Dear all

We all deeply share the anguish at the apparent split that seems to threaten the Sri Aurobindo Community. But may I ask who is responsible for this.

The spiritual family of Sri Aurobindo revolves around Sri Aurobindo and His Works and if within the family there is such a critical attitude towards the very core and center and the head of the family, then what should one do? If Sri Aurobindo is neither Divine nor a living Presence but a dead history, another great man or lesser than that (as declared by some senoir responsible member and endorsed by others) than what good is the family for, - certainly we are not gathered here together for fun but for a great and serious work whose very soul is represented by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. If we are here only to satisfy our intelectual curiosity and nothing more than why are we here at all. This couild be done anywhere. Why have we all come together cutting across boundaries of time and space, why have we all gathered together under one banner and flag if it is only to denounce the flag-bearer and to show how he has been exalted beyond his true meassure! Is this what is expected of us as a community, to be so ungrateful towards Them who have shown us the way and are carrying us through it all. Would we speak all this in front of Her and say "Look you loved adulation", "Look what Sri Aurobindo wrote in the future potery and Savitri is all high words and dreams and things of the past." Can we read all this book in front of Her without the least bit of remorse. Is this the way we respond as a community towards Them, with utter indiffernce and ingratitude. If it was an outsider it wouldn't matter but an insider of such a long standing! And instead of telling him that look your approach is wrong, your attitude needs to change we are simply feeling bad that the author is being insulted and do not feel even a scratch of a sorrow at the Master being belittled. Not one voice that would tell him boldly what went wrong. Instead heaps of justification and excuses and even remorse for a man while our hearts have gone numb for the Divine. I am also saddened and frankly do not wish to be part of a family that is so eager to disown its parentage like some outrageous adolescent, that does not even have the basic respect for its Master and rejoices in pulling Him down under the name of ....(doesn't matter what excuse we give). Seeing all this insensitivity and ingratitude I feel that it is better to ex-communicate oneself from this so-called facade of a spiritual family that has gone berserk and soul-less and prefers to wallow in its egoistic individuality rather than the surender required of one who consciously accepts to walk the path.

The book, leaving aside its merits and demerits is a very bad example to the world. It has given a very different hue and colour to the yoga itself, whatever the immediate reactions of persons may be to it.

Bue then if everyone likes it and are so enamoured of Petr's intelectual prowess and believ that he has done such a wonderful work and nothing should be told to him even if he drags the Master's Name and the Mother's to levels of ordinary humanity, then well... better to stay silent and keep our sorrow to our hearts...who is there in this wilderness called the world who would listen and understand the agony of a God-Lover whose hearts bleeds unseen when His Lord is jeerd and mocked and debased by unthinking crowds. We have not stopped the crucifixion, only changed the modus operandii... we now judge him by the intellect and crucify Him with words and comments. If only we could feel for the Lord one-tenth of the love and a fraction of the sorrow we feel for Peter then perhaps we would know what is wrong with him and with the book.

Still, may He forgive them for they know not...

With love and sorrow

alok