OM ANANDAMAYEE CHAITANYAMAYEE SATYAMAYEE PARAME
The Managing Trustee,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram,
Puducherry 605002.
We, the children of Mother India make to you the following appeal when Mother India is being outraged. Inspired by the writings, books, lectures, visions of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother we feel blessed treading on the path of a Divine Life. Sri Aurobindo and The Mother have given a new perspective to the ages old Indian spirituality, have given a new insight to it. In the most Gracious Almighty’s Endeavour of evolution, our Guru has offered his life. For the Awakening of mankind, for its progress, Sri Aurobindo has constantly been waging an inner war, has endured all pains. Salutations to our Gurudev! It is known that Sri Aurobindo has written that none can write about His life because it is not something to see on the surface level. A large number of Sri Aurobindo’s devotees, who are spread around the world, love Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, adore and pray to them and feel blessed by their Grace.
Peter Heehs, an American citizen, who has been working in the archives of Sri Aurobindo Ashram has written a book “The Lives of Sri Aurobindo” and has got it published from America. In this book, as we understand it, the details pertaining to the life of Sri Aurobindo are presented in a very disgusting manner, twisted and quoted out of context. We are deeply disturbed by his presentations of our hallowed Lord. An inflicted physical injury can be seen and eventually heals, but an insult to the kernel of our faith, our Avatar, has profoundly pained us. When the trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust do not condemn this controversial book or stay silent on the mischievously deceitful ideas, ratifying them, we the undersigned are extremely hurt. When the Lord in His own spiritual Temple is desecrated by the Temple priest himself, then what to say of the condition of the devotees?! In this situation, considering our feelings, the following actions could be initiated:
1. The author of the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo, Peter Heehs, be removed from the services of the Archives as well as from the Ashram.
2. The Trust, should publicly oppose the controversial contents of the book which have hurt the sentiments of devotees of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
3. The Trust, must not approve of the book.
4. One man’s “freedom of speech” which hurts the feelings of lakhs cannot be tolerated.
5. The precious manuscripts, scripts, entirely published and unpublished literature of the Archives should be kept in the absolute safe custody of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust and/or another trustworthy institution to safe guard the genuineness of this valuable heritage.
We appeal to you to consider our above demands to give some healing touch to the wounded hearts of fellow devotees. May The Mother and Sri Aurobindo bestow wisdom on us all. We are ………………..
[The above letter is a translation of the original letter in Gujarati which was signed by 117 devotees and disciples of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Gujarat. The original letter is reproduced below.]
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Another 2 points I am to add with the demands of our Gujrat brothers and sisters that
ReplyDelete1. the authorisation given to Peter Hees by the Ashram Trust for publication of the said book in the Columbia University Press should be withdrawn by the Ashram Trust forthwith.
2.the recommendation of Ashram Trust to Home Department, Govt. of India to extend the vissa of Peter Hees on which the Home Dept. has extendended his vissa foe another one year should be immediately withdrawn by the Ashram Trust.
A well-planned attack on soul of Mother India and Indian Spirituality has been made by Peter Hees and his supporters.The disciples, devotees and lovers of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother as well as true children of Mother India should therefore contemplate deeply on it and act accordingly to restor the prestige of the Master and the Mother.
J N Samal