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Published: September 23rd 2009
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I lived in Auroville for the past 2 days and it’s an interesting place. This place was built with the idea that it would be a place like Utopia. It was started 50 years ago by the Mother who is like the mother Teresa of this region of India. People from all over the world would come to this place and be united. Everyone would be treated as equals. No money would be spent. Lots of education of different fields. All eco-friendly and they use solar energy as main energy. Everyone would come here to be spiritually enlightened. The architecture is unbelievably modern, it makes you forget your in India and makes you feel your in France. Sounds great, right?
Yes, it sounds greats and they stick to their ideas very well but why don't I feel like I'm in a Utopia? People here are happy and some have even stayed 30 years. Most are European and Americans (no blacks, barely any Asian and no middle easter people) and about 40% of the population are Indians from 25 different states. People are happy but I, an individual, am not 100% happy... People were not welcoming all the time, kinda felt
Guest house
really nice archetecture like Franch. THEN, this got me thinking... doesn't that defeat the whole idea of Utopia then? Because I thought that a Utopia kinda gaurantees that everyone is happy in that nation or else... it wouldn't be called Utopia,right? Do you get what I'm saying? Because of one person is not happy in this perfect society, then they will be kicked out of this society (a common movie theme, btw). Then that's not really a Utopia either. People are all different, every part of us is different, especially the mind. Utopia would almost seem impossible to exist if a society has to please every single person. I guess it just really depends on the individual to create the Utopia for himself and not for the society. Who's to say Taiwan isn't Utopia? I'm happy in Taiwan regardless of all the crime or corruption. Some people just feel that they have to fix some part of the society to make it even more perfect, thus they make so many laws and rules (like what Auroville has which I can't stand). We're so obsessed with trying to make our own country so perfect that we actually complex the whole thing. These laws just
makes things so much harder, for example... the idea of OPT where you HAVE to get a job within 90 days or else you'll have to leave the country AND the job has to be similar to your concentration in College? does anybody stop and think about it and say "What the hell? Who is making up these numbers and do you know how ridiculous that sounds?" what about if I had a change of heart, found my passion and wanted to do something else? And the economy is doing pretty bad, can't find a job and now you're adding to my problems by making laws that give me a deadline? Come on!
So anyways, what I'm trying to say is that if you have the ambition to 'change the world' it might end up causing more troubles than solving them. Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot all wanted to change the world and that ended up with millions dying. But then again there are people like Mahatma Ghandi (my hero!) who wanted to change India for the better. He freed close to a BILLION people from the suffer of oppression by the Colonial British. And before he did anything,
he decided to travel all over India for about a year to find himself. He's transformed himself and found the inner good that is within all of us. He said he found love, real pure love. THEN he embarked on his journey and made a difference in society! So the only Utopia we have to focus on is the one in ourselves then everything will take care of itself.
To quote the most legendary performer of all times:
I'm starting with the man in the mirror. Im asking him to change his ways, and i m asking the man in the mirror, if u wanna make the world a better place then you look at yourself and make a change! woo! woo! Jah Mone, gonna make that change, Jah Mone -Michael Jackson
p.s. Show MJ some love and watch this vid, this is the change I'm talking about!
Also... what you guys think of Utopia? Possible?
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Dom
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pizza!
i guess the definition of "utopia" is when everyone shares a similar peace of mind. I think this peace of mind is contagious, so maybe it is possible ultimately. That pizza looks legit! thin, bubbly, a little burnt on the edges... it looks better than 95% of american pizzerias! glad to see you are updating frequently, i thought you would probably make like 2 entries and then forget about it or something, but you are building a great record of your journey that i can take something away from. happy travels, and keep on writing! -Dom