Reflections from Inner Dimensions of Climate Change

-
Recently I was part of a gathering called ‘Inner Dimensions of Climate Change’ with about 55 other people, healers, climate activists, community builders, practitioners from at least 30 countries. To my mind, its difficult to put them under any label - rather an intuitive sense brought us all together. It was the culmination of almost 4 years of work of Global Peace Initiative of Women and Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association.

Here’s what struck me:

  • Making the spirit, conscious - For long, I have felt it and for long the spiritual has guided my being and actions - however it acted like a side eye. In the process of this gathering, I was exposed to spiritual fields of other beings and gently I sensed the spiritual to be the central core of my life. All my pursuits, I am beginning to see are to rise higher or go deeper into this spiritual journey. I am beginning to come to realise that while action of any form is very important, the spiritual / inner space from where it comes - is more significant (for me). I often think of someone and find that the next day, I have received a call/email from that person; or dreams communicating intense feelings to me; and alternating despair and hope, pain and joy in extremities sometimes - I have been interpreting these just in the light of becoming more effective as a practitioner, often putting myself under strain to act better. Only now I am beginning to acknowledge the deeper forces at play, a larger design that is sutler the gross senses. This gathering (still emerging for me) is enabling me to acknowledge the spirit realm and deepen my exploration of the same. And as I live my way through it - I know I am not alone, energies of other human beings, other living beings and nature are acting together for healing of the world.
  • Sacred Eco Community: An intention that has long been in my heart is to create a sacred eco community based on a land, sharing nurturing relationships with other living beings, with a spiritual purpose engaged in the work of service. So far with Youth Alliance we have been able to create a vibrant community of young people on a deeper pursuit of meaning in life - however, I am sensing the time is right to begin to belong on a land, making the community experience more lived. In one of the exercises by Daniel based on ‘The Work that reconnects’ - we invited the voices of doubt, of ancestors, of future beings and mother earth. Typically, the voice of doubt has occupied the most space in my mind and the work has been to solve for the doubts, if I am to realise the intention. Inviting voices of ancestors and future beings made me realise how my thoughts, feelings and actions are not just mine, I am acting with my ancestors and future beings. Can I live into the world that my future beings would like to take birth in and my ancestors would support? My answer is Yes. And as I say that I am able to tap into some of that energy and it acts through me.
  • Energy of the Young - In our work at Youth Alliance, we have got immense opportunities to work with young people from India, typically urban, economically privileged, modern-ly educated bereft of traditional communities, seeking wisdom, disillusioned from one or more systems - we have found deep solidarity and spirit in supporting service work. The gathering offered me space to be with young people from different countries coming from such diverse traditions, thoughts and yet to-gether for the inner sacred. The nature of the crisis / possibility of our times, that includes climate emergency, economic inequity, social fragmentation, spiritual disconnection -interconnected, pervasive and civilisational. It was energising to be in a group of young people who share the disillusionment of the current paradigm and are willing to support the world to transition and heal into a more holistic way of living. Into a more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. Within that I found a few friends, to walk closely with me.
I am grateful for many things aligning for me to be able to receive this experience. Here are some visual glimpses:









Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Learning to live consciously in 2016

-
Image
Recently I was in a workshop at Swaraj University about Rethinking Development and it was concluded with a Shamanic Ceremony. In the ceremony we were called to relate to an element in nature (like air, water, trees, animals) and feel their pain and express it to the one (among us) in the role of human beings, which each one of us took at different times. The idea was to revive our feeling of oneness with nature and again feel part of the one big family of the universe. I didn’t quite understand the ceremony, it didn’t hit me deep enough. But since I have come back from the workshop to Delhi, I have been disturbed. I am not able to settle in my erstwhile smooth life here. I don’t enjoy chores as much as I used to before I went to Udaipur. I don’t like to buy/handle stuff at home, in the kitchen. There’s a strange relationship I am feeling with gadgets. It feels like I have begun to notice and witness some violence and pain that has been unleashed on our planet, other living beings i
Read more

What would a thriving rural space look like?

-
Image
I consider myself really fortunate to have travelled to many parts of the country - deep travel and in some cases immersion. Our team at Youth Alliance just returned from Kanpur Dehat (rural) after having facilitated the 9th immersive journey  of Gramya Manthan for 28 young people from all over the country.   Let me give a quick context of the region - located in the heart of India’s largest (population-wise) state, about 20 kms off India’s oldest highway (Grand Trunk Road built in 1500s) and about 20 kms off India’s largest river (Ganga), the three villages - Kharagpur, Palia and Ganga Din Nevada are Hindu-dominated, caste-divided, mostly agriculture and animal husbandry dependent. Electricity and toilets have just made mere beginnings. Two of them do not have electricity at all. We have been utterly grateful for the people in these villages, to have given us so much love, acceptance and forgave us for our unconscious mistakes.  Participants from 14 states came to Kanpur
Read more

A song to awaken the modern human self?

-
Image
I have enjoyed this song since Masan came, but last Saturday it occured to me in absolutely different tune. I kind of peeled another layer and a new meaning became visible to me through the song. For me this song, in a simple yet profound way summarises the predicament of the modern human selves, the self which is in incessant pursuit. a search for infinite in the finite world  a search for happiness in material wealth. Not realising that wealth comes from well being and well-being is a state of being and so is happiness. The world has always been an illusionary reality to seek its true meaning, one would need to go beyond it Modernity with its sophisticated ways has just expanded its influence on the selves In a way that we are always running And yet getting nowhere. This song showed the mirror to me See if it does to you? If yes, we will sing it along.. Here's the song, lean in..listen. Beginning with setting the metaphor of musk deer,
Read more