I
am enjoying Auroville and have had a lot of time to unwind. I’ve had the chance
to join some extracurricular events, such as an all day seminar on the
Spiritual Dimension of Auroville, and an evening outing to Sadhana Forest. The seminar was really interesting and inspiring. We
received a very basic introduction to Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy, which
Auroville was built upon by The Mother. It was very interesting and I think I
would like to learn more. To my Sophia Project family: I was even able to apply
a few things that we learned from Robert during our study of “The Evolution of
Consciousness” by Rudolf Steiner. I was really proud of myself to make that
connection!
Then
Friday night, I got to visit an Auroville community called Sadhana Forest. It
is a reforestation project and community. Seven years ago, a couple decided to
start a water conservation & reforestation project. It is amazing what they
have accomplished just in seven years. The land was dry and sandy, with no
green, just like Auroville used to be 40 something years ago. This area used to
be a huge forest 200 years ago that died out. They are using permaculture
methods. They took us on a tour and showed us all the different ways they catch
water during the monsoon season. They have water pits, built lots of bunds, and
a dam. Now there are lots of trees growing everywhere and there are also
grasses that have naturally come back. I think they said they planted over
23,000 trees with about a 95% success rate. They also have been able to raise
the water table by 6 meters in 6 years. Which everybody thought to be amazing,
but I don’t know that much about it.
They do all their planting during the monsoon season and then they don’t
have to water until the rains come again.
They have had such a great success rate that people from all over the
world keep asking them to come do a project for them. Right now, they are
gearing up to do a huge project for one of the driest places in India for the
Indian government and they have also started a new project in Haiti. This is
what inspires them that what they have accomplished in Auroville can be spread
throughout the world, but manpower restricts them. Their community now consists
of 30 residents with about 115 volunteers during high season. They live very
basically. You get your own hut if you become a resident, but volunteers share
what you can call a dormitory hut. With a very small square, that does have a
bed off ground, but dirt floors and just a sheet as your door. All the huts are
open-air. Everyone has communal
bathrooms, which are basically outhouses, which have an interesting process.
They have different squatting toilets, one for pee and one for poo because they
compost the poo. They are a vegan community with no smoking, no drinking, and
no drugs policy. They also have been running strictly on donations. They don’t
believe in charging for their services. So needless to say, there is no exchange
of money for the work you do or for the housing you stay in. They actually
provided us with an entire evening of a tour, a great movie “What about me?”
from 1 Giant Leap, and a dinner for free.
But, of course, you could leave a donation. Here is their website, if
anyone wants to know more about them: http://sadhanaforest.org/wp/about/
On
Saturday, I rode into one of the near-by villages that has a few restaurants
and shopping places. I had a very nice tasting pizza and a nice cold coke. They
don’t have soft drinks in Auroville. So I decided this will become a weekend
treat. Then I decided to see if I could make it to the beach, remember I’m on a
bicycle. I did make it and it was nice but hot. Unfortunately, I got to witness
a young man who almost drowned but luckily they got to him and were able to
revive him. The waves are quite big and the current is very strong. I only
stayed for about an hour and then rode the very long way home. Next time, I am
going to rent a moped for the day. It’s just too tiring on a bicycle that is
not very well maintained.
I
have also enjoyed my week with the children. Some of them like to come up and
play with me for just a little while. They really enjoy playing with each other
and don’t have much time for me. Which I think is great. It is fun watching
them talk to each other and wondering what they are saying. Sometimes, though,
I can tell that they must not be talking nicely to each other. There is one little girl who is fairly
new and she cries the whole time her mother is gone. Her mother usually stays
for about a half an hour in the beginning and then comes back around noon for
circle time. After watching her cry for two days and the carers really not
paying much attention to her or treating her rather harshly for crying. We were
going to wash our hands and she wasn’t coming and we have to keep our eyes on
her because she tries to escape to the entrance gate, I decided to pick her up.
She didn’t struggle but kept crying. But from that point on, when her mother leaves
she comes to me. However, she doesn’t stop crying until she falls asleep during
inside play on my lap. She just wears herself out so much from crying. Then her
mother comes and wakes her up and tries to make her participate. When I left on
Friday, I think I actually got a wave and a small smile from her.
