SELF Group: October 2010

Savitri Era Open Forum

Anonymous at 6:22 PM, October 19, 2010 said: “I had asked you clearly if you believe that Pranab-da would have DESTROYED the original works of Sri Aurobindo.” Well, my anonymous friend, I appreciate your stubborn insistence, but why do you want me to speculate? It goes against my grain and I have already clearly stated my reservations about Pranab-da’s limitations with regards to literary and intellectual material and the fact that there is now no way that Pranab-da can head the archives as he is no more. So why speculate uselessly? But it now comes to my mind that actually, if at all there has been some “tampering” in the Ashram, it has unequivocally happened in no other place than the P.E.D. itself which always claimed exclusive right on the photographs of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Mother’s and Sri Aurobindo’s photos have been systematically, deliberately and in an organized manner tampered by the P.E.D. right under Pranab-da’s nose and guidance. While I am not in judgment See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... at 20:01

the mother's quotes are always difficult to find when required. still can try, no assurances. this long justification of west and poverty, is typical of indians.always justify the west too is bad. nobody denies it exists in the west, but it is worse here and that is the issue. no country has solved this poverty, class, etc. issues. even the scandinavian countries, which are the best in these and every social/economical parameters. this peter being a taxi driver (so he was dirt) has even gone to courts etc.; it is an insult to taxi drivers, that their job is so low that only mindless and fraud are fit to do it and one can never rise in life after that. if peter was a professor, could anyone have written about professors in such a derogatory manner. professors/intellectuals can be equally big frauds. ashramites are deeply conscious of their "chosen ones", superior air. they talk about being equal amongst themselves but it is in theory.the bengalis consider themselves superior, due See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... at 19:52

It seems that your self-righteousness denouncements are reserved only for those whom you disagree with. Your glowing 5-star review of Heehs mentions none of these things. Furthermore you break your silence a few years too late. Your own review appears on the IYFundamentalism site which demonizes numberless sadhaks and represents an assault of falsehood of the worst kind. Yet, your sense of moral hearing is not troubled by this mother of all megaphones. Actually the individuals that you describe thus ------ "Today, the self-centered walk around with 'megaphones' so everyone can hear them and they are convinced they are doing the right thing for their society, for their community, for their religion, for their collective. They know what should change and insist on this change, although it might all be as shallow and empty as a tv commercial. It is striking that we have today imposing individuals who think they can speak for a majority. These individuals think they need to do the ' See more... By Anonymous on TV, Internet, & megaphones at 17:59

The pompous nobodies on the editorial board are entitled to nothing. What they do is a service to the Divine and has NOTHING to do with RIGHTS and ENTITLEMENTS. Whoever came up with that statement was arrogating to himself/herself rights they did not possess. The Ashram has no business officially speculating on alternative readings of Savitri based solely on it's own grammatical/contextual/content-based/ etc. etc. mentation-based ignorance. What the scribe heard is none of their business and shows a Titanic arrogance that would turn the whole Savitri topsy-turvy. What is there to prevent the same presumptuous brain from using the same logic to suggest alternative renderings of EACH LINE in Savitri? Nothing. There would be nothing to prevent each line of the Savtiri from being thrown into dispute. While you can keep mocking Sunil based on totally irrelevant counts, we all know what he meant by eat the menu, your own words, howsoever grammatically correct betray an alarming lack of See more... By Anonymous on You don't come to an Ashram to read the text at 17:41

A.A.D Your frustration and agitation is more evident with each comment. So YOU please, please go ahead! Sunil is no divine bulldog. The point was about the irrelevance of alleged personal failings when it comes to standing up to forces that seek to interfere with the Work of the Divine and impose their OWN view and vision of perfection onto the the world. I was only using the most famous example to illustrate. By Anonymous on Tampering are the result of what he is at 17:30

Anonymous at 6:53 PM, October 19, 2010 said: "The desperate and extreme defamatory reactions from A.A.D etc. to Sunil's whistle-blowing, rather than doing him any harm, only convinces me further that what he has to say worries the Ashram establishment and its agents in the Archives and elsewhere." Please go ahead, follow and enjoy Sunil's whistle-blowing. If he convinces you it just goes to show that your level of intelligence and intellect matches his. And that surely does not worry me. I of course cannot speak on behalf of the Ashram establishment and its alleged "agents in the Archives or elsewhere", but I can imagine that their only cause of concern could be that the continuous barking of these self-proclaimed "Divine's bulldogs" might be somewhat of an irritant to those in the Ashram who are there to seriously conduct their Sadhana in peace. And if challenging an imbecility tantamounts to the suppression of Truth, this world would have been populated by imbeciles such as See more... By Anonymous on Tampering are the result of what he is at 13:03

Sunil said: "Do you go to a restaurant to eat only the menu. You don't come to an Ashram to read the text, you come to the Ashram for its spirituality and its experience but if you don't do the yoga sorry buddy no experience you are out..." Did Sunil really utter these words??? Then why is he eating the menu? Why does he hang around the Ashram and "read the text" instead of concentrating on spirituality and its experience? No wonder he is the "buddy" who is always "out." Sunil is hung up with some observations made by the editorial board (Peter was never the Editor of the Savitri as Sunil wrongly claims) regarding the "text" "last" and "lust". Isn't an editorial board entitled to share its observations? And that to in a Supplement? Does that amount to "tampering"??? Is that sacrilegious? Sunil would like us to believe so, but thankfully he will be able to impress only a Shelley or two who will drop him, as many have done in the past, as soon as they find out that when Sunil takes See more... By Anonymous on You don't come to an Ashram to read the text at 12:31

"Do you go to a restaurant to eat only the menu?" This is absolutely the best line I have read on this subject!!! :-D By Anonymous on You don't come to an Ashram to read the text on 20/10/10

Ranjit Rao's unknown friend/AKA "Dr"Raghu/AKA Carlson/AKA Heehs/AKA Hartz or is it Hertz?, You fool no one. There are not many Heehs pals around but they are all equally insufferable! The same boring unconvincing arguments, the same abuse of others, the same idiocy, the same belligerance, the same uncouth language, the same lack of intellect.... And when someone like Dr Ryder come up with good points, they question his identity instead of debating the points. Mark my words, this book's worth is finished in the long-term and its supporters will be ignored or tossed aside in everyone's minds. They may have to start a Heehs ashram in California to retain some dignity, self-worth, and pursue making trouble over something else. By Anonymous on They had mastered the forces of desire on 19/10/10

"the ashram always had a halo of everyone coming from royal or zamindar families and how they have sacrificed everything at the altar of the mother. what is there to sacrifice, you trade one type of life for another, each has its own pluses and minuses. mother has written very interesting things on this sacrifice and how at its least it inflates the ego." btw, as a follow-up to my earlier comment would like to say that this is indeed a capital point and something that I see in many and even in myself. The vital ego it seems needs to feel compensated in some way. One way perhaps to correct is to try and remember the one truth that is common to both the way of knowledge and bhakti: who are you and what is yours that you think YOU are the one who is sacrificing something that belongs to YOU. Would love to read any quotes from the Mother on the subject if you can provide them here. By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 19/10/10

There is certainly truth in what you are saying. Indians today do have a long way to go in improving the lives of other Indians. However, in many places in the west too there is no greater crime than being poor. If you don't have money or are a menial laborer life is as much a hell as anywhere. We cannot therefore take general problems of human nature and blame them exclusively on Indians. Yes, things have been improving in the west, but the whole history of the west, straight from the great and noble Greeks down to present-day South Africa and the wars of liberation launched by the American Empire, is filled to overflowing with brutality, discrimination, savagery and barbarism towards their fellow-men. Indias are at least taught, through her teachers, to find the Divine in all things and beings. It is this and not some extremem discrimination that makes India unique among peoples and nations. This is a fundamental truth that even Sri Aurobindo repeats throughout Hiw Works. If we have See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 19/10/10

"Yeah, that's why he spent all that time and effort in writing a 496-page biography documenting several achievements of that founder and even managed to get a prestigious university press, Columbia University Press, to publish it!" Neither the fact of writing a biography, nor the size in pages is indicative of the author's sentiments towards his subject. Many other bigger biographies have been written by authors who are indifferent or antithetical to their subjects. I could give you a list but would rather just state the obvious and leave it at that. Also Columbia University Press may have prestige in mundane circles but it is not "prestigious" from the point of view of Yoga. A fancy reputation in a world of ignorance and falsehood means nothing to those who are seeking or open to Higher Truths. Also just because someone gets a book on Sri Aurobindo published from there does not mean they are enamored of Sri Aurobindo. They could be doing it because clearly they themselves value See more... By Anonymous on Aware of the objection of “furtiveness” the author... on 19/10/10

toilet cleaner as an ashramite is good because he serves the divine. but anyone outside who does menial jobs is inferior. is not everyone serving the divine inside or outside or any side. it is several times mentioned , peter heehs as a taxi driver, which is supposed to be as an inferior human and low job. what is wrong in that. indians do not believe in dignity of labour. see the dalits being asked to do scavenging, can they ever be asked to work as archivists in ashram. even if they do, and commit a mistake everyone will point out the person as a dalit. the ashram always had a halo of everyone coming from royal or zamindar families and how they have sacrificed everything at the altar of the mother. what is there to sacrifice, you trade one type of life for another, each has its own pluses and minuses. mother has written very interesting things on this sacrifice and how at its least it inflates the ego. whatever faults of the west, peter etc. there is lot of dignity of labour See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 19/10/10

AA(R)DVARK, Oh how astute you are! But your forgot to mention in the same breath that even Sraddhalu Ranade and Jayant Bhattacharya, Kittu Reddy, Raman Reddy, Alok Pandey, RYD, Ranganath, etc., etc., can sign in any name that they want. Moreover, given the abhorrent quality of the repetitive criticism and the pathetic level of intellectual discourse on this blog that is being entertained by your ilk, it is very likely that they are actively doing so. And if you call the fraudulent Dr. Ryder's write-up "original" you must be, as your name suggests, from the same planet inhabited by Dr. Ryder, probably the planet Moronus in the constellation of Stupidis. Because the so-called Dr. Ryder's write-up is nothing else but a rehash of the same old issues that are so stale that even your ilk find it hard to digest and to regurgitate in a new form. So just eat and swallow the bitter pill of reality that whether you like it or not, not everybody is like you and many others like and See more... By Anonymous on They had mastered the forces of desire on 19/10/10

The desperate and extreme defamatory reactions from A.A.D etc. to Sunil's whistle-blowing, rather than doing him any harm, only convinces me further that what he has to say worries the Ashram establishment and its agents in the Archives and elsewhere. They have something to hide and that's why thy retaliate with such ferocity. Sunil may be a womanizer or a brainless person. So what? I still salute his courage and audacity for standing up all alone in the face of such withering criticism and unscrupulous opposition. Among other things Churchill was given to drinking heavily and chain smoking cigars and making ribald witticisms about the fairer sex. Yet, for all that, he was the one man who stood firm and acted as the Divine's bulldog against the Asura when all the world was ready to lie down fallow under his hell/heel. By Anonymous on Tampering are the result of what he is on 19/10/10

To A.A.D: I am confident that like your admired ideal Heehs you have at least the basic ability to keep your true opinions under wraps while saying enough to give the recipient hints of what you are really thinking. The fact that you have refused to answer my point-blank question is enough. I had asked you clearly if you believe that Pranab-da would have DESTROYED the original works of Sri Aurobindo. IF you had any doubts then either you would refuse to answer, which is what you have done, or you would, provided of course you wanted to be that honest, come out and accept it as a possibility. But your opinion about his inability to run the archives and his "limitations" is enough. Insulting Pranab-da further was not the issue. Understand, if you can, that the SAME dedication and devotion which leads Pranab-da to oppose Heehs is the thing that virtually guarantees his FAITHFUL preservation of historical documents of and related to Sri Aurobindo. You are confusing faithful execution See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 19/10/10

Anonymous at 2:35 AM, October 19, 2010 said: "Please also reveal the names of these heartless criminals who are involved in this tampering." Please be assured that it is Sunil & Co. and other similar brainless people who are actually tampering with and misrepresenting the truth because there is no "tampering" of Sri Aurobindo's Works by the Ashram. These brainless people like Sunil have no clue of the work that is being done by the Ashram in the archives and because they have some personal issues against the Ashram trustees and some of the "foreigners" in the Archives, they are irresponsibly making such false allegations. And of course as they have all the time to waste and at the same time they want to give themselves a feeling of self-importance, they are raking up such rumours and spreading such false and wrong information. As always it is easier to spread rumors instead of searching for the Truth! By Anonymous on Tampering are the result of what he is on 19/10/10

Anonymous at 4:57 PM, October 18, 2010 said: “What exactly are you saying ABOUT Pranab-da here? In what words would you choose to describe the specific quality that would have made him unfit management of the archives?” If you think that you are provoking me and are expecting me to insult Pranab-da publicly, you’ll be disappointed. Moreover, I will surely not please you by worshiping and treating him like a demi-God, just because you appear to think that he is one. We have all seen his limitations, particularly when it comes to dealing with literary and intellectual material. And we can now be rest assured that he never was and shall never be in charge of the Archives, whether you like it or not. And there’s no point talking about it anymore. With regards to your statement “Mother herself has burned books” could you please provide a specific instance or reference to such an incident? Please don’t tell me “that so and so told so” or “that I heard”, etc., specific references please See more... By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 19/10/10

This is shocking to say the least. Please also reveal the names of these heartless criminals who are involved in this tampering. Let the whole world know about this. You are doing good service. I did not know that it is this serious. By Anonymous on Tampering are the result of what he is on 19/10/10

You mean the last and lust. If I had planned to write I would have given the proof along but it was written spontaneously so no preparation, and you are right to ask as doubt is there in many a mind. This is in the SUPPLEMENT TO THE REVISED EDITION OF SAVITRI in "..the table of emendations, and explaining the rationale behind the revisions in the new edition of Savitri with respect to older editions." I will locate this book and can take a photo of it to post it. Sunil S R By Sunil on Tampering are the result of what he is on 18/10/10

-- That he had kidney problems, prostate enlargement, partial blindness, etc., was well-documented prior to Peter's book. But it has to be looked at in the context of a vast storehouse of other documented usages of His Yogic Force, testified by Himself as well as many other disciples. If you selectively choose certain "facts" only to promote your own pet theories while ignoring all the rest, then that is nothing but distortion. -- How does a book manage to turn into a "God-killer"? Which God are you talking about? Iconoclasm is as old as the human race. No more explanation is necessary I hope -- It is asinine to speak of killing the Divine, much less of a book doing so. There is no such thing even in your universe populated by "asuras" and such! Wrong again. If that were the case what was the need for Sri Aurobindo to concern Himself with "protecting" the Mother during WWII. How could He have been attacked Himself and suffered injury. Read His poem "A God's Labor". You need to See more... By Anonymous on Biography is based on lies upon lies on 18/10/10

"Is Peter accurately reporting what happened or accurately quoting some reliable testimony?" To Mrs.R (the better-half): And what exactly is your definition of accurate and reliable? That something that can be so easily misunderstood and misinterpreted should just be re-produced on the basis of one person's account? You are talking sheer nonsense. This is not physics or any other field where you are describing verifiable phenomena. There are reports you choose to reproduce and there are reports you choose to leave out. To verify a report it has to be corroborated by several people. If Nirod saw something and Suresh saw something then it is NOT accurate, NOR is it reliable. It is at the most a semi-fictitious and subjective account which may or may not be accurate or reliable. This cracked pot of your Guru has, for example, questioned even Sri Aurobindo's memory of His Own Past, challenging accounts and reports that Sri Aurobindo Himself has provided. Now suddenly he and you and your See more... By Anonymous on The incident itself is problematic because of its ... on 18/10/10

To A.A.D.: I still don't get it. So what you are saying is that in your opinion Pranab-da was incapable of "dealing with literary material in an objective manner" and therefore unfit to be in charge of the archives? Are you alleging Pranab-da would DESTROY even Sri Aurobindo's original works and could not be trusted? What exactly are you saying ABOUT Pranab-da here? In what words would you choose to describe the specific quality that would have made him unfit management of the archives? Another question for you. As per your reasoning since Mother herself has burned books that makes Her incapable of "dealing with literary material in an objective manner". Your logic seems to flow a bit too indiscriminately in directions unforeseen by your incisive investigative acumen. Books are books after all and destroying one with the intent that the information contained therein not get out to the world at large, is the same as destroying another with the very same intent. What is your response? By Anonymous on This is Sri Aurobindo’s Ashram not yours and not P... on 18/10/10

To Sunil: You ask: “Why would you edit anybody’s work?” Before I can answer that question, my question to you is, have you ever been involved in the work, process or business of editing? I sincerely doubt it, because you demonstrate very scant knowledge in the domain of editing literary material. But before that, do you even know the meaning of editing? In case you don’t, here is the definition of the word Edit from the Merriam-Webster dictionary: - to prepare (as literary material) for publication or public presentation. - to alter, adapt, or refine especially to bring about conformity to a standard or to suit a particular purpose. If you are capable of understanding the above definition, you may also understand that none of Sri Aurobindo’s (or for that matter any author’s) works could have been published if they were not edited by someone. And whenever new information or material related to an author’s literary material is found, a new and different edition of that author’s See more... By Anonymous on Why would you edit anybody’s work? on 18/10/10

A good post, A.A.D. But your sane observations will again elude the grasp of the insane! I wonder if a pathological form of jealousy at the authorial achievements of Peter Heehs is at the root of it all. Ashrams are often asylums for failures and those with a pick-up truck load of insecurities! By Anonymous on The incident itself is problematic because of its ... on 18/10/10

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SELF Group Blogs	0	0	55	2,857
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Savitri Era Learning Forum	4	14	809	35,395
Savitri Era Open Forum	100	207	8,718	73,062
Savitri Era Political Action	1	9	306	11,327
Savitri Era Religious Fraternity	6	10	443	14,804
Skylight	1	13	259	9,806
Sri Aurobindian Ontology	0	2	68	4,066
The Mother’s Lasso	3	24	484	13,436
The Orchid and the Rose	5	14	392	12,017
Tusar N Mohapatra	0	0	24	1,300
VIP VAK	1	0	150	8,688
rainbOwther	0	4	101	5,984

SELF Group

Sunday, October 31, 2010

StatCounter score - October 2010

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pranab da had all the power and veto capacity without responsibility

Monday, October 18, 2010

Savitri Era Open Forum (Popular Pages)

Friday, October 1, 2010

Manoj Das Gupta is the latest to join the anti-book bandwagon