Date: 08/20/2017
We are sons of God and must be even as he:
His human portion, we must grow divine. —Savitri 15.10
This is the third part of a three-part talk, begun in August of 2015, presenting the work of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother in comparison with other religious and spiritual systems. In past talks we have looked at the nature of the divine mother and the syzygy of the divine couple. In this talk we will look at the offspring of the great father and mother pairs throughout history. This child is often depicted as a savior god whose mission is to unify the world and save humankind. As in the earlier presentations, a wealth of images will be used to show comparative similarities between integral yoga and other world traditions and to inquire into whether the gnostic or supramental being, the signal, revolutionary realization of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, could be understood symbolically in this way.
Stephen Lerner Julich is a graduate of the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), receiving a PhD in East-West Psychology in 2013. He is currently an adjunct professor at both CIIS and at the University of Philosophical Research (UPR) in Los Angeles, where he teaches courses on topics in Jungian Psychology.
Date: 08/27/2017
The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram was a beloved teacher and guide for thousands of people. She worked with Sri Aurobindo for the manifestation of a new consciousness which brings the changes that people experience all over the world today.
The film brings the Mother’s flower teachings in the context of her life and work. It links our visible, tangible world with inner worlds using the true meanings and qualities of flowers.
The Mother taught that the dreams of creation live in flowers as a force and vibration which we share, and she used the true essence of flowers as a spiritual teaching. The earth is formed from the dust of the stars in the nebulae of our cosmos, and we are made of the substance of the earth. We share our aspirations for progress with the earth. In the evolution of the earth, each flower has some particular quality which we have, or want to have, because people and flowers alike are children of the earth and stars.
Viewing of the film will be followed by a community Satsang and sharing of personal stories.
Date: 09/03/2017
Date: 09/10/2017
Born into a conservative Hindu family to tough parents of different religious traditions, Ray grew up to be an equally tough proponent of what was claimed as a new faith. Trained in Sanskrit and Arabic language and literature, he picked up English language and culture fast through his work. His grounding in the past and exposure to Western ideas inspired an analysis of the Vedanta philosophy’s discourses on the one and the many, on form and the formless that would shake up Indian philosophical-religious thinking to further enrich India’s diverse heritage and actually give birth to what is India today.
Karabi Sen was born in East Bengal, India, and educated in Calcutta. She taught philosophy at Burdwan University until moving to America as an adjunct faculty for the philosophy and religion program at CIIS in San Francisco. She currently works for Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. She is a retired Resource Specialist from Modesto City Schools, Modesto, Ca. Karabi lives in California and India, and has published a memoir, Scratches on the Face of Time: The Journey of an Indian Woman.
Date: 09/17/2017
Though we hope for evolution of consciousness towards a greater awakening, in the 21st century we are witnessing the most disturbing ecological disasters. One area of major distress is ocean pollution. The health of the ocean is essential for survival of humankind and the planet Earth as it holds nearly 95% of the planet’s water and produces half of the oxygen in the atmosphere while absorbing carbon. In this talk, Dr. Bogzaran brings awareness to the current situation regarding the ocean. She will discuss her precognitive dreams, art works (paintings and underwater photography) related to this topic, and her research to bring consciousness to this important issue of our time.
Fariba Bogzaran, PhD. scholar/artist founded the dream studies program at JFK University where she taught for twenty-five years. She is the co-author of two major academic books on dreams: Extraordinary Dreams (2002) and Integral Dreaming (2012) and is an adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco.
