{"id":3831,"date":"2013-07-13T01:51:35","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3831"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:51:35","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:51:35","slug":"38-early-talks-vol-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/02-works-of-the-mother\/01-cwmce\/13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13\/38-early-talks-vol-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","title":{"rendered":"-38_Early Talks .htm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
\n
\n


\nEarly
\nTalks <\/span><\/font>
\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n


\nJune 1965 <\/span> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Have you heard of Auroville?<\/span><\/p>\n

For a long time, I had a plan of the
\n\u201cideal town\u201d, but that was during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime, with Sri Aurobindo
\nliving at the centre. Afterwards, I was no longer interested. Then the idea of Auroville
\n<\/span>―<\/span> I gave the name <\/span>―<\/span> Auroville was taken up again, but from
\nthe other end: instead of the formation having to find the place, it was the
\nplace <\/span>―<\/span> near the lake <\/span>―<\/span> which gave birth to the formation, and
\nuntil now I took only a very minor interest in it, for I had received nothing
\ndirectly. Then our little A took it into her head to have a house there, by the
\nlake, and to have a house for me next to hers, and to offer it to me. And she
\nwrote me all her dreams: one or two sentences suddenly stirred an old, old
\nmemory of something which had tried to manifest <\/span>―<\/span> a creation <\/span>―<\/span> when I was very young and which had again
\nstarted trying to manifest at the very beginning of the century, when I was
\nwith Theon. Then all that was forgotten. It came back with this letter; all at
\nonce, I had my plan for Auroville. Now I have my overall plan, I am waiting for
\nB to draw the detailed plans, for I had said from the beginning: \u201cB will be the
\narchitect\u201d, and I wrote to B. When he came here last year, he went to see <\/span>
\nChandigarh<\/span>, the town built by Le Corbusier, up there
\nin the <\/span>Punjab<\/span>, and he\u00a0
\n<\/span>was not very happy. It seems quite ordinary to me <\/span>―<\/span> I know nothing about it, I haven’t seen
\nit, I only saw some photographs which were horrible. And while he was speaking
\nto me, I could see that he felt, \u201cOh, if only I had a town to build!…\u201d So I
\nwrote to him: \u201cIf you want, I have a town to build.\u201d He is happy. He is coming.
\nWhen he comes, I shall show him my plan and he will build the town. My plan is
\nvery simple.<\/span><\/p>\n

The place is up there, on the Madras road,
\non top of the <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 257<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

hill. (Mother
\ntakes a paper and begins to draw<\/i>.) We have here <\/span>―<\/span> naturally, it is not like that in Nature,
\nwe shall have to adapt ourselves; it is like that up there on the ideal <\/span>―<\/span> plane <\/span>―<\/span> here, a central point. This central point
\nis a park which I saw when I was very young <\/span>―<\/span> perhaps the most beautiful thing in the
\nworld from the point of view of physical, material Nature <\/span>―<\/span> a park with water and trees, like all
\nparks, and flowers, but not many; flowers in the form of creepers, palms and
\nferns, all varieties of palms; water, if possible running water, and possibly a
\nsmall cascade. From the practical point of view, it would be very good: at the
\nfar end, outside the park, we could build reservoirs which would be used to
\nsupply water to the residents.<\/span><\/p>\n

So in this park, I saw the \u201cPavilion of
\nLove\u201d. But I dislike this word, for man has turned it into something grotesque;
\nI am speaking of the principle of Divine Love. But that has changed: it will be
\n\u201cThe Pavilion of the Mother\u201d <\/span>―<\/span> but not this (Mother<\/i> points to herself<\/i>)
\n<\/span>―<\/span> the Mother, the true Mother, the principle of the Mother. I say
\n\u201cMother\u201d because Sri Aurobindo used that word, otherwise I would have put
\nsomething else, I would have put \u201ccreative principle\u201d or \u201cprinciple of
\nrealisation\u201d or <\/span>―<\/span> I do not know… It will be a small building, not a big one, with only
\na meditation room downstairs, but with columns and probably a circular shape. I
\nsay probably, because I am leaving that for B to decide. Upstairs, the first
\nfloor will be a room and the roof will be a covered terrace. You know the
\nancient Indo-Moghul miniatures, with palaces where there are terraces with
\nsmall roofs supported by columns? You know those old miniatures? Hundreds of
\nthem have come into my hands… But this pavilion is very, very beautiful, a
\nsmall pavilion like this, with a roof on a terrace, and low walls with couches
\nagainst them to sit on, to meditate in the open air in the evening, at night.
\nAnd below, downstairs, at ground-level, a meditation room, simply <\/span>―<\/span> something quite bare. There would
\nprobably be at the far end something which would be a living light, perhaps the
\nsymbol in living light, a constant light. Otherwise, a very  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 258<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

peaceful, very silent place. <\/span><\/p>\n

Nearby, there would be a small dwelling, a
\nsmall dwelling which would nevertheless have three floors, but not large-sized,
\nand that would be the house of A, who would serve as a guardian. She would be
\nthe guardian of the pavilion. She wrote me a very nice letter but she did not understand
\nall that, of course. <\/span><\/p>\n

That is the centre. <\/span><\/p>\n

All around, there is a circular road which
\nseparates the park from the rest of the town. There would probably be a gateway
\n<\/span>―<\/span> in fact there must be one <\/span>―<\/span> in the park. A gateway with the guardian of
\nthe gate. The guardian of the gate is a new girl who has come from Africa, who
\nwrote me a letter telling me that she wanted to be the guardian of Auroville in
\norder to let only the \u201cservants of Truth\u201d enter (Mother laughs).<\/i> It is a very nice plan. So I shall probably put her
\nthere as guardian of the park, with a small house on the road at the entrance. <\/span><\/p>\n

But the interesting thing is that around
\nthis central point, there are four big sections, like four big petals (Mother draws<\/i>), but the corners of the
\npetals are rounded and there are small intermediate <\/span>―<\/span> zones four big sections and four zones…
\nNaturally that is only in the air; on the ground, it will be an approximation. <\/span><\/p>\n

We have four big sections: the cultural
\nsection, to the North, that is to say, towards Madras; to the East, the
\nindustrial section; to the South, the international section; and to the West,
\nthat is to say, towards the lake, the residential section. <\/span><\/p>\n

To make myself clear: the residential
\nsection, where there will be the houses of the people who have already
\nsubscribed and of all the others who are coming in large numbers to have a plot
\nin Auroville. That will be next to the lake. <\/span><\/p>\n

The international section: we have already
\napproached a certain number of ambassadors and countries for each one to have
\nits pavilion <\/span>―<\/span> a pavilion from every country. It was an old idea. Some have already
\naccepted, so it is on the way. Each pavilion has its own garden with, as far as
\npossible, a repre<\/span>–<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 259<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

sentation of the plants and products of the
\ncountry which it represents. If they have enough money and enough space, they
\ncan also have a sort of small museum or permanent exhibition of the country’s
\nachievements. The buildings should be constructed according to the architecture
\nof each country <\/span>―<\/span> it should be like a document of information. Then, depending on the
\nmoney they wish to spend, they could also have accommodation for students,
\nconference-rooms, etc., a cuisine of the country, a restaurant of the country <\/span>―<\/span> they could have all kinds of developments.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Then the industrial section. Already many
\npeople, including the Government of Madras the Madras <\/span>―<\/span> Government is loaning money <\/span>―<\/span> want to start industries, which will be
\non a special basis. This industrial section is to the East and it is very big,
\nthere is plenty of space; it will go down towards the sea. In fact, to the
\nNorth of Pondicherry there is quite a large area which is totally uninhabited
\nand uncultivated; it is by the sea, going up the coast towards the North. So
\nthis industrial section would go down towards the sea, and if possible there
\nwould be a kind of wharf <\/span>―<\/span> not exactly a port but a place where
\nboats could come alongside; and all these industries, with the inland
\ntransportation they need, would have a possibility to export directly. And
\nthere, there would be a big hotel <\/span>―<\/span> B has already made a plan for it; we
\nwanted to build the hotel here, on the site of the \u201cMessageries Maritimes\u201d, but
\nafter having said yes, the owner said no; it is very good, it will be better
\nover there a big hotel to receive visitors from outside. Already quite a number
\nof industries have registered for this section; I do not know if there will be
\nenough room, but we shall manage. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then, to the North <\/span>―<\/span> that is where there is the most space, of
\ncourse – towards Madras, the cultural section. There, an auditorium <\/span>―<\/span> the auditorium which I have dreamt of
\nbuilding for a long time; plans had already been made <\/span>―<\/span> an auditorium with a concert-hall and a
\ngrand organ, the best of its kind today. It seems they are making wonderful
\nthings. I want a grand  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 260<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

organ. There will also be a stage with
\nwings <\/span>―<\/span> a rotating stage, etc., the best of its kind. So, a magnificent
\nauditorium, there. There will be a library, there will be a museum with all
\nsorts of exhibitions <\/span>―<\/span> not inside the auditorium: in addition to
\nit there will be a film-studio, a film-school; there will be a gliding club.
\nAlready we almost have authorisation from the Government, and the promise, so
\nit is already well on the way. Then towards Madras, where there is plenty of
\nspace, a stadium. We want this stadium to be the most modern and the most
\nperfect possible, with the idea <\/span>―<\/span> it is an idea I have had for a long time <\/span>―<\/span> that twelve years <\/span>―<\/span> the Olympic Games take place every four
\nyears twelve years from 1968 <\/span>―<\/span> in ’68 the Olympiads are taking place in
\nMexico twelve years later we would hold the Olympic Games in India, there. So
\nwe need space. <\/span><\/p>\n

Between these sections, there are
\nintermediate zones, four intermediate zones: one for public services, post
\noffice, etc.; one zone for transport, railway station and possibly an
\naerodrome; one zone for food <\/span>―<\/span> that one would be near the lake and would
\ninclude dairies, poultry farms, orchards, cultivated lands, etc.; it would
\nspread and include the Lake Estate: what they wanted to do separately would be
\nwithin the framework of Auroville. Then a fourth zone. I have said: public
\nservices, transport, food, and the fourth zone: shops. We do not need many
\nshops, but a few are necessary in order to obtain what we do not produce. They
\nare like districts, you see. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

And you will be
\nthere at the centre?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A hopes so (Mother laughs<\/i>). I did not say no, I did not say yes; I told her,
\n\u201cThe Lord will decide.\u201d It depends on my state of health. A removal, no <\/span>―<\/span> I am here because of the Samadhi, I shall
\nstay here, that is quite sure. But I can go there on a visit; it is not so far,
\nit takes five minutes by car. But A wants to be quiet, silent, aloof, and
\nthat is quite possible in her park, surrounded by a road, with someone to stop
\npeople from coming <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 261<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

in; one can stay very quiet <\/span>―<\/span> but if I am there, that is the end of it!
\nThere would be collective meditations, etc. That is to say that if I get a
\nsign, first the physical sign, then the inner command to go out, I shall drive
\nthere and spend an hour, in the afternoon <\/span>―<\/span> I can do that now and then. We still have
\ntime because, before everything is ready, it will take years. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That is to say that the disciples will stay here? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah! The Ashram stays here <\/span>―<\/span> the Ashram stays here, I stay here, that
\nis understood. Auroville is.. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A satellite.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, it is the contact with the outside
\nworld. The centre on my drawing is a symbolic centre. <\/span><\/p>\n

But that is what A expects: she wants a house
\nwhere she would be all alone next to a house where I would be all alone. The
\nsecond part is a dream, because myself all alone… You only have to see what
\nis happening! It is true, isn’t it? So it does not go with the \u201call alone\u201d.
\nSolitude must be found within, it is the only way. But as far as living is
\nconcerned, I shall certainly not go and live there, because the Samadhi is
\nhere; but I could go there to visit. For example, I could go there for an
\ninauguration or for certain ceremonies. We shall see. It will be years from
\nnow. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

In short, Auroville is more for outside? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Oh yes! It is a town! Consequently, it is
\nthe whole contact with outside. An attempt to realise on earth a more ideal
\nlife. <\/span><\/p>\n

In the old formation which I had made, there
\nhad to be a hill and a river. There had to be a hill, because Sri Aurobindo’s
\nhouse was on top of the hill. But Sri Aurobindo was there at the centre. It was
\narranged according to the plan of my <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 262<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

symbol, that is to say, a point in the middle,
\nwith Sri Aurobindo and all that concerned Sri Aurobindo’s life, and four big
\npetals <\/span>―<\/span> which were not the same as on this drawing, it was something else <\/span>―<\/span> and twelve all around, the town itself;
\nand around that, there were the residences of the disciples; you know my
\nsymbol: instead of lines, there are bands; well, the last circular band formed
\nthe area for the disciples’ residences, and each one had his own house and
\ngarden <\/span>―<\/span> a small house and a garden for each one. There was some means of
\ntransport, I wasn’t sure if it was individual transport or collective transport
\n<\/span>―<\/span> like those small open tramcars in the mountains, you know going in all
\ndirections to take the disciples back towards the centre of the town. And
\naround all that, there was a wall, with a gateway and guardians at the gate,
\nand one could not enter without authorisation. There was no money <\/span>―<\/span> within the walls, no money; at the
\nvarious entrances, there were banks or counters of some sort, where people
\ncould deposit their money and receive tickets in exchange, with which they
\ncould obtain lodging, food, this, that. But no money <\/span>―<\/span> the tickets were only for visitors, who
\ncould not enter without a permit. It was a tremendous organisation… No money,
\nI did not want any money. <\/span><\/p>\n

Look! In my plan I forgot one thing. I
\nwanted to build a housing estate for workers, but the housing estate was to be
\npart of the industrial section, perhaps an extension along the edge of the
\nindustrial section. <\/span><\/p>\n

Outside the walls, in my first formation,
\non one side there was an industrial town, and on the other, fields, farms,
\netc., to supply the town. But that represented a real country <\/span>―<\/span> not a big country, but a country. Now it
\nis much reduced. It is no longer my symbol; there are only four zones and there
\nare no walls. And there will be money. You see, the other formation was truly
\nan ideal endeavour…. But I counted on many years before trying to start. At
\nthat time I thought twenty-four years. But now it is much more modest, it is a
\ntransitional attempt, <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 263<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

and it is much more realisable. The other
\nplan was\u2026 I almost had the land; it was in the time of Sir Akbar, you remember,
\nfrom Hyderabad. They sent me some photographs of the State of Hyderabad and
\nthere, in those photographs, I found my ideal spot: an isolated hill, quite a
\nbig hill, and below it, a large, flowing river. I told him, \u201cI want this
\nplace\u201d, and he arranged the matter. Everything was arranged. They sent me the
\nplans, the papers and everything, saying that they were giving it to the
\nAshram. But they laid down one condition <\/span>―<\/span> it was virgin forest, uncultivated land <\/span>―<\/span> the place was given on condition,
\nnaturally, that we would cultivate it <\/span>―<\/span> but the products must be utilised on the
\nspot; for example, the crops, the wood, must be utilised on the spot, not
\ntransported; nothing could leave the State of Hyderabad. There was even C, who
\nwas a navigator, who said that he would obtain a sailing boat from England to
\ngo up the river to fetch the products and bring them to us here. Everything was
\nvery well planned! Then they set this condition. I asked if it was not possible
\nto have it removed; then Sir Akbar died and that was the end of it, the matter
\nwas dropped. Afterwards, I was glad that it was not done because, now that Sri
\nAurobindo has departed, I cannot leave Pondicherry. I could only leave
\nPondicherry with him provided that he accepted to live in his ideal town. At
\nthat time, I had spoken of this project to D, the person who built Golconde;
\nand he was enthusiastic, he told me, \u201cAs soon as you start to build, call me, I
\nshall come.\u201d I had shown him my plan; it was based on an enlargement of my
\nsymbol; he was most enthusiastic, he thought it was magnificent. <\/span><\/p>\n

It was dropped. But the other one, which
\nis just a small intermediate attempt, we can try. <\/span><\/p>\n

I have no illusions that it will keep its
\noriginal purity, but we shall try something. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Much depends on the financial organisation of the project? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 265<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

For the time being, E is taking care of that,
\nbecause he receives the money through the Sri Aurobindo Society and he bought
\nthe land. A fair amount of land has already been bought. It is going well.
\nNaturally, the difficulty is to find enough money. But, for example, the
\npavilions <\/span>―<\/span> each country will bear the expenses for its own pavilion; the
\nindustries <\/span>―<\/span> each industry will provide the money for its own business; the
\nresidents <\/span>―<\/span> each one will give the money necessary for his land. The Government <\/span>―<\/span> Madras has already given us the promise
\nwill give between sixty and eighty per cent: one part grant, that is to say,
\ngift; one part loan, free of interest and repayable over ten years, twenty
\nyears, forty years <\/span>―<\/span> a long-term repayment. E knows all about it, he has already had quite a
\nfew results. But according to whether the money comes in quickly or comes in
\nlittle by little, it will go more or less quickly. From the construction point
\nof view, it will depend on B’s plasticity; the details are all the same to me <\/span>―<\/span> only I would like this pavilion to be very
\nbeautiful. I can see it. For I have seen it, I have had the vision of it; so I
\nshall try to make him understand what I have seen. And the park too, I have
\nseen it <\/span>―<\/span> these are old visions which I had repeatedly. But that is not
\ndifficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

The greatest difficulty is the water,
\nbecause there is no river nearby, up there. But they are already trying to
\nchannel the rivers; there was even a project to channel water from the
\nHimalayas across the whole of India: F had made a plan and had spoken about it
\nin Delhi; they objected that it would be rather expensive, obviously! But,
\nanyway, even without such grandiose things, something must be done to supply
\nthe water. That will be the greatest difficulty; that will take the most time.
\nAll the rest, light, power, will be done on the spot in the industrial section <\/span>―<\/span> but water cannot be made! The Americans
\nhave seriously thought of finding a way to use sea-water, because the earth no
\nlonger has enough drinking water for man <\/span>―<\/span> the water which they call \u201cfresh\u201d: it is
\nironical; the amount of water is not enough for the needs of man, so they have
\nalready started <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 265<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

chemical experiments on a large scale to
\ntransform sea-water and make it utilisable – obviously, that would be the
\nsolution to the problem. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

But that already exists.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It exists, but not on a sufficiently large
\nscale. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It does in Israel.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Do they do that in Israel? Do they use
\nsea-water? Obviously, that would be the solution – the sea is there. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

We shall see.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It would have to be brought up. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

A yachting club would be rather nice?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Ah! Certainly, with the industrial
\nsection. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Near your port, there. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It will not be a \u201cport\u201d but, well\u2026 Yes,
\nthe visitors’ hotel with a yachting club nearby, that is an idea. I shall add
\nthat. (Mother writes it down.) <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

It will surely be
\na success.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Now look! A shower of letters, my child!
\nFrom everywhere, from all over the world, people are writing to me: \u201cAt last!
\nThis is the project I was waiting for\u201d, etc. A shower. <\/span><\/p>\n

There is also a gliding club. We have
\nalready been promised an instructor and a glider. It is a promise. It will be
\nin the industrial section, on top of the hill. Of course, the yacht club will
\nbe on the sea, not on the lake; but I had thought <\/span>―<\/span> because there is much talk of deepening the
\nlake, it is almost filled up  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 266<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

―
\n<\/span>I was thinking of
\na hydroplane station, there.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

We can also have boating on the lake?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Not if there are hydroplanes. It is not
\nbig enough for boating. But it would be very good for a hydroplane station. But
\nthat depends: if we have an airport, it is unnecessary; if we do not have an
\nairport… But already, in the <\/span>Lake<\/span> <\/span>Estate<\/span> project, there was an airport. G, who has
\nbecome a squadron leader, has sent me a plan for an airport too, but for small
\nplanes, whereas we want an airport which can handle a regular service to <\/span>
\nMadras<\/span>, a passenger airport. There has already
\nbeen much talk about it. There were discussions between Air <\/span>India<\/span> and another company; then they could not
\ncome to an agreement <\/span>―<\/span> all sorts of petty, foolish difficulties.
\nBut all that, with the growth of Auroville, will fall away quite naturally <\/span>―<\/span> people will be only too glad to have an
\nairport. <\/span><\/p>\n

No, there are two difficulties. Small sums
\nof money we have to be <\/span>―<\/span> precise: what the Government can loan, what
\npeople give to have a plot <\/span>―<\/span> it is coming. But it takes massive sums,
\nyou know, it takes billions to build a town!  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage – 267<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n


\n September 1966<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

Begging is not permitted in Auroville.
\nPersons found begging on the road will be distributed as follows: children to
\nschool, the old to a home, the sick to the hospital, the healthy to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

A school, a home, a hospital and special work
\nareas will be arranged for this. They will not be mixed with the others,
\nbecause some people may come from outside and begin to beg in the street. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are no police. We have\u2026we haven’t
\nfound the word\u2026a band of guards, a battalion of guards, something like the<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 267<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

firemen in Japan, who are gymnasts and who
\ndo everything when there are accidents <\/span>―<\/span> anything, earthquakes <\/span>―<\/span> they do everything. They climb up into
\nhouses. Instead of police, there will be a kind of battalion of guards, who
\nwill go out regularly into the various parts of the town to see if they are
\nneeded. And if they come across people begging, they will be distributed as I
\nsaid. There will be a school for the children, a home for the old, a hospital
\nfor the sick and disabled, and a place where work will be provided for all
\nthose who\u2026 There will be every possible kind of work, from sweeping to\u2026
\nanything, and work that is needed, they will do it, according to their
\nabilities. This has to be organised. <\/span><\/p>\n

A special school for the children to teach
\nthem to work, to teach them the things that are indispensable for them to be
\nable to work. <\/span><\/p>\n

No prison, no police.<\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n


\n30
\nDecember 1967 <\/span> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nMother reads a
\ndisciple’s notation of comments<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nshe made about her
\nconception of Auroville. <\/span><\/font> <\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAuroville will be a self-supporting township. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cAll who live there will participate in its life and
\ndevelopment. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThis participation may be passive or active. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no taxes as such but each will
\ncontribute to the collective welfare in work, kind or money. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cSections like industries which participate actively
\nwill contribute part of their income towards the development of the township. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cOr if they produce something (like foodstuffs) useful
\nfor the citizens, they will contribute in kind to<\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 268<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

 <\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the township, which is
\nresponsible for feeding its citizens. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cNo rules or laws are being framed. Things will get
\nformulated as the underlying truth of the township emerges and takes shape
\nprogressively. We do not anticipate.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I thought I had said more than that
\nbecause I said a good deal about it, inwardly <\/span>―<\/span> on the organisation, the food, etc. We
\nare going to make experiments. <\/span><\/p>\n

Some things are really interesting; first
\nof all, for example, I would like each country to have its pavilion, and in the
\npavilion there will be the cooking of that country <\/span>―<\/span> that is, the Japanese will be able to eat
\nJapanese food if they want to, etc. But in the town itself there will be food
\nfor both vegetarians and non-vegetarians, and there will also be some attempt
\nto find the food of tomorrow. <\/span><\/p>\n

The whole process of assimilation which
\nmakes you so heavy <\/span>―<\/span> it takes so much of a person’s time and energy <\/span>―<\/span> that should be done beforehand,<\/i> you should be given something which is immediately
\nassimilable, like the things they are making now; for example they have vitamin
\npills and proteins which can be assimilated directly, nutritious elements which
\nare found in one thing or another and which don’t have much volume <\/span>―<\/span> a huge quantity is needed to assimilate very
\nlittle. Now that they are skilful enough in chemistry, it could be simplified. <\/span><\/p>\n

People do not like this simply because
\nthey take an intense pleasure in eating; but when you no longer take pleasure
\nin eating, you still need nourishment without wasting your time on it. An
\nenormous amount of time is wasted <\/span>―<\/span> time in eating, in digesting, and all the
\nrest. And there, I would like an experimental kitchen, a kind of culinary
\nlaboratory for experimenting. People would go to one place or another according
\nto their tastes and inclinations. <\/span><\/p>\n

And they don’t pay for their food, but
\nthey should offer<\/span> <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 269<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

their work or their produce: those who
\nhave fields, for example, should give the produce from their fields; those who
\nhave factories should give their products; or one gives one’s labour in
\nexchange for food.<\/span><\/p>\n

That in itself eliminates much of the
\ninternal exchange of money. And for everything we would find things like this.
\nBasically, it should be a city for study, for study and research into a way of
\nlife which is both simplified and in which the higher qualities will have more
\ntime to develop. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is only a small beginning. <\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\nMother goes
\nthrough the text sentence by<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\nsentence. <\/span>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n
\n <\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAuroville will be
\na self-supporting township.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I want to insist on the fact that it will
\nbe an experiment, it is for making experiments – experiments, research, study.
\nAuroville will be a city that will try to be, or will tend to become, or
\nattempt to be \u201cself-supporting\u201d, that is to say\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Autonomous?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAutonomous\u201d is understood to mean some
\nkind of independence which breaks off relations with others, and that is not
\nwhat I mean. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, those who produce food, like
\nAurofood <\/span>―<\/span> of course, when we are 50,000 it will be difficult to provide for all the
\nneeds, but for the moment we are only a few thousand at most <\/span>―<\/span> well, a factory always produces far too
\nmuch, so it will sell outside and receive money. Aurofood for example wants to
\nhave a special relationship with the workers <\/span>―<\/span> not at all the old system, something
\nwhich would be an improvement on the communist system, a more balanced
\norganisation than sovietism, that is, something which does not err too much on
\none side at the expense of the other. <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 270<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

There is one thing I wanted to say: the participation
\nin the well-being and life of the town as a whole is not something calculated
\non an individual basis; that is, this individual should give so much, it is not
\nlike that. It is calculated according to the means, the activity, the capacity
\nfor production; it is not the democratic idea which cuts everything up into
\nequal pieces, which is an absurd machinery. It is calculated according to one’s
\nmeans: one who has much gives much, one who has little gives little; one who is
\nstrong works hard, one who is not strong does something else. You see, it is
\nsomething truer, deeper. That is why I make no attempt to explain now, because
\npeople will start to make all kinds of complaints. All this must come about
\nautomatically, so to speak, with the growth of the city, in the true spirit.
\nThat is why this note is extremely concise.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, this sentence: <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll who live there will participate in its life and development.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

All who live there will participate in its
\nlife and development according to their capacities and means, not mechanically <\/span>―<\/span> so much per unit. That’s it, it must be
\nsomething living and true, not a mechanical thing; and according to each one’s
\ncapacities: that is, one who has material means, such as those provided by a
\nfactory, should give in proportion to its production, not so much per
\nindividual, per head. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe participation may be passive or active.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I do not understand what \u201cpassive\u201d means;
\nI said it in French and it has been put into English. What could that mean,
\n\u201cpassive\u201d?… It would be something more like planes or different levels of
\nconsciousness. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

You meant that those who are wise, who work within, do not need to… <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 271<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

Yes, that’s it. Those who have a higher
\nknowledge do not need to work with their hands, that is what I meant.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be no taxes as such, but each one will contribute to the
\ncollective welfare in work, kind or money.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

So that is clear: there will be no taxes,
\nbut each one will have to contribute to the collective welfare by his work, in
\nkind or in money. Those who have nothing but money will give money. But to tell
\nthe truth, \u201cwork\u201d can be inner work <\/span>―<\/span> but one cannot say that, because people
\nare not honest enough. The work can be an occult, completely inner work; but
\nfor that, it must be absolutely sincere and true, and with the capacity for it:
\nno pretension. But not necessarily a physical work. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSections like industries which participate actively will contribute part
\nof their income towards the development of the township; or if they produce
\nsomething (like foodstuffs) that is useful to the citizens, they will
\ncontribute in kind to the township, which is responsible for feeding its
\ncitizens.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

This is what we were just saying. The
\nindustries will participate actively, they will contribute. If these industries
\nproduce articles which are not constantly needed and therefore in amounts or
\nquantities that are too great to be used within the city but which will sell outside,
\nthey, of course, should participate with money. And I give food as an example;
\nthose who produce food will give what they produce to the town <\/span>―<\/span> in proportion to what they produce, of
\ncourse <\/span>―<\/span> and the town is responsible for feeding everyone. That means that
\npeople will not need to buy food with money; but it must be earned. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is a sort of adaptation of the
\ncommunist system, but not in a spirit of levelling; according to the capacity,
\nthe position <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 272<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n\u00a0<\/span>―<\/span> not the psychological or intellectual,
\nbut the inner position of each one. <\/span><\/p>\n

What is true is that materially every
\nhuman being has the right <\/span>―<\/span> but it is not a \u201cright\u201d… The
\norganisation should be such, should be so arranged, that the material needs of
\neveryone are assured, not according to ideas of rights and equality, but on the
\nbasis of the minimum needs. And once that is established, each one should be
\nfree to organise his life according to <\/span>―<\/span> not according to his financial means, but
\nhis inner capacities. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo rules or laws are being framed. Things will get formulated as the
\nunderlying truth of the township emerges and takes shape progressively. We do
\nnot anticipate.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

What I mean is that usually <\/span>―<\/span> always so far, and now more and more <\/span>―<\/span> men lay down mental rules according to
\ntheir conceptions and ideals, and then they apply them (Mother brings down her fist to show the world in the grip of mind), <\/i>and
\nthat is absolutely false, it is arbitrary, unreal <\/span>―<\/span> and the result is that things revolt or
\nwither and disappear… It is the experience of life itself that should slowly
\nelaborate rules which are as flexible and wide as possible, to be always
\nprogressive. Nothing should be fixed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That is the great error of governments;
\nthey make a framework and say, \u201cThere you are, we have set this up and now we
\nmust live by it\u201d, and so of course they crush life and prevent it from
\nprogressing. Life itself must develop more and more in a progression towards
\nLight, Knowledge, Power, little by little establishing rules that are as general
\nas possible, so that they can be extremely flexible and change with the need <\/span>―<\/span> and change as quickly as the needs and
\nhabits do. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence) <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 273<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

The problem finally comes down to this: to
\nreplace the mental government of the intelligence by the government of a
\nspiritualised consciousness.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n


\nFebruary 1968<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

One must have an absolutely transparent
\nsincerity. Lack of sincerity is the cause of the difficulties we meet at
\npresent. Insincerity is in all men. There are perhaps a hundred men on earth
\nwho are totally sincere. Man’s very nature makes him insincere <\/span>―<\/span> it is very complicated, for he is
\nconstantly deceiving himself, hiding the truth from himself, making excuses for
\nhimself. Yoga is the way to become sincere in all parts of the being. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is difficult to be sincere, but at
\nleast one can be mentally sincere; this is what can be demanded of Aurovilians.
\nThe force is there, present as never before; man’s insincerity prevents it from
\ndescending, from being felt. The world lives in falsehood, all relations
\nbetween men have until now been based on falsehood and deceit. Diplomatic
\nrelations between nations are based on falsehood. They claim to want peace, and
\nmeanwhile they are arming themselves. Only a transparent sincerity in man and
\namong nations can usher in a transformed world<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Auroville is the first attempt in this
\nexperiment. A new world will be born; if men are willing to make an effort for
\ntransformation, to seek for sincerity, it is possible. From animal to man,
\nthousands of years were needed; today, with his mind, man can will and hasten a
\ntransformation towards a man who shall be God. <\/span><\/p>\n

This transformation by the help of the
\nmind <\/span>―<\/span> by self-analysis <\/span>―<\/span> is a first step; afterwards, it is
\nnecessary to transform the vital impulses: that is much more difficult, and
\nespecially to transform the physical. Every cell in our bodies must become
\nconscious. This is the work I am doing here; it will enable the <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 274<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/span>conquest of death. That is another story; that
\nwill be the humanity of the future, perhaps after hundreds of years, perhaps
\nsooner. It will depend on men, on nations. <\/span><\/p>\n

Auroville is the first step towards this
\ngoal.<\/span> <\/p>\n

\nPage – 275<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

\n


\nMarch
\n1968 <\/span> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

About Section One of the Auroville
\nCharter:<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut to live in Auroville one must be the
\nwilling<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

servitor of the Divine Consciousness.\u201d<\/font><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

This is the big dispute at the moment about
\nAuroville. In the Charter, I put \u201cDivine Consciousness\u201d, so they say, \u201cIt
\nreminds us of God.\u201d I said (Mother
\nlaughs),<\/i> \u201cIt doesn’t remind me of God!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So some translate it as \u201cthe highest
\nconsciousness\u201d, others put something else. I agreed with the Russians to put
\n\u201cperfect Consciousness\u201d, but it is an approximation… And That <\/span>―<\/span> which cannot be named and cannot be
\ndefined <\/span>―<\/span> is the supreme Power. It is the Power that one finds. And the supreme
\nPower is only an aspect: the aspect that concerns creation.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n


\n10 April 1968<\/span><\/i><\/b><\/span><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Apropos Auroville: on money and
\ngovernment. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The conflict about money is what might be
\ncalled a \u201cconflict of ownership\u201d, but the truth is that money belongs to no
\none. This idea of possessing money has warped everything. Money should not be a
\n\u201cpossession\u201d: like power it is a means of action which is given to you, but you
\nmust use it according to.. what we can call the \u201cwill of the Giver\u201d, that is,
\nin an impersonal and <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 275<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

enlightened way. If you are a good
\ninstrument for diffusing and utilising money, then it comes to you, and it
\ncomes to you in proportion to your capacity to use it as it is meant to be
\nused. That is the true mechanism.<\/span><\/p>\n

The true attitude is this: money is a
\nforce intended for the work on earth, the work required to prepare the earth to
\nreceive and manifest the divine forces, and it <\/span>―<\/span> that is, the power of utilising it <\/span>―<\/span> must come into the hands of those who
\nhave the clearest, most comprehensive and truest vision. <\/span><\/p>\n

To start with, the first thing (but this
\nis elementary) is not to have the sense of possession <\/span>―<\/span> what does it mean, \u201cit is mine\u201d?….Now,
\nI don’t quite understand. Why do people want it to belong to them? <\/span>―<\/span> so that they can use it as they like and
\ndo what they want with it and handle it according to their own conceptions?
\nThat’s how it is. On the other hand, yes, there are people who like to store it
\nup somewhere\u2026. but that is a disease. To be sure of always having some, they
\nhoard it. <\/span><\/p>\n

But if people understood that one should
\nbe like a receiving and transmitting station and that the wider the range (just
\nthe opposite of personal), the more impersonal, comprehensive and wide it is,
\nthe most force it can hold (\u201cforce\u201d that is translated materially: notes and
\ncoins). This power to hold is proportional to the capacity to use the money in
\nthe best way <\/span>―<\/span> \u201cbest\u201d in terms of the general progress: the widest vision, the
\ngreatest understanding and the most enlightened, exact and true usage, not
\naccording to the warped needs of the ego but according to the general need of
\nthe earth for its evolution and development. That is to say, the widest vision
\nwill have the largest capacity. <\/span><\/p>\n

Behind all wrong movements, there is a
\ntrue movement; there is a joy in being able to direct, utilise, organise in
\nsuch a way that there is a minimum of waste and the maximum of result. It is a
\nvery interesting vision to have. And this must be the true side in people who
\nwant to accumulate money: it is the capacity to use it on a very large scale.
\nThen, there are those who very much like to have it and spend it; that is
\nsomething <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 276<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

else <\/span>―<\/span> they are generous natures, neither
\nregulated nor organised. But the joy of being able to satisfy all true needs,
\nall necessities, is good. It is like the joy of changing a sickness into
\nhealth, a falsehood into truth, a suffering into joy; it is the same thing: to
\nchange an artificial and foolish need <\/span>―<\/span> which does not correspond to anything
\nnatural <\/span>―<\/span> into a possibility which becomes something quite natural. So much money
\nis needed to do this or that or the other, so much is needed to arrange this,
\nto repair that, to build this, to organise that <\/span>―<\/span> that is good. And I understand that
\npeople like to be the channels through which the money goes exactly where it is
\nneeded. That must be the true movement in people who like to\u2026. translated into
\nfoolish egoism, who need to appropriate. <\/span><\/p>\n

When the need to accumulate and the need
\nto spend (which are both blind and ignorant) are combined, they can lead to a
\nclear vision and a most efficient utilisation. That is good. <\/span><\/p>\n

Then there comes, slowly and slowly, the
\npossibility of putting it into practice. <\/span><\/p>\n

But, naturally, the need is for very clear
\nheads and for intermediaries of high integrity (!) to be able to be everywhere
\nat the same time and do all at the same time. Then this famous question of
\nmoney would be solved. <\/span><\/p>\n

Money does not belong to anybody. Money is
\na collective possession which should be used only by those who have an
\nintegral, comprehensive and universal vision. I would add something to that:
\nnot only integral and comprehensive, but essentially true<\/i> as well; a vision which can tell the difference between a use
\nwhich is in accord with the universal progress, and a use which could be termed
\nfanciful. But these are details, for even the mistakes, even, from a certain
\nstandpoint, the waste, help the general progress: these are lessons learned the
\nhard way. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(Silence)<\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/p>\n

I always remember what X used to say (X
\nwas completely <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 277<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

opposed to philanthropy); he used to say:
\nPhilanthropy perpetuates human misery because without human misery philanthropy
\nwould have no more reason to exist!… And you know the great philanthropist,
\nwhat was his name? <\/span>―<\/span> during Mazarin’s time; he founded the Little Sisters of Charity…. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Vincent de Paul?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That’s it. Mazarin once told him: There
\nhave never been so many poor people as since you started taking care of them! (Mother laughs.) <\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Later.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I have been rethinking what I said about
\nmoney. That is how life in Auroville should be organised, but I doubt whether people
\nare ready. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

That is to say that it is possible so long as they accept the guidance
\nof a sage? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yes. The first thing that should be
\naccepted and recognised by everyone is that the invisible and higher power that
\nis, the power <\/span>―<\/span> which belongs to a plane of consciousness that is mostly veiled, but
\nwhich is within each; a consciousness which can be called anything, by any
\nname, it does not matter, but which is integral and pure in the sense that it
\nis not false, it is in the Truth <\/span>―<\/span> that this power is capable of ordering
\nmaterial things in a way that is truer, happier and better for everyone than
\nany material power. That is the first point. Once people agree on that..\u00a0 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It is not something one can pretend to
\nhave; an individual cannot pretend to have it, either he has it or he hasn’t,
\nbecause (Mother laughs<\/i>) in any
\ncircumstance of life, if it is a pretension, it will show clearly! On top of
\nthat, it does not give you <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 278<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

any material power. There again, X once
\nsaid <\/span>―<\/span> he was speaking of the true hierarchy, the hierarchy based on each
\none’s power of consciousness <\/span>―<\/span> the individual or individuals who are at
\nthe very summit necessarily have the least needs; their material needs become
\nless as their capacity of material vision grows. And that is very true. It is
\nautomatic and spontaneous, not the result of an effort: the wider the
\nconsciousness, the more it embraces things and realities <\/span>―<\/span> the less its material needs,
\nautomatically, because they lose all their importance and value. The need for
\nmaterial necessities is reduced to a minimum, which will itself change with the
\nprogressive development of Matter. <\/span><\/p>\n

And that is easily recognisable, isn’t it?
\nIt is difficult to act the part. <\/span><\/p>\n

And the second thing is the power of
\nconviction; that is, the highest consciousness, when it is brought into contact
\nwith Matter, spontaneously has a greater power of conviction than all the
\nintermediary planes. By mere contact, its power of conviction, that is, its
\npower of transformation, is greater than that of all the intermediary planes.
\nThat is a fact. These two facts together make it impossible for any pretension
\nto last long. I am looking at it from the standpoint of a collective
\norganisation. <\/span><\/p>\n

As soon as you come down from this supreme
\nHeight, there is all the play of the various influences (gesture of mixture and conflict)<\/i> and that in itself is a sure
\nsign: even a slight descent <\/span>―<\/span> even into the domain of higher mind,
\nhigher intelligence – and the whole conflict of influences begins. Only what is
\nright at the very summit and is perfectly pure, has this power of spontaneous
\nconviction. Therefore, whatever one may do instead of that is an approximation
\nand it is not much better than democracy <\/span>―<\/span> that is, the system which wants to rule
\nby the greatest number and the lowest level <\/span>―<\/span> I mean social democracy, the latest
\ntrend. <\/span><\/p>\n

If there is no representative of the
\nsupreme Consciousness <\/span>―<\/span> that can happen, can’t it? <\/span>―<\/span> if there isn’t any, there could be
\ninstead, it could be tried, government by a few <\/span>―<\/span> a small  <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 279<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

number set between four and eight,
\nsomething like that, four, seven, eight – who have an intuitive intelligence:
\n\u201cintuitive\u201d is more important than intelligence – with an intuition that is
\nmanifested intellectually. <\/span><\/p>\n

This would have its drawbacks from the
\npractical point of view, but it would perhaps be closer to the truth than the
\nlowest level <\/span>―<\/span> socialism or communism. Everything in between has proved to be
\nincompetent: theocracy, aristocracy, democracy and plutocracy, all those have
\nbeen a complete failure. The other one, the socialist or communist government
\nis proving itself a failure as well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Basically socialism and communism
\ncorrespond to a kind of absence of government, because they do not have the
\npower to govern others; they are obliged to transfer their power to someone who
\nexercises it, like a Lenin for example, because he was a brain. All this has
\nbeen tried and proved to be incompetent. The only thing that could be competent
\nis the Truth-Consciousness, which would choose instruments and express itself
\nthrough a certain number of instruments in the absence of one \u201cone\u201d is not
\nenough either, <\/span>―<\/span> \u201cone\u201d would necessarily have to choose a group. <\/span><\/p>\n

Those who have this consciousness may
\nbelong to any social class: it is not a privilege of birth, but the outcome of
\npersonal effort and development. In fact, that is an outward sign, the obvious
\nsign of a change from the political point of <\/span>―<\/span> view it is no longer a matter of classes
\nand categories nor of birth <\/span>―<\/span> all that is obsolete. It is the individuals
\nwho have attained a certain higher consciousness who have the right to govern <\/span>―<\/span> not others, regardless of their social
\nclass. <\/span><\/p>\n

This would be the true vision.<\/span><\/p>\n

All those who participate in the
\nexperiment should be absolutely convinced that the highest consciousness is the
\nbest judge of the most material things. What has ruined India is this idea that
\nthe higher consciousness deals with higher things and that lower things do not
\ninterest it at all, and that it understands <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 280<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

nothing
\nabout them! That has been the ruin of India. Well, this error must be
\ncompletely eradicated. It is the highest consciousness which sees most clearly <\/span>―<\/span> most clearly and most truly <\/span>―<\/span> what the needs of the most material
\nthings must be. <\/span><\/p>\n

With that, a new type of government could
\nbe tried.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n


\n31 May 1969 <\/span> <\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

The night before last, I spent more than
\nthree hours with Sri Aurobindo and I was showing him all that was about to come
\ndown for Auroville. It was quite interesting. There were games, there was art, there
\nwas even cooking! But all that was very symbolic. And I was explaining to him
\nas though on a table, in front of a vast landscape. I was explaining to him the
\nprinciple on which physical exercises and games were going to be organised. It
\nwas very clear, very precise, I was giving as though a demonstration, and it
\nwas as though I was showing on a smaller scale a miniature representation of
\nwhat was going to be done. I was moving people and things (gesture, as though on a chess-board<\/i>). But it was very interesting,
\nand he was very interested: he was laying down the broad laws of organisation
\n(I do not know how to explain). There was art and it was beautiful, it was
\ngood. And how to make the houses pleasant and pretty, upon what principle of
\nconstruction. And then even the kitchen; it was so amusing, each one brought
\nforward his invention… This went on for three hours <\/span>―<\/span> three hours of the night, it is a lot!
\nVery interesting. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Yet conditions upon earth seem to be very far from all that..<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

(After some hesitation<\/span><\/i>) No\u2026 it was right there, it did not seem
\nto be foreign to earth. It was a harmony: a conscious harmony behind things; a
\nconscious harmony <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 281<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n
\n

<\/span><\/div>\n

behind the physical exercises and the
\ngames; a conscious harmony behind the decoration, the art; a conscious harmony
\nbehind the food.. <\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I mean that all this seems to be at the opposite pole of what is now
\nupon earth. <\/span><\/i> <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Not\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n

No?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

I saw X today and I was telling him that
\nthe whole organisation of the arts and sports, even of food and all the rest,
\nwas ready in the subtle physical <\/span>―<\/span> ready to come down and embody itself <\/span>―<\/span> and I told him, \u201cWhat is needed is just a
\nhandful of earth (gesture of cupping the
\nhands),<\/i> a handful of earth where one could grow the plant… One must find
\na handful of earth to let it grow.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

\nPage \u2013 282<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Early Talks   June 1965   Have you heard of Auroville? For a long time, I had a plan of the \u201cideal town\u201d, but that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3831","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-13-words-of-the-mother-volume-13","wpcat-111-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3831","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3831"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3831\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3831"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3831"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3831"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}