Nourishing the Newcomer seed

I was born in France, lived in Canada and New Caledonia, and then returned to France. Each time I chose to adapt my skills to the necessity of the place where I was. So, I have been a French teacher for migrants and for young people from difficult backgrounds, and then a social counselor. I saw that I was good at helping people individually to find their own strength, so then I decided to become a therapist. I did training and gave individual sessions with an intuitive reading tool that has a psycho-spiritual element.

Someone then spoke to me about going to Auroville as an experiment. I had read Satprem’s book L’aventure de la conscience on Sri Aurobindo’s vision when I was 24, but the effect was not so strong on me at the time. When I was planning to go to Auroville, I read Satprem’s book again, and this time it was a strong discovery. I said, “I will go to Auroville to study Sri Aurobindo and The Mother”. I came here for four months, and spent my time going to the library, to Matrimandir, and back to study in my room. On my visit to Matrimandir, a strong experience happened in the inner room. It was something I had waited for all my life, an opening inside. I can’t define it, but I was so full, I thought that I have to offer it through some action. So I asked for service in Matrimandir, and I began worked there every day.

This strong experience in the inner chamber was the beginning of a new inner adventure, an adventure I could not stop, so I decided to come back as a Newcomer to continue this beautiful experience.

At the beginning, I didn’t really understand Auroville’s organisation. I was going from one meeting to another, and didn’t understand how they were relating to each other, combining together. Then, nine months after my arrival, I did the Aspiration programme, which introduced me to governance and the economy etc. So step by step, I understood and I became interested in the Residents Assembly process and started to try to participate regularly in these meetings. Now I am very interested in the Active Residents’ Assembly initiative.

I continued my service in Matrimandir by taking on more responsibilities. One year has passed and I am part of the Petal coordination team. We take care of the twelve Petals and coordinate a team of 20 to 30 people who receive guests in the morning for meditation in Petals. We are not just there to open the door, take tokens, give socks and help the guests to go inside. We also have to be aware of their inner attitude, as we know this contributes to helping the guests to keep silent and concentrated.

I am also part of the Aspiration programme team. When the Newcomers arrive in Auroville, they are full of something, it’s so precious – it’s the seed. And it’s important this seed grows and blossoms, to give to Auroville the creativity that these people have to offer. When you are a Newcomer, even though you are not Aurovilian, you are already part of the organism of the community, and you share the energetic transformation. And to be part of this big bath of energy, you also have to put your own energy into it, and, in your own small capacity, to transform it some way. So the question for me is not, “May I change something?”, but: “Do I contribute (with my thoughts, my feelings, my actions) to fuel the higher dimension of the community?”

For me, building Auroville is linked to an inner work. So it is the quality of the beings which permit the realisation of the ideals of Auroville. And this is the most difficult part for me. At the beginning, I thought “I am so full, I have so much to give, and I’m ready to give.” But the more time goes on, the more I realize my limits! And I think, “Oh, it’s not sufficient!”

We can build Auroville if we voluntarily serve the Divine, if we become tools of the Divine. But the reality is, that we are most of the time in the ego. And we want to offer only a little part of it! But that’s not the way. It’s about offering all of it. And I feel my limit here. I appreciate having a safe room, with comfort and a fan, which I know is not the case for everyone in Auroville. In reality, it’s important but not essential. The pioneers didn’t have these things. The most important thing is to keep the connection inside with something higher, which gives you the aspiration, sincerity and capacity to offer service with joy in spite of all the difficulties.

You have to keep your flame alive. I have to find a way to balance my own inner research and what I can offer outwardly. For me, there is a tendency, some imbalance to be more in action, or only in action. I need to take time for meditation and studying, mainly in Sri Aurobindo and Mother’s books, to stay in contact with the flame inside, as these texts are full of powerful energy.

I am divorced, my children are grown up and out in the world, I don’t need to work outside. I can be my true being here, because in Auroville we have the freedom to be what we really are. So for me, it was easier to choose this life. I just have to say yes. Sometimes the ego says “eeeee” [mimes discomfort] I feel some hesitation, and I realize I am still in process. Now I understand what unending education means, this work is never finished. There are many new experiences, interactions here, so it’s always challenging… but Mother said, take these as new things to work on!

The call is always very strong. I cannot imagine living in another place in the world: it’s like a wonderful adventure.

In Auroville, we have the freedom to follow what the soul asks for, and to nourish the seed of our potential. If this seed grows, blossoms and give fruits as a manifestation of their souls, human beings become happy, fulfilled and creative. If all the human beings in Auroville blossom, Auroville will blossom.

Every morning, when we open the petals, I think about that. I hope that the twelve qualities represented in the Petals will blossom in our hearts, so that Auroville will be a flower of the Divine!