August 2016 Newsletter - Physical Culture

August 2016 SRI AUROBINDO SOCIETY VOL 30.08 Singapore Permit No. MCI (P) 069/01/2016 NEWSLETTER Physical Culture A promise of good health.Botanical Name: Dombeya XcayeuxiiCommon Name: Pink-ballSpiritual Significance: Conquest over the Greed for Food A divine force shall flow through tissue and cell And take the charge of breath and speech and act And all the thoughts shall be a glow of suns And every feeling a celestial thrill. - Savitri, Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. Guiding Light of the Month“The tide of materialistic thoughts is always on the watch, waiting forthe least weakness, and if we relax but one moment from our vigilance, if we are even slightly negligent, it rushes in and invades us from all sides, sub- merging under its heavy flood the result sometimes of numberless efforts.” The Mother, ‘Prayers and Meditations’ January 4, 1914On this special month of Sri Aurobindo’s 144th Birth From the Editor’s DeskAnniversary, we invoke His Grace upon the Earth, on given food the highest status of divinity, “Annamall events acting as turning points in Its long history, Parabrahma Swaroopam”. Also, only that food wasand on all beings living these moments, whether in worth eating, that was offered as a sacrifice to thebewilderment, frustration, in innocent ignorance or in gods. It is quite easy to relate to this idea of thedetachment; to arm all with a keen vision of the sacrifice of food to the human frame, as the foodpurpose of every line and curve and to gift all with the consumed is literally ‘burned’ in the body to releaseunshakeable certainty of His victory over all forces the energy needed for sustenance and carrying outthat resist and oppose, so that he may reign over us all, worthy activities that would uplift oneself and thepossessor of His Kingdom. environment one lives in, in whatever way. However, food and the act of consuming food, when consideredWe continue with our series on “Integral Health” as a pleasure leads to bondage, imbalance andtaking a closure look at physical culture, one of whose suffering as a result of the imbalance. In the end, thecomponent is food. In this issue, we take a look at food being meant to gain from food, actualising hisin our lives. A few questions directed towards purpose of birth on earth, is indeed prevented fromourselves may set the stage for further inquiry into the this. So, how do we, at our own personal levels reallytopic of food. What does one fancy as food? What view food?types of food draws one? Has one observed the effectof certain kinds of food and beverages on one’s body? We are now aware that one needs to take a certainDoes one crave for certain kinds of food? Does one eat conscious attitude towards food. First it would help toout of habit? Does one eat only when hungry or despite know why we eat. Next, how and how much we eatit? How does one eat? Does one eat, in a group or does and lastly what we eat and for what purpose. It wouldone eat in solitude; fast or slow? Which is better? Does help one to be conscious of the impact of food on theone eat consciously or unconsciously? What are the state of our mind, vital and physical beings. We caneffects of these two attitudes on the body? What is the even strive harder and trace out its impact on ourfood that one eats made of? Do we know the details of inner and innermost vistas. Perhaps, we could startevery element that enters into our body during the with a glass of water regularly consumed, or the milkconsumption of food? These questions may seem far we drink before going to bed. If we are into the habittoo many and unnecessary since eating is, simply, of consuming alcohol, even that can be consciouslyeating! Or, is it? followed to understand its impact on one’s state of being, if at all consciousness is still left. TheseIt is said that the food that one eats makes one. The activities may seem too tiresome, but they can beTaittiriya Upanishad mentions that from earth are quite interesting if one really wants to know themade herbs, from herbs, food, and from food, seed and intimate relationship between the food one consumesfrom seed, man. Man is an essence of the food he and one’s state of being. Even better, if carried outconsumes. The physical sheath of the human body has with the rectitude of a true investigator out after somebeen referred to as the annamayakosha for this reason, truth he is seeking, then, the subject of food canin our ancient texts. Our civilization, since yore has become even more meaningful and intimate, since it probably makes oneself or one’s being.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 2

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. Savitri The Spirit’s tops and Nature’s base shall draw Near to the secret of their separate truth And know each other as one deity. The Spirit shall look out through Matter’s gaze And Matter shall reveal the Spirit’s face. Then man and superman shall be at one And all the earth become a single life. (Book Two, Canto Three) Questions and AnswersQ: Is taking very little food helpful in controlling the senses?The Mother: No, it simply exasperates them—to take a moderate amount is best. People who fasteasily get exalted and may lose their balance.Q: If one takes only vegetarian food, does it help in controlling the senses?The Mother: It avoids some of the difficulties which the meat eaters have, but it is not sufficientby itself.”Q: Sweet Mother, if the agony of a chicken can attack us, so too can that of a beetroot or acarrot, can’t it?The Mother: For all that, I believe the chicken is more conscious than the beetroot. (Laughter)But I ought to tell you my own experience. Only I was thinking this was not something common.In Tokyo I had a garden and in this garden I was growing vegetables myself. I had a fairly biggarden and many vegetables. And so, every morning I used to go for a walk, after having wateredthem and all the rest; I used to walk around to choose which vegetables I could take for eating.Well, just imagine! There were some which said to me, “No, no, no, no, no.”... And then therewere others which called, and I saw them from a distance, and they were saying, “Take me, takeme, take me!” So it was very simple, I looked for those which wanted to be taken and never did Itouch those which did not. I used to think it was something exceptional. I loved my plants verymuch, I used to look after them, I had put a lot of consciousness into them while watering them,cleaning them, so I thought they had a special capacity, perhaps. But in France it was the samething. I had a garden also in the south of France where I used to grow peas, radishes, carrots. Well,there were some which were happy, which asked to be taken and eaten, and there were those whichsaid, “No, no, no, don’t touch me, don’t touch me!” (Laughter)(CWM, Volume 6, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry) A Simple life: Stories by The Mother on Food and DrinkOne thing is certain, that a simple life has never harmed anyone, while the same cannot be said forluxury and over-abundance. Most often, the things which are of no use to men are also those whichcause them harm.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 3

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.In the reign of the famous Akbar, there lived at Agra a Jain saint named Banarasi Das. The Emperorsummoned the saint to his palace and told him:“Ask of me what you will, and because of your holy life, your wish shall be satisfied.”“Parabrahman has given me more than I could wish for,” replied the saint.“But ask all the same,” Akbar insisted.“Then, Sire, I would ask that you do not call me again to your palace, for I want to devote my timeto the divine work.”“Let it be so,” said Akbar. “But I in my turn have a favour to ask you.”“Speak, Sire.”“Give me some good counsel that I may bear in mind and act upon.”Banarasi Das thought for a moment and said:“See that your food is pure and clean, and take good care, especially at night, over your meat anddrink.”“I will not forget your advice,” said the Emperor.In truth the advice was good, for healthy food and drink make a healthy body, fit to be the templeof a pure mind and life.But it so happened that the very day on which the saint visited the Emperor was a fast-day. Andtherefore Akbar would only have his meal several hours after midnight. The palace cooks hadprepared the dishes in the evening and had placed them in plates of gold and silver, until the timeof fasting should be over.It was still dark when Akbar had them brought before him. Despite his haste to take somenourishment, he suddenly remembered the words of Banarasi Das: “Take care over your meat anddrink.” So he examined the plate before him carefully and found that the food was covered withbrown ants. In spite of all precautions, these ants had crept in and spoiled the Emperor’s meal.Akbar had to send away the dishes, and this incident strongly impressed on his mind the usefuladvice he had received.For you will understand that Banarasi Das had not intended to warn Akbar merely against brownants, but against anything in his diet that might not be good for the health of his body or mind.Many diseases come from an unhealthy diet.One who knowingly sells unwholesome products is in fact making an attack on the lives of hisfellow-citizens. And unwholesome products are not only those that are adulterated or spoilt but allthose that may be in any way harmful to eat.The story does not tell us that Akbar found brown ants in his cup as well, and yet Banarasi Dasadvised him to be careful about his drink. For there are indeed cups which look bright to the eyeand which seem to contain a pleasant and cheering drink but which are nevertheless full of dangerfor men. Foremost among them are those which contain alcohol.The Prophet Mohammed taught that there was sin in wine and gambling; and therefore all whorespect the words of the Koran abstain from wine and gambling to their profit.But on the other hand there are many good people all over the world who find it right to takespirits. We respect their opinions. But these same people cannot assert that it is wrong not to takealcohol.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 4

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.If, then, there are people who think that it is wrong to take fermented drinks, and others, on thecontrary, who think that it is good, yet there is no one to maintain that it is wrong not to take any.It is also debatable whether or not it is useful to drink, but no one would dream of claiming that itis harmful not to do so. And everyone would agree that in any case it is cheaper.In every country there are societies for temperance or even total abstinence, whose membersundertake not to touch spirits. And in certain towns it is even forbidden to sell them.But in other places, the use of alcohol, formerly unknown, is spreading. In India, for example,where abstinence had reigned for so many centuries, alcohol has been introduced, more terriblethan any demon in the ancient legends. For the terrible Rakshasas of which they speak could beharmful only to the body, whereas alcohol has even the power to kill thought and destroy character.So first of all it hurts the body. It hurts the children of parents who drink to excess. It hurts theintelligence of man and enslaves those who should be the servitors of humanity.For every one of us should be a servant of humanity; and if by our food or our drink we weakenour minds or bodies, we are then only bad servants unable to perform their task. What happens tothe soldier when his weapon is broken, to the sailor when his ship has lost its masts, to thehorseman when his horse is lamed? And what can a man do if he loses possession of his mostprecious faculties?He no longer even has the worth of a good animal, for the animal at least avoids eating and drinkingthings that may harm it.The Roman poet Virgil liked to live in the countryside. He admired the powerful bullock that drawsthe plough and cuts the furrow where the next harvest will spring up. Strong is his body, powerfulhis muscles and hard is his labour year in and year out.And Virgil adds: “Wine and too much feasting are unknown to him. He feeds on grass, quencheshis thirst from running rivers and crystal streams; and no care disturbs his peaceful slumber.”Be temperate to be strong.You would be offended if someone were to tell you, “Be weak.”Moderation increases the strength of the strong and preserves the strength of the weak.Remember the advice of Banarasi Das: Take good care over the dish. Take good care over the glass.(CWM, Volume 2, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)(Image sourced from internet) Food of TomorrowThere will also be some attempt to find the food of tomorrow.The whole process of assimilation which makes you so heavy—it takes so much of a person’s timeand energy—that should be done beforehand, you should be given something which isimmediately assimilable, like the things they are making now; for example they have vitamin pillswww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 5

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.and proteins which can be assimilated directly, nutritious elements which are found in one thingor another and which don’t have much volume—a huge quantity is needed to assimilate very little.Now that they are skillful enough in chemistry, it could be simplified.People do not like this simply because they take an intense pleasure in eating; but when you nolonger take pleasure in eating, you still need nourishment without wasting your time on it. Anenormous amount of time is wasted—time in eating, in digesting, and all the rest.(CWM, Volume 13, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry) Conquest over the greed for food It is an inner attitude of freedom from attachment and from greed for food and desireof the palate that is needed, not undue diminution of the quantity taken or any self-starvation.One must take sufficient food for the maintenance of the body and its strength and health, butwithout attachment or desire. ***It would be a hundred times more effective to never waste food than to cut down one meal as ashow and to eat more before and after.A strong, ardent, sincere campaign against the waste of food is essential and full-heartedly Iapprove of it.Let the inmates of the Ashram show their goodwill and collaboration in never eating more thanthey can digest and never ask for more than they can eat. ***If you prefer the pleasures of the palate to the union with the Divine, it is your own look-out and Ihave nothing to say, except that I do not approve, but each one must be free to choose whether hewill rise above his lower nature or sink down in the material pit. My help is always for those whochoose the higher path. ***Greed for anything concerning physical consciousness, so-called necessities and comfort ofwhatever nature―this is one of the most serious obstacles to sadhana.Each little satisfaction you get through greed is one step backward from the goal. - The Mother(CWM, Volume 14, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry) The Mother on SavitriIt does not matter if you do not understand it - Savitri, read it always. You will see that every timeyou read it, something new will be revealed to you. Each time you will get a new glimpse, eachtime a new experience; things which were not there, things you did not understand arise andwww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 6

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.suddenly become clear. Always an unexpected vision comes up through the words and lines. Everytime you try to read and understand, you will see that something is added, something which washidden behind is revealed clearly and vividly. I tell you the very verses you have read once before,will appear to you in a different light each time you re-read them. This is what happens invariably.Always your experience is enriched, it is a revelation at each step.But you must not read it as you read other books or newspapers. You must read with an emptyhead, a blank and vacant mind, without there being any other thought; you must concentrate much,remain empty, calm and open; then the words, rhythms, vibrations will penetrate directly to thiswhite page, will put their stamp upon the brain, will explain themselves without your making anyeffort.Savitri alone is sufficient to make you climb to the highest peaks. If truly one knows how tomeditate on Savitri, one will receive all the help one needs. For him who wishes to follow thispath, it is a concrete help as though the Lord himself were taking you by the hand and leading youto the destined goal. And then, every question, however personal it may be, has its answer here,every difficulty finds its solution herein; indeed there is everything that is necessary for doing theYoga. He has crammed the whole universe in a single book. It is a marvellous work, magnificentand of an incomparable perfection.You know, before writing Savitri Sri Aurobindo said to me, I am impelled to launch on a newadventure; I was hesitant in the beginning, but now I am decided. Still I do not know how far Ishall succeed. I pray for help. And you know what it was? It was - before beginning, I warn youin advance - it was His way of speaking, so full of divine humility and modesty. He never...asserted Himself. And the day He actually began it, He told me: I have launched myself in arudderless boat upon the vastness of the Infinite. And once having started He wrote page after pagewithout intermission, as though it were a thing already complete up there and He had only totranscribe it in ink down here on these pages.In truth, the entire form of Savitri has descended \" en masse\" from the highest region and SriAurobindo with His genius only arranged the lines — in a superb and magnificent style. Sometimesentire lines were revealed and He has left them intact; He worked hard, untiringly, so that theinspiration could come from the highest possible summit. And what a work He has created! Yes,it is a true creation in itself. It is an unequalled work. Everything is there, and it is put in such asimple, such a clear form; verses perfectly harmonious, limpid and eternally true. My child, I haveread so many things, but I have never come across anything which could be comparedwith Savitri. I have studied the best works in Greek, Latin, English and of course in Frenchliterature, also in German and all the great creations of the West and the East, including the greatepics; but I repeat it, I have not found anywhere anything comparable with Savitri. All theseliterary works seem to me empty, flat, hollow, without any deep reality — apart from a few rareexceptions and these too represent only a small fraction of what Savitri is. What grandeur, whatamplitude, what reality: it is something immortal and eternal He has created. I tell you once againthere is nothing like it in the whole world. Even if one puts aside the vision of the reality, that is,the essential substance which is the heart of the inspiration, and considers only the lines inthemselves one will find them unique, of the highest classical kind. What He has created issomething man cannot imagine. For, everything is there, everything.It may then be said that Savitri is a revelation, it is a meditation, it is a quest of the Infinite, theEternal. If it is read with this aspiration for Immortality, the reading itself will serve as a guide toImmortality. To read Savitri is indeed to practise Yoga, spiritual concentration; one can find thereall that is needed to realise the Divine. Each step of Yoga is noted here, including the secret of allother Yogas. Surely, if one sincerely follows what is revealed here in each line one will reachfinally the transformation of the Supramental Yoga. It is truly the infallible guide who neverwww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 7

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.abandons you; its support is always there for him who wants to follow the path. Each verseof Savitri is like a revealed Mantra which surpasses all that man possessed by way of knowledge,and I repeat this, the words are expressed and arranged in such a way that the sonority of therhythm leads you to the origin of sound, which is OM.My child, yes, everything is there: mysticism, occultism, philosophy, the history of evolution, thehistory of man, of the gods, of creation, of Nature. How the universe was created, why, for whatpurpose, what destiny - all is there. You can find all the answers to all your questions there.Everything is explained, even the future of man and of the evolution, all that nobody yet knows.He has described it all in beautiful and clear words so that spiritual adventurers who wish to solvethe mysteries of the world may understand it more easily.But this mystery is well hidden behind the words and lines and one must rise to the required levelof true consciousness to discover it. All prophecies, all that is going to come is presented with aprecise and wonderful clarity. Sri Aurobindo gives you here the key to find the Truth, to discoverthe Consciousness, to solve the problem of what the universe is. He has also indicated how to openthe door of the Inconscience so that the light may penetrate there and transform it. He has shownthe path, the way to liberate oneself from the ignorance and climb up to the superconscience; eachstage, each plane of consciousness, how they can be scaled, how one can cross even the barrier todeath and attain immortality. You will find the whole journey in detail, and as you go forward youcan discover things altogether unknown to man. That is Savitri, and much more yet. It is a realexperience - reading Savitri. All the secrets that man possessed, He has revealed, - as well as allthat awaits him in the future; all this is found in the depth of Savitri. But one must have theknowledge to discover it all, the experience of the planes of consciousness, the experience of theSupermind, even the experience of the conquest of Death. He has noted all the stages, marked eachstep in order to advance integrally in the integral Yoga.All this is His own experience, and what is most surprising is that it is my own experience also. Itis my sadhana which He has worked out. Each object, each event, each realisation, all thedescriptions, even the colours are exactly what I saw and the words, phrases are also exactly whatI heard. And all this before having read the book. I read Savitri many times afterwards, but earlier,when He was writing He used to read it to me. Every morning I used to hear Himread Savitri. During the night He would write and in the morning read it to me. And I observedsomething curious, that day after day the experiences He read out to me in the morning were thoseI had had the previous night, word by word. Yes, all the descriptions, the colours, the pictures Ihad seen, the words I had heard, all, all, I heard it all, put by Him into poetry, into miraculouspoetry. Yes, they were exactly my experiences of the previous night which He read out to me thefollowing morning. And it was not just one day by chance, but for days and days together. Andevery time I used to compare what He said with my previous experiences and they were alwaysthe same. I repeat, it was not that I had told Him my experiences and that He had noted them downafterwards, no, He knew already what I had seen. It is my experiences He has presented at lengthand they were His experiences also. It is, moreover, the picture of Our joint adventure into theunknown or rather into the Supermind.These are experiences lived by Him, realities, supracosmic truths. He experienced all these as oneexperiences joy or sorrow, physically. He walked in the darkness of inconscience, even in theneighbourhood of death, endured the sufferings of perdition, and emerged from the mud, theworld-misery to breathe the sovereign plenitude and enter the supreme Ananda. He crossed allthese realms, went through the consequences, suffered and endured physically what one cannotimagine. Nobody till today has suffered like Him. He accepted suffering to transform sufferinginto the joy of union with the Supreme. It is something unique and incomparable in the history ofthe world. It is something that has never happened before. He is the first to have traced the path inthe Unknown, so that we may be able to walk with certitude towards the Supermind. He has madewww.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 8

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.the work easy for us.Savitri is His whole Yoga of transformation, and this Yoga appears now forthe first time in the earth- consciousness. And I think that man is not yet ready to receive it. It istoo high and too vast for him. He cannot understand it, grasp it, for it is not by the mind that onecan understand Savitri. One needs spiritual experiences in order to understand and assimilate it.The farther one advances on the path of Yoga, the more does one assimilate and the better. No, itis something which will be appreciated only in the future, it is the poetry of tomorrow of whichHe has spoken in The Future Poetry. It is too suble, too refined, - it is not in the mind or throughthe mind, it is in meditation that Savitri is revealed.And men have the audacity to compare it with the work of Virgil or Homer and to find it inferior.They do not understand, they cannot understand. What do they know? Nothing at all. And it isuseless to try to make them understand. Men will know what it is, but in a distant future. It is onlythe new race with the new consciousness which will be able to understand. I assure you there isnothing under the blue sky to compare with Savitri. It is the mystery of mysteries. It is a super-epic, it is super-literature, super-poetry, supervision, it is a super-work even if one considers thenumber of lines He has written. No, these human words are not adequate to describe Savitri. Yes,one needs superlatives, hyperboles to describe it. It is a hyper-epic. No, words express nothing ofwhat Savitri is, at least I do not find them. It is of immense value — spiritual value and all othervalues; it is eternal in its subject; and infinite in its appeal, miraculous in its mode and power ofexecution, it is a unique thing, the more you come in contact with it, the higher will you be uplifted.Ah, truly it is something! It is the most beautiful thing He has left for man, the highest possible.What is it? When will man know it? When is he going to lead a life of truth? When is he going toaccept this in his life; this yet remains to be seen.My child, every day you are going to read Savitri; read properly, with the right attitude,concentrating a little before opening the pages and trying to keep the mind as empty as possible,absolutely without a thought. The direct road is through the heart. I tell you, if you try to reallyconcentrate with this aspiration you can light the flame, the psychic flame, the flame of purificationin a very short time, perhaps in a few days. What you cannot do normally, you can do with thehelp of Savitri. Try and you will see how very different it is, how new, if you read with this attitude,with this something at the back of your consciousness; as though it were an offering to SriAurobindo. You know it is charged, fully charged with consciousness; as if Savitri were a being,a real guide. I tell you.Whoever, wanting to practise Yoga, tries sincerely and feels the necessity for it, will be able toclimb with the help of Savitri to the highest rung of the ladder of Yoga, will be able to find thesecret that Savitri represents. And this without the help of a Guru. And he will be able to practiseit anywhere. For him Savitri alone will be the guide, for all that he needs he will find in Savitri. Ifhe remains very quiet when before a difficulty, or when he does not know where to turn to goforward and how to overcome obstacles, for all these hesitations and incertitudes which overwhelmus at every moment, he will have the necessary indications, and the necessary concrete help. If heremains very calm, open, if he aspires sincerely, always he will be as if led by the hand. If he hasfaith, the will to give himself and essential sincerity he will reach the final goal.Indeed, Savitri is something concrete, living, it is all replete, packed with consciousness, it is thesupreme knowledge above all human philosophies and religions. It is the spiritual Path, it is Yoga,Tapasya, Sadhana, everything, in its single body. Savitrihas an extraordinary power, it gives outvibrations for him who can receive them, the true vibrations of each stage of consciousness. It isincomparable, it is truth in its plenitude, the Truth Sri Aurobindo brought down on the earth. Mychild, one must try to find the secret that Savitri represents, the prophetic message Sri Aurobindoreveals there for us. This is the work before you, it is hard but it is worth the trouble.(An excerpt from ‘Sweet Mother, Luminous notes’, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Puducherry)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 9

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. The Banyan Talks… Health and Wellbeing at Auroville Sante ClinicMost allopathic doctors tend to define health as an absence of disease, and that is also the dictionarydefinition. But Auroville’s is a positive definition which includes the whole being. It’s a balanceand harmony between the different planes and levels of the being. In Santé there is far more space:now there is the potential to have five practitioners from different healing modalities working atthe same time.To integrate the different modalities they need to meet regularly, so there is a common tea-roomand a meeting room where they can meet and discuss common and chronic cases, and watcheducational videos together.On a practical level, this collaborative approach means that every practitioner working there hasaccess to the same patient records. And they will have regular patient care conferences where thepractitioners discuss complex cases, and hear about exceptional results or discoveries.The next step will be to create individually-tailored plans for patients. One of the important thingsis that the patient must become part of the healing process. It’s no longer the doctor who is Godand the patient merely the passive recipient. Fortunately, in Auroville we already have anenvironment where the people who are seeking health are ready to take responsibility forthemselves, cooperate, learn and change.In Santé, the patients will be able to choose which primary discipline they want because they willhave all the major primary disciplines – allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, acupuncture, bodywork– under one roof.(Source: AVI UK Newsletter)www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 10

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. June - July Sunday Activities at the Centre- A glimpseJune 19th - Study of Secret of Veda:We continued discussing ‘The Doctrine of the Mystics’ in The Secret of the Vedas. We focused onthe world system as described in the Vedas - with its different layers of consciousness stretchingfrom the world of matter to the realm of Sat-Chit-Ananda.June26th – Meditations on Savitri:We watched The Meditations on Savitri video, focusing on Book I Canto IV, 'The SecretKnowledge', pictures 1 to 11. This chapter concerns the hidden truth of humanity and evolvingnature.July 3rd – Readings from All India Magazine:We discussed All-India Magazine Issue June 2016 on faith and its nature. In particular wediscussed Sri Aurobindo’s commentary on the line from the Gita that states how the 'soul in man,is, as it were, made of shraddha, a faith, a will to be, a belief in itself and existence, and whateveris that will, faith or constituting belief in him, he is that and that is he.’July 10th – Readings from Questions and Answers:We discussed the Mother’s Q&A, Vol. 8, p. 188 on the relation between the ‘mystic light’ in theheart and Intuition, in the conception of Sri Aurobindo. - Jared PROGRAMME FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2016DATE TIME DETAILS7th August 2016 8:00 AM Monthly Morning Walk * Sunday Reading from AIM Magazine7th August 2016 6:00 PM Sunday Q&A from Mother Complete works Volume 8 Followed by Om Choir14th August 2016 6:00 PM Sunday Sri Aurobindo’s 144th Birth Anniversary A special Programme15th August 2016 6:00 PM Sunday Study Circle – Part 3 “The Secret of the Veda” (pg. 393-556)21st August 2016 6:00 PM Sunday 6:00 PM Savitri – An unending Journey28th August 2016 Sunday* Please see below for details.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 11

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. AUGUST 2016 MORNING WALK – NO. 372Date: Sunday, 7th August 2016Time: 8:00 A.M. sharp for warm up exercise Please note that after warm up exercise we shall proceed with the walk by 8.20 AM.Walk venue: Macritchie ReservoirMeeting Point: Macritchie Reservoir Car Park EntranceDirection to MRT:Meeting Point: Nearest MRT Station: Cladecott MRT (CC17) Bus: Nearest Bus Stop 51071 (Bus nos:52,74,93, 157,130,132, 156,157,162,165,166,167,852,855 & 980)Contact No: Mr S. Ramanathan (91385130)Hosts: Mr & Mrs. K.V. Rao,Directions to 45 Mandalay Road #17-01, Mandale Heights,the hosts’ Singapore 308225. Tel: 6243 4563 (HP: 9784 6435, 9681 5466)residence: RSVP: [email protected] Driving: If coming via Baliester Road (from Moulmein Road end), left turn opposite to Shaw Plaza into Mandalay Rd. Bus: 21,130,131,145 & 186 to alight near HMI Balestier Hospital on Balestier Road.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 to the residence and join in the brunch by10:15 AM. Prayers and meditation will commence sharp at 10.30 A.M. All are requested to bepunctual.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 12

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. PREVIEW OF FORTHCOMING SUNDAY MORNING WALKSWALK DATE PLACE HOST NO 373 04/09/2016 TBA Mr. Arjun Madan 02/10/2016 Gardens by the Bay Mr Sashi Lal Kashyap & Family 374 06/11/2016 Mr Anand K Venkat & Family 04/12/2016 TBA 375 TBA Mr Ritesh Thacker & Family 376 Along the Way…On Sunday 3rd July, we went for a walk at Pasir Ris Park. There were only 3 people walking. Fourof us went roller skating.We roller skated uphill and downhill and oohed in delight.We loved going downhill on our skates because we zoom down.We then went to the mangroves where there were so many crabs. We learnt fascinating facts aboutmangroves like how horse shoe crabs are related to scorpions and spiders.The brunch that followed was very tasty and delightful. We especially loved that everything therewas home-made, even fizzy juice.We are looking forward to the next walk. - Anjali and Sophia Curic ***For a person living in Western Singapore, to reach Pasir Ris Park located in East Singaporepromptly at 8 am was indeed a challenge especially in present times when MRT has curtailed itsoperating hours to start at 7 am instead of the usual 6 am. After facing such a challenge on a sultrySunday and reaching the Meeting Point just in time, it was indeed refreshing to see our host Sanjayand his son Akash waiting for us.The small group split into 2 – one group of 4 going for roller skating while the rest 3 started thewalk. Contrary to my apprehension about searing heat, what I witnessed was ample cover frommature trees and cool breeze blowing in from the shoreline.It was a very enjoyable walk for me discussing with our young Akash (Secondary 1 Student inSingapore) about the Singapore School Admission systems and the education system in somespecial schools.Charming and tranquil, Pasir Ris Park (meaning “narrow beach”) is indeed a great walk venuewith its idyllic seaside setting (which surprisingly is a long beach though “narrow”).With multiple trails and an excellent Mangrove Boardwalk, visitors can explore the beauty of themangrove forest and get close to its inhabitants.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 13

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016. One cannot help but admire how nature in the form of Mangrove forests acts as a buffer between land and sea thus helping to halt erosion of the coast by breaking the strong forces of waves; it is also a haven for crabs which have excavated innumerous burrows for inhabitation in the mangrove. It is a treat to watch crabs running for cover to reach the burrows once they get disturbed by human movements. “Love of Nature is usually the sign of a pure and healthy being uncorrupted by modern civilisation. It is in the silence of a peaceful mind that one can best commune with Nature.” The Mother 13 Nov 1969, Pg 401, Vol 16, CWM The three-storey Bird Watching Tower located within the mangrove forest allows bird enthusiasts to observe birds in their natural surroundings and to enjoy the vast expanse of the sea before us. Additionally it is a joy to see families with young kids having uninterrupted fun at the playground, one of the largest in Singapore and enjoying the thrill of navigating one’s way through the maze in the Maze Garden there. - S.Ramanathan ANNOUNCEMENTS \"Good health is the exterior expression of an inner harmony\" - The MotherThe above saying by The Mother plants in us the seeds of aspiration for good health. Wishing to nurturethese seeds into strong trees, the editorial team has decided to explore the subject of 'Health and Healing'in the light of The Mother and Sri Aurobindo and base it as the theme for forthcoming issues of theNewsletter. We welcome readers to this exploration and invite them to share their views and experienceson the same. The article can be written as a word document and e-mailed to [email protected],[email protected] and [email protected] best by 12th of the previous month. Centre CleaningIn conjunction with Sri Aurobindo’s birth anniversary celebrations on August 15th, we will be cleaning ourcenter on 13th August 2016 (Saturday), 10:00 AM All are welcome to come along to take part in this special work.www.sriaurobindosociety.org.sg 14

Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore. August 2016.Sri Aurobindo’s 144th Birth Anniversary Celebrations 15th AUGUST 2016 Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore 2A Starlight Road, #01-07 Singapore Morning Silent Meditation 9.00 am Evening Programme 7.00 pm (Centre premises) Meditation Readings from ‘Prayers and Meditations’Darshan Message from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Puducherry Welcome address by Chairman An Invocation by Members The story of Sri Aurobindo Society in Singapore Closing Meditation Mahaprasad 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 15