In this video from 2016, he describes how Aurobindo retreated to a spiritual life in the city of Pondicherry in south India that was under French control. During this period, he developed (or “received”) a detailed and extensive program of yoga. He also kept a very meticulous yoga diary that combined English and Sanskrit terms. [...]

Whereas goddess worship has been almost entirely suppressed in the West, it has always been recognized and largely accepted in India, where it is frequently associated with tantric traditions. The fierce goddess, Kali, is a form of the deity that often seems demonic to westerners. Debashish explains the symbolism associated with her. Darkness can be [...]

Here he points out that the earliest known Buddhist texts emerged several hundred years after the Buddha lived. Therefore, to better understand the origins of Buddhism, he relies upon artistic and architectural evidence – particularly the stupas of Buddhism, to which there are few textual references. Buddhism appears to have influences both from central Asia [...]

Here he describes the historical context in which India’s greatest spiritual classic emerged. It was likely the product of an iteration of poet/sages. It is part of an ancient, epic poem, The Mahabharata. It addresses the moral dilemmas of violence, death, and warfare. However, it achieves a transcendant vision relevant to all times and places. [...]

Here he notes that the use of mantra was elaborated in the earliest writings of the Upanishads, approximately 900 BCE, prior to the time of the Buddha. At an even earlier stage, the hymns of the Rig Veda were considered to be mantras. The essential idea is to allow the power of sound to move [...]

Here he points out that artifacts relating to the worship of the mother goddess are found throughout the world, going back as far as 40,000 years. Such traditions are associated with the earth, with the wisdom of the body, with magic, and with equality of the sexes. Over time, the emphasis has shifted to the [...]

In this 2015 video, he describes the concept of Maya, a goddess who is thought to project the world of illusion in which humans find themselves. He notes that there are several schools of thought regarding the nature of this illusion. Maya can be viewed as a creative power that has the ability to show [...]

Here he describes the Indo-European family of languages and the relationship between Sanskrit and other languages of Europe and Asia. In India, #Sanskrit developed a unique life as a language used in ritual and as a language for the sacred texts of the #Vedanta tradition. Sanskrit became a language for contemplation. The very sounds of [...]

Here he suggests that the current systems of chakras have antecedents going back to the Indus Valley civilization over 5,000 years ago. Much of our contemporary understanding can be traced by to a sixteenth century manuscript that was translated into English by Sir John Woodroffe as The Serpent Power. The discussion focuses on the deities, [...]

Here he discusses the different approaches toward the siddhis in Tantra and Vedanta. He argues for a balance between these; and notes that, in the yoga system of Aurobindo, balance itself is considered one of the siddhis. He describes the cultural impact of colonization and eventual liberation of India as it influenced and, conversely, was [...]

Here he notes that, while Shri Aurobindo is the spiritual father of Auroville, it was actually founded years after his death by The Mother, Mira Alfassa — based on principles of “spiritual anarchy” enunciated in the teachings of Aurobindo. The ambience is distinct from that of the Aurobindo ashram where Aurobindo and The Mother are [...]

Here he points out that the Bengal Renaissance refers to a literary, artistic, spiritual, and political movement in the state of Bengal during the British occupation of India. It included figures like Ram Mohan Roy, the founder of the Brahmo Samaj modernization of traditional Hindu culture. Members of the legendary Tagore family played prominent roles. [...]