Auroville references in Mother's Agenda

January 12, 1968

AM IX-28

It seems I have given her [the director of education] "full freedom" to organize Auroville. So she's calling it the "university city". She was told that the word was used in a strict sense; she said to me, "Oh, I explained," and on the invitations for the 28th [for the laying of the foundation stone], she wanted to put "the university city"; but we didn't ask her advice, we made the invitations and put, "The city of universal culture".

That's always the sign of people who have a purely mental power of construction: they want to force words to express what they want to say. I told her, "It won't do, you can talk all you like, for everyone the word will have the meaning it has; invent another word or turn of phrase." (aggressive tone) - "But THAT'S what it means"...

And she wanted to have a little orang-outang, because it seems the orang-outang species is disappearing from the earth, so she wanted to perpetuate the species — I don't know why... And when [the librarian] went to Tahiti, she asked him to bring back an orang-outang. Poor [librarian]...! It's not a very amusing task. So [the librarian] told me before going, "It seems I have to bring back an orang-outang?" I answered him, "I very much hope you do not find one!"

And he didn't find one!

February 3, 1968

AM IX-41-42

... They wanted to make some kind of brochure on Auroville, to distribute to the press, people in the government, etc., on the 28th [laying of the foundation stone of Auroville], and before that, there's a conference of all nations ("all nations" is an exaggeration, but anyway they say "all nations") in Delhi, in two or three days. And [name] is going there, and she wants to take papers on Auroville. They had prepared some texts - always lengthy, never-ending: speeches and more speeches. So I asked, I concentrated to know what should be said. And then all of a sudden Sri Aurobindo gave me a revelation. That was interesting.

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I concentrated to know the why, the how, etc., then all of a sudden Sri Aurobindo said... (Mother reads a note)

"India has become..."

It was a vision of the thing, that was translated into French words right away.

"India has become the symbolic representation of all the difficulties of present-day humanity. India will be the site of its resurrection, the resurrection of a higher and truer life."

And the clear vision: the same thing which in the history of the universe has made the earth the symbolic representation of the universe so as to be able to concentrate the work at one point, the same phenomenon is occurring now: India is the representation of all human difficulties on earth, and it is in India that there will be the... cure. And it is for that - it is FOR THAT that I had to create Auroville.

It came, it was so clear and tremendously powerful!

Then I wrote that. I didn't tell them how or why, but I told them: put that at the beginning of your paper, whatever it is; you can say anything you like, but this comes first.

(silence)

It was very interesting. It remained the whole time, for more than an hour, such a strong clear vision, as if everything were becoming clear all of a sudden. I have often asked myself the question (not "asked", but there was a straining to understand why it had become such a chaos here in India, with such sordid difficulties and all that like an accumulation), and everything became clear like that right away. It was really interesting. And then immediately it came: that's why you created Auroville. I didn't know it, you know, I was acting under pressure, and it was taking on greater and greater proportions (it's becoming really terrestrial), and I wondered why... For some time I used to think that it was the only real possibility of preventing a war [see I' Agenda de Mere VII, 21 September 1966], but that seemed to me a slightly superficial explanation. And then all of a sudden

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it came: ah, that's it!

And so, since it contained all that power, I said, "Put that". We will see - they'll understand nothing, but it doesn't matter, that will act.

February 7, 1968

AM IX-51-54

... Ah, now let's work! You know what we have to do?... Prepare the "Auroville Charter"! They're going to put it in the ground; when they're putting the soil from all the countries, they're going to put inside a metal box a document with this written on it. So it has to be written... I have a few little ideas.

And then there is the charter prepared by [an Aurovilian] and the charter prepared by [the director of education], you have to read them to me, we will see. (Mother hands over [the Aurovilians] charter)

Auroville Charter (by the Aurovilian)

1.Auroville is the first crucible of planetary man.

Ah! "Planetary", it sounds like one of [the director of education's] disciples! She likes "planetary" very much.

2.Auroville offers itself for the discovery of the profound sources of the unity of man and the universe, of knowledge in joy and love.

I don't understand! It doesn't matter.

3.Everything in Auroville belongs to the whole earth and the members of Auroville are all the beings of the earth.

4.This day Auroville is solemnly consecrated to serve forever and ever the union of heaven, earth and life.

Heaven? What heaven?

Here's the other one. (Mother hands over [the director of education's] charter) It's more literary!

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Dedication of Auroville (by the director of education)

1.We do solemnly found this city as the first seat of a planetary society...

Ah!

... the society of tomorrow.

2.We do solemnly consecrate this city as the constantly renewed synthesis of the latest conquests of science and the most ancient wisdom.

3.We do solemnly establish as the chief function of this city the preparation of each child towards his highest spiritual and planetary destiny...

Aïe!

...so that this city may become the cradle of a new humanity.

Is that all? It's better, but that's not it.

Me, I didn't put any solemnities... I didn't write it down, because it's never mental, so it's not organized. (Mother looks for some scattered little pieces of paper) From the mental point of view, it has no value, it's not organized, but some things did come. In fragments, not in sequence (Mother goes on sorting bits of paper), I don't even know anymore what I said... it's not organized; I don't know what order I will put it in... Ah! (Mother pulls out a piece of paper)... First there is a material point which [the Aurovilian] has attempted to say in an awkward way: that everyone is a citizen of Auroville. The truth is here (we're not going to put any solemnities, it's not necessary)...

(Mother unrolls a large parchment on the ledge of the window, facing the Samadhi, then perched herself on a small stool in order to be at the right height, and, armed with an enormous black felt-tip pen which makes letters like cuneiform strokes, she set about recopying the charter, making comments all the while.)

1. Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.

Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole...

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There, that's the material fact. Auroville belongs... I didn't put "to no country" because India would be furious. I put "belongs to nobody" — "nobody" is a vague term which I put precisely so as not to put "to no human being" or "to no country". And I put "Auroville belongs to humanity AS A WHOLE", because it is the equivalent of nothing! Because we cannot come to an agreement all together, it's impossible! I did it on purpose.

And then, I don't speak of "citizens" or anything like that. I say:

...But to live in Auroville, one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.

They are all going to wince at "Divine", but I don't care! You know, it's the explanation of the Marylander at the centre. The Marylander represents the Divine Consciousness. All that is not said, but that is the way it is.

And then:

2.Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress and a youth that never ages.

And then:

3.Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future. Taking advantage of all discoveries...

All discoveries, you know: philosophical, spiritual, moral, scientific, all - taking advantage of the past.

... of all discoveries from without and from within, it wants to boldly spring towards future realizations.

And finally there are two versions: 4. "Auroville will be the site of the search for knowledge and ways of living which will lead to a human unity based on mutual understanding and goodwill."

On another piece of paper it's written: "To give a living

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embodiment of a concrete human Unity."

So we are going to change it a bit:

4. Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual Human Unity.

There.

(Mother gets off her stool)

It is not me who wrote all that... I've noticed something so interesting: when that comes, it's imperative, there is no arguing; I write it, I am OBLIGED to write it regardless of what I am doing. And then, when it's not there, it's not there! Even if I try to remember, there's nothing, it's not there!... Consequently, it's obvious that it doesn't come from here: it comes from somewhere up there.

Auroville The

free international city.

No army

no police

February 17, 1968

AM IX-60-65

Ah, before we begin to work, I received this...

(Mother first hands over a letter)

"Here are some pages from our issue on Auroville, the city of love guarded by the four Mothers."

Signed: [the director of education]

(Then Mother hands over a brochure showing... the drawing is inexplicable, but it rather resembles viscera seen in cross-section.)

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If you understand, you'll tell me.

Have you understood?

No.

You didn't understand? I thought you were going to explain it to me!

It's all muddled in there.

Is it a snake biting its tail?

It's really, exactly, a mental construction.

Oh, yes!

And the text... There isn't the slightest little thing vibrating with truth in it.

Yes, it's entirely constructed.

There isn't a flame, there's nothing in it.

And of which love is she speaking? It seems rather like sexual love.

It seems to be very human.

(Mother laughs) Very, very human, yes.

I looked a lot and I wondered if that wouldn't precisely be the modern idea of yoga.

Yes, they're full of those stories of "sexual yoga". They think only of that, they speak only of that. The "city of love" seems to me...

But as soon as this word is used in the ordinary way, it's like that.

I don't know what to do.

It doesn't seem interesting to me.

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As for me, I don't find it interesting AT ALL. But isn't it dangerous? That's the point!

All the same, it gives a false idea of Auroville. It's subject to all sorts of ambiguity.

(Mother looks at the little drawings that go with it and which look like three interwoven lines)

There are always one, two, three. If there were only two, but always one, two, three, that is to say, the union and the result!

And the main drawing is an exact picture of the stomach, it is located in the abdomen.

Oh, but then that's even worse!

That's what it evokes, you have the impression of a visceral picture.

That's dreadful!

Something which is all folded in on itself, shut in on itself.

Yes, that's it.

I don't like that.

Nor do I.

And [name] has an illness which comes only when you have repressed sexual desires. And he can't get rid of it because he doesn't get rid of the cause... They're fully into it.

What should I do with that?

It's a pity if at the inauguration of Auroville that is what gets distributed.

It's worse than that: they're going to have a meeting for the children, and the children are going to ask questions, and there will be a dozen people there to answer, but it will be chiefly [the director of education] and [name]. So these children are coming

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with the idea of finding something a little bit true, and then they're going to find that.

The "city of love" probably will not be understood as it should be understood. And you know that the magazine Planete is sending [name] to do an article on Auroville, and I saw [name] a year ago when he came here, and he is the great believer in precisely the "yoga of sexuality" [see I' Agenda de Mere, VIII, 28 January 1967]. And I had a whole conversation with him, so lively a conversation that afterwards, I received a kind of revelation and I wrote a whole letter on the problem of sexuality in the yoga. And he's a man who's engrossed in those things. He's sent by Planate. So if they show him that, the "city of love"...

It's annoying.

I believe it's gotten worse, my child, because I remember, when I asked [the director of education] to look after education in Auroville, she was still more or less all right. It went to her head.

Well, it's the story of little [name], whom they're educating with music and caresses. It's the same story. Anyway, the "city of love", damn! Auroville should be something that makes you soar towards other concepts than these petty things. I went out there one day; well, it is moving, that place...

Oh, it's beautiful!

It's beautiful, it's moving, you have the impression that something is really going to be created. So the "city of love"...

But I never said Auroville was the city of love, never, not once!

It's a word that is poorly used. It's better not to speak of it.

Precisely, this word can only be used with "divine" in front of it. That's the only way. If you take away the "divine", it becomes impossible. And those people refuse to use the "divine".

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Yes, it frightens them.

So, what are we going to do?... If I send her paper back without saying anything, she will say I approve; if I tell her it won't do, she'll get even more furious... And she concerns herself with everything, butts into everything (legitimately in a way, since I told her that I was putting her in charge of education). But she became like that AFTERWARDS. At that time, she was slightly scatter-brained, but still very suitable.

It's annoying.

(Mother remains silent a moment) Shall I send her this:

"Beware of the word love if it is not preceded by the adjective divine, because to the ordinary mind, this word evokes sexuality."

Just that, nothing else, no opinion about what she is doing, but that. (Mother writes her note)

I find her paper harmful, for not only does it not bring anything, but it opens the door to ambiguity. And it says nothing: the "hippies" too are "children of love", that's their great doctrine.

To tell the truth, when I opened that paper, I felt disgust.

If I had confidence in her, I would put it differently — I would immediately put: "... which, from the spiritual point of view is a disaster." Only... it's pointless to make people angry.

She has no trust at all, she believes she's infinitely superior. Only, politically she's very careful not to enter into open conflict (with Mother) because she feels that would hinder her action.

She wanted - and she said that I had authorized it (which is a distortion of the truth) - she wanted to start an LSD club in Auroville. Because I wrote her... being as objective as possible, you see I wrote that it could only be used under the supervision of people who have a spiritual knowledge AND the capacity to control and help. So she turned that around and said, "Mother authorized it on the condition that it is under the control of people who know." There you are. People who know, of course....

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Basically, in life, in action, all that happens happens so that the movement of transformation and rising above may be as quick as possible. Perhaps there are some periods — there is a rhythm and there are periods which are more favorable to harmony, but a stagnant harmony, and so there is an attempt to suppress or in any case to repress all the dangerous movements which threaten to halt progress or even lead to destruction; but there are other moments when there is a very strong push towards the transformation, and indeed... with the risk of possible damage. And most certainly, since 1956, one clearly sees that there is something pushing-pushing-pushing to hasten the movement and... that gives rise to extravagances that are very dangerous.

It's with this knowledge and this certitude — this vision of things - that more often than not, I remain a witness and do not interfere. It is only if things become really nasty that one is forced to intervene.

We'll see.

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Inauguration Ceremony, February 28, 1968

February 28, 1968

AM IX-68-71

(The whole Ashram went to Auroville to attend the inauguration. Mother read this message which was rebroadcast directly to Auroville by the Indian radio:)

"Greetings from Auroville to all men of goodwill. Are invited to Auroville all those who thirst for progress and aspire to a higher and truer life."

(Then Mother read out the Charter)

Auroville Charter

1.Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole.

But to live in Auroville one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness.

2.Auroville will be the place of an unending education, of constant progress, and a youth that never ages.

3.Auroville wants to be the bridge between the past and the future.

Taking advantage of all discoveries from without and from within, Auroville will boldly spring towards future realizations.

4.Auroville will be a site of material and spiritual researches for a living embodiment of an actual human unity.

(Then the radio is turned off... silence)

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So now, we can sit back like princes and kings! (that doesn't happen very often) until 11:30. If you have something to tell me, I'm listening.

Perhaps you have something to say?

No, no! That's enough! (Mother laughs)

I have spent all my days and nights quietening the atmosphere, it had gotten so far out of hand... You know, those movements which start whirling like that, like cyclonic winds or the sea, and then it goes faster and faster, harder and harder, stronger and stronger. Then people get sick, they're exhausted, they can't do anything else. For three days I've spent my time calming, calming, calming the atmosphere. Fortunately they came to me (it wasn't "me" naturally), but they had the feeling that here was something stable that could stop the disorder, otherwise... But it was very difficult due to the very large number of extra people: on the Darshan of the 21st there were more than four thousand people downstairs, and there are all those who came for today and tomorrow, so that makes five or six thousand - to be fed, to be lodged... A huge work.

And then, of course they asked me not to let it rain, but also not too much sun either! (Mother laughs) So it was a little bit difficult, but a few minutes ago [name] came to tell me that the site of Auroville was clouded over, no sunshine... All these little entities are very obliging, but impossible things are asked of them! I receive at the same time requests: "Oh, I need rain; no, no, I don't want rain; oh, I need su n ; oh, no, I don't want sun!..." What can they do?

Are you happy?

Happy? What does that mean?

It's going all right?

I don't know. I have the impression it's all right over there.

[Name] told me something two days ago: "Oh, that was a good lesson: now we're convinced that the ways of Westerners are not better than ours," because they thought all the time that the materialist way gave better results - all of them - so now they're convinced.

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I told you that the Soviet consul is enthusiastic! He saw the Charter - he saw it in English first (in English it says "Divine's Consciousness", with an apostrophe); he said, "That's a pity, it evokes the idea of God" ([name] went over there). She said, "It's not that at all! There's nothing religious about it, let me show it to you in French." Then he read "divine consciousness" and that satisfied him. He said, "That's just what we want to realize, and barring those words, it would be officially supported and recognized by the Soviet government." Then they asked him to translate it into Russian, but in the end it's not his translation which is being read out in Auroville, it's [name's], who came, and she's not afraid of words. But I sent her the authorization: I made it clear to her that the words were nothing more than an awkward transcription not only of the idea but of what is beyond the idea, the principle; and that it didn't matter much if one used these words or those words (each one uses the words which best suit him), and so I authorized her to use the words that would be most acceptable to his government. And the Soviet consul said "yes" and he was very happy. He said, "When the Soviet government supports something officially, it's serious." — It's true, I know it, they're very generous. So I hope that's going to have a favorable result. And then it's just what I wanted, you. know; in America they've been enthusiastic for a long time - it's good, but perhaps they don't understand as well; by nature the Russians are mystical, and that has been oppressed, suppressed, and naturally it has gained a lot of force. And now it has a tendency to want to burst forth.

But if both of them support Auroville simultaneously, we won't have any more financial worries!

It came little by little, little by little. I told you what Sri Aurobindo had revealed to me about the state of India, which was the symbolic representation of the present state of humanity, and that is why, Sri Aurobindo told me, it is for that that Auroville has been created. [See conversation of 3 February 1968.] Then I understood. Since that moment, it has become very clear — "clear", I mean he went on as if it were well known and people were beginning to understand.

There you are.

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March 2, 1968

AM IX-75-77

(Concerning the Charter of Auroville)

Everyone wants to change my messages!...

Change them!

Yes.

Why?

(Mother laughs) Each one, because the words are not the ones he wants.... There was a whole story with the communists and the Soviet consulate: a very intelligent man, it seems, a reader of Sri Aurobindo, entirely interested, wanting to be useful and... he says, "What can I do with the 'divine consciousness'! ["To live in Auroville, one must be a willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness"]. (Mother laughs) The word is forbidden in our country." I told him: it's not a question of God (you know, God is forbidden, I can well understand because people interpret it any way they want), and he said, "I can't." They sent a Russian translation, which fortunately arrived after the ceremony, which was the translation of their own thought but not at all of my text! We replied that it had come too late. [An Ashramite] translated it, but she refused to read it [at the inauguration ceremony] because she said it was "too great a responsibility"! (Mother laughs) They're all' like that. In the end, [another Ashramite] read it. But then, we have an architect, a Russian communist who has worked very hard for Auroville, on the models, etc., (a very nice young man) and he came yesterday with a plea: could he change the word "Divine". I asked him, "What do you suggest instead?" He said, "the universal consciousness". So I answered (laughing), "You belittle it terribly!" He was annoyed, what to do? I said, "Listen, I'm going to make a concession; if you like, we'll say 'perfect consciousness', that's innocuous". And he was happy, I wrote "perfect consciousness" on a paper for him and he left with it!

But here, the group... (what are we going to call them?)... the disciples of [the director of education], the "forward guard",

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doesn't at all like "divine consciousness", so the one who translated it into German and who is a disciple (not directly of [the director of education], but a disciple of [the librarian]) went to ask [the librarian] for help (moral, probably) and the best thing they could find is "the highest consciousness".... So I asked, "Where is your high, where is your low?"

They didn't ask me anything, they're too sure of themselves. But their text was read out at Auroville and some people who heard it and who know German told me, "How does it happen?"... That's how I knew about it. "How does it happen" that in the German version,' they have translated divine consciousness as the highest consciousness?"

So each one puts in his own bit!

But they're going to make a little brochure of the message and all these translations, in Japanese, Hebrew, Arabic, etc., it's going to be photographed, so we'll fix up the German text.

Oh! the Russian text...

But for a 'city of peace' it's amusing! (laughing) It's promising!

I don't care; what I find so petty is their not telling me anything, their doing it in secret. To hope I don't know about it is childish, and the tendency to want to hide it from me is not very pretty.

But on the whole it went off well.

We have an Auroville flag which is very lovely, they carried it over there; there were only two flags (the other countries had streamers), but there was the Ashram flag and the Auroville flag. It is this colour (Mother shows an orange hibiscus on her table).

As for the young delegates, they were rather mixed: those who came spontaneously from their country or were recruited by UNESCO were very suitable; and then a lot of them were recruited using propaganda in Delhi (many came from the embassies there), that was... there were some dubious cases. Some of them were smoking, one of them even got so drunk... But just the same when they were together, they were well behaved. And then there was one - a Czechoslovakian - who doesn't want to go back! In any case he said that he would wait as long as necessary, but that he wanted to see me before going.

But you see very well — you see very well how the Force and

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Grace work through everything.

Yes.

Because really, if there had been only those elements left to themselves, well there would have been nothing, there would have been confusion. You see very well that it's working... it's working, it makes use of anything at all!

No, it makes the best use of even the worst things! That's what's interesting.

(silence)

I heard some unpleasant remarks about =1 [a magazine published by the director of education and the librarian] from some people who are completely uninvolved with it. First, they told me it's very intellectual, very nebulous....

Oh, yes!

And then they seem to "take all the credit" for themselves.

But that's just it!

And the third thing they told me: they scarcely mention Sri Aurobindo's name at the end, as if by chance.

Yes. Well, have you seen the issue? (Mother looks for a copy) The presentation is very good, very good — she's enjoyed herself to her heart's content. It's very well presented.

Yes, it's a pity. It's all perverted talent.

Perverted, I especially have the impression of perversion.

But even this (Mother shows the cover) is terribly aggressive. Instead of the aspiration blossoming (Mother makes a gesture of rising and opening)....

It's like a guillotine.

You know, flowers, their aspiration bursts into bloom; Nature

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rises, widens as much as it can to receive. This (Mother shows = 1) is like a cutting edge. It's very symbolic.

I've never said anything.

But it's done with a lot of taste.

It's the mind which is perverted. (Mother leafs through the issue) It's all aggressive, it's all of an aggressive nature.

March 13, 1968

AM IX-81-82

[About section one of the Auroville Charter: "But to live in Auroville one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness. "]

This is the big dispute at the moment about Auroville. In the Charter, I put "Divine Consciousness", so they say, "It reminds us of God." I said (laughing), "It doesn't remind ME of God!"

So some translate it as "the highest consciousness", others put something else. I agreed with the Russians to put "perfect Consciousness", but it is an approximation.... And it is That -which cannot be named and cannot be defined — which is the supreme Power. It is the supreme Power that one finds. And the supreme Power is only one aspect: the aspect that concerns the creation.

April 6, 1968

AM IX-99-102

I didn't want to make rules for Auroville, but I'm going to be forced to begin formulating certain things because... it so happens there are difficulties. I don't know how to go about it.

What I wanted to say came: it's very simple (Mother picks up a written note), simply like this (it's for very petty things)

"You must choose between getting drunk and living in Auroville, the two are incompatible."

It's not innocent drunkenness, I mean, it's translated into acts of violence, it borders on madness.

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And so naturally, once you've started, you can say this too (Mother picks up another note):

"You must choose between living in falsehood and living in Auroville, the two are incompatible."

Provided that it's true!

One could say that those who get drunk do it to forget; well, you don't come to Auroville to forget: on the contrary, you come to Auroville to remember.

Yes, we could put it that way.

But the idea was especially to stress the CHOICE: living in Auroville is a CHOICE. It's a choice, an attitude one takes, a decision one makes. To live in Auroville is a choice, you are choosing a certain way of life. But if you choose one thing, there are other things which do not go along with it ... . In any case, to live in Auroville is an ACTION, a decision that one takes, an action.

But this (Mother points to her note) is a concession to the present state of humanity because, to tell the truth, for Auroville it should be only some particular cases. What I mean is this: there may be people who drink but who all the same are fit to live in Auroville. So you can't make a general rule. But if you don't make a general rule, on what leg will you stand to tell someone (who has been accepted, that's the difficulty), to tell him, "No, you have to change - either you stop that, or you cannot remain in Auroville..."?

What is said about alcohol can also be said about drugs; you can "say it about many other things as well.

Yes, many, many. It's only a beginning. I saw, you know, that we're going to be faced with necessities... These are necessities of choice - to say it's either this or that.

It's like drugs, there are people who do not suffer dangerous or harmful effects from drugs.

Basically, the freedom of each one is limited by the fact that it should not infringe upon the freedom of others. That's the limit.

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It's obviously difficult to make general rules.

It's impossible.

As for myself, I remember having taken opium for several years and it did me good, it soothed me, it calmed me down. To take it now would be absurd, but at that time it didn't do me any harm.

Yes, but that I understand very well! I see that so well, in such a universal way... You know, a sentence like this (Motherpoints to her note) could be said only to an individual, that is, FOR YOU, it 's like that - it's a choice between overcoming your weakness or your habit and living in Auroville, the two don't go together. But then it's a purely individual question; to another person you may not even have to mention it.

That's why the most general formula, would be to say that all self-forgetfulness is contrary to the life of Auroville. You don't go to Auroville to forget, to forget yourself — all self-forgetfulness, in any form whatsoever.

Ah, but "self-forgetfulness", if you see it from a moral standpoint!... (Mother laughs)

Forgetting your true self.

(Mother laughs) As soon as it is formulated... It would be more correct to say:

"All seeking for unconsciousness is contrary to the life of Auroville."

That's more general. And then, if you want to be still more general, you could say:

"Any backward or downward movement is in contradiction to the life of Auroville, which is a life of ascent and the future."

But words...

Some articles have appeared in newspapers about the foundation

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of Auroville, for example, with this theme: "A Utopia in the making". And so there are those who tell you, "You'll never succeed!" Because their argument is, "They are human beings and they'll stay human beings" - that's where they are mistaken. "Human nature cannot be changed," on that basis they tell you that you won't succeed. Consequently, the only thing necessary is not only to accept and want the future, but to cling to the will for transformation and progress. And that's very good as a general formula.

But you see, with drugs for example, take chloroform, which is used during operations; well, chloroform has a different effect on each individual (they don't accept it in theory, but it's a fact). We have [name] here, who used to be an anesthetist, and the result of his experience is that it has a different effect on each individual. There are some who are thrown into unconsciousness by it (the great majority, I believe), but in certain cases, on the contrary, it projects them into another consciousness.

And it's the same for everything.

So my note won't do, it will only work individually: in your case it's like that; but in the case of someone else it may not be incompatible at all.

So, we're going to have to see that little by little... It will be interesting!

April 10, 1968

AM IX-104-110

[Apropos money and government in Auroville.]

...It's like this: money (and I don't mean petty cash) has a sort of... (I don't know if it's an attraction or a need to come [to Mother])... and then everywhere you clearly see it's a hostile force that keeps it from coming, it's a force of disorder, a force of "misappropriation", you could say. And it's interesting to see as a conflict.*

I don't know if it's to teach me to find the kind of vibration or power that can release that stranglehold... it's possible.

* This is the whole problem of the "proprietors" of the Ashram (or Auroville) and the "misappropriation of which Mother had already spoken in 1960 (and earlier): see Mother's Agenda I,

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But it's a conflict, that might be called a "conflict of ownership". And the truth is that money belongs to no one. This idea of POSSESSING money h a s warped everything. Money should not be a " possession": like power it is a means of action given to us , but we have to use it according to... you could call it the "will of the Giver," that is, in an impersonal and clear-sighted manner. If you are a good instrument for diffusing a n d utilizing money, then it co mes to you, and it comes to you in proportion to your capacity to use it as it is meant to be used. That's the true functioning.

I see these people (from the jute mill), there isn't any choice to make; the gentleman didn't spontaneously say (at least with feeling), "That money is at the disposal of the divine forces for action." - Not at all, that's a thousand miles from his mind; it's "I only want to regain POSSESSION..." of something he claims to be his. And that's why (Mother shakes h er head): whether it 's this or th at, like this, like th at, doesn't make very much difference.

The true attitude is this: money is a universal force intended to do a work on earth, the work necessary to prepare the earth to receive and manifest the divine forces, and it (that is, the power of utilization) must come into the hands of those who have the clearest, most comprehensive, truest vision.

To start with, the first thing (but this is elementary) is not to have the sense of possession - what does it mean, "it's mine"? What does it mean?... Now I don't quite understand. Why do people want it to belong to them? - To be able to spend it as they like and do with it what they want and handle it according to their own ideas. It's like that. On the other hand, yes, there are people who like to pile it up somewhere... but that's a disease. To be sure of always having some, they hoard it. But if it were understood that one has to be like a receiving and transmitting station, and that the wider the range (just the opposite of personal), the more impersonal, comprehensive and wide it is, the more force it can hold ("force", translates materially into notes or coins). This power to hold is proportional to the capacity to use the money in the best way - "best", in terms of the general progress: the widest vision, the widest understanding and the most enlightened, exact and true utilization, not according to the spurious needs of the ego but according to the general need of the earth for its evolution and

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development. That is, the widest vision will have the greatest capacity.

Behind all wrong movements there is a true movement; there is a joy in being able to direct, utilize, organize so that there is a minimum of waste and the maximum result. (It's a very interesting vision to have.) And this must be the true side of people who want to accumulate money: it's the capacity to use it on a very large scale.

As that vision becomes clearer... A long, long time ago, years and years ago the sense of possession disappeared, it's childish, it's foolish, it's so stupid! Can you tell me what pleasure someone can have putting lots of paper into a box or in his wall safe! That can't give any real pleasure. The greatest pleasure is that of the miser who opens his box and looks inside - it's not that great! There are people who very much like to spend money, who very much like to possess and spend it; that's something else, but these are generous natures which are not regulated or organized.... But the joy of putting at the disposal of all TRUE It's like the joy of changing a sickness into good health, changing a lie into a truth, suffering into joy, it's the same thing; to change an artificial and foolish need which corresponds to nothing natural, into a possibility which becomes something quite natural - so much money is needed to do this or that, or to arrange this, to repair that, to construct there, to organize there - that's good. And I understand that people like to be the channels through which the money goes just where it 's needed. That must be the true movement in people who like... (translated into stupid egoism) who need to appropriate money.

When the need to appropriate and the need to spend (each of which is in itself a blind and ignorant need) are combined, they can lead to a very clear vision and a utilization having maximum usefulness. That is what is good.

So, slowly, slowly the possibility to put it into practice is coming.

But naturally we need some very clear-headed brains and very upright intermediaries in order to be everywhere at once and do everything at once. Then that notorious question of money would be solved.

Money belongs to no one: money is a collective possession which should be used only by those who have an integral,

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comprehensive and universal vision. And I would add something to that: not only integral and comprehensive, but also essentially TRUE, that is, a vision which can distinguish between a use which is in accord with the universal progress and a use that could be termed fanciful. But those are details because even mistakes - even, from a certain viewpoint, waste - serve the general progress: these are lessons learned the hard way.

(silence)

I always remember what Th6on used to say (Theon was completely opposed to philanthropy); he used to say, "Philanthropy perpetuates human misery, because without human misery, it wouldn't have any reason to exist!" And you know that great philanthropist - what was his name?... during Mazarin's time, the one who founded the Little Sisters of Charity?

Vincent de Paul.

That's it. Mazarin once told him, "There have never been so many poor as since you started taking care of them !"(Mother laughs )

(A little later)

I've been rethinking what I said about money: that's how life in Auroville should be organized - but I doubt that people are ready.

That is to say, it's possible so long as they accept the guidance of a sage.

Yes.

The first thing that should be accepted and recognized 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

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power. That's the first point. Once people agree on that...

And it's not something that one can pretend to have; a being can't pretend to have it: either one has it or one doesn't, because (laughing) on any occasion in life, if it's a pretense, it becomes obvious! And into the bargain it doesn't give you any material power. There again, The on once said something from that point of view, he said, "Those who are (he was speaking of the TRUE hierarchy, the hierarchy according to precisely each one's power of consciousness), he who is at the top (he or they") have necessarily a minimum of needs; their material needs diminish as their capacity of material vision increases." And that's quite true. It's automatic and spontaneous; it's not the result of an effort: the vaster the consciousness and the more it embraces things and realities, the fewer the material needs — automatically - because they lose all their importance and value. The need of material necessities is reduced to a minimum which itself goes on changing with the progressive development of Matter.

And that's easily recognizable, you know, it's difficult to act the part.

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 organization.)

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).

If there is no representative of the supreme Consciousness

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(that can happen, can't it?), if there is no one, then perhaps this could be replaced (it would be an experiment) by the government of a few — which should be decided between four and eight, something like that: four, seven or eight — who have an INTUITIVE intelligence. "Intuitive" is more important than "intelligence": an intuition manifested intellectually. (That would have its drawbacks from a practical point of view but perhaps it would be closer to the truth than the lesser solutions of socialism or communism.) All these intermediaries have proved to be inadequate: theocracy, aristocracy, democracy, plutocracy, all that has been a complete failure. The other one is in the process of proving itself a failure too... what can you call it? .. democratic government? But democracy always implies the idea of rich, educated people and that has shown itself to be totally inadequate. It's the reign of the most

It's the reign of the most widespread folly.

Yes, that's it!... But I'm speaking of the lowest system, the socialist or communist which represents material needs.... Basically that corresponds to a sort of absence of government, because they don't have the power to govern others: they're obliged to transfer their power to someone who exercises power, like a Lenin, for example, because he had a brain. But all that... all that has been tried and has proved itself inadequate. The only thing which could be adequate is the Truth-Consciousness, which would choose some instruments and would express itself through a certain number of instruments, if there were no one ("one" isn't enough either, "one" would inevitably need to choose a group).

(The following passage was added by Mother later.)

And those who possess this consciousness may belong to any class of society: it is not a privilege of birth but the result of personal effort and development. In fact, that is an outer sign, an obvious sign of a change from the political viewpoint; it is no longer a matter of classes or categories or of birth (all that is obsolete). It is the individuals who have attained a higher consciousness who have the right to govern — but not others — regardless of their social class.

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That would be the true vision.

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 dearly - most clearly and truly - what the needs of the most material thing, should be.

Knowing that, a new kind of government could be attempted.

There you are.

(Mother laughs)

April 13, 1968

AM IX-110-111

[The architect] has come for five days, and he wants to do what he calls one "sector of Auroville", that is to say, instead of immediately facing the problem of ten or twenty thousand people at once, he wants to begin with two or three thousand, from the viewpoint of construction, but especially to see how it's going to work: and to make the experiment of life in Auroville.... I had thought of it, and when I spoke to you last time, that was what came: how to go about the experiment? You know, [the director of education] has ideas about education (I'm not interfering); he, [the architect], has ideas about construction (I'm not interfering); but no one has seen the problem from the administrative or organizational or financial point of view, and that's just what I was talking about last time.

So if you could read me what I said, if it's all right, I'll give them the text.... There's also that Russian communist architect who's become quite enthusiastic; for him Auroville is the ideal realization. He is a very strong young man, he has power (the force of conviction which sways others). And so it would be interesting for him to see something of the direction we are going in.

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(Mother listens to the reading)

It's incomplete.

It already contains quite a bit.

(silence)

But long ago the sages of Vedic times were the advisers of kings. It was like that in ages past.

Or at least that's what they tell us!

I'll speak later. What was in my consciousness was much more complete and general than what I said there, and so... The experiences right now are very, very accelerated, very intense. And when they're told, they become flat. So I prefer to say nothing now — later.

It's not flat. There is a force in it.

Yes, but what I lived inwardly is a hundred times stronger.... Oh! it will do them good, I know, but...

What remains in the consciousness must be lived before being spoken. So we have time!

April 20, 1968

AM IX-112-113

[Mother hands the disciple her note of 19 April]

Today I received a letter from a Swedish lady, I think (Swedish or Norwegian, I don't know) who bought a painting of the crucifixion.... A huge painting! — huge, I don't remember the dimensions, but it's enormous, something like 10 metres high. She's asking me what to do with it! She wants to send it to me... . So I told her (she paid a lot for it , but she's a very rich woman, only she wanted to give it to me as a gift), I told her to hold an exhibition in a large hall, with a sign saying "the past" underneath it. And then to place beside it, a very small photograph of the galaxy, which is almost identical to the plan of Auroville

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- a photograph of the galaxy which is so big — and then, beneath this, the plan of Auroville which is big like this (gesture still smaller) and then to put a sign saying "the future".

And she will have to ask people to pay an admission fee to see it!

You know that photograph of the galaxy? It's very lovely. And one of the plans for Auroville is almost identical to it, and they did it without seeing the photograph of the galaxy.... They're going to put those two photos, and if people ask questions, they will tell them: write to them, they'll answer you.

I found that it would be an interesting symbol.

You know, if I put anything else whatsoever, I mean a photo of Sri Aurobindo, for example, or else some books, it will seem... it will look as if we wanted to start a new religion - I don't want any religions, finished with religions!

So it's an attempt at realization.

April 23, 1968

AM IX-113-115

(Mother shows a brochure on Auroville, the first photo of which shows a white urn beneath a wide sky.)

It's very good. It has something... I don't know, (Mother pushes her fist down into the Earth) it's like a Law of Destiny: something which imposes itself,

(silence)

Did I tell you that a Swedish or Norwegian lady wants to send me a big painting of the crucifixion?...Yes. But I didn't show you the two texts. You know, I chose a photo of the galaxy, and then a photo of Auroville which slightly resembles it, and then under the crucifixion we're going to put in big letters (Mother reads):

"The Divine Consciousness crucified by the desires of men."

And after, in small letters like this, beneath the photo of Auroville, we're going to put:

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"The Divine Consciousness manifested through human unity."

We're going to see! The lady is very good willed, we're going to see the response in her country.

(silence)

Yesterday they came from the press with the Auroville brochure and told me, "Oh, there's a mistake, they came to tell us that the text of the Auroville Charter had to be changed, that I had said that 'Divine Consciousness' should be replaced throughout with 'perfect Consciousness'." I looked at him... "What!" "Yes, we were told that." So I said (laughing): "Who's the idiot who told you that!" He answered, "But he said that you had said it!" So I asked him, "Tell me his name so I can give him a good slap!"

Naturally, there's no question of changing anything whatsoever. What happened is that the people who translated it into Russian, Yugoslavian... (I don't know, anyway a certain number of languages) asked me what they should put instead of "Divine," because... In Russia it's better, it's prohibited! It's forbidden to use the word "divine"! So I said all right, I said, FOR RUSSIA, if you want, you can put the "perfect Consciousness" instead of the "Divine Consciousness". I pointed out to him (laughing): "It's less, it's lower, but it doesn't matter!"

In the French brochure, it says "divine". And I said, if you want, in Russian or German (in German [name] had translated it as "the highest", I told him, that's poor, but anyway), anyway I said that I wouldn't protest. In Chinese it's "divine". I believe in Japanese it's also "divine".

In German they avowed, "Oh, if we put 'divine', people will immediately think of God..." I answered (laughing), "Not necessarily, if they are not idiots!"

But that gave me a very accurate picture of what would happen if for some reason I weren't here any more... Each one would speak in my name... (Mother laughs) It would be dreadful!

Yes.

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June 3, 1968

AM IX-157

I'm coming from in there (the music room, where Mother receives visitors). I saw about twenty people... There was the Prime Minister of Orissa (Orissa is the first state of India to give money for a pavilion in Auroville: they have given a laky of rupees). He's a good man. They're fine people, the people of Orissa; it's they, out of all the states, who seem the most willing to go forward and change something.

And Bengal? Isn't it in the forefront?

They're a little... fanciful. That is, they talk a lot - they talk very well! People in Orissa are more practical - generous, by nature very generous: they give much.

In Bengal... they know they are or they feel they are intellectually at the head of the country, so they're very proud of themselves. Me, I like simple people.

June 5, 1968

AM IX-160

I have a question concerning [an Italian clergyman]. There are two new facts. First of all, several years ago he was in touch with an extremely rich American woman whom he helped. This woman is very grateful to him and would like to give him a million dollars for some cause.

It's just at the right moment!

Yes, but she's very Catholic. It was at a time when [the clergyman] was in a religious order.

Is she Catholic?

Yes, she is even very pious. A fine woman, it seems. So [the clergyman] is asking if he shouldn't try to explain to her what he is doing here, to send her some of your books, and then see

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what that does to her. Perhaps that would point this woman towards something more interesting?

She's not a woman who wants "peace on earth"?

I don't know. When [the clergyman] met her, her daughter had been murdered, and during that difficult time, [the clergyman] helped her. So she's very grateful and would like to give<the money to a cause, a Christian one obviously.

Generally these kind of people understand causes better than ideas.

Auroville?

Auroville, as Sri Aurobindo said, is a practical 'means creating a human unity that would be strong enough fight against war. .

It remains to be seen. We can try.

We'll see.

August 3, 1968

(Mother is still very tired. She nevertheless listens to a long statement on Auroville, which she rejects, and with the disciple puts the finishing touches on a note summarizing the ideal of the future city.)

"For thousands of years we have been developing outer means, outer instruments, outer techniques for living - and in the end those means and techniques are crushing us. The sign of the new humanity is a" reversal of outlook and the understanding that inner means, inner knowledge and inner techniques can change the world and master it without crushing it.

"Auroville is the place where this new way of living is being worked out, it is a centre of accelerated "evolution where man must begin to change his world by means of the power of the inner spirit."

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(Then Mother goes into a long contemplation)

It seems to me to be an accelerated transformation, it's a little crushing. We'll see.

Auroville landscape

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