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December 09, 2012

Involution of Consciousness precedes Religion and Politics

Our grief has certainly been great, because the blow was unexpected. Above all, I measured the extent of the loss that the world suffered at a time when it is going through such a grave crisis. But a consolation has been given to us, which has proved to be greater and greater and which alone enables us to face the future. We feel the Presence of Sri Aurobindo, in us and around us, as powerfully if not more than when he was living, and we feel that this Presence is completely identified with that of the Mother. Thus is born and is confirmed this certitude that our Master has not left us, that his action is going on and that his work continues.

To Thee Our Infinite Gratitude Writings on the Passing of Sri Aurobindo — Compiled from various sources ISBN: 979-81-7058-016-3 Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department, Pondicherry Binding: Soft Cover Pages: 103 Price: Rs 95
This book of reminiscences, essays, letters, and excerpts evokes the hours and days before and after the passing of Sri Aurobindo on 5 December 1950. It begins with the Mother’s words, recalling his sacrifice and offering the assurance of his continued presence and spiritual action. There are personal accounts by Nirodbaran, Dr Prabhat Sanyal, and Pavitra that convey the gravity and emotion surrounding Sri Aurobindo’s final withdrawal, and essays by Amal Kiran, Udar Pinto, and K.R.S. Iyengar that attempt some understanding of its inner significance. The final remembrance is by the American scholar Rhoda P. LeCocq, who had come for the Darshan on 24 November, and later recorded her first impressions of the Ashram and her own experience of the Grace.

Towards the Rhythmic Word Studies in Sri Aurobindo's Theory of Poetry — Pabitrakumar Roy Publisher: Sri Aurobindo Samiti, Kolkata Binding: Hard Cover Pages: 181 Price: Rs 200
In this scholarly and philosophical work, the author has focused on certain aspects of Sri Aurobindo’s aesthetic philosophy: poetic discourse, imagination, poetry as mantra, and the value of art for spiritual life. He approaches his subjects through the lens of Sri Aurobindo’s writings on evolutionary metaphysics and the sociology of human development. His main interest is Sri Aurobindo’s theory of poetry, and he includes in his study an examination of the mystery of language, the function of imagination as the formative power of art, and the roles of reason and intuition in man’s mental and artistic progress.

No Chance! from Sri Aurobindo Studies Dec 9, 2012 4:25 AM
There are those who hold that the entire existence of the universe, and the apparent intelligence we see within the quantum world of sub-atomic energy, as well as in the interactive relationship of all forms of life existence to create an inter-dependent existence, is purely the work of Chance, a random combination of chemical reactions that yielded the “miracle” of Life.
There are those who would continue this line of understanding to make it a matter of “luck” as to how our lives unfold and whether we are “successful” or “failures” in our actions. This line of approach is essentially at the other end of the continuum from those who take the opposing viewpoint that everything, down to the smallest detail, is absolutely pre-destined and controlled with no amount of random chance whatsoever.
Sri Aurobindo takes issue with the idea that intelligence and consciousness can arise as a result of random chance. Sri Aurobindo’s view of the universe starts from a universal Consciousness that creates forms and energies out of itself, first through a process of involution, and then through a process of evolution. Inherent at all times is that universal consciousness and being. The inter-relationships and fine detail of the mechanisms and processes, the inter-dependencies and symbiotic relations all point to an incredibly complex consciousness that embraces the whole, at both the macro-and micro-levels. This is not the result of Chance!

The International Research Network on Religion and Democracy (IRNRD), launched in 2008, consists of leading senior and junior scholars in the social sciences, political science, theology and philosophy. It pursues extensive interdisciplinary research in these fields, focussed particularly on issues of religion, culture and secularization, the so-called post-secular condition, religious violence and peace-building, as well as the challenges and prospects of the interface between religion and politics in global contexts. The network organises regular conferences to develop and disseminate its work and prepares collaborative educational programs and joint research projects, funded by scholarly grants. The most important directions of the scholarly activity of the Network find at 'Core Themes'.
THE IRNRD PROUDLY ANNOUNCES the PROGRAM of the NEW DELHI CONFERENCE WEEK 10-14 December 2012 For Visiting the Website of the Conference Week, with Detailed Program click here New Delhi 2012
Religion and Democracy: Local Questions, Global Perspectives
As the 5th Annual Conference of the IRNRD, 10-14 December 2012, we are working on a complex series of scholarly events. One of these will be a conference The Arab Spring: Local, Regional and Global Perspectives, hosted and generously sponsored by the Indian Council of World Affairs. The conference week will also include a workshop on Torkel Brekke's recent book on fundamentalism: Fundamentalism: Prophecy and Protest in an Age of Globalization (Cambridge University Press, 2012
As a third element of this event, we work on a conference with a focus on the conception(s) of and the various problems concerning the 'postsecular'. The Organizational Committee of the IRNRD New Delhi Conference Week: Neera Chandhoke (Head); Hilal Ahmed, Mohammed Hashas, Péter Losonczi, Mika Luoma-aho, Silika Mohapatra, Aakash Singh. For more details visit: irnrdelhi2012.blogspot.com Contact Aakash Singh: aakashsinghrathore@yahoo.com Péter Losonczi: lospeter@yahoo.com
Routledge Book Release INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP IRNRD Launch and Discussion of Routledge Books on Aspects of Religion and Democracy Host& Sponsor: Routledge (India) Venue: R K Khanna Tennis Complex Africa Avenue Safdarjang Enclave New Delhi – 110029 Date: 12 December 2012 (3:00-5:30 pm) 
15:00: Routledge India: Multiple Book Launch Chair: Aakash Singh Rathore 
15:00-15:20: Peter Losonczi and Walter Van Herck introduce their forthcoming book Secularism, Religion, and Politics: Concepts and Context in India and Europe Discussants: Sebastiano Maffettone, Veit Bader
15:20-15:40: Gurpreet Mahajan presents her book Religion, Community and Development: Changing Contours of Politics and Policy in India Chair: Peter Losonczi Discussants: C. Upendra, Hilal Ahmed
15:40-16:00: Dilip Menon presents his Book Series Pathfinders Chair: Devrim Kabasakal Discussants: Sudarshan Padmanabhan, Dara Salam
16:00-16:20: Amit Prakash discusses Ranabir Samaddar's book New Subjects and New Governance in India Chair: Silika Mohapatra Discussants: Uriel Abulof, Meysam Badamchi
16:20-16:40: Hilal Ahmed on his forthcoming Routledge book Monuments Chair: Mohammed Hashas Discussants: Tom Bailey, Manohar Kumar
16:40-17:00: Ranjan Ghosh presents Making Sense of Secularism Chair: Kanchana Mahadevan Discussants: David Rasmussen, Gennaro Gervasio
Conference on the "Post-secular" Venue: Lady Shri Ram College of the University of Delhi (LSR) THURSDAY, 13 DECEMBER 2012 9:30 am Welcome Peter Losonczi (Director, IRNRD& Research Associate, Higher Institute of Philosophy, Leuven) Are We Postsecular? Religion & Politics in Comparative Contexts Silika Mohapatra (LSR Dept of Philosophy) 10:00-12:00 KEYNOTE ADDRESSES Chair: Tom Bailey (John Cabot University, Rome)

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