Editorial

Death is not a popular topic of conversation. Yet philosophers through the ages have stated that an awareness of death and preparedness for it is essential to living one’s life to the full. In fact, one can say that one’s attitude to death is a powerful influence upon how one lives one’s life.

The Mother spoke extensively about death. The reason for death, and its relationship to what we term ‘life’ and to other states of consciousness, was central to her explorations in transforming the body. Through her extraordinary experiences, she not only provided glimpses of a new state of being, She also radically redefined the meaning of life, death and immortality.

It is debatable how far this knowledge has permeated into Auroville. As a new, dedicated Auroville ‘Farewell’ facility reaches completion, perhaps it is time to mine her extraordinary revelations and to initiate sensitive conversations into what death really represents, both for the individual and for the community as a whole: not as a morbid preoccupation, but as a celebration of the richness and ever-expanding horizons of our lives.