Start Date: April 26, 2025
End Date: May 24, 2025
Venue: Online
Love and relationships are at the root of all human life as lived in our familial and societal contexts. But ordinarily, most people do not take the trouble to examine and understand the nature of these two things. Consequently, we go through life situations experiencing a variety of emotions, ranging from pleasure to pain, from passion to indifference, from happiness to sadness, from calmness to rage, and so on. Such ups and downs cause much turmoil and also lead to strained and troubled relationships. A deeper awareness of the nature of human love and its expression through different relationships can prepare us to deal more effectively with inevitably shifting life situations. By becoming conscious observers of the various emotions and impulses and instincts that fill up the space of our human relationships we can also avoid going through unnecessary turmoil in our outer lives and needless disturbances in our inner lives.
Generally, much of what young people learn about love and relationships is through popular culture and social media. Such unfiltered exposure to a variety of influences is not necessarily educative but often ends up stimulating the lower nature of the individual–instincts, passion, and sensations, resulting in a more muddled understanding.
Join us on this 5-week journey as we examine the nature of love and human relationships using a deeper psycho-spiritual view. No human experience is insignificant in the wider view of life and existence that has been given to us by great yogis, sages and seers such as Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. We find highly relevant insights on almost all aspects of life in their writings and teachings. Through this course we shall together explore and reflect on some of these insights as applicable to the topics of love and human relationships.
COURSE TITLE
Love, Human Relations and New Consciousness
Duration: 5 weeks
Start Date: April 26, 2025
End Date: May 24, 2025
Online Meeting: Every Saturday, 9:00-10:30 AM
(Zoom link will be shared with the registered participants a week before the start of the class).
COURSE TOPICS
- When Love descended into the Inconscience
- Human Love and the Ego
- Forces that have strongest attraction for the human ego and Asura
- Gṛhasth-dharma and the Future of Marriage and Family
- Disharmony in Human Relations
- Learning to Love Better
FACILITATOR
Dr. Beloo Mehra
Dr. Beloo Mehra serves as Director of BhāratShakti, an institute of Sri Aurobindo Society, dedicated to research and programme development in areas related to Indian Culture. A former professor at an American university, for more than 15 years now she has devoted herself to the field of Sri Aurobindo Studies as a student, researcher, writer, educator, program designer, editor and curator. She writes and speaks regularly on topics related to Integral Education, Indian culture, social-cultural evolution, and Integral yoga. She has developed and taught semester-length courses in these areas and has curated several programmes for university students in India and the US. Dr. Mehra is the editor of Renaissance, the online journal of Sri Aurobindo Society, and has authored several books including Antaryatra: Soul Journeys, Understanding Contemporary India in the Light of Sri Aurobindo, The Spiritual Foundations of Indian Culture, Indian Literary Tradition in the Light of Sri Aurobindo and ABC’s of Indian National Education.
COURSE STRUCTURE
- Weekly session: 45-minute presentation by the facilitator, followed by interactions
- Short readings to be completed during the week
REGISTRATION FEE: Rs. 1500
Early bird discount of Rs. 300 if you register on or before March 14, 2025.