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Our Aim
AuroYouth, an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, has the dynamic…

AuroYouth, an initiative of Sri Aurobindo Society, has the dynamic ideal of inspiring the youth to become the builders of a better tomorrow.

Our aim is

  • To inspire the youth to find their aim in life and help them in realising it
  • To awaken the youth to their great future, and to help them to prepare themselves, spiritually and materially, to play their true role in all aspects of individual and collective life
  • To make the youth conscious of India’s great spiritual heritage and the world’s destiny, and work for human unity in a rich and organised diversity
  • To encourage the youth to work for the evolution of a higher humanity and the advent of a new world, and to channel their talents, enthusiasm and energies into the building of a new future

 

Our Aim is Perfection

“Do not aim at success. Our aim is perfection.

Remember you are on the threshold of a new world, participating in its birth and instrumental in its creation.

There is nothing more important than the transformation. There is no interest more worthwhile.”

– The Mother

Our Work
O India, land of light and spiritual knowledge! Wake up…

O India, land of light and spiritual knowledge! Wake up to your true mission in the world,
show the way to union and harmony.
– The Mother

Historically, India used to abound with a stupendous amount of creativity in almost every conceivable field. But almost a thousand years of subjection to foreign powers has depleted it of its own original creative energies. Amidst this ruin, a new India is struggling to rise.

If India is to be raised once again to the high pedestal of the world, the youth of the country must come forward to take up this responsibility on their shoulders.

Our forefathers knew and saw that Spirit was the foundation of matter, and Life was but a field of manifestation of the innumerable potentialities of this one Spirit. Without this foundation, a strong superstructure cannot be built.

Our first object shall be to declare this ideal, insist on the spiritual change as the first necessity and group together all who accept it and are ready to strive sincerely to fulfil it: our second shall be to build up not only an individual but a communal life on this principle.

Hence this shall be our aim,

to understand the true cause of greatness of India in the past,

to recapture the thread of her progress, and then

to take her to yet greater and vaster glories that await her in the future.

In short, to bring back that dynamic spirituality which does not separate matter from Spirit and condemn matter, but that ancient synthesis where the whole world was seen as an evolving field of the Spirit.

For this, an outer activity as well as an inner change is needed and it must be at once a spiritual, cultural, educational, social and economical action. Its scope, too, will be at once individual and communal, regional and national, and eventually a work not only for the nation but for the whole human people.

Conditions for Taking Up This Work

The first condition is not to have one’s own personal interest as a goal.

The first qualities needed are boldness, courage and perseverance.

And then to be conscious that one knows nothing compared to what one ought to know, that one can do nothing compared to what one ought to do, that one is nothing compared to what one ought to be.

One must have an invariable will to acquire what is lacking in one’s nature, to know what one does not yet know, to be able to do what one is not yet able to do.

One must constantly progress in the light and peace that come from the absence of personal desires.

One could take as a programme: “Always better. Forward!”

… Persevere, and what you cannot do today you will be able to do tomorrow.

– The Mother

Our Call
Sri Aurobindo has said: “The future belongs to the young.…

Sri Aurobindo has said: “The future belongs to the young. It is a young and new world which is now under process of development and it is the young who must create it. … A brave, frank, clean-hearted, courageous and aspiring youth is the only foundation on which the future nation can be built.”

Our call is to young India. It is the young who must be the builders of the new world,—not those who accept the competitive individualism, the capitalism or the materialistic communism of the West as India’s future ideal, nor those who are enslaved to old religious formulas and cannot believe in the acceptance and transformation of life by the spirit, but all who are free in mind and heart to accept a completer truth and labour for a greater ideal.

***

I Invite You to the Great Adventure

“We are in a very special situation, extremely special, without precedent. We are now witnessing the birth of a new world; it is very young, very weak—not in its essence but in its outer manifestation—not yet recognised, not even felt, denied by the majority. But it is here. It is here, making an effort to grow, absolutely sure of the result. But the road to it is a completely new road which has never before been traced out—nobody has gone there, nobody has done that! It is a beginning, a universal beginning. So, it is an absolutely unexpected and unpredictable adventure.

There are people who love adventure. It is these I call, and I tell them this: “I invite you to the great adventure.”

It is not a question of repeating spiritually what others have done before us, for our adventure begins beyond that. It is a question of a new creation, entirely new, with all the unforeseen events, the risks, the hazards it entails—a real adventure, whose goal is certain victory, but the road to which is unknown and must be traced out step by step in the unexplored. Something that has never been in this present universe and that will never be again in the same way. If that interests you… well, let us embark. What will happen to you tomorrow—I have no idea.

One must put aside all that has been foreseen, all that has been devised, all that has been constructed, and then… set off walking into the unknown. And—come what may! There.”

– The Mother

***

What It Means to be Young

“There are young people who are old and there are old people who are young. If you carry in you this flame for progress and transformation, if you are ready to leave everything behind so that you may advance with an alert step, if you are always open to a new progress, a new improvement, a new transformation, then you are eternally young. But if you sit back satisfied with what has been accomplished, if you have the feeling that you have reached your goal and you have nothing left to do but enjoy the fruit of your efforts, then already more than half your body is in the tomb: it is decrepitude and the true death.

Everything that has been done is always nothing compared with what remains to be done.

Do not look behind. Look ahead, always ahead and go forward always.”

– The Mother

We Need You
The future of the nation and the world lies in…

The future of the nation and the world lies in the hands of the youth.

A group of youth who defy the lure of the commonplace, who scorn the aimless wayward life, who understand the evolutionary past of humanity, who are capable of taking stock of the present and willing to boldly launch themselves into a glorious future, alone can bring about a happier and better world.

The time is now.
The people are us.
The means are at our disposal.
It just needs a “yes” from the depths of our being…

Would you like to embark on this adventure?
If so, this is the platform.

 

Youth Is Progress

“It is not the number of years you have lived that makes you grow old. You become old when you stop progressing.

As soon as you feel you have done what you had to do, as soon as you think you know what you ought to know, as soon as you want to sit and enjoy the results of your effort, with the feeling you have worked enough in life, then at once you become old and begin to decline.

When, on the contrary, you are convinced that what you know is nothing compared to all which remains to be known, when you feel that what you have done is just the starting-point of what remains to be done, when you see the future like an attractive sun shining with the innumerable possibilities yet to be achieved, then you are young, however many are the years you have passed upon earth, young and rich with all the realizations of tomorrow.”

– The Mother


Donations

AuroYouth Team



How You Can Participate & Contribute

We have already started preparing the grounds for this Animation film by working with a team of professionals and gathering the support of like-minded people.

Our first target is to come up with a trailer, for which a seed fund of about Rs. 14 lakhs is needed urgently. The project itself has an estimated budget of Rs. 1.4 to 1.5 crores, in order to ensure that it is of a high quality in all its aspects. We need a lot of financial support to make this happen and this is an appeal to you to contribute to this labour of love, aspiration & effort from us.

You can contribute financially and in other ways towards this effort and help this film to take shape by Aug. 15, 2022, the 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo. Your contributions to this project are eligible for 100% tax benefit under section 35(i)(iii) of the Indian Income Tax Act.


Please use the following details for your financial contributions:

Indian nationals Foreign nationals
I. Online Payment: https://rzp.io/l/IoIsRqrR

II. Bank Transfer (NEFT/IMPS/RTGS):

Bank: Yes Bank
Account Holder Name: Sri Aurobindo Society
Account No.: 054294600000264
IFSC Code: YESB0000542
Account Type: Savings
Branch Address: Door No.24, Ambalathadayar Madam St., Pondicherry – 605 001

 I. Online Payment: https://rzp.io/l/ApucElY

II. Bank Transfer:

Bank: HDFC Bank
Account Holder Name: Sri Aurobindo Society
Account No.: 12781170000011
IFSC Code: HDFC0001278;
SWIFT Code: HDFCINBBCHE
Account Type: Savings
Branch Address: Abhirami Plaza Branch, No. 4 & 5,
45 Feet Road, Vallalar Salai, Pondicherry – 605 011
Once the Bank transfer is successfully done, please share the following details with us via email to [email protected]. These details are needed to prepare and send the official receipt:
Indian nationals Foreign nationals
• Amount transferred
• Transaction reference number and date of transaction
• Full name of the contributor
• Postal Address
• Contact number
• PAN (required for donations greater than or equal to INR 5,000)		 • Amount transferred

• Transaction reference number and date of transaction

• Full name of the contributor

• Postal Address

• Contact number and email

• Purpose of contribution

• Copy of Passport (optional)

 

ALL INDIA YOUTH CAMP ~ INNER FLIGHTS

AuroYouth Team

Date:04-Jan-2020 — 12-Jan-2020

EVENT: All India Youth Camp—Inner Flights

WHERE: Society House, Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry

LAST DATE FOR APPLYING: October 30, 2019

AGE RESTRICTION FOR APPLYING: 18 – 28 years

MINIMUM CONTRIBUTION: Rs. 5,000/- (Includes accommodation & food provided by us during the Camp)

What this Camp is About

There is a need to address the spaces within us, within our minds and hearts and dreams and aspirations. We must address these spaces, if we are to do anything of substantial value on the outside. If you are somebody (or know somebody) who wishes to deep dive within and unearth the galore of potential and unique gifts we all come with, then this Camp is the right place to be.

Come along and surrender to the process. Interact. Agree to what feels right and disagree and discuss till you get to what feels right. Listen and Share. Meet people like you and unlike you. Adjust. Unlearn and learn with the help of the facilitators, the intense atmosphere here in Pondy and your own willingness to partake of this collective journey. Be prepared for intellectual stimulation, emotional churning and physical rejuvenation as we spend 9 days exploring concepts relevant to our lives, relationships, careers and choices along with a deeper exchange through spaces of silence and quietude.

Do not come expecting out of this Camp anything but heightened self-awareness, a rhythm of review and silence, clarity of thoughts, channelizing of emotions, memories of spectacular sunrises at the East Coast of India and new friends from across the country. Definitely do not come if you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to a Goa trip. The processes we undertake are deep, personal and require immense discipline and respect.

These camps are being organised annually by us for the past 33 years and have been inspiring and transforming young lives all over.

Can I Apply?

Yes, if you are between 18-28 years of age and are willing to accept that several others like you are coming to this because they’re serious about growing and evolving
You have not attended this camp earlier
You must have a working knowledge of English as the sessions will be conducted in English
Come with an open mind. With a willingness to learn. Even more willingness to un-learn. No fussing about simple vegetarian food and basic lodging arrangements at our guesthouse that we provide!
Our sessions are from early morning to late evening; so, come prepared.
Camp Contribution: On selection, a minimum contribution of Rs. 5,000/- per person to be made. For those who for specific genuine reasons are unable to make the requisite contribution, please write to us separately by e-mail, to know of the options we provide.

Application Form

  • Download the Application Form (click to download), fill it up and send it to us by courier/e-mail. Or, apply online using our online application form.
  • Late applications received will be considered only if seats are left; so check up with us before you send late application forms.
  • Those selected for attending the Camp will be informed by e-mail, latest by 4th Nov. 2019. We reserve all rights of admission.

Cancellation: In case of cancellations made by participants before 15th Dec. 2019, Rs. 3500, will be returned.

Camp Venue

For the first 6 days, we will stay in Puducherry city and the last 3 days, we will be on a Retreat in our serene and eco-friendly lakeland ‘Sharanam — National Centre of Excellence’ which is about 10 kms. from the Puducherry town.

To know more of the ‘Pondy Experience’, visit: http://www.aurosociety.org/society/index/About-Puducherry

An Important Note

We love meeting new people each year and do everything in our capacity to ensure that this whole learning process is fun and eventful. However, failure to comply with certain non-negotiable guidelines and rules will result in immediate suspension from the programme.

The venue for the programme and the places we will be visiting are in and around the Ashram area and Auroville – both are places of Sadhana, of silence and inner work. It is essential to respect our surroundings to guarantee the success of this collective journey.

About the Main Facilitators

Shivakumar, Director, AuroYouth (Youth Wing of Sri Aurobindo Society) has been organising the national youth camps for the past 18 years at Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry.

Shivakumar grew up in Kerala. After his graduation in Engineering (Mechanical), a diploma in Computer-Aided-Design, and a 5-year stint in the corporate world, he decided to take a break from formal work and started engaging himself in full-time study and practice of Indian spirituality, especially the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. He’s known to be calm in raging storms and also to facilitate the storms that rise within us all.

He came into contact with the Sri Aurobindo Society and joined it in 2001, to be part of its objective of working towards a global spiritualised society as envisioned by Sri Aurobindo. He is also part of its educational team.

Riddhi Shah, is known for many things, among which following her heart’s path and her love for questioning all things taken for granted, are two. Experienced in people processes, community building and learning from mistakes, she has worked relentlessly for over 13 years in various spaces such as Education, Empowerment and Ecology. When she’s not cross-questioning Gram Panchayats and authorities or doing workshops for Principals and teachers, she can be seen painting walls with jail inmates or singing songs with soldiers near the border.

Uncaring for society’s approval or permission, she has walked on her path unapologetically, positively impacting lives in over 15 States of India and close to 3000 schools, organisations, institutions and collectives.

Though she hails from Mumbai and lives out of a suitcase, Puducherry is what she calls home for reasons you will know when you come here.

A glimpse from last year’s Youth Camp: http://bit.ly/2Ui2bPt

Some feedback from our last year’s youth camp ‘Undiscovered Shores – 2019’:

The camp was filled with calm and intense energy and it did not dip at all during the whole of the camp. … we felt a connection with ourselves + stars + universe + galaxy!

—Akhila Bandi

My belief in the Divine increased and I would love to come back. The Auroville trip was the best experience! The people I met there, the Peace! I was one with me! The Banyan tree! That day would forever be dotted in my memory. And I’m going back…

—Nivedita Raghupal

Inner Stillness, Fearless Shore, dance, music, drawing in Nature – all of these sessions pushed my limits and allowed me to be what I want to be. Vande Mataram and dance sessions: Best! Best!! Best!!! Can we have 5 more days to have more sessions with all the facilitators.

—Rithwik M Singh

The seamless flow from topic to topic involving not merely individual but also collective participation, lead to 30 hearts & heads working together! The camp was inspirational.

—Abhinav Kadambi

Last 3 days at Sharanam: It changed my perception of beauty, of concentration, of life, of Nature, and I discovered myself and how to live. Truly live. And I just want to say that this camp has changed my life!

—Sindhuja Khare

In search of calmness, I look for triggers outside and allow them to affect my calm. Through the Camp, I realised that the bright light within us has to be heard and nurtured; it is indeed our Guide, our Friend. I was able to believe myself a little more, trust and be fearless, remove my own inhibitions. I really, really hope to carry the Light forward.

—Palak Dubey

Changemakers Youth Conclave (Feb. 3-4, 2017)

AuroYouth Team

Ashoka Innovators for the Public (Ashoka) in association with Sri Aurobindo Society, Puducherry, organized the ‘Changemakers Youth Conclave 2017’ on February 3 and 4, 2017, to provide a common platform to new generation of young social entrepreneurs and leaders from different sectors of the society together to devise ways to sustain and enhance the engagement of youth in the process of change-making.

Click here for the full report