Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre
Sri Aurobindo incarnated in a human body the supramental consciousness and has not only revealed to us the nature of the path to follow and the method of following it so as to arrive at the goal, but has also by his own personal realisation given us the example; he has provided us, so to say, the proof that the thing can be done and the time is now to do it. (The Mother)
The Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre is an autonomous wing of Sri Aurobindo Society. The Society is registered in Calcutta under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 (now West Bengal Act XXVI of 1961).
All donations to Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre will qualify for tax exemption under Section 80G as a charitable institution. The Centre will also be engaged in various research activities in Social Sciences, specially integral education. Donations to the Centre for research activities qualify for tax exemption under Section 35(1)(iii) of the Income Tax Act and are 100% tax exempt.
Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre (SADLEC), an autonomous wing of Sri Aurobindo Society, Pondicherry, formally came into existence in 1994 but its bedrock of solid foundation had been already prepared by Sri Aurobindo Vidya Mandir (SAVM) which has been functioning as an institution of Integral Education since 1984. The SAVM was established by Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Trust — a public charitable trust established by some devotees for the fulfillment of Sri Aurobindo’s vision of a divine life for humanity — with an aspiration to create a place where the experiment of Integral Education may be carried out untouched by the rampant utilitarian and materialistic spirit. Since the SAVM was conceived to be an integral education institution, no government recognition was sought for it. It was mainly a daytime school with local students only from families with ordinary motives for education. Still the SAVM got a good number of sincere students, some of whom have stayed on to pursue the Sadhana of Integral Yoga. From the very beginning the teachers were mostly Sadhaks who were sincerely devoted to the life of Sadhana. As the institution became well known for the intensity of its atmosphere and the quality of its education, more and more potential aspirants of divine life came into contact and felt inspired to consecrate their lives to the service of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Thus a need was gradually felt to enlarge the circle of educational activities around the base of a self-contained spiritual community working in various fields and dimensions for the realization of Sri Aurobindo’s vision of a divine life upon earth. The need became an aspiration and the Mother’s grace answered to it by the formation of the SADLEC in 1994.
The Mother’s grace took up the work of erecting the structure of the SADLEC on the solid ground prepared by the SAVM in its 10 years of functioning. Without in any way confining the sphere of its future activities the initial effort here was aimed at developing a living and vibrant spiritual atmosphere where children could stay full time and thus be free from any other influence and could grow in the truth of their being. From a wider angle the objects of the SADLEC constitute all those spheres of action which are necessary for the transformation of earthly life into divine life. Since its beginning the SADLEC has been continuously growing and enlarging its scope of activities according to the inner guidance and inspiration.
The recent developments leading to the present condition of the world may be looked upon as the speeding up of the process of the breaking-up of the past which is indispensable to the manifestation of the “new world” that was born with the Supramental Manifestation which took place in 1956. All the religions, socioeconomic systems, political “isms” and dogmas seem to be loosing their hold over the progressive human mind which seems now to have become plastic and volatile to an extent that could not have been imagined even a few years ago. The recognition that the old remedies are of no avail, that the lights that have guided man so far are failing him seems now to be fairly widespread. It is becoming obvious that a mere change in the form of government or even in the social or economic system is not going to help man in any way. The proposition that our problems spring basically from the present state of our consciousness has begun to receive recognition in recent years. For example, Ervin Laszlo writes in his book, The Inner Limits of Mankind: “There are hardly any world problems that cannot be traced to human agency and which could not be overcome by appropriate changes in human behaviour. The root cause even of physical and ecological problems are the inner constraints on our Vision and Values…….. We contemplate changing almost anything on this earth but ourselves.”
The awareness that what is required is not a surface sentimental, moral, religious or idealistic tinkering with the nature of man but a fundamental change in it is also gaining ground. But such a thing can be accomplished only by an ascension to a higher level of consciousness and that may look like an endeavour too high and for man as he is at present, too difficult and distant. However, as Sri Aurobindo tells us, no matter how difficult and distant it may appear, it still remains the sole possibility for a true resolution of all our problems. Moreover, with the Supramental Manifestation in the terrestrial nature, the task has become much less troublesome and distant. As Sri Aurobindo says, “As far as I can see, once the supramental is established in Matter, the transformation will be possible under much less troublesome conditions than now are there. These bad conditions are due to the fact that the Ignorance is in possession and the hostile Powers an established authority, as it were, who do not care to give up their hold and there is no full force of Light established in the earth-consciousness which would not only meet but outweigh their full force of darkness.” The Supramental Manifestation has changed this equation.
The terrestrial evolution has so far proceeded under the pressure of nature without any conscious participation of the beings drawn along this evolution. But man has now attained a position of full responsibility and can consciously collaborate with nature. The next step would therefore be conscious and deliberate and may be relatively swift, for a new being will be evolved in man, rather than out of man.
“Therefore the individuals who will most help the future of humanity in the new age will be those who will recognise a spiritual evolution as the destiny and therefore the great need of the human being. Even as the animal man has been largely converted into a mentalised and at the top a highly mentalised humanity, so too now or in the future an evolution or conversion — it does not greatly matter which figure we use or what theory we adopt to support it — of the present type of humanity into a spiritualised humanity is the need of the race and surely the intention of Nature; that evolution or conversion will be their ideal and endeavour.”
All our problems are essentially problems of consciousness. This evolutionary world seems to be so planned as to have a built-in incentive for rising into ever higher and higher levels of consciousness. The problems, difficulties or just the limitations at any given level of consciousness — and they are different at different levels – can be really solved only at a higher level. One’s state of consciousness determines the limitations or conditions in which one lives. One can rise above them only by ascending to a higher level of consciousness.
“The conditions in which men live on earth are the result of their state of consciousness. To seek to change these conditions without changing the consciousness is a vain chimera. Those who have been able to perceive what could and ought to be done to improve the situation in the various domains of human life — economic, political, social, financial, educational and sanitary — are individuals who have, to a greater or lesser extent, developed their consciousness in an exceptional way and put themselves in contact with higher planes of consciousness. But their ideas have remained more or less theoretical or, if an attempt has been made to realise them practically, it has always failed lamentably after a certain period of time; for no human organisation can change radically unless human consciousness itself changes. Prophets of a new humanity have followed one another; religions, spiritual or social, have been created; their beginnings have sometimes been promising, but as humanity has not been fundamentally transformed, the old errors arising from human nature itself have gradually reappeared and after some time we find ourselves almost back at the point we had started from with so much hope and enthusiasm. Also, in this effort to improve human conditions, there have always been two tendencies, which seem to be contrary but which ought to complement each other so that progress may be achieved. The first advocates a collective reorganisation, something which could lead to the effective unity of mankind. The other declares that all progress is made first by the individual and insists that the individual should be given the conditions in which he can progress freely. Both are equally true and necessary, and our effort should be directed along both these lines at once. For collective progress and individual progress are interdependent. Before the individual can take a leap forward, at least a little of the preceding progress must have been realised in the collectivity. A way must therefore be found so that these two types of progress may proceed side by side.
It is in answer to this urgent need that Sri Aurobindo conceived the scheme of his international university, in order to prepare the human elite who will be able to work for the progressive unification of mankind and be ready at the same time to embody the new force which is descending to transform the earth.”
The Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education at Pondicherry came into being on 6th January 1952 and has been doing pioneering work ever since. It has been the beacon of light for all those who aspire for a divine life for humanity. We feel that the time has come for this light to spread and grow so that the future humanity may be prepared to embody the integral spiritual ideal.
The basic object of the Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre shall be to work for the realisation of Sri Aurobindo’s and the Mother’s vision of a Divine Life for humanity. More specifically, but without in any way limiting the generality of the basic object, the Institution shall in the immediate future work for:
- the realisation of human unity in a rich and organised diversity;
- the establishment of the Integral Spiritual Ideal as the governing ideal of the human race;
- a smooth transition of humanity from the present system to a system more suited to a spiritual age;
- The creation of a Spiritual Society where every aspect of life will be taken up and perfected on a spiritual foundation.
For an effective pursuit of the above goals the Institution shall seek:
- to establish a research and education centre which shall carry out research and provide education from the prenatal to the postgraduate and advanced levels. The proposed institution will be essentially an educational research setup organised with the objective of evolving, realising and providing education by a most perfect possible system of Integral Education as outlined by Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
- to bring together and organise a community of spiritual aspirants, with an inner core consisting of seekers who wish to cast off from themselves the slavery to the human ways of thinking and doing. Such a community will be international in character and spirit and conduct itself in such a way as to contribute to the development of the sense of oneness of all mankind. It will be above all distinctions of class, caste, creed, religion, sex and nationality and shall form the nucleus of the proposed educational institution which will depend on it for the supply of needed teachers, researchers and workers. It is hoped that such an experiment in collective living will serve as a powerful “example” and “influence” to help usher in the spiritual age of mankind.
- to organise social science and research aimed at tracing out the path of transition from the present system to the one suited to a spiritual age of mankind.
- to evolve, at a mature stage of its development, a setup for a systematic research in the process of the Spirit’s mastery over Matter in the terrestrial evolution.
- to undertake research, training and exposure programmes, to organise conferences, seminars, workshops, etc. in all fields of knowledge and human endeavour.
- to undertake publication of books and periodicals, to prepare audio-cassettes, video-cassettes and other audio-visual aids, educational games and toys, etc. and to do all else in this field that may be conducive to the attainment of its basic object.
- to collaborate, associate or join with other trusts or societies or institutions whose objects and/or activities may be in harmony with the objectives of the Institution.
- to do all such things as are incidental or necessary to the attainment of all or any of the specific objects of the Institution.
The Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre is being established by Sri Aurobindo Society. The Society was started by the Mother in 1960 to work for the realisation of the integral vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in every field and in every way. The Mother was the founder and the Executive president of the Society.
Though the Mother left her physical body in 1973, she is still the permanent President of the Society, shaping its destiny. Therefore the Mother is also the President, the Light, the moulding Force, the shaping Consciousness and the realising Executrix of the Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre.
The Sri Aurobindo Society is a society registered under the West Bengal Societies Registration Act with its headquarters at Pondicherry. It is an international spiritual and educational organisation with members, centres and branches in many parts of the world. It is a member of UNESCO, under category B of Nongovernmental organisations and has been elected to its steering committee. It has also been recognised by the Govt. of India as a non-profit, charitable and a research institution.
The Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre is an integral yet autonomous part of Sri Aurobindo Society. It will be administered by a Governing council, which will have a maximum of 25 persons, drawn from various fields and various national and international institutions, all brought together by the ideal of a divine life upon the earth. There will also be an Advisory Council with a larger number of members.
The Centre will be international in character; that is to say not only will the students and teachers come from all parts of the world but also the best of every culture will be represented here in a living manner and the children helped to come into contact with the culture of their own country, as well as of other countries. Along with this a conscious effort will be made to help the children to rise beyond narrow divisions and to work for human unity and one world.
The medium of instruction will be English. Sanskrit and Hindi will occupy a special place and an effort will be made to create learning opportunities for as many Indian and foreign languages as possible. The education will start at an early age — even before birth with the mothers when possible — and go up to postgraduates levels. Most branches of knowledge will be represented with the most modern facilities for laboratories, sports, arts, audiovisual presentations, work experience, with a special stress on Applied and Social Sciences and Humanities. A deeper approach to culture, a consciousness approach to management, an effort towards holistic and integral health are some of the possibilities that may be explored.
The education at Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre will be free since it is felt that true education cannot happen in atmosphere where monetary calculations become important. Also, as the Mother once remarked, true education has never really been sold in India. Hence, for the students who will be admitted to the Centre, the entire education — including even the boarding and lodging — will be completely free.
A community of spiritual aspirants would be the most important part of the Centre which will depend on it entirely for the needed teachers and teacher-cumresearchers. The entire expenses of the members of the spiritual community would be met by the Centre, according to the need of each individual.
The complex of Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre is planned to be built near the town of Jhunjhunu in north-eastern Rajasthan on a plot of land measuring about 200 acres in an area specially ear-marked for this purpose. The entire complex will try to express beauty and perfection in all its forms.
Presently the Centre is housed in the town of Jhunjhunu in a complex of buildings belonging to Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Trust.
1) You can become a member of the Sri Aurobindo Society, and maintain a close contact with the Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre. This would mean, first of all, to aspire for a Divine Life for oneself and for humanity.
2) You can do some selfless work for the Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre and participate directly and actively in some of its various projects and activities.
3) You can contribute in funds and kind. Donations to the institute enjoy tax exemptions under section 80G. for charitable activities, and section 35(1) (iii) for the research activities.
4) If you want further information or if you feel the call of the Divine deep within you and wish to explore the possibility of your participation in this adventure of consciousness, please write to:
The Chairman,
Sri Aurobindo Divine Life Education Centre,
Khetan Mohalla, Jhunjhunu, 333 001,
Rajasthan, India.
Ph. (01592) 232887
email: sadlecjjn@gmail.com
Make of us the hero warriors we aspire to become. May we fight successfully the great battle of the future that is to be born, against the past that seeks to endure; so that the new things may manifest and we may be ready to receive them.
LET Thy Light be in me like a Fire that makes all alive; let Thy divine Love penetrate me. I aspire with all my being for Thy reign as sovereign and master of my mind and heart and body; let them be Thy docile instruments and Thy faithful servitors.
It is only in the calm that one can know and do. All that is done in agitation and violence is an aberration and a folly. The first sign of the divine presence in the being is peace.
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