SAIEN

We are frequently not aware of the state of boredom and its various manifestations within us. We do recognise periods when we feel at a loss and want to do or experience something or distract our minds and we recognise these times as boredom. What we do not necessarily recognise however are the times when we seem busy and active, but actually are trying to compensate for the feeling of boredom. Modern society has habituated us to be always in motion, to be “doing” something, experiencing something, or simply keeping our minds occupied. With the advent of radio, television, and cell phones, we see people constantly seeking out some kind of stimulation. A state of simple quietude is rare and considered abnormal! When asked, people tend to respond with what they are “doing” and replying that they are just doing ‘nothing’ is looked upon as some kind of aberration. Many people go through the entire day with some form of stimulation occupying their minds and vital beings. If the cell phone, ...

Dear Collaborators, February 2024 is a special time of the year.... with The Mother's birthday on the 21 st , followed by Auroville's birthday on the 28 th  and the leap year Supramental (Golden) day on the 29 th  of Feb; it is a month of special descents and Grace. February 22 nd   marks also the 2 nd  anniversary of the Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Network (SAIEN) that was set up to celebrate the 150 th  birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo, and this wonderful international network of organisations, countries, groups and individuals came together on this day for a special invocation and sharing, connecting those turned towards the Integral path of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. As we have all seen, this past year has been challenging in that the forces opposing the general progress of the world at large have massed together to forge wars in various parts of the world, notably the wars in Israel-Gaza and Ukraine-Russia. We have taken refuge in the wo...

Like me, most of us would have read in scriptures and also heard from accomplished spiritual seekers regarding the event called Death .. which is the end of material existence when one stops Breathing (inactivation of PRANA element). This is a certainty of Life Journey yet remains a mystery and also cause of Fear and could cause grief and emotional stress. Spiritual seekers do get premonition/subtle signals and they also make conscious preparation to face the reality called DEATH as was the case with my parents, both disciples of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. Sri Aurobindo has described this phenomena as “Unconscious Rest” and need for conscious preparation by gradual abolition of Desires, attachments with material world of possessions and attachments. I wish to share my first-hand experience of closely witnessing this phenomena happening in case of my father, Dr Devki Nandan Srivastava, who was an academician by profession and an ardent devotee of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother right fr...

You  are  the  river  and  I  the  knot  of  life,  struggling  against  your  flow. I     tighten     to     maintain     my     boundaries, Like     a     defensive     fortress, Fearful     of     collision,     fearful     of     being     rejected, Fearful     of     being     pushed     against     my     will, Fearful     too     of     being     left     behind. Yet     your     touch     exceeds     my     fear And     liquid     love     seeps     triumphantly     through     solid     ...

Fear arises in the lower vital, in some instances, as a direct vital response to an energy that threatens health and safety of the individual; in other words, it is part of the survival instinct. But it also arises through social acculturation, such as in issues of stage fright, or through imagination of situations that ‘might’ come about, based on societal habits and pressures. All of the various causes of fear, however, act upon the lower vital chakras and raise up biochemical responses which then impact the mind and the will-power. In society, those seeking power frequently prey upon fear to motivate people to do their will. They manipulate the mind and the emotions to create fear, in many cases, of artificial constructs that are not probable events. Within limits, in the general life of humanity, the fear-reaction can provide life-saving reactions. In some cases, the sensation is felt without conscious awareness of the cause, such as when individuals point out that they suddenly ha...