Auroville attains greater significance in India’s march into Amrit Kaal: Droupadi Murmu

PUDUCHERRY: Stating that India is poised to lead the world in providing lasting solutions to global challenges, President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday said the community in Auroville, an international township in the making, can make a contribution in this endeavour.
Inaugurating a conference on ‘Aspiring for super mind in the city of evolving consciousness’ at Auroville on Tuesday, Murmu said the good work undertaken by the residents of Auroville and all men and women of goodwill from across India and the world attains greater significance in the context of India’s onward march into the ‘Amrit Kaal’ (The Era of Elixir).
Amrit Kaal is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of fulfilling all aspirations of the nation by 2047.
The President said she found that Auroville is indeed a unique experiment promoting human unity and spiritual evolution. “Two great souls (Sri Aurobindo and his spiritual collaborator Mirra Alfassa fondly revered as The Mother) had conceptualized and set up this universal township where souls meet, minds attain freedom and the Supreme Consciousness can be experienced,” she said.
Murmu said when India attained Independence, revolutionary freedom fighter-turned-philosopher Sri Aurobindo wrote that he dreamt of passing on the spiritual gift of India to the world, which was then turning towards India and in today’s world, India occupies the high table among nations.
She said in the present world India’s message goes beyond economic and technological spheres. “India’s message of ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future’ or ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam’ reflects the ideals propagated by Sri Aurobindo,” she said.
She said today’s world needs to deeply understand the concepts of unity, peace, and harmony. “These concepts involve not only human beings but all living beings, nature and the entire universe,” she said.
She said Sri Aurobindo gave the philosophy that supra-mental consciousness has the power to make the material world divine. “Divinity has a different meaning and definition for each one of us. But one thing is common. The one that is divine has to be above the material and beyond the tangible. Divine mind is a pure mind. It is above the self. It thinks about the progress, unity, and development of all,” she said.
She said Sri Aurobindo experienced the spiritual awakening of a mind, which can transform a common being into a conscious being. “It is this awakening that can transform individuals, organizations, countries, and the world. One who is awakened is also sensitive to the needs of those around, especially the under-privileged. When awakened minds come together and work towards common goals, unimaginable results can be achieved,” she said.
She said Sri Aurobindo’s idea of a cosmic being has a great relevance to the issues the world faces today. “It is by understanding and adopting the concept of cosmic consciousness that many issues being faced by the world today can be resolved with harmony. The concepts of supreme being and the cosmic mind led to the realization of the ultimate purpose of life. These ideals can help in making the world a harmonious and peaceful place to live in,” she said.
She said she considered herself part of the large community of people, who have benefited from the vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother.
“I had the privilege of serving as an honorary teacher at Sri Aurobindo Integral Education Centre, Rairangpur, for about three years during the 1990s. I must acknowledge that I learnt more than I taught. I remain indebted for that spiritually enriching experience at the education centre,” she said.