Post from Candice: The Path to Freedom

Krishna was not named Krishna at birth. Krishna was born named somebody else from some place else. Great Britain to be exact. Krishna claims he had an epiphany at nineteen. An awakening that told him Auroville is where he needed to be.

Auroville is a purposefully designed society near Pondicherry with the lofty intentions of being utopia. Aurovillians follow the teachings of philosopher, Sri Aurobindo, combined with the founder, Mirra Alfassa aka The Mother’s, ideals. A place without rules, it is believed Auroville can exist peacefully as long as people leave controversial life practices such as religion, politics, and capitalism outside the town’s entry gates. I wanted to see this place where life was perfect and after watching the welcome video, immediately wanted to leave.

If utopia is a place that contradicts itself, then Auroville is not for me. It is said to be a place without rules, yet there are plenty of rules Auroville residents must abide by in order to reside there. For instance, religion is not allowed, however, all Aurovillians must follow The Mother’s belief systems and teachings – sounds like a rule to me. I had thought Auroville was a place where one comes to live how ever they wish, and to discover the opposite was a let down.

But then I met a man named Krishna. Krishna is a 34 year old, permaculture farmer who has lived in Auroville since for fifteen years. He passionately explained how he tries to make his land as self sufficient as possible, even if it means turning human bodily waste into fertilizer. He explained how instead of depleting the soil, his crops return nutrients to it. He explained that as a young adult he realized Auroville was the place he needed to be. It was a moment where his path was so clear, he moved there without question.

Here I am. A woman on search for the life she was meant to lead listening to a man who knew early on who he was, where he was supposed to be, and became exactly that. I watched his body language, the energy with which he moved his arms and changed his expressions as he spoke. Passion. You see, I have been longing to meet someone like him. Someone who lives fearlessly. What had at first seemed to be a wasted trip to a wannabe town evolved into a life altering experience.

“Do your parents think you’re crazy for living here?” I asked.

“No,” he replied, “They are crazy for still living in England.”

The best answer ever.

We left Auroville and went to the beach. I watched from the sidelines as Shiva, Sam, Sara, and Karina ran into the ocean water without reservation. Man, I wanna go in, I thought. What am I gonna do with my purse? I worried. I’m gonna get all wet, I fretted. And then I reminded myself that I was in India on a once in a millennium trip of external and internal liberation. I handed my purse off. Removed my earrings. And dove in. Full length skirt and all. I learned – my watch is water proof.

Auroville may be imperfect. But Krishna has certainly created his own Utopia with in its failed dream. Thanks to Krishna, I can now say, “I have swam in the Indian Ocean and loved every wave of it.”

-Candice Mays, CLP Mentor