On Auroville 2022 to 2025

Here I cannot possibly go into all of these factors, but let me just offer a few examples in relation to your own observations or comments. Commercial units: as a collective, without any funds or even legal or social support, we very early on had to create productive activities which would enable us to organize ourselves and these were actually one form or expression of service to the whole; I do believe that the same spirit has remained active and alive in most of those who are earning profits for collective use. Labor: again, very early on, we could not possibly attend to all the work that needed to be done by ourselves and soon found out that the local villagers were not only willing but eager to help us and thus improve their own situations, particularly the women who usually face the most hardship; one may refuse such help, and insist out of a sort of moral principle to do every work oneself and attend to every chore, as a field of awareness, but it is not so easy to deny someone in need the opportunity to ameliorate their lot, particularly when one can be more obviously useful for a task requiring different or learned abilities. As for environmental concerns, one must remember that such model of collective building as illustrated in the spectacular proposal of the “Galaxy” (which was preceded by the one called “Nebulae” more directly inspired by the Mother), soon became objectionable for environmental reasons, given the increasing over exploitation of resources almost everywhere upon earth and the ensuing degradation and, therefore, more attention was directed towards the possible solutions that would respect and help regenerate the integrity of Nature‟s fabric; Auroville has always been meant to become eventually the city the earth needs, the city at the service of Truth, this was never disputed; but how to achieve this in new and truly harmonious ways was and remains to be explored by all of us together, integrating all what has been done and the basic structure agreed upon. There are a number of your views, as expressed by you on that day, that will find a resonance in many of us, but here I am trying to convey a sense of perspective, so that one remains aware of the crucial importance of the principle of “self determination” as explained by Sri Aurobindo. (When, for instance, you deplore the predominance of tourism as regards the Matrimandir, you will certainly find an echo in many of us and yet, to be fair and objective and actually discern where help is needed, one must hear a description of the various constraints and pressures at play.) Now, this is already too long a message and, although one would surely be ready to elaborate on any of the points above, the first condition is your own will to do so, to spare the time for it and eventually to welcome an open and truly collaborative sharing. (It is perhaps in order that I introduce myself briefly: I came to the Mother in 1969 and She named me “Divakar” in 1970, on my twentieth birthday; I have lived continuously in Auroville since 1973.)

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