I have hesitated to begin this post. The dimensions of Auroville, the height and depth and breadth of the place in physical, spiritual, and social terms is so large, and each day filled with so many insights and meetings, that it is difficult to know where to start. Or better, there is so much new information pouring in every moment, it feels like trying to talk under a waterfall: refreshing, but not particularly audible.

So, Auroville in brief: almost 40 years ago, two spiritual and intellectual leaders in southern India created such a strong community of followers, and such a beautiful blend of yoga asana practice and the science of living in the modern world, that the energy in their wake resulted in this major international undertaking: a city that belongs not to a single nation, but to all peoples, and which is inhabited not by a single culture, but representatives of all cultures. The plan was so broad and so far-reaching, and the vision so refined and elevated, that it has for all of this time defied some of the fractures that have disrupted other projects of communal living — where communalism was the only aim — or experiments in spiritual community, where spiritual growth was the only aim. It holds the bar so high (as Manny puts it), that attainment remains in the future, and in so many directions that new waves of human endeavor and intent always find something in which to invest new energy.

Auroville itself is a large, loosely-woven town composed of over 80 individual "communities", each of which holds its own vision, its own mission, and its own social structure, ranging from cohousing with shared resources and meals in a shared kitchen, to bedroom communities that more resemble suburbs than experimental villages. Whether communal or common, however, every living group here exists within a field of incredible energy and intent, and over 1700 full-time members are drawn into the fabric of the founders original vision.

Vérité is one of these communities. It was conceived as a spiritual and educational center which, true to the central teachings of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, strives to have the lightest environmental footprint possible. The community is completely off-grid, generating all electricity in solar panels, with high-efficiency bulbs in all lights, and candles substituted whenever convenient; water is pumped with a windmill and stored in a system of cisterns; there are two hot water systems which run cistern water through black heating panels — a system of painted pipes exposed to the sun — which raises temperature sufficiently for a fine hand-bath. Otherwise, showers are cool, which is a blessing in the humidity of the monsoon season.

Bhavana, who has been with the community since its inception, manages the beautiful and functional structures of Vérité: the Vérité Hall, an amazing circular hall used for meetings, dance, yoga or meditation; the Integral Learning Center, or IRC, where students come to learn about environmental living, spiritual growth or other topics, and whose architect followed Japanese lines and wide-open rooms without walls to create delight for the eyes and cool breezes for the body; and the guesthouses and central kitchen, where groups of students or seekers can stay for some time, learning more about community in Vérité, with the opportunity to visit many other communities in and around Auroville. There are currently 9 full-time residents of the community, and a couple of long-term guests who took time away from their more mundane lives, to invest in the sublime.

The more time we spend with each Véritian the more beautiful their spirit appears, the deeper their commitment and knowledge, and more extensive their experience. Bhavana (BA-ve-na) has been here almost 40 years, and has seen the entire life cycle of this amazing human experiment. Danya has been in the community for 25 years, and moved through many, many refinements to living in community; he spends 6 months stateside (still working with Omega institute in New York, I believe), and 6 months in Auroville. Aurelio is from France — I haven't heard his story yet. Isha is a long-term Véritian and handles accounts. Charles arrived from England three months ago on a second (and perhaps permanent) visit; he is a Newcomer, meaning he has received an extended guest visa, which may be converted to permanence or citizenship after two years probation.

All in all, an amazing and complex current of people with vision and with values, with enough energy to transform a dead plain with no shade for miles and miles, into a buzzing and swirling human space. Dedicated to, and literally belonging to, all of humanity.

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