The Mother

The Mother

The Mother was born in Paris as Mirra Alfassa in 1878. She studied art, music and occult sciences in her early life, guided by spiritual experience at a very early age. In 1914 she met Sri Aurobindo in Pondicherry, India and in 1920 she moved permanently to Pondicherry to join him as his spiritual collaborator. In 1926 she was formally given full charge over the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the spiritual and material welfare of the disciples who had formed around Sri Aurobindo by that time. She contined to expand the scope of the work of integration of the inner and outer life with the founding of the International Centre of Education, a model school which puts into practice the integral education methods developed by her. In 1968 the Mother founded the international city of Auroville as a place for material and spiritual research for the future evolution of humanity in harmony with itself and its earthly environment.

The Mother’s writings are powerful, direct and decisive in their spiritual force and clarity.

Writings of the Mother:

Flowers and Their Messages:

309 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 094152468X

By entering into contact with the nature of a flower, its inner truth…one knows what it represents…if you are in contact with it, if you feel it, you can get an impression which may be translated as a thought. There is a kind of identification with the vibration, a perception of the quality that it represents…little by little there occurs a close approach between these vibrations, that are of the vital-emotional order, and the vibration of mental thought.

Commentaries on the Dhammapada

One of the ancient texts of the Pali Canon of Buddhism, the Dhammapada has a revered place among the noted scriptures of the world. It is quite special in its focus on the practical implementation of the Buddha’s teachings in daily life, through the examination and self-control of one’s thoughts, words and deeds. “Dhamma” is sometimes translated as “virtue”, but in its deeper sense it is the innate law of life.

“Pada” means “footstep” or path. The Dhammapada is not so much a religious text as a text of practical psychology for those wishing to undertake an inner, spiritual discipline to change their lives.

The Buddha broke out of the conventions of his time in order to speak to the condition of mankind and provide a path toward liberation from the wheel of birth, death and Karma, the chain of consequences. The Dhammapada encapsulates his basic teachings and provides guidelines for gaining insight and an understanding that goes beyond any single teaching or religion. One of the “great books” of humanity, the Dhammapada can provide benefit to seekers from any philosophic or religious or spiritual path with its timeless non-sectarian wisdom.

The present edition is especially valuable as it contains an English translation that is at once clean and concise, while also filled with a spiritual sense and meaning. This translation compares favourably with those that have appeared in the past from an intellectual standpoint, and it is certain to awaken in the reader a sense of the reverence and
spiritual aspiration that truly resides in the text.

The commentaries are by the Mother, who was the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo and the spiritual guide of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for many years. After each Dhammapada chapter, she has added her own observations and insights to turn our focus towards the realizations in consciousness that the text implies. Her practical acumen and spiritual wisdom create a force for understanding that is missing from a purely academic commentary.

Other Major Titles:

Collected Works of the Mother

17 volume set

7100 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 0940985780

This 2nd edition of the Collected Works of the Mother in 17 volumes has been released to coincide with the 125th Birth Anniversary of the Mother. The Mother’s writings contain a powerful force of yogic action that can transform the seeker’s practice.

Prayers and Meditations:

380 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 9788170580522

This volume contains the prayers and meditations selected for publication by the Mother from her diaries of 1912 to 1919, and five prayers of a later period.

Health and Healing in Yoga:

351pp Paper Back
ISBN: 9788170580232

The extracts for this book have been selected from the writings and talks of the Mother. Most of the chapters begin with a series of short written statements arranged under the first title. The titles which follow are generally longer passages taken from talks; a few are from essays and messages

Audio:

Four Aspects of the Mother CD

58.58 min Audio CD

Sri Aurobindo’s powerful “Matri Upanishad” chapter 6 of The Mother, read by The Mother. The mantric force of the writing is accentuated by the power of The Mother’s reading.

Mother’s Agenda

Fascinating and powerful insights transcribed from talks between The Mother and Satprem

U.S. editions of The Mother’s writings now available:

Compilations from Sri Aurobindo and The Mother:

Back to Sri Aurobindo Information Page

Institute for Wholistic Education Home Page

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Compilations from the Writings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother:

Living Words:

Soul-Kindlers for the New Millenium

198 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 0910261423

Inspiring selections from the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother dealing with spiritual growth towards a new consciousness beyond mind which has now manifested itself upon the earth, heralding the birth of a New World.

The Yoga of Sleep and Dreams:
The Night-School of Sadhana

144 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 0940985748

The Yoga of Sleep and Dreams: The Night-School of Sadhana The practice of yoga continues day and night. This book aids the seeker in becoming conscious and turning sleep and dreams into the opportunity for real and substantial progress on the path of yoga.

 

The Psychic Being
Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution

223 pp Paper Back
ISBN: 0941524566

The present compilation is an attempt to bring together in one volume the manifold teachings pertaining to the psychic being which are to be found in the numerous works of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. The selections deal with the nature of the psychic being, shedding the light of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother on the inner constitution of the human being and on various related questions such as the process of inner growth, the afterlife, and rebirth.

 

Living Within
The Yoga Approach to Psychological Health and Growth

Western psychotherapy and the personal growth process has gained considerably from the experience acquired within Eastern traditions. Living Within makes it apparent that there is a great deal more to learn that is of both practical and theoretical value.

Indian imported editions of The Mother’s writings now available:

Sri Aurobindo’s Writings:

Sri Aurobindo was a prolific writer over a wide range of subjects including philosophy, yoga, poetry, human unity and much more. Most of his major works have been published in US editions by Lotus Press.

Outline of Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching

For details on many more titles open the PDF documents:

Sri Aurobindo’s Main Works PDF

Practical Spirituality PDF

Spiritual Wisdom of India PDF

PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader

Lotus Press Sri Aurobindo and The Mother and related literature menu page providing a complete list of available US and Indian editions, including Sri Aurobindo, The Mother, compilations, Sri M P Pandit and books by other authors

Sri Aurobindo

Sri Aurobindo

“The most vital issue of the age is whether the future progress of humanity is to be governed by the modern economic and materialistic mind of the West or by a nobler pragmatism guided, uplifted and enlightened by spiritual culture and knowledge….” Sri Aurobindo

We are facing in today’s world an existential crisis. We are experiencing a major die-off of species, connected with human industrial development, consequent climate change, pollution of land, sea and air, chemicals that negatively impact genetics and basic health, and increasing inequality of resource allocation for an ever-growing world population. This leads to violence, conflict and mass migration events as well. The industrial revolution and its consequences are developments of human mental development. While we are now recognizing the vast unintended consequences of human industry, we find that we cannot reach any consensus due to conflicting views, ideas and opinions, combined with the admixture of desire, greed and short-sightedness. Traditional viewpoints and relationships are challenged and we see the rise of cultures across the world now interacting with one another on an unprecedented scale. People everywhere are questioning the ideas that have brought us to this crisis point.

Albert Einstein clearly understood the need of humanity to find another way: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” It is thus time for a new way, a new evolution of consciousness. Sri Aurobindo reviewed the evolutionary development of consciousness as the secret meaning behind the outer development of forms from matter, to life and then to mind, eventually bringing us to the reflective, analytical and rational logical intellect that humanity signifies today. He pointed out that this evolution is not completed and a new level of consciousness, based not in fragmented thought and division into independent parts, but founded in unity and oneness as the basis and container of all the myriad forms and forces, must develop. It is this new level of consciousness, which he called “supramental” (above the mind) that has the capability of providing us the solutions we so desperately need to solve the existential crisis in today’s world.

This is not a matter of developing a new religion or a new philosophical direction. It is a matter of spiritual development and the practical application of the new consciousness to our life in the world.

Sri Aurobindo’s unique contribution to human potential and growth developed through his integration of Western and Eastern cultures. He brought the energy and vision of the West, with its focus on the perfection of the physical, material and mental areas of human life together with the spiritual development and philosophical directions developed over thousands of years in the East.

Sri Aurobindo honors the contribution of each of these divergent streams of human activity. His writings help us reconcile the apparent conflicts of two diverse societies and at the same time develop a new, wider, embracing viewpoint which vibrates with spiritual force, mental clarity and a heart of love and compassion for the efforts of humanity.

Sri Aurobindo has been considered one of the foremost philosophers of the 20th Century, but he was far more than just a philosopher. He was a political activist, a mystic, a spiritual leader, and a poet, a yogi and a teacher. Sri Aurobindo experienced the range of human activity and used that experience to communicate his insight in a way that we can appreciate and understand.

Outline of Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching

What others have to say about Sri Aurobindo:

“Sri Aurobindo’s yoga points the way toward the kind of transformative practice we need to realize our greatest potentials. No philosopher or contemplative of modern times has done more to reveal our possibilities for extraordinary life.” Michael Murphy, founder, Esalen Institute and author, The Future of the Body

“Sri Aurobindo (is) the foremost of Indian thinkers, who has realized the most complete synthesis between the genius of the West and of the East.” Romain Rolland, Nobel Laureate

“Aurobindo treatises are among the most important works of our time in philosophy, ethics and humanities. Sri Aurobindo himself (is) one of the greatest living sages of our time, and a most eminent moral leader.” Pitirim Sorokin, Harvard University

“A new type of thinker, one who combines in his vision the alacrity of the West with the illuminations of the East. To study his writings is to enlarge the boundaries of one’s knowledge.” London Times Literary Supplement.

“Sri Aurobindo is not only the most original philosopher of modern India–he was also an accomplished yogi who based his metaphysical vision on his own inner discoveries.” Stephen Phillips, Professor of Philosophy, University of Texas, Austin

“one of the great masters of spiritual synthesis.” Ram Dass

“Sri Aurobindo is one of the most important and influential spiritual figures of our time, whose work deserves to be better known.” Robert Johnson, author, He and She

“Sri Aurobindo serves humanity as a spiritual master who directs and sustains all seekers whose inner aspiration leads them to a yoga as wide and deep as life itself.” Robert McDermott, Former President, California Institute of Integral Studies

Sri Aurobindo’s Writings:

Sri Aurobindo was a prolific writer over a wide range of subjects including philosophy, yoga, poetry, human unity and much more. Most of his major works have been published in US editions by Lotus Press.

Annotations on Sri Aurobindo’s Books

Introductions to Sri Aurobindo:

Sri Aurobindo or The Adventure of Consciousness by Satprem

Satprem takes us along with him in a thorough and methodical exploration of Sri Aurobindo’s yoga. With him, we understand the virtues of mental silence, learn about the invisible gradations of consciousness above the mind, decipher the many beings and forces that inhabit us. All our unknown potentialities come alive before our eyes. Most importantly, we appeciate how these untapped possibilities within us relate to our daily life, how they can transform it from the inside, as it were, and how, ultimately, Sri Aurobindo’s experience leads to a divine rehabilitation of Matter. Sri Aurobindo, or the Adventure of Consciousness is one of the all-time bestselling introductions to the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo, and is a work that has inspired many thousands of people with it’s lucid and engaging style and substance.

ISBN: 978-0-9387-1004-2 paperback 336 pp. $17.95

The Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo’s Teaching and Method of Practice

ISBN: 978-0-9415-2476-6 paperback 416 pp. $14.95

Institute for Wholistic Education Home Page

Updated 1/2/21

Gems from Sri Aurobindo:

“The earliest formula of Wisdom promises to be its last, — God, Light, Freedom, Immortality.”

“To hope for a true change of human life without a change of human nature is an irrational and unspiritual proposition.”

“As man moves towards spiritual freedom, he moves also towards spiritual oneness.”

“The Divine Truth is greater than any religion or creed or scripture or idea or philosophy.”

Sri M.P. Pandit

Sri M.P. Pandit

Sri M. P. Pandit served as the personal secretary to the Mother at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and the Mother became the entire focus of his life. He studied the classical scriptures and living spiritual traditions of India, following in the footsteps of Sri Aurobindo and Sri T.V. Kapaly Sastry. His writing career spanned six decades, publishing over 150 books and many articles on subjects as diverse as philosophy, spirituality, social and political thought, science, religion, mysticism and the classical texts themselves. At the same time he became a commentator on the teachings whose powerful insights went right to depths and essence of the meaning.

Readings in Savitri

Panditji held meditation sessions in the evening at his residence for many years. The sessions would generally start with a lecture, a reading or a guided meditation theme and descend into the depths of a deep silent Force. Many of these programs were tape recorded. We have the pleasure to share some of the Readings in Savitri with you here. The files listed below are all MP3 files which can be played in Windows Media Player or other MP3 compatible players on your computer. Because they are such large files (30 megabytes or more) do not attempt this without broadband service, and even then it can take some minutes for the files to download depending on the speed of your connection.

Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol by Sri Aurobindo is a great epic poem ranging more than 800 pages in blank verse and covering the entire history and evolution of consciousness. It takes the theme of love conquering death and the final triumph of the Spirit, and the transformation of life, utilizing the story of Savitri and Satyavan from the Mahabharata. Read more

Institute for Wholistic Education

Institute for Wholistic Education

The Institute for Wholistic Education is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation under section 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

The Institute is dedicated to the development of human potential through the integration of spirituality into daily life. The Institute focuses on exploring human evolution and creating opportunities for individuals to bring about meaningful change in their own lives and in human society.

The Institute received its initial direction and inspiration from the work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. In carrying out its mission, the Institute recognizes that people need to take responsibility for their own lives and actions and to this end, the Institute has focused on educating interested individuals in the fields of Ayurveda, Reiki, Vedic Astrology and alternative health and wellness practices, including yoga.

The Institute programs are open to the general public and visitors are welcome by advance appointment. The Institute has a correspondence course program in Ayurveda and Hatha Yoga. In collaboration with several related concerns, the writings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and an extensive collection of books on Ayurveda, Reiki and other alternative healing modalities are made available.

Our Silver Lake Wisconsin facility is our offices only at this time and is not available for visitor meetings. Primary activities take place from this office for our online activities and our support for the information dissemination that forms a core of our programme.

Several of our directors are located in Honolulu, Hawaii and offer a modest spiritual library, programs and meditation meetings, and one to one consultation. Visitors should plan on making an appointment by calling 808 367 1820 or writing an email to Visitor Appointments

Contributions to the work of the Center are welcome and are tax-deductible. You should however check with your own tax-advisor to determine deductibility status. The Institute provides an acknowledgement letter for donations that are made.

Applying Spirituality to Social and Political Evolutionary Change: This link features articles and essays which review current affairs from the perspective of how evolutionary change can be brought about within our social and political structure.

Bhagavad Gita Study Course Information (completed September 2006)

Rebirth and Karma Course Information (completed Spring 2007)

(c) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2019, Institute for Wholistic Education, Silver Lake, WI. All Rights Reserved.

rev. 8/3/19