The Vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother continues to inspire and attract aspirants from all over the world

T H E E D I T O R S ' P A G E golden chain fraternity.org / nov2004

Shortly after World War II, Prof Frederick Terman, dean of the engineering school at Stanford University, worked to set up an industrial park on 660 acres of Stanford’s land. Electronics firms and other high technology companies came to the park to have access to the expertise at Stanford University. Stanford graduates and faculty were also encouraged to set up businesses there. The park slowly created an agglomeration in high tech industry. Today the area (now much extended) is well known as the Silicon Valley and is synonymous with information technology. Stanford had created a centre of knowledge and a conducive environment for the new technological age that was then emerging, and within 50 years it’s efforts had borne fruit.

In a very different though not completely dissimilar way Sri Aurobindo and the Mother created a centre of the new Knowledge and new Consciousness here in Pondicherry. And in a little over 75 years it has spawned a "Spiritual Valley" of sorts, a concentration of communities and organizations dedicated to it. There is the Ashram, the parent community with its various departments; the School, that is constantly attempting to shape a fresh generation in its image; Auroville, a whole township dedicated to the Future; Sri Aurobindo Society with its various projects and wings; and more recently SACAR, dedicated to the study of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy; and The Golden Chain Fraternity, bringing Ashram Alumni together for constructive action. There are many other small and big organisations and new ones are born all the time as the Vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother continues to inspire and attract aspirants from all over the world.

The site of this "Spiritual Valley", Pondicherry, has not remained unaffected by it. This spiritual element has become part of Pondicherry’s identity, part of its image. If Pondy can build on this identity – not simply as an image to be sold to the tourist – but as a self-image it believes in, it could become a city of the future. For spirituality, as we know, embraces all aspects of life, making them more harmonious, more perfect. Like Auroville, Pondicherry could focus on the new and alternative knowledges and techniques of the future – it could become a pioneer in the use of alternative and sustainable energy sources, new environment-friendly construction techniques, and organic farming. It could create holistic health centres and centres for asanas, pranayama and meditation, centres of research in traditional Indian sciences and arts, and cultural centres that bring together cultures from all over the world.

But for that to happen Pondicherry will have to redraw plans that it has made of conventional development and industrialisation. It will have to change its mindset and focus on things other than trade and commerce. This seems very unlikely. Those who are here in Pondicherry for the Mother and Sri Aurobindo form a very small portion of the entire population of the town. And in a fast-growing Pondicherry the influence of this community is dwindling. It is also true that the Ashram community, given its inward focus, as such remains quite insulated from the town itself.

One group though which is part of the larger Ashram community and could help take Pondicherry in that direction is the ex-students. This is a group of people who have grown up in this "Spiritual Valley" and consider Pondicherry their home. Already through the Beach Restoration Project, heritage projects of INTACH, waste management through Shuddham, the various initiatives of the Asia Urbs Programme, and the streetscaping of certain areas, ex-students have been involved in influencing the development of the town. If their efforts are selfless and are seen to benefit the town, the goodwill it will generate will benefit the Ashram too.

On the occasion of the 50 years of the de facto merger of Pondicherry with the Indian Union on November 1st, we revisit the period when a proposal was made by the French to set up a University guided by Sri Aurobindo. We also meet some ex-students who are helping shape the town today. 