Auroville’s raison d’être and how to achieve it

Fifty years after Auroville’s inception, what is known of its raison d’être and of how it is to succeed? What is the reason behind our community’s past and future achievements? How can a progress in consciousness in Auroville benefit India and ‘the earth’? And how can we hasten the realisation of our ideals?

On the reason behind our community’s past and future achievements

In February 1968, a ninety-years old French lady, who had remained in Pondicherry for the past forty-eight years, invited the youth of the world to come to a then barren plateau nearby and be part of a ‘great adventure’. The challenge before them was the most difficult one can imagine: building a township of 50,000 whose aim is human unity, the ideal society and city. Initially there was nothing there: money had to be raised, land secured, political support obtained... Though it looked totally impossible, some did believe in this dream. They settled and started working at making it a reality.

Five and half years later, in November 1973, this ‘old lady’ passed away and a serious dispute erupted between those who claimed to be in-charge of Auroville. It soon became a bitter battle between Auroville’s legal ‘owners’ and the bulk of its residents. Very ugly scenes took place. Naturally, some people felt vindicated: ‘We told you not to believe in this impossible dream.’

Yet, thanks to the intervention of India’s Government, Parliament and Supreme Court, Auroville escaped destruction and, not only survived this ordeal, but kept blossoming. WHY?

Well, this ‘old lady’ was known as ‘The Mother’ because She was a very high incarnation of the Divine Mother about whom Sri Aurobindo wrote: ‘The Divine Mother is the Consciousness and Force of the Divine – which is the Mother of all things.’

In turn Mother wrote: ‘What Sri Aurobindo represents in the world’s history is not a teaching, not even a revelation; it is a decisive action direct from the Supreme.’

Speaking of him, she also said: ‘Without him, I exist not; without me, he is unmanifest’.

Sri Aurobindo and Mother were avatars (divine incarnations) who spent their entire lives manifesting a new and higher consciousness in their own bodies, and thus in the terrestrial atmosphere. Their joint labour resulted in a first descent of the ‘supramental’ consciousness on 29.2.56, in a first descent of the ‘superman’ consciousness on 1.1.69 and in Mother telling Satprem several times on 10.2.70: ‘The work is done’.

It is this ‘decisive action direct from the Supreme’ and it alone that makes possible what used to be impossible. It is by tuning to this new and higher consciousness which has descended that the Aurovilians were able to be Mother’s instruments – and will continue to be her willing servitors.

One can say that by tuning to this higher consciousness – that is, by relying on Mother’s Force – one establishes a ‘field of resonance’ (a term used by some modern scientists) which then channels this consciousness (which can also be considered as information or vibration).

On how progress in Auroville benefits India, ‘the earth’ and the universe

Mother spoke repeatedly of an invisible ‘link’ between the disciples, India, ‘the earth’ and the universe.

On 2.8.61, She told Satprem that Theon, who taught her occultism in 1906-07, ‘was the first one to give me the idea that the earth is symbolic, representative – symbolic of concentrated universal action allowing divine forces to incarnate and work concretely. I learned all this from him.’

She also explained: ‘In the whole creation the earth has a place of distinction, because unlike any other planet it is evolutionary with a psychic entity at its centre. In it, India, in particular, is a divinely chosen country.’

Speaking of the Ashramites, she told her class on 25.8.54 that ‘from an occult standpoint, it is a selection [of diverse human types]’ and, on 20.9.60, she explained to Satprem: ‘The idea is that the earth as a whole must be prepared in all its forms, including even those least ready for the transformation. There must be a symbolic representation of all the elements on earth upon which we can work to establish the link. The earth is a symbolic representation of the universe, and the group is a symbolic representation of the earth.’ Because of its size and diversity, the Auroville community has also become an interesting symbolic representation of the earth.

On 1.2.68, She wrote a message for a press conference called in Delhi in preparation of Auroville’s upcoming Inauguration Ceremony:

India has become the symbol representing all the difficulties of modern humanity.

India will be the land of its resurrection, the resurrection to a higher and truer life.

Two days later, she commented on this message to Satprem: ‘the same thing which in the history of the universe made the earth the symbolic representation of the universe so as to concentrate the work on one point, the same phenomenon is now taking place: India is the representation of all human difficulties on earth, and it is in India that the ... cure will be found. And then, that is why – THAT IS WHY I was made to start Auroville.’

What Mother seems to mean here is that the Auroville community, and that of the Ashram, are two ‘chosen groups’ (probably because ‘He who chooses the Divine is chosen by the Divine’) two ‘symbolic representations of the earth’ (just as India is the chosen country and the earth the chosen planet) and that our solving of Auroville’s problems, which are similar to those of India and of ‘the earth’, will help solve the problems of India and of ‘the earth’.

Hence, it seems that the field of resonance which links Sri Aurobindo and Mother to their disciples is also interlinking Auroville, India, the earth and the universe and that progress in our community will positively impact – is impacting – India, the earth and the universe.

Means to stimulate Auroville’s progress

On 7th May 1912, two years prior to Her first meeting with Sri Aurobindo, Mother stated clearly the purpose and programme which 53 years later would become those of Auroville:

‘The general aim to be attained is the advent of a progressing universal harmony.

‘The means for attaining this aim, in regard to the earth, is the realisation of human unity through the awakening in all and the manifestation by all of the inner Divinity which is One.[...]

‘The terrestrial transformation and harmonisation can be brought about by two processes which, though opposite in appearance, must combine and act upon each other and complete each other.

– Individual transformation, an inner development leading to the union with the Divine Presence.

– Social transformation, the establishment of an environment favourable to the flowering and growth of the individual.

‘Since the environment reacts upon the individual and, on the other hand, the value of the environment depends upon the value of the individual, the two works should proceed side by side.’

Forty years later, in April 1952, Mother expressed again the same need, in an article published in the Bulletin, titled, ‘An International University Centre’:

‘In this effort to improve human conditions, there have always been two tendencies, which seem to be contrary but which ought to complement each other so that progress may be achieved. The first advocates a collective reorganisation, something which could lead to the effective unity of mankind. The other declares that all progress is made first by the individual and insists that the individual should be given the conditions in which he can progress freely. Both are equally true and necessary, and our effort should be directed along both these lines at once. For collective progress and individual progress are interdependent. Before the individual can take a leap forward, at least a little of the preceding progress must have been realised in the collectivity. A way must therefore be found so that these two types of progress may proceed side by side.’

For Auroville to become ‘a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity’, we all need to unite progressively with the Divine within ourselves. Only then will we be ONE in the Divine. For that, every Aurovilian has to do his individual yoga (to transform himself) and has to take part in Auroville’s collective yoga (to transform our society so that it stimulates our individual transformation).

Auroville’s success depends on how seriously we take these two yogas and on our individual and collective ability to seriously look for a way for these two types of progress to proceed side by side – one stimulating the other. Should we fail in this regard, Auroville would be a failure – even if we were to succeed in steadily increasing its population, its annual turnover and the total value of its assets, while scrupulously implementing its original master plan.

Our community’s main programs of social transformation are described below, together with some explanation of what their step-by-step implementation will require in terms of progress on our side. We all need to be aware that circumstances are bound to evolve in such a way that pressure will keep mounting for all of us to keep progressing individually and collectively.

Aims and objectives of Auroville’s programmes of social transformation

The aim of Auroville’s programmes of social transformation (our collective yoga) is to create ‘an environment favourable to the flowering and growth of the individual’ – that is, of an environment that stimulates the development of a new and higher individual and collective consciousness.

As is the case in all other spiritual endeavours, ours requires mastering one’s ego, desires and sense of possession. Therefore our community’s programmes of social transformation will have to apply an increasing pressure on all of us to keep progressing in this regard.

Every progress in our community’s social transformation will result in sincere sadhaks feeling increasingly motivated to join it or to support it in some ways. It will also result in some people not wanting to join it, and some of us feeling out of place in our community and leaving it.

The progressive implementation of these programmes will also result in this new and higher consciousness being expressed and embodied in our society and in Auroville’s outer face (its city and green belt). As is always the case, progress will flow naturally from within to without.

Auroville’s main programmes of social transformation:

1) Hastening the advent of a more luminous future by bringing in all fields and at absolutely every level ever more truth, beauty, harmony and knowledge as well as collaboration, unity and peace. (The last two being Auroville’s aims.) This implies that we all practice these values.

2) Making an integral and unending education available to all Aurovilians , spiritual education being one of its key components. On 1.2.69, Mother told Roger Anger: ‘The permanent university will be the key to Auroville’s raison d’être. It must be a leap forward; so that it can hasten the advent of the future, of a world of harmony, beauty and union.’

This implies: a) that all should be keen on learning ever more (the key to a ‘youth that never ages’), b) that our top collective priority is to provide to our children the kind of education Mother wanted for them, c) that the teachers are well trained to this effect and, more importantly, are shining examples of the values they teach, and, d) that parents realise that Mother didn’t want them to produce so many children (and thus overload Auroville’s schools with pupils) and doing what some of them too often do: wrongly influence their children (e.g. by insisting on them obtaining a degree instead of learning for the joy of learning).

3) Improving Auroville’s simplified way of life so that our ‘higher qualities have more time to develop’.

This implies that we become all keen on spending more time on developing our ‘higher qualities’, on supporting measures aiming at this simplification (i.e. improving and extending the scope of the existing range of ‘Prosperity’ services), and on using them.

Let us be aware that Mother’s experience with the Ashram as well as with Auroville was that many residents used their freedom from daily chores not to progress, but to indulge in laziness or in activities which neither develop their higher qualities, nor benefit the community.

4) Turning Auroville into a self-supporting township by producing at least as much wealth as it consumes – not to satisfy our desires, but to meet our respective true and simple needs and enjoy a way of life which is both simplified, beautiful and rich in opportunities for each one to become his beautiful self. We need to keep in mind that: ‘Auroville is created to realise the ideal of Sri Aurobindo who taught us the Karma yoga. Auroville is for those who want to do the Yoga of work. To live in Auroville, means to do the Yoga of work. So all Aurovilians must take up a work and do it as Yoga.’ and that ‘Working for oneself is not working for the community. Each member of the community should have an activity that corresponds to the needs of Auroville.’

To be self-supporting implies that those amongst us who could contribute more work or money do so and that we all increase our efficiency in producing wealth and in utilising it.

It also implies using consciously all precious resources (land, water, energy, money, etc.). Mother wanted to provide an example of ‘true life’ – of the conscious use of money and said that its present utilisation by financiers is turning the earth into a ‘dead moon’. More importantly, it implies not wasting the grace/consciousness that is constantly showered upon us.

5) Improving our internal economy by turning it into ‘a kind of adaptation of the Communist system, but not in a spirit of levelling: according to everyone’s capacity, his position (not a psychological or intellectual one), his INNER position.’

It is therefore to be based on the concept of ‘no private property and no circulation of private money within Auroville’.

‘At Auroville nothing belongs to anyone in particular. All is collective property. To be utilised with my blessings for the welfare of all.’

Mother wanted us to offer generously our work and money to Auroville and have our true and simple needs (not our desires) provided by the township – and not by private means.

‘No private property’ is a means to try and ensure that we all master our desires and sense of possession, which, as said already, is a must in any kind of spiritual endeavour.

‘No private money’ is a means to try and ensure that money is handed to ‘those who have an integral, comprehensive, TRUE and universal vision’ and that money ceases being ‘the Supreme Lord’, which it will remain as long as those having access to private money will remain able to enjoy higher living standards than that enjoyed by sincere and hard-working but poor Aurovilians, and as long as Aurovilians and friends who have access to big money will remain able to use it to impose their own pet projects on their fellow Aurovilians.

There are two main reasons why so many amongst us are unwilling to allow money or other assets in their control to be allocated by others than themselves:

1) As yet, they haven’t mastered their desires and/or sense of possession.

2) They claim, rightly or wrongly, that they know better how best to allocate this money and/or assets than the relevant community-appointed committee. To invalidate this reason, our community needs to seriously improve the way it appoints those who allocate collective resources.

The economy should also be based on ‘from everyone according to his possibilities to everyone according to his needs’. But this is not an equalitarian system. Though we have many needs in common, many of us have some very real needs which others don’t have. How are they to be met?

For this system to be truly ideal, each one’s real possibilities and needs need to be properly assessed: ‘The difficulty is the appraisal of the value of things. You know, you have to have a very broad vision for that. The easy thing about money was that it became mechanical.... But this other system can’t become quite like that, and so....’

For Auroville’s version of communism not to fail (as communism did elsewhere), we need to master our ego, desires and sense of possession and be able to offer our work to the Divine instead of trading it against higher living standards. On its side, our community needs to organise itself in such a way that it is able to provide for each one’s true needs – including one’s ‘sphere of action’ – that is, a work opportunity where ‘to express oneself and develop one’s capacities and possibilities while being of service to the community as a whole’.

‘It is not for comfort and satisfaction of desires that one comes to Auroville; it is for the growth of consciousness and consecration to the Truth that has to be realised.’

Unselfishness is the first need to participate in the creation of Auroville.

6) Improving constantly Auroville’s membership policy so that the quality and quantity of its members keep increasing simultaneously, instead of one increasing at the expense of the other.

In this respect, one needs to keep in mind the following points:

– As seen above, ideally, Auroville’s population should be ‘a symbolic representation of all the elements on earth upon which we can work to establish the link’ – ‘including even those least ready for the transformation’ – Yet, they should be keen to progress: On 4.4.72, Mother was asked by Roger Anger whether people considered as ‘undesirable’ by many Aurovilians should nevertheless be accepted ‘as being useful in providing Auroville with a certain type of difficulty’ to be overcome, Mother answered: ‘No! Certainly not! No, no, I don’t favour deliberately adding difficulties! I know they come for... But they shouldn’t be invited – on the contrary. They shouldn’t. Things should be made as easy as possible. Only, we shouldn’t be ruffled by difficulty, that’s the point. I am not at all saying that difficulties should be accepted – don’t invite them at all, at all, at all; life is difficult enough as it is! But when a difficulty comes, you must take heart and face it courageously.’

– Mother’s criteria for qualifying as an Aurovilian evolved through the years. Though, on 10.11.69, while comparing the Ashram and Auroville, She said: ‘the simple goodwill to make a collective experiment for the progress of humanity is sufficient to gain admittance [to Auroville]’, on 4.4.72, She felt the need to tell Satprem: ‘coming to Auroville does not mean coming to an easy life – it means coming to a gigantic effort for progress.’

Therefore, while welcoming new members in our community, we need to ask ourselves whether they understand the need for these two simultaneous transformations and are genuinely keen on making these two progress – or do they simply want to enjoy ‘an easy life’.

As this individual and social transformation is what matters most, trying to increase dramatically our population’s yearly growth rate would most probably be counter-productive – at least as long as there is no substantial progress in our programmes of social transformation.

7) Adapting constantly Auroville’s land purchase and exchange policies. In my view it should have the following aims:

– To consolidate and enlarge all existing large pockets of land – especially those in the area earmarked for the city and immediate greenbelt.

– To purchase all those sensitive areas which need to be protected for ecological reasons.

– To purchase more agricultural land to be able to produce more of our future needs. These lands will also provide some very interesting work to many sadhaks.

– To exchange outlying and isolated plots of land (whose atmosphere and ecology will become increasingly difficult to protect) against plots which consolidate large pockets of Auroville land (especially in the ‘city area’) in order to protect the atmosphere and ecology of these large pockets.

8) Continuing to develop city and greenbelt so that they are able to accommodate more sadhaks and provide for some of their needs (such as food and wood) as well as to stimulate and reflect a new and higher consciousness and thus embody beauty, ‘an harmonious simplicity,’ dynamism and effectiveness as well as provide an innovative and replicable model of the conscious use of money (and of other resources) and sustainable development which will benefit humanity wherever it will be replicated. Such are the conditions for Auroville to become ‘the city the earth needs’ and ‘the town of the future’.

There is also the need to take into account the fact that our present Master Plan was conceived 50 years ago according to four main assumptions which didn’t become reality and do not seem to be on the way to becoming reality – at least not in the foreseeable future:

– inspired and thus undisputed leadership was NOT expected to be a problem. Mother was expected to remain in Her body and to be able to guide Auroville’s construction and its early life.

– raising loads of money was NOT expected to be a problem. It was hoped that the main World Powers would finance Auroville's construction and that hence a township of 50,000 would be fully built within 20 years or even less. (In which case, many of the town’s main features needed to be decided upon at a very early stage.)

– massive and effective political support was therefore NOT expected to be a problem. Therefore, securing a huge acreage of land in one or several very large pockets was NOT expected to be a problem either.

– the future city area was considered by Auroville’s planners as being empty of population and of vegetation. Therefore, they didn’t feel the need to take into consideration any of its existing features such as existing villages and their need of space to develop, existing canyons, existing land-ownership pattern, existing network of pathways (on poromboke lands) and existing vegetation. They felt totally free to modify its contours and to develop the area without having to take any of these constraints into consideration.

Considering today’s reality, it would seem that our development plans need to be reviewed very seriously:

a) It seems very unlikely that Auroville will own its entire ‘city area’;

b) the yearly growth-rate of our population is unlikely to exceed 5% in the foreseeable future ; and

c) all over the world, planners plan more than 20 years in advance ONLY in exceptional circumstances (because ‘life’ tends to modify even the very best plans).

9) Informing people about Auroville without advertising it – that is, stating its message at its true level without lowering it in an attempt to make it more understandable. In particular, we should speak more on the true nature of the challenge our community has to take up (finding ways to simultaneously operate our individual and social transformations) and less on building a city of 50,000, which, for several reasons, is very unlikely to reach this population in the near future. Those who believe that we should continue to state that our main practical aim is to build a city of 50,000 need to explain to fellow Aurovilians, friends and visitors why Auroville shouldn’t be considered a failure as, 50 years after its inception, its population is only 5% of that for which it was planned for and as, for various reasons, it will take another 50 years, at the very least, for this 50,000 target to be reached – if at all.

10) Improving Auroville’s internal organisation. This programme is mentioned here last not because it is the least important, but because there was a need to explain first what is to be ‘organised’.

On 10.3.70, during Her first meeting with residents of ‘Aspiration’ Mother told them: ‘To be practical, you must first have a very clear vision of your goal, of where you are going.’ Before appointing any of its main committees, our community should first come to an agreement on the formulation of a ‘vision of our goal’ in the relevant field.

On 25.3.70, Mother explained to Satprem what is required from good organisers and what She thought of democracy and other basis of human organisations:

‘The conditions for organising – for being an organiser (it’s not ‘governing’, it’s ORGANISING) the conditions for being an organiser should be as follows: no more desires, no more preferences, no more attractions, no more repulsions – a perfect equality for all. Sincere, naturally, but that goes without saying: wherever insincerity creeps in, it acts like a poison. And then, only those who are themselves in that condition are capable of discerning whether someone else is or is not.

And now, all human organisations are based on: visible fact (which is a falsehood), public opinion (which is another falsehood), and the moral sense, which is yet another falsehood! [Mother laughs] So....’

On 11.10.67, Mother explained to Satprem the need for a simple organisational framework within which each one would find naturally his place:

‘I said, ‘Yes, everything is always in a hierarchy, especially all conscious individuals, but not out of any arbitrary will: it’s people themselves who spontaneously take their place without knowing it, the place they must have.’ It’s not, I told her, ‘it’s not a decision, we don’t want categories: this category, that category, and so this person will go here, that person will go there – all that,’ I said, ‘is mental constructions, it’s worthless!’ The true thing is that NATURALLY, according to his own receptivity, his own capacity, his inner mission, everyone takes up the post which in the hierarchy he truly and spontaneously occupies, without any decision.

What can be done to make the organisation easier is a sort of plan or general map, so that everyone need not build his position but will find it ready for him – that’s all.’

Mother also repeatedly stressed the need of not having any ‘preconceived mental plan’, of remaining always very flexible. She showed the example by being always very clear about her aims but by adapting the way to achieve them according to newly perceived needs, possibilities and constraints.

On 30.12.67, Mother explained to Satprem: ‘At bottom, the problem almost boils down to this: to replace the mental government of intelligence by the government of a spiritualised consciousness.’

On 10.4.68, Mother explained to Satprem what All Aurovilians should accept: ‘The first thing that should be accepted and recognised by everyone is that the invisible and higher power (that is, the power which belongs to a plane of consciousness which is veiled for the most part but which can be attained, a consciousness which can be called by any name, it doesn’t matter, but which is integral and pure in the sense that it is not false: in the Truth), that this power is capable of ordering material things in a MUCH TRUER, happier and better way for everyone than any material power. That’s the first point. Once people agree on that...[...]

And the second thing is the power of conviction. That is, the highest consciousness brought into contact with Matter has... (what shall I say?... it’s not an ‘influence’ because there is no question of trying to influence... perhaps we could say it this way:) spontaneously it has a greater power of conviction than all the intermediate planes. By mere contact, its power of conviction, that is, its power of transformation, is greater than that of all the intermediate planes. That’s a fact. These two facts make it impossible for any pretension to last long. (I’m seeing it from the standpoint of a collective organisation.)

As soon as you come down from this supreme Height, there is all the play of the various influences [gesture of mixture and conflict], that in itself is a sure sign: even a very slight descent, even into the domain of higher mind, higher intelligence, and the whole clash of influences starts. Only what is really at the top, with a perfect purity, has this power of spontaneous conviction. Consequently, whatever one tries to do to replace that is an approximation, and is not much better than democracy, – that is, the system which wants to govern by majority and minority (I mean social democracy, the latest trend).

But all those who participate in the experiment would have to be absolutely convinced that the highest consciousness is the best judge of THE MOST MATERIAL things. You know, what has ruined India is this idea that the higher consciousness is only concerned with ‘higher’ things and lower things don’t interest it at all and it doesn’t understand anything about them! That’s what has ruined India. Well, that error must be completely eradicated. It is the highest consciousness which sees most clearly – most clearly and truly – what the needs of the most material thing should be.

Conclusions

Sri Aurobindo said that two things are essential in this Yoga, an intense aspiration and reliance on the Mother. We should all keep in mind that we need to always ask her what she wants us to do and seek her support in doing it as we are nothing more than her instruments. Kireetbhai saw in her the ‘servant of the servants’ – always guiding/supporting those who sincerely aspire to do her work.

There is some amazing evidence of the link between some events in Auroville and others in India and the world. We need to always keep Auroville’s importance in mind and realise that our progress, and the lack of it, has an impact on Auroville, India, the earth and the universe. There is tremendous suffering in the world and we can do something about it by making some substantial progress here.

More than ever, I feel that ‘the earth needs’ the kind of Auroville Mother spoke about. Considering all that has already been achieved and despite some negative aspects, I am convinced that there is no better place in the world to realise our ideals. Yet, we can and should do better.

I will never forget the first real conversation Suhasini and I had with Kireetbhai, more than thirty years ago, at his house in Delhi. He spoke to us of Auroville’s three main failings (though he is likely to have used some other word): Education, Economy and Democracy. I tried to explain to him that we were doing our best in very difficult circumstances but he kept insisting ‘You are finding excuses, you are finding excuses, you are finding excuses...’ Though he didn’t convince me that evening, I soon realised that he was absolutely right. This is what made me build, together with Suhasini, the Solar Kitchen and a building for a more ideal ‘Pour Tous’ – and made me write this article (and others). His ‘You are finding excuses...’ have never ceased resonating in me. For me, Kireetbhai had ‘the soul of a hero’. I hope that many of us will develop such a soul.

My hope is that this article will help our community members and working groups to better understand the challenge we have volunteered to take up and that we will organise ourselves to try and progress in their implementation.

I remember reading (but haven’t found where, yet) that Mother explained that the two things which will change last in the world are finance and governance – though this is what most people want to see change first. Therefore, we should not expect to be able to make some substantial progress in these two fields soon, but we should nevertheless and definitely try to make some progress. We are likely to be more successful with other programmes.