Letter to the Trustees from the Disciples of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in Madurai

Respected Trustees

We are disciples and devotees of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo. As disciples and devotees we owe a legal duty and moral responsibility to write this to you since Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry includes everyone related to the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, Ashram and their teachings.

We have a great respect for Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry which is a spiritual center. Our lives and families have changed in many ways because of the teachings of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo, and our regular visits to the Ashram.

We are deeply hurt to see that the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs is still not disapproved by the Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust in spite of repeated requests and submissions to the Trustees by inmates of the Ashram, disciples and devotees from all over the world. This has been delayed and neglected unduly since 2008.

It is clear that the book in question has erroneous biographical details of concocted information, intentional defamation and malafide campaign which defames the Mother and Sri Aurobindo and twists their spiritual teachings.

We, the undersigned disciples and devotees, demand the following measures from the Trustees of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry without any further delay.

1.    Disapprove the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs publicly and officially.

2.    Send the disapproval notice from Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, Pondicherry to all the Centers, Kendras and Meditation centres nationally and internationally where the Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s teachings and spiritual activities are held.

3.   Stop selling such derogatory and defamatory books written by Peter Heehs on the Mother, Sri Aurobindo, Ashram and their teachings, at the Publication Department of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.

4.   Stop Peter Heehs immediately from doing such kind of incorrect research, writing and publishing in the archives department and as an inmate of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry. Remove Peter Heehs from the Archives department. Any such kind of work must be prohibited in the Ashram henceforth.

5.     Appoint a special committee 'Archival Restoration Committee' with eminent men and women from Sri'Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, and from Centers, Kendras and Meditation centres nationally and internationally where the Mother and Sri Aurobindo's teachings and spiritual activities are held.

      6.      Retrieve all the archival and original materials of the Mother and Sri Aurobindo and clear all other documents legally from Peter Heehs and restore the same in the Ashram at Pondicherry. The 'Archival Restoration Committee' should verify and restore in safe custody all the relevant documents.

     7.     Stop punishing directly and indirectly those who expose the perversion and distortion present in the book The Lives of Sri Aurobindo written by Peter Heehs.

      8.    All the Trustees should resign now as they have failed in performing this legal duty and moral responsibility mentioned above in Points 1-7.

      9.    Bring new changes in the Trust: Allow the Trust to be composed of men and women from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram inside, and from Centers, Kendras and Meditation Centers outside. Conduct voting. Trusteeship should be only for a fixed time-period (2 or 3 years). The new Trust so formed should submit periodical reports of all the activities of the Ashram Trust and the departments to all concerned.

      10.   Establish an 'Advisory Body' of eminent men and women from Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, and from other centres, Kendras and Meditation centres nationally and internationally for continuous support and guidance to the Trust.

CC: His Excellency and Respectful Lt Governor of Pondicherry, Raj Nivas, Pondicherry

[The letter has been signed by 69 disciples and devotees of Madurai. Below are the scans of the first two pages.]