Nurturing the flame of 26 years' learning — within the farm and far beyond it.
Our New Horizon projects have emerged during the last four years of uncertainty for Buddha Garden — in the time between the initial decision in 2022 to put a road across the farm, and now. There has been no clear direction forward and despite repeated requests, at the time of writing this, there is still no clear information about when the road will come or what will happen to Buddha Garden. Many times it has been difficult to see what the most positive way of responding to the situation could be.
Our first response to the announcement was a determination to go on growing food for Auroville for as long as we had the land to do so. As the unclarity continued with seemingly no end in sight, something that became clearer was that we did not want to lose the learning and experience of the last 26 years of Buddha Garden’s existence — that this information should be documented so that it is not lost and can be shared with those who are interested or would find it useful.
Despite this we found — much to our surprise — that people still wanted to come and visit Buddha Garden to see and talk with us about our work of growing food in Earth friendly ways. Gradually a new vision for Buddha Garden emerged which showed ways to nurture the flame of Buddha Garden and build on what we have experienced and learnt. Regardless of whether the farm ceases to exist or not.
Our New Horizon projects have emerged during the last four years of uncertainty for Buddha Garden — in the time between the initial decision in 2022 to put a road across the farm, and now. There has been no clear direction forward and despite repeated requests, at the time of writing this, there is still no clear information about when the road will come or what will happen to Buddha Garden. Many times it has been difficult to see what the most positive way of responding to the situation could be.
Our first response to the announcement was a determination to go on growing food for Auroville for as long as we had the land to do so. As the unclarity continued with seemingly no end in sight, something that became clearer was that we did not want to lose the learning and experience of the last 26 years of Buddha Garden’s existence — that this information should be documented so that it is not lost and can be shared with those who are interested or would find it useful.
Despite this we found — much to our surprise — that people still wanted to come and visit Buddha Garden to see and talk with us about our work of growing food in Earth friendly ways. Gradually a new vision for Buddha Garden emerged which showed ways to nurture the flame of Buddha Garden and build on what we have experienced and learnt. Regardless of whether the farm ceases to exist or not.
Within Buddha Garden
Seeds · Heritage · Adaptation
The Seed Garden
We have had a Seed Garden since the very beginning of Buddha Garden’s existence, mainly to grow seeds for ourselves — though we sometimes shared them with other Auroville farmers and visitors who requested them to start their own food growing projects.
Growing our own seeds meant that the resulting plants have, over many years, adapted to the Buddha Garden environment — able to resist pests and make the best use of the soil and other natural resources. Our Buddha Garden seeds have within them the essence of Buddha Garden, and in these new circumstances we focus more on seed growing, sharing both the seeds themselves along with the growing techniques that enable others to successfully grow their own.
Experiential Learning · Living Demonstration
The Harmony Learning Garden
There continued to be a lot of enthusiasm for our experiential learning sessions — something we have been doing for many years, using our working farm not only as a demonstration of what is possible, but as a place where students from all walks of life can learn from experience how we grow food.
We saw that we had a piece of land we could rejuvenate — encompassing all the different sorts of food growing undertaken on the farm — that would be the perfect place to set up as a special learning area. As it lies away from where the proposed VIP road is to go, it could even be a way of preserving something of Buddha Garden for the future. We have been careful to create a moveable infrastructure so that nothing will be wasted should Buddha Garden cease to exist.
Beyond Buddha Garden
Malaysia • Ongoing since 2022
Projects in Malaysia
The first of these requests came from Ashok, who had once been a volunteer in Buddha Garden and other Auroville farms, asking for help setting up a farm in Malaysia. Having first visited in 2022, we have continued to visit every year since, watching how the farm has evolved in the very different Malaysian environment.
While there, other people with projects heard about our work and asked for help — spanning farmland, community gardens, and wellness centres. The most recent request has come from someone wanting to set up a new vegetable garden in her condominium.
— Chempaka Kuning Farm
— Kebun Kebun Community Garden
— Millenia Village Wellness Centre
Japan • Visiting May 2025
Projects in Japan
Our most recent request has come from another ex-volunteer who has just purchased a farm and farmhouse in Japan — a new chapter beginning in a landscape as different as any we have worked in. We will be visiting there in May.
— Organic farm near Nara
— Dana Village
“Even if Buddha Garden ceases to exist, its energy will be passed on to live and develop in other ways.”
— New Horizon Projects, Buddha Garden
“Even if Buddha Garden ceases to exist, its energy will be passed on to live and develop in other ways.”
— New Horizon Projects, Buddha Garden
Research & Writing
Earth Friendly Food Growing — A Journey and a Practice
Writing that distils the lived experience of 26 years at Buddha Garden into something others can follow — not as a manual, but as a living practice they can make their own, wherever they are.
Communicating with the Land
A research and writing project exploring the history of human–land connection across time and cultures — and the profound question of what it means to be in relationship with the Earth, and what is lost when that connection breaks.
