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Dec 01
A grassroots spirituality
Interview by Carel and Bindu
Dr. Ananda Reddy is
well-known in Auroville because of his weekly classes in Sri Aurobindo’s
The Life Divine at the Savitri Bhavan. He grew up in the Sri Aurobindo
Ashram “at the feet of The Mother”, then went on, with her
permission, to become a liaison between the Ashram and Auroville. Soon
afterwards, in 1970, he joined Auroville to teach at the Aspiration
school. He left Auroville in 1976, obtained a Ph.D. in Sri Aurobindo’s
philosophy at Osmania University in Hyderabad, and is today one of the
few scholars worldwide who present Sri Aurobindo’s thought within
India and abroad. Recently he founded the Sri Aurobindo Centre for
Advanced Research (SACAR) in Pondicherry. Auroville Today interviewed
him on his work.
AVToday: How do you generally present Sri
Aurobindo’s thought?
Ananda: It depends on
where I am in the world, and whether I am addressing an audience that
already knows about Sri Aurobindo, or one that is hearing his name for
the first time. With Aurobindonians, I can go more into depth and speak
from the heart. If there is a general audience, I speak from the mind
and give basically Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy of life, and in a later
phase his metaphysics. I do not talk about Sri Aurobindo the person,
because I am aware that there are many cults in the world, and people
are bound to label us as one more cult.
If there is a series of
lectures, I talk about Sri Aurobindo as a person in a second and third
lecture. I present him as a person whose life has been integral, as one
who has developed this thought on the basis of his own realizations. I
explain how he has embraced the philosophical thoughts of India and the
West, and how he has gone beyond religions towards a universal
spirituality. Then I explain how his spirituality differs from the
normal idea of spirituality, that there is no withdrawing from life but
rather of divinising life and, ultimately, Matter. In this way there is
a balanced presentation of the thought and the man behind it. If I would
reverse the order, it would most probably be taken as a cult.
The tendency to turn Sri Aurobindo’s
teaching into a cult seems to be prevalent everywhere. Many quote the
words of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, often out of context and to suit
their own purposes. Is there a danger that by doing this we will turn
the Integral Yoga into yet another a religion?
I once asked Champaklal why
Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy was being subjected to this sort of
religiosity, and he answered that it was a passing phase and that Sri
Aurobindo’s thought and consciousness are too universal to be turned
into a religion.
It is true that many people
are getting into the trap of “Mother said”. In fact this is a
passive complacency, it is not the right attitude. It is a metaphysical
truth that what we call “the Mother’s Force” is at work in this
world. But if there is sunlight outside, I still must open my window to
let it in. Quoting Mother and Sri Aurobindo does not imply that you let
that force into your life — and perhaps, many who quote do not.
Quoting is often a sign of a
beginners’ aspiration. When one is a newcomer to this yoga, one needs
external symbols to hold onto one’s faith.
It is like putting a fence
around a young plant to protect it. Quoting Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother, offering incense or flowers at their Samadhi, paying homage to
their pictures are necessary external aids to help one’s aspiration.
They are like ladders that help us to climb up.
To embark on a spiritual
life requires a great amount of courage. The human mind is often not
ready to give up its religious attitude — and that is the reason why
many who have accepted Sri Aurobindo and The Mother continue to worship
different godheads and gurus.
There is a certain amount of
human inertia that prevents people from exploring the spiritual life on
the basis of their inner faith alone. But if one learns to consciously
use the external forms, even the adoration of the gods, as a “ladder,”
then one comes to a stage where one feel the Presence within and the
outside help is no longer needed. When one is up, one no longer needs
the ladder.
Some Aurovilians feel the need to use other
methods and techniques to realize a spiritual consciousness — perhaps
as another ‘ladder.’ What are your views on this?
It all depends on the
individual. Normally I would say that if one feels the need to relate to
other approaches for one’s spiritual growth, that’s fine. I do not
believe that any barriers should be imposed in Auroville, that one must
do only this and nothing else. Let individuals choose any technique that
they want, let the experience be rich, and let’s not narrow spiritual
life into one strict path. The only conditions needed are sincerity and
the aspiration for a higher life, what I would call faithfulness, the
faith the Bhagavad Gita speaks of, the shraddha, the inner dedication,
the inner wanting to be that ideal. Let’s guard against becoming
another ‘ism’.
One should not perhaps even
insist that a person follow Sri Aurobindo or the Mother, but as the
Mother herself emphasized, one should be a sincere seeker of the Divine
Truth and Perfection. At one point something within the person may drive
him or her to that discovery which is the Mother’s Presence or Force.
For those who have chosen to live in Auroville, I would say that, sooner
or later, something will lead them to Sri Aurobindo and the Mother
because of the special atmosphere that They have established in
Auroville. It is not a question of developing mental knowledge and
reading The Life Divine or The Synthesis of Yoga, but of developing an
inner need where it becomes essential to find Sri Aurobindo and the
Mother in one’s life. It is the need for the inner discovery.
When I wanted to leave the
Ashram to continue my studies in America in 1970, I asked The Mother’s
permission. Her answer was remarkable: “If…you aspire to get ready
for the future and the new creation it prepares, remain here and prepare
yourself for what is to come.” On another occasion when asked about
the Divine help being available everywhere, She said something to the
effect, “The Divine help is available everywhere, but we have prepared
here a special atmosphere because of which it becomes easier in this
place for one to realize one’s soul.”
The presence of such an
atmosphere, which is so needed for the psychic realization is, I
believe, the reason why so many people visit the Ashram in Pondicherry.
Somehow, in some way their psychic being has reached a point where it is
coming forward and they need to breathe this atmosphere. This perhaps
explains also the pressure of people wanting to come to Auroville.
For those who already have
the inner connection, I do not believe that experimenting with different
paths is of any help, it is only a waste of time. For instance, I have
noticed that the so-called gains of meditation retreats are only
temporary. For a week or so, the ego feels satisfied, for one achieves a
certain mental silence or clarity, but then one falls back into the
usual chaos of one’s life and no change is effected in the outer
workings of life. If one’s goal is Integral Yoga or the transformation
of oneself, then as Sri Aurobindo says, it is the Mother’s Shakti
alone that can help us in reaching the goal.
So for those who do not have
an inner contact, these practices are good approach points, but those
who do should not go back to them. They are windows to enter the house,
but not doors to go out.
It is often argued that,
even after one has established an inner connection with the Mother,
there are times when one feels disconnected, and that one is not
progressing in one’s spiritual life. Then there is sometimes a desire
to follow other paths.
But I do not believe that in
these instances experimenting with different paths will help. It is much
better, as Sri Aurobindo has explained in many letters to his disciples,
not to be perturbed, not to ask yourself too many questions about
whether you are progressing or not. For how do you know that you are not
progressing? It is only your mind that might think otherwise, for often
something is being worked out in us behind the surface being. If one
remains quiet, with a quiet trust in The Mother, then suddenly something
new comes and we have the certainty that we are on the way once again!
For those who have that inner connection, a silent aspiration, a deep
trust and reliance on Mother’s force are of great importance.
There is a danger in
Auroville of a constant dilution of the spiritual atmosphere, as there
is a continuous inflow of new people who have not had any exposure to
Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. For that there must be a core group of
conscious sadhaks there to withstand this kind of inflow, and to serve
as living examples. For instance, in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, after the
Mother’s passing, we looked to Nolini and Champaklal and a few others
for help. So, if there is a concrete vibration from an inside group of
sadhaks who are open exclusively to the Mother’s Force, then the
newcomers will feel the difference in that vibration and seek it out for
guidance. But it is important that the newcomers are aware of the reason
why they want to join Auroville. If one comes to Auroville drawn by any
of its outer aspects, then things do not work out. If one comes to serve
the Divine Consciousness — call it Mother, Sri Aurobindo or whatever
— as stated in the Auroville Charter, then spiritual progress is bound
to happen.
You speak about ‘opening to The Mother’s
Force’ and ‘finding Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in one’s life’.
Could you explain in a few words what exactly is meant by this?
What we mean by the Mother’s
Force is the Divine Force that descends from above to transform our
nature into the divine nature. It is specifically the transformative
force of the Divine that we call the Mother’s Force.
One can open to it by
opening the heart centre and the mind centres to all that is above and
behind them. This can be done principally by aspiration, prayer, bhakti,
surrender to the divine Force and rejection of all that stands in the
way of what we aspire for.
As regards finding them in
our life what I mean is that Sri Aurobindo and the Mother represent a
certain Consciousness which stands for a transformation of one’s
nature and not for an individualistic inner realization alone. Most may
not be ready for such a change of consciousness or transformation of one’s
nature. They may not even feel the need for such a thing. And as long as
they do not feel such a need they are not inwardly ready for the
discovery of Sri Aurobindo in their life. But, it is alright. Not all
are meant to be disciples of Sri Aurobindo. There are myriad ways of
evolution and each soul chooses its own destined path!
Earlier you had mentioned
that Sri Aurobindo’s concept of spirituality is different from others.
In what way is it so?
Sri Aurobindo’s concept of
spirituality differs from other concepts because of his insistence on
surrender to and reliance on the Universal Shakti, what we call the
Mother’s Force. This crucial concept in the Integral Yoga represents
the working of a Force from above that can help us in our sadhana, and
carry us to our goal. It is often not realised that this reliance on the
Mother’s Force is the greatest possible shortcut for man’s spiritual
growth. In fact, it is an invaluable spiritual boon given to mankind by
Sri Aurobindo.
To develop this relationship
between oneself and the Universal Shakti, reading the works of Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother — even if one is experimenting with other
spiritual paths — is very necessary, because the consciousness and
force of their words sink into your subconscious and hasten the
discovery of your inner being.
But there are, of course,
also other ways to connect with this force and with the presence of the
Mother within — to the awareness of your own psychic being. The Mother
stressed the importance of work for all sadhaks of this yoga. Once She
wrote to me: “It is in the work that we must progress and purify
ourselves”. It is my own experience that the most intense contact with
the Mother is through work. Meditation is still born of the mind and has
a tendency towards withdrawal from life. But work is of extreme
importance in Integral Yoga, work that is inwardly dedicated to the
Divine in the spirit of karma yoga. Work per se, of course, has no
value.
The Mother said that after fifty years, Sri
Aurobindo’s thought will have been accepted in the world. How far has
that been realised?
I think fully. Sri Aurobindo’s
consciousness has established itself in the world in different ways. Sri
Aurobindo and the Mother have sown seed-thoughts all over the world-and
Auroville is one such seed-thought blossoming out into reality. Today, I
find all open-minded thinkers in the world expounding ideas that have
been outlined by Sri Aurobindo. The terms that they use differ according
to their cultural and social background, but the general line of their
thinking is in keeping with Sri Aurobindo’s vision and understanding.
The concepts of evolution of consciousness, transformation, the validity
of a spiritual life as the only way out for our present problems are
spreading throughout the world.
It may well be that in the
future Sri Aurobindo’s name will not be known, but all will be united
by his consciousness — the Supramental. Sri Aurobindo may not be
accepted necessarily as a spiritual leader — in fact he need not be
for then his philosophy would become another narrow ‘ism’ — but as
the herald of a new consciousness, the Supramental Con-sciousness, and
as the harbinger of the New Race beyond the human species.
What effects of the working of the Supramental
Consciousness do you see in the world?
One of the workings of the
Supramental Consciousness is in the cleansing of all falsehoods. All
these millenia falsehood was lying low and disrupting spiritual progress
from behind. Now, due to the working of the Supramental Consciousness,
everywhere, wherever there is a falsehood — in the individual, family,
caste, group or nation — it is being exposed. Religion has allowed
falsehoods to hide, but now, it is an open battle. That’s how I view
the struggles in the world today, and I am not disturbed by all the
violence and the wars that are going on in different forms.
Another working of the
Supramental Consciousness is the inexplicable universalization of
spiritual thought. Everywhere one finds a growing number of individuals
who are embarking on a spiritual quest. Tomorrow’s world may not need
avatars or vibhutis anymore. The time of the great spiritual leaders and
intellects and visionaries will slowly recede. In the same way that
grass springs up after the first rainfall, a new spiritual consciousness
is emerging everywhere due to the downpour of the Supramental Force and
Consciousness on the world. That new Consciousness will approach each
open and aspiring individual at the grassroots level in the manner
needed by him or her. It is the time of the spirituality of the common
man. The spirituality of tomorrow will belong to mankind as a whole, not
to the religious and moralist elite. That is why I emphasize that it
does not matter if Sri Aurobindo is known or is not recognised much
tomorrow, for the Supramental Consciousness will awaken mankind in
general to spirituality and thus fulfil the work for which both The
Mother and Sri Aurobindo have taken birth this time.
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