Token Projects

July 23, 2001

  When the world takes to Sri Aurobindo, every walk of life will undergo that change which is needed to express His Force. New understandings, new ideas, new mental tools, new attitudes, new enjoyments, will spring up in millions. One can anticipate many of them and conceive of a token effort. Indeed, they are examples, as not only all walks change, but new walks arise. They can be grouped under several heads.

1. To maximize the present benefit in any field, by using a higher Force.
2. To extend any field infinitely in several ways, such as
   1. taking the other person's point of view;
   2. changing a dead method into a live one;
   3. shifting the centre of authority in functioning;
   4. enlarging the existing freedom;
   5. raising the quality of freedom.
3. To create new avenues of enjoyment in many ways, such as,
   1. introducing a measuring tool;
   2. classification;
   3. systematisation;
   4. reorganising the field based on a deeper principle.
4. To better integrate existing activities by
   1. physically extending the boundaries;
   2. introducing cooperation when none existed;
   3. replacing cooperation by coordination;
   4. allowing integration in place of coordination.
5. To forge links between different activities or sectors,
   1. Military and civil
   2. mechanical and administrative
   3. banking and education
   4. money and earning capacity

Some Examples:

• Jobs and skills required are listed in varying grades so that all levels will be covered. All jobs can be brought under 100 or 200 heads and placed under the scales of 1 to 9 or 1 to 16 or subdividing them further into 27, 54 or 108 types. The skills required can be correspondingly classified. A programme of self-evaluation that shows which person will produce what results in a given job can be devised.  If the person finds that his 40% performance is truly reflected by this programme, he can come forward to raise it to his maximum.

Measurement is MOTHER.

• Some Dutchman said he would quit a programme of searching for the formula of the universe if he could hope to discover the formula for Family Happiness. It is a superstition to believe that happiness in the family is elusive. The truth is, man is vitally trying to solve a mental problem. This can be easily illustrated and the formula readily presented. Again there is the superstition of NOT believing what one does not like. Ways and means are there to get around these attitudes. People will interest themselves in such a programme if a preliminary programme makes them realise that the truth of their present unhappiness is from their own choice.
• Show missing links in a programme where individuals, organisations, and governments arrive at their knowledge on their own. When directly told, people have a tendency to reject or ignore. Create programmes of measurement of achievement and let them fill up the forms. They will see their performance is 28% and the neighbour's is 73%, just by virtue of having ONE value, i.e. punctuality. If all values are implemented in a company that will raise it not ten-fold but a hundred-fold.
• Choose a company of 12 million dollars and raise it to 1200 million or at least 120 million in one year.
• Go to the top 25 companies and offer to raise their profits fifty times, showing them through a programme that another company which is fifty times greater has only three more values.
• Meet an experienced doctor and convince him he can expand his horizons to the horizons of the earth.
• Meet top professionals in any field with a similar offer. The key in all these ventures is the clarity of thought which the client feels is POWER demonstrated in a programme.
• When one goes through such efforts, he will see that Decision-Making lies at their centre and that is why a programme on it will take off like wildfire.
• The finest project is to practise what we preach.
• "Men, countries, continents, Truth or the abyss" said The Mother. This message will put us on the peak of the world.

A great programme, if done well, will be great. It is Romance.

• It is true that the heart never grows old.
• Even those who have no heart imagine they have one and revel in the idea of romance.
• Romance never dies in one. Even after decay sets in, one regrets the romance missed. Thus, Romance is ever-living.
• If any subject is unfit for intellectualizing, it is romance.
• Still, no subject defies analysis and every subject improves on analysis, as it enhances appreciation.
• The ever present URGE to court the unknown for the joy of its being unknown is an ever-increasing fountain of nascent energy. It is Romance when the exuberance is sought in the evolutionary context of man seeking woman.
• The charm comes from its being unavailable or considered unavailable, though desirable.
• Its great charm issues from the fact that it is not on the surface existence, nor in the sector of organised social emotions, not even in the inmost sensitive centre of the psychological organisation. It lies beyond that in the plane of biological evolution thus refreshing the act with the greatest energy man can command.
• It goes further by the fact that this fact of biology is a reflection of the Process of Creation as represented by the Ishwara-Shakti.
• Romance, as we know, is short-lived, evanescent, is that which will end in marriage often reversing itself into its opposite.
• Originally ROMANCE was there wherever there was a possibility in creation attended by the most dreaded hazard. It is sought after by those who generate overwhelming energies. They act guided by the course of its flow.
• Perched in the right perspective, every moment is living and is full of romance. As long as romance lives in the heart, it is seen in the environment. It never dies outside. If it does, it does inside.
• Romance is attended by everything exceedingly desirable in creation viz. danger, creativity, energy, initiative, capacity to experiment, desire to die for the joy of living forever.
• The universal appeal for romance is because it is there all over the universe.
• People long to know how far they are romantic, why their romance ended or failed, what is this romance about, etc. No one has ever written himself off as one incapable of it.
• Romance is recognised only with the other sex. We may confine our enquiries to it, but there is no moment which is not full of romance of the highest kind.
• The ingredients of romance are there in all, but either the environment does not permit its expression or the link between the outer and inner is not made.
• Love of danger, willingness to quit the sphere of security, cheerfulness, and enjoyment in rendering others cheerful, exuberant energy are its major ingredients.
• Generally self-evaluation of such ingredients is within bounds of approximate accuracy.
• These ingredients can be further divided to reflect health, attainments, education, social position, etc. until the last measurable ingredient is touched.
• Many auxiliary ideas will arise.
• Men who love romance but choose to be the opposite, adore it in others, literature, entertainment, thus creating a centre of romantic appreciation inside.
• Others pursue that ideal in the opposite by decrying it or destroying it whenever possible.
• Charlotte who is incapable of romance would like to promote it between Elizabeth and Darcy.
• A careful selection of these traits, combining them according to the theory of complete act, testing it in known circumstances, will provide a beginning.
• Sri Aurobindo has offered humanity the spiritual romance of blooming as GOD and serving as a beacon light for others.
• Romance of life is but a feeble version of the Romance of Spirit.
• Lila in Sanskrit, meaning a play, is a comprehensive concept of ever-present romance of constant discovery for the Delight that is hitherto unknown.
• There is no question of not being able to measure it, as there is nothing that does not lend itself to measurement.
• In fact, it is somewhat romantic to measure an elusive quality.
• Its one value that is a great mine is its capacity to open further avenues of romance, which I do not propose to pursue.
• To present to the world the romantic side of true Romance and make people romantically live must be enough for the present.