We have been longing for a sacred space, a piece of earth on which to create a collective home for those captured by the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. What better place than 40 acres of land in the Catskill Mountains known as Matagiri--Mother's Mountain.
Founded in 1968, Matagiri has been a home for a small community of persons aspiring to practice Integral Yoga. It has served the larger community by providing a space for retreat and meditation, as well as being an information center for those interested in contacting the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the international community of Auroville in South India.
True to the pattern of evolution, forms that once fostered the growth of Matagiri have given way to new forms--bridges to future realizations. Moved by the collective dimension of Integral Yoga, many have dreamed beyond the dream of the pioneers of Matagiri. They have proposed numerous projects, they have wondered about an expanded community, they have envisioned temples on the summit of the mountain . . .
All of these dreams have contributed to bringing us to the next step of creating a material base for their manifestation. The Foundation for World Education has given the seed money to obtain custody of Matagiri. This first stage has been accomplished.
The vision, which remains open and fluid to the broader community, is to create an infrastructure on the mountain that includes a meditation center, a kitchen/dining facility, residential units, a conference center, and a library.
The realization of this center will provide a base for exploring future possibilities. Matagiri will exist as a laboratory of evolution--a sacred space to retreat; experience community; explore the interface between mind, body, and spirit in the healing arts; facilitate the dialog between science, spirituality, psychology, and the creative arts; promote research on the transformation of the body; and integrate the wisdom of East and West.
Those interested in contributing to the project may do so in a number of ways: by helping to perform tasks, from clearing the land to fund raising; by offering money; or by sharing visions, ideas, and skills.
Please contact Matagiri, 1218 Wittenberg Rd., Mt. Tremper, NY 12547; or call Julian Lines (914) 679-5358 or Rudy Phillips (201) 327-3236.
--Arya Maloney
The Sri Aurobindo Study Group in Auburn, Alabama, began three years ago when Bill Flick returned from a visit to the Ashram in Pondicherry. The group currently consists of ten people, includ ing Bill's wife Debbie, who gather at the Flick home every two weeks. Each meeting begins with listening to Mother's music. This is followed by a discussion of the week's topic of study. The meetings close with a period of meditation.
The group has studied Sri Aurobindo's yoga and method of sadhana (including selections from the writings of Sri Aurobindo and talks of the Mother, Sri Aurobindo's book The Mother, and writings of M.P. Pandit). This year the Auburn group has undertaken an in-depth study of the Gita in the light of Sri Aurobindo's Message of the Gita. Notes from each meeting are compiled and distributed.
Anyone wishing to obtain a copy of the notes on the Gita or the nine-part selections comprising "Sri Aurobindo's Yoga and Method of Sadhana" can contact Bill Flick at 163 Windsor Ct., Auburn, AL 36849; or send e-mail to bflick@mail.auburn.edu.