Auroville is an attempt to realize on earth a more ideal life

The Vision of the Auroville Economy.

(proposed chapter title)

CONTENTS

I. History

I A. The origins of an ideal town

I B. The Auroville idea manifests

II. Ownership

II A. Immovable assets

II B. Moveable assets

II C. Present situation.

III. Money

III A. Auroville money relations

III B. The nature of money

III C. Practical consequences

III D. Present situation.

IV. Relationships between the town and the individuals

IV A. Individual attitudes

IV B. A self-supporting township

IV C. The role of business

IV D. Fundraising

IV E. Present situation

IV F. Prospects

INTRODUCTION

Auroville is an attempt to realise on earth a more ideal life.

This simple statement of The Mother carries worlds of meaning.

Not only does 'a more ideal life' imply that those living in Auroville attain deeper and higher levels of consciousness, the statement also indicates that this ideal life has to be lived on earth with a reversal of presently held material value systems.

This chapter presents an overview of the principles of the Auroville economy, as indicated by The Mother in various conversations and statements, and the extent to which these principles have manifested in the life of Auroville at present.

It is necessary to mention that quotes of Mother from when she was in conversation do not necessarily reflect what she intended to convey. Mother has repeatedly said that, when she is quoted from memory by a disciple, there is hardly ever a correspondence to what she wanted to express - ... That's what I'm afraid of, that people will make dogmas for the creation of Auroville.... But even if what I say is written in the “Bulletin”, when it reaches their heads, it becomes like that.

I'm sure what is recorded there (Mother points to the tape recorder), if three people listen to it, each one will hear differently- will UNDERSTAND differently. That's why I'm not sure that it's really useful to play these recordings. [this reference is to recordings of Mother’s Entretiens]…Each one goes away with the certainty that he has heard, but then he has understood something else altogether. And above all - above all - what I say is seen there (gesture above), while... (gesture showing it's heard at ground level), it becomes so stupid, so flat!

-.-.-.-.-

I. HISTORY.

Question 1: Who has taken the initiative for the construction of Auroville?

Mother's Answer: The Supreme Lord.

I A. The origins of an ideal town

The Mother’s idea to create an ideal town originates, as she says, from when she was very young. In a conversation with Satprem she recounts how the idea started trying to manifest again at the very beginning of the previous century, when she was living with Max Théon in Algeria. Much later, during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime, the idea tried once again to manifest when she was offered a piece of land nearby Hyderabad. There she envisaged to create an “ideal town” with Sri Aurobindo living at the centre. The architect Raymond who had built Golconde in Pondicherry prepared a plan for this city. For various reasons this too did not materialise and afterwards, she said, she was no longer interested.

In August 1954 Mother’s well-known A Dream was published, “There should be somewhere on earth a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony where all the fighting instincts of man would be used exclusively to conquer the causes of his sufferings and miseries, to surmount his weaknesses and ignorance, to triumph over his limitations and incapacities; a place where the needs of the spirit and the concern for progress would take precedence over the satisfaction of desires and passions, the search for pleasure and material enjoyment. …” But A Dream ends with “The earth is certainly not ready to realize such an ideal, for mankind does not yet possess sufficient knowledge to understand and adopt it nor the conscious force that is indispensable in order to execute it; that is why I call it a dream. And yet this dream is in the course of becoming a reality; that is what we are striving for in Sri Aurobindo's Ashram, on a very small scale, in proportion to our limited means. The realization is certainly far from perfect, but it is progressive; little by little we are advancing towards our goal which we hope we may one day be able to present to the world as a practical and effective way to emerge from the present chaos, to be born into a new life that is more harmonious and true.”

"What we are striving for in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram" included the employees of the Ashram. One month earlier, in a message to the employees of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Mother mentions that she would like to create a big family in which it will be possible for each one to fully develop his capacities and express them. In this message she also mentions that she would like to build a kind of city accommodating at the outset about two thousand persons.”

It should be noted that Mother gives two reasons why the earth is not ready to realise such an ideal. The first is that mankind at that time did not have sufficient knowledge to understand and adopt it. This reason may be understood with reference to the world's happenings in 1954: it was the middle of the Cold War, the French were leaving Vietnam, while the colonies in Africa were still fighting for independence.

The second reason Mother gives is that mankind does not yet possess the conscious force that is indispensable in order to execute the ideal. It may be assumed that this refers to the Supramental Force which, according to Mother, settled in the earth's atmosphere on February 29, 1956.

I B. The Auroville idea manifests

Then, probably in 1964, the idea was taken up again. In June 1965, Mother tells Satprem: “For a long time, I had had a plan of the “ideal” city, but that was during Sri Aurobindo’s lifetime, with Sri Aurobindo living at its centre. Afterwards … I was no longer interested. Then, we took up the idea of Auroville again (I was the one who called it “Auroville”), but from the other end: instead of the formation having to find the place, it was the place (near the Lake) that caused the formation to be born; and up to now I took a very secondary interest in it because I hadn’t received anything direct. Then that little H. took it into her head to have a house there, near the Lake, and have a house for me next to hers to offer me. And she wrote to me all her dreams; one or two sentences suddenly awakened an old, old memory of something that had tried to manifest – a creation – when I was very small (I don’t remember what age), and that had again tried to manifest at the very beginning of the century when I was with Théon. Then I had forgotten all about it. And it came back with that letter; suddenly I had my plan of Auroville

In a later conversation she tells Satprem: “It's sure to work, I KNOW that it exists - the city is already there (it has been for many, many years). Interestingly, my creation with Sri Aurobindo in the centre [the Hyderabad plan, eds.], then when Sri Aurobindo left, I let it all rest, I didn't budge any more. Then it suddenly started coming again, as if to say, “Now is the time, it must be done.” Very well. The Moslems would say, “It’s fated”. It is fated, it is sure to exist. I don’t know how much time it will take, but it seems to be going fast. The city already exists.”

From 1965 till her passing in November 1973, Mother expressed her views on Auroville to many of her disciples, indicating what she considers necessary “to realize on earth a more ideal life.” The basis is a change of consciousness. In April 1952, when Mother inaugurated the Ashram International Centre of Education, she had already explained why this is so.

The conditions in which men live on earth are the result of their state of consciousness. To seek to change these conditions without changing the consciousness is a vain chimera. Those who have been able to perceive what could and ought to be done to improve the situation in the various domains of human life - economic, political, social, financial, educational and sanitary - are individuals who have, to a greater or lesser extent, developed their consciousness in an exceptional way and put themselves in contact with higher planes of consciousness. But their ideas have remained more or less theoretical or, if an attempt has been made to realize them practically, it has always failed lamentably after a certain period of time; for no human organization can change radically unless human consciousness itself changes. Prophets of a new humanity have followed one another; religions, spiritual or social, have been created; their beginnings have sometimes been promising, but as humanity has not been fundamentally transformed, the old errors arising from human nature itself have gradually reappeared and after some time we find ourselves almost back at the point we had started from with so much hope and enthusiasm.)

The requirement to change one’s consciousness is not only laid down in Auroville’s Charter (But to live in Auroville one must be the willing servitor of the Divine Consciousness – see below) but has been explained in numerous conversations. An example is to be found in “To be a True Aurovilian”, where Mother’s writes as the first condition:

The first necessity is the inner discovery in order to know what one truly is behind social, moral, cultural, racial and hereditary appearances.

At the centre, there is a being free, vast and knowing, who awaits our discovery and who ought to become the active centre of our being and our life in Auroville.

Mother also gave a great number of practical recommendations, ranging from the town plan and how life in the town is to take place to the relations with the surrounding villages.

But Mother explains that there is a Guiding Force behind the manifestation of Auroville. In 1969 she explains that “The conception of Auroville is purely divine and has preceded its execution by many years. Naturally in the details of the execution the human consciousness intervenes.”.“ What human beings do not know about Auroville is that there is a pressure from the Invisible When men make projects they are often unsuccessful because it was not the right thing to do.When their projects are accepted [by the Invisible] they get realized as the Higher Will decides. But when the Higher Will itself chooses, decides, then the thing has to succeed. It may seem to falter, but it is certain to succeed.” And “It (the city) will be built by what is invisible to you. The men who have to act as instruments will do so despite themselves. They are only puppets in the hands of larger Forces. Nothing depends on human beings - neither the planning nor the execution - nothing! That is why one can laugh.”

On February 28, 1968, Auroville was inaugurated. 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 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.

A few days earlier, on February 3rd, she had told Satprem the occult reason why she had started Auroville.

Then I’ve written something else.... They wanted to prepare a sort of brochure on Auroville to distribute to the press, the government, etc., on the 28th, and before that, there is in Delhi in two or three days a conference of all nations ("all nations" is an exaggeration, but anyway they say "all nations"). Z is going there, and she wants to take with her all the papers on Auroville. They have prepared texts – always lengthy, interminable: speeches and more speeches. So then I asked, I concentrated to know what had to be said. And all of a sudden, Sri Aurobindo gave me a revelation. That was something interesting. I concentrated to know the why, the how and so on, and all of a sudden Sri Aurobindo gave me a revelation. That was something interesting. I concentrated to know the why, the how and so on, and all of a sudden Sri Aurobindo said ... (Mother reads out a note:)

"India has become ...

It was the vision of the thing, and it instantly translated into French words.

"India has become the symbolic representation of all the difficulties of modern mankind.

"India will be the land of its resurrection – the resurrection to a higher and truer life."

And the clear vision: the same thing which in the history of the universe made the earth the symbolic representation of the universe so as to concentrate the work on one point, the same phenomenon is now taking place: India is the representation of all human difficulties on earth, and it is in India that the ... cure will be found. And then, that is why – THAT IS WHY I was made to start Auroville.

It came and it was so clear, so tremendously powerful!

So I wrote it down. I didn’t tell them how or why, I told them, "Put this at the beginning of your paper, whatever it is; you can say whatever you like, but put this first."

(silence)

It was very interesting. It remained the whole time, for more than an hour, such a strong and clear vision, as if suddenly everything became clear. I often used to wonder about it (not "wonder," but there was a tension to understand why things, here in India, have become such a chaos, with such sordid difficulties, and all of it piling up), and instantly, everything became clear, like that. It was really interesting. And immediately there was: "Here is why you have made Auroville." I didn’t know it, you understand, I did the thing under pressure, and it took larger and larger proportions (it’s becoming really worldwide), and I would wonder why.... For a time I thought it was the only present possibility to prevent a war, but it seemed to me a somewhat superficial explanation. Then it came all of a sudden: "Ah! That’s why."

And as that whole power was in it, I said, "Put it." We’ll see – they won’t understand anything, but that doesn’t matter, it will act.

II. OWNERSHIP.

II A. Immovable assets

Question 15: Who will own the land and buildings of Auroville?

Mother's answer: The Supreme Lord.

When the concept of Auroville started to manifest, Mother directed the Sri Aurobindo Society to start purchasing the lands for Auroville. The first land for Auroville was bought as early as 8 October 1964.

In the brochures issued at the time it was clear that interested persons, once accepted by The Mother, could financially contribute towards a house in Auroville, but that they were only granted the right to live there with their family. Ownership of the house and land was never given, though from the leaflets issued by the Sri Aurobindo Society it may be inferred that the right to live in the house would be extended to the person's family after the demise of the person.

The principle of non-ownership of immoveable assets was laid down in the Charter of Auroville of February 28th, 1968. The first line of Auroville’s Charter states explicitly:

Auroville belongs to nobody in particular.

Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole...

and Mother explains to Satprem :”So this is the material fact. Auroville belongs... I didn't put “to no nation” because India would have been furious. I put “belongs to nobody” – “nobody” is a vague term which I used precisely so as not to say “to no human being” or “to no nation”. And I put “Auroville belongs to humanity AS A WHOLE”, because it amounts to nothing! Since people can’t agree together, the thing is impossible! I did it deliberately.”

The principle that an Aurovilian cannot own land or houses in Auroville has been upheld ever since. At first, lands in the Auroville area were legally owned by the Sri Aurobindo Society. Later when Aurovilians were legally able to form trusts, the Auroville Trust and a specific land holding trust, the Auroville Resource Trust, were used to purchase land. Organisations and individuals would make donations towards these trusts, which in turn would buy available land.

Houses, meanwhile, were built from Aurovilians personal funds on the Auroville lands according to prevailing development plans regardless of whether they were owned by individuals or by the land trusts or by the Society.

When the Auroville Foundation Act was passed in September 1988, the Government of India became the temporary owner of all the land holdings including those held in private names. The Auroville Foundation came into existence on January 29, 1991. On April 1, 1992, the Government handed all the immoveable assets over to the Auroville Foundation, which, according to the Auroville Housing Policy, “holds them in trust for humanity as a whole”.

At present, all lands required for Auroville are bought by the Auroville Foundation. The Auroville Foundation is also the owner of all immoveable assets created on Auroville land. The Auroville Land Policy and the Auroville Housing Policy specify the conditions under which Aurovilians have the right to use the immoveable assets.

II B. Moveable assets

Auroville is the ideal place for those who want to know the joy and liberation of no longer having any personal possessions.

Mother to Satprem on September 20, 1969:

"That's the latest thing that came. “Personal possession” in the singular; I mean the sense of personal possession.”

In June 1970 she explains:

“We should also teach them to free themselves from the idea of personal possession.... You see, everything belongs to the Divine, and the Divine gives you not only a centre (the centre of an individuality), but also the possibility of the personal use of a number of things; but you must take them all like that, as things LENT to you by the Divine. The Divine is eternal, of course, he is “everlasting”, as they say in English, and at the same time as he creates this individual centre, a number of things are there to be used for his work, so those things are LENT. That's exactly the point: you hold them in your possession for a time.

It's to uproot the sense of personal possession.”

This principle is later once again extemporised in a statement entitled To be A True Aurovilian.

3. The Aurovilian should lose the sense of personal possession. For our passage in the material world, what is indispensable to our life and to our action is put at our disposal according to the place we must occupy. The more we are consciously in contact with our inner being, the more are the exact means given to us.

An explanation for this can be found in a conversation with Satprem in 1968.

"The first thing that should be accepted and recognised by all is that the invisible, higher power (higher in the sense that it belongs to a plane of consciousness which, although veiled to most, one can gain, a consciousness one may call as one likes, any name – that doesn’t matter – but which is integral and pure in the sense that it is not mendacious, it’s based on the Truth), that this power is capable of governing material things for everyone in a MUCH TRUER, happier and more beneficial way than any material power. That’s the first point. Once everyone agrees on it...

And it’s not something you can pretend to have; a being can’t pretend to have it: either he has it or he doesn’t, because (laughing) if it is a pretence, life will use the slightest opportunity to make it obvious. And moreover, it won’t give you any material power – here also, Théon said something in this regard, he said, “Those who are all the way up” (he was referring to the true hierarchy, the hierarchy based precisely on each one's power of consciousness), “one who is all the way up (one or those) necessarily has the least amount of needs; his material needs decrease as his capacity of material vision increases.” And it’s perfectly true. It’s automatic and spontaneous, it’s not the result of an effort: the vaster the consciousness and the more things and realities it embraces, the smaller the material needs become – automatically so - because they lose all their importance and value. It’s reduced to a minimal need of material necessities, which will itself change with the progressive development of Matter.

In another conversation:

There is something very interesting on a psychological level: it’s that material needs decrease in proportion to the spiritual growth. Not (as Sri Aurobindo said), through asceticism, but because the focus of attention and concentration of the being moves to a different domain.... The purely material being, quite conceivably, finds only material things pleasing; with all those who live in the emotive being and the outer mind, the interest of the being is turned to ... for instance, things of beauty, as with those who want to live surrounded by beautiful things, who want to use nice things. Now that seems to be the human summit, but it's quite... what we might call a “central region” (gesture hardly above ground level), it's not at all a higher region. But the way the world is organized, people without aesthetic needs go back to a very primitive life – which is wrong. We need a place where life... where the very setting of life would be, not an individual thing, but a beauty that would be like the surroundings natural to a certain degree of development.

Now, as things are organized, to be surrounded by beautiful things you need to be rich, and that’s a source of imbalance, because wealth usually with quite an average degree of consciousness, even mediocre at times. So there’s everywhere an imbalance and a disorder. We would need ... a place of beauty - a place of beauty in which people can live only if they have reached a certain degree of consciousness. And let it not be decided by other people, but quite spontaneously and naturally. So how to do that?...

Problems of the sort are beginning to come up at Auroville, and that makes the things very interesting. Of course, the means are very limited, but that also is part of the problem to be solved.

If the individual is to loose the sense of personal possession, than how are material assets to be used? Mother explains:

At Auroville nothing belongs to anyone in particular. All is collective property. To be utilised with my blessings for the welfare of all.

Does this mean that everyone can use everything? Mother's reply is in the negative, while at the same time indicating that a certain administrative quality is required for this ideal to manifest:

All this implies a consciousness which is not very widespread on earth.

This does not mean that things should be given to people who do not know how to use them.

What is needed to administer Auroville is a consciousness free from all conventions and conscious of the supramental Truth. I am still waiting for someone like that. Each one must do his best to achieve that.

II C. Present situation.

The principle that assets should be owned collectively has partially manifested in Auroville in that there is no ownership of commercial and non-commercial units. All these units are owned by the Auroville Foundation, which has delegated the management to individual Aurovilians. The Funds and Assets Management Committee of the Auroville Foundation, consisting of Aurovilians from many sectors of Auroville as well as the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, oversees the running of the units.

The principle of collective property has not been effected as regards assets of individual Aurovilians. They can own immoveable assets outside Auroville and within Auroville own moveable assets. There is no requirement that individuals hand over their assets to any collective authority.

In this respect it should be noted that under the Indian Foreigners Act, 1946, Aurovilians of non-Indian origin, like any other foreigner, can be evicted from India at any time without reasons, irrespective of the period one has lived in Auroville.

III. MONEY

III A. Auroville money relations

Question 12: Will money be used in Auroville?

Mother's Answer: No. Auroville will have money relations only with the outside world.

On June 23rd, 1965, in her first talk about Auroville with Satprem, Mother explained that in her old formation, the town with Sri Aurobindo living at the centre planned nearby Hyderabad, money would not be used:

There was no money - within the walls, no money; at the various entrances, there were banks or counters of some sort, where people could deposit their money and receive tickets in exchange, with which they could obtain lodging, food, this, that. But no money - the tickets were only for visitors, who could not enter without a permit. It was a tremendous organisation... No money, I did not want any money.

However, in the same conversation, she mentions that money will play a role in Auroville:

... Now it's much more limited; it's [the town plan] not my symbol anymore, there are only four zones, and no walls. And there will be money. The other formation, you know, was really an ideal attempt....

From later conversations and statements on Auroville it becomes clear that The Mother envisages that money will only retain a function in the relations between Auroville and the outside world. Inside Auroville, money would not be used.

There may be two answers as to why Mother did not want any monetary relationships between Aurovilians.

The nature of the Auroville project.

The first answer deals with the nature of the Auroville project. Though A Dream was published in 1954, 14 years before Auroville was founded, its content has always been taken as one of Auroville's ideals to be manifested. Auroville aspires to be "a place where the needs of the spirit and the concern for progress would take precedence over the satisfaction of desires and passions, the search for pleasure and material enjoyment. In this place, children would be able to grow and develop integrally without losing contact with their souls; education would be given not for passing examinations or obtaining certificates and posts but to enrich existing faculties and bring forth new ones. In this place, titles and positions would be replaced by opportunities to serve and organize; the bodily needs of each one would be equally provided for, and intellectual, moral and spiritual superiority would be expressed in the general organization not by an increase in the pleasures and powers of life but by increased duties and responsibilities. Beauty in all its artistic forms, painting, sculpture, music, literature, would be equally accessible to all; the ability to share in the joy it brings would be limited only by the capacities of each one and not by social and financial position. For in this ideal place 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. In short, it would be a place where human relationships, which are normally based almost exclusively on competition and strife, would be replaced by relationships of emulation in doing well, of collaboration and real brotherhood."

Mother's ideal that money would not be used in the ideal town can already be found in her message of 1954 to the employees of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. There she writes:

"All my effort is towards realising in the world as much truth as actual circumstances will allow, and with the increase of truth, the welfare and happiness of all will necessarily increase. Difference of caste and class have no truth for me; all that counts is individual value. My aim is to create a big family in which it will be possible for each one to fully develop his capacities and express them. Each one will have his place and occupation in accordance with his capacities and in a relation of goodwill and brotherhood.

As a consequence of such a family organisation there will be no need of remuneration or wages. Work should not be a means of earning one's livelihood; its purpose should be two-fold: first to develop one's nature and capacity for action, and secondly, in proportion to one's physical means and moral and intellectual aptitude, to give service to the family to which one belongs and to whose welfare it is but proper to contribute, as it is proper for the family members to provide for the real needs of each of its members.

To give a concrete form to this ideal under the present conditions of life, my ideal is to build a kind of city accommodating at the outset about two thousand persons. …Finally, big stores will be set up where one can find all the small 'extras" which give life variety and pleasantness and which one will get against "coupons" that will be given in recompense for especially notable achievement or conduct…”

The aim set before life in Auroville is to go beyond the economic barbarism that is prevalent in society today. Sri Aurobindo, in his work The Human Cycle, coined this terminology and explains it:

This economic barbarism is essentially that of the vital man who mistakes the vital being for the self and accepts its satisfaction as the first aim of life.

The characteristic of Life is desire and the instinct of possession. Just as the physical barbarian makes the excellence of the body and the development of physical force, health and prowess his standard and aim, so the vitalistic or economic barbarian makes the satisfaction of wants and desires and the accumulation of possessions his standard and aim. His ideal man is not the cultured or noble or thoughtful or moral or religious, but the successful man. To arrive, to succeed, to produce, to accumulate, to possess is his existence. The accumulation of wealth and more wealth, the adding of possessions to possessions, opulence, show, pleasure, a cumbrous inartistic luxury, a plethora of conveniences, life devoid of beauty and nobility, religion vulgarised or coldly formalised, politics and government turned into a trade and profession, enjoyment itself made a business, this is commercialism.

To the natural unredeemed economic man beauty is a thing otiose or a nuisance, art and poetry a frivolity or an ostentation and a means of advertisement. His idea of civilisation is comfort, his idea of morals social respectability, his idea of politics the encouragement of industry, the opening of markets, exploitation and trade following the flag, his idea of religion at best a pietistic formalism or the satisfaction of certain vitalistic emotions. He values education for its utility in fitting a man for success in a competitive or, it may be, a socialised industrial existence, science for the useful inventions and knowledge, the comforts, conveniences, machinery of production with which it arms him, its power for organisation, regulation, stimulus to production.

The opulent plutocrat and the successful mammoth capitalist and organiser of industry are the superman of the commercial age and the true, if often occult rulers of its society.

The essential barbarism of all this is its pursuit of vital success, satisfaction, productiveness, accumulation, possession, enjoyment, comfort, convenience for their own sake."

Then, Sri Aurobindo describes the true role of the vital part of the being.

"The vital part of the being is an element in the integral human existence as much as the physical part; it has its place but must not exceed its place. A full and well-appointed life is desirable for man living in society, but on condition that it is also a true and beautiful life

Neither the life nor the body exist for their own sake, but as vehicle and instrument of a good higher than their own. They must be subordinated to the superior needs of the mental being, chastened and purified by a greater law of truth, good and beauty before they can take their proper place in the integrality of human perfection. Therefore in a commercial age with its ideal, vulgar and barbarous, of success, vitalistic satisfaction, productiveness and possession the soul of man may linger a while for certain gains and experiences, but cannot permanently rest. If it persisted too long, life would become clogged and perish of its own plethora or burst in its straining to a gross expansion. Like the too massive Titan it will collapse by its own mass, mole met sua."

If these statements give early indications, the explicit principles for Auroville's economic life are laid down in 1967.

"Auroville will be a self-supporting township

"All who live there will participate in its life and development.

"This participation may be passive or active.

"There will be no taxes as such but each will contribute to the collective welfare in work, kind or money.

"Sections like Industries which participate actively will contribute part of their income towards the development of the township. Or if they produce something (like foodstuff) useful for the citizens, they will contribute in kind to the township which is responsible for the feeding of the citizens.

"No rules or laws are being framed. Things will get formulated as the underlying Truth of the township emerges and takes shape progressively. We do not anticipate."

Mother explains these principles extensively in a long conversation with Satprem on December 30, 1967. Excerpts::

" …you don't pay for your food, but you must give work, or ingredients: for example, those who had fields would give the produce of their fields; those who had factories would give their products; or else your own work in exchange for food.. That alone does away with much of the internal circulation of money. And in every field things of that sort could be found.…Ultimately, it must be a town for studies - studies and research on how to live both in a simplified way and in a way such that the higher qualities have MORE TIME to develop. There.

And there is one thing I wanted to say. One's participation in the welfare and existence of the whole township isn't something worked out individually: such and such an individual must give so much. It's not like that. It's worked out according to one's means, activity, possibilities of production; it's not the democratic idea, which cuts everything into small equal bits - an absurd machinery. It's worked out according to one's means: one who has much gives much, one who has little gives little; one who is strong works a lot, one who isn't does something else. You understand, it's something truer, deeper. And that's why I am not trying to explain it right away, because people will start making all kinds of protests. It must come into being AUTOMATICALLY, so to say, with the growth of the township, in the true spirit. That's why this note is quite succinct.

This sentence, for instance: "All who live there will participate in its life and development..." according to their capacities and means, not a mechanical "so much per unit." That's the point. It must be something living and TRUE, not mechanical. And "according to their capacities," that is, one who has material means such as those a factory gives will have to provide in proportion to his production - not so much per individual or per head.

…The true part is that every human being has the material right ... (but it's not a "right" ...). The organization should be such, arranged in such a way, that everyone's material need should be met, not according to notions of right and equality, but on the basis of the most elementary necessities; then, once that is established, everyone must be free to organize his life, not according to his monetary means, but according to his inner capacities.

In a conversation of March 25, 1970 Satprem suggests to introduce a system of coupons for hours of work and a scale for the quality of the work one does. Mother doesn't answer this suggestion in the affirmative, but speaks instead about the organisation required to do away with money transactions inside the city, and about the conditions for being an organiser.

Satprem: If a coolie’s coupon of is worth one, an engineer’s may be said to be worth five, for instance.

Mother replies: "That would be a whole organisation to be worked out. We’ll need…we’ll need something like that in Auroville....

The difficulty is the appreciation of the value of things. You understand, that requires a very wide vision. Money’s convenience was that it became mechanical….But this new system cannot become quite mechanical, so … For instance, the idea is that those who will live in Auroville will have no money - there's no circulation of money – but to eat, for instance, everyone has the right to eat, naturally, but …On quite a practical level we had conceived the possibility of all types of food according to everyone’s tastes or needs (for example, vegetarian cooking, non-vegetarian cooking, diet cooking, etc.) and those who want to get food from there must do something in exchange - work, or... It's hard to organise in practice, on a quite practical level.... You see, we had planned a lot of the land around the city for large-scale agriculture for the city’s consumption. But to cultivate those lands, for the moment we need money, or else materials. So ... Now I have to face the whole problem in every detail, and it's not easy!…

You see, the idea is that there will be no customs in Auroville and no taxes, and Aurovilians will have no personal property. Like that, on paper, it’s very fine, but when it comes to doing it in practice...

The problem is always the same: those given the responsibility should be people with a … universal consciousness, of course, otherwise … Wherever there is a personal consciousness, it means someone incapable of governing - we see what governments are like, it's frightful!

…

The conditions to organise – to be an organiser (it's not “to govern”, it's to ORGANIZE) - the conditions to be an organiser should be these: no more desires, no more preferences, no more attractions, no more repulsions - a perfect equality for all things. Sincerity, of course, but that goes without saying: wherever insincerity enters, poison enters at the same time. And then, only those who are themselves in that condition can discern whether another is in it or not.

At present, all human organisations are based on: the visible fact (which is a falsehood), public opinion (another falsehood), and moral sense, which is a third falsehood! (Mother laughs) So....

III B. The nature of money

A second reason why Mother did not want money to be used inside Auroville may lay in the nature of money. In the vast writings of Sri Aurobindo the issue of the role and use of money occupies only a small space. Sri Aurobindo wrote a chapter about it in his book The Mother, and in his Letters on Yoga one finds a few answers on the proper way of dealing with money. But what he wrote, in essence, says it all.

"Money," writes Sri Aurobindo, "is the visible sign of a universal force, and this force in its manifestation on earth works on the vital and physical planes and is indispensable to the fullness of outer life. In its origin and its true action it belongs to the Divine. But like other powers of the Divine, it is delegated here and in the ignorance of the lower Nature can be usurped for the uses of the ego or held by Asuric influences and perverted to their purpose. This is indeed one of the three forces - power, wealth, sex - that have the strongest attraction for the human ego and the Asura and are most generally misheld and misused by those who retain them. The seekers or keepers of wealth are more often possessed rather than its possessors; few escape entirely a certain distorting influence stamped on it by its long seizure and perversion by the Asura. For this reason most spiritual disciplines insist on a complete self-control, detachment and renunciation of all bondage to wealth and of all personal and egoistic desire for its possession. Some even put a ban on money and riches and proclaim poverty and bareness of life as the only spiritual condition. But this is an error; it leaves the power in the hands of the hostile forces. To reconquer it for the Divine to whom it belongs and use it divinely for the divine life is the supramental way for the Sadhaka.

You must neither turn with an ascetic shrinking from the money power, the means it gives and the objects it brings, nor cherish a rajasic attachment to them or a spirit of enslaving self-indulgence in their gratifications. Regard wealth simply as a power to be won back for the Mother and placed at her service.

All wealth belongs to the Divine and those who hold it are trustees, not possessors. It is with them today, tomorrow it may be elsewhere. All depends on the way they discharge their trust while it is with them, in what spirit, with what consciousness is their use of it, to what purpose.

In your personal use of money look on all you have or get or bring as the Mother's. Make no demand but accept what you receive from her and use it for the purposes for which it is given to you. Be entirely selfless, entirely scrupulous, exact, careful in detail, a good trustee; always consider that it is her possessions and not your own that you are handling. On the other hand, what you receive for her, lay religiously before her; turn nothing to your own or any body else's purpose.

Do not look up to men because of their riches or allow yourself to be impressed by the show, the power or the influence. When you ask for the Mother, you must feel that it is she who is demanding through you a very little of what belongs to her and the man from whom you ask will be judged by his response.

If you are free from the money taint but without any ascetic withdrawal, you will have a greater power to command the money for the divine work. Equality of mind, absence of demand and the full dedication of all you possess and receive and all your power of acquisition to the Divine Shakti and her work are the signs of this freedom. Any perturbation of mind with regard to money and its use, any claim, any grudging is a sure index of some imperfection or bondage.

The ideal Sadhaka in this kind is one who if required to live poorly can so live and no sense of want will affect him or interfere with the full inner play of the divine consciousness, and if he is required to live richly, can so live and never for a moment fall into desire or attachment to his wealth or to the things that he uses or servitude to self-indulgence or a weak bondage to the habits that the possession of riches creates. The divine Will is all for him and the divine Ananda.

In the supramental creation the money-force has to be restored to the Divine Power and used for a true and beautiful and harmonious equipment and ordering of a new divinised vital and physical existence in whatever way the Divine Mother herself decides in her creative vision. But first it must be conquered back for her and those will be the strongest for the conquest who are in this part of their nature strong and large and free from ego and surrendered without any claim or withholding or hesitation, pure and powerful channels for the Supreme Puissance.

The Mother, answering questions from Ashram children in 1951, commented on this chapter. “Money in itself,” She says, “is an impersonal force, and the way in which you acquire money concerns you alone personally. It may do you great harm, it may harm others also, but it does not in any change the nature of the money which is an altogether impersonal force: money has no colour, no taste, no psychological consciousness…money as a terrestrial force is not affected by the way in which it is obtained.” In other statements Mother stressed the role of this force: “…money is a universal force meant to do the work on earth, the work needed to prepare the earth to receive the divine forces and manifest them …”

In a conversation at the Ashram Playground of July 28, 1954, Mother further explains Sri Aurobindo's words:

You see, when one thinks of money, one thinks of bank notes or coins or some kind of wealth, some precious things. But this is only the physical expression of a force which many be handled by the vital and which, when possessed and controlled, almost automatically brings along these more material expressions of money. And that is a kind of power. (Silence) It is a power of attracting certain very material vibrations, which has a capacity for utilisation that increases its strength - which is like the action of physical exercise, you see - it increases its strength through utilisation.

For example, if you have a control over this force - it is a force which, in the vital world, has a colour varying between red, a dark, extremely strong red and a deep gold that's neither bright not very pale. Well, this force - when it is made to move, to circulate, its strength increases. It is not something that one can accumulate and keep without using. It is a force which must always be circulated.

For example, people who are misers and accumulate all the money, all the wealth they can attract towards themselves, put this force aside without using its power of movement; and either it escapes or it lies benumbed and looses its strength.

The true method of being in the stream of this money-power is precisely what is written here: a sense of absolute impersonality, the feeling that it is not something that you possess or which belongs to you, but that it is a force you can handle and direct where it ought to go in order to do the most useful work. And by these movements, by this constant action, the power increases - the power of attraction, a certain power of organisation also. That is to say, even somebody who has no physical means, who is not in those material circumstances where he could materially handle money, if he is in possession of this force, he can make it act, make it circulate, and if ever he finds it necessary, receive from it as much power as he needs without there being externally any sign or any reason why money should come to him. He may be in conditions which are absolutely the very opposite of those of usual wealth, and yet can handle this force and always have at his disposal all the wealth that is necessary to carry on his work.

In another conversation

…money is a force, it is nothing but that. And that is why nobody has the right to own it personally, for it is only a force, just like all other forces of Nature and the universe. If you take light as a force, it would never occur to anyone to say: "I possess the light", and to want to shut it up in his room and not give it to others! Well, with money people are so stupefied as to imagine that it is something they can possess and keep, as though it belonged to them, and make something personal of it. It is exactly the same thing. I am not speaking of money as paper, naturally, because that would be just like the light you put in a lamp, you may own the lamp, and you say: "It is my light." Money, your notes, your pieces of silver, that is your money. But that is not money. This is a force which is behind all that, the power of exchange which is money. That does not belong to anybody. It belongs to everyone. It is something which is alive only if it circulates. If you want to heap it up, it decays. It is as though you wanted to enclose water in a vase and keep it always; after some time your water would be absolutely putrefied. With money it is the same thing. And people have not yet understood that. Later on I shall write about it.

That won't last always.

The fact that money has been for a long time under the dominion of asuric forces, is the main reason why money is difficult to obtain. Mother's reply to the question how money can be reconquered for the Mother, asked by the children of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, is instructive:

Ah!.... There is a hint here. Three things are interdependent (Sri Aurobindo says here): power, money and sex. I believe the three are interdependent and all that all three have to be conquered to be sure of having any one - when you want to conquer one you must have the other two. Unless one has mastered these three things, desire for power, desire for money and desire for sex, one cannot truly possess any of them firmly and surely. What gives so great an importance to money in the world as it is today is not so much money itself, for apart from a few fools who heap up money and are happy because they can heap it up and count it, generally money is desired and acquired for the satisfaction it brings. And this is almost reciprocal: each of these three things not only has its own value in the world of desires, but leans upon the other two. I have related to you that vision, that big black serpent which kept watch over the riches of the world, terrestrial wealth - he demanded the mastery of the sex-impulse. Because, according to certain theories, the very need of power has its end in this satisfaction, and if one mastered that, if one abolished that from human consciousness, much of the need for power and desire for money would disappear automatically. Evidently, these are the three great obstacles in the terrestrial human life and, unless they are conquered, there is scarcely a chance for humanity to change.

Question: Does an individual mastery over desire suffice or is a general, collective mastery necessary?

Ah! there we are.... Is it possible to attain a total personal transformation without there being at least a correspondence in the collectivity?... This does not seem possible to me. There is such an interdependence between the individual and the collectivity that, unless one does what the ascetics have preached, that is, escape from the world, goes out of it completely, leaves it where it is and runs away selfishly leaving all the work to others, unless one does that... And even so I have my doubts. Is it possible to accomplish a total transformation of one's being so long as the collectivity has not reached at least a certain degree of transformation? I don't think so. Human nature remains what it is -one can attain a great change of consciousness, that yes, one can purify one's consciousness, but the total conquest, the material transformation depends definitely to a large extent, on a certain degree of progress in the collectivity. Buddha said with reason that as long as you have in you a vibration of desire, this vibration will spread in the world and all those who are ready to receive it will receive it. In the same way, if you have in you the least receptivity to the vibration of desire, you will be open to all the vibrations of desire which circulate constantly in the world. And that is why he concluded: Get out of this illusion, withdraw entirely and you will be free. I find this relatively very selfish, but after all, that was the only way he had foreseen. There is another: to identify oneself so well with the divine Power as to be able to act constantly and consciously upon all vibrations circulating through the world. Then the undesirable vibrations no longer have any effect upon you, but you have an effect upon them, that is, instead of an undesirable vibration entering into you without being perceived and doing its work there, it is perceived and immediately on its arrival you act upon it to transform it, and it goes back into the world transformed, to do its beneficent work and prepare others for the same realisation. This is exactly what Sri Aurobindo proposes to do and, more clearly, what he asks you to do, what he intends us to do:

Instead of running away, to bring into oneself the power which can conquer.

Note that things are arranged in such a way that if the tiniest atom of ambition remained and one wanted this Power for one's personal satisfaction, one could never have it, that power would never come. Its deformed limitations, of the kind seen in the vital and physical world, those yes, one may have them, and there are many people who have them, but the true Power, the power Sri Aurobindo calls "supramental", unless one is absolutely free from all egoism under all its forms, one will never be able to manifest. So there is no danger of its being misused. It will not manifest except through a being who has attained the perfection of a complete inner detachment. I have told you, this is what Sri Aurobindo expects us to do - you may tell me it is difficult, but I repeat that we are not here to do easy things, we are here to do difficult ones.

The Mother, in dealing with the practical life of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, spoke and wrote more about the proper use of money. A clear statement can be found in a conversation with Satprem on 4 October 1958:

“Money belongs to the one who spends it; that is an absolute law. You may pile up money, but it doesn’t belong to you until you spend it. Then you have the merit, the glory, the joy, the pleasure of spending it.

Money is meant to circulate. What should remain constant is the progressive movement of an increase in the earth’s production – an ever-expanding progressive movement to increase the earth’s production and improve existence on earth. It is the material improvement of terrestrial life and the growth of the earth’s production that must go on expanding, enlarging, and not this silly paper or this inert metal that is amassed and lifeless. Money is not meant to generate money: money should generate an increase in production, an improvement in the conditions of life and a progress in human consciousness. This is its true use.”

We want to be an example of true living in the world. It is a challenge I am placing before the whole financial world: I am telling them that they are in the process of withering and ruining the earth with their idiotic system; and with even less that they are now spending for useless things – merely for inflating something that has no inherent life, that should be only an instrument at the service of life that has no reality in itself, that is only a means and not an end (they make an end of something that is only a means) – well then, instead of making of it an end, they should make it the means. With what they have at their disposal they could…oh, transform the earth so quickly! Transform it, put it into contact, truly into contact, with the supramental forces that would make life bountiful and, indeed, constantly renewed – instead of becoming withered, stagnant, shriveled up. A future moon. A dead moon… The movement should be the opposite: the earth should become more and more a resplendent sun, but a sun of life. Not a sun that burns, but a sun that illumines – a radiant glory.”

But how is an individual to take this attitude?

Mother: "The first thing, to begin with (this is elementary), is to have no sense of possession - "It's mine," what does that mean? What does it mean?... I can't really understand it now. Why do people want it to be theirs? - To be able to use it as they wish, do with it what they wish and handle it according to their own idea. That's how it is. Otherwise, yes, there are people who love to keep it in a pile somewhere …But that’s a disease. To be sure of always having money, they heap it up. But if people understood that one must be like a receiver-transmitter set; that the vaster the set (just the contrary of personal), the more impersonal and generous and vast the set is, and the more forces it can contain (“forces,” that is, to translate materially, banknotes or money). And that power to contain is in proportion to the best capacity of utilisation - the “best,” that is, from the standpoint of general progress: the broadest vision, the broadest understanding and the most enlightened, exact, true utilisation, not according to the ego's falsified needs, but according to the earth's general need in its evolution and development. In other words, the broadest vision should have the broadest capacity….

Behind all false movements, there is a true one: there is a joy in being able to direct, utilise, organise things so as to keep wastage to a minimum while having a maximum of results. (That's a very interesting vision to have.) And that must be the true side in those who want to amass: a capacity of utilisation on a very large scale. …

But the joy of enabling all TRUE needs, all NECESSITIES to express themselves, that's good. It's like the joy of turning an illness into good health, a falsehood into truth, a suffering into joy, it's the same thing: turning an artificial and stupid need, which doesn't correspond to anything natural, into a possibility which becomes something quite natural - a need for so much money to do this and that which needs to be done, to set right here, repair there, build here, organise there - that's good. And I understand one may enjoy being the transmitting channel for all that and bring money just where it's needed. It must be the true movement in people who enjoy ... (that's when it becomes stupid selfishness) who need to hoard.

The combination of the need to hoard and the need to spend (both of them ignorant and blind), the two combined can make for a clear vision and a utilisation as useful as possible. That's good.

So then, there slowly, slowly comes the possibility of putting it into practice.

But naturally, to be everywhere at the same time and do every thing at the same time, one needs very clear brains and very upright intermediaries (!) Then this famous question of money would be solved.

Money belongs to no one: money is a collective property that only those with an integral and general, universal vision must use. And let me add, a vision not only integral and general, but also essentially TRUE, which means you can distinguish between a utilisation in conformity with universal progress, and a utilisation that might be called fanciful. But those are details, because even errors - even, from a certain point of view, wasteful uses - help in the general progress: they are lessons in reverse.

But The Mother was very conscious that it might take many years, perhaps even hundreds of years, before Sri Aurobindo's vision on the true role of money would be able to manifest.

What we may call the “reign of money” is drawing to its close. But the transitional period between the arrangement that has existed in the world till now and the one to come (in a hundred years, for instance), that period is going to be very difficult – it is very difficult.

When, in 1970, the first Aurovilians expressed to her that some of them were not interested in starting factories and work for the sake of money but instead preferred a more inward seeking, Mother answered:

To be practical, you must first have a very clear vision of your goal, of where you are going. From this point of view, take money, for example. An ideal which may be several hundred years ahead of its time, we don't know: money should be a power which belongs to nobody and which should be controlled by the most universal wisdom present. Put on the earth someone who has a vision vast enough to be able to know the needs of the earth and precise enough to be able to tell where the money should go - you understand, we are very far from that, aren't we? For the moment, the gentleman still says, "This is mine", and when he is generous, he says, "I give it to you". That is not it.

And then The Mother makes a startling statement: to find the proper way of dealing with money is more difficult than to discover one's psychic being.

But there is a long way to go between what we are and what must be. And for that we must be very flexible, never losing the sight of the goal, but knowing that we cannot reach it at one bound and that we must find the way. Well, that is much more difficult, even more difficult than to make the inner discovery. Truly speaking, that should have been made before coming here.

And one may assume that without this discovery, the true method will not be found.

For there is a starting point: when you have found within yourself the light that never wavers, the presence which can guide you with certitude, then you become aware that constantly, in everything that happens, there is something to be learnt, and that in the present state of matter there is always a progress to be made. That is how one should come, eager to find out at every minute the progress to be made. To have a life that wants to grow and perfect itself, that is what the collective ideal of Auroville should be: "A life that wants to grow and perfect itself" and above all, not in the same way for everyone - each one in his own way.

III C. Practical consequences

What are the immediate practical consequences of Sri Aurobindo's and Mother's vision on money and its role in Auroville?

1) Change of psychological attitude.

The foremost consequence is a change of psychological attitude towards money. This change, it is clear from the previous quotation, becomes immensely easier once the individual has identified with his or her psychic being.

It is to the Divine that all riches belong. It is the Divine who lends them to living beings, and it is to Him that they must naturally return.

Wealth under the psychic influence: wealth ready to return to its true possessor, the Divine.

But even then it is not that easy. Take for example this excerpt from a conversation with Satprem about a person Mother called ‘an adventurer.”

But he is among those people who really aren’t bourgeois from the standpoint of money, that is, who don’t have much notion of personal property. So then I caught myself (that’s how I caught myself!) …. I myself made an effort to reach the viewpoint that money is a force that must circulate and must not be a personal property. In the consciousness, everything is fine, but the body has its old habit, and it observed the state in which this man is: for him money is a force that must circulate, go where it has to go, it doesn’t belong to this or that person – so it [the body] first had this reaction: “Oh, watch out, he’s an adventurer.” (Mother laughs) I caught myself, I said, “See, you preach, and when someone does as you say …!” I found it very amusing.

Apart from the inner discovery, Mother gave a number of practical hints about dealing with money, from which the following quotes have been selected.

1 a) Loose the sense of property.

In a truer world, in the realisation towards which the creation is moving, money ought to be one of the earthly forces put at the disposal of the Divine Consciousness for its work on earth. The first step towards this realisation is the abolition of the sense of property. Each individual is not the possessor of the money put at his disposal - he is the user and distributor of that money; and that leads naturally to the next step: those who have the widest and truest vision and knowledge ought to be the distributors and users.

The processes for reaching this result should be worked out and made effective, depending on the need and the opportunities.

Disciple: When Mother says that wealth should not be a personal property, I understand that what should come is more a change of psychological attitude on the part of those who own money than any change in the law of property.

Mother: Undoubtedly. Only the psychological change can be a solution.

Disciple: Can it be said that each one should get rid of the sense of property and spend his money according to the Divine command within, from time to time?

Mother: I am sure that if someone is advanced enough on the path to receive the knowledge that money is an impersonal power and should be used for the progress of the earth, this person will be developed enough inwardly to receive the knowledge of how best to make use of the money.

Give all you are, all you have; nothing more is asked of you, but also nothing less.

True wealth is that which one offers to the Divine.

You are rich only by the money that you give to the Divine Cause.

You are richer with the wealth you give than with the wealth you keep in your possession.

The true fortune is to spend in the right way.

You become truly rich when you dispose of your wealth in the best possible way.

Prosperity stays consistently only with him who offers it to the Divine.

Unselfish prosperity: he who receives it abundantly, gives all that he has as he receives it.

Generosity gives and gives itself without bargaining.

And:

A gift made through vanity is profitable neither to the giver nor to the receiver.

I wanted to make him understand and experience that the thought, the feeling and the force that is in a gift is much more important and valuable than the thing given itself.

In answer to the question:

A practical problem comes up more and more often: Should one who is preparing to do Yoga and has made it a general rule to offer You everything and depend entirely on You, accept gifts, in money or kind, coming from others? Because if he accepts, he is put under personal obligations and duties. Can a sadhak allow this? Can he say to himself: “The Divine has many ways of giving?”

“The Divine has many ways of giving?”

This is the correct thing. One never has any obligation to anybody, one has an obligation only to the Divine and there totally. When a gift is made without conditions, one can always take it as coming from the Divine and leave it to the Divine to take care of what is needed in exchange or response.

In reply to the question:

To me any activity is more important than its cost to me, even if the cost is unreasonable. Money should never be the criterion for such decisions. If we say we can’t have something because of its costs, we limit our receptivity to the Grace and hamper its workings. Money is only a medium of exchange, it is all relative and the Divine resources are inexhaustible. Is this attitude a correct one?

You are quite right and I approve of your attitude.

Greed for money: the surest way to decrease one's conscience and to narrow one's nature.

Asked to explain the question why usually the richer one is (materially), the more dishonest one is? Mother replies:

It is because material wealth is controlled by the adverse forces - and because they have not yet been converted to the Divine Influence, though the work has begun.

That victory will form part of the triumph of Truth.

Wealth should not be a personal property and should be at the disposal

of the Divine for the welfare of all.

2) Money should be utilized.

Those who believe in the yoga of Sri Aurobindo must understand that money is not meant to bring money but to help the earth to prepare for the advent of the new creation.

2 a) No interest

Mother: I am not for getting interest on money.

2 b) No borrowing.

Mother: I am quite against borrowing money even at a reasonable rate of interest.

2 c) No inheritance

Mother: To begin with, the abolishment of inheritance.

2 d) No speculation

Mother: You ought to know that I do not approve at all of speculation.

Money is not meant to make money

First of all, from the financial point of view, the principle on which our action is based is the following: money is not meant to make money. This idea that money must make money is a falsehood and a perversion.

Money is meant to increase the wealth, the prosperity and the productiveness of a group, a country or, better, of the whole earth. Money is a means, a force, a power, and not an end in itself. And like all forces and all powers, it is by movement and circulation that it grows and increases its power, not by accumulation and stagnation.

What we are attempting here is to prove to the world, by giving it a concrete example, that by inner psychological realisation and outer organisation a world can be created where most of the causes of human misery will be abolished.

2 d) When money is missing

When money is missing it must be replaced by an immense effort of goodwill and organisation. It is that effort that I am asking for, a triumph over Tamas and lazy indifference. I do not want anybody to give up but I want every one to surpass himself.

3) The transition period.

Mother has repeatedly warned that the transition may take many years, even hundreds of years.

In this material world, for men, money is more sacred than the Divine’s Will.

The financiers and businessmen have been offered the possibility to collaborate with the future, but most of them refuse, convinced that the power of money is stronger than that of the future.

But the future will crush them with its irresistible power.

We are preparing upon earth the connecting-point, that point of communication and junction between the mental and terrestrial human consciousness and the supramental and superhuman Consciousness. It is a whole intermediate world that is being worked out, a new creation manifesting and materializing.

In order to be realised here upon earth, this creation must utilise the already existing material means and powers, but in new way, adapted to the new needs. One of the most essential powers is the financial power.

What I see is the world of tomorrow, but the world of yesterday is still alive and will still live for some time. Let the old arrangements go on so long as they are alive.

Upon earth, the changes are slow to come. Do not worry - and keep hope for the future.

A day shall come when all the wealth of this world, freed at last from the enslavement to the antidivine forces, offers itself spontaneously to the service of the Divine’s Work upon earth.

III D. Present situation in Auroville.

Individual incomes

There is a wide variety in the height of incomes of Aurovilians. Some people do not depend on an income from Auroville (termed 'a maintenance') as they have sources of income elsewhere in the world; some people completely depend on Auroville for a maintenance; and some people have an Auroville maintenance which is supplemented by an income from elsewhere.

The maintenances provided by Auroville are not uniform, they depend on the place of work. Executives of commercial units usually determine for themselves the height of the maintenance they take from the unit. Those working in non-commercial units receive a maintenance the height of which is determined by the Maintenance Group based on money available in the Maintenance Fund.

Maintenances provided by the Maintenance Fund are in general substantially lower than maintenances provided by commercial units. Low maintenance is sometimes cited as reason for not working in a non-commercial unit.

There are large differences in standard of living between individual Aurovilians. To come to a uniform standard, however, is not Auroville's objective, though attempts continue to do away with too large disparities.

Compared to Europe, the living styles can be characterised as ranging from modest to unacceptable low. Compared to India, the living styles range from 'upper middle class' to 'low'.

A wide range of services and activities are provided freely to all including those who are self-supporting. These services are paid totally or partly from central funding which, which gathers its income from all the available sources: commercial unit profit contributions, guest contributions, contributions from all units based on the number of Aurovilians working there, contributions from self-supporting Aurovilians and contributions from certain projects.

Community position on interest

Interest on deposits is made both by the Auroville Maintenance Fund as well as by some of Auroville's units.

Auroville Maintenance Fund

Though very much aware that Mother spoke about, ‘money not being meant to earn money,’ the Economy Group has successfully managed to convince many Aurovilians of the usefulness to pool their personal accounts. Arguing that individual funds kept in current accounts with Indian banks would not yield any interest of importance, the Economy Group proposed that all these funds be deposited in non-interest bearing individual accounts with the Auroville Maintenance Fund. The Economy Group then puts what is not necessary for daily or short-term use in interest bearing deposits. Interest so obtained is transferred to the Central Fund, which pays for the recurring community expenses. In this way interest has become a major source of income for the Central Fund.

In the same way the Economy Group manages the financial assets of Auroville Fund, the organisation which receives donations for the many Auroville projects.

Auroville units

A few of Auroville's larger commercial units keep interest bearing fixed deposits. These deposits are necessary, as Auroville's unique legal position does not allow Auroville's commercial units to take loans from commercial banks against the mortgaging of immoveable assets as is usual elsewhere in India, as these immoveable assets are owned by the Auroville Foundation. So far, the Auroville Foundation has not stood guarantor for loans taken by commercial units. As a consequence, fixed deposits are required to enable a unit to borrow money.

Another reason for maintaining fixed deposits is to safeguard an often uncertain future.

Deposits are not kept with a motivation to make money.

IV RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE TOWN AND THE INDIVIDUALS

IV A. Individual attitudes

Q13: 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.

One of the ideals to manifest in Auroville is that the city promotes the individual's inner and higher development. The Mother also specified that Auroville is a place where work must be taken up not as a way to earn one's living, but in the spirit of karma yoga, and that each Aurovilian should work a minimum number of hours per week for a collective utility.

I want to insist on the fact that it will be an experiment: it’s to make experiments – experiments, research, studies..... Ultimately, it must be a town for studies – studies and research on how to live both in a simplified way and in a way such that the higher qualities have MORE TIME to develop. There.

"From the psychological point of view, the essential conditions [for being an Aurovilian] are:

1) Being convinced of the essential human unity and having the will to collaborate in the advent of this unity.

2) The will to collaborate in all that furthers future realisations."

That’s all, it’s not complicated.

Then, from the material point of view:

"The material conditions will be worked out as the realisation progresses."

(Question:) How dependent is the building of Auroville upon man’s acceptance of spirituality?

The opposition between spirituality and material life, the division between the two has no sense for me as, in truth, life and the spirit are ONE and it is in and by physical work that the highest spirit must be manifested.

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.

In the conversation with Satprem of December 30, 1967, The Mother comments on her note on economic life in Auroville:

"All who live there will participate in its life and development."

One’s participation in the welfare and existence of the whole township isn’t something worked out individually: such and such an individual must give so much. It’s not like that. It’s worked out according to one’s means, activity, possibilities of production; it’s not the democratic idea, which cuts everything into small equal bits – an absurd machinery. It’s worked out according to one’s means: one who has much gives much, one who has little gives little; one who is strong works a lot, one who isn’t does something else. You understand, it’s something truer, deeper. And that’s why I am not trying to explain it right away, because people will start making all kinds of protests. It must come into being AUTOMATICALLY, so to say, with the growth of the township, in the true spirit. That’s why this note is quite succinct.

"This participation may be passive or active."

I don’t understand what they mean by "passive" (because I spoke in French, then they put it into English). What can they mean by "passive"? … It would rather be on different planes or levels of consciousness.

Satprem: You meant that those who basically are sages, who work within, won’t have to ...

Yes, that’s right. Those who have a higher knowledge won’t have to work with their hands, that’s what I mean.

"There will be no taxes as such but each will contribute to the collective welfare in work, kind or money."

So that’s clear: there will be no taxes of any kind, but everyone will have to contribute to the collective welfare through his work, in kind or with money. Those who have nothing other than money will give money. But to tell the truth, the "work" may be an inner work (but that can’t be said, because people aren’t honest enough). The work may be an occult work, a completely inner work, but of course, for it to be so, it must be absolutely sincere and true, and with the capacity: no pretence. But it’s not necessarily a material work.

Auroville is created to realise the ideal of Sri Aurobindo who taught us the Karma Yoga. Auroville is for those who want to do the yoga of the work.

To live in Auroville means to do the yoga of work. So all Aurovilians must take up work and do it as Yoga.

Work, even manual work, is something indispensable for the inner discovery. If one does not work, if one does not inject his consciousness into matter, the latter will never develop. To let the consciousness organize a bit of matter by means of one's body is very good. To establish order around oneself helps to bring order within oneself.

Everyone should work at least five hours a day including Sundays. Working for oneself is not working for the community. Each member of the community should have an activity that corresponds to the needs of Auroville.

In answer to Satprem's suggestion to issue coupons for work:

Work could be defined as an activity with a collective usefulness, not a selfish one.

Someone asked, “Auroville will be an ideal town with all the comforts and facilities needed for each one to freely develop the higher consciousness and aspire for the divine life. But isn't there a danger that people will get involved in material things and in competition to enhance their pleasure and material progress, thus forgetting that Auroville should only be the background for clinging to the Truth and realizing human unity in order to achieve the goal of divine life?"

This will depend on the sincerity of each one and cannot be enforced by exterior means.

"For millennia, we have been developing outer means, outer instruments, outer techniques of living – and finally those means and techniques are crushing us. The sign of the new humanity is a reversal in the standpoint, and the understanding that inner knowledge and inner technique 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 center of accelerated evolution where man must begin to change his world through the power of the inner spirit."

And finally:

Two days ago (not yesterday, the day before), this Consciousness told me something; I said, “Very well,” but it went on saying the same thing again and again and again, until I’d written it down! So here it is (Mother holds out a note). And it explained to me why there was “we.”

We will strive to make Auroville the cradle of the superman.”

Ah … it’s important news! (Mother smiles) So then, I said, “Why we’?” It answered, “It’s because the attempt will be to get those who will live in Auroville to collaborate.”

IV B. Auroville will be a self-supporting township.

There is only one reference to the fact that Auroville is intended to become a self-supporting township. It is mentioned in the conversation with Satprem of December 30, 1967.

"Auroville will be a self-supporting township.

…

"Sections like Industries which participate actively will contribute part of their income towards the development of the township. Or if they produce something (like foodstuff) useful for the citizens, they will contribute in kind to the township which is responsible for the feeding of the citizens.

…"

Commenting on this statement, Mother says: Auroville will be a city that will attempt to be, or strive or want to be, self-supporting, that is ...

Satprem: Autonomous?

"Autonomous" would be understood as a sort of independence that breaks off relations with the outside, and that’s not what I mean.

For instance, those who produce food, a factory such as "Aurofood" (naturally, when we are fifty thousand, it will be difficult to meet the needs, but for the moment we’ll only be a few thousand at the most), well, a factory always produces far too much.... So it will sell outside and receive money.

And you don’t pay for your food, but you must give work, or ingredients: for example, those who had fields would give the produce of their fields; those who had factories would give their products; or else your own work in exchange for food.

…

The industries will participate actively, they will contribute. If they are industries producing articles that aren’t in constant need – and are therefore in amounts or numbers too great for the township’s own use, so that they will be sold outside – those industries must naturally participate through money. And I take the example of food: those who produce food will give the township what it needs (in proportion to what they produce, of course), and it is the township’s responsibility to feed everyone. That means people won’t have to buy their food with money, but they will have to earn it.

It’s a kind of adaptation of the Communist system, but not in a spirit of levelling: according to everyone’s capacity, his position (not a psychological or intellectual one), his INNER position.

Satprem: In democracies and with the Communists, there’s a leveling down: everyone is pulled down to the same level.

Yes, that’s just the point.

The true part is that every human being has the material right ... (but it’s not a "right" ...). The organization should be such, arranged in such a way, that everyone’s material need should be met, not according to notions of right and equality, but on the basis of the most elementary necessities; then, once that is established, everyone must be free to organize his life, not according to his monetary means, but according to his inner capacities.

IV C. The role of business

How can the town provide "the most elementary necessities" to each individual if there are no taxes? As is clear from Mother's A Dream and other statements, the industrial and commercial units of Auroville would play an important role. This shows that at now time there was any objection against earning money through business in a town dedicated to the attainment of spiritual ideals. A letter from Sri Aurobindo, written in …..(check) explains their position.

I may say, however, that I do not regard business as something evil or tainted, any more than it is so regarded in ancient spiritual India. If I did, I would not be able to receive money from X or from those of our disciples who in Bombay trade with East Africa; nor could we then encourage them to go on with their work but would have to tell them to throw it up and attend to their spiritual progress alone. How are we to reconcile X's seeking after spiritual light and his mill? Ought I not to tell him to leave his mill to itself and to the devil and go into some Ashram to meditate? Even if I myself had had the command to do business as I had the command to do politics I would have done it without the least spiritual or moral compunction. All depends on the spirit in which a thing is done, the principles on which it is built and the use to which it is turned. I have done politics and the most violent kind of revolutionary politics, ghoram karma, and I have supported war and sent men to it, even though politics is not always or often a very clean occupation nor can war be called a spiritual line of action. But Krishna calls upon Arjuna to carry on war of the most terrible kind and by his example encourage men to do every kind of human work, sarvakarmani. Do you contend that Krishna was an unspiritual man and that his advice to Arjuna was mistaken or wrong in principle? Krishna goes further and declares that a man by doing in the right way and in the right spirit the work dictated to him by his fundamental nature, temperament and capacity and according to his and its dharma can move towards the Divine. He validates the function and dharma of the Vaishya as well as of the Brahmin and Kshatriya. It is in his view quite possible for a man to do business and make money and earn profits and yet be a spiritual man, practise yoga, have an inner life. The Gita is constantly justifying works as a means of spiritual salvation and enjoining a Yoga of Works as well as of Bhakti and Knowledge. Krishna, however, superimposes a higher law also that work must be done without desire, without attachment to any fruit or reward, without any egoistic attitude or motive, as an offering or sacrifice to the Divine. This is the traditional Indian attitude towards these things, that all work can be done if it is done according to the dharma and, if it is rightly done, it does not prevent the approach to the Divine or the access to spiritual knowledge and the spiritual life.

There is, of course, also the ascetic idea which is necessary for many and has its place in the spiritual order. I would myself say that no man can be spiritually complete if he cannot live ascetically or follow a life as bare as the barest anchorite's. Obviously, greed for wealth and money-making has to be absent from his nature as much as greed for food or any other greed and all attachment to these things must be renounced from his consciousness. But I do not regard the ascetic way of living as indispensable to spiritual perfection or as identical with it. There is the way of spiritual self-mastery and the way of spiritual self-giving and surrender to the Divine, abandoning ego and