Inauguration of Auroville
(Rod:) “One day shortly after I arrived [in Pondicherry], I noticed many buses lined up in front of the Ashram. I asked what was going on, and I was told that the foundation of Auroville was going to happen that day. I said, “What is this, what is Auroville?” (laugh) There were probably a few brochures that had come through the Press, but I had not noticed. Anyway I got on the bus, and went to the foundation ceremony.
That was probably one of the most powerful experiences in my life. It had nothing to do with people putting soil into the urn or the foundation of an international township, but the fact is that sitting there for a few hours in that space, it felt like there was an immense white cloud that settled on that space, and it made everything absolutely radiant and still; and in the top of that cloud were all the visions of the future of humanity that had come from every tradition. There was an immense presence looking over this moment; and it wasn't the Mother per se, it was history looking at this moment. This was my experience of it and it was extremely powerful. It was one of those experiences that is clear, that is absolutely unexplainable and that immobilizes you – an experience in which you cannot move until you have absorbed it completley.”[1]
(Jocelyn:) “I was a person a little bit ahead of my time. Now they go on what they call ‘vision quest’. I didn't know about vision quest, but on February 20, 1968 I had gone out into the desert alone with a bag of brown rice to a little trailer that a friend of mine had on a piece of land. I had this bag of brown rice with me, and some gomasio. I had nothing else, no drugs, no tobacco or anything. I was going to be quiet. I couldn't figure out what was going on in my life (I was more confused after I found out what was going on in my life!) I spent eight days there alone, not seeing anybody, not talking to anybody. I didn't know anything about meditation, but basically I was doing nothing but meditating. On the night before February 28, I had a vision. It was incredible. It was one of the most beautiful experiences of my life. I thought it was people from outer space. Completely different kinds of people coming together in a kind of amphitheatre, some kind of circular thing, doing some kind of ceremonial thing, but very different, all different colors, sizes, shapes, different clothes, just something so different, so different from anything I had seen or heard about in America. I thought it had to do with outer space, quite frankly, I had no idea what it was.”[2]
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Radio broadcast of Auroville's inauguration ceremony by All India Radio, February 28, 1968 (26:24) Read transcript → Listen on Auroville Radio → |
See also
- Water Ceremony (2018)
External links