Dying and death

On Sunday 12 October the Farewell team hosted an Open House to update everyone on their work and its role and function in the community. They explained that “This is an impersonal work which demands sensitivity, equality, good practical sense, readiness to serve, emotional stability, acceptance of any bodily condition, receptivity to the inner reality, attention and plasticity and goodwill towards all.

On 17 May Dominique Parizot, an Aurovilian of French nationality, passed away in a hospital in Villenave d’Ornon, France, where he had gone to undergo medical treatment.

It’s not easy to describe the emotion felt when stepping into a clearing in the forest, a magical place, perfect for hosting the portraits of 111 Aurovilians who have passed away in recent years.

The Working Committee approved by the Governing Board has issued “Procedures and guidelines for the use and allocation of an Auroville residential asset in the case of departure of an Auroville resident from Auroville or the death of an Auroville resident.”

These days, more and more of the space in Auroville Today seems to be taken up with obituaries. It made me begin to reflect upon death and our attitudes to it.

Bindu Mohanty, one of the contributors of Auroville Today, passed away on July 28th in a hospital in Germany at the age of 56.

After many years of devotedly writing much appreciated obituaries of Aurovilians and associates, Mauna announced that she was handing over responsibility for death announcements, obituaries and other such notifications to the Farewell team.

One of Auroville’s young children, Tara Nayak, had a lethal fall from the roof of Sunship on November 7th. She was 12 years old. Born in Delhi, Tara came to Auroville in 2019 at the age of 8 with her mother Fakeera, and studied at The Learning Community (TLC) and in later years at Deepanam school.

Death is a topical theme in Auroville this year, reflected in the numbers of those who have left their bodies in recent months. Mauna, who has for years compiled our community’s obituaries, has pointed out that half way through 2023, we have already recorded as many deaths (16) as were recorded in each of the two preceding years (17 Aurovilian deaths in 2022 and 15 deaths in 2021).

Last year Prisma released a second edition of their 2015 compilation on the theme of death. As its title indicates this includes the ‘death of death’, exploring Sri Aurobindo’s passing and his journey into the unconscious and Mother’s grappling with the transformation of death.

Serena Aurora is an independent filmmaker based in Auroville and the creator of Aurora’s Eye Films. She has produced many community, spiritual and environmental documentaries conveying some of the explorations in Auroville and elsewhere to a wider audience.

The RA-WCom has advised all Aurovilians to plan ahead and make a living will in the event that one is unable to communicate one’s wishes when medical care is needed.

Initially created as a sub-group of Third-Age (under Mattram’s umbrella), the “Let’s Talk About Death” group aims to reach any age of Auroville’s population by providing time, space and content to talk freely about death.

Navoditte (Norman Thomas) came to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in 1967 with his wife, Alice, and in February, 1968 attended the inauguration of Auroville.

The Farewell Centre, Auroville’s funeral home, was inaugurated in March 2016. Since then it has received thirteen Aurovilians and Newcomers.

In a few weeks, the new farewell facility will officially open. Suzie, who is a long-term member of the Farewell Group, describes their work, the importance of the new facility, and her own evolving relationship to death.

“Death is the question Nature puts continually to Life and her reminder to it that it has not yet found itself.” (Sri Aurobindo in “The Supramental Manifestation upon Earth”)

Death is not a popular topic of conversation. Yet philosophers through the ages have stated that an awareness of death and preparedness for it is essential to living one’s life to the full.