What is the fundamental difference between the ideal of the Ashram and the ideal of Auroville?
There is no fundamental difference in the attitude towards the future and the service of the Divine.
But the people in the Ashram are considered to have consecrated their lives to Yoga (except, of course, the students who are here only for their studies and who are not expected to have made their choice in life).
Whereas in Auroville simply the good will to make a collective experiment for the progress of humanity is sufficient to gain admittance.
I have always considered the Ashram and Auroville to be parts of an integral whole. I cannot see them as different entities. How then was a difference made by you, Mother? Or is that I am wrong somewhere? To me it seems that there is a great need to move towards the integration in our outlook.
The Ashram is the central consciousness. Auroville is one of the outward expressions. In both places equally the work is done for the Divine.
The people who live in the Ashram have their own work and most of them are too busy to give time to Auroville.
Each one must be busy with his own work; this is essential for a proper organisation.
What is the difference between the Ashram and Auroville?
The Ashram will retain its true role of pioneer, inspirer and guide.
Auroville is the attempt towards collective realisation.
(CWM – Volume 13, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust, 1980, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry)
The Mother answers some questions on Auroville
1. Who has taken the initiative for the construction of Auroville?
The Supreme Lord.
2. Who participates in the financing of Auroville?
The Supreme Lord.
3. If one wants to live in Auroville, what does it imply to oneself?
To try to attain the Supreme Perfection.
4. Must one be a student of yoga in order to live in Auroville?
All life is Yoga. Therefore one cannot live without practising the supreme yoga.
5. What will be the Ashram’s role in Auroville?
Whatever the Supreme Lord wants it to be.
6. Will there be camping-grounds in Auroville?
All things are as they should be, when they should be.
7. Will family life continue in Auroville?
If one has not gone beyond that.
8. Can one retain one’s religion in Auroville?
If one has not gone beyond that.
9. Can one be an atheist in Auroville?
If one has not gone beyond that.
10. Will there be social life in Auroville?
If one has not gone beyond that.
11. Will there be compulsory community activities in Auroville?
Nothing is compulsory.
12. Will money be used in Auroville?
No, Auroville will have money relations only with the outside world.
13. How will work be organised and distributed in Auroville?
Money would no longer be the sovereign lord, individual worth would have a far greater importance than that of material wealth and social standing. There, work would not be a way to earn one’s living but a way to express oneself and to develop one’s capacities and possibilities while being of service to the community as a whole, which, for its own part, would provide for each individual’s subsistence and sphere of action.
14. What will be the relations between the inhabitants of Auroville and the outside world?
Each person is allowed full freedom. The external relations of residents in Auroville will be established for each one according to his personal aspiration and his activities within Auroville.
15. Who will own the land and buildings of Auroville?
The Supreme Lord.
16. What languages will be used for teaching?
All the spoken languages of the earth.
17. What will be the means of transport in Auroville?
We do not know.
(Mother answered these questions orally in 1965. When she read the notation on 8 October 1969, she changed answers 12 and 17, as printed here. )
(The above questions and answers are from CWM- Volume 13, under the section Auroville, published by Sri Aurobindo Ashram, at Sri Aurobindo Ashram Press.)
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