One Divine Source

Creates Multicolored Evolving Souls

“National pavilions” for an “International City?”Is this not just copying national glory and economical strife? Is this not just repeating old competitive games of national ego´s?

And has Auroville´s vision of an “International Zone” not already been realized and bypassed by world exhibitions and theme

parks anyway? So what is the new and not manifested yet in regard to the mission new and not manifested yet in regard to the mission

of souls and cultures? of souls and cultures? So far Auroville´s really new and unique contribution to world culture seems to be Matrimandir. Its Inner (Psychic) Chamber

and its Inner (Psychic) Presence. The outer and inner manifestation and expression of the Psychic

Being, the Evolving Soul may be the central element which constitutes Auroville´s mission and genius. Both on the levels of

human beings and national cultures. Also there may be the clue for the manifestation of

a truly new and needed International Zone.

That is what we have already(and do not need to repeat again):

EPCOT: EPCOT: An urban community An urban community with national pavilions with national pavilions around a spheric world around a spheric world center which is center which is supposed to express supposed to express earth evolution.earth evolution.

Walt Disney´s EPCOT: Something familiar about it..

Walt Disney's original vision of EPCOT was for a model community, home to twenty thousand residents, which would be a test bed for city planning and

organization. Also it should represent the countries of the world in a pavilion theme park . The community was to have been built in the shape of a circle, with businesses and commercial areas at its center, community buildings and schools and recreational complexes around it, and residential neighborhoods along the

perimeter. Transportation would have been provided by monorails. Automobile traffic would be kept underground, leaving pedestrians safe above-ground.

Walt Disney said, "It will be a planned, controlled community, a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities. There will be no landowners, people will rent houses instead of buying them, and

at modest rentals. There will be no retirees; everyone must be employed." Each of the existing 11 national pavilions yet contain representative shops and restaurants and is staffed by citizens of these countries, many of them college

students living in Walt Disney World College Program housing. Some also contain rides and shows. The only pavilion that is sponsored (and paid for) by the country

it represents is Morocco, the remaining country pavilions are all sponsored by major corporations.

Synchronicity?

...!

USA, Montreal,1967 Sowjetunion, Montreal 1967

Right:Canada,Montreal,1967

Left:China, EpcotCenter

World exhibitions with national pavilions

China montral 1967

China, 1967 Montreal

Germany , Montreal 1967

France, Montreal1967

Venezuela, Hannover'2000

Nepal, Montreal 1967

Netherlands, Hannover 2000Germany, Epcot Center

Hungary, Hannover 2000

To bring soul into the picture could make a difference, but...

....for most spiritual minded people taking „national souls“ into closer consideration makes them feel uneasy.

Because one could ask: Who actually isBecause one could ask: Who actually iscaring for such 'mythological identities´? caring for such 'mythological identities´? Is this not done by nationalistic demagoguesIs this not done by nationalistic demagoguesrather than by spiritual teachers? rather than by spiritual teachers?

Today there are not many spiritual teachers referring to a “national soul” and its possible evolutionary meaning.

Most of these teachers seem to be far more focused to facilitate the great quantum leap from the disconnected single Self into the All-One.

In fact seen in this traditional enlightening perspective the In fact seen in this traditional enlightening perspective the spiritual evolution of peoples und societies could look rather spiritual evolution of peoples und societies could look rather irrelevant. irrelevant.

But maybe, so there is an interpretation, countries and cultures do have a distinguished and evolving Soul or Psychic Being, similar to an individual. However prior to the full manifestation of this Inner Being there is the development of an outer personality with an ego. This pseudo-self tends to form a kind of shadow or distortion of the real soul potential. The good news: The influence of the inner soul on the outer personality is increasing during the evolutionary process.

Historically the concept of an Historically the concept of an evolutionary nation soulevolutionary nation soul was first named was first named by German Romantic and Idealist philosophers, like Fichte, Hegel and by German Romantic and Idealist philosophers, like Fichte, Hegel and Herder. Herder.

Hegel's main contribution to the formulation of the concept of national spirit ('Volksgeist') is the attribution of a historical character to the concept. The spirit of a nation is one of the manifestations of the "World Spirit" ('Weltgeist'). That Spirit is essentially alive and active throughout mankind's history. “The spirit of a nation is an The spirit of a nation is an intermediate stage of world history intermediate stage of world history as the history of the World Spirit”. as the history of the World Spirit”.

The World Spirit gives impetus to the realization of the historical spirits of various nations.

Anyway Hegel lived 200 years ago and hardly anybody in the western academic or philosophical society still refers to a “national soul”. Instead they refers soberly to a “national character”, which means the sum of positive or negative features and qualities of a country or culture.

There are just a few poets and There are just a few poets and spiritual teachers still or again spiritual teachers still or again referring to a more occult referring to a more occult interpretation, which describes interpretation, which describes national souls and spirits as national souls and spirits as actual beings or entities. actual beings or entities.

In Theosophy and in related In Theosophy and in related Anthroposophy they are Anthroposophy they are seen as guiding angels. seen as guiding angels. Another vision portraits Another vision portraits them as evolving beings, who them as evolving beings, who “die” and may reincarnate in “die” and may reincarnate in other cultures. other cultures.

The Soul of a The Soul of a Country Country

(by contemporary American New Age mystic and poet

David Spangler)

“The soul of a country is that active intelligence that holds the

body, psyche and spirit of a country together and integrates

them into a dynamic wholeness.

It expresses capacities for It expresses capacities for synthesis, love, and evolution. synthesis, love, and evolution.

It is the custodian of the spiritual destiny. It nurtures and develops

that country’s talents.

It seeks to promote the qualities and capacities that are that country’s unique powers and gifts to the world.

If we think of a country as a collective field fed by energies arising from its geography, its ecologies, its people, and its spirit, then the soul of that country tends that field.

David SpanglerDavid Spangler

It seeks to keep it clear and unobstructed. It seeks to reduce or if possible eliminate toxicity and dysfunction within that field, particularly as manifested by violence.

It seeks to enhance the flow and radiant It seeks to enhance the flow and radiant power of love within its field. It power of love within its field. It enhances creativity and emergence. It enhances creativity and emergence. It promotes and nur-tures connectedness, promotes and nur-tures connectedness, coherency, integrity and wholeness. coherency, integrity and wholeness.

It works to synthesize its various dynamic elements, such as the land and the people, into a mutually enhancing presence. It works to integrate its field with the fields of other countries It works to integrate its field with the fields of other countries and with the great collective field and presence of the planet as a and with the great collective field and presence of the planet as a whole and with the sacredness that underlies all existence.whole and with the sacredness that underlies all existence.That is the work of the soul of a country.”

In the East alike Sri Aurobindo´s and Mother´s visions in this regard are exceptions in the spiritual field.

Sri Aurobindo sees the conscious recognition of national souls as an important intermediate step for future evolution.

“ “For it is necessary if the subjective For it is necessary if the subjective age of humanity is to produce its best age of humanity is to produce its best fruits, that the nations should become fruits, that the nations should become conscious not only of their own but of conscious not only of their own but of each other's souls and learn to each other's souls and learn to respect, to help and to profit, not only respect, to help and to profit, not only economically and intellectually but economically and intellectually but subjectively and spiritually, by each subjectively and spiritually, by each other. “other. “

One could ask: Why paying so much special attention “nations”? Are they not just one out of a whole hierarchy of human collective formations like family, clan, tribe, region, nation, continent, world?However Sri Aurobindo claims that three of these formations are more relevant than others: family – nation - world. “Family” and “world” may be obvious - but why nation?Because, he argues, a nation is more than a given genetic kinship or regional neighbourhood. It is an self-determined confirmation to live together - and the way how to do it. Expressedfor instance in a national constitution. This act marks an evolutionary progress towardsindividual and free will in comparison with former blood bonds or arbitrarily shapedempires or kingdoms.This definition may also help to discern present countries. If a prevailing element of free and conscious will is missing, the process of “nation building” may still be ongoing.

Our collective identities today are mainly shaped by national egos. They are historically outgrown of older hierarchical systems.

An An universal and world centered universal and world centered consciousnessconsciousness is just coming as a is just coming as a new option in this picture. new option in this picture.

Sri Aurobindo and Mother refer to the needed expansion of the present national identity to a new Human Unity-Consciousness.

Their vision gave reason for the founding of Auroville, an experimental and evolutionary community.

Aiming to be a transformative training ground for individualhumans determined to discover their divine heritage and future.

Aiming also to be a beacon for Aiming also to be a beacon for whole humanity on its way to whole humanity on its way to manifest global unity.manifest global unity.

An universal human culture with multiple distinguished colours.An universal human culture with multiple distinguished colours.

A garden of pavilions as a graphic and vivid field to discover A garden of pavilions as a graphic and vivid field to discover and to honor the Souls of our cultures. and to honor the Souls of our cultures.

In especially in its In especially in its International Zone International Zone

Auroville is supposed to be Auroville is supposed to be a model for a model for

transcending national egos transcending national egos and realizing the souls of the and realizing the souls of the

nations.nations.

Which for the first time would enable us to view and to grasp

the full picture:

One could see national (as well as personal) egos as scaffoldings on construction sites which have to be removed in the right time.

The finalized building - which The finalized building - which is the manifesting is the manifesting national national cultureculture – is ready to find its – is ready to find its place in the place in the Universal CultureUniversal Culture. .

In this picture the IZ with its pavilions can be seen as a symbolic construction site for this building process.

However right timing is essential: If “delivering” is done too However right timing is essential: If “delivering” is done too early, the house will crack, and egoistic or nationalistic shadows early, the house will crack, and egoistic or nationalistic shadows will enter the buildingwill enter the building again. again.

The formation of nations The formation of nations served as a liberating agent served as a liberating agent in history once. in history once.

Today single nations seem to be no more sufficient to handle evolution.

The next step will be an Universal Culture, a World Union of National Cultures.

Ego was the helper (once), ego is the bar (now), Ego was the helper (once), ego is the bar (now), says Sri Aurobindo.says Sri Aurobindo.

Therefore make sure you realize and you honor your personal (as well as national) ego - before you let go of it.

Appreciate the qualities which are manifested through the especialness of your national culture and yourself.

Let's appreciate the blossom of our specific national culture - before and while planting this culture into the greater garden.

Auroville is Mother´s Nursery. In especially the International Auroville is Mother´s Nursery. In especially the International Zone is Zone is Mother´s Planetary GardenMother´s Planetary Garden. . A place where you can inhale and exhale peace and gratefulness for the souls of all national cultures. This appreciation may be a precondition in order that these souls can find their role in the Universal Human Orchestra.

Namaste!