March 2020 Newsletter

March 2020 SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY VOL 34.03 Singapore NEWSLETTER Vital Education Vital Purity It begins with the abolition of desires. Duranta erecta [Duranta repens] Pigeon berry, Sky flower, Golden dewdrop Tiny sweetly scented white salverform flower; borne on small racemes. A large ornamental shrub or small tree. Energy, strength, enthusiasm, artistic taste, boldness, forcefulness are there (in the vital) too, if we know how to use them in the true way. A vital converted and consecrated to the Divine Will becomes a bold and forceful instrument that can overcome all obstacles. But it first has to be disciplined, and it consents to this only when the Divine is its master. (The Mother) Her divine parts the soul’s allegiance called: It saw, it felt; it knew the deity. Her will was puissant on their nature’s acts, Her heart’s inexhaustible sweetness lured their hearts, A being they loved whose bound exceeded theirs; Her measure they could not reach but bore her touch, Answering with the flower’s answer to the sun They gave themselves to her and asked no more. (Savitri)

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. Guiding Light of the Month It is Thou that makest the experience fertile, Thou who renderest life progressive, Thou who compellest the darkness to vanish in an instant before the Light, Thou who givest to Love all its power, Thou who everywhere raisest up matter in this ardent and wonderful aspiration, in this sublime thirst for Eternity. Thou everywhere and always; nothing but Thou in the essence and in the manifestation. Nov 26, 1912 Prayers and Meditations, The Mother From the Editor’s Desk We are now on the journey of looking at the parts and One may put a few questions to oneself to place this planes of our being. We have started our introduction proposition of vital education in the context of our own to the Mind and are now exploring the vital. In the last lives. In what ways do my eyes see accurately the sights before me and how perfectly do I perceive the totally of few issues of our newsletter we looked at we learnt that what I come across? What would I need to do if the the vital, as it is, is a “thing of desires, impulses, force- instrumentation of my vision is faulty? It is based on the pushes, emotions, sensations, seeking after life- perfect functioning of the instrument that one can hope to fulfilment, possession and enjoyment…”, that the vital receive the light rays in the best way and have it made clamours for its own “separative self-affirmation” and possible that the correct image falls on my retina in all that it pushes for, under many guises, its “own growth, for accuracy and an integral perception of that seen results. possession, for enjoyment, for conquest and empire.” In Else the information fed to the sense mind is faulty or this issue, we examine a little how to educate the vital. insufficient at the outset. Now let’s turn our attention on the sense mind that receives these inputs from the sense The vital can go through a systematic, well thought out organs. Is my sense mind a clear instrument which receives and organised education process in order to find its real information as it is transmitted or does it remain warped and purpose in existence. This vital education is a two pronged ignorant and give therefore an illusory meaning to all process. It firstly aims at sense perfection and secondly, it received.? How does one make the sense mind a more aims at the transformation of one’s character. The first is perfect, open, neutral, silent receiver and interpreter so that necessary as it is the sense nature in the being that opens inner constructions are as close to truth as possible? it to a wide range of experiences. The varied stimuli are received from the environment where information The changing of one’s character is another challenge before abounds in varied forms. The sense mind receives the us. What then is my character like? Who am I actually? stimuli, gives them an interpretation and perceives and What is the constitution of my nature? These questions call formulates an experience as such. It is not too difficult for for a deep study of the being and one may choose to pursue one to realise that sense perceptions are perfect only as it or not. When the character is left as it is, then there is nothing more to say or do but to continue on the journey as long as sense receptors are prefect and also when the sense mind receiving the information is itself not clouded by a it comes just being what one has been, is and wants to misty mechanism of interpretation. The more adherence there is to the truth ensures all the less error in the continue to be. However, even when the seed of a tiny perception of an experience in its totality. This is where a aspiration is sown that seeks another kind of life, a high life lived in light, where love, joy, light, and harmony dwell in one heart space, and express themselves in one’s life, then methodical education comes in to perfect the sense the seeking begins and the search and the call and cry. perceptions, working especially on developing the Perhaps then only, one is ready for another kind of journey? sensitivity of sense perception and to silence and order the sense mind in clarity in order to do justice to an experience Perhaps the month of march gives us another impetus to and putting it out into the world towards a larger good with the emotions under control and channelled towards seek the secret of our journey out as we observe the an upward movement. Physical defects in the instruments anniversary of The Mother’s first arrival in Pondicherry and sit with The Mother’s life journey and the next chapter it of perception too need addressing. opened for Earth Consciousness. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 2 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. Savitri For this she had accepted mortal breath; To wrestle with the Shadow she had come And must confront the riddle of man’s birth And life’s brief struggle in dumb Matter’s night. Whether to bear with Ignorance and death Or hew the ways of Immortality, To win or lose the godlike game for man, Was her soul’s issue thrown with Destiny’s dice. But not to submit and suffer was she born; To lead, to deliver was her glorious part. Here was no fabric of terrestrial make Fit for a day’s use by busy careless Powers. An image fluttering on the screen of Fate, Half-animated for a passing show, Or a castaway on the ocean of Desire Flung to the eddies in a ruthless sport And tossed along the gulfs of Circumstance, A creature born to bend beneath the yoke, A chattel and a plaything of Time’s lords, Or one more pawn who comes destined to be pushed One slow move forward on a measureless board In the chess-play of the earth-soul with Doom, — Such is the human figure drawn by Time. Savitri, Sri Aurobindo www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 3 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. Questions & Answers Sweet Mother, How can one draw energy into oneself from outside? That depends on the kind of energy one wants to absorb, for each region of the being has a corresponding kind of energy. If it is physical energy, we absorb it principally through respiration, and all that facilitates and improves respiration, increases at the same time the absorption of physical energy. But there are many other kinds of energies, or rather many other forms of Energy, which is one and universal. And it is through the various yogic exercises of breathing, medication and concentration that one puts oneself in contact with these various forms of Energy. The Mother (Growing up with the Mother, 9 September 1959) * In children the mind is not developed when they are small. Is this also true of the vital? No, the vital is much more developed than the mind. You know I have said there that things are crystallised*, that is they take a form, and a more and more precise, a more and more fixed form (the more precise the form, the more fixed it is). In children it is much more like water; it is not yet in a very concrete and precise form. That is why, moreover, one can have a great influence upon them, for it is still supple, it is not crystallised; one can notice it: it has something malleable about it, as though one were moulding butter; however, as soon as they are about twenty or twenty-five, the special disposition, the turn of character is fixed and, at that moment, instead of preventing defects, it becomes necessary to mend them. That is another thing. If one wants to give an education which prevents bad habits from being formed or bad tendencies from being pursued, an education which leads children constantly into the right path (that one wants them to follow), well, when they are small it is possible, when they become bigger, it becomes hard. One cannot change the imprint easily. Even sometimes it is necessary to break things to be able to change them: as those who are not progressive, who are fixed and remain fixed, who cling with all their strength to their petty habits. While the little ones are supple, one can change their opinions, one can make them progress, give them the sense that tomorrow one must do better than today. * “In certain cases this education will encourage the movements that express the light, in others, on the contrary, those that express the shadow. If the circumstances and the environment are favourable, the light will grow at the expense of the shadow; otherwise the opposite will happen. And in this way the individual’s character will crystallise according to the whims of Nature and the determinisms of material and vital life, unless a higher element comes in in time, a conscious will which, refusing to allow Nature to follow her whimsical ways, will replace them by a logical and clear-sighted discipline. This conscious will is what we mean by a rational method of education.” (The Mother, Questions & Answers 1954, 3 February 1954) * www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 4 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. Quotes from Mother & Sri Aurobindo on Education Men have made language, poetry, history, philosophy agents for the training of this side of intellectuality, necessary parts of a liberal education, but the immense educative force of music, painting and sculpture has not been duly recognised. They have been thought to be bypaths of the human mind, beautiful and interesting, but not necessary, therefore intended for the few. Sri Aurobindo, Pg 449, Vol 01, CWSA What illusions and delusions is our education today beset with? How could we possibly keep clear of them? a) The almost exclusive importance given to success, career and money. b) Insist on the paramount importance of the contact with the Spirit and the growth and manifestation of the Truth of the being. The Mother, August 1965, Pg 251, Vol 12, CWM Vital Education I Of all education, vital education is perhaps the most important, the most indispensable. Yet it is rarely taken up and pursued with discernment and method. There are several reasons for this: first, the human mind is in a state of great confusion about this particular subject; secondly, the undertaking is very difficult and to be successful in it one must have endless endurance and persistence and a will that no failure can weaken. Indeed, the vital in man's nature is a despotic and exacting tyrant. Moreover, since it is the vital which holds power, energy, enthusiasm, effective dynamism, many have a feeling of timorous respect for it and always try to please it. But it is a matter that nothing can satisfy and its demands are without limit. Two ideas which are very widespread, especially in the West, contribute towards making its domination more sovereign. One is that the chief aim of life is to be happy; the other that one is born with a certain character and that it is impossible to change it. The first idea is a childish deformation of a very profound truth: that all existence is based upon delight of being and without delight of being there would be no life. But this delight of being, which is a quality of the Divine and therefore unconditioned, must not be confused with the pursuit of pleasure in life, which depends largely upon circumstances. The conviction that he has the right to be happy leads, as a matter of course, to the will to \"live one's own life\" at any cost. This attitude, by its obscure and aggressive egoism, leads to every kind of conflict and misery, disappointment and discouragement, and very often ends in catastrophe. In the world as it is now the goal of life is not to secure personal happiness, but to awaken the individual progressively to the Truth-consciousness. The second idea arises from the fact that a fundamental change of character demands an almost complete mastery over the subconscient and a very rigorous disciplining of whatever comes upon from the inconscient, which, in ordinary natures, expresses itself as the effects of atavism and of the environment in which one was born. Only an almost abnormal growth of consciousness and the constant help of Grace can achieve this Herculean task. That is why this task has rarely been attempted and many famous teachers have declared it to be unrealisable and chimerical. Yet it is not unrealisable. The transformation of character has in fact been realised by means of a clear-sighted discipline and a perseverance so obstinate that nothing, not even the most persistent failures, can discourage it. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 5 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. The indispensable starting-point is a detailed and discerning observation of the character to be transformed. In most cases, that itself is a difficult and often a very baffling task. But there is one fact which the old traditions knew and which can serve as the clue in the labyrinth of inner discovery. It is that everyone possesses in a large measure, and the exceptional individual in an increasing degree of precision, two opposite tendencies of character, in almost equal proportions, which are like the light and the shadow of the same thing. Thus someone who has the capacity of being exceptionally generous will suddenly find an obstinate avarice rising up in his nature, the courageous man will be a coward in some part of his being and the good man will suddenly have wicked impulses. In this way life seems to endow everyone not only with the possibility of expressing an ideal, but also with contrary elements representing in a concrete manner the battle he has to wage and the victory he has to win for the realisation to become possible. Consequently, all life is an education pursued more or less consciously, more or less willingly. In certain cases this education will encourage the movements that express the light, in others, on the contrary, those that express the shadow. If the circumstances and the environment are favourable, the light will grow at the expense of the shadow; otherwise the opposite will happen. And in this way the individual's character will crystallise according to the whims of Nature and the determinisms of material and vital life, unless a higher element comes in in time, a conscious will which, refusing to allow Nature to follow her whimsical ways, will replace them by a logical and clear-sighted discipline. This conscious will is what we mean by a rational method of education. That is why it is of prime importance that the vital education of the child should begin as early as possible, indeed, as soon as he is able to use his senses. In this way many bad habits will be avoided and many harmful influences eliminated. This vital education has two principal aspects, very different in their aims and methods, but both equally important. The first concerns the development and use of the sense organs. The second progressing awareness and control of the character, culminating in its transformation. The education of the senses, again, has several aspects, which are added to one another as the being grows; indeed it should never cease. The sense organs, if properly cultivated, can attain a precision and power of functioning far exceeding what is normally expected of them. In some ancient initiations it was stated that the number of senses that man can develop is not five but seven and in certain special cases even twelve. Certain races at certain times have, out of necessity, developed more or less perfectly one or the other of these supplementary senses. With a proper discipline persistently followed, they are within the reach of all who are sincerely interested in this development and its results. Among the faculties that are often mentioned, there is, for example, the ability to widen the physical consciousness, project it out of oneself so as to concentrate it on a given point and thus obtain sight, hearing, smell, taste and even touch at a distance. To this general education of the senses and their functioning there will be added, as early as possible, the cultivation of discrimination and of the aesthetic sense, the capacity to choose and adopt what is beautiful and harmonious, simple, healthy and pure. For there is a psychological health just as there is a physical health, a beauty and harmony of the sensations as of the body and its movements. As the capacity of understanding grows in the child, he should be taught, in the course of his education, to add artistic taste and refinement to power and precision. He should be shown, led to appreciate, taught to love beautiful, lofty, healthy and noble things, whether in Nature or in human creation. This should be a true aesthetic culture, which will protect him from degrading influences. For, in the wake of the last wars and the terrible nervous tension which they provoked, as a sign, perhaps, of the decline of civilisation and social decay, a growing vulgarity seems to have taken possession of human life, individual as well as collective, particularly in what concerns aesthetic life and the life of the senses. A methodical and enlightened cultivation of the senses can, little by little, eliminate from the child whatever is by contagion vulgar, commonplace and crude. This education will have very happy effects even on his character. For one who has developed a truly refined taste will, because of this very refinement, feel incapable of acting in a crude, brutal or vulgar manner. This refinement, if it is sincere, brings to the being a nobility and generosity www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 6 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. which will spontaneously find expression in his behaviour and will protect him from many base and perverse movements. And this brings us quite naturally to the second aspect of vital education which concerns the character and its transformation. Generally, all disciplines dealing with the vital being, its purification and its control, proceed by coercion, suppression, abstinence and asceticism. This procedure is certainly easier and quicker, although less deeply enduring and effective, than a rigorous and detailed education. Besides, it eliminates all possibility of the intervention, help and collaboration of the vital. And yet this help is of the utmost importance if one wants the individual's growth and action to be complete. To become conscious of the various movements in oneself and be aware of what one does and why one does it, is the indispensable starting-point. The child must be taught to observe, to note his reactions and impulses and their causes, to become a discerning witness of his desires, his movements of violence and passion, his instincts of possession and appropriation and domination and the background of vanity which supports them, together with their counterparts of weakness, discouragement, depression and despair.Evidently, for this process to be useful, along with the growth of the power of observation the will for progress and perfection must also grow. This will should be instilled into the child as soon as he is capable of having a will, that is to say, at a much earlier age than is usually believed. In order to awaken this will to surmount and conquer, different methods are appropriate in different cases; with certain individuals rational arguments are effective, for others their feelings and goodwill should be brought into play, with yet others the sense of dignity and self-respect. For all, the most powerful method is example constantly and sincerely shown. Once the resolution has been firmly established, one has only to proceed rigorously and persistently and never to accept any defeat as final. To avoid all weakening and backsliding, there is one important point you must know and never forget: the will can be cultivated and developed just as the muscles can by methodical and progressive exercise. You must not shrink from demanding the maximum effort of your will even for a thing that seems of no importance, for it is through effort that its capacity grows, gradually acquiring the power to apply itself even to the most difficult things. What you have decided to do, you must do, whatever the cost, even if you have to renew your effort over and over again any number of times in order to do it. Your will will be strengthened by the effort and you will have only to choose with discernment the goal to which you will apply it. To sum up: one must gain full knowledge of one's character and then acquire control over one's movements in order to achieve perfect mastery and the transformation of all the elements that have to be transformed. Now all will depend upon the ideal which the effort for mastery and transformation seeks to achieve. The value of the effort and its result will depend upon the value of the ideal. This is the subject we shall deal with next, in connection with mental education. (On Education, The Mother, Bulletin August 1951) * Vital Education II Vital education aims at training the life -force (that normally vibrates in emotions, desires and impulses) in three directions: to discover its real function and to replace its egoistic and ignorant tendency so as to become the master by a willingness and capacity to serve higher principles of the psychological constitution; to subtilise and sublimate its sensitivity which expresses itself through sensuous and aesthetic activities; and to resolve and transcend the dualities and contradictions in the character constituted by the vital seekings, and to achieve the transformation of the character. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 7 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. The usual methods of dealing with the vital have been those of coercion, suppression, abstinence and asceticism. But these methods do not give lasting results. Besides, they only help in drying up the drive and dynamism of the life-force; and thus the collaboration of the life-force in self-fulfilment is eliminated. The right training of the vital then is much more subtle and much more difficult, needing endurance, endless persistence and an inflexible will. For what is to be aimed at is not the negation of life but the fulfillment of life by its transformation. First, the powers of the senses have to be developed, subtilised and enriched. Next, there are inner and latent senses which are to be discovered and similarly developed. Third, the seekings of these senses have to be trained to reject grossness and coarseness and to enjoy the finer tastes and higher aesthetic experiences. Finally, there has to be a deeper and piercing observation of the desires, passions, ambitions, lusts, etc., their risings, revolts and contradictions, and an attempt by various methods to separate out in each movement the elements that contribute to the concord and harmony from those tending in the opposite direction, and to eliminate these latter from the very nature and fibre of our psychological constitution. The effective methods of this last aspect are: — to instill in the child, as soon as possible, the will towards progress and perfection; — rational arguments, sentiment and goodwill, or appeal to the sense of dignity and self-respect, according to the nature of the child in question; — to insist on the idea that the will can be developed, and that no defeat should be taken as final; — to demand from the will the maximum effort, for the will is strengthened by effort; — above all, the example of the educator shown constantly and sincerely. But still the direction in which the effort has to be made can be known only by the training of the mind and by the opening of the secret knowledge that is within our psychic being. To develop therefore in the vital the habit to open to this light and to. act in that light would be to place the vital in its proper place as a will-force executing the inner and higher knowledge. Vital education is greatly aided by stress on different kinds of fine arts and crafts. Sri Aurobindo has written at length on the contribution that Art can make to the integral education in his important book, \"The National Value of Art\". He has pointed out that the first and the lowest use of Art is the purely aesthetic, the second is the intellectual and the third and the highest is the spiritual. He has even stated that music, art and poetry are a perfect education for the soul; they make and keep its movement purified, deep and harmonious. He has added, \"These, therefore, are agents which cannot profitably be neglected by humanity on its onward march or degraded to the mere satisfaction of sensuous pleasure which will disintegrate rather than build the character. They are, when properly used, great educating, edifying and civilizing forces.\"1 A great lesson in vital education is to develop the will of the individual and to encourage the exercise of the will in which what is valued most is not the result, but application and doing one's best. (Sri Aurobindo, Vol. 17, Centenary Edition, page 246) www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 8 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. January - February Sunday Activities at the Centre - A glimpse February 2, 2020 – Readings from All India Magazine, February 2018, The City of Dawn For this evenings readings, we selected the passages from pages 22-24. The larger title for this sections was ‘Building the Future City’. We started with an approach that considered the Future City, Auroville as a model for conglomerates world over that aspire for an ideal, dynamic collectivity within the country, City or community. We started with ‘Need for sincerity’ and went on to ‘Conditions for living in Auroville’, ‘Message for the 1st Anniversary of Auroville’ and concluded with ‘Auroville and the Religions’. Powerful messages from each of the passages read were: 1. “If in all sincerity we are on the side of the Divine, we are all we should be.” 2. As conditions for living in Auroville: a) “To be convinced of the essential unity of mankind and to have the will to collaborate for the material realisation of that unity;” b) “To have the will to collaborate in all that furthers future realisations.” 3. A message for the anniversary: “To unite with the Divine one must have conquered in oneself the very possibility of desire.” 4. From Auroville and the Religions: “Get experience of the Divine, then alone will you have the right to speak of it.” We concluded the session with lines from Savitri which appeared to so beautifully describe Mantrimandir, The Soul of Auroville. Here are a few lines from that selection: In the passion of its solitary dream It lay like a closed soundless oratory Where sleeps a consecrated argent floor Lit by a single and untrembling ray And an invisible Presence kneels in prayer. Sri Aurobindo Febraury 9th, 2020- The Synthesis of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo Mr Rakesh took the lead reading the continuation of the passages from The Four Aids. The passages highlighted that to experience Integral fulfilment one has to be connected to the Divine power dwelling within us all the time and to make sure no egoistic impediments block the way to open ourselves to the divine guide who has the love of the mother and the entire patience of the teacher. Actions done by recognising the presence of the Supreme One within us leads to a higher quality of work done in all aspects. Sad to say that our faith wants to experience miracles that satisfy our desires and impulses to believe in the Divine within us, but that Divine is focused on working through our nature. www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 9 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. When man fails to see or dwell within the Divine in him, the external conception of Ishta Devata, the Avatar and the Guru come as an external aid to realise that. Also the Sadhaka of the Integral Yoga should shun his egoistic attachment to his own deity or Guru, must see the same divine in all other names and forms whether it is Krishna, Christ, Allah or Buddha. I just cannot help adding an analogy on how the most sacred of the sacred Mount Kailash and River Ganga which are inspiring examples for man to bring unity of various forms and names into him. In the case of Mount Kailash, Tibetan Buddhists call it Kangri Rinpoche; 'Precious Snow Mountain'. Bon, Tibetan religion texts have many names: Water's Flower, Mountain of Sea Water, and Nine Stacked Swastika Mountain. For Hindus, it is the home of the Hindu god Shiva and it is believed that Shiva resides there; for Jains it is where their first leader was enlightened; for Buddhists, the navel of the universe; and for adherents of Bon, the abode of the sky goddess Sipaimen. Tributaries of Holy Ganga include Ramganga, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Kosi and Mahananda from the left bank and Yamuna, Tamsa, Son and Punpun from the right bank. We are really grateful to our Master Sri Aurobindo, since reading the passages every Sunday works like a catalytic converter to reduce our egoistic pollution to see the divine within us, the only source of our existence and actions! February 16th , 2020 - The Synthesis of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo Mr Rakesh, continued with reading the passages of Four Aids, where the part of the Real Guru and Time come into play in attaining Yoga-Siddhi. The wise teacher (Guru) does not seek to impose his/her opinions on the passive receptive mind of the disciple. Instead, the teacher throws in suggestions which are productive at the current stage of development of the aspirant. The Guru seeks to awaken rather than to instruct; he aims at the growth of the faculties and the experiences by a natural process and free expansion. He does not have the arrogance that he is superior in his knowledge and put down the disciple. He sees himself as a channel leading his disciple to the awakening of his higher self. Adi Shankaracharya in his Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram , says HE is the Adiguru, illuminating the true nature of the Supreme Brahman in His disciples , through His state of silence. With the Teacher always observing silence, and the students getting all the doubts cleared. Next comes Time which is last but not the least. The Sadhak who is able to bring into himself the effect of Sastra, Utsaha, and the direct influence of a Guru, still has to have the blessing of Time! Time can be a friend or enemy in the fruition of his assimilating the above. The ideal attitude of the Sadhak towards Time is to have the endless patience of a mother, but with an energy to realise the goal with ever increasing mastery and pressure of rapidity. Mr Rakesh gave us the home work of sitting in silence every morning at least for 15 minutes in the dark. - Jayanthy and Jayalakshmi www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 10 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. PROGRAMME FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH 2020 DATE TIME DETAILS 8 AM Monthly Morning Walk * 1 Mar 2020 AIM Magazine Reading and Sunday 6 PM Discussion 8 Mar 2020 6 PM Thematic Study Circle by Rakesh: Sunday The Synthesis of Yoga 15 Mar 2020 6 PM Thematic Study Circle by Rakesh: Sunday The Synthesis of Yoga 22 Mar 2020 4 PM Youth Programme Sunday 6 PM Savitri Circle by Mr. Ramadoss 29 Mar 2020 6 PM Sunday Video on Integral Yoga * Please see below for details. March 2020 MORNING WALK – NO. 415 Date: Sunday, 1st March 2020 Time: 8:00 A.M. sharp for warm up exercise. Walk Venue: Pasir Ris Park Meeting Car Park in Pasir Ris Park. This car park can be accessed from Pasir Ris Drive 3->Pasir Point: Ris Green->Car Park. This car park is walkable distance from Pasir Ris MRT. Contact No: Mrs Vrunda Patel (HP: 9820 6389) Hosts: Mr. Anand K Venkat & Family, Block 71, Pasir Ris Grove, #07-19, LIVIA, Singapore 518025 (Map attached) RSVP: 67199790 (Res), 86126067 (Anand), 93397950 (Sheetal) [email protected] [email protected] www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 11 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. Note: All are encouraged to attend the Walk. Those, however, who are not able to join the Walk, the hosts would be very happy that they directly come and join in the brunch by 10:15 AM. Prayers and meditation will commence sharp at 10.30 A.M. All are requested to be punctual. PREVIEW OF FORTHCOMING SUNDAY MORNING WALKS WALK NO DATE PLACE HOST 416 05/04/20 West Coast Park Mr S. Ramanathan & Family 417 03/5/20 East Coast Park Mr Ashok Patel & Mrs Bhakti Patel 418 07/6/20 Bedok Reservoir Mr. Anand Patel & Mrs Vrunda Patel 419 05/7/20 Mr Sanjay Mehta & Family TBA Along the Way… February Walk Review (walk no 414) It is always a great pleasure to join the SAS walk in various lovely parks which adorns our beautiful Singapore. Vrunda was the walk leader this time. There were about 8 members at the start of the walk at Road Safety Community Park. Later some members joined. Vrunda and Jayanthy initiated the warm-up exercise which www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 12 Vital Education

Vital Education Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. March 2020. woke up my body’s enthusiasm to breeze through the walk. The weather with cool breeze was extremely kind to us, to enjoy the walk. Vayu, the Air though not having any form is such a Divine gift for the whole world that I feel giving my gratitude to this Devatha, by chanting the following mantra! Vayu Gayatri Mantra “Om Sarvapranaya Vidhmahe Yashtihastaya Dhimahi Thanno Vayuh Prachodayat” Meaning “Om, Let me meditate on the life-giving air, One who holds the sceptre, give me higher intellect, And let the God of Winds illuminate my mind.” Benefits: The mantra generates a clean environment and prevents air pollution. Chanting this mantra 108 times/daily will awaken your spiritual awareness, cure respiratory diseases and increase the potential of the mind and its power, resulting in gained intellect and expansive thought. Each of us walked in our own pace for an hour and half and met at the car park. My husband and I had a jolly ride to Nisha Maheshwari’s house in Praveen Kashyap’s car. Nisha and her son Ashish invited us to a very serene set up of beautiful altar. After the meditation music, the Guru Stotra lead by Krishnamurthy was chanted by everyone. Birthdays and wedding anniversary for the month was read and blessings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo was invoked. February is a special month for all of us for our Mother’s Birth anniversary on 21st February. Last but not the least was the tasty and delightful array of home cooked dishes which everyone enjoyed heartily. Our heartiest congratulations and thanks to dear Nisha and Ashish for being the perfect hosts! - Jayalakshmi Printed and Published by The Sri Aurobindo Society of Singapore 2A Starlight Road 01-07, Singapore 217755. Ramadoss: 97354063 or [email protected]; Anand Patel: [email protected]; Email: [email protected] Visit our website at: www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 13 Vital Education