by Carter Phipps
Readers of this blog may have heard of the great Indian sage Sri Aurobindo. We have often acknowledged him in the pages of EnlightenNext magazine as one of the pioneers of evolutionary spirituality. Recently, we reviewed a fascinating new book by long-time Aurobindian scholar Peter Heehs called The Lives of Sri Aurobindo, published last year by Cambridge Press. I wholeheartedly recommend the book to anyone who might be interested in finding out more about this incredible Indian sage. Ellen Daly (who wrote the review) and I visited Heehs in Woodstock, NY, last year and really enjoyed speaking to him (you can hear a recording of our conversation here). He is without doubt a serious student of Aurobindo’s work and the book reflects that. But the book is no hagiography. Heehs tried to bring a historian’s objective eye to Aurobindo’s extraordinary life. That’s part of what makes the book so accessible and interesting. He doesn’t present Aurobindo as an untouchable flawless saint or Avatar. Indeed, he steered clear of the hagiographic, messianic mythology that has built up around the memory of Aurobindo and his long time collaborator, the Mother, over the last decades. Heehs presents him as a spiritually gifted genius and pioneering teacher and writer, but all in the context of Aurobindo being a human being who was shaped by the remarkable circumstances of his life.
Doesn’t exactly sound like the raw material for a scandal, does it? But that’s what is unfolding right now in the world of Aurobindo—which includes the Ashram in India, Auroville, and many supporters and students worldwide. A few individuals have started a campaign against the book calling it malicious and claiming that it maligns the legacy of this great Indian figure. Not only that, they have even convinced the Indian legal system to temporarily stay publication of the book. And they have tried to kick Peter Heehs out of the ashram in India where he has lived for many years. Basically, it sounds like a mess, and it’s causing a split in those who are passionate about Aurobindo’s legacy and work. The good news is that Heehs’s supporters are fighting back and have stated a website called Integral Yoga Fundamentalism, in which they document the controversy and provide updates. Continue reading…
