 You know, we tried over here, there's a fan. Otherwise it gets very important to blow it over. We've done things together. Good morning and welcome. Good morning and welcome everybody. We're at the start of a very auspicious and powerful moment of Sri Aurobindo's 150th anniversary, which happens on the 15th of August. So this full month of August, in Auroville, we will dedicate to him every day, some way or the other. So for all of you sitting here, could we just begin in a simple way with the Gayatri mantra? We could just sing it all together with trioms. Would you lead this? So this morning, we have the great pleasure and honour to present to you today, a very auspicious and powerful moment of Sri Aurobindo's 150th anniversary, which happens on the 15th of August. So this morning, we have the great pleasure and honour to invite Sri D. R. Kartikeyan, two eminent personalities, and Anitha Ratnam. I would like to do a quick introduction about them. So Sri Kartikeyan is from Devarayapuram in Coimbatore, and he comes from an agricultural background. I'm telling you this because it's actually a very interesting trajectory. He did his degrees first in chemistry, then in agriculture, then in law. And from there on, he went on to join the police service. And where he had a very eventful and high-ranking career, being the deputy, the director general of police in different states. And he also served in the embassies in Moscow, the Indian Embassy in Moscow and Australia. He was also the director general of the Human Rights Commission. And he has also led the Global Alliance of Peace and Harmony and good governance. So we are honoured to have somebody of such rich and diverse background. Anitha is a renowned Indian classical and contemporary dancer. She has contributed enormously, not just as a dancer and a choreographer, but in terms of being a dance catalyst in the arts and cultural field in India and leading the way, especially for the youth and young creators and choreographers, to inspire them to create new work, explore new methods, new technology. In particular, she initiated a whole range of creative projects during the pandemic, which was quite a breakthrough. But as I was talking to her, that has also led her to certain inner questions, which we will talk about. But most importantly, Anitha's family has had very old and direct links to Shirobindo when he arrived in Pondicherry. I would like to start the session first with you, sir. If you would like to tell us a little bit about your own life, your experience, and what brought you to a certain, because you do have, I read about that, your own interest in yoga and meditation and spiritual life. So apart from this very eventful and rich life that you have had, that inner side, so would you just bring us that first and then we'll take you to the next part. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. Thank you, Dr. Jayanti, for your very kind, gracious invitation, very short notice. And they came last night and they went to the beautiful, the only one, unique, Mahatma Mandir. So he knows, he reminded me, I had come here 20 years back. I forgot, he said, no, I resided 20 years back. Amazing. He is one of the, I have been to nearly 200 countries and we have seen many wonders of the world. But this is something amazing. The very conception and how they evolved it beautifully. And once you go there, you are in a different plane. 20 years back, it was easy for me. Now also I made it all right. But it's beautiful. I'm sure all of you had opportunity to go there again and again. I thank you. But for insistence, I would not have come, I would not have met again. Thank you very much. You know, as you have already mentioned, I'm born in a small agricultural family near Coimbatore, studied in a village school, Panchayat school. Those days, you know, what it is, there will be four, five classes, there will be two teachers, dividing their attention to two hours, hardly any education, any of them went into. What is the, my parents being agriculturalists, they found what they couldn't choose any, they found what is the most convenient place to commute from the village. So at that point of entry was the Boys Municipal School, so we are admitted at the government college. Like that, you know, no great educational institutions throughout. But you know, they were very deeply religious, my parents were deeply religious people. And also sometimes BBC asked me, you've gone through all these, you've maintained your integrity, independence, you never yielded to any of these pressures and all that. I said maybe in a way, one is of course my, not ritualistic, they really, they believe in the day doing the right thing. And also, you know, farmers, I'm sure even today it's there, they may struggle, but you know, they never cut corners, you know. They work hard and what they earn, they live within their means and all that. So I said I can only trace it to that to start with them. Then thereafter, you know, went through challenges in life, ups and downs, gone through very, very difficult times also. Challenges in the family, challenges in the jobs and all that, but no compromise on values. That is where, you know, from religion we graduate into spirituality, yoga. I had the good fortune of meeting eminent spiritual masters, yoga masters, like Bhattabhi Joey is in Mysore, Astral Yoga. People from all over the world used to come there to learn from him. Then Dr. B. K. Sengar in Pune, you know, the greatest living master, I would say, well, till recently, like that wherever I went, whether it's in Moscow or Australia, wherever it is, I tried to keep in touch with yoga. And you know, yoga and medication are related actually. Today we are trying to separate it. Yoga means, you know, all types of yoga, integral yoga as Sri Aurobindo's talks about it, all together it forms yoga really. So then spirituality. Yoga, you know, physical health, mental health, spiritual health, there's no question of having only physical health and doing wrong things, not possible. Your mind has to be robust and clean and honest. Then only it's possible. You know, we all know, they say 90% of the disease are psychosomatic. So your mind has to be pure and clean. Then only the body can be healthy. And you know, you are all, you've all the souls living in the most prestigious place on the planet and mother created this place with the vision. Whatever little I know, we have not been here. The visions identified the place as the place for the common, for the whole humanity, beyond religion, all these things. So there have been moments where you are challenged. At that time, then you have to weigh what you write, what is wrong. You go by your conscience. Not what is convenient, what is going to be beneficial to you. No compromise made in all that. So with the result over a period of time, in my service also, in the Karnataka State Police, RCRP or CBI, they knew very well this man will not agree to anything wrong. So they don't even attempt influence you too wrong way. So yes, you accept challenges, suffering, but it's worth it. Not having, but I never ask for a favor. Never ask for a favor. Dr. Jayanthi knows very well. So nobody can, I could write to the honorable Prime Minister of India, sir, please withdraw three form laws. I wrote to him with your phenomenal memory, you know who I am. Please withdraw. I sent a copy to everybody, but I know nobody had the courage to tell my team, Modi. But I said, I have no extra grant, I don't seek a favor. It is not good for you, not good for the country. And within 15 days it was withdrawn. I won't say it's because of me alone, but I had the courage to write to him. I said, I have no extra grant, you know I don't seek a favor. Within 15 days it was withdrawn. And the National Security Advisor said, yes, withdrawn, you are shown to the PM. And not only that, I see the greatness of this man. Well, all of you know him, he's a remarkable, I have no politics, but he's a gift of God to this country, I'm telling you. No doubt about it. Today in this situation, what a difficult situation you are facing. Where do you come from? Selling tea. It's true, he has told me, you've read everything in the train. No big background, family, advantage of either wealth or power or politics. By sheer hard work, commitment. That's how you could come up. I ask you, may I admit, I won't because you're all in yoga. I'm, I hope I'm not deviating from whatever it is that there's a way. You give me a mic, you know, I don't have to stop it. Okay. I remember just before he became Prime Minister of India, he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat State. A month before he became Prime Minister. And I was, I continued to be the Chairman of the Gujarat State Ambulance Service. Here in 1000, that is the favorite of Chief Minister Modi also. I used to meet him and then just before the election, I had a meeting. Five minute meeting went on for an hour and 75 minutes. Long meeting, it was not relevant to you. I asked him the question, sir, Chief Minister's job is a full-time job. And you are a man of perfection. And you are the Prime Ministerial Candidate of the Opposition Party, BJP at that time. I said, where will you find the time and energy to handle both? This I repeated, I wrote a book even before he became PM. So, I said, he said, Karthik Ajay, get up at five o'clock in the morning. I'm telling you, mostly for the excess, I'm telling. When I go to management institutions passing out, I make it a point, I said, do yoga. I bring that subject anyhow, yoga, meditation, you bring it out, where they like it or not. He said, where is the time for us? We work for 18 hours a day, you know, time. I said, how are you busier than Mr. Arindar Modi? He told me, Karthik Ajay, get up at five o'clock in the morning. 90 minutes of yoga, pranama, meditation. Without that, I don't start the day. And I've been doing it from younger days. I don't know what fatigue is. You come at ten o'clock in the night, you will see me in the office here or home office or traveling. And he does it even today. That is secret of his enormous health, facing all situations. Have you ever seen him losing his temper or something with all situations? So, I want to tell you, you are lucky to be here, but take full benefit of this institution. Great philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and the mother, yoga, meditation, without... First thing is physical health. Then mental health, spiritual health. If it is there, whether you are rich, you are powerful or not important, at least you are at peace with yourself. You become the king. You are the boss of yourself. Ask for favors, cutting short. Then you become a slave, that's all. So there's been spirituality and yoga that kept me going. Even now, I have gone through challenges, you know, life. I would accept it. I must say with all spiritual movements and all that, I respect all of them. I don't sit in judgment thinking, I'm 83, I'm still running around. Even during that time because I said, life has to, you know, everybody born has to go one day. You can't get worried about it living. What living like that, you know? Thank you. I'll just ask you one more question to wrap up. Is that you have, like you said, you went through very, very challenging situations in your work. And how do you see that? You went through Sri Aurobindo's five dreams and the points he raises, whether it's about India or World Union or the spiritual growth, what would you like to just, you know, in brief add to that? Given what you have faced in life, real time, it's not being alive. No, I have made quickly some short notes. I will come to that now. I will come to the top. When you come to the second time, I'll take you. It turned on because Jayanthi Ji gave me very short notice. So they turned on something. I have better exact words. I would like to read it when you come to me. So challenges, not really a family life also. We had a lot of tragedies and all that. But how to, instead of just breaking down and keep crying and ignoring everything, how to go on with life? Only yoga and spirituality, these methods can give you. No other modern education, your MBAs and Harvard and all will not teach you this. They have to come back here. Thank you. Thank you. So Anita, I'd like to start first with your very own connection with Shorabindo. And a little bit background, all the stories you were telling me of when Shorabindo arrived and his relationship with your family. And then we'll come slowly to your work. So let's start there. Thank you Anu. Thank you Sri Kartikeyan. Greetings to everyone. I'll speak a little bit in Tamil and English but I'll make sure everybody understands. I have a very interesting connection. I don't know much about this connection. So on my mother's side, my mother's mother's mother. So my great-grandmother is the daughter of Kodialam Vasudevayangar. So for the early ashramites, Vasudevayangar, so he's my not Kullutatha, Yalutatha. That is my great-great grandfather. And so for the early ashramites, he's a very important name along with his son, K.V. Rangasamyayangar. So let me tell you the connection. An interesting story. I'll try to make it as short as possible. So Vasudevayangar came from a town, a little village called Kodialam which is in the Sri Rangam district of Tamil Nadu. They had a guru. He, his brother's family, they had a guru in a place called Nagai which is nearby, Manargudi Nagai. That guru said, after my time, after a few years, 40 years, I will come back as another energy but from the north. You should be ready to accept the sign and you should take him as the same way you took me, like a guru. So this was told to Vasudevayangar and his family. And then the guru passed. Several years happened and things were happening in other parts of India. There was a rising fire of patriotism, of liberation of independence. And then one night, I believe in a dream, Vasudevayangar woke up and told his sons that I think it's time and Uttara Yogi is coming. So he coined that phrase Uttara Yogi. First they thought it was from northern Tamil Nadu. They didn't know where in the north he was coming from. News came about Sri Aurobindo's escape and that he was on a ship and he was going to be docking in French area. So Vasudevayangar's son Rangasamyayangar was there when the ship docked because he was instructed and then as many of you know Sri Aurobindo lived in hiding in his early years in Pondicherry which was French territory. My ancestor lived in British Southern India, Tamil Nadu. Now how to help this person? The fullness of Sri Aurobindo's brilliance was yet to arrive but the sign had come to Vasudevayangar's family so they were very wealthy landowners in Kodi Alam. They had given very generously to the Sri Rangam temple and other areas but how to help him this person, this young man who is hiding as a fugitive in French territory. How to get the aid to French territory? So Vasudevayangar with one of his two sons either Rangasamyayangar or Narayanayangar would go on walks once a week and they would have their secret paths not the same path but different walking roads they would take a dog with them at the border they would let the dog loose the dog would run across into French territory and they would tell the police which was guarded the territory Now I already put it, now I already put it catch the dog you have to catch the dog and they would be dressed very simply and they would be carrying with them one would have a little jar stainless steel container with ghee at the bottom of which would be a gold coin So in the confusion of trying to catch the dog they would have some clothes they would have some food and they would have this gold coin they would be already told they would have people situated in French territory to take them to where Aurobindo was hiding and they would secretly have a conversation with him give him the help and they would find the dog and come back Yeah So they had two or three dogs so that it was not the same dog that would be recognised and alternate who are the gentlemen and the family who would go but those early years of meeting Sri Aurobindo and being able to support him to have conversations with him to start that dialogue so that this family Vasudev Engad's family would then go come back with insights of what this young man was saying and find some parallels with what their guru was saying So the devotion and the connection was established from the moment Sri Aurobindo arrived on what we call today Tamil soil and it continued for many many years important enough for it to be recorded in the archives of the ashram Rangasamy Aengar, KV Rangasamy Aengar became a very very successful lawyer in Delhi Yes, very famous and so this connection with the family in time then was lost things happened I didn't know of it at all I found out about it when I came back 30 years ago 30 years ago only I knew about it I came back from meeting Anu after a performance of Veena Pani Chawla's Savitri a greater dawn I came back and I told my grandmother my mother's mother my grandfather my grandfather you know what my grandfather did some North Indian came some North Indian came bearded North Indian came from they kept on giving money they kept on giving money they kept on giving money they kept on giving money so my grandmother was like an exasperation I know about all this old connection so much money went to that bearded North Indian so as we always take family for granted even if they do wonderful things we never think that they are really wonderful until it is recognized from outside so when this story came back to me it happened to be at the same time that the volume Uttara Yogi was then released at which point I met all the Kodialam family and each of them had these very interesting stories about the connection with Sri Aurobindo so for all of you who may not know that is from the moment Sri Aurobindo shipped docked there has been a connection with my ancestors on my mother's side 30 years ago 30 years ago and I did not know so the reason I am drawn again and again to the part of Tamil Nadu has to be some other earlier psychic connection as again I am the only professional artist on both sides of my family nobody else is in the arts everybody else was either in service or in business so that is my connection I am very honored thank you that was a little for all of us so let us just go to nobody else from the arts but here you are working on Sri Aurobindo's mother yes you have worked on that and fortunately and hopefully next year and February it is going to be here we are going to do it in Auroville also but in the meantime I would like to you have traversed this whole thing of the journey as an artist what are the spiritual what is the spiritual grounding that one has found there so there is one level of spirituality which is without that you cannot really touch art and the other hand is I will go back to the five dreams because that is the reality of the world so as artists we have to deal with both so your take on that dance is a very very very entry point because it deals with the body it deals with the mind but it also deals with the spirit which are all the three streams that Sri Aurobindo talks about you have to touch all the three you have to create only from that unified space but there is one very important aspect that I did not learn in convent school because when I went to school it was a very good school and my Irish nuns Catholic nuns they gave a lot of discipline order, planning and the idea that sports is very important in your life because it will teach you how to win and lose gracefully you can't always win the arts have a tendency to only win in the mirror because you need ego you need a bit of narcissism you need all that to be an artist you must believe that you have the capacity but my parents were very wise to make sure that the convent education during the day was supplemented with a 5 a.m. wake wake up yoga facing the sun shlokam first easy shlokams for children then alternate between dance class in the morning and tennis there was every morning between 5 to 8 schools started at 9 o'clock in that time so from 5 to 8 was this kind of training ground for the body and the spirit I would say body mind and spirit sports is also extremely once you enter what we call the zone you just play you just participate be present and also absent very much like in the arts you train train train you practice you practice you practice you rehearse you rehearse you rehearse then the muscle memory the body gets accustomed to doing something so then the mind has to be both present at the moment with strategy for sports but the mind should also be a little bit apart so that you leave the space for what I call the moment of creation it could be a tactical moment that just comes to you as inspiration it could be a movement on stage that will come to you in the moment so that kind of distance and to open a certain space here needs both a sense of adventure and a sense of surrender it should be both that search that search has to be constant we have practiced so many times I am going to win you can never say in any sports and when you put your foot on the stage there is no cut there is no retake it has to be one performance so I think that was the kind of training I had which was what I call the real physical world as well as the development of a psychic spiritual world which included learning to read and write Tamil at home Sanskrit shlokam for memory so it was a very intense my teachers would always say do you have any time to dream and my mother would say that time will come but it's between the 0 to 14 that you have to imbibe and expose that young spirit to all the possibilities until she can find what she wants to do when I decided to be an artist like full time I had actually resistance lot of resistance because they thought marriage is important you will find some spare time to be an artist but then I realised that it's a calling even today today today is my guide in my life so I am very honoured to be here so you know to find these things it's a constant search Anu you don't arrive you are always travelling you are always making the journey and for that I think Auroville and I want to salute the genius of the tamar soil in the tamar manla we have had lot of seminal ideas planted be it in the arts be it in the freedom struggle be it in politics be it in thought so I want to also acknowledge it in the tamar manla we have a flower flower you know it takes it definitely germinates it takes time because we don't immediately it's like let's take our time and decide but when it actually takes root I think it flowers into something wonderful I mean why would Sri Aurobindo come to this part of the country that had to be some calling and some reason for my family's connection thank you well you know tamal nadu the soil of tamal nadu is also holding this experiment evolutionary world experiment everybody is accepting yes tamal nadu we accept everybody you create your own destiny don't blame anybody for that cause and effect all great philosophies are there thousands of years back so much literature so much we accept everybody we don't sit in judgment we accept everybody it takes a lot of time whole of India and more so in Tamil Nadu we accept everybody we accept everybody hundreds of people hundreds of countries 124 were there when the foundation was laid they all accepted no protest against them so I simulate them that is why we are going to go one world and one unity and all that thousands of years back they said everybody is related to me acceptance that's why also all part of integral yoga only so that's how when you are in deep you know trans you are in your meditation only isn't it so that's why what you need is integral yoga so if you permit I want to just read out some is it okay ma because there is no way I can put it better than those words you know just no no no I don't have to I'll do it also about the significance of the occasion see Arbindo very interesting story your ancestors had good fortune of knowing that not only the best philosophy of the 20th century he was a political leader revolutionary termed social worker, poet yogi, spiritual leader and an ideal teacher certainly possible to resist moral degradation if we can lead life in accordance with Indian spiritualism the masters writing, speeches and all that see Arbindo's teaching and philosophy is at most important what is the relevance today why are you talking about what happened 100 years back is at most important to human beings they want to live in peace and harmony today is very much relevant in this 20th century where science and spirituality should go side by side science has gone far ahead and spirituality is lagging behind unfortunately the scientific development which is fixed I only in the materialistic progress will not be able to achieve the permanent peace in the world but simultaneously it is very much necessary to uplift the human being through spirituality you see in the west what is happening so much of prosperity, wealth and all that children and taking guns and shooting each other schools the parliament is resisting any reform gun laws what is happening they want to legalize drugs that is the way we are going now you know what is happening at Pantisheerishi Arbindo developed a spiritual practice he called integral yoga the center theme of his vision was the evolution of human life into a divine life in divine body he believed in a spiritual realization that not only liberated but transformed human nature enabling a divine life on earth he saw that is possible now about his dreams my dreams the first of these dream was a revolutionary government which would create a free and united India then the second dream was the resurgence and liberation of the people of Asia and her return to her great role in the progress of human civilization I am only telling you just the essence of that the third dream was a world union forming the outer basis at a faster at a fairer, brighter and nobler life for all mankind there have been visualized by another great masters also united world they should scrap all the armies and all the united world government and all that the three conferences have been held after every war there is a world conference but again things are gone bad after the second world war the third world war now someone asked Mahatma Gandhi same is repeated about Isaac Newton also they said how do you think the third world war is going to be fought he said I don't know but the fourth world war will be fought only with sticks and arrows the third world war will destroy everything nothing so he will be left with only sticks and arrows because of mass weapons of destruction mass weapons now another dream is the spiritual gift of India the world has already begun India is spirituality India's spirituality is entering Europe and America in an ever increasing measure that convenient that government will grow and the disaster of the time more and more are turning towards India with hope it's a fact it was not just a dream it's happening today you see all our spiritual monsters wherever they go millions of people are attracted they feel the Indian philosophy of basic values only hope how to save humanity the children youngsters many organizations are going lakhs and lakhs of people are going for meditation now yoga and meditation after 2611 there was a great demand for yoga teachers now after more and more of wars and it is drug addiction and pandemic and all that people are 60% of the doctors in America I am told are having stress doctors unless you know you find how many between your body mind and soul with individual and create a society a family where they are living together a society an ideal society which was dreamt of here I know you have to realize the dream long way to go but I can tell you with a dynamic person like Dr. Jainthi here you can expect lot of changes see him only implementation has to be little more fairer, stronger sometimes ruthlessness also because you know this is created as a ideal place for the whole of humanity that dream has to be realized still but it is going to be realized I am sure by the cooperation of all the other ways you have to have role model so the rest of the world can follow you can't allow this failure should never happen I know lot of committed people are there what is the final dream of the master a step in evolution which would raise man to a higher and larger consciousness and begin the solution of the problems which have perplexed perfect time since first began to think and to dream of individual perfection and a perfect society it is still a personal hope and an idea an ideal which has to be realized if you want to save humanity I don't think there is a better prescription then what is bring right by Swami Sri Aurobindo and mother create an ideal platform is created Matri Mandir Amiti when you go there you feel you are in a different plane why can't we help to bring the vision of the master to reality it is still possible only what you need is a handful of men as Swami Vivekananda said I don't need just give me 100 people and you have got more than 100 people here and there is a person good guidance here we should all pray for the success of this vision has to come true let us all resolve when we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Sri Aurobindo let us all re-dedicate ourselves to make that vision of that great master and mother true which is possible it is a reality but we don't have much time act now otherwise it will be too late thank you Thank you I would like to just ask her one question and hand it over to you but just to say that the fifth dream in Auroville we are very attached to that because we think he wrote it about us we think that work of evolution of consciousness is what the mother put in terms of reality on earth on the physical level and the material level and the spiritual level so that is one as you say there is a long way to go but it has to be done there is no shortcut to it Anita one last question before I hand it over to you Janthira Digi is that you chose to work with Sri Aurobindo as the mother what led you to it just in brief when you were in the Winding Road I have always been attracted to the feminine principle it could be because I have had amazingly strong women in my life stronger women as role models than men I have had to make decisions in my life on my own and the women who stood by me were my sister, my mother and my grandmother who co-parented my two children when I stepped out of the Lakshman Rekha and the constricts of marriage but in 1996 I happened to just I was searching for something, a new way of working from the early 90s and I went into the then landmark bookstore in Madras which was a great lovely bookstore and I saw a book there it was called Daughters of the Ocean and then I saw the author and she was in college with me Shobhita Poonja picked up the book because it was a known author with the preface saying a letter from a mother to a daughter and that letter to a mother to a daughter seemed like the letter I wanted to write to my daughter because she was going to be growing up with what we call now single parent the book inspired me a lot and I spoke to the author and she said, yes I have told the story of my life based on Saraswati Durga, Lakshmi, Kali and other female divine energies why don't you make it your story so that's how I started what we call personal diary autobiography as performed theater the work was called Daughters of the Ocean I brought it to Auroville in 1998 at Bharatnivas it was the old auditorium not the new avatar of it and Pierre Anu's husband who I then called Mr. Atri which is another avatar he watched it and then he said you should read the mother and he gave me that slim monograph 24 years ago and I read it and I said but this is it these are the qualities and the kind of imagery that Aurobindo came brought in that little monograph of Mahasaraswati, Mahalakshmi, Maheshwari and Mahakali was like writing a script for a performer it was like writing a script for a performer each of those qualities each of them were so complete they had a link and yet they could stand separate so then I created I was doing a lot of storytelling I had something called Arya the Divine Feminine again inspired by Aishwarya Aurobindo's writings under the label Arya and I created a work called Matrika which just took three of the mother Mahakali, Mahasaraswati and Mahalakshmi I kept Maheshwari as an overall inspiration but I didn't embody her in the performance and for me that was my breakthrough performance I consider it choreographically even in costume design and movement enquiry like a breakthrough performance but it came between 1998 when I looked at Daughters of the Ocean and got the monograph it took me nine years to create that Matrika and that book travels with me all over the world I bought several copies of it I misplace it and then I have another so I bought several copies at the same time and so the mother it's called Matrika but it is inspired completely by that little monograph and I keep going back to it if I want to seek inspiration about what are the possibilities of not just a woman but how can energies come up at a certain time in life we have a brand new baby that's been born into the family my niece is just given birth and I look at that little bundle of hope all of three and a half kilos and I'm thinking what is the life that this young spirit this Atma will have in this crazy world at the moment now the newspaper understand what's happening with the headlines I don't understand anything everything is a mess but so what is this this little hope and they say you know at zero, meaning when the child is born all the chakras are facing upwards that's why we still have a soft spot in the centre of a newborn baby it's almost as if there's still space and time for the divine to descend when the crown closes then the chakras go from looking upwards to looking outward and that's why I feel the early formation of a child like my parents recognised and this of the mother the words of this little monograph the mother is something that everybody must read definitely read in Tamil, English definitely translated in this language this is a very small small book you must definitely read it it gives you courage to face life as well you know Mahakali arms outstretched moving swiftly upward ready to shatter any obstacles you know just that image is so powerful so yes I look forward to reshaping Matrika in dedication to the mother in February thank you I want to turn to Jan Siravi to make the concluding yeah for the concluding remarks I think this is a very beaut am I audible I think this is a very very special beautiful beginning we all decided to call invocation the beginning of a very special auspicious month where we celebrate the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo and as Kartikeyan Ji mentioned this was not a program that was planned I think a lot of things in Auroville happen spontaneously and I think even Anita's presence here I met her on Sunday evening and she was here for a dance and film festival so we thought since this month is beginning it's such an auspicious beginning why don't we have a small invocation for the invocation that is being planned not just for this month but hopefully from now on continuously in our lives I think what we heard today was extremely inspiring I must share Kartikeyan Ji he has always inspired me to be somebody who has been considered one of the top cops of the country and yet you know duty you perform your duty but to actually do it completely grounded in what is fairness what is compassion what is neutrality in fact just yesterday over lunch we were discussing about this movie that has just come out you've all heard of it rocketry has anybody watched it rocketry so this is the story of a very leading scientist the director possibly at that time of isro and he was saying how as a part of you see these vicissitudes of life you will have these ups and downs honesty, sincerity, commitment he was vilified targeted, brutally his whole family everybody had to face a lot of consequences completely ostracized by society, by community and you know the kind of third degree torture also because the allegations were terrible and he says he too back then as perhaps the head of CBI had to investigate him and he said that stern feeling initially that this is somebody who has wronged the nation but as he went through the day saw him so it also needs that inner eye of being able to discern between what is right and what may appear to be right because the paper's evidences may speak in a way but you should have the courage and the compassion and that love to be able to transcend all these things that may blind you saying that this is the evidence and he says by the end of their day not only did he realize that this man was not guilty but he was also a noble man and and then the rest is history and as he was saying had this gentleman died before he was acquitted of all these charges it's likely that history would have not really recorded all of this and really considered him a traitor but that's where I think faith in the divine and as mother says in this small as Shri Aurobindo says in this beautiful book of course it's signed by both of them in the month of August of 1924 is it I think if I remember right it's 1st of August 1924 incidentally Anita we read this almost every day in our office and I must say so many of us Prasad is also here we all many of us congregated the office and read at least a few pages of it it's a tonic it's it's absolutely I would say an atom bomb of energy energy for the good not not destructive at all but very positive very very potent with a lot of positive energy so in that sense it's we're so happy he's here and he had the premiere today that movie is going all over the world and showing not only about the integrity honesty of a person who's so committed to the service of the nation but also in against all these odds of virtually the whole of humanity at that possible time not believing in him when he continued to do his work as the mother the book says with faith, sincerity and surrender and and having full faith that ultimately satya meva jayate truth shall prevail no matter what and that's history we saw that and he was there in the preview he had organized a special screening a few days which had Madhavan also as well as the Nambi Narayanan Ji himself there so and he's got so many other things that he's connected with so over all these years I've deeply admired his contribution at this age of he's perhaps safe I may share possibly 83 years old with a kind of commitment and you know you speak to him he's at Coimbatore with the Isha Foundation doing a lot of work the next day he's at Esviyasa and Vivekananda Institute at Bangalore and then he's at the Swami Narayan Sampradaya Delhi so you know and again out of living he's very close to all of these movements in spite of being somebody who's had us absolutely spotless reputation as being somebody who's excelled in his work being an inspiration and today I especially took the privilege of inviting a young Mitran he is that Deputy Superintendent of Police of this area he's just joined servicer and I thought since you're coming here it would be very fitting for all of us from the service to take inspiration from you and in the context of what Sri Aurobindo has taught all of us that life is about Integrality it's not a very cut and dry thing of just my work but how as she rightly said all these layers of not just being able to work at the level of the body mind intellect soul and then in a very simple way to also have faith in the innate goodness of human beings not lose hope on anybody and when there are a lot of small students coming from school today, you all are sketching it, Karthikeyan sir and Aditha ji you can share what you've learnt we took pay or school pay we would like to hear something from all of you someday. Anitha it was wonderful to hear you and this connection I think the seed of it was there from that small sesame seed the kuldu tata yallu tata sesame seed I think it's germinated even more beautifully now and we see somebody who's so very accomplished in all the bold experimentation and that's what Auroville is all about and so as sir said the five dreams which is the theme of this entire celebration we talk of a fairer, brighter nobler world so India again it's not about being selfish and saying this is only for India or only for us or only for me but it's actually being absolutely generous being a beacon light that can inspire people all over the world and with open arms welcome everybody so we need all your blessings all your support you have to keep coming here sir we're not going to leave you Anitha you too because we all have to contribute to this place realising it's full manifestation of what mother had dreamt of a place where people from all the 200 countries of the world absolutely sir Tractomy is the unity of the whole world here people from over 100 countries living as one family the division of the master and we are good just quoting the whole court of Swam India is the meeting place of the religions and among these Hinduism alone is by itself a vast and complex thing not so much a religion as a great diversified and yet subtly unified mass of spiritual thought realisation and aspiration and I had been to I had been in search of this how can it be I had been to Kailas Panasurva twice considered the holiest for Hinduism Buddhism, Jainism and even Sikhism and then Israel three times considered the holiest for Christianity Judaism and even Islam till they found Mecca, Madina they were all turning towards that mask on the rock I had been there I had entered the mask also it's a special privilege I had taken search of Ravishakarji also they said no Hindu or Hindu master but I went there by religion and even in Pakistan also I gone for the inter-religious conference they took me to the mask and all that and wherever I go in Europe I ask the Mujis considered the holiest place they will take me to a church or whatever it is I go and I really found parts are the parts are many but goal is the same isn't it so? So the divine allowed these things to happen in various parts of the world but ultimately you go for the same thing I find that message here very powerful very powerful and that's how people use not only theory people are living together I believe in perfect harmony it's a practical proof to the world it is possible but he won't just be expanded by the experiment by Sri Aurobindo and the mother it should not stop as an experiment it should be more successful vibrant practical philosophy where people should come and see yes it's possible otherwise you know today the world is torn into pieces mother earth is crying for relief you know what you have done to the environment ladies are melting so fast to see what is rising 30-40 countries are going to be submerged and then you see what's happening in Ukraine, Russia and various parts of the world people wanting to kill each other which god which religion the creator said you know destroy others so I had the courage to tell in Lahore in the Sufi conference if you are truly religious if you are truly religious the creator Shiva or Allah or whatever it is is all powerful and all merciful if you are truly faithful how can you say I hate somebody I want to change somebody that means you don't have faith in your own god as all powerful all merciful you are lack of faith you are really faithful in a religion you must accept all are created by the same divine different points of view ultimately you have to write your path compassion, caring, sharing compassion to others living beings I am emphasizing that all forms of life of the planet everybody has got a right to live the man in arrogance he thinks you know he is created everything is created for him that is why we are facing the consequences so truly religious spiritual people will harm me between the body mind and soul between me my family my society and only such society can create good peaceful nations nations only can create a world without war are we talking about international conferences about peace and nothing is going to happen so let us begin the moment strengthen the moment give new impetus to the moment Dr. Jayanthi you take the initiative and make it happen before the end of this celebration this message should go all over the planet Namaskar just one last point I also want to thank you so much sir and this morning we spoke to the chairman of our governing board Dr. Shri Arun Ravi he has also conveyed his special greetings for this celebration similarly the secretary of education government of India Shri Sanjay Murthy Neerima Bhai Noza our governing board member she would be joining us off and on during the celebration Ms. Mariam who is the chairperson of the IAC so we have all of them solidly behind us and of course the residents the beautiful sisters and brothers of Auroville who are also all here I want to may not be taking all your names and the little children of Auroville as well you are all here and of course all those who are watching this live streaming across the world I think this is a beautiful beginning and invocation as mother said in 1972 as we celebrate the centenary of Shri Aurobin though she said let us be worthy of him and I think we it is absolutely apt appropriate and perfectly relevant even today so let us use this whole month and the time henceforth for that introspection consecration and constant aspiration with a surrender to the divine once again thank you so much Anita thank you so much sir for being here and I want to say a few words to all of you thank you to everybody and thank you to everybody who is here who has come and all the people who are watching this session will be put up on YouTube so it can reach because it was done in short notice so thank you once again yes and we close within a minute of silence