August 21, 2006

Sri Aurobindo and his Followers

Makarand Paranjape
In time, a whole set of beliefs and rituals began to be built up around Sri Aurobindo and more so, around The Mother. The death of each of them caused dismay and disappointment among large sections of the faithful. Many had grown to believe that some miraculous transformation of the physical bodies of their Gurus and through them of the disciples themselves was in the offing. Naturally these devotees were disheartened when this did not happen in the manner they had come to expect.

Besides, a whole theology began to be developed, especially because of the extensive records of what Sri Aurobindo and The Mother had said…This theology not only asserts the Avatarhood or Divine Incarnation of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, but builds around them a special cult of worship and devotion…

Like the early Christians whose lives were lived in hope and anticipation of the Second Coming and the Day of Judgement, the disciples of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother also believed that the promised fulfillment of all their hopes and aspirations was imminent. A series of pronouncements by both Sri Aurobindo and The Mother…certainly contributed to the sense of constant awe and expectation in the ashram community…

It needs to be acknowledged that though both Sri Aurobindo and The Mother repeatedly warned against the creation of a cult around them, they themselves encouraged it in several ways. Sri Aurobindo himself deified The Mother and vice versa.
From The Introduction, The Penguin Sri Aurobindo Reader , 1999
Edited by Makarand Paranjape, a critical insider.
The Penguin Aurobindo Reader by Makarand Paranjape (Ed. ) other copies of this book price: $17.87 Ships within 3 weeks add to wishlist Binding: Paper Back ISBN: 0140278400 Description: New. ISBN: 0140278400 Size: 20x12.5cm, A single-volume guide to the writing and thought of one of the greates personalities of modern India A multi-faceted genius, Sri Aurobindo was a political revolutionary, social critic, poet and, above all, a great yogi and spiritual teacher. He was not only one of our foremost interpreters of the Vedas, Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, but developed also an original philosophy, which, though based on the ancient wisdom of India, has a modern,... read more condition:Book: seller information:Name: Gopi Books, INDIAReliability:
Contents:- Preface; Introduction; Chronology; Section I: Towards Swaraj and the Regeneration of India; Section II: On the Vedas, Upanishads, and the Gita; Section III: A New Global Agenda; Section IV. Integral Yoga and its Sadhana; Section V. The Supramental Transformation; Section VI: The Seer-poet; Section VII: Pioneers of the Future; Appendix: Thoughts and Aphorisms; Sources of the Selections; Glossary; Bibliography. xxxviii+375 Yr. of Pub.1999. read more

No comments:

Post a Comment