Manifesting the Dream Ananda Reddy is the Founder-director of SACAR, and President of its online educational wing, Sri Aurobindo Darshan: The University of Tomorrow. On the occasion of SACAR's eighth birthday (2008), in a conversation with Beloo Mehra he shared the story of inner and outer journeys that led to the development of SACAR. We present here a few excerpts from that conversation. "It was while living and working at Assumption University in Bangkok that the idea of starting an academic centre back home in Pondicherry began to take initial shape.... Because I had seen how the academic structure and culture of many traditional academic institutions in India can de-motivate an individual and may even result in making some individuals lose sight of the larger intellectual and spiritual life they may have set for themselves, I wanted this academic centre to be something quite different. I also knew very certainly that I wanted my work to be closely aligned with the thought and vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. All the intellectual and spiritual wealth that I had been given was because of the Grace of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and now it was my swadharma to pass on some of that wealth and become an instrument in spreading the vision of Sri Aurobindo to younger generations." "The origins of this idea of an academic centre focusing on the thought and vision of Sri Aurobindo actually go much farther than this time in Bangkok....it was originally a dream shared with my father, late Prof. V. Madhusudan Reddy, to open a Sri Aurobindo research centre in Pondicherry. But it was during my time in Bangkok that this 'idea became an ideal' for me. And all my subsequent work in building of SACAR from the grounds-up has been a realisation of that ideal." "Also in 1997, as part of Sri Aurobindo's 125th anniversary celebrations, I travelled to several places in India giving talks on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. This gave me an opportunity to see that there indeed was a real need for such an institution that I had been dreaming about, a dedicated institution that can guide the younger generations in a deeper study of Sri Aurobindo's works." | "I also spoke with many senior sadhaks at the Ashram about this project and was further convinced that an advanced academic centre in Pondicherry focusing on the works and vision of Sri Aurobindo would be a welcome and valuable addition to the existing academic environment of the area...This noble task of facilitating the learning journeys of young seekers who are new to the Integral vision of Sri Aurobindo was meant for SACAR to take up. The young minds seeking a higher knowledge, wishing to pursue work for a nobler, higher aim in life would be welcome at SACAR." Ground-breaking for SACAR building began in August 1998. Ten years later, SACAR remains the only academic institution of its type in the world that is focused on the vision and thought of Sri Aurobindo. The online educational wing of SACAR, Sri Aurobindo Darshan: The University of Tomorrow (TUT) (SACAR Programmes) was started in 2004. Collaborations and Partnerships "Since the beginning of SACAR, I had hoped and dreamed that this institution will build alliances, connections and collaborations with different universities in the India and abroad, thus bringing Sri Aurobindo's vision in the mainstream of higher education. This required that attention must be paid to the academic structure of the institution and also to the rigour and content of its programme offerings. At the same time, it was very important that the Mother's Free Progress system of Integral Education, which values freedom and flexibility, is adopted at TUT." At present SACAR has established collaborations and partnerships with several universities in India and abroad: Indira Gandhi National Open University | |
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