tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7657701260211175942024-03-08T02:15:27.403-08:00love, fresh air and sunshineSangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-31127752328055962422020-05-01T23:40:00.003-07:002020-05-01T23:58:32.392-07:00Poison, stupidity and schooling!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In February 2018, my brain went haywire! I wasn't able to think clearly. Even melodious music sounded like cacophony. I was unable to do simple tasks at home, step out on the road or process oncoming traffic information, have conversations in groups, process auditory inputs from the phone or any electronic devices. Many many days, I touched madness, shut myself up in a dark room and wept. I was completely home-bound for months.</div>
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Having no clue what it was about, I tried many things like chanting, meditation, singing, anti-depressants, time in nature, homeopathy and so on. Nothing really worked. Or may be all of them together worked over time! By October that year, my mind started clearing up and I became normal and resumed life. I attributed all kinds of fancy and divine interventions to this episode and left it at that.<br />
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In February 2019, there was a relapse of the exact same condition. This time, though there was familiarity from the previous year, it was just as bad. I went in for sound-based healing called Tomatis along with plenty of rest. This time, I took to cooking at home, which helped me quite a bit. (My healing with the kitchen is another story by itself, for another time). Around October, things started clearing up once again and gradually, I became more functional and resumed life, attributing the healing to Tomatis.<br />
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In February 2020, there was a relapse of the exact same condition for the third year in a row. I stopped to see what else happened around this time. This can't be just coincidence! Is it some planetary re-alignment, seasonal change or what? And discovered the cause: extensive pesticide spraying in cashew farms all around Auroville. For those who are not familiar with Auroville, it is not a contiguous piece of land. There are lands that are not part of Auroville right in its heart and all around. And these lands are 90% pesticide-sprayed cashew farms. The spraying starts in February every year and goes on until May-June.<br />
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<a href="https://www.pophistorydig.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/New-India-ad-320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A Richer Harvest”Union Carbide Ads: 1960s | The Pop History Dig" border="0" src="https://www.pophistorydig.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/New-India-ad-320.jpg" /></a>Recently, I joined a whatsapp group called 'cashew spray alert' where members were posting all kinds of symptoms from headache, nausea, fatigue and dizziness. These chemicals seem to especially affect women, who were perfectly fine until they moved into Auroville and later developed chronic conditions like thryoid issues. After I posted my story on the group, many others started sharing similar conditions. If this is the issue with residents living around, I can't even imagine what must be happening to those who do the spraying and spend time in these farms.<br />
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About twenty years ago, during my India travels I saw the crisis facing our agriculture. I also saw thriving biodiverse farms which did not use any chemicals. I was shocked out of my wits! How did humanity buy into the stupidity of accepting 'poisoning itself' to be Science? I was both furious and amused. I choicelessly jumped headlong into safe-food, farmer-sovereignty activism for many years. After sometime, I felt ready to move on to other things in life. This seems to be a call to me to step in and see how we can transform the situation. Compassionately. Though conversation and collective effort. It is no longer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITFpPwQ8oVw">the story of a family in far-away Khasargode</a>. It's come to my doorstep. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEL8AJk7_nTkVATOEDMEjCeS-46yli70zbUHPLDDTJr1IiTwIgbQ7W_1WuSDqwxVkVIzTc_aqlasvBUkAV6u3lPTRTuNw6Al_S3goigpYqOC-7XAqLmQDXUpCJB-N1JxTk8GJPOmsB1w/s1600/escolar-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="768" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJEL8AJk7_nTkVATOEDMEjCeS-46yli70zbUHPLDDTJr1IiTwIgbQ7W_1WuSDqwxVkVIzTc_aqlasvBUkAV6u3lPTRTuNw6Al_S3goigpYqOC-7XAqLmQDXUpCJB-N1JxTk8GJPOmsB1w/s400/escolar-02.jpg" width="400" /></a>If we think this is an issue concerning agriculture, we're fooling ourselves. This is not even just an environmental issue. This is an issue about our system of education which brainwashes us all into thinking stupidity is cool, especially if it can increase GDP. And if you see this film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgbH78ty9PI">Our Cashew Story</a> made by a fellow Aurovilian as part of 'The Healthy Cashew Network' of Auroville, farmers do this in spite of knowing that they are being poisoned because it helps them pay their children's school fees. Why do their children need to go to school? To be brainwashed that their culture is backward, that chemicals are here to help humanity, and in order to be good students they should submit to the propaganda machinery and come out with no sense of their own. If they resist being stupefied, they will be punished and labeled as 'failures'. On the one hand we promote schooling, and on the other hand, we activists give our lives wanting to change the world.<br />
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If we continue to ask the question "How to convince our farmers to stop spraying?" we are not going anywhere. If we can instead ask "How do we transform our soul-stripping schools into living spaces of learning?" we still have some hope!<br />
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Related viewing: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDxYWspiN-8">Schooling the World; the white man's last burden</a></div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-59912400565713857092020-04-15T03:13:00.004-07:002022-03-06T07:47:58.451-08:00Privilege as Commons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The question of privilege has been staring at me most starkly than ever before. As I stay safe and comfortable in my home, I know millions are struggling for their mere survival. <i>“Is this the time for me to stop doing and go inward? Is this the time for me to be out there doing something? What is the most meaningful way of showing up?”</i> is a question that visits me many times every day. </div>
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Talking of questions, I realise that they are of two kinds. The first kind needs to be pursued and answered. The second needs to be eternally lived with as sincerely and honestly as possible. To me, the question of privilege is of the second kind. <br />
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After many years of staying with this question, I realise that both feeling guilty / undeserving of my privileges and indulging in them, come from the notion that my privileges somehow belong to me. Whenever I am able to momentarily suspend that notion of a separate self and its ownership of its privileges, and step into the realm of inter-being, they transform into the commons I have been entrusted the stewardship of. My questions momentarily cease to exist. But that space also puts me in touch with tremendous responsibility of every privilege that I have been entrusted with.<br />
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Though I hardly stay anchored in this space, when I do touch it, it is both a relief and a call to live a more intense life. A call to be more aware of every moment and how I’m using my privilege to be in service of Life.<br />
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The Corona angel who has come down to break the tightly-held structures of fear so that more light can flow in, is calling forth all forms of warriorship to assist her. We need serving warriorship to be out there feeding people and taking care of the sick. We need watchful warriorship to keep track of how the threatened powers-be are tightening their claws in these times, calling out <i>adharma</i>. We need creative warriorship to see what new life-serving possibilities can be manifested. We need warriorship that can keep our essential services running, keeping everything from completely breaking down. And most importantly, we need a warriorship of enquiry <i>“What just crumbled? Why are we in this mess? What is this a call for? What futures lie ahead of us? What are our choices?” </i>and support others through this enquiry. <br />
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We have reached a time when, irrespective of whatever warriorship that we each are feeling called to embrace, alongside whatever we are doing, we all need to set aside time for this inevitable enquiry. And those of us who have the luxury of not feeling particularly called to be active warriors on the field, have the greatest responsibility of not indulging our privilege of time and comfort. If we can see our privilege as the commons, then on behalf of the collective, can we hold with the greatest intensity this question and prayer for healing, and birthing the New life? And calling forth and engaging with our own inner demons of lethargy, doubt, fear, insecurity, resentment, inadequacy and so on, cleansing our bodies (the physical, emotional and mental bodies) is an important part of that sacred work.<br />
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How peacefully I can sleep at night is usually my litmus test for how responsibly I have used my privilege and acted on behalf of the collective. And peaceful sleep is not easy to come by these days!<br />
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Related Posts: <a href="http://right%20here%2C%20right%20now%21/">Right here, right now</a><br />
<a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2010/07/its-another-wasted-day.html">It's another wasted day!</a><br />
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Related Reading: <a href="https://serenaladyofthewoods.blogspot.com/2015/09/frequency-holders-by-eckhart-tolle.html">On 'Frequency Holders' by Eckhart Tolle</a></div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-66845091256818417062020-03-26T14:14:00.000-07:002020-03-27T08:44:40.718-07:00Women, take charge!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Corona has come to tell us many things. One of them is that it’s time more men stepped back from political leadership en-masse, took over home-making and child care (leadership roles in the home front) and let more women take on political leadership. I neither see this as a feminist statement, nor am I saying that women are better leaders than men. What I’m saying is this. We need well-integrated human beings to lead the world today. And at this time in history, more women have undoubtedly learnt to own their femininity and integrate their masculinity, than men who have learnt to own their masculinity and integrate their femininity. Look at these powerful young women political leaders who are changing the game with their power, grace, compassion, intelligence and diligence! <br />
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45-year old <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Porter">Katie Porter</a> grew up in a small farming community in Iowa. She went to Yale where she majored in American studies, and did her undergraduate thesis on <i>The Effects of Corporate Farming on Rural Community</i>. Now as a congresswoman from the democratic party in the Orange County, she knows her stuff and is tough with corporate heads (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1JQ8s4jSys&list=WL&index=3">Wells Fargo</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ciuK_-4_gE&list=WL&index=6">Facebook</a>), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtMLIRhocus&list=WL&index=4">Food Stamping Admin</a>, often rendering them speechless or consenting to cooperate with her reasonable, people-friendly demands. <br />
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31-year old spanish-speaking <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria_Ocasio-Cortez">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a>, is the youngest woman ever to serve in the US Congress. As a bartender and waitress before she took office, she was struggling to pay back her student loan. A personal situation where she saw from up-close how attorneys ripped families who were clueless about bureaucracy, and interning with a US senator were her training grounds. She is a big champion of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1w3V4PUv2s">Green New Deal</a> and a sprightly youth who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXvqJTOKcp0">loves dancing</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n60xSh6fwZc">connects to the aspirations and struggles of millennials</a>. <br />
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40-year old New Zealand Prime Minister <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacinda_Ardern">Jacinda Ardern</a> has served in the Labour Party from the age of 17, and eventually got elected as PM in 2018. The world is paying attention to Jacinda’s well-being budget, critique of capitalism and economic growth, and her close association with the Green Party and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DSxJOomKBM">indigenous Maori people</a>. The most fascinating part was her announcement of her pregnancy, going on maternity leave, being the second female world leader (after Benazir Bhutto) to birth a baby while in office. It’s a joy to watch her beautifully <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMfIzKlClfo">embrace motherhood, bringing her baby to the UN General Assembly</a>, with her spouse Gayford being a full-time, wholehearted caretaker. And I have much to say on this last point.<br />
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I see all around me, powerful women with such leadership potential, stuck at home in their kitchens. Now, this is not a judgment about home-making, kitchen or care work. They are highly responsible, special, honourable, irreplaceable roles. I love every bit of it myself. But only as long as it’s a choice. And civilisationally speaking, at this time of chaos and crisis which I know more women leaders can better respond to, what are we doing still only “supporting women” to work overtime in social roles, after they have cooked, cleaned and put their children to sleep? We should no longer be merely supporting women or asking for women representation. Women leaders need to be groomed and pleaded to lead. <br />
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Here is a brilliant <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVzHBWoIGEw&list=WL&index=9">talk by Alexis Kanda</a> who is doing exactly this. As a woman, I deeply resonated with our conditioning that we were not made to be social / political leaders. It is hard-wired, and probably for a reason. In earlier times in history, women’s role was limited to the home, grooming and educating their children, of course exceptionally taking on social roles. Genders were probably wired that way back then to serve that context. But today’s times when patriarchy has wreaked havoc leading us all to such a mess, we need to urgently rewire ourselves as a society. It may not be easy for both men and women to wake up to this urgent need. In spite of decades of having engaged with that voice within myself and enormous support all around me, I still slip into that disempowering narrative. But it needs to be done. <br />
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When all the male Gods tried and failed at subduing Mahishasura, they finally turned to Durga, the invincible Goddess, who after a 10-day long battle, subdued the demon. This is clearly the time for Durga to take charge. <br />
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Related post: <a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2013/03/letting-feminine-lead-way.html">Letting the feminine lead the way</a></div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-7674400952112691432020-03-26T01:38:00.001-07:002020-03-26T03:15:52.468-07:00Choosing love over fear <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.indiablooms.com/world_pic/2020/3-1585133424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Afghanistan: Gunmen attack Sikh Gurudwara, 11 killed | Indiablooms ..." border="0" height="146" src="https://www.indiablooms.com/world_pic/2020/3-1585133424.jpg" width="200" /></a>Crisis is a time when all human tendencies – based on both love and fear – intensify and come to the surface. Look at all the <a href="https://www.karunavirus.org/en/about">news about immense generosity and care</a> across the world. Healthcare workers and people from all walks of life are rising up to the occasion to be in service! Alongside <a href="https://www.indiablooms.com/world-details/SA/23582/afghanistan-gunmen-attack-sikh-gurudwara-11-killed.html">acts of aggression</a>, <a href="https://gulfnews.com/photos/news/coronavirus-panic-buying-the-psychology-behind-toilet-paper-hoarding-1.1584423699719">hoarding</a>, <a href="https://theintercept.com/2020/03/13/big-pharma-drug-pricing-coronavirus-profits/">profiting</a> and <a href="https://theprint.in/india/delhi-man-spits-on-manipuri-womans-face-calls-her-corona/386357/">discrimination</a>. While it is very tempting to curse the “bad guys”, it helps to pause and reflect on our own lives.<br />
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Let us take a few deep breaths and connect to a time in our lives when we hit a deep crisis.<br />
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Now let us each ask ourselves:</div>
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<i>“What seeds of fear within myself did I come in touch with
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<i>Did I agress on
anyone with action or words? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Did I utter or think the words “I just don’t care about you!
Get lost”?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Did I tell myself or others “If only you knew what I’ve been
(I’m going ) through…”?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Did I cause any physical hurt or damage to things around me?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Did I utter sarcastic or hurtful comments, feeling "Take this! You deserve it!”?<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>What are all the things that I have a tendency to accumulate and hoard, out of fear of scarcity?"</i></div>
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I have felt / said / done many of them (and continue to) during times of personal crisis. And I continue to watch for the seeds that I haven't yet identified within. I also have many memories of rising above my self and being kind in ways that I never knew I was capable of!</div>
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I believe that Life is organised in fractals. At every level, from the personal to the collective, this is the
same pattern. In times of crisis, Love will rise up to be immensely generous. Fear will go down to become terrified and violent.<br />
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<a href="https://coryellekramer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Pouring-out-love-light-healing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Dose of positive: Pouring out love, light & healing | Coryelle ..." border="0" height="200" src="https://coryellekramer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Pouring-out-love-light-healing.jpg" width="200" /></a>Crises are also 'Inflection Points'. The one we are witnessing now seems like a massive portal with the possibility of a planetary shift. Depending on whether we choose to act from love or from fear, consciousness can either rise or fall. Alienating the agressor saying<i>“I hate you! How could you?! You are disgusting!”</i> is like food for the fearful mind and will further energise the dark field. Seeing the deep fear and pathos behind all aggression by first connecting with those deeply-hidden dark caves within ourselves, embracing
them with compassion, will invite light into them and heal. I choose healing.</div>
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This will be my 10-minute
meditation today at 9 pm (IST). If this speaks to you, you are welcome to join
in from wherever you are.<br />
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Related posts: <a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2008/07/im-waiting.html">I'm waiting</a><br />
Related reading: <a href="https://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/blog/2011/04/20/thich-nhat-hanh-please-call-me-by-my-true-names/">Please call me by my true names</a></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-21801926945774046022020-03-16T03:34:00.002-07:002020-03-16T03:35:35.690-07:00Reclaiming the Swadeshi from our economists<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> In the <a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-rich-soil-beneath-concrete_29.html">previous dialogue</a>, you mentioned ancient Indian design principles for us to take inspiration from. Did you mean to draw from texts like the <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">ā</span></span>stra</i>?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes. Where did you hear of it? <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Ever since our conversation about tapping into our cultural memory, I have been listening to some Indic scholars like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Malhotra">Rajiv Malhotra</a> and the Swadeshi economists like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swaminathan_Gurumurthy">Gurumurthy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Kanagasabapathi">Kanagasabapathi</a>. They all talk about the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthashastra">Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</a></i> being the oldest economic doctrine of the world and take great pride in it. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes, indeed it is. I have been following the so-called "Swadeshi" economic discourse too. It is very disturbing to me. I find it to be so unIndic in its essence. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> UnIndic? I thought they were the voices of our soil and culture! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> So then let us examine the Swadeshi economic discourse in this conversation. Now, to give credit where it is due, they are definitely calling out and resisting some of the most explicit forms of parasitism. Like the official front-door entry of genetically modified crops, of international retail giants like the Walmart, Intellectual Property Rights over our own traditional knowledge systems, foreign direct investment (FDI), Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and so on. All this is good. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> But....? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> But the real problem goes much deeper than these. Before we talk about what is unIndic, let me share about what I gather to be the essence of ancient Indic economic thought. <br />
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1. Firstly, the Indic mind considered all matter and wealth to be sacred. <i>Annam </i>was considered to be <i>brahmam</i>. Indic economy would consider all matter as sacred gifts belonging to the Divine. We are all mere trustees as long as we are alive. In a real sense, nothing can be owned. <br />
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2. Secondly, ‘spiritual realisation was considered to be the primary purpose and end goal of life’ as it clearly lays it out in the four <i>puru<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>rthas </i>‘<i>dharma</i>, <i>artha</i>, <i>k<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>ma</i>, <i>moksha</i>’. A dharmic pursuit of <i>artha </i>(means of living / material pursuit) and <i>k<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>ma </i>(enjoyment) are steps along the way of spiritual realisation. They were all considered to be part of a larger journey. So, economics was not an objective study of ‘goods and services’. The human being was at the centre of it, and wealth was only a means to well-being. All our ancient economic doctrines like the <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> (300 CE) and <i>Dharma<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra </i>(200-700 CE) (and there were several more)- were simultaneously political and philosophical doctrines.<br />
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3. Thirdly, <i>dharma </i>was at the core of Indian life, economy and polity. <i>Dharayati iti dharma</i>. <i>Dharma </i>is that which holds, sustains and enlivens me, the other and the larger context, simultaneously. This, to me, beautifully sums up the ideas of <i>Swaraj </i>& <i>Sarvodaya</i>. A dharmic economic system takes care of the material needs of individuals and communities, values and preserves nature and all forms of life, keeps us safe, healthy and together, nourishes and enriches our cultures, builds unity while honoring diversity without resorting to uniformity. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> This is beautiful! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Isn’t it? It evokes a sense of sacredness to the whole thing. Indic economics was Sacred Economics from its very conception. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Yes indeed. But I have one question I’m dying to ask before we proceed further. In ancient times, our economies were all really small and local in scale, with potters and builders bartering among themselves and probably some inter-civilisational trade. It’s often hard for me to think of how their practise could be really applicable to us in today’s times when everything has expanded and grown. I mean, it might have been easier to uphold dharma in that scale. But in today’s scale, it’s hard for me to imagine the same. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Recently, there has been a lot of research about ancient guilds or <i><a href="http://iks.iitgn.ac.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Guilds_in_Ancient_India.pdf">Śreṇi</a></i>, organisations that resemble modern corporations. They existed across India from 3,000 years ago up until 300 AD, when they disintegrated. <i>Śreṇi</i> were highly complex organisations and were of two types. There were Trade <i>Śreṇi</i> & Craft <i>Śreṇi</i>, some of them with up to 1000 members.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Industry in ancient India</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> 1000 members in one <i>Śreṇi</i>? We are talking about scale now! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes. And just like our doctrines were political, economic and philosophical simultaneously, a <i>Śreṇi </i>was also many things at the same time: a democratic government, a trade union, a court of justice, a technological institution and a charitable endowment. Though it was not mandated, it was honorable to belong to a <i>Śreṇi</i> than to operate by oneself. And <i>Śreṇi</i>, with their rules and regulations which were arrived at democratically, regulated the pursuit of individual aspirations while balancing it with the well-being of the collective. There are many interesting lessons to learn from them about how, at this large scale, they strived to uphold <i>dharma</i>. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I know that now may not be the time for it. But I’d love for us to have a dedicated conversation on this topic another day, soon. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Definitely! Now that we have seen the essence of the Indic conception of economics, let us examine the following three problematic issues in the “Swadeshi” economic discourse. <br />
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1. Pretty much all of their discourse begins by stating how India used be an economic superpower from the pre-historic times until a few centuries ago. She was the largest exporter contributing to 33% of the global GDP. After colonization, it came down to 1% in 1900. So, they say, let us revive the strength and glory of ancient India by ‘Making in India’. <br />
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2. The Swadeshi economy values relationships and is built on the family and the community as the primary unit. It is a savings-based economy, unlike the western model which is a consumption-based economy that thrives on individualism. This means that a very high percentage, i.e. 35% of all our GDP goes into investment, the highest anywhere in the world. India also loves to save gold. We are the largest buyer of gold in the world (buying 32% of the global production) and have about 20,000 tonnes in our savings. <br />
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3. We are a culture of creative entrepreneurship. We have thriving small and medium enterprises. Only 3 crore people are employed by the formal economy. 10 crores are employed by small businesses. Tiruppur in TN, Surat & Morbi in Gujrat are touted as the success stories. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Connecting back to the strength of ancient India, promoting small enterprises, valuing relationships and savings over consumption all seem to be great ideas to me. Wonder what you see as problematic in them! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> And for that, I want us to look at the ideas of ‘wealth & money’, ‘savings’, ‘trade & export’ and ‘entrepreneurship’ in the current and ancient Indian contexts. Let us start with the idea of wealth. <br />
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In today’s society, when we say wealth, we mean three things: money, gold and land possession. But ancient India looked at wealth in multiple forms – whether it is the <i>a<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span>talak<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span>mi</i> representing eight different forms of wealth, or the 16 forms of wealth that are mentioned as part of a blessing in the Tamil culture even today. Roughly they represented social, cultural, health, natural, knowledge, spiritual and material wealth.<br />
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The growth of money was never the object of ancient economics. Money was seen only as a means to exchange, circulate and increase all other forms of wealth. But all our economic discourse today, however alternative and Indic they claim to be, are only focused on growing money, which is extremely problematic. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Why is it problematic to grow money? Why is it alien to India? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzHGqY_EWyUUm6T5KxXvEokfknFJ0pNmoHkjD08VEpl1kchI4uDCEZ0UcL36sZRt_dWjbn30IE3ZEBwCR2TI9u4HIhKsfHPCqQBt5Y5T7USCoR9lWaLwMSriHDm8VFR9q9MMA-Xwne_4/s1600/03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="220" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzHGqY_EWyUUm6T5KxXvEokfknFJ0pNmoHkjD08VEpl1kchI4uDCEZ0UcL36sZRt_dWjbn30IE3ZEBwCR2TI9u4HIhKsfHPCqQBt5Y5T7USCoR9lWaLwMSriHDm8VFR9q9MMA-Xwne_4/s200/03.jpg" width="142" /></a><span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> What does it mean to grow money? Firstly, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nBPN-MKefA">money is tied to the idea of debt</a>. So, growing money in a way means growing debt in a very direct sense. It is also tied to debt in another, and more important way. Growing money actually means increasing extraction and conversion of all forms of wealth into tradeable commodities. For instance, if we let the trees and mountains be, allow families and communities to take care of our young ones and the elderly, stay healthy, share knowledge freely and turn to spirituality and become content with very little, we will not have economic growth. But, if we fall sick, cut down our trees for timber, blast our mountains for the minerals, break down families and outsource the care of children and the elderly to the industry, remain addicted to external means for our own sense of validation, money will grow! And the moment we commodify an aspect of life, it has lost its sacredness. It is interesting to note that, in ancient India, vaidyas were paid based on how healthy the people were, and not how sick.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> A total reversal of the logic! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> And GDP is a unidimensional number that represents quantity and says nothing about anything else. And when we use it to describe the prosperity of ancient Indian economy, we are basically signing up for a game that is fundamentally alien to us. <br />
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The green revolution, a subject I have studied, is an excellent example to illustrate this. With it, we lost our crop diversity (we once had about 2,00,000 paddy varieties in India!), fodder for our cattle, nutrition and health, our soil and water. Farmers lost their sovereignty over seeds, which are the very basis of life. All of this for the unidimensional ‘quantity’. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I remember what we discussed in the previous conversation about how multidimensional the Indic understanding of ‘abundance’ was. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Let’s now take a look at the idea of the savings-based economy. Apart from eroding all other forms of wealth by design, money is the only one that can be accumulated infinitely. Our <i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra </i>did talk very highly of frugal living and saving, and celebrated well-endowed treasuries. But saving money without any limit in a consumeristic culture, amounts to hoarding. It blocks the circulation of wealth, concentrates political power and creates excellent breeding ground for corruption, greed and mistrust. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> But just a while ago you said our <i>sastra</i> talked highly of saving. How did they ensure it remained dharmic? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> To prevent this kind of a situation, the <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> has laid down certain rules. It stipulates a cap for how much every community can accumulate, the lowest cap being for the Brahmins, the guardians and upholders (in those times) of knowledge, both secular and religious. To ensure that money does not corrupt the purity of knowledge, Brahmins were allowed to save only for the next three years of their lives. And whatever was in excess had to be donated to building temples, stupas, creating water harvesting structures, educational institutions, and so on. So, being in circulation was considered to be the primary dharma of wealth. And excess money was periodically released to invest in creating other forms of wealth. It was not allowed to grow itself. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Interesting to see how our current society’s design encourages and rewards hoarding (i.e. saving in banks or as property). Especially the Brahmin caste has also become the upper class, hoarding enormous amounts of money. And you say that in ancient India, hoarding was discouraged! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Not just discouraged, but looked down upon and severely penalized. And there is a whole other dimension to banking these days. International banks are heavily investing in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/13/top-investment-banks-lending-billions-extract-fossil-fuels">fossil fuels</a> and <a href="https://waronwant.org/sites/default/files/Final%20Web%20version%20Deadly%20Investments.pdf">weapons deals</a>, in a way funding the wars of our times. So, our money that we think is quietly sitting in there reproducing itself, could be fueling enormous suffering in ways that are not visible to us. And <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnRLkB2Td1c">gold mining is one of the most inhumane and destructive industries</a> employing child labour in appalling working conditions, many of whom die in the mines, or are severely affected by mercury pollution.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Children working in a gold mine</td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> This is sad and revealing! I had never thought that the simple benign-looking currency note or the beautifully crafted gold had so much violence built into it! Talking of all this, a quote by Gandhiji that I had heard earlier is suddenly making sense to me. <i>“We are dazzled by the shining lustre of our chains and look upon them as symbols of our freedom. This state (of mind) bespeaks of slavery of the worst kind.” </i></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes indeed. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Ok, now what is unIndic about trade and export? It seems like ancient India did a lot of that. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Trade in modern India is fundamentally different from trade in ancient India on three counts. One, what was/is exported. Two, how much was / is exported. Three, How it was/is exported. <br />
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<u>What?</u> In ancient India, usually our unique products, crafts and items of luxury (like the fine Bengal muslin and spices) were exported after satisfying local needs. So, exporting actually meant ‘sharing one’s gifts and surpluses’. Today, we are exporting essentials like grains, fruits, vegetables and cotton. Common people are made to believe that generally, we export our surplus and import what we don’t have enough of. But today’s international trade has almost nothing to do with any of this data. It depends on ‘export’ and ‘import’ subsidies, which are manipulated by those in power. And when we export things into an economy where it is already being locally produced, we are destroying the local economy there. Precisely what was inflicted on India by the British destabilizing our economy, we will be paying forward in the name of ‘Swadeshi’ if we became successful in the game. <br />
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<u>How much?</u> In ancient India, things were soulfully made by hand using simple tools and machinery. Today, we have massive machinery unstoppably producing things that have been stripped of their souls, and looking to ‘capture’ markets outside the country. How is this different from what the British did? Think about it. It is only during the industrial revolution, when their machines started producing excessive quantities of cotton textiles, that the British needed to forcefully create a market in India by destroying her own indigenous textiles. I personally know of a sales manager of a leading biscuit company in India, whose primary job was to go into small pockets of rural India and close down local biscuit-making units so their biscuits could be sold there. Gandhian Economist <a href="https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/economy-of-permanence.pdf">J.C.Kumarappa</a> calls this model of growth-based modern economy, an economy of war. It is extremely violent by its very design. <br />
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<u>How?</u> In ancient India, products were carried mostly in caravans by road or boats and shared with other cultures in a mutually respectful way, and in the process both enriching and being enriched by the cultures we interacted with. Look at all the rich stories of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road">Silk Road</a>. Today, we have mass-produced products, being shipped far away in large containers and airplanes which are adding to the climate crisis. Instead of enriching cultures, we are only destroying them! </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Wow, this is indeed so fundamentally adharmic! So, were ancient Indian people so evolved to not be greedy? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> I doubt that! But what I know is that the norm in the society was to aspire for collective well-being. And our rishis and knowledge creators who were looked up to and authored these <i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i>, had a very nuanced understanding of the nature of money, trade, asuric tendencies and so on, and created checks and balances in the design. For instance, <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> prohibited and highly regulated the entry of non-local <i>Sreni</i> in order to safe-guard the local economy. It also prohibited and penalized the export of essential products like grains and cattle. <i>Sreni</i> were allowed to issue their own currencies, apart from the state currencies issued by the Kings, in order to keep wealth circulating locally. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> There are many local currency experiments across the world today. I wonder what we can learn from the <i>Sreni</i>-issued currencies as well. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Now, let us come to the last point about entrepreneurship and the leading examples touted by the “Swadeshi” economists as success stories. Tirupur, Surat and Morbi. <br />
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Tirupur is a leading textile manufacturer and exporter with an annual turnover of Rs.40,000 crores. But the groundwater there has turned toxic. The people there are sick. Noyyal river is a dead river with dead fish floating on its surface! </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiruppur garment factory</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead fish floating on Noyyal river water</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Noyyal river</td></tr>
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Surat is where 90% of all the diamond traded in the world is cut, with a turnover of Rs.70,000 crores. But these very enterprises are witnessing an increasing rate of suicides among workers, due to really poor working conditions and low wages.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pollution from coal gasifiers in Morbi</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diamong cutting unit in Surat</td></tr>
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Are these the small enterprises, which are pushed to externalize their social and ecological costs so that they can compete in a market of imposed scarcity, what we need?<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Well to me, it does not even make sense to call them small enterprises, if they have no real freedom to create something out of their will and creativity? They sound like outsourced sweatshops. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Now there is another dimension to it. When the entire population of a town mass-produces a single product catering to a non-local need, the industry and economy become extremely vulnerable. For instance, in Morbi which is celebrated by the “Swadeshi” economists as having the highest per-capita income in India, when companies had to cut down production due to reasons beyond their control, 75,000 workers went jobless at one stroke. Like monoculture farms, where one pest can knock down the entire crop overnight. This design goes against the law of nature! </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I’m reminded of what happened in Bengal in colonial India, when all the farmers growing food crops were forced to cultivate indigo for the British textiles. When the chemical dyes were invented, indigo couldn’t be sold, and thousands of farmers lost their livelihoods and died of poverty. Isn’t this the same phenomenon? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> The exact same. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> How are these decisions made? Don’t people learn from previous experiences in history? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> This is where polity and propaganda come into the picture. We all know that today polity is more about power than governance. And our entire modern education system and the mainstream media serve as the machinery of propaganda of this economy-polity (or, as we call it today, the military-industrial) complex! Look at this Vedanta ad. “The answer to youth’s aspirations may lie with India’s bountiful unexplored natural resources” and the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4tuTFZ3wXQ">message of the youth of Dongria Kondh</a>, for whom the mountains are not resources to be ‘explored’ but their soul as they call it. And when they stand or speak up to protect the mountains, they are met with brutal police firing! All in the name of Vedanta. Can there be a worse form of sacrilege?</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Very sad and infuriating! I am reminded of Ramdev claiming exclusive rights to the use of the name ‘Patanjali’. This sacrilege comes very close to, if not equals, this one. <br />
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I agree. From the micro to the macro, political manifestos are full of promises to the people about making everything bigger and faster, and GDP stands as its symbol. Our schools seem to be preparing young minds to believe that, in order to be happy with little means is to be unsuccessful. To be ahead of the rest in this adharmic game, is to be successful. <i>Adharma</i> has become the norm in this <i>yuga</i>. So, what were ancient Indian polity and education like? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Those are topics for another day. For the purpose of this conversation, the following piece of information might be relevant. According to the <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i>, an ideal way to divide a farmer’s production is as follows: 70% was to be kept aside for the village consumption, 25% was to be given for village administration, and only 5% was to be sent outside the village to the King to either create infrastructure or into the treasury. Now, this means a very high level of decentralization in governance. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> The reverse is what seems to be the case now! Only 5% probably remains in the village and 95% leaks out, partly to be doled out back so poorly to the farmer through the PDS, midday meals scheme and so on, making it all seem like some act of charity by the Government. Why centralise all these in the first place? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Why centralise? Because that’s when corruption and plunder become possible! <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Then, if we can dismantle the economic system where hoarded money has no value and only money in circulation and all other forms of wealth have value, will our politicians lose interest in their positions and will anarchy naturally restore order? Just thinking aloud! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> That’s an interesting thought. And yes, very likely! There is another extremely important Indian concept that is relevant to us today. All economic and political decisions that affected the people in ancient India were made within the context of <i>kaala</i> (time) and <i>desha </i>(place). This means that though there were principles and guidelines in place, the more specific things like taxation rates were decided contextually, based on the condition at that time and at that place. This kind of contextual decision-making can happen only if there is a strong local government which intimately knows the local context. In the truly Indic spirit, we then cannot have a uniform number imposed on an entire country as was done for GST or anything of that nature. And naturally, it triggered a nation-wide protest demanding exemption for certain vulnerable sections of the economy.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I am feeling really intrigued and curious to read our <i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> to see how to run our economies. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Please do. But I must also tell you that there is much in it that doesn’t resonate with me at all, and in fact, evokes strong reactions. For instance, its allegiance to the varn<i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span></i><i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span></i>rama (the degenerated version of it that was in practise at that time), patriarchy and its prescription of severe capital punishment in its attempt to uphold <i>dharma</i>, etc. are absolutely unacceptable to me. But there again lies the beauty of the Indic way. The Indic psyche looks at tradition also from an evolutionary lens. Kautilya mentions at least 14 authors who have written previous versions of the <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i>. Kautilya is supposed to have disagreed with them on certain things, which he updated based on his own experience and wisdom, and the need of his times. We also come to hear of an ancient Indian practice where scholars and practitioners came together periodically in large numbers to debate, update themselves with cutting-edge knowledge in their fields. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> And that means, we can rewrite <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i>? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> We can, and we must. A new <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> that is aligned with our <i>yugadharma</i> (the <i>dharma </i>of our times), where gender roles have been redefined, laws are firm yet flexible, and gentle in dealing with lawbreakers, and where all humans are urged to integrate the qualities of all the <i>varna</i>. Most importantly, a <i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> that understands and responds to the urgency of the climate and other ecological crisis challenging our very survival.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I can sense the urgency! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> And in that urgency, we need to be extremely careful not to dilute and compromise on our values. Like Aurobindo’s third point about the role of Indian Renaissance in the world says <i>“an original dealing with modern problems in the light of the Indian spirit and the endeavour to formulate a greater synthesis of a spiritualised society is the third and most difficult.”</i> I really like that he stressed on the words ‘original dealing’. If we do not really understand the <i>svabh<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>va</i> of India to discover her <i>swadharma</i>, we will end up making cosmetic changes like this advertisement brilliantly captures it. <i>V<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stu <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 11pt;">Ś</span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> and the hundreds of other forms born from this sacred land will be commoditized, co-opted by capitalism and sold in the global market. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> You mean that Indic knowledge wealth will be converted into money to be accumulated in the most unIndic way! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes. And Being a student of yoga, I found the five <i>yam<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span> </i>to give us an excellent framework to undertake the work ahead of us.<br />
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<i><b>ahims<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;">a </span></b></i>(non-violence): Can we build a truly non-violent economy which doesn’t commoditise and destroy life for money? </div>
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<b><i>aparigraha </i></b>(non-hoarding): Can we build a society where wealth is in circulation, and banks are used to park our currencies for us to access them when needed, and not to accumulate our money? <br />
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<i><b>ast<span style="background: white; font-family: "ebrima"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;">ē</span></b></i><b><i>ya</i> </b>(non-stealing): Can we build a society where we don’t steal from nature; where we honour each other/s boundaries, and help, inspire and collaborate with each other, rather than compete? <br />
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<i><b>brahmach<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>rya </b></i>(responsible engagement with and deployment of our vitality): Can we build a society which gives adequate space and opportunity for individual’s creative expression and enterprise, while making sure it works in harmony with the collective wellbeing. <br />
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<b><i>satya </i></b>(truth and integrity): Can we build a society were truth & integrity are celebrated, and all machinery of propaganda are dismantled and penalized. The basis of this would be to reimagine education based on the Indic approach of beginning with the student’s original questions, encouraging critical thinking and building it all on the foundation of spiritual enquiry. <br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I had never thought of applying <i>yam<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span></i> to our economic design. They indeed sound like a comprehensive framework for reimagining a dharmic economy! <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Not just economy. One can try to apply them to any form of organisation of life. They work great as a framework! And it’s really wonderful that we are having this important conversation in Auroville, because the Mother who initiated this human experiment, has given us the vision and guidelines based on precisely these life-affirming principles. She said <br />
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<i>“All wealth belongs to the Divine and those who hold it are trustees, not possessors… Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole, its residents are only its caretakers. For a conscious use of matter, there is no need for the sense of personal possession… Auroville is the ideal place for those who want to know the joy and liberation of no longer having any personal possessions… All is collective property to be used for the welfare of all.” </i><br />
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<i>“The spirit of competition is to be replaced par the spirit of cooperation based on a sense of mutuality, coming from a sense of inner unity. It is the responsibility of each individual to give sense in his life and work to the notion of “change of consciousness”. </i><br />
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<i>“Work would not be there as the means of gaining one's livelihood, it would be the means whereby to express oneself, develop one's capacities and possibilities, while doing at the same time service to the whole group, which on its side would provide for each one's subsistence and for the field of his work.” </i><br />
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<i>“Money is not meant to generate money; money should generate an increase in production, an improvement in the conditions of life and a progress in human consciousness. This is its true use… [Money won’t be used in Auroville] Auroville will have money relation only with the outside world. And one does not have to pay for one’s food, but one must offer one’s work or materials; those who have fields for example, should give the produce from their fields; those who have factories should give their products; or one’s labour in exchange for food. That in itself eliminates a lot the internal exchange of money… In reality, it should be a township for study and research in how to live in a way which is at once simplified and wherein the higher qualities will have more time to develop. Those who produce food will give what they produce to the town and the town is responsible for feeding everyone. That means that people will not need to buy food with money; yet they must earn it.” </i><br />
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She also asked us to figure out governance collectively; make space for individual enterprise and creativity, and collective well-being at the same time. She asked us to not make rigid rules, but to keep them contextual and flexible.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> This reads to me like the Mother’s attempt at rewriting <i>Artha<span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i>. <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> I feel that way too. She has given us a great starting point. We need to develop this further, drawing from not just our own <i><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ś</span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "garamond" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">ā</span></span>stra</i> but also all the experiments of the world cultures. </div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-59812356772312785152019-09-26T22:59:00.000-07:002019-09-26T23:07:22.606-07:00Climate Sankalpa #3: Let's travel more mindfully and meaningfully. Let's unplug from globalisation.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Flights and private vehicles together contribute to over 10% of global emissions. Ships, trucks, trains, buses and bikes do too, but their per person emission is way lower.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtk692xHBmTiNDUI5vOCNxPSSoZH5bJ0XwGiSuPe5iOiZiqAUqJtYD7oOmR9tNM6PsEhYKQ9VDqnTFEPXrQb3M2DUtmY3cuzrjinresMSAev58DzH3c2Jqw-XnNWMMOLGKRRDRimddQI/s1600/new-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="518" data-original-width="720" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtk692xHBmTiNDUI5vOCNxPSSoZH5bJ0XwGiSuPe5iOiZiqAUqJtYD7oOmR9tNM6PsEhYKQ9VDqnTFEPXrQb3M2DUtmY3cuzrjinresMSAev58DzH3c2Jqw-XnNWMMOLGKRRDRimddQI/s640/new-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Though 10% might seem insignificant, if we continued with business-as-usual, they are expected to increase exponentially over the next decade.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I choose to not use any more numbers. I now choose to move into the yin-space of how I'm sensing into this whole transportation scene and its contribution to climate change.* And what we can do. <br /><br />Firstly, when we talk about transportation, by focusing only on the emissions is a very narrow view 'we are missing the wood for the trees’, as they say! Here is more of the larger picture to be seen and acknowledged.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Airports and expressways </b>are created by clearing vast forests or filling up wetlands and lakes amidst a lot of protest from ecologists and local communities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Aeroplane and car factories</b> too! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fuel for driving and aviation, and for running all the infrastructure (airports, manufacturing, etc.) is got from <b>oil-drilling and laying oil pipelines</b> further adding to deforestation and displacement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mining </b>for metals to make these vehicles, further cut down forests and scar the earth!</span><br />
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So, we need to look at the <b>entire life-cycle of the transportation industry</b> and estimate the carbon emissions and the destruction of carbon-sinks from every one of these links. There are so many more links than I have written about here. Like the global transportation of vehicles themselves. But, you get the drift!</span></div>
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In today's world, we travel long distances for both life-affirming and life-negating reasons. We fly to meet loved ones, heal cross-cultural wounds, create new economies, and create global networks of social-change movements. We fly as seekers and adventurers wanting new experience to expand our horizons. But my intuition is that this kind of flying is only a small part. Of course, I’d like to tell myself and my peers to be more mindful of our transportation choices even as we do this and choose driving and flying only as our last options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'd like to focus on here is not private choices, but the larger systemic issue. I'd like to stay focused on how capitalism / globalisation is designed to only increase unsustainable travel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Globally, <b>political interest is hugely subsidising the aviation & car industries to habituate people into driving private vehicles and frequent flying</b>, taking away from investment in public transportation systems; and in fact, making it less and less accessible. This is capitalism by design. More vehicles on the road and in the air means a faster growing economy.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>CLIMATE SANKALPA #3.1 </b>Let’s join and support all movements to promote public transportation and create cycling paths. Let's resist all road-expansions, expressways and new airports. We already have more than enough! Let’s vote for those who have clearly stated this in their manifesto to come into power. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Let cycling be the first option for local travel. Bus and train for long distances. Let personal car driving and air travel be the last option. When we do need to drive or fly, let’s learn to acknowledge, connect to and stay with the ‘moral disturbance’ we feel about the destruction our action is causing.</span></div>
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<b>Globalisation fuels long-distance movement of people and things! </b>Let’s take the suit, one among hundreds of consumer products made by multinational corporations and sold in retail chains. This is how its manufacture criss-crosses the world twice before it can be worn! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This story applies to grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, clothes, electronics; pretty much everything in today's global economy striving for standards-lowering competition. Apart from the movement of insane amounts of materials across the world, global trade also means people moving to their company overseas branches, meeting overseas clients to click a deal, to make sure all is well and for other reasons. Business trips and conferences are some of the most common reasons people fly with ease.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>CLIMATE SANKALPA #3.2 </b>Let's increasingly plug out of global corporations and plug into small and local businesses, with more local clients and suppliers. Strengthening the local economy is the only way to significantly cut down unnecessary travel.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The global economy habituates people into mindless consumerism of everything, including tourism. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Cheap flying has increased rampant tourism not only releasing more carbon emissions, but also trashing the planet. </b>Including the Mount Everest you see below. All of those are discarded tents! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQjEHj34W88">Watch this hard-hitting video.</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4YvhLpiKFMai33EIfe1Vos1369louwX0QBPWU50QpHHYhg0A8ryq8q37THaDhjBrDDFI5teyRICiuh6gkCh1jodvOC528tS0ioa_SRKErB2SZ3LouhzGE0yRPpzSPF3ISvREL0bY5rE/s1600/new-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="636" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg4YvhLpiKFMai33EIfe1Vos1369louwX0QBPWU50QpHHYhg0A8ryq8q37THaDhjBrDDFI5teyRICiuh6gkCh1jodvOC528tS0ioa_SRKErB2SZ3LouhzGE0yRPpzSPF3ISvREL0bY5rE/s640/new-11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><b>CLIMATE SANKALPA #3.3 </b><br />The best way to travel around to see and experience world cultures is by land, unless you can't get a visa for a particular country or you need to cross the ocean. Make a leisurely and long tour-plan and travel by bus and train. Join groups like the ‘<a href="https://thegreensilkroad.wixsite.com/main">Green Silk Road</a>’ which are undertaking yearly long-distance travels, connecting across cultures and having an authentic experiences. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDlVaSAoN8flMFbz0CL5inJnvFfswz1j2Gluce6O66JY-qctLMO6E-jPOgETOh58TewhpHDigPHZeSi9rfrEzXRVAWoX-T2xi5D1SXqhbeKDOXt8IFpUg3CM8iyYag3SCMD3CsVfhBd8/s1600/new-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="676" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDlVaSAoN8flMFbz0CL5inJnvFfswz1j2Gluce6O66JY-qctLMO6E-jPOgETOh58TewhpHDigPHZeSi9rfrEzXRVAWoX-T2xi5D1SXqhbeKDOXt8IFpUg3CM8iyYag3SCMD3CsVfhBd8/s640/new-12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Capitalists spend a lot of effort selling us carbon-offsetting, bio-diesel planes and electric cars, </span><span style="font-size: large;">even if they naively believe that they are 'saving the world' by these actions</span><span style="font-size: large;">. Aviation companies are now offering to accept payment from you to plant trees or support solar panels in a village to offset your carbon emissions. But the inconvenient truth here is that absolutely nothing can replace an ancient forest that has been cleared, killing all the life with it! And while these technological solutions do contribute to marginal changes, they keep us distracted from the real issue at hand here, which is the fundamental design of our economy. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNadRmzFxkSNSIUCpSIMJoL4rqViDkmJoV1U6qrIXbDxdtM6DusvE5oOY4m-mMFojNCMcIrsuwDrcmwXDxJSorXmS-RmdGXwKQUQyoQ6XxSFMd89jmL0mRbrEzs9F9Y0UUQN5JHMYW_Zo/s1600/new-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="720" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNadRmzFxkSNSIUCpSIMJoL4rqViDkmJoV1U6qrIXbDxdtM6DusvE5oOY4m-mMFojNCMcIrsuwDrcmwXDxJSorXmS-RmdGXwKQUQyoQ6XxSFMd89jmL0mRbrEzs9F9Y0UUQN5JHMYW_Zo/s640/new-13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>CLIMATE SANKALPA #3.4</b>Let us plant trees and support renewable energy projects by all means. But let us not mistake these ‘good-traveler’ pacifiers for the solution and get distracted by them. Let us stay focused on the larger picture and see how we can shift the capitalist game! </span></span><br />
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* <a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2013/04/stop-reading-start-smelling-start.html">Stop reading. Start smelling. Start feeling it in your gut.</a></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-80163378177337538932019-09-22T06:40:00.002-07:002019-09-22T06:57:08.211-07:00Climate Sankalpa #2 - Let's buy 'Palm-Oil-free' and source locally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RuG9-4wFzkfay4FDk5JK9ww-KInmyTID3nEFFWKnVwbEXNS4SEKzX-C8enOb0MVpVaWRfu-1Hr9W4qvly8y2BOxEm_pbkgPx-GBGUGtAqibgfa9Mm6lpYSrFlyVp2V1SZyqF3lq1tB8/s1600/palm-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="438" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4RuG9-4wFzkfay4FDk5JK9ww-KInmyTID3nEFFWKnVwbEXNS4SEKzX-C8enOb0MVpVaWRfu-1Hr9W4qvly8y2BOxEm_pbkgPx-GBGUGtAqibgfa9Mm6lpYSrFlyVp2V1SZyqF3lq1tB8/s320/palm-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Palm
fruits may seem like these harmless cute things growing on pretty palm
trees! Well, not if we are growing them on an industrial scale for
export. </span></div>
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<a href="https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2007/12/Indonesia_palmoil/images/countriestonspercentv2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for palm oil exports by country" border="0" height="182" src="https://ipad.fas.usda.gov/highlights/2007/12/Indonesia_palmoil/images/countriestonspercentv2.gif" width="200" /></a><a href="https://cdn.downtoearth.org.in/library/large/2018-07-05/0.49517400_1530793750_32-3-20180715-dte-english.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for palm oil exports by country" border="0" height="190" src="https://cdn.downtoearth.org.in/library/large/2018-07-05/0.49517400_1530793750_32-3-20180715-dte-english.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Malaysia and Indonesia put together produce 90% of all palm oil used in the world. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Over the past 70 years, look at what we have done to the Indonesian and Malaysian forests, home to some of the world's best diversity of life, as we clear them for palm oil plantations. </span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for palm oil deforestation" height="212" src="https://bigspoonroasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/palm-oil-plantation.jpg" width="320" /> <img alt="Image result for palm oil deforestation" height="218" src="https://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/20100506-deforestation-indonesia.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And these forests are cleared by burning them down with entire populations of orangutans, rhinos and elephants trapped and burnt in them without any way to escape! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3IvHKVLolDRX7XPUznlHcT68JgEder2qdymT05asGRn9E55wFDS3d89zANVXKair-euyKuK5SIY9Uo1xp0L_uxsyeaUFXCkFad845Apf9eODts8gJ6j7x-pakBLs_0Sq-sUtRJ3EVzw/s1600/palm-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="877" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3IvHKVLolDRX7XPUznlHcT68JgEder2qdymT05asGRn9E55wFDS3d89zANVXKair-euyKuK5SIY9Uo1xp0L_uxsyeaUFXCkFad845Apf9eODts8gJ6j7x-pakBLs_0Sq-sUtRJ3EVzw/s640/palm-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But none of us use palm oil at home! Where does it all go? And more importantly, what does it mean to boycott 'palm oil'? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Almost all the packaged food and personal care products we buy from the supermarket use palm oil!</span></div>
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<img alt="Image result for palm oil in personal care products" height="368" src="https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-9dec57da2bacb87afb67fe91c0b12e2b.webp" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If the product has any of the following names in its label, then it most probably has palm oil in it.</span><br />
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<img alt="Image result for other names for palm oil" height="395" src="https://greenglobaltravel.com/wp-content/uploads/Alternate-Names-for-Palm-Oil.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/2187593/cheap-versatile-palm-oil-everywhere-and-has">Read here</a> about how the palm-oil market grew explosively from the 1990s. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">CLIMATE SANKALPA #2</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Let us buy from local stores which know their suppliers and what ingredients they use. Like <a href="http://www.restore.org.in/">reStore</a> and <a href="http://www.ofmtn.in/">OFM</a>. </span></span><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">I currently buy all my cleaners from <a href="https://probioticshouse.com/about/">Probiotics House</a> which uses zero-palm oil. You may contact them to supply to your stores / neighbourhoods too. You can also look for </span><span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #38761d;">palm-oil free label on the products.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMO8m7NEi6qbCnp5DxDMGbFZ9nexTh-0Al-6cX4OMf0uZw1nj44sdVUtmFfymiG1Pb_zJSnz7Ch5fU0blh1sxGcNIh1Sm95pGyN45gB2Rqi5y4DuFZWn1hBbVfDp74qYv_SF9jYZNp7I/s1600/palm-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="493" data-original-width="465" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcMO8m7NEi6qbCnp5DxDMGbFZ9nexTh-0Al-6cX4OMf0uZw1nj44sdVUtmFfymiG1Pb_zJSnz7Ch5fU0blh1sxGcNIh1Sm95pGyN45gB2Rqi5y4DuFZWn1hBbVfDp74qYv_SF9jYZNp7I/s200/palm-4.jpg" width="187" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Finally, if it is not "practical" for you to avoid products with palm oil, a great place to start is to pause for a moment, connect to the sadness, grieve the immense loss our actions are contributing to, and continue to keep up our efforts.</span></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-11860124640718859292019-09-20T20:29:00.000-07:002019-09-25T02:32:34.371-07:00Climate Sankalpa #1 - Let's eat local and wild<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">More and more of our food is now being produced, packaged and sold by large corporations through <span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">centralised industrial processes. And agribusiness is one of the biggest contributors to the climate crisis in the following three ways.</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCWMAAX00xazAo72U66t9CPiex6DrWQ9kqWF9U33tkwCa3ypNr0k-L0kVhXECOzLYCmlbZ-uJnsu1rHIUP_DTUYecigzzI7cfuLGgC36-uCRnF6ygA1BqqtoxEHtVFtCL-8i6RapDfUaY/w1059-h794-no/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Deforestation</span></b></span></b></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Image result for corporate farm india" height="164" src="https://www.agrimachinery.nic.in/%2FImages%2FLayout%2FSilderImages%2F11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
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Worldwide, large tracts of ancient forests are cleared in order to create farmlands. Any crop grown on a large scale, harvested by huge combiners and distributed solely for profits will slash down every other vegetation in its presence.<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Food miles</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9FBKAJfIIMbCEEY_JCn2ZFbJR89r7v8RVJoFd5V2wrvrvT4YWNFaKqsOp3euH3QGqi-c97ccSV0ges8LILUOdqeqsDTBPXu2NIt7es_XjFQxe1BCfSc9jNR-ZNZLVxj9ckAk9faUImY/s1600/foodmiles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="312" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC9FBKAJfIIMbCEEY_JCn2ZFbJR89r7v8RVJoFd5V2wrvrvT4YWNFaKqsOp3euH3QGqi-c97ccSV0ges8LILUOdqeqsDTBPXu2NIt7es_XjFQxe1BCfSc9jNR-ZNZLVxj9ckAk9faUImY/s200/foodmiles2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">When food is grown on a large scale, it needs to transported long distances for processing, packaging and selling. The fossil fuels they burn in the whole process is insanely enormous! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Packaging waste</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L2ENpCT8Mpp5ubC-kXgN03Q4imrC79obizaL0izSLb98tzZqeNlwg6Z_vEUbz24GfAPC4XcHnaW6PV9L7mQ81kr1T-TtobVwD3vAg9dB94q7NzK8oQ0UyUF1QVSCFHopgYn7noNa07E/s1600/packaging-waste.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="1058" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9L2ENpCT8Mpp5ubC-kXgN03Q4imrC79obizaL0izSLb98tzZqeNlwg6Z_vEUbz24GfAPC4XcHnaW6PV9L7mQ81kr1T-TtobVwD3vAg9dB94q7NzK8oQ0UyUF1QVSCFHopgYn7noNa07E/s640/packaging-waste.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">And what goes around comes around. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">This is a lettuce farm in Kolkata poisoned by leachates from the city's landfill right next to it. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And landfills are a huge source of methane gas.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">A centralised food industry means preservatives and packaging to increase shelf-life and ease </span><span style="font-size: medium;">transportation. Unlike the west, where "everything it taken away out of sight to give us a clean city" India thankfully has uncleared garbage piles everywhere reminding us of the mess we have made for ourselves.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: medium;">CLIMATE SANKALPA #1</span></b></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M1zdHx70ew33OiAxcG7FKbw62bPPsQoA3SKmq7oJ9q-oSZlkZNk3LmunuX1MBFRnhkoie129k10sajMJN0P677Z28YIGjXH4icAJ8b2Brr7pe7zCJWFoPEOQf93vBVqfs6zXJfj1izc/s1600/purslane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="353" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_M1zdHx70ew33OiAxcG7FKbw62bPPsQoA3SKmq7oJ9q-oSZlkZNk3LmunuX1MBFRnhkoie129k10sajMJN0P677Z28YIGjXH4icAJ8b2Brr7pe7zCJWFoPEOQf93vBVqfs6zXJfj1izc/s320/purslane.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: medium;">Let us learn to identify local, edible weeds that are tasty, nutritious and grow in abundance all around us with no care or maintenance. (I will be sharing more on this soon. Stay tuned!) </span><br />
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<a href="https://www.thebetterindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/selfrule1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Related image" border="0" height="240" src="https://www.thebetterindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/selfrule1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: medium;">Let us buy food without packaging from the local markets and community organic store that directly source from small and local farmers and producers. Here is a <a href="http://ofai.org/resources/">directory of responsible organic stores</a> from across the country.</span></div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-88930059438849995632019-09-10T19:06:00.002-07:002019-09-11T04:33:07.356-07:00True Elders<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Most of our society is made up of Stone-keepers* who ask us to conform to the rules. Of course stone-keeping is important. It ensures safety and stability without which there will be utter chaos. But our times are such that their actions are threatening our very survival!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">But more and more souls are waking up to hear a different voice within which disagrees with the stone-keepers. In the midst of millions of stone-keeper voices, this disagreeing voice can sound bewildering, throwing us into self-doubt and depression.</span><br />
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The nature of this feeble voice is that the more we create space and silence within us to listen to it, the more it grows in volume and clarity. This is the voice that has the ability to allow our unique light to shine with its full brilliance.<br />
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In undertaking this heroic journey, the role of elders can't be emphasised enough. Elders are all the time seeking to meet those who have set their feet on this journey, so that they can be of service and guidance. They don't do it out of the need for psychological power, for they are connected to and anchored in their own. They do it out of love, care and responsibility.<br />
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True Elders have neither any value judgment about our life choices or our chosen journeys (however unconventional they might be) nor have any personal agenda for us. Their only dream for us is to help us discover the dreamer within; listen to the voice that knows precisely what part God has carved out for us to play in the Grand Plan. True Elders act as our mirrors to help us in our own unique journeys, whatever they might be.<br />
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True Elders understand our souls's dark nights, for they have been through their share. They understand our despair over long dark tunnels, for they have traveled through them and come out of the other side. They have the ability for a certain lightness and laughter that radiates joy and healing. They can dance blissfully! They don't care about what others think of or say of them, for they are deeply anchored in their own sense of who they are and their dream.<br />
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True Elders can be infinitely patient, and know the 'art of <b>allowing</b>' things to happen and situations to ripen by themselves at the right time and do their part joyously by gently nudging, sometimes tricking us into some fun and adventure, and sometimes churning us with their tough love.<br />
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True Elders enjoy simple things in life with a sense of gratitude and profoundness. They carry themselves with a lot of dignity and integrity. They have the remarkable ability to enjoy their cup of tea, while being acutely aware of everything going on around them. They know the value of rest and self-care. It is a joy to watch them go about their everyday lives with mindfulness, care and simplicity.<br />
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Without being loud or making a fuss, they are profoundly shaping the larger narrative. They don't lecture, but say simple things at the right time that makes you contemplate or churn!<br />
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They have the ability to relax deeply and show up in their full power when the need arises.<br />
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True Elders don't take offense and have mastered the art of forgiveness. They are in touch with their humanity and are able to grieve allowing deep sadness (sometimes touching regret) to flow through them like gentle streams without any resistance.<br />
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True Elders have a great sense of humour, that is respectful of oneself and others. They are able to have a good laugh at themselves and their lives, remind us all that we are all cosmic jokes! </div>
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Elders can be hiding anywhere. Listen to see if their voice and message ring deeply within you, and whether you feel cared for in the most authentic way. For sometimes they can even come in the form of the cat in the hat.<br />
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The more we learn to identify and spend time learning with and from True Elders around us, the more we will heal, feel free and be able to have compassion for the stone-keepers we feel oppressed by! </div>
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* Stone-keepers are from the film 'Small foot'</div>
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Related post: <b><a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2016/03/my-vision-of-yoga.html">MY VSION OF YOGA</a></b></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-70760723833856438872019-09-01T08:52:00.029-07:002022-03-16T10:00:18.440-07:00Healing from undiagnosable muscle weakness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since I am starting to write on my birthday, I want to start this series with a post about an amazing healing experience that is connected to my being born. And in celebration of my mother, a powerful healer herself. <br />
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It happened for the first time in 1998 (forget the month) as I was walking to my workplace. About 100 metres away from the office, I had what my friends later named ‘the buckling effect’. :) My body turned limp and I collapsed on the roadside. With the help of passers-by, I picked myself up and somehow made it to the office and collapsed again. I was perfectly conscious, but my body became totally limp. I lay on the floor like a piece of vegetable. Later on, my friends dropped me at home, where I just stayed for a whole three weeks that the condition lasted. Since I used to be a stubborn vegan against my family’s wishes, I was scared to tell them about this. I pretended as though everything was fine and that I was just working from home. I was secretively aided by friends to the doctors to get tests done. Everything turned out fine. <i>“You are burning out. You need to rest.” </i>I was told. It was true that I used to be a workaholic. So I rested and waited for this to end. Three weeks later, one day, as though it had all been a dream, or the spell that I was under broke, I sprang up from bed and resumed life as normal. It was so strange. <br />
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After that first episode, I started 'buckling' from time to time, ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Then my family came to know about it. Tests were still not revealing anything. The weakness used to range in severity from slowing me down to making me almost bedridden, sometimes too weak to even walk to the bathroom or open my eyelids. It would end suddenly every single time. I’d spring back to life. <br />
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My brother took me to a tantric practitioner in Bangalore that he really trusted. I went to her a few times over a couple of years. She once did chakra cleansing, and even said that she was drawing out ‘disembodied beings’ that had entered my body. I neither believed nor disbelieved her. I was simply willing to try out anything for a cure that was non-intrusive. <i>“Your aura is too porous. You need to protect yourself.” </i>she'd say. Every single time that I went to see her, it worked really like magic although temporarily. <i>“For a permanent cure, you need to heal from a childhood trauma that you are carrying.” </i>she said. But as far as I could remember, I had a pretty normal childhood. I didn’t remember any trauma that I was holding on to. When another psychic healer <a href="https://www.drmonalisa.com/">Mona Lisa</a> read my energy during another episode later on, she said the same thing.<br />
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These episodes continued to recur for many years. The most severe of them all was immediately after my wedding when I was in bed for three months. Rajeev had to work from home to take care of me. Both my arms had been poked over and over again to draw blood for every possible test. Visits to neurologists and all. Everything was normal. I tried many possible things from Ayurveda to trying a candida-free diet.<br />
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I could never plan anything or commit to anything in life because the ‘buckling effect’ could take over anytime. More than frightening, it was becoming an inconvenience. <i>"Oh no! Not now!"</i> kind of feeling when I had to cancel work or travel I would had scheduled.<br />
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It was painful to hear people say <i>“It’s all in your head. You are just imagining something. Just tell yourself three times ‘I’m alright. There is nothing wrong with me.’ get up and walk. You'll be alright.”</i> Actually thinking back, if I had done it calling forth all the divine forces, I’m sure it would have worked. But I wasn’t anchored in so much faith back then.<br />
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Three years ago, I met Maya, an elderly Swiss Homeopath who spent half of every year in Tiruvannamalai taking off from her practice. After a casual meeting and conversation with her, I asked her if I could consult with her for my eczema. She agreed and we set up a time in a private room for me to share my medical history. Though it was about my skin condition, the conversation drifted into my sharing about my strange weakness episodes. She looked into my eyes intently and asked <i>“Tell me about the time your mother was pregnant with you.”</i> Well, I clearly wasn't expecting a question like that. Here is the conversation that followed. <br />
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“I don’t know much at all about it.” <br /></i>
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“No, think. I’m sure you know something!” <br /></i>
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“Well, I know that my conception was an 'accident' and everyone around my mother pressured her to abort me. My mother was convinced about carrying and birthing me.” <br />
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“And..?” <br /></i>
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“I also know that she had a pretty challenging time with not much physical or emotional support through all those months that she was pregnant with me. Having been through pregnancy myself, I can imagine how hard that must have been!” <br /></i>
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As I uttered those words, I started choking. And before I realised it, I was weeping like a child. <br />
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“Don’t hold back. Let it all out. As an aware being while in the womb, you felt helpless and frozen that you couldn’t be there for your mom. It’s all long over. You can let it all out and surrender it at the feet of Arunachala.” <br /></i>
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After about half an hour of intense weeping and release that Maya lovingly held the space for, I thanked her and got back home all exhausted and slept through the next two days. A month after this intense experience, I wrote to Maya and heard back from her.<br />
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<i>Dear Maya,</i><br />
<i>I keep thinking of you so much with gratitude so often. After that catharsis during our meeting, I must say that my life has truly transformed. The past one month, my eczema has healed so much almost magically, and I have so much energy bursting out of me. In spite of the heat, I almost never feel tired. I have not felt this alive, energetic, focused and effective consistently, in years. Much much gratitude to you!</i><br />
<i>Much warmth and love,</i><br />
<i>Sangeetha</i><br />
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<i>Dear Sangeetha,</i><br />
<i>This is wonderful news! I am happy with you for this magic change and amazed and grateful myself to see the working of Grace and Healing. It sounds like coming home to your own long missed energy! </i><br />
<i>Time to enjoy!</i><br />
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<i>Love,</i></div>
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<i>Maya</i><br />
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***<br />
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It’s almost four years since then, and the longest period I’ve not been under the buckling spell. And no signs of it coming. <br />
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Today, on my 43rd birthday, I told my mom, <i>“Amma, thank you for keeping me and giving birth to me. I made the best choice for a mother." </i>I don't remember having told her these words in all these years. <br />
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Anandi, a beautiful soul in Auroville from Argentina, wishes and gifts me something very beautiful on every birthday of Isha’s. <i>“It’s your day of being born as a mother too”. </i>I had never thought of it that way. And it's so true! <br />
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Today, I claim complete healing from the scars, whatever remnants may be left of them, and celebrate my mother and my being born.</div>
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A special picture taken from the terrace when all three of us decided to see one of the supermoons this year; a<i> </i>day of the <i>Shakti </i>in her full brilliance and power.</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-57044665313604452182019-08-31T19:30:00.001-07:002019-09-02T02:10:51.716-07:00The birthing of healers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I’ve lived a life having to deal with a few chronic or recurring ailments ranging from common to uncommon and strange. Some of the chronic ones have had no clinical diagnosis. As I found healing through one after another in such amazing ways, I told myself “One day, when I am completely healed of everything, I want to write about my healing journey, its insights and methods. It might be helpful for others.” But then, since I also live my life with a certain sense of urgency, I decided to start writing my story thus far, and continue to write as it unfolds.<br />
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I am convinced that we are living in one of the most interesting of times. I can’t articulate exactly what. But I have a strong sense of a New energy being ushered into Life as I know and experience it. A new wave of a certain knowing that we are all part of the same Being.<br />
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I increasingly experience individuals and human collectives as powerful portals receiving this new energy to manifest it in the world of form. And in that process, I also see a lot of pain and darkness that need to be cleared out being unleashed as ailments in individuals (emotional, mental and physical) and as conflicts in collectives and communities. Like the mythical <i>samudra manthan</i>, the churning of the ocean of milk for <i>amrut </i>(the immortality nectar) first releases the poison that needs to be attended to. The good news is that the perspective of ailments and conflicts as stumbling stones is fading away. More and more of us are recognising them as stepping stones and signposts.<br />
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Signposts along our path trying to tell us many important things. That we aren’t aligned fully to our life’s deepest calling, our <i>swadharma</i> and that we need to keep fine-tuning the alignment. That, even in the wake of everyone around us not understanding and accepting our unique ways and calling, we need to stop feeling small or dull, connect to the Source, allow ourselves to fully embrace and experience our brilliance and vastness, and stay anchored there. That we need to wake up to the knowing that the divine forces are yearningly waiting to collaborate with us because they need us to do their work here in the world of form. <br />
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And stepping stones to pave the way to birthing us as healers and midwives of the New World that is being born right now. <br />
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As I come across the many many healing stories birthing the healers and midwives of the new world, I feel inspired to share mine and others I know closely enough to write about.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Banyan fruit with hundreds of seeds full of potential!</td></tr>
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As I write this, I am going through a condition whose description is quite close to a serious form of ADHD, where the mind finds it challenging to process auditory and visual inputs sometimes touching unbearable chaos. Smells and touch are extremely grounding! I am currently undergoing a therapy based on sound (called <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN2PuKci6bo&feature=youtu.be&list=UUeL7pwCCTQ6-jVACUuX0kww">Tomatis</a>) which will apparently train my ear muscles and rewire my brain to help it function and respond better. I am writing these posts in the faith that, this expression and its accompanying feeling of gratitude will themselves serve as powerful aides in my healing.</div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-21659787331140851562019-07-06T06:56:00.001-07:002019-07-08T19:36:00.841-07:00Raudram Pazhagu / Practise Rage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Five years ago, in one of the <a href="https://ritambhara.org.in/program/kaya-madhya-sutram/">workshop</a>s offered by our teachers at <a href="https://ritambhara.org.in/">Ritambhara</a>, I underwent a theatre exercise where I had to enact a narration of an imagined story that spans all the <i>navarasas</i>, embodying each of them as best as I could. In that story, <i>bibhatsam </i>(disgust) leads to <i>raudram </i>(rage), which, with sufficient insight into the other's psychological condition, leads to karunyam (compassion).<br />
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I was able to evoke the different rasas with varying degrees of ease. Among the easier ones for me was <i>karunyam</i> and the most difficult, <i>raudram</i>. When we had to make a drawing locating the different rasas in our bodies, I couldn’t place <i>raudram </i>anywhere. I shared with Raghu “As soon as I experience rage, I am able to see the suffering of the person I am angry with and end up feeling only compassion!” He casually responded “Check with your mind if it is not making up a convenient story about this in order to distract you. It can be very smart.” and left. Something about what he said shook me. That evening, when I was with my partner, I exploded with rage in one of the most intense ways I'd ever had and was shocked! On the next day at the workshop, I shared that <i>raudram </i>was the only rasa I could feel all over my body.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1r0BrvoNvgF2aqzHLkpCVrNIfFnTlgPRjw1e9rtPIhjBrRE0hgS6vCe6w-AEpKEPkLbIU0OvBBjHBiujkQlG5nj8XEVuOr8S95FzgZMGIxgwvozph-CKH0XttJC4ZmfKG9nmfMZJrn_M/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="369" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1r0BrvoNvgF2aqzHLkpCVrNIfFnTlgPRjw1e9rtPIhjBrRE0hgS6vCe6w-AEpKEPkLbIU0OvBBjHBiujkQlG5nj8XEVuOr8S95FzgZMGIxgwvozph-CKH0XttJC4ZmfKG9nmfMZJrn_M/s200/Picture1.png" width="150" /></a>Until that event, with all the things that my intelligent and smart mind had worked out about 'human suffering' and 'healing', I thought I had 'cracked' compassion fairly well. When I saw an oppressor, I could instantaneously feel compassionate towards him or her “He must have had a difficult childhood! He needs healing!” were words that came most naturally to me. I thought I was a natural at this! I thought I had done a lot of inner work through Buddhist practices and mindfulness and had pretty much transcended anger. But
apparently not! I realised that I had a very underdeveloped ability to
experience and hold a healthy <i>raudram</i>, and had a lot of work to do there.<br />
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Now, let’s take a look at my / our larger cultural context and its relationship with <i>raudram</i>. It is somewhat permitted, or at least understandable, when a man expresses it. But a woman anywhere in the world is rewarded only for being “polite, nice, kind, soft-spoken, smiling, helpful, patient, forgiving” and so on, and is invariably judged for expressing rage. <br />
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One half of my issue was that I was born a pacifist, averse to emotional drama of any kind, avoiding conflicts at all cost and wanting ‘only peace’. And this half holds a very genuine aspiration for love and peace too. It is a very real longing, with nothing superficial or fake at all about it. I hate to see anyone hurt, and hate it even more to be the cause of that hurt for anyone, especially those dear to me. So, I had always withheld my expression of anger for fear of hurting someone, or losing their friendship. <br />
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The other half of my issue was that I internalised the voice of the world about me. “Sangee is a lovely person. She never gets angry.” I internalised as my own. But being a free-spirited and an extremely sensitive being, life had a continuous supply of violations of all kinds: physical, emotional and whatever else. There was enough substance to ensure a continuous flow of rage, which I learnt to swallow wholesale as a way of coping and being that ‘nice person’ in my and others eyes. But my body kept meticulous score of every iota of that swallowed rage.<br />
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The workshop was not only the very first time a context had given me the license to touch and experience <i>raudram </i>without any judgment, but also told me “It’s problematic when you do not learn to experience and express it”.<br />
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I have often heard from close family that, as a
baby, I used to cry unconsolably for no apparent reason. Nothing could stop my
crying, other than my own exhaustion. The crying when I was that young, probably helped me express and release rage periodically. But since crying becomes more and more uncool as one grows up, I managed to do some of it secretively in the bathroom, but also learnt other ways to cope by imploding. <br />
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Paying attention to where all my rage could be hiding, led me to discover my deeply-hidden shadow self: the passive-aggressive, emotionally cold, binge-eating, the obsessive-compulsive and controlling part of the visibly polite, nice, kind and compassionate Sangee. This was the part of myself that I had shamefully hidden from the world, and from myself. And this was the part that used to regularly surface (by erupting in the most unexpected and unprepared of times!) in my intimate spaces. My way of compensating for not being able to express <i>raudram </i>would be to withhold love and turn cold, slam the coffee mug on the table as I offered it with a plastic smile on the face. And then feeling shameful. And then doing something to distract myself from my feeling of shame. And on and on went the cycle. A powerful name for this behaviour is ‘the tyranny of the weak’. Ruth King has explored in great detail all the ways swallowed rage can erupt in our lives. '<a href="https://ruthking.net/product/healing-rage/">Healing Rage</a>' has helped me along my journey as well!<br />
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For a big part of my life, I have suffered a few undiagnosable ailments both mental and physical. The mental one has been periodic episodes of dysfunctionality and darkness. The physical one used to be periodic episodes of muscle weakness with no clinical diagnosis, often so extreme that I’d be bedridden for days, weeks and sometimes months together. Exhausting allopathic, ayurvedic and a few other therapies, I turned to clairvoyants and psychic healers. Some of them, including Dr. Mona Lisa told me “Your body is carrying a lot of trauma.” Over the years, acknowledging and giving safe space for expressing some repressed parts of myself, I believe, have hugely helped me heal through these ailments. (These stories of healing are interesting in themselves, and are for another time!) <br />
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Another expression of this psychological shadow-phenomenon was to get triggered by and strongly judge anyone who expressed <i>raudram </i>as “so uncool, immature, uncivilised, unsophisticated and unevolved!” <br />
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As I was coming more and more face-to-face with my own shadow and understood the need to own it and integrate it, other co-travelers helped me in the journey by inviting me to spar with them in safety. Just knowing that it was ok to express anger and fight with someone was a completely new experience for me; an immense relief. Over time, practising <i>raudram </i>has gotten a tad easier. But there is still a long long way to go!<br />
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<a href="https://66.media.tumblr.com/39d8496e3ac2c5fb9e36ae60f6ced6ba/tumblr_pmkfsjoWDK1sjjdtyo1_400.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/39d8496e3ac2c5fb9e36ae60f6ced6ba/tumblr_pmkfsjoWDK1sjjdtyo1_400.jpg" width="200" /></a>According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tirumalai_Krishnamacharya">Sri Krishnamacharya</a>, whose lineage I learn Yoga from, the yogic definition of a psychologically mature person is one who can experience all the <i>navarasa</i> at ease and at will, deploy them at appropriate times and with mastery over them. <i>Shantam</i> is a state of alignment of all the navarasas, and not the absence of <i>raudram</i>, <i>bhibatsam </i>or any of the “undesirable” <i>rasas</i>. It is a state where they are neither dominating, nor suppressed but are in alignment and balance with all the other <i>rasas</i>, and leave no residues when experienced. It is a transcendental state. In order for a state to be transcendental, it must not reject anything. It must include, integrate and rise above. <br />
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In J. Krishnamurthy's words: <br />
<i>“This loving-kindness, compassion and love (metta) is not an intellectual exercise.... this quality cannot be cultivated, cannot be practised, cannot be brought about; but it must happen as naturally as breathing, as fully with great joy and delight as the sunset.... You become kinder by observing yourself when you are unkind. Not by trying to be kind.” </i></div>
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Our yoga teachers have a better word for shadows: the disowned parts of ourselves, which then become dysfunctional parts of ourselves. Learning to recognise and accept our disowned and dysfunctional parts is really the only ‘work’ to be done. When we do this as honestly and sincerely as possible, the process of integration happens on its own. This is what I understand Sri Aurobindo calls ‘Integral Yoga’.<br />
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<a href="https://incarnateword.in/cwsa">Sri Aurobindo's Integral Yoga</a> talks of the need to fully inhabit, include the gifts of and transcend every level of our being. It is also expressed and experienced in a beautifully poetic way in the <a href="https://ritambhara.org.in/program/the-nayikas-quest/">Nayika’s Quest</a> in ancient Tamil literature, another powerful offering at Ritambhara. It is the evolutionary journey the Consciousness undertakes through the various chakras within our bodies.<br />
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In a cultural context, Sri Aurobindo has talked a lot about the underdeveloped <i>kshatriya dharma </i>of the Indian race which has conditioned itself to by-pass the <i>swadhistana chakra</i>, the seat of the vital being. He says the Indian race's weak <i>swadhisthana </i>is also the reason for all the invasions that this land has largely passively received (though there have been pockets of active resistance), endured, suffered and been damaged from. He talks about the need to fully enliven the <i>kshatriya dharma</i> of the race (the warrior's ability to experience <i>raudram</i>), which I see as an extension of my own psychological unlocking. We call it the <a href="https://ritambhara.org.in/program/mahabharata-immersion/">awakening of the Bhima archetype</a> in our work through the Mahabharatha.<br />
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“<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender">Avatar: the Last Air Bender</a>” has given me with one of the most powerful imagery to work with over the past two years of my <i>sadhana</i> of integral yoga. I so connect with Aang, his angst for the world, his idealising of ‘forgiveness and compassion’ over everything else, his lack of awareness of or control over intense energies that flow through him often leaving him hurt, his high <i>vata-prakriti</i> and ability to generate new ideas by the minute but without focus or patience, his optimism, his fears, his constant restlessness to act, his ease with water-bending (healing abilities). All these, while he struggles so hard with earth-bending (grounding) and fire-bending (rage). <br />
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Aang’s fire is extremely weak. He also has a deeply ingrained memory of once hurting his dearest Katara with his fire which went out of control. Since then, he also a deep fear of fire-bending. "I can't do it. I might end up hurting someone!" is the voice that keeps ringing within and holding him back.<br />
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Zuko who used to be a fairly good fire-bender loses his ability as he switches from the <i>asuric</i> to the <i>daivic</i> side of the war. He needs to discover and learn fire-bending himself from a very different source. Aang and Zuko travel all the way to the dragons, who are the original source of fire-bending and learn the art from them through a beautifully synchronous dance. The fire that they can now make and bend is of a very different nature. It is colourful and brilliant like they have never seen before! That’s the only fire that is able to meet and confront even what seemed like the invincible Azula’s lightening. This <i>daivic</i> fire (as I call it) is born from the need to restore <i>dharma</i>, and not out of hatred towards anyone or the need to control. </div>
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Even since childhood, the Tamil mystic activist-poet <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subramania_Bharati">Subramania Bharathi</a>’s call ‘<i>Raudram Pazhagu</i>’ always attracted me, perhaps because it was a secretively-held aspiration. And among all the different masters I have quoted through this article, Bharathi’s call to “practise rage” is the most alive one for me right now. It is interesting to note that Bharathi and Aurobindo were fiery people who were also great friends and co-travellers during their time in Pondicherry. And it is the same Bharathi who also composed and sang “<a href="https://translationsofsomesongsofcarnticmusic.blogspot.com/2011/10/pagaivanukku-arulvai.html">Pagaivanukkarulvaai</a>” (Bless your enemy). <br />
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Among all the elements, fire is the hardest and the trickiest to master. For that’s the one element that needs to be used most carefully. If it is used carelessly or without sufficient mastery, it can hurt people. Practise with fire becomes more important with this element than with any other. <br />
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With my own practise, I have seen many shades and nuances of <i>raudram </i>unfold over time. <i>Raudram </i>that I must express loudly and clearly because my context needs to hear it. <i>Raudram </i>I can fully touch and experience but postpone its expression, for either the context is too fragile for it, or I don't feel ready to take responsibility for and meaningfully respond to the consequences that it can unleash. <i>Raudram </i>that needs to put on hold to be got in touch with and explored later, for the time needs something else to be urgently attended to. <i>Raudram </i>that can be made into a more playful exploration, or a dance. <i>Raudram </i>that needs to be simply delved deep into through a meditative practice and prayer for transformation. <i>Raudram </i>as a rich field for a harvest of important insights. <i>Raudram </i>as a source of conviction for acting in the world to bring about change. And my practise continues to reveal more shades of it. A critical aspect of the practise is to learn to be easy on myself when my <i>raudram </i>goes out of control leading to unintended consequences, and to pick up the courage to own them up with self-acceptance and self-love, apologise, walk on and continue the practise.<br />
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But my most important learning of all is to not revel and indulge in <i>raudram</i>, but to fully experience it so I can learn to transcend it into a space of <i>shantam</i>. From that, and only that integrated space, can the war of our times be fought and won. And <i>dharma </i>restored. </div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-35470347413945697632019-05-29T23:46:00.002-07:002021-05-11T22:48:53.150-07:00The Rich Soil beneath the Concrete<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2019/04/my-quest-for-abundance-part-1.html">Part 1 - In Quest of Abundance</a><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-44bdbda1-7fff-dee7-0f97-512496849efa"><span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span></span> The first post seems to have piqued a lot of curiosity among the readers about the upcoming posts. What do you plan to write about next?<br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-c7d5dae0-7fff-032f-4f5e-558eba00108e"><span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span></span> Yes, quite an unexpected level of interest actually. Now that you ask me, I’m wondering if we should have a dialogue instead of my writing an essay.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Nothing can serve a nuanced exploration like a dialogue can. How about we pick up the thread from where you ended the previous one; your intuition about the breakthrough? What are some of your indicators of that?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> First, let me admit that I am known in my circles to be an incurable optimist! So, maybe that’s just playing up. Having said that, I can also give you other reasons. Given that it is a story that is already unfolding in many pockets of the world, what I mean by a breakthrough is that I see the number of people interested in creating and inhabiting new forms of economy, starting to grow exponentially. Like a sudden steep rise in the curve.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Is this the only reason for you to feel so?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> There is another reason I feel strongly about this, especially for India. I hold very sacred my own connection with the soil I come from. My quest, and that of others from this land, is not a new one devoid of any lineage. My ancestors have lived this quest, created and documented knowledge around it millennia ago. Even as we feel that much of it has been lost, even as I find most of today’s so-called “Brahmin Priests” actually being Vasihyas interested in trading their knowledge of the Vedas for their personal fulfillment and hoarding money seeking social status, even as I see everywhere many more ways that we are holding on to distorted and decaying fragments from our past, calling them ‘Indian’, ‘Hindu’ ‘Brahmin’ and so on, the spirit is still in the air, soil and water of the land in some form. Here’s a story to explain what I mean.<br />
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One hot summer day, I went up to a frail old lady selling tender coconuts in Chennai and asked her for one. I quickly looked through my bag and discovered that I hadn’t brought my wallet, and told her so. She gave me one anyways and said “It’s my dharma to give you water on a parched day like this. If you pass by this road another time and remember to pay me for this, great. Otherwise, it’s ok.” I was deeply humbled and moved, and had to, for the nth time, revise my ideas of poverty, scarcity and abundance. What she practised was, to me, business in service. Not what today’s fancy ‘conscious capitalism’ claims to do. And it is this cultural memory of what is dharmic that I still find alive in the unschooled pockets of our country that I am referring to, when I say lineage.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Our cultural memory! I actually never thought it was worth very much in realms such as Economics.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Understandable. We have been schooled to believe so. We need to embark on a journey of unlearning all that isn’t part of the larger story of our civilization. To begin with recognize some of the falsehoods that schooling, all of the modern apparatus actually, has forcefully fed us with. A huge one and one that is relevant for our conversation here is that “Ancient India might have had well-developed philosophy, art and literature, but Science, Economics, Politics, etc. were only recent developments from the West.”<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Well, I thought it was true too! I mean, people might have intuitively gone about figuring out how to run their economy and polity. That doesn’t mean there existed well-developed cohesive theories and treatises on these, right?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> That’s what almost all of our people think, including myself until my research into the history of agriculture led me to the facts. The first half of our story of what we could call the ‘Great Cultural Forgetting’ (GCF)’ is our own doing, where we allowed many of our forms (systems, rituals, etc.) to freeze and decay over time. The GCF project was then taken to completion by the recent English education flagged off a couple of centuries ago by McCaulay who said:<br />
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<i>“It is, I believe, no exaggeration to say that all the historical information which has been collected from all the books written in the Sanskrit language is less valuable than what may be found in the most paltry abridgement used at preparatory schools in England.”</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>We not only gleefully bought into this utter falsehood, but continue to live by it and further propagate it through the billions of school textbooks we print and distribute for our (mis)education year after year. We take it further and make such (mis)education compulsory through acts like RTE (Right to Education). There cannot be a better case of cultural suicide! And the worst part of it all is that all these efforts come to be recognised as the highest forms of service. Building schools, doing charity to support “higher studies”, etc. It is like paying to learn self-hate and masochism and then calling it all “progress”.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Sounds ridiculous. And the phrase ‘Cultural Suicide’ is especially hard-hitting for me! Can we explore this further?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Exploring suicide can be depressing, my friend. But yes, a meaningful place to begin our exploration is to simply acknowledge what has died and mourn it. Mourn it deeply. Mourning is an important part of the process of finding the energy and strength to revive and move on. You have only just embarked on the journey of discovering what has been lost. My guess is we have lost so much more than we can ever know in its entirety. My guess is that there is enough to keep discovering over lifetimes. But, let us learn to mourn in installments without getting stuck there. There’s much work to do.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> And what’s the nature of the work to be done?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> To first understand what it is that we had, where we come from, who our ancestors were, what they created. Let me give you an imagery to work with. <br />
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Our cultural memory / history is a like a bed of rich fertile soil. Not just a bed that is a few feet deep. But like a crust of the earth extending a few kilometres, building itself up over thousands of years through nature’s workings. Over the past few centuries, it has been systematically covered with a significant layer of concrete through a combination of brute force and propaganda. The brute force was used to subjugate our people, destroy and plunder our temples and our riches, destroy our village governance systems, severe capital punishment rendered for disobedience and so on. So, we first allowed people from outside to make and pour the concrete over our soil. Then came in propaganda, where our own people were so brainwashed into believing that the soil was dirty, that the concrete was superior to the soil, that they themselves started willingly and enthusiastically making and pouring more and more of it thickening the layer over time. <br />
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Most of our approach towards creating the new economy talks about building, at best new forms, but using the same concrete material. Some radical economists and activists are mildly tapping into our cultural memory and are saying ‘Concrete isn’t the way. We need to recreate the lost soil.’ And so saying, attempting to work out the most effective way of creating a new layer of rich soil, so that we can sow seeds, grow seedlings, which can then grow into plants and then eventually maybe, if we survive through the climate change catastrophes, into trees. Given that our parasitic ways of being are actually driving us all towards a massive civilizational crash faster than we can imagine, I believe that we stand a very bleak chance of surviving to see these seeds grow beyond the plant stage. What I’m proposing is a different approach where we actually tap into the rich soil underneath the concrete, for that might give us a better chance of survival. Though this concrete layer appears to be strong and impenetrable, it is actually quite brittle and has already begun to crack. What isn’t True can never be resilient. If we can identify cracks wide enough, and through them prayerfully sow some pipal and banyan seeds into our rich cultural soil beneath, invoking guidance and collaboration from our ancestors, they stand the highest chance we have access to of further widening these cracks, growing trees of life that can take over the whole thing. The concrete will not disappear. But it will be incorporated into the tree, may be providing strength to the new ecosystem in ways we may not be able to imagine now. Like the Cambodian temples! I believe that we now have access to this cultural bed through the cracks. And if we will it, we can create the best chance we have for the breakthrough. Blessings of our ancestors are more powerful than we can ever imagine. They are yearningly waiting for us to invoke their energies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfInyLSMijLz7CBbs8h18L22rAuO5PfBgPW1KAU4I42AG0KQoj_gA6m7Kckg_Qdr90rps043gLw4ZIAsYIRPoQUerMSfzsPw5asu845VXPHbgyIuan7tbFtboaX6I5_BNF31XMyGz4Lk/s1600/cambodian+temple.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfInyLSMijLz7CBbs8h18L22rAuO5PfBgPW1KAU4I42AG0KQoj_gA6m7Kckg_Qdr90rps043gLw4ZIAsYIRPoQUerMSfzsPw5asu845VXPHbgyIuan7tbFtboaX6I5_BNF31XMyGz4Lk/s400/cambodian+temple.png" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> That definitely sounds like a potent proposal, if we are ok to set aside its practicality! <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> My friend, if you have explored the doomsday stuff enough, you will know that even the best of 'practicality' is nowhere close to being able to save us from our impending crash. I can show you all the proof for that! So, I'm saying let us at least try some “impractical” ways.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Sure, it does not hurt to explore it at least for the sake of this dialogue. To begin all of this, we first need to be able to realise and acknowledge that there exists such a rich world beneath the concrete in the first place. Most of us do not even know that it does!<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Precisely. Actually a lot has been written about these over the past century. So, to honor all the amazing souls that have given their entire lifetimes working for a saner world and to avoid duplication, I am going to only share a larger narrative that weaves them all together and direct you to explore some of their works for further detailed reading. I must also say that a large part of what has been written is either incomplete or confused.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> What, according to you, is missing in the writing that is incomplete?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> The concrete pavement is modernity and its apparatus and the soil beneath, our rich cultural heritage. When we bundle up all of modern as falsehood and all of ancient knowledge as Truth, it amounts to ignorance of another kind. They are both mixed bags and need to be examined carefully to discard what we do not need, take what we do and build forward. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> And what is the confused part?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭ </span>The confused narrative of <a href="https://www.amazon.in/Indian-Rennaissance-Indias-Thousand-Decline/dp/0143425137/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=indian+renaissance&qid=1558524960&s=gateway&sr=8-1">Indian Renaissance</a> does not question the fundamental precepts of Modern Economics. It tries to superimpose what it understands to be Indic onto the modern framework, which goes against the grain of what our civilization stands for in the most fundamental way; against dharma. This confused narrative tries to juxtapose two narratives that go against each other, believing it to be synthesis. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> I'm tempted to ask what this confused juxtaposition is. But I guess, before that we need to understand the nature of our cultural soil? <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> The confused juxtaposition (believed to be synthesis) is what I hope to be continuously exploring throughout this dialogue. First, let us begin by <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4SjJA97NnJNNlBxM0k5MkcxTmM">“Decolonising History”</a>. In his book titled thus, Claude Alvares talks in detail about how rich our cultural soil was. When I say 'rich' here, I literally mean prosperous in economic terms. We were growing phenomenal quantities of food to feed everyone, and producing breathtaking varieties and qualities of crafts, textiles, buildings, sculptures, machinery, crops, etc. We were the world’s most thriving economy, and were exporting our exquisite products to the rest of the world. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> We were rich because we produced abundantly?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Yes. But we need to understand the word ‘abundance’ in a nuanced manner. If not, there is a serious danger of falling into the trap of modern definitions which are at the very root of our present-day crisis. Abundance, the way I understand and experience it is highly textured, and has many dimensions to it. <br />
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The first dimension encompasses three design principles articulated by <i>Vaastu Sastra</i>: <i>bhogadhyam </i>(utility), <i>sukha darsham</i> (aesthetics), <i>ramyam</i> (evoking well-being and delight) that were embodied by the food and other articles we produced. There is a lot of evidence to prove that ancient India produced adequate quantities to meet our demands and to provide for our difficult times (famines and epidemics), and some excess to share across countries and continents. Our products were also known for their excellent quality, finish, aesthetics and their rich diversity. We had 2,00,000 varieties of paddy alone, each with its own unique properties and use which were understood and documented. There has been a similar diversity in every possible field of arts and crafts, in languages, cuisines and so on. Diversity is an unmistakable indicator of creativity and also contributed to resilience. What we produced also nourished us and gave us a sense of well-being. With respect to food, a small amount packed with nourishment feels more abundant than a large amount with empty calories. Or food made and served with love is more filling than with a lack of it.<br />
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The second dimension of abundance has to do with our connectedness with fellow-beings and nature. When I live as a member of a caring community, and a life closely connected to a well-endowed natural environment (say a forest and a thriving permaculture farm), I feel a certain sense of security and being taken care of. I feel like I have a perennial access to things (tangible and intangible) that I need for my living. Both these forms of connectedness create a larger field of abundance that I begin to live within. Abundance moves from what I have to what I experience. <br />
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And the third dimension transcends all of these external criteria. It is the spiritual connection that was held at the core of all pursuits that is unique to our land. In Sri Aurobindo’s words <i>“Spirituality is the master key of the Indian mind.”</i> A growing connection with divinity leaves us wanting less and less things externally. The way real Yogis feel abundant without any possessions. Someone that comes to my mind, who didn’t retreat from the world and was most active, mobile and productive but lived without any possessions, feeling immensely abundant is Peace Pilgrim. For decades, all she is supposed to have possessed are a pair of clothes, a pair of shoes, toothbrush and a comb. <br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Wow! I must admit that I never looked at abundance in all these ways! I’m going to need to come back to this to take it all in. But I can already feel a quick rewiring of my brain that just happened.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> I can understand. Connecting to all these dimensions is an inner journey and might take time. It is part of our cultural remembering for, I feel, all these were quite alive until recently. It is still not all gone. In any case, this is just how I understand and experience abundance. But do verify it for yourself. I’d like to share another civilisational view of abundance too, best expressed by Sri Aurobindo’s words to describe ancient India's insatiable creativity and industry.<br />
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<i>"There is no historical parallel for such an intellectual labour and activity before the invention of printing and the facilities of modern science; yet all that mass of research and production and curiosity of detail was accomplished without these facilities and with no better record than the memory and for an aid, the perishable palm-leaf. Nor was all this colossal literature confined to philosophy and theology, religion and Yoga, logic and rhetoric and grammar and linguistics, poetry and drama, medicine and astronomy and the sciences; it embraced all life, politics and society, all the arts from painting to dancing, all the sixty-four accomplishments, everything then known that could be useful to life or interesting to the mind, even, for instance, to such practical side minutiae as the breeding and training of horses and elephants, each of which had its Shastra and its art, its apparatus of technical terms, its copious literature. In each subject from the largest and most momentous to the smallest and most trivial there was expended the same all-embracing, opulent, minute and thorough intellectuality. On one side there is an insatiable curiosity, the desire of life to know itself in every detail, on the other a spirit of organisation and scrupulous order, the desire of the mind to tread through life with a harmonised knowledge and in the right rhythm and measure."</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Seeing the power and conviction in those words, I believe there must be some truth to it. What I understand from all this is that 'abundance' to the Indic mind was multidimensional. But to the modern schooled mind, abundance simply means large quantities. Right?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Yes. This difference is critical because it has three important implications.<br />
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If we want to simply produce large quantities without any consideration for anything else, we can easily build a case for ‘efficiency’ to become the supreme lord, for furthering the industrial society and mass-production. We see that this narrative has almost completely colonised our minds globally. What this does is to destroy everything else like quality, diversity leading to weak systems with very little resilience, and also frays the fabric of community and plunders nature, like it is evident everywhere on the planet.<br />
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And when we choose modern industrial production means, we automatically reverse the logic of our economics from being demand-driven to being supply-driven. We no longer use machinery to produce how much we need. We let the machines take over and dictate quantities based on what it needs to produce in order to keep running. We give it a term “economic viability” and then start looking for / inventing ways to sell what has been manufactured. And then it even takes the next step to produce what it can. We call it “efficiency”. This reversal is what Karl Polanyi (also called a moral economist) explains in his seminal work <a href="https://inctpped.ie.ufrj.br/spiderweb/pdf_4/Great_Transformation.pdf">The Great Transformation.</a> From economy being embedded in and serving society, the society got embedded in and started serving the economy. The machines became our masters, and the human spirit got confused about the meaning of life, lost its way and bought into the whole story of it being slave to the machine. The transcendent human spirit bought into a limited story about itself, that it was <i>homo economicus</i>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> I’m able to connect to another thing you mentioned in your first article. That today’s mass-manufactured products have been sucked dry of their souls! Isn’t that another major damage caused by this “great transformation”?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Absolutely. And that is the third and the most serious implication of them all. This is what Gandhi talked about. Lewis Mumford has explored this elaborately in his brilliant two-volume series called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_the_Machine">The Myth of the Machine</a>. He talks about how modern humans’ movement from a soul-centric economy guided by our innate intelligence to a machine-centric economy, we have collectively moved towards a sort of a mania, and eventually to suicide. He crusaded for technologies that served the human race (democratic technics) and against those that served the blind advancement of production (authoritarian technics). Connected to this is another design-flaw in handing over to the machine the decision about ‘how much to produce’. By its very design, it creates economies of war. The very impulse that paved way for the British to colonise India, came from the East India Company wanting to aggressively find foreign markets to sell mass-manufactured cotton textiles beyond what it could consume. And this whole phenomenon has been explained in very simple English by JC Kumarappa in his <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B4SjJA97NnJNLU5rWFpXTFdWaE0">Economy of Permanance</a>. A supply-driven economy is inherently violent. It needs slaves and colonies for its continuous supplies of raw material, and needs manipulatable markets to buy them all back. We are all stuck in a diseased, cancerous supply-driven economy. Are you beginning to see the fundamental nature of our crisis and the story we are stuck in?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Yes. But you said India used to export its products even before all this. How was that different?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> India exported her excess production after meeting all her local needs. And she exported certain exquisite stuff like fine Bengal muslin, spices, etc. which were very unique to here. She neither exported staple foods of other countries destabilising their economies, nor imported her own essentials. Neither scarcity nor greed were the impulses for imports or exports. She enjoyed both prosperity and contentment simultaneously, and was willing and able to share of herself with the rest of the world to a healthy extent and in a healthy manner.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> Definitely all of this gives a good idea of the fertile soil beneath the concrete. What next?<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">⧭</span> The reason to understand all of this is not to keep basking in past glory or to say that we were flawless or perfect. But to understand that we were way-way-way better than we have been conditioned into believing and celebrate that. And then understand how much we have actually lost and grieve that too. Grieving and celebrating will help us tap into our cultural memory and move forward. But even this is only one half of the story of what we need to do. The other half is about truthfully looking into some of our own flaws and imperfections, feel the shame and pains of them all, own them up, critique and discard what does not belong in our new story going forward so that we can aim for a more glorious future, however distant that might be. Without grieving & celebrating, critiquing & discarding, a part of us will be stuck in the past either by blindly attaching to it or by blindly rejecting it. In order to meaningfully move forward, we need to own up everything in totality: the glory and the pain, the brilliant light and the dark shadow.<br />
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Another important reason to understand how soulfully, aesthetically, functionally, respectfully, sustainably prosperous we have been in the past, is to then open completely to the enquiry “What were the systems and processes that enabled such a prosperity, such a way of being?” What was an essentially Indic approach to Economics that is relevant for us today? What were its design principles that we can draw from?”<br />
<br /><a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2020/03/reclaiming-swadeshi-from-our-economists.html">Part 2 - Reclaiming the Swadeshi from our Economists</a></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-38258032845996397582019-04-24T02:45:00.000-07:002019-06-10T05:46:03.884-07:00In quest of abundance (Part 1)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce resources</i>. As a “good” student, I memorized this line and was generously rewarded for having given the “correct answer” in my exams. Like everyone else, my journey with 'economics' began with being schooled with the notion that, in order to live happy lives, we needed things (‘resources’) which are in limited supply (‘scarce’); and that we all needed to compete for them; and that economics was going to help us with the right tools to do that.<br />
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As a child whenever I saw abject poverty, I felt heart-wrenched and swore to somehow make it rich so I could do charity. In those days of Star TV, I saw the fashion world as one with the treasures I could tap into for that purpose. I spent about four years in pursuit of becoming a designer. Later, a deep-dive into volunteering through my college NSS steered me away from that path. <br />
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Fast-forward to my first job in an environmental NGO at 21. There, among many things, my work involved preparing project proposals and reports to aid agencies like the UN and USAID. I saw the power these agencies wielded and aspired to get into influential positions in them so I could direct money to deserving projects in poor countries. <br />
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A couple of years later, during the landmark <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Seattle_WTO_protests">WTO protest</a>, I happened to be in Seattle for <a href="https://www.earthcorps.org/">a youth program on ecological restoration</a>. For a few months leading up to the protest, the city buzzed with teach-ins on globalization and its many horrid faces. I hopped from one workshop to another lapping up all the new knowledge about the World Bank and IMF being the faces of the military-industrial complex wrecking the planet and all life on it. I participated in the protest too, quite a remarkable experience of the collective human spirit. The same year was <a href="https://www.narmada.org/nba-press-releases/october-1999/satyagraha.conclusion.html">Narmada Bachao Andolan’s </a><i><a href="https://www.narmada.org/nba-press-releases/october-1999/satyagraha.conclusion.html">Jal Satyagraha</a>, </i>when I learnt about the madness of large dams built for “development”. But still being able to see myself being in the UN and impacting things from the inside, I applied for higher studies in <a href="https://heller.brandeis.edu/sustainable-international-development/index.html">‘Sustainable International Development’ (SID)</a> in the US. One of the three recco letters was from the notorious MSSwaminathan who was then known to me as a sweet uncle. (I was totally clueless about Green Revolution back then!) <br />
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For a whole year at SID, I slogged through statistics, micro-economic and macro-economic theories and was well on my way to a doctoral program in environmental economics. Since I was good at logic, I loved my classes and assignments and handled numbers and graphs with ease. I assisted a professor in a research to figure out whether <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1020305903156">income levels of two Honduran indigenous communities </a>affected wildlife there by cramming numbers through Econometrics, always wondering if there was a simpler way to find this out! Elasticity, supply-demand, marginal utility, opportunity cost, efficiency were concepts that began to slowly occupy my head. <br />
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During my time absorbing these concepts, every now and then my inner voice would throw up questions which I’d raise in my classes. I asked one professor who taught a course on ‘The History of Economic Thought’, “Hasn’t Gandhi said something important about how to organise our economies?” He replied “Gandhi? Hmm… I don’t think so! Well, may be, I don’t know. It does not concern us anyways.” I asked another professor “All these graphs of supply-demand, elasticity, etc. give me the image of people as consumers without hearts or free-will to choose not to buy, or to make their buying decisions based on reasons other than price. These graphs make people look like puppets that can be moved around the ‘x’ and ‘y’ axes. Something does not feel right about it.” He said “I don’t know how to answer this one! Well, this is economics. Take it or leave it.” <br />
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Very unconsciously, I was being trained to look at many things in my life in terms of their economic and financial costs and benefits. I was assigning dollar value to trees, air, water, etc. even as I was walking through a forest. I remember doing an assignment involving detailed monetization of ‘Ecosystem services’ (dollar value of the oxygen given by the trees in terms of the diseases they would prevent and hence money saved by the economy, and so on). I even began to subconsciously monetize my own simple life pursuits. All this was happening in such an innocuous way that I wasn’t even aware of it. It was like I was acquiring a new pair of lens to see the world through. From time to time, for brief moments, I’d experience a certain weird feeling about becoming someone very unlike me. But I used to brush it off as some kind of a growing pain. I believed that I was shedding my naivete for equipping myself to deal with the ‘real world’ out there. <br />
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During this time, we also got to visit the World Bank in Washington DC and the UN Headquarters in New York, my much-aspired-for destination back then. Obscenely opulent structures with enormous carbon footprints. Walls adorned by sleekly framed pictures of emaciated Ethiopian children, ethnic kalamkari and bathik wall hangings and curios from adivasi cultures shocked and sickened me, to put it mildly! And when I learnt about how Indians who worked in these institutions in high positions enjoyed full tax exemption, sponsorship of their children's schooling, free international family vacations, and subsidised food from various cuisines of the world in their food courts, I felt disgusted. (The poem '<a href="https://signalsinthefog.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/the-development-set-by-ross-coggins/">Development Set</a>' articulates the whole thing quite brilliantly.) But I promised myself “If and when I get into these institutions, I will be different.” <br />
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For my second year, I worked very hard for almost two months to win a grant for advanced study in environmental economics, in preparation for my PhD. A few days after I was awarded the grant and the accompanying sense of immense achievement, I spent three sleepless nights in a row. There was a growing inner discomfort that I was not on the path meant for me. In a leap of faith, I cancelled my second year project, raised funds from friends and decided to backpack in rural and tribal India to find my own answers to questions that I couldn’t even articulate back then. Just that weird troubling feeling about this whole called ‘development’! <br />
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Over five months, I backpacked to about forty villages across ten states, and a very different world opened up in front of me. I was deeply touched by my experiences with the ordinary people and the land. The culture which had thus far been presented to me as “backward” embodied values that I held very highly: simplicity, humility, cooperation, trust, trusteeship and a certain deep reverence for nature. All my notions and ideas about ‘development’ and ‘scarcity’ were disrobed one after another. <br />
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In one of the tribal villages in MP where I stayed, I saw an elderly woman herding and taking great care of cows in their village. My “educated” mind asked her 'How much milk do you get from these cows?' It was trying to calculate the effort put into maintaining the cows vis-a-vis the economic benefits. She gave me a strange look and said <i>'Voh hamare saath rehte hain. Jab dhoodh dethe hai, tab ham thoda lete hain'</i> and talked of the cows as members of their community. She explained that they took milk from them only if and when they produced more than needed to feed their young ones. <br />
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In another adivasi village, I spent time with women who were sitting together embroidering their skirts with exquisite designs. And some others were artistically weaving their straw brooms, a simple object of daily use. As I sat watching them, I was reminded of a <a href="http://www.ifg.org/nyc.html">talk by Satish Kumar in NY</a> city that I had attended just a year ago while I was still a student of modern economics. Satishji had spoken a lot about his grandmother who used to make such elaborate embroidery and how much he learnt from her being. He ended his talk by saying <a href="http://www.resurgence.org/magazine/article2586-reconnect-with-tradition-baking-bread-as-a-spiritual-act.html">‘To counter globalization, please slow down. Go home and bake your own bread.’</a> I couldn’t make any sense of what he said back then. Just a year later as I sat with these women connecting to what was getting evoked for me, I could feel in my bones what he had meant! That our mass-produced products in the global market have been sucked dry of their soul. That these women were not making mere pretty cotton garments but were weaving the songs of their souls into their skirts and their brooms, and definitely not because anyone was going to pay them anything for it. They had a certain sacred view of matter that I had thus far never encountered in such a manner!<br />
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I slowly came to understand the complexity of the systemic rot. I started placing a lot of, until then, seemingly independent pieces of the puzzle, together. I stopped believing that tinkering here and there was going to help. The very worldview of people as being purely rational and selfish, and of nature as resources to be exploited to endlessly chase economic growth as a way towards human happiness, needed to be challenged and changed. We needed to reclaim our own traditional worldview of nature as our mother and sustainer, of all life as sacred and one, of human happiness as lying outside materialism, and of change as something that essentially starts from within oneself and radiates out into the world. I was convinced that we needed a fundamental re-telling of our story as a race, who we are, where we are, why and how we got here, where we want to journey towards and how. <br />
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Different people I met along my journey gifted me Fukuoka’s <a href="http://arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta//onestraw.pdf#">One Straw Revolution</a>, Kumarappa’s ‘<a href="https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/economy-of-permanence.pdf">Economy of Permanence</a>’, Gandhi’s ‘<a href="https://www.mkgandhi.org/ebks/hind_swaraj.pdf">Hind Swaraj</a>’, Schumacher’s ‘<a href="https://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/student/~pdarshan/SmallIsBeautifulSchumacher.pdf">Small is Beautiful</a>’ and Ivan Illich’s ‘<a href="https://learning.media.mit.edu/courses/mas713/readings/DESCHOOLING.pdf">Deschooling Society</a>’ which I lapped up during my train and bus rides. My own emerging truth was beginning to resonate with what all these masters had articulated in different ways. <br />
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During my travels, on the one side, I was distressed by the havoc that green revolution had unleashed on all life. On the other, I was fascinated by how abundantly natural farming was yielding. Spending time in 'Indraprastha', a food forest near Mysore which had 2,500 different varieties of crops grown on 13 acres, with the farming family harvesting something or the other round the year, overwhelmed me by its abundance! <i>Panchagavya </i>was a recent (re)discovery from Vrikshayurveda back then, and farmers were reaping abundantly by applying it on their farms. They were even diving deeper into it to find other treasures like <i>gunabajalam</i>, and further improvising them to create their own ‘<i>navagavya</i>’ and ‘<i>dasagavya</i>’. They weren’t sitting around waiting for an expert to help them ‘allocate scarce resources’, or claiming ownership of any of this knowledge estimating the royalty owed to them. They were innovating for the collective and sharing joyously all this knowledge through farmer gatherings everywhere. I learnt that Indian farmers had developed and taken care of over 2,00,000 varieties of rice alone (and similarly other food crops) and stewarded these stocks and the knowledge about them communally, without the need for IPR for any of them! They did it with great joy and pride, sung songs on them, celebrated festivals around them and lived such rich lives.<br />
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I spent three weeks volunteering in <a href="http://wiki.auroville.org.in/wiki/Pebble_Garden">Pebble Garden</a> in Auroville with Bernard and Deepika, who had transformed a rocky barren land into a copiously producing food garden with the help of termites, without waiting around for any funding, workforce or any external resource! <br />
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I spent a couple of years working with <a href="https://www.thebetterindia.com/132515/rajendra-singh-water-man-rajasthan-rainwater-storage-forest/">Rajendra Singh</a> campaigning against the interlinking of rivers, telling the story about how simple traditional practices in harvesting rain water had created a forest and perennial rivers in thousands of villages in the desert of Rajasthan.<br />
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Restoring our lost connection with the sacredness of life and nature. Restoring the Commons. Restoring simplicity. Restoring <a href="http://www.primitivism.com/mumford.htm">democratic techniques</a>. Seemed like a simple recipe for ABUNDANCE.<br />
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My farm visits, and my brief association with Nammalwar and Dharampalji made me look at the wisdom of ancient India. I discovered a fascinating book called ‘<a href="https://www.cpsindia.org/index.php/pub/249-annam-bahu-kurvita/download-pdf">Annam Bahu Kurvita</a>’ and read about the famous Chengalpattu data unearthed by Dharampalji <a href="https://www.cpsindia.org/index.php/pub/250-thirupporur-and-vadakkuppattu/download-book">especially about Tirupporur and Vadakkuppattu</a> villages. “<i>Annam bahu kurvita. Tatvritam</i>.” said the Taitriyopanishad. “Grow food abundantly <span class="contents">and share widely. That is the inviolable discipline of life for the one who pursues <i>Brahmavidya </i>(divine knowledge)</span>.” It was immensely enlivening for me to learn that the soil where I came from had talked about abundance and a culture of sharing, and had made ‘<i>aparigraha</i>’ (non-accumulation) one of the primary <i>yamas </i>for a yogic life. My culture had not only articulated this deep philosophy with such conviction, but had even worked out elaborate technologies of how to go about it, millennia ago! I was so stumped by all this discovery that I remember a time when I went around talking about this to everyone I came across!! I even went to the Chennai Archives and dug out original handwritten Chengalpattu data, and found out that the street sweeper of a villager was paid almost equally to the village <i>vaidya </i>(doctor). And the <i>vaidya </i>himself / herself was compensated for his / her services not on the basis on how much illness (s)he cured, but on the basis of how healthy the people of the village remained. An economic design that rewarded health and life-affirming ways made a lot of sense to me!<br />
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It was clear that India, as a civilization, had come very far from her original philosophy and pursuits. She was confused about who she was, her soul caught in the stranglehold of ‘modernity’ and ‘capitalism’, which were all about quite the opposite values of greed, hoarding and scarcity, where GDP only increased proportionately with physical and mental ailments, crime, garbage, everything that is undesirable for a wholesome life on this planet.<br />
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How did we get here?<br />
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I am deeply grateful to <a href="http://jbyrne.org/">Prof. John Byrne</a> (University of Delaware) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Daly">Prof. Herman Daly</a> (Univ. of Maryland) under whom I did some more further studies on Political Economy before finally deciding to move to grassroots works. I lapped up Adam Smith's '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wealth_of_Nations">Wealth of Nations</a>', Marx's '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Das_Kapital">Das Kapital</a>', Lewis Mumford's '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_the_Machine">the Myth of the Machine</a>', Jacques Ellul's '<a href="https://monoskop.org/images/5/55/Ellul_Jacques_The_Technological_Society.pdf">Technological Society</a>', Herman Daly's '<a href="https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/162/27995.html">Internationalization vs. Globalization</a>', Karl Polany's '<a href="https://inctpped.ie.ufrj.br/spiderweb/pdf_4/Great_Transformation.pdf">the Great Transformation</a>', Claude Alvares '<a href="https://archive.org/stream/DecolonizingHistory-ClaudeAlvarez/decolonisinghistory_djvu.txt">Decolonising History'</a>, Vandana Shiva's '<a href="http://trumpeter.athabascau.ca/index.php/trumpet/article/viewFile/358/563">Monoculture of the Mind</a>'… Aha! That's how we got where we have!!<br />
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How do we get out of here?<br />
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Among all the books I had read, Kumarappa’s stood out for its simplicity and practicality. But on my visits to Gandhian and Kumarappa institutions, it seemed like those who ran these institutions themselves were not convinced by their own philosophy and relevance. The ones dedicated to promoting rural industries were, at best, manufacturing toxic detergents. As I took a walk in the T.Kallupatti campus one day, I discovered Kumarappa's hut where he’s said to have spent his last years. I got the keys to the hut from the campus's caretaker and went in. I saw the famous framed picture of Kumarappa’s professor 'the Indian farmer' on the outside and his library of books inside, all covered in dust and cobwebs. I spent a few hours cleaning them up and sitting there in contemplation. Was there anyone trying to live what these humble giants talked about? <br />
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As an answer I was taken to Elango, a Gandhian panchayat leader in a village near Chennai, who had been inspired by Kumarappa’s works. I worked with him for a few years with the vision of creating a vibrant village network economy. I traveled with him visiting failed and successful experiments in rural industries and panchayati raj, learning lessons from them, and giving talks on localisation. Whenever anyone asked Elango “In the face of such strong global forces, where mass-made products are made cheaper, has flashier packaging and aggressive marketing, how can we promote the dull local products?” he would respond with a lot of conviction “If I know the person who grew my rice and made my soap and cared for him, and can trust the quality, I would definitely choose that over a glossily packaged and cheaper rice from an unknown farmer. We need to cultivate this very humanity of our people and build our economy on it.” I was drawn by the conviction with which Elango would say this over and over again, anytime anyone asked him this question. Though the work with him had to discontinue for personal reasons, I was convinced about testing his hypothesis. The concept note for reStore began with Kumarappa’s quote <i>“to bring together the consumer and the producer into such intimate relationship as to solidify society into a consolidated mass, which alone can lay claim to (an economy) of permanance."</i><br />
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While in the US, I had volunteered in food-coops which promoted the local, and also spent a couple of days in Ithaca studying the local currency '<a href="http://www.ithacahours.com/">Ithaca Hours</a>' which ensured that wealth circulated locally and strengthened the bonds within the community, among the many things it did. Inspired by all these, the next ten year’s journey of setting up <a href="http://restore.org.in/">reStore</a>, and then another co-journeyer Ananthoo taking it all to the next level of a retailer-cooperative called <a href="http://www.ofmtn.in/">OFM</a> verified this hypothesis. Creating an authentic experience of trust and abundance (by restoring community and our lost of connection with nature), by embedding economy within community (<a href="https://medium.com/in-praise-of-scaling-down/re-store-9d77deb108d3">creating a communomy</a>) was definitely one way to dismantle capitalism.<br />
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From there, moving on to experiencing learning naturally along with our daughter gave me the experience of an abundance of resources: places and people to learn from, open toys and tools that create an abundance of opportunities to explore the world, an abundance of time, joy and all things sacred!<br />
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Two years in Tiruvannamalai, I further experimented with sharing of skills and things, building relationships with the local vendors and farmers, sharing produce and resources, which further deepened my conviction. I now live in Auroville, another fascinating place where I meet so many people who hold a quest for abundance and are experimenting with different initiatives. <br />
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Five years ago, at the <a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2014/03/quotes-on-globalisation.html">Economics of Happiness conference</a>, I took up the invitation by Ashish Kothari to be part of a nation-wide network of initiatives working on creating radical systemic alternatives. Last year, I got on board to co-steward the Alternative Economies <a href="http://vikalpsangam.org/">Vikalp Sangam</a> connecting with individuals and initiatives from across the country and the world questing for abundance in such a variety of ways.</div>
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I somehow have this strong feeling that we are at the verge of a significant breakthrough as a race in our collective quest for abundance and feel blessed to be partaking in it.<br />
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<a href="https://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-rich-soil-beneath-concrete_29.html">Part 2: The Rich Soil beneath the Concrete</a></div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-71401037821206438942018-10-27T23:43:00.001-07:002018-11-04T08:46:04.527-08:00#metoo: a loud call to integrate our primal universe, our wilderness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> There’s so much noise out there about sexual harassment, menstruating women entering temples and all. How come you haven’t said anything about them?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Well, I’ve been sitting on a lot to say. Making one statement here or sharing one story there, I am scared, will only fuel further reactions. Not my game. And moreover, I have some unpopular things to say. I’d rather take the time and explore it fully and say all I want to say in one shot. This topic is very close to my heart and needs a very nuanced dialogue.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Sure, maybe now is the time for it!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> I’m happy to go, but only if you have the patience to go all the way through. I would like to weave in my own earlier posts where relevant, and what other people have written for further reading. Are you ready to follow all the links?<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Can't promise to read them all right away. But will definitely file them away for future reading. So, let’s get started with your own life. I'm sure you have your share of #metoo stories?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span><span style="color: cyan;"> </span>Thankfully nothing horrendous. A member of my extended family groped me at every possible occasion for at least seven years from my school to college years. I finally took the courage to confront him, threatened to expose him and put an end to it. I had to discontinue my dental treatment because my 65-year old dentist was regularly molesting me. As a fifteen year old, I was laid down, groped and kissed in my mouth by a sixty-yr old hypnotherapist I went to. I was hypnotised so I don't really know what else was done to me. I felt terrified, dirty and nauseous for a few weeks after that. Everyday going to school on Peter’s Road was a nightmare with guys from the college opposite our school stalking me all over the city, reeling out information about my personal life. I once barely escaped a whole gang of them surrounding me outside my school. I have no idea how I pushed them and ran for my life screaming. But I did. As I narrate this incident, I'm having palpitations. During my activist life, I regularly faced advances, sometimes bordering on attempts, including from peers and 'Gandhians', constantly having to say 'No'. By the time I was 20, my body would get into an alert, sometimes panic, mode whenever I found a male body close to me, or worse, alone with me in a room.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br />⧭ </span>Do you still carry a lot of trauma from all these?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Not much. Thankfully, I have had a lot of positive loving touch in my life since then. And done lots of inner work, learning to love myself and my body, to forgive and to heal. My sister has been a huge source of inspiration for me in this healing journey. She was in an abusive relationship and marriage for many years and eventually took the courage to step out of it. Being one of her confidantes, I was a close witness to many years of her inner work through her deep scars, nightmares, fears and self-doubts, forgiving the guy, and healing herself. She led the way for me in many ways.<br />
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But this kind of trauma is also not limited to one's own body alone. Every time I hear a story, my body recalls a memory, or simply plugs into the larger female pain body and experiences trauma, perhaps going back centuries to the days of burning witches and destroying Goddess temples. It connects to the trauma carried by my sisters in contexts of unthinkable domestic violence, marital rapes by their beastly husbands. Brutal gang rape and murder stories on the one end, all the way up to the chilling normalcy of a whole group of 18 guys in a gated community in Chennai regularly piercing into a tender womb and going back home to their roles as brothers, sons, fathers and husbands. The whole normalcy of this was so chilling that I couldn’t sleep or eat properly for a week.<br />
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Just before and during my bleeding every month is when this trauma manifests the most darkness in me leaving me with the dementors. Once I was working with my distressed helper who had borne three children out of marital rape. I almost found a caring community for her to move into, when she came home to tell me that she was pregnant again. She stopped coming to work and chose to stay with her abusive husband. It was my PMS time, and I went through so much rage and helplessness. I writhed in a piercing uterine pain for several days. I've progressively learnt to work with building a protective layer around me, the <i>kavacham</i>, to keep myself together, as sane and stable as possible, so I can be available for some healing work in this area. It’s not easy. It’s an ongoing work.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> So, have you ever shared your experiences with anyone as you went through them growing up?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Never. A few years later, my sister, who had her share of stories too, became my only confidante. When I was 23, I happened to spend a night with a few women friends somewhere, when we decided to share our stories. I was aghast to find out that every one of them had stories, and one of them had been raped when young and was sharing it with us for the first time ever. Up until then, I had thought I was one of the few girls who had the misfortune of having been through anything at all.<br />
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I grew up in a family, culture whose dominant narrative was "Women are the problem. Women need to stay modest and safe. If something happens, women need to learn to retreat and stay safer. Women’s liberation is the cause of much of our society breaking up." and so on. And so I had this huge fear that my already restricted freedom and mobility would be further restricted in the pretext of my personal safety.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> So, for all kinds of reasons, our women who have not spoken up, are now getting the space to do that.This #metoo movement is just what we needed!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Absolutely. It is such a huge relief to finally have the space where girls and women can feel safe to share their traumatic stories, to stop holding on to things that don't belong to them - shame, guilt, fear, to name the violators in hiding. It is about time we touched and expressed our <i>roudram</i> (rage), <i>bibhatsam</i> (disgust) and <i>veeryam</i> (courage). Now, having said this, I have some concerns about the #metoo movement.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>What concerns?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> If you don’t mind, I don’t want to talk about them at this point. I will bring them up at a later point in this dialogue. Ok?<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Ok. I’m curious though. But I shall wait. So, coming to the larger story, I can't make sense of why there is suddenly such an explosion of assault everywhere! It's literally EVERYWHERE! What might be the reason?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>I haven’t done any rigorous study of this phenomenon. But I’m going to share my strong intuition. It is the same reason why our glaciers are melting, forests are being felled, our coral reefs and whales are dying, plastic gyres in our oceans are expanding, our air, water and soil are getting poisoned at unprecedented rates. Our civilization has reached the peak of its insanity.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I understand how these can be metaphorical to raping Mother Earth. But beyond this, could there be a real correlation?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> In our march towards modernity, we have favoured the machine over people, outcomes over processes, math over languages, logic over the arts, intellect over intelligence, GDP over well-being, a mall over a forest, a parking lot over a grassland…<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br />⧭ </span>And?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> In essence, the masculine over the feminine. The feminine is the space of the wilderness, the unknown, the magical. Modernity feels threatened by wilderness. The masculine feels much safer with tamed manicured lawns. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Who_Run_with_the_Wolves"><b>Women who Run with the Wolves</b></a> powerfully explains how we, men and women alike, have disowned the wilderness within, to in turn explain our present-day civilisational crisis.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I notice that you are using the words 'masculine' and 'modern' interchangeably. Or was that an accident?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>Quite intentional. I would go on to say that modernity has successfully sold 'masculinisation' as the path towards emancipation to an entire race of males and female. <b><a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2013/03/letting-feminine-lead-way.html">I've written about it earlier here.</a> </b> And in our march towards modernity, we have ignored our primal needs. We have forgotten how to honour them and engage with them with sensitivity. Because we have ignored them, they are exploding uncontrollably all over the place screaming for our attention. How long can we keep them under cover?</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> What do you mean by 'primal needs'?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>They are our most primary needs as humans. Our needs for freedom, safety, security, nourishment, connection to Mother Earth and all life forms borne by her, including fellow humans. And most importantly, for our conversation, eros. Modern masculine ways have disproportionately focused on the mental faculty and has disregarded all our primary needs at the levels of the vital and physical.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Could you give some examples?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> The masculine's obsessive focus on the output, on "getting things done". Even in lovemaking, the obsessive focus on the orgasm and not on the loving connection. Look at our race's current ways all the way from giving birth to dying. We wear gloves, cut open wombs to remove babies, don't touch our babies unless we absolutely need to or ever let them run around naked. We want them to be independent much earlier than they are ready to be. We tell them it's not ok to cry, send them to factory schools, steep them in a cut-throat competitive lifestyle, model them like machines and call them successful. And we let our elderly die either lonely or plugged into some life-support systems. So entire generations’ primary needs are going unmet thus. Even girl children, in the name of empowerment, are sucked out of their essence and fed through the same process. The modern technological society has been hunting down and squeezing out all the feminine wherever it can find it. <br />
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Our primal need for loving human touch and skin-to-skin contact especially in the growing years, our need for intimacy and safety, our need to have a positive relationship with our bodies, our need for sensuous experience with nature - playing with sand, clay and water, enjoying the breeze on our face, the rich smells, tastes and textures of nature - all add up to a healthy sense of sensuality. It is heartening to see that of late, there is growing awareness about the importance of attachment parenting, healing our relationship with nature, rebuilding community and so on. And interestingly much of this work for our times are inspired by the ways of indigenous communities. Like Jean Liedloff spent 20 years with Yequana indigenous community in Venezuela to learn how they raised their children and wrote her classic <a href="http://www.continuum-concept.org/"><b>Continuum Concept</b></a>, which continues to inspire and change the child-rearing landscape across the world. If we want to survive as a race, we need to go learn from these experts how they honour and work with their primal energies. Charles Eisenstein’s <b><a href="https://charleseisenstein.net/essays/the-three-seeds/">Three Seeds</a> </b>talks about these communities as the third seed in a way that really speaks to me.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>I'm still waiting to hear something about eros.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Well, eros is basically life energy that rests at the base of our spine. It is simply there in every one of us. Our ancient cultures, especially Indian, has acknowledged and celebrated it for thousands of years. Paintings, sculptures, poetry, literature and entire treatises about eros including lovemaking by our Gods and Goddesses, have been an integral part of our cultural narrative. </div>
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Actually, many indigenous communities in India still have the practice of letting young men and women discover their sexuality within a certain set of norms. Like the <a href="https://htoindia.com/blog/ghotul-dance/"><b>Ghotul system</b></a> for instance. I once heard that the functional aspect of the practice of 'child marriage' in our country was that the boy and girl already had a partner that they had grown up with, when their sexual needs arose. It made sense to me! </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>This shocks me! You support child marriages?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>Why are you ready to jump at everything, for or against? Can we learn to step back and look at histories, contexts, both functional and dysfunctional aspects of things simultaneously? This is extremely important for a nuanced dialogue. Of course, I am against oppressive child marriages. And I'm not saying we need to start building Ghotuls across the country. GIVE ME A BREAK! I'm only trying to look at our culture's variety of practices which helped us engage with our eros. The same culture had ashrams, where brahmacharis were taught asana and pranayama to work with and channel their inner energies and urges. Our culture has experimented with an entire spectrum of practices! To add to the complexity, let me introduce you to a very beautifully and sensitively made movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balika_Badhu_(1976_film)"><b>Balika Badhu</b></a> that tells the story of a young girl and boy getting married. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> I agree I should have given you some benefit of doubt! But you see, topics like child-marriage are so charged that it's so hard to not react.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>Anyways, somewhere along the way, our culture was colonised and began sterilising everything. We now have a largely unhealthy relationship with our eros, as with all our other primal needs.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><br /></span><span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Now, what would be an unhealthy relationship with eros?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Either a pathological indulgence in it as a way of compensating for a lack of real love and intimacy. Or suppression. When psychologically immature men who naturally have very little sensitivity to the others, have grown up with a negative relationship with their own bodies because of a lack of adequate care and loving touch in their growing years, (or worse still experience of negative touch) have had no role models to learn about healthy boundaries, are placed in positions of structural power (as celebrities, managers, CEOs, priests or whatever), they are highly likely to violate the more vulnerable who are lower in these power structures. Ashok Malhotra’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Child-Man-Narcissist-Ashok-Malhotra/dp/0415589894"><b>Child Man: The Selfless Narcissist</b></a> has dealt with processes related to this. My teacher Raghu has beautifully explained the whole socio-psychological phenomenon in his article <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/yogic-response-sexual-violation-raghu-ananthanarayanan?trk=portfolio_article-card_title"><b>The yogic response to sexual violation.</b></a><br />
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Another way pathology builds up is by completely ignoring and denying the eros and sanitising one's life. Like in Buddhist monasteries, the Church, or the ashram of some self-proclaimed celibate Hindu godmen. Unless, one is a really evolved being (has worked through this in an earlier lifetime) and has a high level of integrity, advanced yogic practices to work with awareness to sublimate and channel this energy for higher purposes, one cannot simply bypass it. So much perverse sex goes on in these places because they might be breeding it unconsciously. All these perpetrators are also the victims in the larger story.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Sexual abusers are victims? I have heard that one before, but it is an unpopular view nevertheless, I must say.<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes, abusers being victims is an unacceptable thing when you look through the lens which sees ‘all of us as separate beings’. The old <a href="https://charleseisenstein.net/books/the-more-beautiful-world-our-hearts-know-is-possible/eng/separation/"><b>Story of Separation</b></a> as Charles calls it. This dominant story that most of us are lodged in has been making less and less sense to me over the years. The story I experience of all humans (to begin with) more and more is that we are like the cells of a larger organism, deeply interconnected. The new story I'd like to inhabit more and more is the <a href="https://charleseisenstein.net/books/the-more-beautiful-world-our-hearts-know-is-possible/eng/interbeing/"><b>Story of Interbeing.</b></a> This realisation is as ancient as the mountains. Mystics and shamans from traditions across the world have talked about it. You are welcome to take a short break and listen to this delightful rendering of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLQqWQW4S4s"><b>Brahmam Okate</b></a> where mystic Annamaya talks about this eternal truth in the simplest language. <br />
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In my experience of inter-beingness, I see violators as victims who need to be held in the collective field of compassion and healing.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Does that mean we let the wrong-doers go scot-free?<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />⧭ </span>Compassion doesn’t mean mushy gooey sweetness. Actually, compassion has nothing to do with behaviour at all. It is about feeling and telling the other "I completely understand your situation. We are in this journey together!" And out of this space of solidarity, the highest act of compassion to someone so blind and asleep could be to give them a hard slap, push them to the floor, handcuff them, put them in jail or whatever else, depending on their levels of pathology. But can it be done by holding oneself and the other within the field of compassion? Can we say "I'm in control. This cannot go on. I need to do what I need to do to stop this. Now can you wake up and see that you are hurting me AND yourself? It scars your own being when you scar another. Can you please see this? Were you carried and held as a child and taught to love yourself and your body? Growing up, did you have role models who honoured their and others boundaries? Were you truly loved? What is your story?” For someone remains an enemy only for as long as we do not know their story. I am reminded of an indigenous community which has the practice of gathering around the member of their tribe who has committed a crime, and showering her/him with all the positive things they have to say about them. They transform with love. We once again turn to these ancient peoples! </div>
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I'm reminded of a moving Academy-award winning film about a cold gangster, murderer <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4IdlUpnQQI"><b>Tsotsi</b></a> and his intense yearning for his mother's love and touch. Nandu's character in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aalavandhan"><b>Aalavandaan</b></a> (Abhay) deeply impacted me as well. His deep yearning for his mother's love and approval, the trauma and abandonment he faces as a child, the uncontrollable rage and severe pathology he develops is portrayed as an exaggerated story. Such 'wrong-doers' undoubtedly need to be put in solitary confinement behind strong iron bars for others (and their own) safety. But punishment is a whole different story. Punishment comes from a space of hatred. It's birth place is the old story of separation. It can only breed further hurt, feeding into and reinforcing the cycle of violence. What they need is healing. I would even go on to say that they are martyrs of a much larger largely-unrecognised process of detox at the level of the collective.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Hey, wait a minute! With some effort, I may be able to live with the idea of sexual abusers being victims. But calling them martyrs is a bit too much!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> I can explain if you are willing to journey with me and further see the world through the lens of inter-beingness. I'm reminded of Thich Nhat Hanh's poem <a href="http://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=2088"><b>Please call me by my true names.</b></a><br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Poem sounds profound. And yes, for the sake of exploration I'll journey with you. But I must admit that I can't yet fathom saying "I'm the pirate who raped the twelve-year old girl".<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Not easy, I agree.<br />
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I repeat. The seeds of Eros are in each of us. When we sow them in the right kind of soil (consciousness) with acknowledgment and celebration, they bloom and make us delightful beings, and then eventually mature and sublimate. When we sow them in the wrong kind of soil (indulge insensitively or addictively to compensate for a lack of self-love) they release toxins making us more and more pathological. When we abandon them without care (deny and suppress), they can get mouldy and spread another kind of cold withdrawn heaviness in our being, making us frozen, dull and depressed.<br />
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Now, as a thumb rule, whenever another's action shocks us and makes us feel “How could they do this? I can never imagine doing such a thing!” it’s a sign we may not have engaged with that part of ourselves enough. We have our shadows lurking somewhere too that needs attention. When we have worked with these seeds within ourselves, we know them so intimately, know both the best and the worst they are capable of. Compassion will arise as a consequence of this inner knowing.<br />
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Now, as a civilization, since we have not dealt with these seeds adequately, they have created a huge field of darkness, our collective shadow. We all have a share in it. Even those of us who might have dealt with it at our individual levels, need to own up to the collective shadow.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Why do those who have worked with it need to take ownership? By the way, you haven’t explained your use of the term ‘martyr’ yet!<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />⧭ </span>That is precisely part of the new story of all of us being expressions of the One consciousness. I have lived with a persistent eczema on my right ankle for over 15 years now. When it is hurting and oozing pus, my hands attend to it, my brain is looking for ways to deal with it, and numerous subtler actions are happening to deal with it across my internal system. For the eczema is but a manifestation of a release of toxins on behalf of my entire body and my ankle volunteered itself for the unpleasant task. It chose to give up its beautiful appearance, to be cursed and be frowned upon with disgust, to be the most hated part of my body for the longest time. But when I started seeing how it is actually being a channel for the toxins that belong to my body as a whole, including the most beautiful and attractive parts of it, I started feeling compassion for my ankle. It started healing too! That's how the term 'martyr' occurred to me. As individuated souls, I’m not saying that these abusers are consciously setting out to be martyrs. But they have allowed themselves to let the darkness channel and surface through them, to bring it to the collective’s attention at the risk of facing blame, shame, disgust and ostracisation, albeit unconsciously.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Everything cannot be attributed to the collective. What is the place of the individual here? Doesn't an individual 'choose' to act out his impulses?<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><br />⧭</span> I believe that we are both individuals with free will, and part of a collective, simultaneously. This concept of simultaneity is a complex one and needs a lot of psychological maturity to really understand. Ken Wilbur, who was inspired by Sri Aurobindo's Integral Theory <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integral_theory_(Ken_Wilber)"><b>has articulated it with most clarity.</b></a> Every cell is a whole, and part of a tissue SIMULTANEOUSLY. Every tissue is a whole, and part of an organ simultaneously, and so on.. So every individual is a whole and part of the collective simultaneously. All the way up to multiverses (made of several universes). Every concentric circle – from an atom to the cosmos – is a HOLON. In Gandhian terms, swaraj (self-rule) and sarvodaya (the rising of everyone) are interdependent. One cannot get fulfilled without the other.<br />
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The #metoo movement is helping us women come out, speak up and give up what does not belong to us. If we see the world through the old lens, where all of us are separate beings, we'd naturally talk about ‘giving it back’ to the abuser, naming and shaming him with hatred. But if I locate myself in the new consciousness of everyone as an expression of the same being, I put it out there for the collective to look at it as a mirror unto itself. <br />
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While I do this, I’d like to simultaneously hold the individual violator accountable for what he did. If I don't connect my loss and pain with my violator’s treatment (what is conventionally called justice) if I can separate the two without getting caught in the reaction of one to the other, then perhaps we can do what is most appropriate / best for both and move forward. Like the <a href="https://www.icenews.is/2017/02/08/rape-victim-and-rapist-reconcile-co-author-a-book-and-give-talks-video/"><b>story of a rapist and the raped</b></a> learning to confront, dialogue, heal and co-author a book. </div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> So, is this your concern you mentioned right at the beginning?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes, while it is good to see women come out and speak up, my concern is that we might cross the line into indulgence in our victimhood. In a culture that is not yet used to self-reflection, the victim location is a very habitual one, a comfortable one and can become quite tyrannising. Endlessly pointing at the other can end up imprisoning us. As women it is also important to see how we are also contributing to the problem.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> That definitely sounds like a regressive statement! I hope you don't mean that women wearing skimpy clothes revealing their cleavages, stepping out at night, etc. are causing the problem!!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Of course not. No way. But times are such that I personally choose to not do these in certain places for my own safety. But I'm not even meaning any of this right now.<br />
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To understand how women are contributing to the problem, let’s go back all the way to what I started with. We women are definitely colluding with a system that is hell-bent on masculinizing the feminine in the name of 'development' and 'progress'. We are colluding with a way of life that is either shutting out, scarring or vulgarising our primal being. It does all this by commodifying our primal universe. This includes all the gross ways of brokering sexual-favours, like the female lecturer who was recently caught trying to set up her students with men in power for good marks and high positions. And brutal mutilations of the genitals of young girls carried out by mothers and grandmothers, to prevent women from exploring their sexuality. But what I am talking about here is a more subtle, more insidious process of our modern development paradigm co-opting everything and making it into a commodity.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Including our primal needs?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>Totally! In fact, our primal needs are the most that the development monster encashes on. Charles explained it beautifully, so I’m just going to quote from his book here. <i>“Advertisers play on this all the time, selling sports cars as a substitute for freedom, junk food and soda as a substitute for excitement, “brands” as a substitute for social identity, and pretty much everything as a substitute for sex, itself a proxy for the intimacy that is so lacking in modern life. We might also see sports hero worship as a substitute for the expression of one’s own greatness, amusement parks as a substitute for the transcending of boundaries, pornography as a substitute for self-love, and overeating as a substitute for connection or the feeling of being present. What we really need is nearly unavailable in the lives that society offers us.”</i><br />
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Capitalism has found endless substitutes for all our authentic primal yearnings. With an enticing promise of filling our deep void, it keeps offering us things that absolutely cannot fill the void. And we believe in its story and keep thinking more and more of the same will do it. So, while I’m glad that the #metoo space has opened up, at some point after we have vented it all out sufficiently, we need to learn to transcend our own stories and open up to see the larger tapestry.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> What do you mean by 'transcending one's story’?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Here’s <a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2017/06/subbaraju.html"><b>my eulogy for Subbaraju</b></a>, a big inspiration in my life journey. Subba was born to a daily-wage labourer, got into IIT and graduated with the highest distinction, and yet chose to become a strong critic of the development paradigm, schooling and all, and walked his talk. He went to his village, set up and ran a beautiful ‘natural learning space’ for children, helped them fall in love with their village life, farming, bamboo craft with great joy. This is a radical act of transcendence considering that normally such “successful people” climb up the ladder further and further, come back to their villages, build schools and IIT coaching centres, and so on.. You know the trajectory. They are so enamored by their own "success" that they can’t see beyond it to understand how their good intentions are actually intensifying poverty. Like <a href="http://www.jyothireddy.com/story.php"><b>Jyoti Reddy’s story</b></a> which once went viral as an example for women’s empowerment. A moving story indeed, but the likes of JR are still caught up in their own stories further suppressing the feminine principle. I’m not saying it’s easy to transcend one’s personal story in order to see the big picture. That is why, stories of the likes of Subbaraju are extremely rare and need to be told.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><br />⧭ </span>So, from what you are saying, it seems to me like indigenous communities, ancient India all had a very good understanding of our primal universe and knew how to work with it. So, would it be right to say that we have been regressing as a race?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> No, I think it’s all part of a certain progression!<br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>What???!!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Yes, and I can speak from my own personal experience here. I thought I was progressing and evolving spiritually and was well on my way to ‘enlightenment’ as they call it. In the chakra-language, I was progressing to fully inhabit the Vishuddhi chakra, which is all about realising inter-beingness, co-creation, etc. I signed up to participate in <a href="https://ritambhara.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/The-Nayikas-Quest-Brochure-latest.pdf"><b>Ritambhara’s ‘Nayika’s Quest’ workshop</b></a> facilitated by my teachers Raghu and Sashi. It was about experientially exploring the universes of the different chakras. As I explored the Vishuddhi chakra, I experienced a powerful pull from the Mooladhara chakra (the primal universe), and touched intense narcissism. Deep narcissistic hurt that I hadn’t worked through enough became visceral for me. I was shaken. It unleashed a year-long process where I went through months and months of such intense fears of abandonment, jealousies of all kinds, need for attention and appreciation, shame from all these and what not. Thankfully I had enough support from my sangha to stay with and work through these, and come out of the other side of this pretty dark phase.<br />
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Having had this insight into myself, and since I believe that we are all holons, I’m comfortable extrapolating this to the larger culture. The higher our collective aspirations rise, the more we evolve, the closer we come to the light, the darker our shadows become. The darker our shadows become, the harder it becomes to hide them. Read Charles’s <b><a href="https://charleseisenstein.net/essays/the-lid-is-off/">The Lid is Off</a>.</b> It is like, God or that Higher Self gives us the most difficult questions to answer at the threshold of the breakthrough. Dealing with the darkest shadows is like the rite of passage onto another spiritual realm. So, our journey through patriarchy (or patricentricism as Ashok Malhotra calls it) is essentially a forward movement. As a race, we needed to work through them is at least what I believe.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> So, you don’t think modernity, patriarchy, etc. were mistakes?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Well, there are narratives that consider them so. I deeply resonate with Sri Aurobindo’s narrative, which looks at all of these as part of a forward movement. Inspired by Sri Aurobindo, Ken Wilbur has talked about all these in the first part of his <b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40363634-a-brief-history-of-everything">Brief History of Everything</a>,</b> in a way that really spoke to me. Of course I cannot speak in an absolute sense. This is just my narrative. I believe that we needed to learn our lessons through individuation, separation which was aided by modernisation, patriarchy, masculinization and the like, and come back to union WITH ALL THAT KNOWING. Evolving in our consciousness means learning to acknowledge, befriend, sing, dance and play with our primal beings and INTEGRATE them with the rest of our being. And like Charles explains in his essay, in order to do this, with all our humility, reach out to, seek the help of, and learn (or remember) from the <a href="https://charleseisenstein.net/essays/the-three-seeds/"><b>Three Seeds</b></a> that opted out of the journey of separation.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Do you have a metaphor from our culture?</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>I'm sure there are many. But I can talk about one that I've drawn power from over the past year for my own inner work. The demon Mahishasura's penance to God Agni led to his being entitled to a boon. He asked for immortality. This, being against the law of nature, was denied to him. So, he chose the next best one "No man can kill me. Only a woman." thinking of it as an impossibility. When all the Gods failed at subduing Mahisha, they turned to the Goddess who fiercely fought with him, subdued / slayed him. Regularly reciting the <a href="http://www.greenmesg.org/stotras/durga/mahishasura_mardini_stotram.php"><b>Mahishasura Mardhini Stotram</b></a> over the past year invoking the power of my inner Goddess, I believe, helped me with my own inner demons and shadows. Interestingly, I spent a few days last year immersed in the Devi Mahatmyam and found it to be one of the most erotic poetry I have ever read! So, Devi is simultaneously beautiful, sensuous, compassionate and fierceful (because she also merges with Shiva) all at the same time. Just who we need to turn to as a race.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Like all essays and interviews, how about we end this one with ‘What’s the way forward in more specific terms’? <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> I am reminded of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDBWoV_hA0"><b>Truth and Reconciliation Commission in post-apartheid South Africa</b>,</a> which was a bold and radical attempt at reconciliation and restoration, rather than justice. A space like that held with strength and empathy for violators to admit that ‘they did it’, express remorse and ask for forgiveness, inspires me. But it needs someone as wise and strong as Desmond Tutu, whose warrior was also his healer. A powerful movie is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Man_Walking_(film)"><b>Dead Man Walking</b></a>, which is about a rapist-murderer who is sentenced to death, whose inner world transforms at the end. This is also based on a real-life story which was written as a book by Sister Helen Prejean. </div>
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Otherwise, I can come up with a long list of things we can do to honor, celebrate and integrate our primal universe.<br />
* Bring greater awareness into our own disowned and disconnected primal beings.<br />
* Offer and ask for touch that awakens the spirit rather than indulges the flesh.<br />
* Let our children run around naked and learn to love their bodies without shame.<br />
* Listen to our little teenagers share their stories of their first love and attraction with curiosity and acceptance, empower them to engage with their eros responsibly. </div>
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* Spend time with sunrise and sunset, enjoy the gentle breeze on our faces, sleep under the starlit sky, connect to the moon cycles.</div>
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* Use more essential oils and fragrant herbs.</div>
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* Stop mowing our lawns, enjoy the wild flowers and quite literally welcome wilderness into our lives<br />
* Learn asana - pranayama or any other eastern body-breath practice, to learn to work with and channel our prana, our internal energies.<br />
* Build mindfulness in our actions through the day.<br />
* Treat our bodies like temples, bring awareness into our addictive eating habits, introduce juicy, tasty and nourishing foods.<br />
* Turn off our screens and spend time with other people in authentic spaces.<br />
* Cry, sing, dance together. Paint, write poetry in solitude.<br />
* As women, express gratitude as our blood parts with us every month.<br />
* Sweat out in labour of love. Work with the soil. Infuse every act with the unique song of our souls. </div>
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* Bring more awareness into our consumption patterns - whether stuff, or art, or music, or sex, or information, or whatever.<br />
* Shut down factory schools, and replace them with real learning communities.<br />
* Live a rasaatmik, juicy life.<br />
* Learn to make love without focusing on the orgasm, instead feeling the heart connection.</div>
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Basically, explore all possible ways to better integrate the feminine with our strong masculine, and aspire to realise the <i>Ardhanarishwara</i>.</div>
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<span style="color: red;">⧭ </span>Going by whatever you have shared so far, I'm guessing that you unconditionally support the SC verdict on the Sabarimala issue.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>No, I do not. But that's for another dialogue. Unlike this one, I need to do better homework on facts and histories to come up with some robust content.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><br />⧭</span> Phew! That's a lot of stuff to chew on from one interview - concepts, experiences, essays, books, movies all inclusive I mean!<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭ </span>Thank you for your patient listening and for deciding to 'chew on' rather than 'swallow wholesale' whatever I have shared. All of what I have shared is my perspective. I could be wrong. But I normally tend to take seriously, <b><a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.com/2008/09/knowing.html">what I know in my index finger</a>.</b><br />
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<span style="color: red;">⧭</span> Know in your index finger?<br />
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<span style="color: blue;">⧭</span> Click on the link and you’ll know. Bye! :)</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-78566140010049755792017-08-23T21:14:00.000-07:002017-08-23T21:14:17.285-07:00Mathematics, Mythology & Mindfulness Meet<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;">One hot Sunday afternoon, Isha was throwing around a crazy ball at home, and a conversation started about the nice pattern it made with its each bounce. Rajeev being a big fan of Mathematics, started talking about the relationship between the different heights, each being half of the previous height.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SPvk0HlYnSNj00LiGvNvfy0VQJS1HtD9ikVdBaIVdnhfgQBaLjtckbj4j20XrBRNCuSw3hElqhIIWCodDRKNXrc4s1Nd8OsdllkjE2pojdhxzUEWZu0lWcyEEe7ioNGL4GjXY-wk3ho/s1600/ball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="176" data-original-width="287" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3SPvk0HlYnSNj00LiGvNvfy0VQJS1HtD9ikVdBaIVdnhfgQBaLjtckbj4j20XrBRNCuSw3hElqhIIWCodDRKNXrc4s1Nd8OsdllkjE2pojdhxzUEWZu0lWcyEEe7ioNGL4GjXY-wk3ho/s200/ball.jpg" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprex8MtvTpukP8c222w1eD6WktM7u_2tvMWzn-axY8JUCThEaUZKWeVhSbMOZhi_d65yjYkpKWVPuUykeLcKtWjF4tJtJodaH0YIKYv4i5Maez8mrUgc4lo7Emq-zI-6TuQ4Ry0Qd39w/s1600/bounce.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="217" data-original-width="293" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgprex8MtvTpukP8c222w1eD6WktM7u_2tvMWzn-axY8JUCThEaUZKWeVhSbMOZhi_d65yjYkpKWVPuUykeLcKtWjF4tJtJodaH0YIKYv4i5Maez8mrUgc4lo7Emq-zI-6TuQ4Ry0Qd39w/s200/bounce.png" width="200" /></a></div>
And this conversation led to a story about 'Krishna and Payasam'. <br />
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There was once a King who was very fond of chess. Over time, he became quite good at it and started winning competitively (by sheer merit and not from sycophancy). For the thrill of it, he started playing the game with prize monies. He was fair too. If he won, the opponents gave him a coin or two or some fruit or vegetable from their garden. If the opponent won, he rewarded them with gold!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF97vr-sxdX5IsIgyKx5VT0Rvx8PhmvQkmaKmOvpcEsFAFzHTL9z5gnyDKUDbf6zP9Wq6vGc39RoKPjIopu7B8X8mAFAIrRloLrnaK6Y7miH7j5CafgI0xO1jDV28iqTQOJSjPjdTtrA/s1600/Krishna_Playing_Chess.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="254" data-original-width="410" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzF97vr-sxdX5IsIgyKx5VT0Rvx8PhmvQkmaKmOvpcEsFAFzHTL9z5gnyDKUDbf6zP9Wq6vGc39RoKPjIopu7B8X8mAFAIrRloLrnaK6Y7miH7j5CafgI0xO1jDV28iqTQOJSjPjdTtrA/s320/Krishna_Playing_Chess.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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One day, an old man came to the palace and challenged the King to a game of chess. The king readily agreed. The old man, of course, beat the King. The King asked him, “What would you like for prize money?'. The old man said, “Just give me some rice so I needn’t worry about food for what’s left of my time here". The King felt quite insulted and said, “You’ve done what only a few have been able to and when others ask me for gold and land, all you want is rice!! Ask for something else.” But the old man was insistent. The king finally relented and said, “All right! How much rice would you like?” The old man said “O King! Just place the rice grains on the chess board using the following arrangement: 1 grain on the first square, 2 on the second, 4 on the third, 8 on the fourth and so on doubling the number of grains for each subsequent square"<br />
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The king described this arrangement to the head of the granary and asked him to get a bag of the best rice in the kingdom. Now the granarian obviously had a knack for numbers and a few minutes after he heard about the arrangement, quietly said, “O King! Am afraid you won’t be able to keep your word”. The King was puzzled and furious, “How’s that even possible? All this old man wants is a few grains of rice!” The granarian drew a chess board and explained, “The number of grains on the nth square is 2^(n-1). So for the last square alone, the number of grains is 2^63 and the total number of grains would be 264-1=18.44*1018<br />
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A grain of rice weighs about 25 milligrams or .025 grams. So 18.44*1018 grains of rice weigh<br />
(18.44*1018)*(.025 grams)=4.612*1017 grams or 461 billion metric tons. (At 2016 worldwide rice production levels, this would take a 100 years!)</div>
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The silence was palpable and the King, needless to say, was shocked. The King turned to look at the old man who with a mischievous smile revealed his true identity - it turned out to be none other Lord Krishna, “Don’t worry, O King! You and your kingdom can pay this debt over time”. And thus began the tradition of offering rice payasam to Krishna.<br />
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We then sat down as a family with Kullakkar red rice and decided to try this out ourselves. We then spent a whole hour (in complete silence) doing a spiral arrangement using a simple doubling rule. 1 grain at the centre, 2 next to it, 4 after that and so on. After the 5th square, we started counting in fives, learnt to count fives in different ways and thus went until the 11th square. A practice in mindfulness and fine-motor skills as we picked and place each grain carefully. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXx2bcu5zpgtkLCXbziIiyTRhfOhIqpeB8Me7PNV-1LP3qp9k-nJKaLD8RzMuMl1ljM6FGkkRllqoaoxP7TJKVJKaqvizsdolfGZntLmn_o3pmCOXLeV5KSVGtK9shjYxiWWxz7DOZnE/s1600/rice-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXx2bcu5zpgtkLCXbziIiyTRhfOhIqpeB8Me7PNV-1LP3qp9k-nJKaLD8RzMuMl1ljM6FGkkRllqoaoxP7TJKVJKaqvizsdolfGZntLmn_o3pmCOXLeV5KSVGtK9shjYxiWWxz7DOZnE/s200/rice-1.jpg" width="112" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx3bup41hfX3LH_pWnnmB_Mc_4SXU4fxrk97JDsmqirM04XijCSNRNt-AYF5AZthDloZ6bGL8RpOCF087aUgkyijEJyFSylOr2uqM81YfvoMbjhF9xqZOINaYRFSq8pJEExTc0D_LI64/s1600/rice-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYx3bup41hfX3LH_pWnnmB_Mc_4SXU4fxrk97JDsmqirM04XijCSNRNt-AYF5AZthDloZ6bGL8RpOCF087aUgkyijEJyFSylOr2uqM81YfvoMbjhF9xqZOINaYRFSq8pJEExTc0D_LI64/s200/rice-3.jpg" width="112" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3d9txkZTPsEct25vqEq38expeq-agkT0gV3pkBODWMChI-PppQI8MPw1JTrD1Oaw2ldQcfNlTXg9RPt-v-L1WNd7BUz2DcsbQYs-2NSj-8udP3GCpbtnunxzvx30nGprtYpP2HJ8R2c/s1600/rice-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-3d9txkZTPsEct25vqEq38expeq-agkT0gV3pkBODWMChI-PppQI8MPw1JTrD1Oaw2ldQcfNlTXg9RPt-v-L1WNd7BUz2DcsbQYs-2NSj-8udP3GCpbtnunxzvx30nGprtYpP2HJ8R2c/s200/rice-2.jpg" width="112" /></a></div>
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It was quite fascinating to experience Mathematics, Mythology and Mindfulness meet so spontaneously!</div>
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<u>Credits:</u></div>
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Story paraphrased by Rajeev from www.singularitysymposium.com/exponential-growth.html<br />
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Some of the weight calculations were taken from www.wyzant.com/resources/blogs/291843/the_classic_chessboard_problem</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-91298127714614582742017-08-23T21:11:00.001-07:002017-08-23T21:11:17.428-07:00Seeing Indian Mythology through a child's eyes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
One of my primary partners in my exploration of 'What is India?' is Isha. Because, at one level, I am really starting from scratch. And it's also very small attempt to expose kids of her generation who are deprived of growing up with the 'real India' and her riches. We have many more miles to go!<br />
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One of the things we do together is to see / read stories of the different Gods and Goddesses on youtube and Amar Chitra Katha. As we do this, she makes her innocent observations, asks her simple and basic questions. Like Tenali Rama asked Kali how she managed if she caught a cold, constantly wiping off her thousand noses! (Lots of giggles! :)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9Y6NCytJLh_-JS6HEyVGfDtclzYcQOMgO3cVWWEIyWSbaNat5b5KZ-Hp_-drM-_IV6qJvWzLd2ZZ1aTgGHyj7nJTuLq0ca9jugPrf4k7szl4eIWUHLqEZASo4vL-on44O1G1kJll3e8/s1600/mahishasura_mardini_durga_pf92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="383" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM9Y6NCytJLh_-JS6HEyVGfDtclzYcQOMgO3cVWWEIyWSbaNat5b5KZ-Hp_-drM-_IV6qJvWzLd2ZZ1aTgGHyj7nJTuLq0ca9jugPrf4k7szl4eIWUHLqEZASo4vL-on44O1G1kJll3e8/s320/mahishasura_mardini_durga_pf92.jpg" width="219" /></a>One of our favourite stories is that of Devi slaying Mahisasura. We have seen and read different versions. In one, Devi slays Mahisa. In another, she subdues and transforms him into Yama's vehicle. What all else could Devi do with the terrible Mahisa? 'If Devi is the most powerful, why would it take her 10 days to control Mahisa? How is it that she is so calm and peaceful while slaying the asura?' And we both indulge in wonderment together! And more than anything, we both learn to keep collecting and staying with all our questions, an important learning I realise as a grown up.<br />
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And this journey continues beyond the stories we see and read. Every evening for around one mandala (40 days) we have been lighting the evening lamp, and playing and singing along 'Mahishasuramardini Stotram' and the 'Hanuman Chalisa'. I combine my practice of reading the Devanagari script and learning Sanskrit vocabulary and grammar alongside. By now, she has learnt to recite along the entire stotram. One evening she said 'Today you sing, and I will dance.' and went ahead with a full-on performance of the story with <i>abhinaya</i>! And now, this has become our new routine for the past four days. Of course, I am not supposed to watch her dance. It is her personal thing. :) </div>
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And then we are waiting to delve into the stories Shumbha and Nishumbha and all the other Asuras that we sing about.</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-28789353987773272272017-08-23T21:03:00.002-07:002017-08-23T21:03:28.524-07:00Indian Mythology: A Beginner's Note<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Until recently, I didn't care much for Indian Mythology due to many reasons. One: I didn't grow up listening to any stories from grandparents or relatives, or in school. My first and only exposure was Ramanand Sagar's & Ravi Chopra's versions on the TV, which I didn't follow much either. Two: As I grew up, waking up to the world crisis, I didn't think it had anything useful to offer in saving us from wars, oppression, toxins or climate change. Three: There were a lot of triggers in them for me, usually gender-based. And then I had this idea that the perfectly-shaped human forms adorned with jewels, etc. attributed to Gods and Goddesses were born out of our own obsession with our petty human stories and our insignificant forms, and had nothing to with the powerful energies around and within us!<div>
<br />Thanks to a radically fresh introduction to mythology with our yoga teachers over the past few years, I started taking another look at it recently. I'm riveted to the fascinating stories including the Mahabharatha by Kamala Subramanian. And through what I've heard of the Mahabharatha Immersion offering by Ritambhara, which I myself am yet to experience. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV0IjIEnvvfVHtMSZ8xVE09LBlU44kW4-m6wigq8T9jiS2SCmGK3M4O2XJ89c5njji9XUObTXl8KQmha5UydAI18qE3srG049A9AhvF3hVICsH3AEwqL73O7B0flJDd1gMjHRWvrdkos/s1600/249877-draupadi-krishna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="700" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPV0IjIEnvvfVHtMSZ8xVE09LBlU44kW4-m6wigq8T9jiS2SCmGK3M4O2XJ89c5njji9XUObTXl8KQmha5UydAI18qE3srG049A9AhvF3hVICsH3AEwqL73O7B0flJDd1gMjHRWvrdkos/s400/249877-draupadi-krishna.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NZvCaSnHusNsG639yjaRL6qB_T8-6iHirAmmi8v_Cmr0sJTBMHmSfJmAefQWmIT5gbEJn2NJGGrXYL4HsXpoATyTz-2sgArKzR8rmimzVrsUUXLWuvQ9vuNeQcPwi9jSitiJ-AHcZQg/s1600/joseph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="212" data-original-width="238" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NZvCaSnHusNsG639yjaRL6qB_T8-6iHirAmmi8v_Cmr0sJTBMHmSfJmAefQWmIT5gbEJn2NJGGrXYL4HsXpoATyTz-2sgArKzR8rmimzVrsUUXLWuvQ9vuNeQcPwi9jSitiJ-AHcZQg/s200/joseph.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="text-align: start;">Reading and listening to Joseph Campbell, his fascination for mythology, Indian Mythology in particular and for the 'mystery of life' in general has been contagious! I'm sitting on a whole pile of his films to watch and his books to read! With all of this, I realised that seeing </span>Indian mythology with a modern / schooled mind is like watching a 3-D film without the 3-D glasses on. One not only fails to see the depth in it, but is also likely to comment that it is a badly made film! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaQ_ATzVvX-GepViD2m0ARDYmwyj0lzJ7PsgChOcp0d4CfdlEOWIm76WJ4vnSnvrUaF82HKr60t2BJl0ANZBoWRMABIEH4zOSXp6HTRwmbkf1r8dd7u1sew5zOw88XSHvDAnR06uJm_E/s1600/planet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLaQ_ATzVvX-GepViD2m0ARDYmwyj0lzJ7PsgChOcp0d4CfdlEOWIm76WJ4vnSnvrUaF82HKr60t2BJl0ANZBoWRMABIEH4zOSXp6HTRwmbkf1r8dd7u1sew5zOw88XSHvDAnR06uJm_E/s200/planet.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-UfNkDgu5hkg7UJavuGbh64ZhX7toBtvx_sBuJQeds-WpVg-LV7LM_0r4biXj8EtWyhNs4jc5o_yYbrEZZUqTYp83HoUOWZyYJMBsHtHtvgah15az0ve2vlMz8Qgl2yrMdvaSQvwxI4/s1600/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-UfNkDgu5hkg7UJavuGbh64ZhX7toBtvx_sBuJQeds-WpVg-LV7LM_0r4biXj8EtWyhNs4jc5o_yYbrEZZUqTYp83HoUOWZyYJMBsHtHtvgah15az0ve2vlMz8Qgl2yrMdvaSQvwxI4/s1600/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8-UfNkDgu5hkg7UJavuGbh64ZhX7toBtvx_sBuJQeds-WpVg-LV7LM_0r4biXj8EtWyhNs4jc5o_yYbrEZZUqTYp83HoUOWZyYJMBsHtHtvgah15az0ve2vlMz8Qgl2yrMdvaSQvwxI4/s1600/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><div>
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In an interview Campbell says: <i>'Myths and dreams come from the same place. They come from realisations of the same kind that have then to find expression in a symbolic form. The only myth that we're going to be thinking about in the immediate future is the one that is talking about the planet - not this city, not these people, but the planet and everybody on it. What one would need to deal with is what all myths have dealt with. The maturation of the individual. The pedagogical way to follow from dependency to adulthood to maturity and then to the exit. And how to do it. And then how to relate to this society. And how to relate this society to the world of nature and the cosmos. That's what the myths have all talked about. That's what this one's got to talk about. But the society it's got to talk about is the 'society of the planet'. And until that gets going, you don't have anything.'</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleitLd4Vi0mA8WDUAPo1IDB5JkuaLG8xbc7u5A6yDAc4lS5j0wd8o4azCYyUV2FwcXq6tgxPpzpUd_0d2Fsrj_r9NJ1tDSGUSsmPDSn8-Fl0ggyQOdPz7J1Qlms0_aIrQs5hysy7o00k/s1600/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="630" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleitLd4Vi0mA8WDUAPo1IDB5JkuaLG8xbc7u5A6yDAc4lS5j0wd8o4azCYyUV2FwcXq6tgxPpzpUd_0d2Fsrj_r9NJ1tDSGUSsmPDSn8-Fl0ggyQOdPz7J1Qlms0_aIrQs5hysy7o00k/s200/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" width="200" /></a>In the words of Peace Pilgrim: <i>'What we suffer from in this world is immaturity... In their immaturity people want, at the same time, peace and the things which make war. However, people can mature just as children grow up.'</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjleitLd4Vi0mA8WDUAPo1IDB5JkuaLG8xbc7u5A6yDAc4lS5j0wd8o4azCYyUV2FwcXq6tgxPpzpUd_0d2Fsrj_r9NJ1tDSGUSsmPDSn8-Fl0ggyQOdPz7J1Qlms0_aIrQs5hysy7o00k/s1600/Peace-Pilgrim-walking-v2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a>We are running out of time. The purely rational is hitting its limits bumping against walls on all its sides. It is approaching bankruptcy in its attempt to deliver humanity, save the few (or many) small improvements it is capable of. We now need to dive straight into the collective subconscious / unconscious and unleash all the stuff and work with it. And mythology has one of the important keys to undertake this task. </div>
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Like I have written in an earlier post on <a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.in/search?q=vision+of+yoga"><b>Vision of Yoga</b></a>, I believe that as more and more individuals mature, consciousness will shift up the spiral and will become visible to our human minds and eyes as social change. And hence my interest in / study of mythology. Not as an intellectual exercise or a scholarly pursuit, but as a whole-being endeavour.</div>
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To begin with, here's a TEDx talk by Raghu Ananthanarayanan based on the Mahabharatha.<br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWP0OMXYcwk"><b>Mahabharata, a mirror to the self</b></a><br /><br />Stay tuned for more...</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-46651004739076564492017-06-11T00:37:00.002-07:002018-11-12T23:28:39.824-08:00Subbaraju<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5C9NRkwxRYAC1gDgEEEmstLB4TkzV2Qm6fTAfYYY095UIDsGIZMWbQkcvihzV5X5krNSC9Tphc6_3hmaqzcXqwupTnFVx_m23Bi0sep_9dm0RpAhSM2qciOguDkQv9wbt5NLiLYM3sg/s1600/Subba+Raju1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT5C9NRkwxRYAC1gDgEEEmstLB4TkzV2Qm6fTAfYYY095UIDsGIZMWbQkcvihzV5X5krNSC9Tphc6_3hmaqzcXqwupTnFVx_m23Bi0sep_9dm0RpAhSM2qciOguDkQv9wbt5NLiLYM3sg/s200/Subba+Raju1.jpg" /></a></div>
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To learn of the sudden passing on of Subbaraju last month, came as a huge shock to me! A brilliant, passionate, gentle and humble soul I must write about.<br />
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I first met Subbaraju in the early 2000s during my exploratory travels across India in a community called <a href="http://www.timbaktu.org/">Timbaktu Collective in Anantapur, AP</a>. It was a time when I was very young in my understanding of 'natural learning'. And that first simple and yet profound conversation with Subba made a lasting impression on me. His fascination for the story of Totto-Chan (which he introduced me to) showed his deep love for freedom. His humility and willingness to engage in simple honest conversations kept drawing me to him since that day. He also introduced me to John Holt and advised me to read them if I wanted to understand children, learning and freedom. Every time I visited Timbaktu after that, I would make sure I had at least one long conversation with him, sharing insights from my own journey thus far.<br />
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Subba was born in Tirupati to a poor farmer-turned-daily wage labourer who died when Subba was merely five. He was academically bright and made his way into IIT-Madras purely through merit, and completed his B.Tech in Civil Engineering there. He then went to IIT-Bombay where he completed his PhD in Energy Systems Engineering with a 'Best Thesis' award.<br />
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Soon after this, his search for life's meaning and purpose led him to question things and also recognise his love for working with children and working with the soil, plants and trees. Among many things, his search led him to the discovery of two simple and profound books (yes, just like his own personality!) <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totto-Chan:_The_Little_Girl_at_the_Window">Totto-Chan</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTvYh8ar3tc">The Man who Planted Trees</a>. With whatever money he had, he used to photocopy and distribute them among friends. Along the way, Subba identified and joined the Timbaktu community and began working with the children of families from poverty-stricken villages. An alternative-school was one thing. But his real passion shone through the Children's Centre that he had lovingly created.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasjUAY5EoPhSfTLqVVx-m5tlGGR7pWGatjbDHROxRsp8-DglAym9814cEQefS3IhaZO1qi5fC8xxQzENRdQR0jCkLeQEo2xhy9oofGUGtGTSXiwlFEPAtHuTuvtKWh51nmMZWm4wow5o/s1600/Subba+Raju.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasjUAY5EoPhSfTLqVVx-m5tlGGR7pWGatjbDHROxRsp8-DglAym9814cEQefS3IhaZO1qi5fC8xxQzENRdQR0jCkLeQEo2xhy9oofGUGtGTSXiwlFEPAtHuTuvtKWh51nmMZWm4wow5o/s320/Subba+Raju.JPG" /></a></div>
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“Lots of open area, play equipment (like swings and slides), a library of books, lots of games, simple equipment to try out Science experiments, materials like bamboo and clay, tools to work with and a caring adult to watch over and guide gently: create a space with all these, let the children be and watch what happens. After all these years of experience, I can say that this is all we need for a good place of learning for children.” he always said.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilv2Jl4dMgIWs5iCpimj4zEfH3yINaF06jxj2uewrjCVsT05nykn36BR-QUnkbKH-mktWSqrbz3-dWTEIhCyItsoBai56B-w-Sl53p52f0pcoBc2isHYeBc7AUqUXbGLYTNIGTqWHNPnM/s1600/subba8.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilv2Jl4dMgIWs5iCpimj4zEfH3yINaF06jxj2uewrjCVsT05nykn36BR-QUnkbKH-mktWSqrbz3-dWTEIhCyItsoBai56B-w-Sl53p52f0pcoBc2isHYeBc7AUqUXbGLYTNIGTqWHNPnM/s200/subba8.JPG" /></a></div>
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Subba had carefully collected a large numbers of the best children books in both English and Telugu, and knew each story and book intimately. Working with bamboo was another passion of his, because of which so many children have learnt to skillfully make furniture, lamps and other articles of daily use. More than anything, one could see the children there were free and happy, two things Subba held very close to his heart.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUTWZUrh5z0bwusJO8pHGPl6mHiHiKdf7tnvzZJpylPeFCYUxokfOBRs2geLwqW6KL0VRfO6t8ePL5hqD3I52NaeRp00cDJ86e_1owjp0EJjFso3rbFSruHszL4BooVxfu9z7z2GcrZg/s1600/subba-children1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwUTWZUrh5z0bwusJO8pHGPl6mHiHiKdf7tnvzZJpylPeFCYUxokfOBRs2geLwqW6KL0VRfO6t8ePL5hqD3I52NaeRp00cDJ86e_1owjp0EJjFso3rbFSruHszL4BooVxfu9z7z2GcrZg/s200/subba-children1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkJKQtm2nyWBbLhNHBsC2W6_HZGIWA2RCN_hmVQEV0Ck-Gy5zwDQLhHjvcKA20iysiS0-yvMfa8Rowr9RRF2a2pE9IWItFF6suqPejK5XODwka3WX2WmMt6OoZZWZjqLMLJJUeMVLy9Y/s1600/subba-children.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWkJKQtm2nyWBbLhNHBsC2W6_HZGIWA2RCN_hmVQEV0Ck-Gy5zwDQLhHjvcKA20iysiS0-yvMfa8Rowr9RRF2a2pE9IWItFF6suqPejK5XODwka3WX2WmMt6OoZZWZjqLMLJJUeMVLy9Y/s200/subba-children.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Also in his own words: “It is important to keep some time and space for children’s interest in land and animals if agriculture is to gain respectability, if traditional arts, crafts and skills are to get respectability. We want these things to get a respectable position in the minds of the people. We think doing well in the mainstream is very simple, it is just a matter of following certain directions – and one can do very well. On the other hand, what children do [at his learning centre] is way beyond following certain instructions and directions – they create their learning paths.”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuxDBoSy6IBk7MzXP4Ul-H1eA0wau5fUaWywffXGzUgy7jidWqwCbp6QsIoQc3bcCh5nJfEFsXFfCacfVO418ZgJqhbxLqtvOrKob-kreRKKHr6tsK8d2zHrKyKbdBVPQ4mCxfzR41Bk/s1600/Subba+Raju2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQuxDBoSy6IBk7MzXP4Ul-H1eA0wau5fUaWywffXGzUgy7jidWqwCbp6QsIoQc3bcCh5nJfEFsXFfCacfVO418ZgJqhbxLqtvOrKob-kreRKKHr6tsK8d2zHrKyKbdBVPQ4mCxfzR41Bk/s200/Subba+Raju2.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf82yckilZWKpMoariU179r-X_3qP77zpOdnUD5HugZQvIeLDjwDiotfejXOppqCfl8VYvDGtRuP34QNCAQ2W75ymSukk_Z1lmIteFob3d3CKUmPHuYxl0O1-pJpoyl5emRQIFinhnymI/s1600/Subba4.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf82yckilZWKpMoariU179r-X_3qP77zpOdnUD5HugZQvIeLDjwDiotfejXOppqCfl8VYvDGtRuP34QNCAQ2W75ymSukk_Z1lmIteFob3d3CKUmPHuYxl0O1-pJpoyl5emRQIFinhnymI/s200/Subba4.JPG" /></a></div>
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During my last visit to Timbaktu two years ago, I got to visit Subba's house for the first time. He had stopped working at the school for various reasons. And with all the time he then had, he had created a stunning edible home garden – clearly one of the densest and best I've ever seen - edible greens, fruit trees and creepers, vegetable plants, cherri tomatoes, passion fruits and numerous other herbs and plants along every possible wall and in every possible corner.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJtELZsX7mLkOSp0n4ne4_OtqLfMM9KPiKG2MzClTNa2yUWFEVLA7DZ1nUlPd6NEaozrITMPoW4zHrdi4fFdvTyqkeDOB88XZ_EvSNoXckV-GVFcgtGkjleJ26WW5sEe9PPsm80DozuY/s1600/Subba1.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJtELZsX7mLkOSp0n4ne4_OtqLfMM9KPiKG2MzClTNa2yUWFEVLA7DZ1nUlPd6NEaozrITMPoW4zHrdi4fFdvTyqkeDOB88XZ_EvSNoXckV-GVFcgtGkjleJ26WW5sEe9PPsm80DozuY/s200/Subba1.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMrXfwy15nAOEP9LzWhdYfSb_IH2SvRcx2t7NYCORND6sAYUdsjSIarA14YissvPwa-_sxA7aSZLVfF4yzZydiZaJC8syJh5nvjeGxTsB9uRzkg15GOM13BnDe4dVa6EGbv1E5FUbqLE/s1600/Subba2.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMrXfwy15nAOEP9LzWhdYfSb_IH2SvRcx2t7NYCORND6sAYUdsjSIarA14YissvPwa-_sxA7aSZLVfF4yzZydiZaJC8syJh5nvjeGxTsB9uRzkg15GOM13BnDe4dVa6EGbv1E5FUbqLE/s200/Subba2.jpg" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y5ixn7C3gixmo_cjXC6-30BJpADJGnEhS164xWBrIws7la38wtWytF3Io17Z8ixHO9GU8a9t4k66Y3GbDZmp486cybHVowdpTJTFy_5EqjliuAZqwYP76s_ATmJUeQobqLsQo35lRyo/s1600/Subba5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y5ixn7C3gixmo_cjXC6-30BJpADJGnEhS164xWBrIws7la38wtWytF3Io17Z8ixHO9GU8a9t4k66Y3GbDZmp486cybHVowdpTJTFy_5EqjliuAZqwYP76s_ATmJUeQobqLsQo35lRyo/s200/Subba5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Water-saving Irrigation using bamboo pipes </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4c7FGwAcblEAaxTf7AD2dXQam27lZRbtlxaqN2ZslenWxmt3elmwY8m_948A9C3neHQGTpFvk62QQZ4wL2HzR_TBGdLG2NIHFEAYTquh0IXY4S-3miFRJTAh5ofa4MnaaSDnMd8O-q4/s1600/Subba3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4c7FGwAcblEAaxTf7AD2dXQam27lZRbtlxaqN2ZslenWxmt3elmwY8m_948A9C3neHQGTpFvk62QQZ4wL2HzR_TBGdLG2NIHFEAYTquh0IXY4S-3miFRJTAh5ofa4MnaaSDnMd8O-q4/s200/Subba3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Keerai saplings in all kinds of containers on his terrace </span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9s63KHQ_JIGrX_6HlsTaBATuydurTjnXlPAGRX5Z0W3YLKb9jZ0I9178zQRDS-hVrmDg7bKE042hXD4ya57Yo7-VMn6tBIaQeCYw_rrcjFAqHVxO-rit0uhLHDaH7w8RtswqdOj9_lw/s1600/Subba6.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9s63KHQ_JIGrX_6HlsTaBATuydurTjnXlPAGRX5Z0W3YLKb9jZ0I9178zQRDS-hVrmDg7bKE042hXD4ya57Yo7-VMn6tBIaQeCYw_rrcjFAqHVxO-rit0uhLHDaH7w8RtswqdOj9_lw/s320/Subba6.jpg" /></a></div>
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On his terrace while showing us the garden. Seeing beyond his garden </div>
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gives us a glimpse of the completely barren land all around Subba's house </div>
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Here's why I think Subbaraju's story is an extremely important and relevant one for us to know. It is a rags-to-riches story, which redefines “the riches”. After seeing academic success in IIT, one of the Icons of 'Modernity' ' Development' 'Science' 'Progress' or whatever name you want to give it, he neither pursued a life “climbing up the ladder further" by going to the US, etc. (we know the trajectory!) nor did he go back to his village on an ego-trip to “become a saviour - give back to society – build a school – train poor children to qualify for IIT to break free from the shackles of poverty – develop the village, etc.” (we know that trajectory too!) which I think is even more destructive than the former. He took the courage to choose to transcend his own story and create a third path; one of real enquiry into the nature of freedom, Science and Development, arriving at his own meaning and his own plan. An extremely rare story to come by!<br />
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The last time we met, when I told Subba “One day, when our little community has its own space, we'd love for you to come and stay with us for a few months and help us set up a lovely place like this!” he gave me a big smile, nodded a big nod and said “Done!” Will now need to work with what he has left behind of himself: memories and inspiration!<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyM_ZOz9nU">An interview with footages of his children in a Science exhibition</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUyM_ZOz9nU&t=8s">Another interview about Subbaraju's journey</a> - Long & Winding Road / John Dsouza<br />
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<a href="http://punemirror.indiatimes.com/columns/columnists/ajit-ranade/techie-tree-lover-from-timbaktu/articleshow/58862440.cms">Techie, tree-lover from Timbaktu</a> - Ajit Ranade<br />
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<a href="http://smallisbeautiful.blogspot.in/2007/09/childrens-resource-center.html">Children's Resource Centre</a> - Sanjeev Ranganathan<br />
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<a href="http://www.timbaktu.org/our-programmes/childrens-programme-chiguru/childrens-resource-centre/">Children's Resource Centre</a> - Timbaktu Collective website</div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-86215449078189534682017-04-29T22:15:00.001-07:002017-04-29T22:50:16.885-07:00My tryst with stuff<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Until I was 15, my school books and stationery, a few audio cassettes, some clothes and accessories were all my possessions. After two years of tailoring in my eleventh and twelfth grades, cloth pieces, threads, buttons and stuff started accumulating. After three years of Fine Arts in college, art and craft supplies joined the pile. Starting to volunteer with different NGOs and social movements, diaries and journals filled with to-do-lists, observations and outpourings started gathering. And books, reports and photographs. With my entry into the world of farming and gardening, garden tools, bags of seeds started piling up. With a child into our lives, toys (mostly never bought) and books started gathering. When I stopped buying clothes and starting accepting handed-down ones for all of us in the family, bags of those started filling up our cupboards. And alongside all these, my commitment to not discard used things into trash and upcycle them (I usually throw away literally one small bagful of non-reusable and non-recyclable trash a year!), my burning creativity to execute new ideas that used to be churned out by the minute, led to volumes of junk all over our house. With my experiments in natural dyeing & podi-making over the past year, a whole new collection of podi dabbas, dried peals and leaves, rusted iron pieces (for mordant), etc. started to grow. Well, it's a long list. Basically, I was trying to create a whole 'village' with libraries, workshop spaces, free-stores, studios, kitchens, gardens, play areas, waste centre, etc. all in one single house, managed by one single person. And as someone who does not believe having a helper at home, I'd have all this work with stuff, on top of my share of the housework and everything else I was doing. Madness!!!<br />
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Even though I believed myself to be regularly clearing away stuff, in reality, it was only growing in complexity and volume. And with all this stuff, we were shifting our house at least once every year on an average. I would take a few days after our each shift to recover from my shock of how much stuff we had with us, followed by some sort of a depression.<br />
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What originally began as my fascination for the material world was beginning to grow in pathology! See this collection of used matchsticks to be used in a mandala craft I had an idea for!<br />
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<img height="180" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=15872134bc&view=fimg&th=15bb280255733ebb&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1565887251692388352-local0&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ_Huhvm7YD5FdqS61zH76vugNxG2J-4bQDSK7qSe-rpVseUtP4P284XMQsqyK1fH9k3J7W1OBAIXQfMXEXmXK02sK5D0Tn4jP2Lo1K7N_Z3tO2JBJ8kGWkOBQs&ats=1493357394472&rm=15bb280255733ebb&zw&sz=w1366-h638" width="320" /> <br />
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I was spending most of my waking time engaging with all this stuff that had filled my house, and now, my life! Either cleaning and organising them, or searching for things of value that would get buried under some pile of something somewhere. <br />
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<img src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjQLhyo3GtGJHSTliLf4o0cH4C0ydONY5GsfDa_RtrWNFlCNXv" /><br />
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If you've seen 'The Beautiful Mind', it was like this collection of papers that Nash had put up on his garage wall, about which he had made up a compelling story. Well, not really but almost. My 'beautiful mind' had made up a whole story about how my life was about all this stuff I needed to constantly collect, organise, clean, maintain and use. And declutter.<br />
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But my inner voice was persistently disagreeing with it. It kept arguing that I had a much better use of my time than with all this stuff. My real calling was elsewhere. Like spending more time practising stillness, doing body & breath work, singing, serious study and contemplation, writing, engaging and facilitating. Being birthed and Birthing. <br />
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Last year, I added two pursuits into my life, Silambam and Music, which didn't go beyond a few classes. My asana pranayama practice was not growing in rigour or showing much progress. My real and palpable fascination for matter was just not allowing me to add any more things into my life. I constantly beat myself up about not being 'organised enough', 'disciplined enough', 'balancing my vata dosha enough' so I could calm down and find that extra time to do all that I wanted to. “One day, I will be so perfectly organised, balanced and coordinated that I can….!” And continued to sew, craft, grow plants, work in my podis-lab, compost, make EM and pack in bottles. Stuff. Stuff everywhere! <br />
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Like Nash said running up to his wife in the rain “Marcee never gets old! She can't be real!” it began to dawn on me that this thing was not going to wane on its own. It hadn't all this while! I had to step in to take some serious action.<br />
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This past year I have increasingly satiated my appetite for my engagement with stuff. I was feeling a growing sense of fulfillment, of readiness to move on. And also a realisation that waste management is a community responsibility, not mine alone. <br />
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Now, the question was 'Where do I begin? How do I get out of this mess, quit literally?' Last year, when I saw people losing all their possessions to the floods excepting those two bags of essentials that they carried with them on the boats, a part of me was distressed, but a part of me watched yearningly to be liberated from the tyranny of all my stuff. I was was desperate about getting out of my entanglement with it!<br />
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The past few months was spent going through every single piece of stuff at home and setting it aside for giving away, returning to where it came from, or recycling / composting. And finally with a heavy heart, dumping a few sacks in the landfill. Retaining only what I absolutely valued, cherished and was going to take care of. And most of these are things handcrafted and gifted by close family and friends, naturally dyed, unique and beautiful things that I really valued, which had been submerged under an ocean of unimportant stuff! “I'm going to keep you and take good care of you!” I literally had tears of joy as I did this!<br />
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But, old samskArAs don't leave that easily. I sometimes find it hard to simply pass by neatly stacked boxes like these – my fascination for organising stuff. I stood by this pile for a while, staying intensely with my inner struggle, this strong urge to pick them up. I didn't rush past it but stayed there for a while looking intensely at them, and then I was ready to let a deep breath out saying “Bye Bye! Stuff and old samskArAs!” <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiradI_m299VFAoK-ZUFyeJq8J-XD-90a1y1BhQuXUrF-piEMbP8pjZwuDeOP1VS3Eg-wdTK1S_OrsEp8lnyaFr1T__ro3suEh4c-ZM5cU3LtbCOUkuTvmH4Gu85If3QiSZCivx_khNYLw/s1600/boxes.png"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiradI_m299VFAoK-ZUFyeJq8J-XD-90a1y1BhQuXUrF-piEMbP8pjZwuDeOP1VS3Eg-wdTK1S_OrsEp8lnyaFr1T__ro3suEh4c-ZM5cU3LtbCOUkuTvmH4Gu85If3QiSZCivx_khNYLw/s320/boxes.png" /></a><br />
<br />
It's an old belief system that everything can be resolved within. Technically, yes. But I'm someone who believes in taking the help of the collective (sangha) and also moving to an environment which can facilitate inner changes with ease. It so happens that Auroville, where I have moved in, is tremendously helpful in this. This meta-community / city has all the things I was trying to create and accommodate within my house. It has an upcycling studio, a freestore (where people give stuff they don't use and take stuff they need, all in good condition), recycling centres, and possibilities for bulk-buying organic. And I have an excellent partner in this, Isha, who just loves minimal living. “Amma, don't pick that up! We already have plenty of it and don't need any more.” she drags me away from window-shopping bags and other stuff I'm addicted to.<br />
<br />
It's been a month living with few things, less than 10% of what I used to think we needed. And it feels like we still have more things than we need. We continue to make bags of stuff to give to the FreeStore each week.<br />
<br />
I need to clarify something here. No, I am not very inspired by the Japanese minimalism. Not where I am in my life. That is why I have more to say on this topic. May be for another post / other posts!<br />
<br />
<b>My Inspirations</b><br />
<a href="https://zenhabits.net/declutter/">Zen Habits</a>: For inspiring writing<br />
<a href="http://www.peacepilgrim.org/">Peace Pilgrim</a>: For her life and her message. <br />
<a href="http://plantspeople.blogspot.in/">Deepa Preethi Natarajan</a>: For her delightful life where she cherishes and takes great care of the very few exquisite things - organic, natural, handmade - which she creates or buys from conscious stores.</div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-87899264187692765432017-01-26T17:48:00.001-08:002017-01-27T22:01:36.492-08:00From mobilisation to movement building<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNpDUab1VtnuTFpbGzJhpDkyfM03jhWxoR85Gp75vLx2LKLOYMyh7qOAciCV7gdmXIjLv5RcVQdeJE3eL92wUJYZU7-C4l952cb7drXbNLCWmKXF5gCYg9PD83m1D2ctOQRrgTOsStVA/s1600/crowd.jpeg"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNpDUab1VtnuTFpbGzJhpDkyfM03jhWxoR85Gp75vLx2LKLOYMyh7qOAciCV7gdmXIjLv5RcVQdeJE3eL92wUJYZU7-C4l952cb7drXbNLCWmKXF5gCYg9PD83m1D2ctOQRrgTOsStVA/s320/crowd.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">This
is an activist's dream come true. How many protests some of us have
organised and participated in, hoping that at least a hundred
supporters would show up! I visited Marina a few times to see it to
believe it.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What
just happened right before our eyes indicates a shift of historical
significance. I have seen many short-lived, adrenalin-driven,
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">single-</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">issue-</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">focused</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
mobilisations. But this time around there are clear signs of progress
towards movement building. Students' overwhelming support to
Karthikeyan Sivasenapathy's appeal to grow their support and
involvement to address the larger agrarian crisis, is a clear
evidence to me in this direction. But the peaceful, self organising,
self disciplined protestors now need to get on to some critical
self-reflection for the signs to translate into steps.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>UNDERSTANDING</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
for nuanced understanding without quickly jumping onto either side</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Essays
by </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><u><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="https://scroll.in/article/827166/jallikattu-debate-the-are-sound-reasons-to-criticise-the-sport-but-animal-cruelty-is-the-flimsiest">Nityanand
Jayaraman</a></span></span></span></u></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> and </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="https://scroll.in/article/827163/the-tm-krishna-column-i-am-uncomfortable-with-jallikattu-yet-i-am-not-a-votary-of-bans"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">TM
Krishna</span></span></span></a></u></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
are a very good starting point. Like them, I too conditionally
support the protest and stand by the protestors. But like both point
out, for a constructive discourse to be framed, we need people to go
beyond simplistic 'pro-' or 'anti-' stand-taking. Both camps need to
acknowledge and reflect on the so many nuanced and complex issues
involved. </span></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/krishashok/indians-suck-at-nuanced-debate?utm_term=.xb7kNe1Jk#.wwOPYbGNP"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Krish
Ashok's</span></span></span></a></u></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">
essay on this is a must read for serious consideration and
contemplation.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
to start connecting the dots and understanding the big picture </b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>(to
jallikkatu supporters)</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
repeatedly heard this line by the campaigners “This is only one of
the issues. There are a lot of other issues to fight for. We'll get
to them one by one.” The fact is that every one of the issues is
connected to each other. We need to start looking at them not as
independent threads, but as a tapestry
that is actually telling us a story. In order to build a movement, we
need to start working towards building a larger life-affirming
narrative, which in turn requires a lot of personal and collective
groundwork to be done.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
to learn to continuously enquire</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In
my years of involvement with social causes, every time I felt like I
had arrived at “the final understanding of the problem” and said
'This is it! I finally know!', I was shown that there was more to it
than I had seen and understood. A living and growing movement needs
to stand on firm ground, but remain open to new narratives, and
integrating those that make sense into its own. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>DIALOGUING</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Learning
to dialogue is extremely critical for this endeavor. In all the
people's movements and organisations I've been part of over the past
two decades, dialogues were practically non-existent. But there are
wonderful tools that we now have with us to help us understand “the
other” and build bridges, without further antagonising and
polarising. We need to learn to use them. Here are a few pointers for
now.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
to take the courage to be more vulnerable and acknowledge our own
shadows</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
am a strong supporter of the animal rights movement, and my own
activist journey began as a member of PFA and PETA way back in the
nineties. However, holding on to a narrow single-issue focus taken
out of larger socio-cultural and ecological contexts, coupled with
their self-righteousness became less and less appealing to me, and
eventually became the very reason I moved away from these
organisations.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
take pride in my Tamil roots. But what we are left with today in its
name is a mix of all sorts of desirable and undesirable beliefs and
practices. Practices steeped in casteism and chauvinism are as much a
part of Tamil culture as are those inspired by high ideals like
respect for nature. The little I have seen of Jallikattu (only on the
screen), and given that we are living in times when machismo is
highly celebrated by urban and rural male folk alike, I find it
almost impossible to imagine them 'embracing their bulls as if they
were their lovers', even if this might have been the case centuries,
or even decades ago. <a href="http://www.theweek.in/features/society/misplaced-priority-an-open-letter-to-jallikattu-supporters.html">Read Vinod's open letter to Jallikattu protestors</a> for a larger sampler of our shadows as a culture. </span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Now,
the life-thwarting belief-systems of both these groups would be the
shadows of the groups. Recognising and acknowledging their respective
shadows (critically and compassionately at the same time) is an
essential step towards creating the condition for movement building
for both.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
for 'invitational activism' </b></span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>(to
animal rights activists)</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Imposing
a ban on a practice within a community we are alien to, is not only
not on, but also counterproductive. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A
community typically initiates a certain practice in response to a
certain specific need located in time and place. This then becomes
'tradition' over a period of time. If as outsiders to these
traditions we would like to question them, then we need to first try
to understand the cultural context where it originated, acknowledge
and integrate that into our critical narrative and then share it,
appealing to the members of the community to participate in a
dialogue. If there is a sound logic and a heartfelt invitation, then
the sincere ones from within the community are likely to accept our
invitation. It is then possible to identify allies from among the
members who'd agree that there is an issue to be looked at in the
first place, along with whom we could try and frame an internal
discourse. When this grows in strength, then the people will
naturally make amends and reinvent their </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">'</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">tradition'.
This needs to be carried out with a lot of integrity all the way
through, without yielding in to the temptation to manipulate
processes and outcomes. </span></span></span>
</span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>Need
for co-existence: PETA and Jallikattu supporters</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">PETA
as an organisation has a wider agenda of care for animals, and I
conditionally subscribe to it. (If there is clear evidence that
they've completely sold their souls to corporate interests, which I
am yet to see, I'm open to reconsidering this.) Tamilians need that
voice to throw light on their culture's shadows, which I don't see
them sufficiently owning up to. Instead of showing PETA the door, the
Tamil people need to listen to their deeper concerns, learn to draw
clear boundaries with them, and invite them to engage with them more
respectfully. PETA needs more education on how to broaden their
vision and nuance their contextual understanding of issues and
upgrade their modes of engagement and intervention. PETA needs reform
too.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Quite
contrary to the current dominant belief that it's one or the other, I
feel both actually need each other for each other's growth. And for a
meaningful advancement of each other's vision.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>LOCAL
GOVERNANCE & DECISION-MAKING</b></span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">And
finally, and most importantly, why are we limited by the discourse
framed by and seeking sanction from the Supreme Court, either for or
against? In an immediate sense, we may be bound by these legislative
processes. But ideally, decisions such as these need to be enabled at
the level of the village. Ideally, every village should be empowered
to hold its own Gram Sabha and pass its own verdict on Jallikattu, as
for any other issue concerning the community. If we could
simultaneously hold this vision and work towards it as well, then we
are talking about real empowerment. This is the only way we can build
a healthy society where multiple views and experiments are allowed to
co-exist respectfully. This will help do two things.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">a.
Enable diversity which is important for resilience.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">b.
Have more immediate feedback mechanisms built in for immediate and
local self-correction.</span></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="left" class="western" lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">When
communities feel safe to experiment with what they have locally
decided, they are also bound to be more open to be constructively
challenged and engaged with.</span></span></div>
</div>
Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-2305764200663299852016-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:002017-06-27T04:08:47.057-07:00Natural Learning FAQ: "How does your daughter learn Math at home?"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A brilliant mind and an articulate voice for the new age, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Chilton_Pearce"><b>Joseph Chilton Pearce</b></a> (Joe), passed on a few weeks ago (Aug 23rd) at the age of 90. I came to know about Joe through a friend about three years ago. I was fascinated by his writings which were about play, learning, child development, evolution of consciousness, modernity, spirituality all rolled into one.<br />
<br />
<img height="213" src="https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/143753018_1280x853.jpg" width="320" /> <img src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTDOyKZPcRTyS1ZHY2b_ID10g4GaSdVji4QTR56wAe4Gz2lYz8L" /><br />
<br />
On Sep 26th this year was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Periyasaamy_Thooran"><b>Periyasaami Thooran</b></a>'s 108th birth anniversary. I came to know about Thooran about the same time too, and his writings about children were very radical and probably the only ones in Tamil from his times.<br />
<br />
<img src="https://lh4.ggpht.com/_7y23_iIvc1I/Syt_YrOuHtI/AAAAAAAADV0/1CQ5B3ZpKG0/periasamy-thooran-sepia-lstamp.jpg?imgmax=200" /> <img height="200" src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/512FqliicJL._UY250_.jpg" width="134" /><br />
<br />
The writings of both these giants were based on observations of children and their processes of learning, backed by serious scientific research. They were far ahead of their times.<br />
<br />
I dedicate this little piece of writing to Joseph Pearce and Thooran, both of whom have been in my mind a lot over the past few weeks.<br />
<br />
***<br />
<br />
<div>
People often ask me “So, if Isha does not go to school, how does she learn Math?” Though in one sense, it's a perfectly understandable and valid question to ask, I personally find it rather strange! That people actually think we learnt all the math that we use as adults in our classrooms!! I personally didn't. Here's some scientific explanation to prove it, very much inspired by Joe's writings.<br />
<br />
Our brain typically has a hundred billion neurons (brain cells) all connected together. Every connection has a tiny gap called 'synapses'. For us to learn something new, an electrical signal needs to jump across this gap to continue its journey. Learning is all about creating and strengthening pathways through these neurons. The more 'neural pathways' get created, the more complex our understanding becomes. These pathways are supposed to get stronger through repetition. And the stronger they get, the better we become at what we have learnt. Watch this beautiful three-minute video explaining this. <br />
<br />
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Research also says that we retain the least of what we see, or read, or hear, but the most of what we experience. <br />
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Putting the two together confirms what I have independently arrived at: When it comes to learning, nothing can replace REAL EXPERIENCE involving all our senses - smell, taste, touch, sound, sight and emotions.<br />
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And guess what activities are so alive for children, that all their senses are the most heightened, and help form super strong neural pathways?<br />
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<b>Real work</b> where they feel like they are engaged in something meaningful and purposeful.<br />
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<b>Play </b>of different kinds. For infants, it is literal IMITATION of what they see around them. For kids slightly older, it is PRETEND PLAY / IMAGINATION. For older kids, it is GAMES WITH RULES which get more and more complex as they grow.</div>
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A few instances from our lives where Isha learns Math concepts, without being told or being aware that she is “learning” something, or that it is “mathematics” or a “concept”. She just gets absolutely engrossed in what she does and is completely in the moment. Learning simply happens as a by-product of that experience.<br />
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* Idli plates always make idlis in multiples of four. “Amma, let me pour the batter” the little one would come running when she was barely three years old. I'd ask her to find out from everyone at home how many idlis they'd like to have. She'd come back with the numbers. And off we'd go “five for x, three for y, four for z” pouring the batter. Watching five, three and four come together in 'fours'. “There goes an extra one on the second plate for x, and so on. Spilling some batter on the floor. Smearing it and making what some people would call “a mess” was all part of the experience, literally helping her soak it all in!<br />
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" 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* Isha and her friend A (another homeschooling child in Chennai) spent a whole day making packets of dry groceries in reStore. As I watched them from a distance, they had a serious discussion about why salt that they had just finished packing needed smaller covers and the roasted gram needed bigger ones for the same half kg. After a few speculations, they arrived at an explanation that was very close to the one about densities and volume being indirectly proportionate. I have a feeling that with the smell of the roasted gram (which they occasionally popped into their mouths) and the experience of running their fingers through it formed a new neural pathway. You know how sometimes when we think of a concept, or a name, or something abstract like that, it always comes accompanied with the memory of a smell, taste or an emotion?</div>
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<img height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi87X9kew4l_PBUTxhTqp32J1ApeI_kxX2Dc8cxvlXrULQ-IdTQSkZnEwZmaa4aX6xLe7Bxct3DLBOckJpDudUrUHxZU202ykjJCQ39gPhCx0Y6zx9BBTgmiQB2uj6Y6KisAg7o2KjJD54/w391-h220-no/" width="320" /></div>
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* "Five rows of four labels here. That makes it 20 labels!" They were discussing as they were engrossed in sorting out and cleaning the labels at reStore.</div>
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<img height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitQvlPRgZIPD0GprdlDBrk19PoT4BllyW4hErwhNHt42tqVpdVd0oASU8Vco17CKRKBBS2EfoBLfQt804dmkYQ4PpqB0wkFYlTioeB-UKjNMdjwTi7hnzENjUVsucNui0grFIAz63lPkw/w881-h607-no/" width="200" /></div>
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* “Amma, why are there those stick figures instead of numbers?” she asked a few days ago pointing at the roman numerals on our wall-clock. I told her they are numbers too written in a different way. She said “Aah! Wait a minute” and ran inside and brought a think booklet on Tamil alphabets which her grandmother had once gifted her. She had remembered seeing a whole page of these same stick figures. She asked “Isn't this the same?” I nodded yes. And she spent the next 2-3 minutes looking intently at the roman numbers all the way up to 3,000 (MMM). Less than five minutes is all it took for an initial registering of all the letters that made the roman numerals upto 1,000! And she said "Now, you tell me a number and I will guess its letters" and tested herself to make sure she got it ok.</div>
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<img alt="Image result for wall clock roman numerals" height="200" src="https://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=186702869" width="200" /></div>
* Floor tiles are an excellent way to experience how numbers come together in different ways. I've written about it in my blogpost <b><a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.in/2013/10/what-is-22222.html">Amma, what is 2+2+2+2+2?</a></b></div>
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<img alt="Image result for square floor tiles toilet" height="149" 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" 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* Spontaneous discoveries and explorations using simple open-toys, materials that are not originally meant to be toys or even if they are, can be interpreted and used in infinite ways. I've written about <b><a href="http://sangeethasriram.blogspot.in/2013/09/our-little-scientists.html">another exploration of hers</a> </b>where she experimented for a whole half hour with different gradients and how fast the earrings came down when she lowered or raised the tube.</div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGGq3smN7D_-XyO32ILEtxqzzLQrkvxf0i7F0w40308DnO7FW-FGi4RHpGE0G6_jkeLX7GtDHqdfb29sVODHrwzTjwsah4y9S6oLENpxeEjs1Pf_1y4VToE9aev244QftpuGkKCUdVVM/s200/pipe3.jpg" /></div>
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* She has played so much <i>pallankuzhi </i>with her <i>paatti</i> that with just looking at the whole thing, she can quickly guess which pit she should pick up from and where her game would end, and how many seeds she'd get. All in one sight. Bright red colour and smooth texture of the seeds, and the warm connection with her <i>paatti</i> must be an integral part of her learning numbers! (The person in the picture is her friend's <i>paatti</i> she once played with.)</div>
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<img height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvc9iGUpCE-i-Y_LJp5AhNbJEP-K2UMFjpouuz80zixelGjNWpSLCWzYXHYEK347FtNE9yhqlsMwh-uwVp84GZ2CALCPcyrZR77s58FRqUw6Y-V9ikoSjUzVvVv4ejv2TFbJwcCEqc_MQ/w1076-h663-no/" width="200" /></div>
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* On a typical day, she gets to play at least one game using the dice. Snake and ladder, ludo and many more. Beginning by counting the dots on the dice, she can now see them and tell the number. And the fascinating different permutations and combinations of numbers and how they add up: 4+5 is 9, and so is 6+3! As we use the dice over and over again, these simple truths about numbers and how they add up become so obvious! Just like how young boys in the olden-day grocery stores used to do their mental math so effortlessly before the age of supermarkets and billing machines. </div>
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<img alt="Image result for dice" height="149" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQP5A1VOtFA9dTHKE8pXHxww7y9rJBHp7cciTIPf22c9cP5BuPU" width="200" /></div>
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* Monopoly does not quite go with our worldview, and I resisted getting it for quite a long time. Upon Isha's insistence, I got over my hang-up and got one. (Our experiences with this game is for another post.) It's one of her favourite board games and we sometimes round off our rent-paying to the nearest '5' or '10' so that we do away with the 1- and 5-rupee notes. Some other times, we use the 1-rupee and calculate our rents and pay them more accurately. By the way, we've been working on a 'Gift Economy' board game as well. Hope to have it ready soon!</div>
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<img alt="Image result for monopoly money board game" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSBVRhk2WiRZST_kseXeC6jS5fRhEFn2pgKBtEtsOPxPgS8ouQk" /> <img alt="Image result for monopoly money " height="133" src="https://siterepository.s3.amazonaws.com/00674201102090712377458.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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* "Does this shape actually have a name?" Isha asked pointing at a trapezium, while making a bright and beautiful pattern. A lot of learning about shapes, how they fit or don't fit with one another happens with this activity, which we do because it's engaging and pleasant. Once we ran out of red diamonds before completing a round of it, and Isha spontaneously picked up two red triangles and placed them together "See, now we have a diamond!" And no, we don't talk about 'learning' or 'math' or 'geometry' here. </div>
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<img height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w0YKuMIBU0SFjXAbQztOee_y2n-L08t-3u7EF9rtMlbR_sEIDshozc2YCd8hmn4c6Oa8RpdbqMe9V38LlE2wwMzrtF0Iv32KsumZw0C6ttwA1F4Npdhwm_EuZXXDyUnj5k2Y5dY2VDM/w659-h663-no/" width="198" /></div>
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* Her 7th year birthday gift from us was 'Zoni', a currency we came up with to use in all our shop-keeper games, one of her most favourite games that she could play all day everyday until recently. She almost does not play them anymore. </div>
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<img height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0jCBCNDmQV-ILVXuPbfqC5qqS9yb1ar2BRVFkrr1y5b7NGiOT7hrzt7QVxaZOeljqzSSPo7rCBNYPVFTTjMaERlc1Ecj9oR6ob5PNyous-BKnhqLD33ni2VWn9DkgB5qdL9Tb8fYM6M/w1179-h663-no/" width="320" /></div>
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* Many times we're experimenting creating our own board games, and she does the numbering within the squares. Pinterest has plenty of ideas for DIY boardgames.</div>
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<img height="111" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KPNGCUqW9ss_x4pRbSrAbpqMK_xJVQUvAmCRU6sb1y45n7UTB5mC6aSbnoiCT1T1n5xs6uRW467XtJFA6v6Rk8a9KU8vheRHhyqHU2_mMjJVoeO4Eb2HVvrCeirsE7UB2JPFlhiR5XxVpPxu1vOSeh5uoP6sZfpblleRd96kWqp6JaaixLE8X4zpthqMZWefMiuO6tNopWh5MFpknDn1_RxepAcSHB5ZLOiTSRUZMc1KLlMKHFOoAjjxMTMA7VPtVYZPqGAqtnecdL9tuesxGkB9iu7Ow2-d75aobUd1cAWMF1xvSajKInM5DnbsQF5d7XeuhDyWlxfXeHys0AXOn5un04tmkfXkSpLVwBJw8-4OHRZl76RSb-CicrNiR3d8BagRVoy7Tg0ZPKm8g46zGrk5ctO0E2Uqb8Kb_FPDM-Ia035bjjvWKFPgzNkoCQfqs0wO9Fo8e97S4-DtiLt0cqIqRWW1PnhPKs4rn8VbBETc5Pq4umYC_NkoNu-o2YvARJl5EixKtH3Z-r4xb06iAMZYoApxwURokgeGiPAkdpC4oypxNviIMkKFDl_1xf0N6Ts6Ke8oeA23yj-slJAixGziu_Q7czSbHO-hPjiYZ56WZLTs=w1179-h663-no" width="200" /></div>
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* I've played 5-stones (anju-kal) with ten-year old girls in Marudam school. While the game I've played when I was young used to be as simple as 'when you finish one round, you get one point', theirs was quite complex. It involved a lot of borrowing and passing on between the players, that my mind simply could not keep track of. “Here I give you 14. That makes it 45 for you. You owe her 3, and that'd bring it down to 42.” That sort of a thing for every player to remember. I simply gave up. But the 10-year olds were adding up and subtracting effortlessly! </div>
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* As we were circumambulating the Chidambaram Temple, she stopped at the large wall painting of the Wheel of 'The Universe and its Vegetation'. It had the Tamil months, Sun signs (rasis), Star signs, and the corresponding auspicious trees all in relationship with each other. She stood there asking me to read every single thing written on the board for at least half an hour. To most of her questions, my answer was "I don't know. Let's find out." Even though it had gotten dark, Isha insisted that I take a photo of it so we can go home and learn all about it.</div>
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<img height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyo_W2YOvdsIE70HuCNSIe2nEaXUp533FqhWqIVWp-pNAOpx1VsWBU3REHo51kWoPNlhK6cRofWvqcOhFnsUT1R8iLcB_kjegtfZVdRv8E2SjRPd5Mnzr9eRQSJ3K1hGNn2CDkIiShINc/w773-h663-no/" width="200" /></div>
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* Isha has been playing the keyboard and self-teaching some songs like 'Do-a-deer...', with occasional help from me to locate the exact notes. After a whole year of practising and perfecting that one song, she's now on to her second song 'Let it go'. And piano keys are so mathematical themselves: the seven notes repeating themselves in every octave, the half notes, the harmonies, etc. are another world in and of themselves to explore. </div>
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* “Shall we make a garland with these <i>sangupushpam</i> flowers, with these pink arali flowers as the pendant? But wait a minute! Before we begin, let me count them to see if we have equal numbers for both sides. If they're not, then I'd have to go get one more to make them equal.” and off she started placing '1' on the left side, '1' on the right side, '2' on the left, '2' on the right and so on. Will these bright colours and fresh smell and the soft texture become part of her learning about even and odd numbers?</div>
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And these are a tiny percentage of all the different explorations that happen, where what we adults call "math learning" happens. I could write similar posts on "science learning", "geography learning", "history learning", "language learning" and so on, for the benefit of those interested in "academics". And no, we don't ever sit down because she needs to learn any of these. </div>
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If observing a single child's learning can be so fascinating, I wonder how rich a children's space for self-designed learning could be with a hundred different things to observe, understand, record and share!</div>
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There's more to share. Another day!</div>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-5499595353183651582016-06-21T19:48:00.001-07:002016-06-21T20:08:41.021-07:00Lesson in Vulnerability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WD6ww6FAf0Wt81GyqFHs2KMuXhqNiuEVq3jXx5A08isqKAh2IYQ_tJ-1i93WYpcUyz6uM4ARuztuXPNG6HCI7ZCV2R0nhGqVWK3xvEWC-af4jhykd6ydY2OMXD9H60qi3qEq9q4kfz0/s1600/anita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9WD6ww6FAf0Wt81GyqFHs2KMuXhqNiuEVq3jXx5A08isqKAh2IYQ_tJ-1i93WYpcUyz6uM4ARuztuXPNG6HCI7ZCV2R0nhGqVWK3xvEWC-af4jhykd6ydY2OMXD9H60qi3qEq9q4kfz0/s320/anita.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">I was part of a recent dialogue on facebook among very close friends, some of whom are adoptive mothers. As women many were sharing the pain and limitations of being a mother without much community support. My friends who were adoptive mothers shared their experience / pain of a 'different kind of pregnancy' which was not only being not celebrated, but was also being undertaken with a lot of struggle with family members who were neither supportive nor understanding. Triggered by this dialogue, one of the mothers, <a href="http://www.anitabala.com/2016/06/an-adoptive-pregnancy.html"><b>Anita, posted on her blog recalling her story.</b></a> This took me down my memory lane thinking about the time they adopted and brought home their adorable second daughter, Yukti. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">It was an emotional time for Anita and Satish, as they were doing this amidst other big things going on in their lives; like taking care of Anita's unwell mother, herself going through a long-term treatment for a chronic ailment, preparing for their move to their land, and being available to the larger community around her and her family. I remembered a courageous mail that Anita sent to all of us in the community addressing us as family. Courageous, because it takes a lot of strength, conscious intent to heal, and vulnerability to reach out in the way that she did.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Dear family in chennai:</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We will soon be bringing our second child home. And I feel like celebrating and making these few days special, a celebration in anticipation of her arrival, in preparation of her arrival, in preparation of myself to be a mother all over again. Although I have no physical signs of the approaching delivery (:-)), I feel emotionally and psychologically very different - a sense of waiting, anticipation, excitement, anxiety, vulnerability, and yet a lot of strength.</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">So here is an invitation and a request - to celebrate these few days with me and help me celebrate it too - drop by with/for food, eat together, cook together, chat and connect over a cup of herbal tea, a walk to the beach, offer to take care of nidhi for a while, etc etc. I am also going to invite myself over or call you if I feel like. So indulge me a little bit if I do that. :)</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Love</span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Me - An expectant mother awaiting the arrival of my second child. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">***</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Reading this mail, I was moved to tears! Until then, I had never thought of reaching out sharing my needs for care and celebration in this explicit way. There was always a feeling of shame associated with it. Shame, since I used to think of 'asking' as a sign of weakness. Accompanied by a feeling of fear "What if no one reaches out to me?" This moving mail from Anita totally shifted that for me. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">We all planned a surprise baby-showers party for the expectant parents and Nidhi in celebration of the child to come into their (and our) lives. It was a celebration which brought us all closer together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Thank you Anita for showing us how beautifully one can ask. An act of great vulnerability, which, like Brene Brown says "is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy and creativity." </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Ending with a <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?language=en"><b>link to Brene Brown's powerful Ted-talk on Vulnerability. </b></a></span></span><br />
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-39419252897662018272016-06-18T10:38:00.001-07:002019-09-20T18:32:20.544-07:00Toothpowder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Toothpowder / paste is the first thing that we put into our mouths when we wake up. And what terrible things are added to the store-bought chemical-based foaming ones! Just google 'SLS', 'Formaldehyde', 'Triclosan', 'Propylene Glycol' and what deadly diseases they are known to contribute to: from cancer to organ failure! And since our gums are extremely absorbant (the reason oil-pulling works) we end up pumping them straight into our bloodstream the first thing every morning. Our bodies deserve much better than that!<br /><br />But the good news is that more and more people are turning to home-made toothpaste and toothpowder. Among my 200 blogspots, this post from three years ago still tops the list as the most-visited page! :) And I've just upgraded it with new information.<br /><br />Here is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vMIqWRyqhc&t=98s">youtube video</a> from a workshop that a friend Nina and I did in Auroville.<br /><br />Points to keep in mind while preparing your own toothpowder<br /><br />* Only two or three ingredients are sufficient to prepare your tooth powder as long as the they can perform cleansing, freshening, healing and anti-bacterial actions. Detoxifying, foaming, sweetening and whitening actions can be optional.<br /><br />* Choose your ingredients based on whether you like your toothpowder to taste bitter, salty, sweet or spicy.<br /><br />* All moist / green ingredients are best shade-dried, ground in a blender and fine-sieved.<br /><br />* Each of these ingredients has a different particle size and some, like cinnamon sticks and soapnut, are particularly difficult to grind. So mix all the powders together and sieve them using a fine sieve so that the final product has the same particle size throughout. Remember not to heat/ over grind them too much, especially when using a mixie, and allow the powders to cool before re-grinding.<br /><br />* Connect with plants around you: Search for the properties of herbs in your farm / neighbourhood – ask your grandmother, elders and Siddha doctors. And your own intuition and discover new ones that can be added.<br /><br />Experiment. Enjoy. Share.<div align="left" class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 2; page-break-before: always; widows: 2;">
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-765770126021117594.post-66831381562837428152016-05-07T15:01:00.001-07:002018-06-20T05:31:54.075-07:00When life-consuming wildfires become "supply disruptions"..<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Image: Fort McMurray Fire Sends 80,000 Canadians Fleeing From Oil Town" src="http://www.newsmax.com/CMSPages/GetFile.aspx?guid=8c8171f6-fdeb-4c15-a642-f2e1aae70e23&SiteName=Newsmax&maxsidesize=600" height="332" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian Cities burning as I type this<span style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></td></tr>
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After the floods in Chennai receded, we celebrated that life returned to normalcy. I am not sure it's going to be as smooth after the wildfires in Canada subside. Flooding isn't the same as burning. <br /><br />Cities and towns coming back to life is one thing. What is this 'life returning to normalcy'? What is 'normal' about our modern urban living which runs on fossils for fuel and industrial raw material? <br /><br />What is 'normal' about having a thing called 'trash cans' and believing that waste can be made to disappear? What is 'normal' about blowing up mountains to get access to absurd amounts of minerals? What is 'normal' about designing and running an economy which grows like cancer? What is 'normal' about our children losing their childhoods and being locked up in prison-like schools? What is 'normal' about our working men and women losing their health, rest and peace? What is 'normal' about bottling water and canning air and selling them? What is 'normal' about creating separate settlements for the elderly? What is 'normal' about calling 'money' wealth? <br /><br />When our world is literally burning, economists call these death fires "(oil) supply disruptions". This is what happens when we worship money (the economy) as if it were God and organise all life around it!<br /><br />Our world is being poisoned. Yes. With each urban fire, thousands of toxins that make up our homes, automobiles and factories are poisoning all the air and water. And air and water currents are spreading them all over desperately telling us we are all one.<br /><br />Please, let's wake up before this beautiful experiment called life is burned down to ashes!<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="3rtko" data-offset-key="3smlh-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #373e4d; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<tr><td><img alt="A burned-out truck in Fort McMurray, Alta. after wildfire swept the region. The fire in Canada’s oilsands has stoked concern among investors over a supply shortage.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Canadian City in ashes as I type this</td></tr>
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Sangeetha Sriramhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12840147186890242657noreply@blogger.com0