The space formerly used by the Auroville Town Planning Service, is now the Centre of Indian Studies, where the library that houses one of the most interesting collection of the books on Indian Philosophy, Culture and Arts. This is also the space where some of the workshops, talks by eminent speakers and regular Bharat Nivas Group meetings are held. This also provides a study area for researchers to work and also regular Sanskrit language classes are conducted for groups of Aurovilians.

A centre of Indian Studies is being set up in the Tripura Pavilion in Auroville.  We have felt, since some years, a pressing need to initiate experimental work in an area which is increasingly commanding our interest.

Around the world, both scientists and philosophers are agreed that we are going through exceptional times, in which great changes and mutations seem likely.  These mutations concern man and the eventual scope of his possibilities; the question of his future potential is much in the forefront, tie  stand, in fact, at certain frontiers of knowledge which open up entirely new vistas — vistas which are wholistic and integrative in their essence. Numerous are the challenges in this regard that have been high-lighted by the work done in Mew Physics, in Biology, also in Medicine, in Psychology and through all the movements of thought and of life that are today spear-heading towards the future in an ever-widening circle.

In the midst of these ‘new’ discoveries — new for our age — our thoughts turn to the experience embodied in the ancient Shastras of India.  The parallelisms are striking, to say the least.

An entire world of experience and scientific investigations seems to come full circle and we, who live in Auroville — in the heart of India — find ourselves placed mid-centre.  It is this situation that we wish to explore, to experience, to help evolve and to record.

This is the work that we wish to undertake in the Centre of Indian Studies which is being set up in Auroville.

We will approach this work in the full concreteness of the setting of life and activity which the inter­national community of Auroville offers. Our work will make use of scholarship where that is needed but will not rest on it solely.  It will take its stand on the fact of experience — will pursue it and record it. This will be the nature of the attempt and the method followed, whether the field in question be physical, psychological or spiritual.  As such, the terms ‘study’ and ‘research’ will themselves undergo a change and arrive at new meanings: their content and method must be "experiential" in the deepest and widest sense of the term.

We have tried to present, very succinctly, the ‘content’ of the work that this Centre will cover, as also the ‘method’ that it will promote and seek to evolve. New frontiers of knowledge call for a new methodology.  This shall be a prime concern of the Centre.

The themes around which work could be undertaken may be indicated as follows:-

INDIAN STUDIES

1. Essential values and perspectives of Indian Culture: their identification in terms of contemporary understanding.

2. Research in Educational Programmes for imparting such values to young people.

INDIAN AND OCCIDENTAL STUDIES

1. An evaluation of the contemporary situation of man — an identification of concrete problems, whether political, economic, social, cultural or, fundamentally, human and spiritual.

2. An application of the characteristic perspectives of Indian Culture to such problems — so as to arrive at fresh solutions.

3. The emerging Future Perspectives of Growth for Man — cultural, psychological and spiritual.

4. The Potentiality of Man — studies in an evolutionary context.

5. Modern man’s obsession with Matter: parallels offered by New Physics and Vedantic experience.

6. Integration of Knowledge — as a future possibility: its processes and goals.

Many other themes could re-join the above.

In a certain sense, the experiment of Auroville, as a whole, is a field for such study and experience. But there are some individuals who are drawn to this work in a more specific manner.  The Centre could coordinate their efforts.  It is also felt that it would be worthwhile to build up such a focal point in the larger context of India.

The ways of the new world seem to be ‘integrative’ may we move in that direction!

October 2, 1987, Auroville