May 2018 Newsletter

May 2018 SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY VOL 32.05 Singapore Permit No. MCI (P) 102/02/2018 NEWSLETTER The Word of Fate He sang of the Truth that cries from Night’s blind deepsBotanical Name: Clerodendrum quadrilocilareCommon Name: Bag FlowerSpiritual Significance: Divine Will Acting in the Inconscient My spirit has glimpsed the glory for which it came, Beating of one vast heart in the flame of things, My eternity clasped by his eternity And, tireless of the sweet abysms of Time, Deep possibility always to love. - Savitri, Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. Guiding Light of the Month In this immense heroic struggle, in this sublime struggle of love against hatred, of justice against injustice, of obedience to Thy supreme law against revolt, may I gradually be able to make humanity worthy of a still sublimer peace in which, all internal dissensions having ceased, the whole effort of man may be united for theattainment of a more and more perfect and integral realisation of Thy divine Will and Thy progressive ideal. The Mother, ‘Prayers and Meditations’ January 18, 1915 From the Editor’s DeskIn this issue of the newsletter, we turn our here that what we call our fate is what we author or direct as more or less, conscious or ignorant beings.attention to the advent of Narad, the “heavenly We can put these questions to ourselves for a momentsage from Paradise” and the word of fate that spills of contemplation. What is the motivating causefrom his mouth and his prophecy of the occurrence behind one’s action, every word uttered, everyof a Divinely sanctioned event. Savitri, having thought and feeling even? Is this cause born out ofheeded her father’s call to find her soul-mate, and held in light or darkness? Is this cause born fromreturns to the palace, having set her gaze on joy and a deeper sense of being or frivolous andSatyavan and knowing him to be the one with surface, devoid of a deeper meaning? Here then wewhom she would walk her life and carry out what come to the question of how much in consciousnessshe was divinely meant to. The moment was are our thoughts, feelings, words spoken andopportune, as Narad the sage, descend on earth and actualized. In this condition, who determines one’sis in converse with King Aswapathy and his fate? Can it be decided by something else greater? IsQueen, mother of Savitri. Sage Narad throws his there a control we too can exercise, over these soglance upon her and in a moment knows who she called external forces that determine our being inwas and what destiny lay before her. He action, thought and feeling?pronounces the fate of Satyavan:“Twelve swift-winged months are given to him and her; This day Lets look at another quote from Sri Aurobindo: “Thereturning Satyavan must die.” soul in man is greater than his fate….” Now, it isThis pronouncement of Satyavan’s fate, and also evident that contrary to our ordinary way of lookingSavitri’s, unleashed waves of anguish - the at fate, we can view fate as not the final word but one which can be overruled by the soul within., whichanguish of the mother of Savitri. However, as the knows and has the power to efface fate.Queen Mother’s anguish was on the incline,Savitri’s resolve to stand face to face with the So it was with Savitri then. The fate of Savitri waspronounced fate of Satyavan and hold on to the pronounced to be a life without Satyavan but her soul came forward and refused to acknowledge the stamponly Truth she knew remained strong. Savitri, here of fate withdraw from life. Savitri proclaims:wields her will of steel. It was an immaculate show of the greatness in her; she would confront, bothformidable mountains of obstacles and deep If for a year, that year is all my life. And yet I know this is not all my fatetroughs of darkness, in order to live out the truth Only to live and love awhile and die.of her destiny.It will be pertinent at this juncture to examine a For I know now why my spirit came on earthlittle this episode in relation to what Sri Aurobindo And who I am and who he is I love.wrote, “Thy goal, the road thou choosest are thyfate.” There is an indication I have looked at him from my immortal Self, I have seen God smile at me in Satyavan; I have seen the Eternal in a human face.”www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 2

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. Savitri, a journey of Love and Light He sang to them of the lotus-heart of love With all its thousand luminous buds of truth, Which quivering sleeps veiled by apparent things. (Savitri)(Picture: A lotus pool, painting by Sandhya) My will is part of the eternal willBy perception does one first come to a certain conclusion and then one holds it by speech;only afterwards is it put into action. That perception for me is the one single authority. My will is part of the eternal will, My fate is what my spirit’s strength can make, My fate is what my spirit’s strength can bear; My strength is not the titan’s, it is God’s (Savitri)(A comparison of the Sanskrit text of ‘Savitri’ as in Mahabharatha and Savitri written by Sri Aurobindo.Sanskrit text extracted from ‘The Ancient tale of Savitri according to Mahabharata’, RY Deshpande, SriAurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 3

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. My father, I have chosen. This is done. In silent bounds bordering the mortal's plane Crossing a wide expanse of brilliant peace Narad the heavenly sage from Paradise Came chanting through the large and lustrous air.Narad is Heaven's minstrel and messenger in one, but he can jumble his functions well so that hisdeeper purposes cannot at once be seen. What brings him from the spaces of heaven to \"these roomsof a see-saw game of death and life?\" As he wings and sings his way to Aswapati's abode, the seerrapidly reads as from an open book the secrets of life; the cosmic panorama unrolls before him, hepasses from mind to the realm of material things; and what he sees, what he reads, he tunes toimmortal song. As he gazes at the terrestrial play, his mood changes, his voice quivers with pathosand pity, and he chants the still sad music of humanity. He sings of the beginnings, \"how stars weremade and life began\"; he sings of dumb matter and its veiled self, \"its blind unerring occult mystery\";he sings the saga of darkness yearning towards the Light, of death aspiring to immortality; of manand the blossoming of his mind and the throb of his soul and the ache of his brooding Love; andalso of his future and his destined rise to the godhead: He sang of the glory and marvel still to be born, Of Godhead throwing off at last its veil, Of bodies made divine and life made bliss, Immortal sweetness clasping immortal might,As he steps into Aswapati's palace, Narad's face wears \"a beautiful mask of antique joy\", and theking and queen give him a royal welcome, and for an hour he feasts their ears with his \"measuredchant\" bespeaking the tale of human joys and woes: He sang to them of the lotus-heart of love With all its thousand luminous buds of truth,... And one day it shall hear a blissful voice And in the garden of the Spouse shall bloom When she is seized by her discovered lord.Even as Narad sings of this transfiguring marvel, the miracle of the bud of the human heart's suddenefflorescence under the warmth of Love, there appears Savitri herself before them as if in quickfulfilment of the sage's prophetic song. Narad himself is taken aback, but as he flings on her \"hisvast immortal look\", knowledge streams into him, and there is nothing that he cannot see. Yet heholds back this shaft of foreknowledge but rather gives vent to his seeming sense of wonder andglorious surmise. Who is this marvel, the flame-born, the beauty-arrayed? Can the halo of love bringabout such a wondrous sea-change and cast a miracle-light on a human frame? Narad is so touchedwith ecstasy that he cries out to her: From what green glimmer of glades Retreating into dewy silences Or half-seen verge of waters moon-betrayed Bringst thou this glory of enchanted eyes?... Reveal, O winged with light, whence thou hast flown Hastening bright-hued through the green tangled earth, Thy body rhythmical with the spring-bird's call.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 4

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018.Narad has travelled oft in the realms of this earth and the other earths; but this vision is like no otherhe has seen. Here is spring poised towards summer, here is morning making towards the noon, heregirlhood glows into womanhood, and here is earth's hope straining towards fruition. Narad's suddenimmortal gaze has seized the truth behind the layers of appearance, he knows Savitri's high destinyon earth, he knows too how her path will be strewn with difficulty and danger. Although he hasstriven to rein back knowledge, the words escape him all the same: O thou who hast come to this great perilous world Now only seen through the splendour of thy dreams, Where hardly love and beauty can live safe, Thyself a being dangerously great,... As high, as happy might thy waking be! If for all time doom could be left to sleep!The dreaming—and the waking; and the shadow of doom in between, this is what Narad sees, andthe word is almost spoken. The dream is vivid, being decked in golden hues. Savitri has been to anenchanted grove, she has drunk a joy from no earthly cup, her soul has \"answered to a Wordunknown\". The \"ravishing flutes of heaven\" are still echoing in the secret chambers of her heart.The \"thrill of a remembered clasp\" burns into her still. But can reality rise to the expectation of thesplendour of her dreams? Is the world of reality safe enough for love and beauty to live in peace?Isn't doom always round the comer, as it were! Narad has spoken one word too many; he checks himself too late. Aswapati has \"marked thedubious close\" and inferred behind the words a sinister hint, but he covers up his anxiety with tactand asks the sage rather to bless his child, who is his treasure and his sole hope and only heir: Behold her, singer with the prescient gaze, And let thy blessing chant that this fair child Shall pour the nectar of a sorrowless life Around her from her lucid heart of love, Heal with her bliss the tired breast of earth And cast like a happy snare felicity.What can Narad say, knowing as he does that \"words are vain and Fate is lord\"? Assuming,therefore, a mere human curiosity, he asks about the \"mission\" from which Savitri has returned with\"Paradise made visible in her eyes\". Aswapati turns to Savitri, and she gives the answer in a fewchosen words sufficient to the occasion: I have obeyed my heart, I have heard its call. On the borders of a dreaming wilderness Mid Shalwa's giant hills and brooding woods In his thatched hermitage Dyumatsena dwells, Blind, exiled, outcast, once a mighty king. The son of Dyumatsena, Satyavan, I have met on the wild forest's lonely verge. My father, I have chosen. This is done.(An excerpt from “Sri Aurobindo’s Savitri – A study of the cosmic epic”, Dr. Premanandakumar, SriAurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 5

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. Flowers Speak… Joy of Integral Faithfulness That bond of love which makes all faithfulness so easy. Reveal, O winged with light, whence thou hast flown Hastening bright-hued through the green-tangled earth, Thy body rhythmical with the spring-bird’s call. Savitri Resolution Nothing can stop its development Once my heart chose and chooses not again. The word I have spoken can never be erased, It is written in the record book of God. Savitri Will one with the Divine’s Will The condition that triumphs over all obstacles Let Fate do with me what she will or can; I am stronger than death and greater than my fate; My love shall outlast the world, doom falls from me Helpless against my immortality. Fate’s law may change, but not my spirit’s will. Savitri(Flowers and Messages, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 6

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. Happy Birthday, Sweet Mother.21/02/2018Happy Birthday, Mother.Thank you for the joyous moments, they make my life so worth-while.Thank you for the sad moments because they taught me how to be stronger.Thank you for opening the door to new opportunities as they enable me to grow.Thank you for closing doors on other opportunities, probably because someone else ismore deserving of it, and it is the best for me too.Thank you for the success stories, its all your doing.Thank you for the failures and hardships for they were important lessons in life, nothingcould have been a better teacher.Thank you for the love that I receive from You and everyone around me, I feel so blessed.Thank you for the times when I did not receive love from others because it makes merealise that love should not be taken for granted.Thank you for giving me such great parents, I don't know what I did to deserve them.Thank you for all their naggings that I resent, for I know that they care so much & whatthey're saying is the best for me.Thank you for giving me the basic needs and other things which allow me to lead apeaceful and comfortable life.Thank you for not giving me all that I ever wanted because I understood that materialisticthings are not the ones which give me true happiness.Thank you for giving me the access to education, I will give back to the society.Thank you for not making me smart because I understand how to work hard to becomewho I aspire to be.Mother, thank you for always holding my hand and walking all my paths with me - youmake life so much bearable.Today, I pray for your happiness and peace. Thank you for all that you have sacrificedfor us.I love you, Mother. - Meenakshi(A diary entry by Meenakshi on Sweet Mother’s birthday)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 7

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. March-April Sunday Activities at the Centre - A glimpseMarch 25th – Self-Dynamising Meditation using Savitri and Huta PaintingsWe continued our self-dynamising meditation viewing the Huta Paintings of all the Cantos of Book3 (‘The Book of the Divine Mother’) along with Mother’s organ music and Her Voice. We continuedour attempt to weave using the threads of the last nine months of glimpses into a Spiritual fabric.This Book provided us the perfect framework for aligning with the Future Poetry Jared is navigatingus through. Here we can discover the essence and secret of the whole creation of which poetry isjust a part.This is an unending delight and even though we just managed to scratch the surface, we were thrilledwith the experience of the journey to the transcendental world of The Absolute, The SupremeMother and Her infinite aspects including the Flame, the symbol OM, Satchidananda and TheGodhead of the Whole (Supermind and its comprehending (Unity) and apprehending (multiplicity)aspects).April 8th – The Future PoetryJared navigated us through the key points of Chapter 5: Vision and The Mantra. The poetic vision,like everything else, follows necessarily the evolution of the human mind and according to the ageand environment, it has its ascents and descents, its high levels and its low returns. The eye of earlyman is turned upon the physical world about him. Next there comes a period in which he feels thejoy and curiosity and rich adventure of the expanding life force within him. Afterwards he beginsto intellectualise.The poet can attempt to reveal unsuspected ranges and motives and use the outward physical andvital and thought symbol only as a suggestion of greater things. Yet a higher level can be attained,deeper depths, larger horizons when the soul in things comes nearer to man or when other worldsthan the physical open themselves to him. And the entire liberation of the poetic vision to see mostprofoundly and the poetic power to do its highest work will arrive when the spiritual itself is thepossession of the greatest minds and the age stands on the verge of its revelation. We enjoyed asJared covered sample works of Homer, Shakespeare, Dante and our Master highlighting thedifferent levels of focus.April 15th – A Talk by S K SunilS K Sunil from Pondicherry who is visiting Singapore joined us on the morning walk, April 8thevening and April 15th evening. He shared his experience in creating the Divine Plan diagram withdetailed notes as well his website www.sriaurobindo.love. He walked us through our Master’s wordson our Yoga:“Renunciation of ego, acceptance of God in life is the Yoga I teach, - no other renunciation. As themind is a permanent state of consciousness in humanity, so also we want to create a race in whichthe supermind will be a permanent state of consciousness. Live always as if you were under the veryeye of the Supreme and of the Divine Mother. Do nothing, try to think and feel nothing that wouldbe unworthy of Divine Presence”. - Ramadosswww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 8

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. PROGRAMME FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2018 DATE TIME DETAILS 6th May 2018 8 AM 6 PM Monthly Morning Walk * Sunday 6 PM 6th May 2018 Meditation and Concentration with Mother’s Organ Music 4 PM Thematic Study Circle Part I: Sunday The Future Poetry13th May 2018 6 PM Youth Programme: Sunday The Psychic Being20th May 2018 Thematic Study Circle Part II Sunday The Future Poetry20th May 2018 6 PM Savitri Circle Sunday27th May 2018 Sunday* Please see below for details.Date: May 2018 MORNING WALK – NO. 393Time: Sunday, 6th May 2018Walk Venue:Meeting Point: 8:00 A.M. sharp for warm up exercise. Those who would like to join late for theContact No: walk may proceed directly to the walk venueHosts: East Coast ParkRSVP: Costa Del Sol Condominium (Besides Swimming pool) Mr. C. Krishnamurthy (HP 84532656) Mr. Ashok Patel & Family 68, Bayshore Road, # 19-04, Costa Del Sol, Singapore 469986. HP: 98380234 Email: [email protected]: All are encouraged to attend the Walk. Those, however, who are not able to join the Walk, thehosts would be very happy that they directly come and join in the brunch by 10:15 AM. Prayers andmeditation will commence sharp at 10.30 A.M. All are requested to be punctualwww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 9

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. May 2018. PREVIEW OF FORTHCOMING SUNDAY MORNING WALKSWALK NO DATE PLACE HOST 394 3/6/18 East Coast Park Mr Anand Patel & Family 395 1/7/18 TBA Mr Sanjay Mehta & Family 396 5/8/18 397 2/9/18 Botanical Gardens Mr KV Rao & Family Bedok Reservoir Mr Arjun Madan Along the Way… April Walk Review (walk no 392)The starting point of this month’s walk at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park was located a short distance awayfrom Bright hill columbarium. Visitors were pouring in that Sunday to the complex because of theQingming festival. On this day, members of the Chinese community visit the gravesites of theirancestors to clean them and make ritual offerings. As expected, this resulted in a lot of traffic along SinMing Avenue. Having successfully gathered at the meeting point, we commenced with the warmup andproceeded on with the walk.Redeveloped at a cost of approximately $76 million, the park has become a beautiful green space forthe community with numerous playing spaces, ponds, gardens and cafes. Evidently, it was a popularspot among residents in the area. The most prominent feature of the park is the Kallang river, whichmeanders along the park flanked by green riverbanks. It was converted at a great cost from a concretecanal to a beautiful river as part of the redevelopment.Walking along the western section of the park, we caught up with fellow regulars at the walk as well astwo guests visiting from Pondicherry. There were numerous cyclists and runners all around us, as wellas families enjoying a day out on Easter Sunday. Admittedly, I did not converse much with anyone else,choosing to be with my thoughts and walking mindfully instead. This was indeed a pleasant experienceas I took in the various scenes that presented themselves before me, be it couples running, siblingsplaying or groups of senior citizens partaking in group exercises. I even got to observe various featuresof the park that I would have otherwise missed had I been deep in conversation with someone else. Inoticed large sculptures in the distance, lotus ponds hidden away from the main walking and cyclingpaths and park benches with no legs that looked like deck chairs along a swimming pool. It wasdefinitely a refreshing experience to walk around with a stream of thoughts and observations acting asmy companionHaving walked through both sections of the park and crossing marymount road back to the westernsection, we ended our walk promptly at 9:50am just like Mr Ramanathan wanted us to. We were soonjoined at the meeting point by a couple of our younger members like Anjali, Sophia and Anushna whohad chosen not to walk and opted to move around on a skateboard, inline skates and a scooter,respectively.We were joined by the remaining members at Mr Krishnamurthy’s residence, most notably by Mr ShashiLal Kashyap who had been unable to attend previous walks & brunches. Mr Ramanathan and MrKrishnamurthy chanted Bhu Suktham before the closing meditation, with Mr Krishnamurthy makingsure to patiently explain the profound meaning behind the verses that were chanted. This was followedby a sumptuous brunch that was prepared by Jayalakshmi aunty. The brunch was enjoyed by everyone. Pranav Venkat Printed and Published by The Sri Aurobindo Society of Singapore 2A Starlight Road 01-07, Singapore 217755. Saurab: 86559940 or [email protected]; Sanjay: 98750767 or [email protected]; Email: [email protected] Visit our website at: www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sgwww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 10