Bhartrhari lived during the 5th century AD. His 100 verses titled “Niti Sataka” has been translated by Sri Aurobindo into English with the title “The Century of Life”. 1. Neither Time nor Space can divide the Absolute who is the One. Glory to this calm Light! 2. The madness of love – the person I… Continue reading The Century of Life – A translation by Sri Aurobindo
Author: Saraswathi
What will be our end? – A poem by Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo asks this question: “What will be our end?” Will our end be an unremembered name and a form that dissolves? A body rotting under a slab or burnt to ashes in the fire and a mind dissolved of all its thoughts – will this be our end? Our little hours that fade away,… Continue reading What will be our end? – A poem by Sri Aurobindo
Ishavasyam
The Isha Upanishad goes straight to the heart of the problem of God and Nature, with its first 8 words: “Isavasyamidam sarvam yat kinca jagatyam jagat”. Isha and Jagat God and Nature Spirit and World are the two poles between which our consciousness revolves. God/Isha/Spirit is the very basis of man’s existence. The Eternal is… Continue reading Ishavasyam
Dhanurdasa
One of my favorite stories from the time of Sri Ramanuja is the story of Dhanur dasa. Dhanur dasa (he was a body builder from a lower caste) was once walking in a procession near the Srirangam temple holding an umbrella for his wife and he was so enamored of his wife’s beauty he was… Continue reading Dhanurdasa
The earliest preoccupation of man
First, matter was created. Matter is the inconscient. From matter, life evolved. Life is subconscient. From life, Mind and Will evolved. Mind and will are conscious. We can say that when mind was manifested in man, he became awakened. So what was man preoccupied with in his earliest thoughts? He has been preoccupied with God,… Continue reading The earliest preoccupation of man
The Human Aspiration
Man has always aspired for God, Perfection, Truth, Bliss and Immortality. Even though man has studied the external nature in the form of science he has not been satisfied with its results. His thirst for Truth is unquenched. Hence man always returns to his search. His search is not in vain as his earliest aspiration… Continue reading The Human Aspiration
Three gunas and their divine counterparts
Prakriti is made of three gunas: Sattva Rajas Tamas The divine counterparts for these three gunas are: Sattva becomes jyoti, spiritual light. Rajas becomes tapas, divine force. Tamas becomes sama, the divine rest and peace. #SriAurobindo #LettersonYoga
Bappa Rawal – The Prince of Edur
The ‘Prince of Edur’ is an inspiring play written by Sri Aurobindo. The hero of the story is the valiant Bappa Rawal. He lived during the 8th century AD in India and was the founder of the Mewar dynasty of Rajasthan. After Islam was founded in the 7th century, Arabs at the beginning of 8th… Continue reading Bappa Rawal – The Prince of Edur
Individuality
Individuality is how a person’s ‘will’ is directed. Physical individuality: Americans during the time of the founding directed their will or energy to come out of poverty and became millionaires within one generation and it can be called physical individuality. Vital Individuality: Someone like Gandhiji or Abraham Lincoln directed their will towards social causes and… Continue reading Individuality
Four yogas
All Indian spiritual practice can be encompassed in the four major paths of yoga: Karmayoga – The problem is selfishness. To move from selfishness to unselfishness in our actions is Karmayoga. This uses the instrument of ‘will’ in action. Bhakthi yoga – To direct our energies, passions and desires to the love of God is… Continue reading Four yogas
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