The Spirit of Auroville

The Mother had made a sketch depicting the lotus to receive the soil from different nations and the Indian States at the Foundation Ceremony of Auroville. It was given to me by her grand-daughter, Pourna Prema.

The sketch represents the Mother's occult vision. She very much wanted a lotus like this as a foundation structure at the Centre of Auroville for February 28, 1968. The present urn was not what she wanted. It was not her idea or vision. Her sketch indicates a round base showing Sri Aurobindo's and the Mother's symbols combined, and a square pedestal above the base. According to Sri Aurobindo, the square signifies "Supramental Perfection". The height of the structure from the base to the topmost of the petals is marked by the Mother as 1.65 meters, her own height. At the top are four lotus petals, signifying the four Powers of the Supreme Mother, Maheshwari, Mahakali, Mahalakshmi, Mahasaraswati. Around these four petals are twelve more signifying the twelve Attributes of the four Powers.

The Mother also indicated the colour of the lotus: "Marbre rose ou blanc" —pink or white marble.

In the centre of the lotus there is a seat of the Supreme Mother.

The Mother wished youngsters to place there a handful of soil from their countries, and from each of the Indian States. She said that when a person went up to the lotus-urn and faced East, the lotus should be in front of him.

Pourna Prema revealed this truth to several prominent people concerned, including Navajata. M. André, the Mother's son, also told me that the present urn was not according to the Mother's idea or vision. Janine, M. André's elder daughter said to me the same.

Vasudha, the Mother's personal attendant told me several facts about the project of the Matrimandir and Auroville, also about talks which took place between the Mother, Roger Anger and others, for during that period Vasudha was mostly present. Quite a number of other people, including Aurovilians, echoed the same view about the lotus-urn. While there has never been any question or mention of breaking the existing urn, I was told that it could be enclosed within a great white Lotus, and remain intact within. To build such a Lotus is not impossible from the architectural point of view, I was assured. The Mother did not mention the dimensions, apart from giving the height in her sketch. So the dimensions can be adjusted so that the Lotus can be in proportion to the size of the surrounding big pool.

Nolini-da too told me that if the existing Urn is kept intact then the proposal of building the Lotus is perfectly all right and we must go ahead. He also suggested that the Lotus should be of white marble.

Sri Aurobindo has written about the white lotus:

It is the Mother's flower, the flower of divine Consciousness.

I received a letter dated 1.6.74 from M. André, who was at that time in Paris:

Dear Huta,

Thanks for your letter and enclosures.

I had read them just before Roger came to see me. I do not think that the creation of committees is at all the right means to promote harmony. On the contrary I believe that harmony must be there before any committee can work usefully. Otherwise each one sticks to his views for fear of losing face, and strife is the result. What is true is that any Aurovilian ought to be able to explain his views and be given the opportunity of putting them into practice. How to do this without creating anarchy is another question.

Curiously enough he did not say anything about the Matrimandir. Personally I think the idea of hiding the urn behind the lotus is good, providing it is properly done. All this will have to be discussed when I am back in Pondicherry.

With loving regards in the Mother

Yours,

André