Guest guest Posted April 10, 2003 Report Share Posted April 10, 2003 I always get a laugh when someone says ALWAYS, and NEVER and SHOULD. Sometime ago I felt concerned about this war business and had feelings inside I wanted to share and get some input about. I put a note here about those feelings, and I received some input back that was very soothing and helped me get thru that rough time when the war seemed very large in my thoughts. So I would like to see all kinds of issues brought up in this forum because all kinds of things affect our peace and joy. Just because someone wants to label it politics doesn't make it so. My understanding is that people get concerned about all kinds of things that are happening, and how else are we to learn than to put forth our ideas for others to hear, read, relfect on and provide us feedback to. It is obvious when politiking is happening and also obvious when some poor, confused devotee like me needs a kind word and some shared wisdom. Let's keep sharing our wisdom! ===== Om Namashivaya - In Amma's service, Supriti Omenka Nnadi Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://tax. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2003 Report Share Posted April 10, 2003 Ammachi, Omenka Supriti Nnadi <oomenka> wrote: > I always get a laugh when someone says ALWAYS, and > NEVER and SHOULD. Sometime ago I felt concerned about > this war business and had feelings inside I wanted to > share and get some input about. I put a note here > about those feelings, and I received some input back > that was very soothing and helped me get thru that > rough time when the war seemed very large in my > thoughts. > > So I would like to see all kinds of issues brought up > in this forum because all kinds of things affect our > peace and joy. Just because someone wants to label it > politics doesn't make it so. My understanding is that > people get concerned about all kinds of things that > are happening, and how else are we to learn than to > put forth our ideas for others to hear, read, relfect > on and provide us feedback to. > > It is obvious when politiking is happening and also > obvious when some poor, confused devotee like me needs > a kind word and some shared wisdom. Let's keep > sharing our wisdom! > > > > ===== > Om Namashivaya - In Amma's service, > > Supriti Omenka Nnadi > Dear Supriti Omenka Nnadi and others, I would also like to add that some of the great spiritual leaders that India has given us were also deeply involved in politics in their lives...two examples I can think of are Gandhi and Sri Aurobindo. Regards, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 10, 2003 Report Share Posted April 10, 2003 On Thu, 10 Apr 2003, lbrachlin wrote: > > I would also like to add that some of the great spiritual leaders > that India has given us were also deeply involved in politics in > their lives...two examples I can think of are Gandhi and Sri > Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo's involvement in politics and spirituality was exclusive. He detached himself from politics to immerse himself in spiritual practice. See http://www.miraura.org/bio/sketch-a.html " In February, 1910 .....Sri Aurobindo had left Bengal with some intention of returning to the political field under more favourable circumstances; but very soon the magnitude of the spiritual work he had taken up appeared to him and he saw that it would need the exclusive concentration of all his energies. Eventually he cut off connection with politics, refused repeatedly to accept the Presidentship of the National Congress and went into a complete retirement. During all his stay at Pondicherry from 1910 onward he remained more and more exclusively devoted to his spiritual work and his sadhana. " Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 11, 2003 Report Share Posted April 11, 2003 Ammachi, Girish <girishv@e...> wrote: > On Thu, 10 Apr 2003, lbrachlin wrote: > > > > > I would also like to add that some of the great spiritual leaders > > that India has given us were also deeply involved in politics in > > their lives...two examples I can think of are Gandhi and Sri > > Aurobindo. > > Sri Aurobindo's involvement in politics and spirituality was exclusive. > He detached himself from politics to immerse himself in spiritual practice. > See http://www.miraura.org/bio/sketch-a.html > > " In February, 1910 .....Sri Aurobindo had left Bengal with some intention of returning to the political field under more favourable circumstances; but very soon the magnitude of the spiritual work he had taken up appeared to him and he saw that it would need the exclusive concentration of all his energies. Eventually he cut off connection with politics, refused repeatedly to accept the Presidentship of the National Congress and went into a complete retirement. During all his stay at Pondicherry from 1910 onward he remained more and more exclusively devoted to his spiritual work and his sadhana. " Dear Girish, Yes, this is absolutely true re: Sri Aurobindo retiring from politics to devote his energies completely to spiritual work and sadhana. And he also eventually completely withdrew from any public life just to come out 3 or 4 times a year with the Mother for the public darshan days. He had been a freedom fighter previously, regarding Mother India as the Mother, herself, and fighting for her freedom. He spent a year in the Alipore Jail before receiving an adesh from the Divine to flee to Pondicherry. However, did you know that he was never completely divorced from politics...even after his retirement? He highly endorsed the Cripps plan (and communicated with senior officials re:this) that laid down the urgency for Indians to fight alongside with the Brits in World War II because he viewed Hitler as a much greater threat to the world than the British (he said that the hearts of the British could be melted by Gandhi's passive resistance but said this could never be the case with Hitler, whom he declared was under the influence of an asura). And it was a deal that would later guarantee the freedom of India. Many Indians resented this idea that Indians and British would fight together, side by side. Of course it never happened...the plan was rejected. He actually stated that World War II put an interruption on his inner work with the Mother, and he and the Mother had to devote their energies to the War, fighting the war and winning the war (in an occult way). He saw Churchill as a positive and good instrument for this and claims that he and the Mother worked with him and through him, and I believe he did say that Churchill was often aware of a higher power working through him at times in this context. Anyway, my point is that although Sri Aurobindo did retire from politics in the most part, he was never completely uninvolved. But it became much more of an occult work. I do think personally that politics and spirituality don't need to remain separate and they should be united as a powerful, uplifting and potent force. It's just that politics has become so corrupt in this age (and generally in previous ages). It's hard to do good work in this field and remain pure like a lotus in the mud. But when you think that in ancient times there were kings such as Janaka who were enlightened sages and also ruled the country, one can see the possibility. And even in our own time we have Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela...one might argue that they weren't/aren't saints, but they have still been powerful forces of good and sacrifice in our lifetime. Regards, Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 12, 2003 Report Share Posted April 12, 2003 Namah Shivaya. > He actually stated that World War II put an interruption on his inner > work with the Mother, and he and the Mother had to devote their > energies to the War, fighting the war and winning the war (in an > occult way). He saw Churchill as a positive and good instrument for > this and claims that he and the Mother worked with him and through > him, and I believe he did say that Churchill was often aware of a > higher power working through him at times in this context. Thanks so much for sharing this information. I find it inspiring and helpful as we face the current state of the world. Who knows what our 10 minutes of Om Lokhaha every night might be doing? Certainly can't be hurting the situation. > I do think personally that politics and spirituality don't need to > remain separate and they should be united as a powerful, uplifting > and potent force. It's just that politics has become so corrupt in > this age (and generally in previous ages). It's hard to do good work > in this field and remain pure like a lotus in the mud. But when you > think that in ancient times there were kings such as Janaka who were > enlightened sages and also ruled the country, one can see the > possibility. And even in our own time we have Martin Luther King and > Nelson Mandela...one might argue that they weren't/aren't saints, but > they have still been powerful forces of good and sacrifice in our > lifetime. Interesting that you should mention Mandela. He came to mind when I read this thread because we just saw a movie called Amandala, which was about the music from the South African Liberation movement. And what impressed me was how Mandela's influence (and Gandhi's) seems to have helped prevent a bloodbath as the power turned. In Amma's grace, premarupa Aum Amriteshvaryai Namah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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