their consciousness for a further, spiritually inspired evolution. In 1957 ideas for such a township again were in the air but did not materialize. In 1967 plans were made and some land acquired to found a city in the Indian state Gujarat, which she named Ompuri. This project did not move further and The Mother started in 1968, together with the architect Roger Anger, near Pondicherry the Auroville project which she saw as a 'more external extension' of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. In 1973 The Mother gave her blessings to Michel Montecrossa to establish a cultural center and guest house for the Friends of Mirapuri in Auroville. It is named 'New Community' and is located in the Auroville settlement 'Certitude' opposite the building called 'Auroson's Home'. New Community fullfilled its purpose as a Mirapuri Center for promoting international understanding and cultural exchange at Auroville from 1973 till 1982. After that Mirapuri suspended the work at New Community because Auroville was overthrown by an organized, violent and sectarian movement which disrobed Auroville of its original aim of becoming a place of peace and pratical world unity as envisaged by Mira Alfassa – The Mother and as confirmed by the UNESCO. As a result of the changes in Auroville the Mirapuri people working at New Community were threatend with murder, put under constant and heavy psycological stress and were confronted with all kinds of physical harassment making it impossible to lead a free and civilized life in dignity, dedicated to a nobel ideal. Therefore Mirapuri would resume work at New Community only on condition that human rights are restored and protectet at Auroville and Mira Alfassa's original plan of creating in India a place of peace, freedom and practical world unity would be activated again. From 1970 till 1973 Mira Alfassa – The Mother together with Michel Montecrossa prepared the initial planning for Mirapuri and Miravillage which led to the foundation of Mirapuri - the City of Peace and Future Man in Europ (Italy) on 15th August 1978 and the establishment of Miravillage in Germany, as the first satellite of Mirapuri, which now are the two biggest independnet and selfsupporting centers of activity based on Sri Aurobindo and The Mother in Europe, providing an effective and humane living and working environment for all those who want to realize the Ideals of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and practise their Integral Yoga as a way of consciousness development.Let us join to pay our humble obeisance to the lotus feet of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa called The Mother and seek their bliss for well-being of all living-being of this universe!


Anil Kumar:
Mera namam Sri Arvindo avam Mother ko.


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f.b.
May 25,2011