A collective aspiration can change the course of events

A Collective Aspiration can change the course of Events

The Gnostic Centre, New Delhi : 26-28 March, 2011 1

A Collective Aspiration can change the course of Events… the call went forth from

The Gnostic Centre just around the time of Mubarak’s ouster in Egypt. The synchronicity was perfect. People began responding; some, even without knowing anything about the Centre. Over the next two months a programme evolved that remained ‘evolving’ till the end – just like life – and participants, discussants, panelists too emerged gradually – culminating in a two-and-a-half day Seminar that went beyond confined spaces, intellectual discussions, paper presentations, and defined activities. A total of 24 participants stayed onsite, and an equal number came from in and around Delhi, besides the in-house team, adding to the vibrancy, depth and continuity of reflections, sharing and interactions. Here are a few glimpses of what took place… Saturday, 26th March The very first ones to arrive were Nadaka and Gopika from Auroville, with their soul enchanting music. As the sun mellowed and bathed the trees in its gentle glow, the people connected over tea, going through the programme, catching up with each other, making new links. At 6pm we moved inside the Meditation hall, for an Invocation on the theme, through a Golden Card meditation (facilitated by Ameeta Mehra, Chairperson and Founding Trustee, The Gnostic Centre). Each one of us was invited to connect to our individual and collective aspiration and pen it on a golden card… which we kept with us for sharing at the end of the two-and-a-half days. After a short break, Nadaka’s and Gopika’s musical offering of sacred chants suffused our beings, and the evening merged into night… with a simple, tasteful and aesthetically arranged dinner under the starlit sky. It was not a Seminar… it was a family of collective souls sharing and engaging with each other from an inner space. Sunday, 27th March Breakfast was served at 8am. At 9.15 we entered the psychic world of flowers as we walked into the Meditation hall, where a beautiful display of flowers awaited us. Ameeta explained the special qualities of flowers and invited us to pick up the flower that called to us.



“The Mother used flowers in a very special way. She spent a considerable amount of time entering into the special psychic quality of each flower and gave each flower a significance. I thought that we might begin with coming in touch with our own aspiration through flowers. One way is that we ask ourselves ‘what is our deepest aspiration?’ That is a more mental way. But a more psychic way the Mother suggested was to see the flowers in front of you and pick one up that calls you. When you have selected your flower, try and come in touch with what you feel are the qualities of that flower that have attracted you.” (Ameeta)

Each person in the room picked up a flower that attracted them, and

the spiritual significance of the flower was revealed to us from the beautifully prepared cards by Sunaina through The Mother’s words… which we kept with us. Law & Society After a break, at 10.30am we moved to Synthesis… a Seminar space – for the first Circle of Experiences and Sharing – focused on ‘Law and Society’. The panelists were Mr. Soli Sorabjee (former Attorney-General of India), Justice (retd) Ruma Pal (renowned Supreme Court Judge), Justice Hima Kohli (High Court, Delhi), Dr. Mallika Sarabhai (leading choreographer & dancer, social activist, Director, Darpana Academy, Ahmedabad), and Dr. Aster Patel (Member, Governing Board, Auroville). Jyoti Saikia (MD, Triburg India) moderated the discussion. The atmosphere was electrically charged with wisdom and learning, wherein the participants and panelists interacted to create a new learning for everyone present. The take away from the session was summed up by Ameeta in the following words…



“To sum up briefly, what we gained from this circle of sharing and experience, one is that, the point that the dark side, the shadow, is a smaller percentage; the light is the larger whole. But the light is not focused on, the goodness is not focused on, the goodness is often not talked about. And, obviously like Sorabjee said, all of us find it boring to keep seeing that. But that does not mean it does not exist – that is one of the most important points this discussion has brought forth. The second important point that the discussion brought forth is the point that there are problems today in society. There are critical issues and critical problems, for example, Corruption, Exploitation, Divisiveness, and so on, which were very well brought out by each panelist, however, these problems are surfacing up because there is a push of a New Consciousness that is bringing them to the surface. Even the media is unknowingly a vehicle for this change of World Order that is taking place. And that is why the shadow, the darkness is rising up in all directions, even if it is a miniscule one – because we need to get rid of it, if we have to progress. And, the world is progressing. That is the second take away. The third is about the icons, which Mallika brought out very well. Who are our role models? Who are our icons? And if we will ourselves become a role model, that itself will have a ripple effect of bringing in what we spoke about, a collective qualitative aspiration. Can we become role models? And how can we become role models? That is the third take away. And finally, I thought the discussion about the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Constitutional aspects of Law brought forth the wisdom, the understanding of how the Constitution works, and how the legal system empowers each individual and manifests the divine in each individual through Freedom, without any kind of do’s and don’ts in terms of prejudices.”

Education & Society Post-lunch, the Circles of Experiences and Sharing focused on ‘Education and Society’, starting with a short multimedia presentation by The Gnostic Centre – ‘Academy of the Future’. The panelists for the Education session were Dr. Meera Ramachandran (Principal, Gargi college, DU), Dr. Bindu Rana (Programme Director – Research, Educomp Solutions Ltd.), Mr.



Sanjay Prakash (Architect with a commitment to energy-conscious architecture, eco-friendly design), Dr. Aster Patel, and Ms. Chali Grinnell (Member, Working Committee, Auroville). The discussion began with each panelist sharing his/her experience of the complexity of the issues of education, from the inequalities present and how to bridge these with new technology, to the ecology of education, finally culminating in the need to go beyond educating to ‘learning’ and beyond the mind to the growth of consciousness. Some of the points emphasized by the panelists were…

• Education for healing the division between two India’s – one that is ‘shining’, moving towards

being a global super-power, and the one that is languishing in poverty. The principle that the good of the individual lies in the good of many. (Dr. Ramachandran)

• The importance of ‘collective intent’ and the opportunities a ‘classroom’ presents to enhance it, channelise it and involve every student in using that intent to learn. The constructive role of the private sector, corporate and technology in raising the standard of education for all. (Bindu)

• The importance of new experiments in education (no matter what the society is like) – with an emphasis upon the atmosphere and the example of the adults. (Aster)

• The attitude and aspiration of individuals can greatly affect the attitude of young children. And this can become a collective aspiration. If we forget that, we all lose. Also, the importance of each one (teachers too) aspiring to learn together. (Chali)

• The need to go beyond dichotomies (for instance, public and social, economics and environment, rural and urban, gated versus open, etc.) towards integrality. To translate the attitude of shared decision making, shared spaces, integrated learning, etc. in physical structures that facilitate this mindset. (Sanjay)

Ameeta concluded the session with a powerful quote from the Mother, which points the way towards true education…

“Somebody asked the Mother a question, ‘What is the purpose of education and what is its intrinsic enoyability?’ She said, “Get out of conventions and insist on the growth of the soul.” I think, the



moment we focus on all of us not as products, everyday, but focus on us as living, conscious, divine beings, the whole unfoldment, flowering of education begins. It begins with this one change in

your eyes, in the way you look at another person, or yourself for that matter. It begins with each one of us.” Back at the Centre’s inside lawns, we were greeted by the strains of Sufiana Qalam – a bounty spread under the dusk lit trees, by Mir Mukhtiyar Ali and his group (Mirasi community, Rajasthan). After a day of indoor reflections, it was a time to be with nature, with oneself, and let the music envelope one in its melody, sentiment and rhythm. After a home-made dinner laid out by Ritika and her team, once again under the starlit sky, another round of Sufi music upon special request commenced for an hour in the Meditation hall.

Monday, 28th March

Each year, on this day, no matter how much one has worked, stressed, sleep-deprived oneself, everything just flows… it is no more a personal effort, the Divine Grace seeps into our beings and fills the day with ease, sunshine, joy, peace, laughter… And so it was this year too – the day of the Centre’s anniversary (1997), the day of the enshrinement of the sacred relics of Sri Aurobindo (2007). From the morning itself, there was an ease of being… bringing us around the cake that came from Auroville, at breakfast time. A collective silent invocation and offering at Sri Aurobindo’s shrine was followed by a session on

Mantrayoga by Dr. Samapd Mishra, in the Meditation hall, along with chanting. The chant was for more chanting… however after a coffee break, we met at Synthesis for an interactive session by Aditya Ahluwalia (Founder, Life Positive) on ‘Virtual Collectivities’. The powerpoint presentation by Aditya was short, hard-hitting, and extremely relevant for our present times. It focused on the Third largest Nation of the World, the virtual collectivity and its power for change.



Feminine Leadership & Related Issues The third Circle of Experience and Sharing focused on Feminine Leadership and Related Issues. The panelists were Dr. Mallika Sarabhai, Ms. Uma Prajapati (Founder of Upasana, Auroville; committed to socially responsible design & environmental protection; force behind Tsunamika project), Ms. RevathiKamath (Architect and urban planner), Dr. Shanti Auluck (Founder member, Muskaan), Ms. Mina Singh (writer, former Reader & HoD – English, LSR, University of Delhi), Ms. Sumita Ghose (social worker, Founder, Rangsutra – a company of artisans from rural India) and Mr. Frederick Schulze-Buxloh (one of the earliest residents of Auroville). Dr. Aster Patel moderated the discussion. The qualities a feminine leadership brings to the collectivity were highlighted (not compartmentalized into male or female). The following were some of the hallmarks of feminine leadership that came through from the discussion…



• The principle of Inclusiveness – to include everyone in the process, whether as a social entrepreneur running a business alongwith artisans and sharing power with them rather than over them (Sumita), or creating a space together with the masons, the welder, the carpenter etc., involving both tradition and the future (Revathi), or moving beyond one’s own personal tragedy to redressal for one’s family to do something for others in similar circumstances (Dr. Auluck) – no exclusion. As Justice Ruma Pal put it in her summing up of the discussions, ‘goodness has to be shared’ – an important hallmark of feminine leadership.

• The principle of Identification – going beyond even the ‘I’ and ‘You’ or the sense of including the ‘other’, to a sense of seeing oneself in others - a sense of Union.

• The principle of Collective Growth – ‘Everybody needs to win’ as against one wins and the others lose – a hallmark of feminine leadership which is not limited to ‘females’ only – the principle defines whether the leadership style (of a man or a woman) is masculine or feminine. The present state of the world and its problems are a result of ‘masculine leadership’; feminine leadership is the only way to sustain all aspects of life on earth. It is about embracing rather than stepping-upon. (Mallika)

• The principle of Spiritual Action – To include that which is spiritual, in the scope of leaderhship (Mrs. Singh) and further, to allow the Divine Mother to enact Her decisions through oneself, midst the tremendous complexity of life – that is feminine leadership (Uma).

• Aspiration for a new principle of Oneness where both masculine and feminine can be expressed by both the male and the female. (Frederick)

Conclusion of the Seminar The Seminar formally concluded with a brief statement of the group’s Collective Aspiration that had been growing over the two days, voiced by Ameeta.

These last two-and-a-half days of the Seminar on the theme of ‘A Collective Aspiration can change the course of Events’, and focused on the themes of Law and Society, Education, Ecology, and Feminine Leadership, are now culminating today. And, as you know we began with the aspiration to formulate a collective aspiration amongst us, within us, which we could carry out, which we could aspire and pray for, with which we could connect with each other after we are back to our own spaces, homes, countries. And, listening to all of you, listening to the aspirations that have come out from this collective body in many forms… in silence, through flowers, through sharings, through smiles, if I may attempt a formulation which we could all carry back in our hearts from this Seminar, and deepen, intensify in as many ways that we can and is possible – through technology, through prayer, through meeting each other again, through looking into each other’s eyes, what I have gained from this Seminar is the one collective aspiration of a non-divisive society, a non-divisive world, a world of harmony, a world of inclusiveness, a world where The Mother is cherished and respected and worshipped. So, may I request you to take one minute together to pray for that world to manifest.



A full minute of concentrated silence was invoked, after which Mallika reminded the group of the powerful poem of Rabindranath Tagore ‘Where the Mind is without fear...’. To sum up the sharings and aspirations of all the three panels, from Education to Law and Society to a New Consciousness to a New World, and concretely express these in form, Ameeta read out ‘A Dream’.

“There should be somewhere on earth a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony where all the fighting instincts of man would be used exclusively to conquer the causes of his sufferings and miseries, to surmount his weaknesses and ignorance, to triumph over his limitations and incapacities; a place where the needs of the spirit and the concern for progress would take precedence over the satisfaction of desires and passions, the search for pleasure and material enjoyment. …”1

1 Collected Works of The Mother, Volume 12, pp.93-94. Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram.



Experiences with The Mother Post-lunch, at 3.30pm, Tara di (Managing Trustee, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi), Aster di and Frederick shared their precious experiences with The Mother – all three having had the privilege of interacting closely with her. It was a session of sweetness and light… flowing naturally into the evening Meditation around the Shrine. After meditation and a sumptuous well-organised Tea, even though the programme was officially over, the delight of basking in the Grace-filled ambience and strengthening the circle of collectivity kept most of us together… leading to a final session by Ameeta to share our individual and collective aspirations (as written down on Saturday evening), to bring forth the magical understanding that all was already contained in the Golden Card, and the 2 days heightened and deepened that aspiration. And afterwards… The journey did not end… a new collectivity was formed and it continues to interact, support, deepen further through a virtual connectivity on Facebook – a group – Collective Aspiration can change the course of Events.

(https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_211084652237942&ap=1)

A collective aspiration can change the course of events

Leadership & Management

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