--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, zarzari_786 <no_reply@...> wrote: > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Vaj <vajradhatu@> wrote: > > > > > > On Dec 8, 2011, at 5:35 AM, zarzari_786 wrote: > > > > > I for example compare the TM movement to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, > > > where the last leader died about 40 years ago. I just met an old > > > lady, who works there in the Ashram since 40 years, is now 75 years > > > old, and to my opinion, has the typical TB mindset. She still > > > experienced the master (Mira Alfassa) about 3 years, if so, from a > > > distance (balcony darshans). And I just read a book by Peter Heehs > > > on Sri Aurobindo, and as I thought it was actually a very positive > > > review of his life. But it stirred up the whole Ashram, lead to a > > > huge controversy, the book is actually forbidden in India (the > > > lives of Sri Aurobindo), while most ashramites have read > > > photocopies. The book is published by the cambridge universtity > > > press, and directed to academics, not devotees. Yet it is in no way > > > deferrential, but it happens to mention certain biographic facts, > > > seen as a no no by the ashramites. Now the funny thing is, that the > > > ashram leadership, might actually have inspired the book, and is > > > not really against it. (they don't endorse it either) That in > > > itself is the reason for controversy, as it seems there is a group > > > of fundamentalists who want to overtake the Ashram. Right now there > > > are efforts on the way, to deprive Heehs of his visa, he lives > > > since decades in India, and was one of the main Ashram archivars, > > > the book was originally approved by the ashram leadership (without > > > reading it) before it was published. > > > > > > Also, the philospophy of Aurobindo is elitary, by definition, he > > > says that nobody before embarked on this type of yoga or knowledge. > > > So, for Ashramites, anybody practicing a more traditional form of > > > yoga misses out on the new yoga. (The old yoga has its basis in the > > > 'overmind', with all its gods, which is something like 'supermind' > > > gone wrong) And the only way is to be devoted to SA and / or Mirra > > > Alfassa. There is a similar idea like in TM, that 'we are the ones > > > doing the transformation for the world, unprecedented, for all > > > times to come' And it's all there in the writings of SA. > > > > > > You have to wonder how much of this is part of their caste mindsets, > > as both Mahesh and Aurobindo come from the same caste. > > > Really? I didn't know that. Caste always plays a role in India, but bear in > mind that SA was educated in England. While I think that it plays a definte > role with MMY, I don't think that SA would subscribe to it. But it may be > there subconsciously, go to SA Ashram, most Indians there are from either > Bengal or Orissa, but the local Tamils there are like the servants, same in > Auroville, not present in the leadership. > > Yet SA was already a star much before he became a guru, after he was > imprisoned in Alipur by the English, he was an independence fighter around > 1906-1910, much before Gandhi appeared on the scene in the 1930ies, he > actually coined the words 'passive resisitence', which was finally > popularised by Gandhi (in a different, more exclusive way). People saw in him > a guru before he became a spiritual figure. He was always used to being > looked up to and attracted masses. >
Coming to think of it, given the time frame, it is likely MMY was influenced to some degree by SA. SA, when the topic came up, somebody wanted to popularize his teachings in the US, saying that he should offer some courses, something like a formula, as this was sucessfull with Vivekanada and Yogananda, simply refused. MMY was at Aurobindo Ashram, I heard trying to persuade some Ashramite to join him. So his project of transforming world consciousness may well have been informed by SA. Also, the whole story about absolute body, sounds a lot like SA's supramental body. Creating a new man was really SA's project. SA regarded himself as a tantric yogi. So MMY may have taken the 'uniqueness' and 'rediscovery of a lost knowledge' as a traditionalists version of the new yoga.
