The Spirit of Auroville

The Mother smiled and said to me:

You will paint the walls of the Auditorium.

I raised my eyebrows and returned no answer.

She continued:

Mahasaraswati: International Zone. Pavilions of all the countries which present their customs and cultures.

For this sketch the Mother said:

Ah! Now the Mother Pavilion. This will be a separate island surrounded by a lake, tall trees, gardens with various kinds of flowers. I especially want the creepers of red hibiscus (Power) upon the outer dome of the Mother's Pavilion. They will look like living jewels against the white marble. There will be rockeries in Japanese style, varieties of cactus, small waterfalls, small pools with lilies, lotuses, small bridges, various kinds of fountains and marble statues—one of them will be Shiva in deep trance. From his matted hair flows the water like a fountain....

She continued:

There will be only one entrance. I want precious, semi-precious and artificial stones to be paved from the gate to the Mother's Pavilion in gradations, because they are full of meaning.

The Mother revealed many interesting things about the precious and semi-precious stones.

According to her, Topaz corresponds to Jupiter, the God of benevolence. It is topmost and has tremendous power over other planets.

In 1965 the Mother asked me to wear Topaz, because she explained that the mounts of Jupiter on both my hands are very good and that I derive energy from Sri Aurobindo's Jupiter which is extremely powerful. For Amethyst she has revealed that it has a power of protection.

The Diamond represents the Mother's Light and Consciousness. Also there are Pearls, Corals, Emeralds, Rubies and other numerous attractive multicoloured stones. They have different cuts, qualities and symbols.

The stones have their own individuality and characteristic. They are conscious, sensitive, receptive and full of energetic vibrations. They hold in them the occult and spiritual power. Their influence and magnetic effect on human life are unique.

Here is the sketch of the Mother's Pavilion done on the same piece of paper by the Mother:

She told me:

The Pavilion will be in white marble and will have three storeys. The ground floor will be a huge marble hall—nothing material is to be kept in it except an arrangement by which there will be a perpetual flame representing the Immortal Flame of the Supreme Truth.

This flame will burn in a lotus built in the centre of Sri Aurobindo's symbol and my symbol combined, in a design made of pure gold. The Supreme Truth will be invoked in it.

The Mother gave this significance to the combination of Sri Aurobindo's symbol and her own:

The effective manifestation of Ishwara and Ishwari in union.

Sri Aurobindo has disclosed:

The Mother's consciousness and mine are the same, the one Divine Consciousness in two, because that is necessary for the play. Nothing can be done without her knowledge and force, without her consciousness—if anybody really feels her consciousness, he should know that I am there behind it and if he feels me it is the same with hers.

Sri Aurobindo, The Mother with Letters on The Mother: One Consciousness

About Sri Aurobindo's Symbol, the Mother wrote:

The descending triangle represents Sat-Chit-Ananda. The ascending triangle represents the aspiring answer from matter under the form of life, light and love. The junction of both—the central square—is the perfect manifestation having at its centre the Avatar of the Supreme—the lotus. The water—inside the square—represents the multiplicity, the creation.

The Mother, Words of the Mother - I: General

She continued her talk to me:

For the second floor I do not know yet, but on the third floor there will be a terrace garden and from this top floor the whole of Auroville will be seen.

On the terrace I would like to have carved marble seats with satin cushions—you know they carve peacocks, flowers and things like that in marble.

The Mother loved marble which is created by Nature and represents eternity, solidity, purity and light.

The Mother said:

This Shrine must have a vast area—not like this (The Mother took her handkerchief in her palm and closed her hand), so small. Also there must be a silent zone. No vehicles should move in this area, there should be no noise of any kind.

The Park of Unity will be divided into twelve gardens which will represent twelve Attributes of the Supreme Mother and her four Powers. In these gardens I would like to have varieties of flowers—specially the different kinds of Hibiscus—the Divine Consciousness.

On the other side, towards the boundary of the gardens, I wish to have a lake, huge trees like palms, pines, various types of ferns, neem, Indian cork trees, eucalyptus and many other beautiful big trees. They all represent Unity and Aspiration. When the lake will be dug, all the soil will be collected on one side in order to make it look like a small mountain where there will be fir-trees. You see, in future there will be snow!

When the Mother came to Pondicherry from Japan in 1920, she brought with her beautiful cards depicting tall trees and exquisite landscapes. The Mother gave these cards to me and told me that she wanted similar trees and scenery around the Pavilion of Truth.

She resumed:

Beneath each tall tree around the Mother's Pavilion there would be small carved marble seats. People will meditate in the open and be one with the vastness of Mother Nature—the Mother of the multitude and Her Creation.

I was listening to the Mother very attentively and with great interest. Suddenly she lifted my chin, looked deeply into my eyes and declared:

And you will be the guardian of the Mother's Shrine. Your tiny house in the shape of a lotus bud will be built on the island very close to my house.

I felt as if a drop of water merged into an ocean!

I was amazed and looked at her smiling face. My eyes were filled with tears of gratitude. The Mother put the other sketches back into her diary and while holding my letters, she remarked:

Look! All these letters of yours have started the Mother's Shrine.

I will explain to you more when I have spoken to the architect, who will come in September.

As a matter of fact, the exquisite plan had already been made by the Supreme Lord and the Supreme Mother. I was no more than a mere instrument.