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“The idea is to show that it is possible to build a city of 50,000 and make it different. To make a new society, that is the aim of Auroville.
Auroville, first, is a society where people come and try to discover their inner being. And this inner being completely changes your relation to life, your attitude. Auroville is the discovery of a new consciousness.” Pierre

“At the time, there was divine anarchy. You didn’t have to ask permission from anyone, you could do anything you wanted if you had a few Rupees. So, I built a little hut, a capsule, I put up a windmill and began planting trees. There were no rules, no regulations.” Vijay

"For us it was like, we will build the city for the Mother. For us the supra-mental was tomorrow. We had great expectations that this new age would come and change all our values, our way of thinking and acting. As Mother said, it has to be the cradle of the supra-mind. It was utopian because we felt it would happen tomorrow, without even any work on oneself, it will happen tomorrow.” Christine

“We are here to build the new man, not the city.” Wazo

“Auroville is not yet a utopia. Mother’s dream is growing inside, like the chicken in the egg, like the butterfly in the caterpillar. At the moment there are conflicts here in various communities, just like there are in the external world. It’s not yet fully manifested. Still, there is something.” Vijay

"This is not a Club Mediterranée. It's not Peace & Love. It's not a place to withdraw from the world. If we are a bit frustrated not to have arrived yet where we wanted it's because what we are asking for is very difficult. We'll get there – but in infinity." André

"The challenge is to redefine yourself all the time and to go, Oh, yes, it’s true I did 20 years of work in this line of thinking and that’s just not making any sense in today’s context. It is a place for progress. But it’s not a place where you can get satisfied with the external manifestations of that progress. That’s a bit slower." Renu

"The entire economic structure has to be rethought. We cannot say we want to have no money within Auroville, but the system that allows you to develop is dependent on money… I don’t see a population of 50.000 as a problem. What I see as a problem is if you want the 50.000 to live like we do today. Then it is a problem… Mother keeps saying no rules and regulations. So how do you have 50.000 people actually cooperate within a society that will be fighting for resources?" Suhasini

"Years of issues with the villagers have built up. There is definitely tension. There are battles over land, fences, practical things like that – even within Auroville. It’s funny because this is one of the ideals of Auroville, that nothing belongs to anyone in particular. So we are constantly facing the ideals in a very real way but that’s the whole idea of this place." Krupa

"What needs to be realized is unity among us. Once unity is achieved, the city will commence for real. This city can only advance with progress. It's like a magic spell. We use the mental force because architecture is mental... But it's also our force, maybe it's a force of love." André

"I can grow my own food, educate my own children, build my own houses. I have as much total freedom as you might possibly want. But if I get into a state of mind where I am concerned about planetary warming, ecological impact and the evolution of a community from a single minded selfsufficiency–which is where it began–into the complexity of an affluent society–which it increasingly is becoming–then of course that disturbs my ability or wish to be still living in a primal state. I think what’s happening has to happen. I try not to pass judgement on it. For me daily life is such an enjoyable and surprising thing in an environment like this since it is constantly waving opportunities in front of your nose.“ Johnny

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