Always Stay Open to a New Progress
A special issue with 21 offerings celebrating the Mother’s birthday and exploring the attribute ‘Progress’ from individual and collective perspectives.
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Be Open Like a Flower and Receive the Light
What does it mean to be receptive? How to increase one’s receptivity to the Divine Force? Is Sri Aurobindo’s Force and the Mother’s Force which is essentially One Divine Force working only in the Ashram or for those who are turned to Them? How can we become receptive to the Divine’s healing force? And to creative inspiration? These and many other aspects are explored through various features, including our section on Divine Humour. An insightful conversation with an artist, excerpts from Barin Ghose’s book, a sweet story about a little girl’s love for Ganesha, and an essay from Sri Aurobindo Circle archives complete the issue.
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Aspire Intensely but Without Impatience
Aspiration is like an arrow, or like a flame rising upward. But it has to be tended, constantly rekindled. Its direction also needs to be reset when it tends to go here and there. It has to be purified so that no desire or demand gets mixed up with it. Its goal has to be kept in front, always. And what happens when it goes into hiding somewhere? How to light the fire again? And what about the Grace? Will Divine Grace help me rekindle my aspiration? These and many other questions have been explored in the variety of selections featured in this issue.
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Needed: A Great Patience and Steadfastness
Without patience there is little hope of changing our nature. “But there is something else in the human being which is sincere and can be a force for the change.” (Sri Aurobindo)
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A Deep, Intense, Constant and Total Gratitude
In addition to exploring Gratitude in a variety of hues, the issue also features pieces on the inner significance of Navaratri, the festival of Devi, and the cultural significance of Ramayana. Other highlights include a reflection on patriotism and leadership in the light of recent events in Afghanistan, and ‘The Real Gandhi’, an insightful essay approved by Sri Aurobindo.
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The Absolutely Perfect, the Absolutely Humble Divine
In India, since millennia, modesty or humility has been considered the one of the most noble virtues, one that is the ornament of all virtues. In present times when self-promotion is not only an acceptable practice but has actually become a highly sophisticated skill that one must master if one wants to be ‘successful’, humility often takes a backseat. But if we step back for a moment and reflect carefully we will find that it is exactly in times like these that we must sincerely begin to examine for ourselves what is true humility. And more importantly, how it is related to our inner journeys, our growth as conscious individuals with an aspiration to grow inwardly and walk the path that takes us closer to our highest Self within. This issue is dedicated to exploring Humility as one of the Twelve Powers which the Mother spoke of as necessary for the full manifestation of Her Work.
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“All That is True and Sincere Will Always be Kept”
This special issue opens a year-long celebration of Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birthday and 75th anniversary of India’s political independence. Starting with this issue, the next 12 issues will explore the 12 attributes that the Mother has identified as soul-powers necessary for full manifestation of Her Work. The present issue explores Sincerity in a multi-dimensional approach. Special features on Sri Aurobindo’s work as a revolutionary nationalist are also included.
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Choose Wisely, Grow in Knowledge, Surrender to the Guru
We explore two inter-related themes. One is Choice and Wisdom, related to which is the faculty of viveka, the intuitive discriminating reason which is developed by a purification of the organs of thought and knowledge. But all this is possible only by the grace of the Guru, which is our second theme for this issue.
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“To make the yoga the ideal of human life that India rises today”
We are relaunching the Renaissance with this issue centered on the theme of Yoga. Sri Aurobindo once said that it is to make the yoga the ideal of human life that India is rising today. Guided by these words, this present issue is our humble offering toward the celebration of June 21 as the International Yoga Day.
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Man and Nature
This issue is an invocation to the Supreme Force that is the Love of the Divine for the Humanity and the Earth, the Love that carries within it the Force and Power to awaken in both – man and nature – to the deep, hidden yearning for their highest and truest Nature, their Divinity.
Adoration of the Divine Mother
This issue is dedicated to invoking several of the names and forms of Shakti – from Aditi, the Divine Mother to Mother India, the Bharat Shakti; from Mahashakti and Her Four Great Powers to Woman as Shakti, Nāri Shakti. It is an expression of our adoration of the Divine Mother because Hers indeed is the force that moves all and acts in all, the universal Energy, the Conscious-Power.
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The Immensity and Intimacy of Space
This issue is all about Space, or should we say, Spaces. Spaces within and without, inner and outer and in between. Spaces in their stillness and immensity, in their emptiness and richness. Spaces that are sacred and that are made sacred. Spaces that are infinitely vast and intimately personal. Along with spaces come in memories and experiences – historical, cultural, personal, psychological, spiritual. These and other related themes are explored in the diversity of pieces selected for this issue.
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Devabhasha – The Language Divine
To celebrate the World Sanskrit Day on August 15, we dedicate the present issue of ‘Renaissance’ to Sanskrit, the divine language.
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Creating a Conscious Humanity
This issue is dedicated to prenatal education. It features some important insights from ancient Indian perspectives. A recent book on historical and cross-cultural perspectives on menstruation is reviewed. Also included are next three parts of the ongoing essay from archives of Sri Aurobindo Circle.
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India for Yoga, Yoga for India
An issue focusing on yoga, in honour of International Yoga Day, June 21. Ongoing series on Psychology of Indian Nationalism continues with focus on ancient Rishis envisioning a polity in alignment with the spirit and ideals of Indian culture.
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