Integral Education Portal

What is Auroville?

Divyanshi — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:08:05 GMT

Auroville is...

The Cradle of the Superhuman, a place to delight in non-possessing creative abundance,

The aspiring soul of the Earth, the city of Dawn,

The Sacred soil of Purnam,

The body of a collective soul of humanity...

Auroville is not an organisation, it is not a city either - it is not a place, not a Mumbai or a Delhi, it is, by far, the only collective experiment on Earth, for Humanity to practice collective Integral yoga in all aspects of city-building with the foundation in no-ownership!

What a trust, faith it requires to take the leap, and be in this collective soup of humanity, in a world where humans hardly trust humans; here you trust the Divine - I will be taken care of - and you Derive your power through powerful service.

It is not the money you make for yourself, but what you generate for the collective, and experience the joy of being taken care, living in Her grace.
Here you see family not as biological, but as soul family.

A place, a shelter for the willing servitors of Divine Consciousness.

The most difficult part about Auroville is Organisation and Economy.

Ideas for the future are plenty and abound. It is the inner abundance and faith and a rooting in Maa that is required to be powerful and serve and yet be a steward, not an owner.

Even the greatest philanthropists of the world give through the wealth that they own, but what would mean to be rich and generous in a place that gives you abundant possibilities to earn, but by design and a willing service, forbids you from owning and possessing for oneself as an "owner" what you earn.

That's the biggest test of human nature.

How to be powerless and dispossess is easy.

How to be powerful, abundantly powerful, like a lion at work. How to be rich, abundantly able to create and generate wealth, and yet truly be a steward, a trustee of the wealth for Her Work.

To be a trustee is not being a fakir - who is neither able to flourish and live a life of full potential in action for oneself and all around him, nor able to protect and use and circulate the resources at his disposal for their right use. In fact, these are the two roles of a steward - live full potential and make right use of the resources at hand. This requires the Shakti, the fertility and the power of a Woman.

The line between the owner and the steward is thin, because the ego likes to claim credit and ownership and rights and grow for it's own sake and save for one's loved ones and biological family.

But does that mean biological family has no place?

No, it is not like that. But the law of inheritance and biological family is not paramount. It is subservient to a greater law. The law of service to Her work that's paramount, and within that each thing finds it's place.

Somehow for humans our personal biological family is dearer to us than our neighbour's family and their troubles more troublesome to us than that of seekers or the underprivileged in the world. We live a segmented and fragmented life. We choose blood over who really needs our presence, purely out of attachments.

Auroville is the only yogic experiment, that does not forbid you relationships, gives you full freedom to define them in your life... but let the core be in the inner discovery, and let each one work on oneself to move from attachment to True and Divine Love.

To be Her vessel, a non-attached love is the basis of giving each thing it's right place and enjoy being an instrument, a steward, a powerful steward of service and love and self-giving.

Auroville is this and so much more.

It is, like Maa says, an adventure and is not for the fragile. Like Sri Aurobindo says, it invites those with nerves of steel to redefine the destiny of the world.

The world is preparing for a big change, are you ready?

Welcome to the Future.

Happy Birthday, dearest Auroville, Maa's Dream and Our Dharma

Mantric Reading Format

Divyanshi — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:02:26 GMT

Basic Guidelines

15-30 mins/day, morning preferably.
Read on one theme from https://iewiki.purnamcommunity.in
Everyone gets a chance to read, goes in a circle.
Cameras are ON for all.
Everyone but the person reading is on mute.
5 minutes before the reading begins everyone lights a diya/prepares the space to receive.

Steps

Begin with a moment of silence
Read slowly, meditatively, loudly, clearly. Feel free to repeat a phrase if you wish. Read as if you are drinking, or you are being drunk, dissolved into the lines. With a silent mind, it is okay if you don't understand. Read a little, with a silent mind, the meaning will unveil itself.
Take a moment of silence
Everyone writes in their journals the quote as it is, in a good handwriting. This is for each one to stay with each word of the quote moment after moment. Sri Aurobindo's words are mantric, they have a light and a power, as one concentrates and gives oneself to His words, this light and consciousness can enter. Writing in good handwriting makes sure one is concentrated.
Take a moment of silence

Options

Option 1: Journaling
Option 2: Painting

Journaling

Contemplate on the quote in your journal. Contemplate, not analyse. Contemplate with a focus on "I" and "how". Example if the quote is "Joy comes when you take the right attitude", then contemplate on how can I take the right attitude, rather than what is right attitude in general.

Painting

Pick one phrase that touched you the most and paint the phrase while playing 5 mins long Mother's organ music. Don't try to imagine what you will paint. Just keep chanting the phrase from the quote that is attracting you, and slowly the imagery will being to unveil. Sometimes, it will just come as a colour, and you may not know what will you paint after putting that colour on paper. But take one step at a time & it will unveil.
Share your insight you had/your painting.
Contemplate on how can I carry this quote/phrase/insight through the day as a living presence. One/two people unmute & share

Inspiration behind the Integral Education Portal and the Way Forward

IE Admin — Sun, 15 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

Dear friends,

We are deeply delighted to have completed One Year of the Integral Education Portal.

Integral Education Portal has been a dream come true.

The last one year, every single Monday and Thursday, we shared newsletters with you. Each newsletter was full of videos, infographics, practices and writings based on the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother with you on the “Integral Education Theme of the Month”. We also hosted monthly talks with our content expert on the theme, in which many of you participated. These newsletters also led to the formation of the Swadharma Summer School in which several Integral education subscribers participated as well.

40+ volunteers have collaborated to make this offering possible. We are also deeply grateful to Svadhyaya students, organisers, facilitators and reviewers who have co-created the Integral Education Wiki, which forms the backbone of Integral Education Portal. The way we see it is - the last one year is a seed sown in the right direction.

We would like to share a bit about our inspiration behind building the Integral Education Portal.

Inspiration behind the Integral Education Portal

In 1951, The Mother inaugurated the Sri Aurobindo International University Centre (later called SAICE) for students from all over the world… She calls it “the most fitting memorial to his (Sri Aurobindo) name.” This demonstrates how central integral education is to Sri Aurobindo’s work. Ever since the inauguration of SAICE, across India and the world, there are many integral education institutions that have come up.

Most of them are focused towards schools, children and school education; Most of the work with adults is directly focused on yoga and its advanced stages. Thus, we felt the need to make an Integral Education Portal for adult self-learners - who are first and foremost interested in integral education for themselves, their growth and development, than for implementing it in a school or with children.

Mother’s Vision for an Internet Based New Education

In the Mother’s Agenda, Mother foresees the birth of the internet and its use for a universal education. Referring to a disciple, the Mother says in the Agenda: ,

“...she sees the possibility of a sort of world television (I don’t know how that would be arranged), with a telephone, and there would be a central office with a collection of answers to all possible questions—each question answered by someone eminent or qualified. The result would be the organization of a universal education—well, terrestrial—that would really be an education for all countries, in which the knowledge and best qualities of every country in the artistic, literary and scientific fields would be gathered in a kind of transmitting centre, and all you would have to do would be to get into communication with it

If it could be realized, it would be very good. It means that the most beautiful works of art, the most beautiful teachings, all the best of what humanity is GOING to produce, would be collected and within reach of all those who had a television. There would be the image along with the explanation, or the text or speech.”

To us, this is extremely powerful and inspiring. The text highlighted directly related to features of the Integral Education Portal, and we are striving and aspiring to make her dream and vision come alive.

Inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s Vision for India

Further, Integral Education Portal has been inspired by Sri Aurobindo’s vision for India.

In 1918, in the Renaissance of India, Sri Aurobindo gave the three lines of India’s development and the “measure of its help to the future of humanity”.

The recovery of the old spiritual knowledge and experience in all its splendour, depth and fullness is its first, most essential work;
the flowing of this spirituality into new forms of philosophy, literature, art, science and critical knowledge is the second;
an original dealing with modern problems in the light of Indian spirit and the endeavour to formulate a greater synthesis of a spiritualised society is the third and most difficult.

First published in Arya, Aug. to Nov., 1918

Further, in 1947, as a part of his speech on India’s Independence Day, he re-counted five dreams. Out of which, his fourth dream is, “the spiritual gift of India to the world”. He says, “ India’s spirituality is entering Europe and America in an ever increasing measure. That movement will grow; amid the disasters of the time more and more eyes are turning towards her with hope and there is even an increasing resort not only to her teachings, but to her psychic and spiritual practice.”

Integral Education Portal is an attempt at making the deep and dynamic spiritual wisdom that India holds accessible as education to all aspiring learners in simple words. We are very happy that as a result of building this portal we could receive several subscribers from all parts of the world as well as begin to form friendships with life-long learners from the USA.

Moving forward

As we move forward, we would like to take a break from 15th August until 24th November, 2021. This means during this time-period we would not be sharing the newsletters. We would be designing the next stage of the Portal’s work, which we envisage to be interactive and engaging for the readers. Until the 24th November, keep studying on Integral Education Portal, Integral Education Wiki as well as keep following us on Social Media - Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.

We will come back to you with another launch closer to 24th November! We thank you for your support the last one year. We have been deeply delighted to see the kind of impact that the portal made in many of your lives, and have been very happy to receive the feedback. If you would further like to offer feedback, please write to us at ieportal@purnamcommunity.in

If you would like to volunteer and help us out in the next stage of Integral Education Portal's Evolution, please send a brief motivational letter along with your skill set/resume at ieportal@purnamcommunity.in

If you would like to support the further development of Integral Education Portal and wish to make a donation towards this offering, you may do so at https://donations.auroville.org/aci with the description "Donation to IE Portal".

We wish you a beautiful celebration of Sri Aurobindo's birthday :).

Wish you a beautiful independence day :).

Warmth,

Integral Education Portal Team

Invitation to Contribute Towards the Swadharma Scholarship Fund

IE Admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 03:30:00 GMT

Swadharma is one of our core flagship programs. It is a 5 weeks intense learning journey for the youth of the world to discover themselves and find their true calling.

To create space in Swadharma for those with meagre means but high capacity and aspiration, we invite you to generously donate towards enabling two students to participate in Swadharma 10.

We aim to make a sacred offering of 2 scholarships worth Rs. 80,000 towards Swadharma Scholarships for Cohort 10 by the 15th of August, that is the birthday of Sri Aurobindo.

With the community’s support, until now, we have received a generous Rs. 50,000 approximately donated by 22 people so far and want to use this message to share the momentum we have created thanks to the community and our friends. Let us keep the momentum going and do our bit.

Do contribute whatever is possible as nothing is too little or too much and all that is given in the spirit of offering is humbly received.

About Swadharma: www.swadharma.auroville.org.in

Donation Gateway Link:

https://donations.auroville.org/purnam

Please mention 'SSF' in your donation description to help us collate the donations in a smoother manner.

The donations collected last year were able to help a participant in Swadharma 9. Let us aspire to do the same for future participants of Swadharma 10.

Express Your Authentic Self Courageously

IE Admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In July 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Courage. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Role of Courage in Transformation

When courage arises from the core of one’s being, one can open up and experience life to the fullest. Facing one’s fears is an extremely important aspect of transformation, which comes up at some time or the other during one’s life. The absence of courage is the presence of fear, which constricts and shrinks one’s consciousness. Courage enables us to explore and express the meaning and truth of our being.

Courage in Your Different Parts

Courage is a total absence of fear in all of its forms. However, it is not based on rashness. It has its seat in calmness.

Courage can exist in the following three domains of an individual:

Physical courage involves a certain stability and tranquillity in one’s very cells, nerves and heartbeat. One who is not intimidated and can act calmly and rationally in the face of physical fear is said to have courage in the body.
Holding courage in the mind involves keeping the mind calm and quiet,open to the unknown and new ideas, allowing a greater force to pervade it and rejecting the doubts and ‘what ifs’ that creep in.
Courage in one’s life-energy involves overcoming fear, the ego’s falsehood and opening to higher forces with faith and a will to act courageously.

Courage Beyond the Ego

We are most often trapped in the littleness of our own ego. We define ourselves and others by our opinions, priorities and preferences. We see the differences between us and others, and fight to defend our ego. This needs to change. Seeing oneself as an expression of the innermost being, widening ourselves beyond petty differences and giving oneself for a collective cause is the key to progress. True courage stems from a deep inner space with love and faith. Overcoming the ego ensures that a false sense of courage does not flare up in one’s personal defence.

Challenges on the Path of Courage

Three of the most common challenges are:

Doubts. Doubts are expressed by the mind. Doubts pretend to be an honest-truth seeker and continue to doubt even when convinced. They are fuelled by fear that one may not even be aware of.
Illness. A disease or illness in the physical is a sign of disharmony in the cells. It is a vicious cycle that causes and is caused by a deteriorating willpower.
Diabolical Suggestions. Sometimes a random thought or feeling that is very unlike us grips us. These may deter us from acting courageously or at the very least, distract us from the path of progress.

The method to overcome these is to keep oneself connected to one’s deeper aspiration, be vigilant and reject unnecessary deterrents at the thought or energy level, before they make one jump into action.

Click here to read more on Courage.

Here Are Five Powerful Videos on Courage:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VFnSqeVTI4fIaF6jUEPP3Iw

Unifying Your Body, Mind and Soul through Hatha Yoga

IE Admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In June 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Hatha Yoga. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Essence of Hatha Yoga

Hatha Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that combines asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (regulated breathing). It brings control and power, opening up the body and increasing its capacity to hold life-energy.

Hatha Yoga works on the principles of purification (removing unhelpful elements), concentration (intensifying focused energy) and liberation (which unites us with the Universe at large).

Hatha Yoga is not merely a bodily practice. It involves concentration, perseverance, will-power and discipline. The intention and inner space that is held while performing the activity is as important as the accuracy of the physical postures.

How Hatha Yoga Purifies and Strengthens You

Hatha Yoga establishes stillness, lightness and flexibility in the body, and enables the body to hold an increasing flow of prana or life-force with calm stability. A lack of adequate Prana to a specific part or element of the body causes illness. Practicing Hatha Yoga regularly increases and purifies this life-force energy that is essential for being healthy. It clears energy blockages, purifies and enhances the flow of Prana. As a result, illnesses begin to vanish and your energy levels increase.

Pranayama and its Transformational Power

Prana is referred to as the Breath of Life. Pranayama is a practice that involves regulation of one’s breathing. It begins with equality of inhalation and exhalation and extends to diverse rhythmic regulations of inhalation, holding and exhalation.

Practicing Pranayama purifies one’s nervous system, so that the life-energy circulates freely, without obstruction, disorder or irregularity. One slowly acquires control over the functioning of his or her own body. The body’s inherent nature to tend towards inertia can be overcome, making it a better instrument for one’s innermost being or soul.

Yoga and the Infinite

The word Yoga means union. The essence of yoga is to enter into contact and unite one’s entire being with a much larger play of the universe. By seeing oneself as an instrument for the universe to express itself, the oneness of existence comes to light. Yoga is a practice that establishes and strengthens this connection, by making the body a supple receptacle of higher forces.

Normally, nature controls the body. Hatha Yoga establishes an equilibrium in the body that is far greater than that established by nature, which makes the body ready to receive indefinite, infinite and intense inrush of the universal, transformative force. Hatha Yoga unlocks the door to universalising one’s body, so that it truly becomes one with the universe.

Click here to read more on Hatha Yoga.

Here Are Four Energising Videos on Hatha Yoga:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VFmGa_93-NWM8hCn9WcNmpP

The True You – Your Psychic Being and its Significance

IE Admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In May 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Psychic Being. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

Your Psychic Being

Your Psychic Being is who you truly are. It is veiled beneath the surface, which is made up of the routine movements and natures of the mind, body, emotions, energy and senses. This part resides in the subtle, inner chambers of your heart centre, waiting to be discovered.

The Psychic Being can be your friend and guide when you find yourself at crossroads in life. It is the seat of faith, devotion, surrender and deep gratitude. This sanctum sanctorum is a space of silence, calmness, delight and harmony.

The Psychic Being stands for what is true, good and beautiful. It can purify and integrate the other parts of your being (the mind, body, emotions and energy) so that they work together harmoniously towards your highest purpose, instead of fighting with one another for their individual dominance.

The Power of the Psychic Being

The psychic being is a tiny seed that holds the potential to flower into a lovely tree. It can open a portal to an energy source much greater than you. The steady inspiration that flows from it can help you joyfully create and sustain good habits, which are required for your well-being and progress. The discerning light it radiates can guide you towards your purpose in life, and enable you to take the right decisions at the right time. It has an intuitive knowing and can guide you to what is best for you.

The Three Angels of Psychic Awakening

The best way of discovering your psychic being is through the moment-to-moment living of the following principles:

• Aspiration: A conscious awakening of your will towards a certain action or quality; an energetic reminder of its purpose and contribution to your progress.

• Rejection: Noticing and distancing oneself from unhealthy movements of the mind, emotions, ego, desires and body. For example, if you find yourself replaying a bad memory again and again, choose to end the loop.

• Surrender: Offer yourself to something greater and vaster than yourself. It can be to a Guru or a Divine Being or to pure light. Establish a poise of self-giving in daily activities and routines.

The Path of the Psychic

The path your psychic being is made up of love, joy, beauty, peace and oneness. A melodious harmony of poetry, art and music is the perfect recipe for our soul’s education. These have the potential not only to purify our soul, but also allow a self-controlled expression, deepen the connection and bring in a sustained harmony within.

Poetry is an activity that elevates and evokes the emotion and imparts utmost delight. Art on the other hand is a tool that brings a stillness to the emotions. Music helps deepen the connection with delight and emotions.

Click here to read more on Psychic Being.

Here Are Four Videos That Can Help You Get in Touch with Your Psychic Being:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VFkarOQ7bQ9q-q_4aSqLYU3

Finding Strength through your Emotional Being

IE Admin — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In April 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Emotional Being. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Role of Your Emotional Being

Your emotional being can help tap into the higher consciousness, become a means of strength and pave the way for the flowers of relationships to bloom into harmony.

Emotions are indispensable to our integral progress, as love and devotion can only manifest in the presence of the emotional being. Purest emotions reveal a profound delight which is pure and exquisite, and that is its sole inspiration. It uses the power of emotions to navigate, without giving in to external stimuli. These deepest emotions rise from the soul of pure love and delight.

Purity of Emotions

Emotions, as we know them, are mere responses to external triggers, whether a physical or a mental one. It is the surface consciousness in us that gives birth to these waves of reactions and responses.

In our path of transformation, it is only the purest emotions that hold our hands and carry us ahead in the path. This is the life force, under the influence of our innermost being. These purest emotions are the emotions turned solely towards the Divine

Purifying your Emotional Being

Imagine loving someone with all your heart - we tend to carry expectations, have an attachment that eventually becomes possessiveness and if love is not reciprocated, end up further degrading to fear and anger and further to hatred. Emotions in their truest form are the abundant source of light and delight. It is only due to degradation that emotions of jealousy, anger, fear, attachment, hatred, etc take birth.

It is of utmost importance that we do not associate or identify ourselves with such negative emotions. Our outlook should be pragmatic and we must look at our impulses from afar. Once we start observing these from a distance, we can easily identify how our mind itself is creating a mirage in the form of a story that might not even exist in the first place. This awareness in itself is like equipping oneself with the sole control over their emotions and how we would want to “feel” at a particular time. In all circumstances, we should seek to establish a state of deep calm and quiet. Calmness in the heart and silence in the mind are imperative for purifying one’s emotional being. Connecting to music, art and poetry that have the potential to touch and transform our inner selves, is also a way to purify one’s emotional being.

Click here to read more on Emotional Being.

Here Are Three Videos on Embracing and Refining Emotions:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VHDEYmbQfRYXCJgs5NgrwQD

Karma Yoga, the Yoga of Divine Works

IE Admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 03:30:00 GMT

Come, join us, for a 14 weeks deep study and practice of “The Yoga of Divine Works” from Sri Aurobindo’s Synthesis of Yoga. From the comfort of your homes, login and bask in the light and the conscious-force of Sri Aurobindo with a community of practitioners spread worldwide. Facilitated by Divyanshi from Purnam Centre for Integrality, Auroville in collaboration with her Synthesis of Yoga sangha, we are happy to offer this to anyone aspiring to read Sri Aurobindo, and delve deeper in the yoga of divine works from 14 Aug - 24 Nov, 2021, Saturdays 7:30 - 8:30 AM.

Apply now: https://bit.ly/3ic4vXG

Integral Health – The Catalyst to Living Your Purpose

IE Admin — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In March 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Integral Health. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

What is Integral Health?

Integral Health focuses on the well-being of your mind, body and emotions, their maintenance, practices to ensure that they remain healthy and receptive, and enable us to live the greater purpose of our life, which is known by your innermost being.

Somewhere deep within you, lies hidden the potential to harmonise all the other parts of your being. Awakening or rediscovering this innermost part, allowing it to flood your mind, body and emotions with its intelligence, guidance, calmness and strength is the principle process of Integral Health.

Integral Health is a state of total harmony, both within oneself and one’s parts of being, and also in our coexistence with our environment.

The Need for Embracing an Integral Approach

To be truly healthy, disease-free, happy and energetic, we must embrace an approach that is integral. Our hearts can open, our senses can get refined and we can have the joy of living in all that we do every single day, and our mind can function clearly. Embracing an integrally healthy lifestyle is not only beneficial for an individual, but also for the welfare of the society and ecosystem.

Each of us have a sense of purpose and something unique that gives us meaning in life. Focusing on and working towards this requires a harmonious state of being, on which Integral Health is conceived. If the body is sick, most of one’s energy goes towards maintaining the body and addressing the sickness, and there is little to no energy left for spiritual progress. If the mind is not seasoned, if we are slaves of addictions, if we let our emotions sweep us off, we may end up straying far away from our deeper journey, which lies deep within us, waiting to be discovered.

Integral Living

A healthy mind-energy-body combination is only an instrument for something greater. The core of integral living is to find an aim in life. A life that has no purpose is like a leaf being randomly blown around in the wind.

One must always ask themselves: Which direction am I going in? Where am I supposed to reach? Asking these questions will bring you closer to your life’s purpose. A healthy body, life-energy and mind are helpful tools to realise and live our purpose.

Connect to your inner light and allow your purpose to flower through a healthy body, life-energy and mind. This way, when the time comes, one can greet death like an old friend and gracefully transition to the next stage, knowing that they lived their lives integrally.

Click here to read more on lntegral Health.

Here Are Five Informative Videos on Integral Health:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VFPuwyVvIG-bSMLuvdoZWeD

Rising, Not Falling, in Love

IE Admin — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In February 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Love. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Strength of Love

Love can widen your heart and mind, enabling the hardness of what separates you from others to melt away. Pure love brings sweetness and joy through oneness - a perfect union with everyone and everything in the universe.

True Love

When we see or hear the word ‘love’, we may associate it with people who are very dear to us. While love may exist in normal interpersonal relationships, it is often tainted by anger, jealousy, pride, passion, desires, expectations, limiting belief systems or the surface heart’s need for affection.

Pure love gives itself and asks for nothing in return. It is the love we give unconditionally and unreservedly from within, rather than the love we receive.

Pure love is an intense, irresistible force that flows through us, calling us to discover our oneness with all other beings and the universe itself.

Opening to Love

Opening oneself to true love begins by seeking and seeing joy in self-giving and expressions of love to others. The experience is complete in itself and there is no expectation or anticipation or even a thought that your act of love has to be reciprocated.

For example, if you love a God, you may sing a song or offer flowers at their feet. However, if you do it with the intention that you should be blessed with more money or a better job, it is not true and pure love.

In relationships, you can practice true love by giving yourself without expecting anything in return or without any selfish, ulterior motive.

Click here to read more on love.

Here Are Four Soul-Stirring Videos and One Webinar on Love:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VEVVkXFudcqGmWf-c2-kF9U

Awaken Your Aspiration

IE Admin — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In January 2021, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Aspiration. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

Aspiration Empowers You

Finding and following your aspirations is an extremely rewarding process. Even the simplest or most mundane activities, when approached from the space of aspiration, can bring immense joy while doing the activities. One need not depend on or wait for completion or success (in terms of money or fame) to experience the joy of aspiration.

Aspiration empowers a person by giving the self-born will to progress on what they must do. A steady and sincere aspiration has the potential to dissolve fear of not being able to achieve something.

What does Aspiration feel like?

Aspiration is a steady, calm, quiet force that drives a person to put in effort towards something they wish to do. It is not an emotionally charged excitement that makes a person restless.

Aspiration is an inner call for an adventure. It is not a tool for achieving money, fame or success but a self-born evolutionary impulsion towards expressing your full potential

True and sincere aspiration is one that is not mixed with ego, fear or desire. Aspiration exists in each individual, veiled behind these three elements.

Aspiration motivates a person from deep within, independent of surface level emotional and mental ups and downs.

Identifying Your Aspiration

Aspiration is not something that you mentally construct, but something that already exists in the depths of your heart that can be consciously nurtured. The urge or understanding of aspiration is that nothing is too high.

Look deep within and accept your inmost calling. Acknowledge your specific aspiration without mental justifications or analysis, emotional needs or the 'high' feeling which is associated with reward.

In addition to aspiration let there also be calm and peace and joy in the mind and heart, and a confidence that all will be done in its due time.

Challenges on the Path

The mind may say 'What is the point of this? It is not required'

The ego may say 'Why does it matter if it doesn't make me more popular?'

The body might say 'I am used to a certain routine for years. I can't add the aspiration practice now.'

Desire might say 'I hope to become rich and powerful after achieving this goal'.

Whenever you get such distracting statements, reject them. Focus on your aspiration and allow it to unfold.

Click here to read more on Aspiration.

Here Four Inspiring Videos on Aspiration:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VHZCIVThVVgFj-2zhewOVkV

Delving into Discipline

IE Admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In December 2020, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Discipline. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

Discipline Aids in Manifesting Goals

Discipline liberates us from being slaves to inertia, emotional reactivity and our monkey-minds. It allows the truth from within us to be expressed through these layers and helps us achieve our goals.

We have different parts of our being, which are generally not in agreement with one another. It is like a group of people who have different personalities, agendas and natures, competing to be the leader. Discipline aids in moulding these parts so that they can work cohesively to facilitate manifesting the aspiration which is at the core of one’s being. By being disciplined we confirm in ourselves the truth of our inner being.

The Joy of Discipline

When we mention the word ‘discipline’, some imagery of negative enforcement is not uncommon. Harsh strictness or force, either from within or outside, do not uphold the spirit of discipline. Knowledge, intelligence, thoughts and emotions are facilitators of discipline. True discipline comes from the core of your being, which can harmonise all other parts. Discipline is showing loyalty to the flame of aspiration that burns at your core and allowing it to shine.

Being disciplined involves not allowing the body, emotions or mind to run according to their own fancy, without harmony and order.

Discipline is a joyful dance to bring out the truth of the inmost being.

Beyond Timetables and Reinforcement

Using fear, punishments or harshness are unhealthy ways of inculcating discipline into oneself or others. We can create crystal-clear activity logs or emotionally-charged posters to push us into a desirable course of action. While we can use these instruments to establish and strengthen practices, intellectual knowledge or emotional responses are inadequate to cultivate discipline.

There is a part deep within each of us that is beyond the mind, body and emotions. This can harmonise the other parts of ourselves and holds our deepest aspirations. Connect to it to invoke a gentle, strong and pure energy to transform yourself, achieve your goals and be the best version of yourself. When you act from this space consciously and allow the will and knowledge to unravel from here, discipline becomes a joyful experience that allows the inmost part of you to express itself.

Click here to read more on Discipline.

Here Are Four Videos and One Recorded Session That Demystify Discipline:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VH5fbd4V32rDd1aKiFxrhoz

Shining with Sincerity

IE Admin — Fri, 06 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In November 2020, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Sincerity. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Freedom that Sincerity Brings

A sincere heart brings clarity and inner joy, and helps you persevere when circumstances are challenging.

If you feel uneasy, or the need to justify your feelings, words or actions to yourself or others, it is an indication that some insincerity is present. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have been telling lies, but it signals you are not being true to who you really are.

When your motivations are aligned to the truth of your being, this unease and unhappiness falls away. You no longer need others’ approval for what you say and do.

True Sincerity

Sincerity means the absence of pretence, deceit or hypocrisy. It goes beyond honesty, requiring earnestness in all you say and feel. It is when there is perfect alignment between one’s thoughts, feelings, words and actions.

Sincerity is not concerned with satisfying others – it is driven by our need to be true to our deepest self.

A sincere person is transparent. Their inner truth shines out from their eyes, just as with a perfect pane of glass, their light is able to travel without distortion.

Cultivating Sincerity

We can begin to notice the justifications we give to everything we believe, like and do. Then we can explore whether these beliefs, likings and actions take us closer to our inner truth or not.

This is difficult as some of our deceits will be deeply ingrained. It requires total honesty and courage. It can be uncomfortable to see our true motives. But if we explore with lightness we may find humour in the tricks our ego plays, along with valuable insights.

Click here to read more on Sincerity.

Here Are Four Videos on Sincerity and Our Daily Lives:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VEUrNkVC0QhWFdn60p4QSqU

Blooming Beautifully

IE Admin — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 02:30:00 GMT

From August 1st 2021 to August 15th 2021, we are sharing one newsletter each day, summarising each theme of the month covered over the past year. In October 2020, we shared with you tiny newsletters on Beauty. To know more about the content on the Integral Education Portal, click here.

The Beauty of Beauty

Imagine that you’re running late for a meeting and find you missed your bus. You feel frustrated but then you notice a flower. Despite your hurry, something draws you to stop and gaze at it. Suddenly everything shifts. You experience deep joy and happiness. A feeling of harmony, satisfaction and pure delight.

Connecting with beauty helps nourish our spiritual growth. It awakens us to what is true and pure deep within. Turning towards beauty can widen our consciousness and bring lasting peace and happiness.

Recognising Beauty

Beauty is the way the divine expresses itself in the material world. It is seen as a perfection of form and felt as a living harmony. It is a calling to us from a higher realm.

Beauty does not just exist in the physical realm. There is also a beauty of the soul, of sentiments, of thoughts, of actions. If you go deeply enough you are able to perceive beauty behind everything. Every aspect of your life can be an expression of beauty.

Invoking Beauty

Beauty can be invoked in everyday life even by tiny activities like cleansing a physical space, lighting an incense or appreciating a flower. It need not involve something elaborate and expensive.

You can change the wallpaper of your phone or laptop to one of the beautiful floral images with quotes available here.

Click here to read more on Beauty.

Here Are Four Admirable Videos and One Recorded Session on Invoking Beauty:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD88jtO952VFAAKWsE_eaP-qUAVFRWUi_