“Introduction to Sri Aurobindo Studies”

Dear Friends and Well-wishers of Overman Foundation,

It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre, New Alipore, Kolkata, in collaboration with Overman Foundation, is organizing a Certificate Programme titled “Introduction to Sri Aurobindo Studies” to be conducted through a series of lectures and interactive sessions spreading over around 4 months from September to December 2014.

The said Programme is intended to be an introduction to Sri Aurobindo and his thoughts and work for individuals interested in having an easy first glimpse.

The Programme faculty consists of eminent Aurobindonians like Prof. (Dr.) Indrani Sanyal (Department of Philosophy—Jadavpur University), Sri Subrata Sen (Secretary, Sri Aurobindo’s Action West Bengal), Sri Gautam Banerjee and Sri Anurag Banerjee (Founder and Chairman, Overman Foundation) along with eminent Guest Faculties to be invited.

Since seats are limited, registration shall be done on first-come-first-served basis. The total Programme Fees shall be Rs.700/- per participant payable at the time of registration. The last date for registration is 23rd August, 2014.

Classes shall be held on Thursdays from 6.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. and Saturdays from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. at Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre, 532 Block—M, New Alipore, Kolkata 700053.

Each participant shall be given a Certificate of Participation at the end of the Programme.

Interested persons may kindly contact the Programme Director—Sri Anurag Banerjee @ Mobile: +91 9830244192 for matters concerning the programme content and Sri Partha Sarathi Bose (Programme Co-ordinator and Trustee of Sri Aurobindo Sakti Centre Trust) @ Mobile : +91 9831040853 for matters concerning registration, organization and conducting of the Programme. They may also visit the relevant link in the website www.sriaurobindocentre.org for information or email at: admin@ sriaurobindocentre.org

We take the opportunity to request you to ask interested persons to get in touch accordingly.

With warm regards,
Anurag Banerjee
Founder,
Overman Foundation.

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5 Replies to ““Introduction to Sri Aurobindo Studies”

  1. The name of Sri Aurobindo is Sri Aurobindo where the Word Sri is not a title but a part of His name. It sounds graceless when you write Aurobindonian instead of Sri Aurobindonian, even more so when the faculty members are all referred to as Sri.

    1. Dear Sri Gupta,

      I fail to understand what made you conclude that the word “Aurobindonian” is “graceless”. Allow me to inform you that the term “Aurobindonian” was used even in the 1940s when Sri Aurobindo was in his body. For instance, in a letter written on 27 March 1945, K. D . Sethna alias Amal Kiran had written: ‘Poetry of the sort I write—seeking to be in tune with the Aurobindonian Muse—is not always easy to enjoy immediately…’ (“Life—Poetry—Yoga”, Volume 3, p. 345). Nobody had objected to it for the sole reason that it was not derogatory or “graceless” to quote the term used by you. Eminent writers like K. D. Sethna, Georges Van Vrekhem and others have used the term “Aurobindonian” quite frequently in their published works.

      Due to insufficient time I am unable to give you the list of books in which the word “Aurobindonian” has been used but what follows are some excerpts from Amal Kiran’s letters in which the said word has been freely used.

      ‘To get to this richness we have to practise assiduously the Aurobindonian command: “All life is Yoga.”’ (“Life—Poetry—Yoga”, Volume 1, p. 18)

      But even the aesthete character can have a contribution to make to the complete ideal we as Aurobindonians should keep before us.’ (Ibid., p. 69)

      ‘Or else the converse may be visualised as a complementary truth to the full Aurobindonian:…” (Ibid., p. 106)

      ‘From this passage and from all else I can reach out to the centre of your Aurobindonian life:…” (Ibid., p. 137)

      ‘The Mother too has declared that the best thing in this Yoga is for the sadhak not to stand in her way but allow her to work towards making him a true Aurobindonian.’ (Ibid., p. 169)

      ‘An Aurobindonian can understand such an outlook whereas the conventional religious or spiritual world-visions would think it absurd and shocking.’ (Ibid., p. 171)

      ‘If there is an Aurobindonian who is sufficiently immersed in the Integral Yoga, you may seek his help and advice.’ (Ibid., p. 214)
      ‘Now to my point about us as Aurobindonians.’ (Ibid., p. 284)

      ‘… if one learns from Sri Aurobindo what plane is at work, one can absorb more livingly its atmosphere through the rhythm and the vision, and let not only the spiritually-turned aesthetic sense but also the very substance of the soul feel the impact and grow more Aurobindonian.’ (Ibid., p. 288)

      ‘…I think, we have what I may dub an indirect and undefined fore-glimpse of the Aurobindonian Age’s adventure to awake the earth to its own secret heavenliness…’ (“Life—Poetry—Yoga”, Volume 2, p. 2)

      ‘Change of consciousness as a consequence of inner union with the Divine is the radiant core of the Aurobindonian life…’ (Ibid., p. 32)

      ‘The Aurobindonian evolution implies that at the base of matter, in the very heart of the Inconscient, the Supermind lies “involved”’. (Ibid., p. 51)

      ‘And when we go to the supra-rational, we approach the Aurobindonian “logic of the infinite”’. (Ibid., p. 75)

      ‘…first there is the Aurobindonian crown of luminous calm to be won for ourselves.’ (Ibid., p. 90)

      ‘Mother India was being edited and published from there [Bombay] every fortnight as a cultural newspaper covering all fields, even politics, from the Aurobindonian viewpoint.’ (Ibid., p. 97)

      ‘Channelling the Aurobindonian inspiration in various lines of literary activity is surely my nature’s bent…’ (Ibid., p. 130)

      ‘The outer personality with its petty and egoistic habits of thought, feeling and action has to be irradiated if the Aurobindonian Yoga is to be truly done.’ (Ibid., p. 151)

      ‘…the Ashram has a special spiritual virtue, it is the central power-house of the Aurobindonian Yoga…’ (Ibid., p. 205)

      ‘Only two figures from the long train of past sages, saints, yogis, prophets, avatars are in my view most affined to the Aurobindonian Era of the Integral Yoga.’ (Ibid., p. 213)

      ‘You have hit upon a side of the Aurobindonian Yoga of self-surrender which divulges the key to its success.’ (“Life—Poetry—Yoga, Volume 3, p. 36)

      ‘It must have provided to the soul parted from the body a new body of subtle vibrations building, as it were, an Aurobindonian embrace shielding it from whatever adversary would come out of the unknown.” (Ibid., p. 71)

      ‘We Aurobindonians have to essay the difficulties.’ (Ibid., p. 910)

      ‘If we pierce through the diversity and particularity to the basic Eternal and Infinite and Divine shining through them, we need have no sense of differing or sidetracking from the Aurobindonian Presence.’ (Ibid., p. 148)

      ‘In any case the Aurobindonian equanimity demands that I should look on them with peaceful if not also gentle eyes.’ (Ibid., p. 168)

      ‘I know of several cases in which the Mother has asked aspiring Aurobindonians to keep working outside and help the Ashram in any capacity open to them.’ (Ibid., p. 212)

      If the term “Aurobindonian” had been criticized for any reason, no writer would certainly have used it. Surely you would not claim that by using the term “Aurobindonian” Amal Kiran and Georges Van Vrekhem have disrespected Sri Aurobindo. I do appreciate your feelings but I would like to add that it is good to be a genuine devotee and a follower (which you certainly are) but it is unwise to become a fanatic. We must all try to become a genuine “Aurobindonian” the definition of which has been clearly given by Amal Kiran in the following words:

      ‘… an “Aurobindonian“ is essentially one who constantly carries on the practice of the presence of Sri Aurobindo and aspires to catch as much as possible the traits which we discern as typical of him. What are, in brief, the “Aurobindonian” traits?

      A poised serenity of tranquil strength,
      A wide unshaken look on time’s unrest,

      an immense patience allied to an untiring pursuit of perfection, a deep faith in an omnipotent guidance leading us through all, an up-gaze towards a plenary Truth by which every side of life can be transformed, a universal light in the out-looking eyes, a compassionate insight into human frailties, a joyous imaginative response to Nature, both living and inanimate, a lordly sense of the supreme Self of selves, a simple heart ever adoring the Divine Mother and with profound humility facing always an Infinite still to be realised.’ (“Life—Poetry—Yoga”, Volume 2, pp. 272-273)

      With warm regards,
      Anurag Banerjee

  2. Aurobindonian is an accepted word in our dictionary. Most probably K.D. Sethna was the first to use it in his books. In his letters to Raine Sethna even uses the phrase “We Aurobindonian moderns”.Sisirkumar Ghose preferred ‘Aurobindean’, which we did not accept. ‘Aurobindonian’ keeps the word ‘Aurobindo”.

  3. Dear Mr. Banerjee,

    I apologize for my comment. You may please remove it from the web if possible.

    Kind regards,
    Arindam Gupta

  4. Ah, Dear Anurag and Goutam Ghosal

    While appreciating the quotes from K.D. Sethana using the word “Aurobindonian”, you still miss most noteworthy thing. Years ago, I read an article in Mother India where K.D. Sethna himself explains the origin of the word: it comes from Sri Aurobindo himself. Yes, the master himself first used the word “Aurobindonion”, perhaps more than once.

    You, Anurag, are a miner of gems from Auro literature. Could you mine that particular article from Mother India?

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