Prabhupāda: In Aurobindo āśrama the same thing. Aurobindo said that "You simply think of me. Then you will be pure."
Gargamuni: One of our party went to this Pondicherry. He said the whole thing is simply propaganda. There's nothing there in this Auroville.
Rāmeśvara: What is Auroville?
Gargamuni: They're building a city. You've never heard of it? It's big, worldwide... Auroville. Building a city of spiritual life.
Rāmeśvara: Where?
Hari-śauri: Yes. That's all over the world. Aurobindo. That's in South India on the coast, Pondicherry.
Rāmeśvara: Who goes there? Westerners?
Gargamuni: Oh, yes. That's all that's there now. But there's only about twenty of them.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Gargamuni: Yeah, very few. And they asked our men... Because people started to become attracted and asking and looking at our books, so the in-charge asked our men, "Please leave."
Prabhupāda: Acchā?
Gargamuni: Yes.
Prabhupāda: (laughs) You are dangerous. You are dangerous.
Gargamuni: Yes. They are trying to imitate our Māyāpura project, but they have failed. Trying to make a community. And they are very much hated by the local people because they are not following any regulative principles. They drink, they smoke....
Prabhupāda: They drink?
Gargamuni: Oh, yes. It's just a bunch of hippies now who are there. That's a complete bluff.
Prabhupāda: The Aurobindo was a hippie. (laughter) He had that long hair, and he was victimized by that mother. She brought... She was young, and she brought money, and Aurobindo was killed. In the beginning he had some yogic practice, but since that mother came, woman can conquer any rascal. (laughs) So she also... She conquered, and then nobody was allowed to see him in his secluded meditation. Only this mother was allowed. She would supply food, supply... And nobody could see. And she would give darśana only one day in the year. He would not speak with anyone, and the disciples were advised, "Simply think of Aurobindo. You have nothing to do." That's it. So you have been there?
Gargamuni: I didn't go. But our library party, on their way to south, they stopped there because they thought maybe they could sell a standing order.
Prabhupāda: So they did not.
Gargamuni: Well, they were quite shocked to find that the whole thing is a bluff. The propaganda about this Auroville just does not exist. They only have a few houses, and it's simply a few hippies who live there.
Hari-śauri: They make it out to be such a big project.
Gargamuni: They said our Māyāpura project is more advanced.