Remembering Sri Aurobindo Ghosh.

India is celebrating its 75th year of independence. It would be appropriate for every Indian to know the following lesser known things.

Reasons for India's downfall over the years

While every year we celebrate Indian independence remembering the great freedom fighters whose sacrifices made us live in a 'free India', should we also not know the reasons for her downfall - 'a once great nation'?

The reasons broadly as mentioned by Swami Vivekananda are :-

 * A great national sin - the neglect of the masses.

 * Another great sin - neglect and oppression of women

 * Infighting among various kingdoms for power for centuries together.

 * Mass oppression in the name of religion/caste (Untouchability).

 * Monopoly of education.

 * Exclusiveness - not sharing the knowledge with other nations (All foreigners were called 'Mlechhas').

 * Lack of organisation.

 * Forgetting the essence of the great treasure of Vedanta.

The price of these mistakes has been huge. Are we making efforts to avoid these mistakes?

Rest is known history, how India suffered for centuries (due to the above) and the costly sacrifices it had to make to come out of the shackles of slavery.

Two threats to independent India

On the eve of Independence of the country, on 15 Aug 1947, Sri Aurobindo Ghosh, a freedom fighter had remarked that 'India, today, is free but she has not achieved unity', subtly expressing his displeasure on partition of the country on religious lines consequent to those horrible communal moments preceding the independence. This is relevant even today.

He predicted two threats to independent India. Communalism and Communism (China); the more the country falls prey to the former, more and more the latter is imminent. Haven't we seen these predictions coming true with Pakistan (important to note that Pakistan once was a part of this country) which has been reeling under extreme bigotry and falling prey to China, thus, putting both the nations (India and Pakistan) in danger. Isn't there a lesson to be learnt on this aspect?

Invisible Personalities behind India's Independence

We often debate/even fight about whose efforts made Indian independence possible, is it Mahatma or Subhash etc. The answer lies here, as stated by Pandit Shriram Acharya, another god-realised sage and founder of the All World Gayatri Pawar at Haridwar.

"It is an undisputed fact that Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Aurobindo and Maharishi Ramana did immense sadhana to uplift India and free her from the slavery of the British Rule".

Gandhi united the whole country in fighting against the British in the early 1900s, it was Swami Vivekananda, in the late 1800s, who through his soul-stirring speeches and immaculate character awakened the whole nation and made them mentally and spiritually fit to fight the then mighty British. Many of the prominent freedom fighters of India were thoroughly inspired by Swami Vivekananda - Don't we owe our lives to them?

Akhand Bharat

Today marks the 150th birthday of Sri Aurobindo who predicted the formation of Akhand Bharat (in the form of an Indian Union like that of the European Union) from the viewpoint of leading the world spiritually to peace (Vshwa Guru), not from a mean view point of having power. 

Be it history or mythology, the purpose is, current and future generations should learn from the good and bad deeds of the past. History should be a torch beare to the future generations. If we do not learn from history, these celebrations have no value.

Should we not do our bit in restoring India back to the position of Viswa Guru?

Courtesy. What'sApp

Tailpiece.

Got up at 6, the chores and was ready by 10.

Washing machinex of bed linen.

A quiet day!