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I belong to no nation, no civilization, no society, no race, but to the Divine.
I obey no master, no rules, no law, no social convention, but the Divine.
To Him I have surrendered all, will, life and self; for Him I am ready to give all my blood, drop by drop, if such is His will, with complete joy, and nothing in his service can be sacrifice, for all is perfect delight." - The Mother
Originally named Mirra Alfassa, the Mother was born in Paris on 21 February 1878. She was the daughter of Maurice Alfassa, a banker (born in Adrianople, Turkey in 1843) and Mathidle Ismaloun (born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1857). Maurice, his wife and his son, Matteo (born in Alexandria in 1876), emigrated from Egypt to France in 1877, one year before Mirra's birth. Her early education was given at home. Around 1892 she attended a studio to learn drawing and painting, and later studied at the Paris Salon.
Concerning her early spiritual life, the Mother has written: "Between 11 and 13 a series of psychic and spiritual experiences revealed to me not only the existence of God but man's possibility of uniting with Him, of realising Him integrally in consciousness and action, of manifesting Him upon earth in a life divine." In her late twenties the Mother voyaged to Tlemcen, Algeria, where she studied occultism for two years with a Polish adept, Max Theon, and his wife. Returning to Paris in 1906, she founded her first group of spiritual seekers. She gave many talks to various groups in Paris between 1911 and 1913.
The Mother, PondicherryAt the age of thirty-six the Mother journeyed to Pondicherry, India, to meet Sri Aurobindo. She saw him on 29 March 1914 and at once recognised him as the one who for many years had inwardly been guiding her spiritual development. Staying for eleven months, she was obliged to return to France because of the First World War. She lived in France for about a year and then in Japan for almost four years. On 24 April 1920 she returned to Pondicherry to resume her collaboration with Sri Aurobindo, and remained here for the rest of her life.
At that time a small group of disciples had gathered around Sri Aurobindo. The increase of disciples led to the founding of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram on the 24th Nov, 1926. From the beginning Sri Aurobindo entrusted the Mother with full material and spiritual charge of the Ashram. After almost 50 years of work at every level, the Mother left her body on 17th Nov. 1973, at the age of ninety five.
Sri Aurobindo philosophy is based on the concept of 'reality of Being and consciousness' amidst the big universe in which we live. The philosophies of Aurobindo Ghosh were very simple and clear cut. He taught people to become aware of their true self and feel the presence of divinity lying within them.
The old spiritual teachings taught people to keep the spirit away from their lives. However, Sri Aurobindo asked people to feel spirit while spending each and every moment of their lives. He asked people to integrate spirit in their daily lives. He said that the main object is to experience the delight of existence. He showed a different path of enjoying and deriving pleasure. He said that, if a person wants to experience delight, then he must strive to discover the higher spiritual nature.
Sri Aurobindo was of the opinion that, when a person discovers his true self and the power of divinity lying within, it brings about a rise in his level of consciousness. This enables him to rise above his ego, which often tends to hinder his progress. Ignorance is thus replaced by knowledge, which paves way for the success of a person.
Sacred texts and scriptures teach the means for salvation. The path is arduous, demanding constant practice and determination and not easily attainable. Yet the state of liberation is described to be blissful (Brahmananda) and definitely worth the attempt on the part of the Jivatma.
The nature of this bliss is calculated on the basis of human enjoyments and it is shown that human joys are mere raindrops in the blissful ocean of Brahmananda. While Karma, Jnana and Bhakti are shown to be ideal practices in this quest, the text Yoga Vasishta champions the path of Jnana, said Sri S. Srinivasa Sarma in a lecture.
The Kaivalya Upanishad states that the highest knowledge or immortality is attained not by work or action (Karma), progeny (Praja) and wealth but only through renunciation. In Yoga Vasishta, Lord Rama, Himself the essence of Jnana, is a disciple in search of enlightenment and is advised the path of meditation and renunciation by Sage Vasishta. But Rama leads his life to fulfil the purpose of His incarnation. Those caught in samsara have to strive to attain the realised state. That is why in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna assumes the role of the preceptor and hails the path of Karma Yoga as a stepping stone to Jnana. Even Bhakti is seen as part of Karma Yoga and this is a preparation to Jnana. Karma Yoga helps us to evaluate the impact of the Gunas — Satva, Rajas and Tamas — and guide us to transcend their effects gradually. Only then can Jnana be practised.
The desire for happiness is innate in all of us. Happiness and joy are the result of our Karma. Trying to find happiness in worldly gains and objects is always a mixture of pleasure and pain. All material gains will be lost. Even one's earned period of life in Indra's realm as a result of Karma is not going to last forever. It comes to an end when the Karma is expended.
Hence Vasishta emphasises the pursuit of knowledge that can release one from the bond of samsara. Both Karma and Jnana are equally important for liberation. They are as important as the two wings a bird needs for flying.
The 7-ft idol of Lord Anjaneya at the famous Anjaneyar Ashram in Salem now has a golden vimana. The first of its kind for the god, the Swarna Vimana was consecrated recently.
The ashram was established in 1976 in Vijayaraghavan Nagar in Jagir Ammapalayam village (now in the heart of Salem) by S. Vijayaraghavan and Vanavaasi Srinivasan along with some devotees. The area once wore a deserted look, was transformed into an idyllic setting thanks to the efforts of R. Nagarajan, a social worker and spiritual speaker.
The beautiful ashram also has sannidhis for Sri Rama, Sakkarathazhwar, the 13 Azhwars, and Sri Ramanuja and Desikan. The ashram draws many devotees on Saturdays from far and wide.
Nagarajan has written a book on the miracles of this lord titled ‘Vindhaigal Purivaai’, which will be released soon. The temple is located close to the Sona College of Technology
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Attracted by the teachings of Adi Sankara, a Peruvian envoy in India has decided to undertake research on the eighth century philosopher of Vedanta at a university run by the Kanchi Kamakoti Trust.
Carlos A. Irigoyen Forno, Deputy Chief of Mission, Peruvian Embassy in New Delhi, who introduces himself as a descendent of Incas tribals of the South American nation, has applied for doing research on Adi Sankara at the Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (CSVMV) in nearby Enathur.
Mr. Forno, who was here to visit the famous Kamakshi Amman temple on Sunday, said he had been drawn to Adhisankara for over 42 years.
When asked what inspired him, he said it was a tryst he made with Ved Vyas 42 years back, whose Mahabharatha he read in a French translation. He was overwhelmed by the canvass and the thought, he said.
The Incas, who are part of the tribal population of Peru, share many things in common with Hindus, he said, adding they have the same belief in Sun and Moon worship, besides worshipping Garuda and snake.
The Peruvian Deputy Ambassador said ties between countries can develop and strengthen only on the base laid by universities and trade.
Universities have a great role to play through exchange of scholars and Ideas, he said.
On trade ties between Peru and India, he said Peru is a major producer of gold and silver and there was great demand for Indian silk sarees and gold ornaments in his country.
The Asia—Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries of which Peru was a part, would be holding their summit meet at Tokyo soon and the discussions would cover economic issues important for the entire world.
On India not being a member of the bloc, he said trade imbalance could be one reason.
He said a vast potential waited to be tapped in Peru.
India and Peru have a rich Biodiversity, and could jointly fight Intellectual Property Rights issues at world levels, where the challenge was thrown up everyday.
Protection of Rights and Registration Laws are areas of crucial importance to both the countries, he said, adding there was much that both countries could gain by joining in areas like mining, natural gas and exploring of traditional knowledge.
Keywords: Adi Sankara, Advaita philosopher, Vedanta, Kalady, Kanchi Kamakoti Trust, Carlos A. Irigoyen Forno
London has a new spiritual landmark. A sprawling Shree Sanatan Hindu Mandir, the new Hindu temple at Wembley, finally opened on Monday following 14 years of construction. The temple is believed to have cost more than 16 million pounds (about Rs 109 crore).
The magnificent temple has been built using the ancient temple architecture methods associated with Hinduism.
A majority of the portions of temple are hand-carved in limestone. The hand carving was done at the small Gujarat town of Sola. The hand-carved pieces were transported and pieced together at Wembley.
A magnificent landmark
The temple houses 41 hand-carved Hindu deities, all made in pure marble.
Shee Sanatan Hindu Mandir houses deities of Lord Shiva, Sita Ram, Srinathji, Radha Krishna, Ambaji, Ganesha, Hanuman, Mahadevi or Durga and Tirupati Balaji.
The temple covers 2.4 acres (9.7 square metres) on the Ealing Road and, at its highest point, is 66 feet (20m) tall.
Its bright sand-coloured walls stand out in stark contrast to the modest surroundings.
The opening ceremony of the temple began with the pran pratishtha ritual to infuse the spirit of the Almighty into the pratimas (statues).
'A place of worship for Hindus, other faiths'
Ajay Jobanputra, governor of Shri Vallabh Nidhi UK, the charity that raised the funds to build the temple, told the BBC that he hoped the temple would provide a place of worship for all Hindus, and those of other faiths.
"Famous spiritual leaders and forms of Gods from other religions are also featured in the carvings, such as Mother Teresa, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Meerabai, Lord Swaminarayan and many more," he said.
"The message being promoted is of Vasudev Kutumbakaum, a Hindu term to describe the world as one big family," he added.
The authorities and priests feel that the temple would add to the charm of the area, and is expected to draw huge crowds, both from UK and other European countries.
