Page 28 - NAMAH-Oct-2023

Namah Vol. 31, Issue 3, 15th October 2023

choose local over transported food. When one with the natural world.
sees one’s neighbourhood looking beautiful,
one feels happy. At the same time people
who become conscious of the food cycle, take
to eco-stewardship and demand systemic
reform. Eco-therapists are increasing
in number and conventional therapists are
bringing in nature into their therapy room or
sometimes doing the therapy in a natural spot.

Cultivating an eco-friendly consciousness

The love for plants does not stop there. It
becomes a love for all creatures, especially
those that are victims of human exploitation.
One becomes a spokesperson for habitat
preservation, saving the whales and elephants
from poaching, saving the earth from The Mother could sense the special vibration
carbon emission and fracking. It does not of every flower. She gave each a spiritual
stop there either. One feels like re-learning name, such as dahlias were Nobility, the
the culture of elders whose knowledge could pomegranate flower, Divine Love, the yellow
have saved the earth from its present state of chrysanthemum was Life Energy, and jasmine,
environmental depredation. Purity, and so on for hundreds of flowers,
including the flowers of vegetables. When
One goes to stay in eco-villages, such as an unnamed flower was brought to her, she
Sadhana Forest in Auroville, India. Every could feel the vibration of the flower and
year, hundreds of students from all over the sense its essence (9). When she went to the
world live for a few weeks in this permaculture- garden, vegetables that were ripe cried out,
driven community and learn techniques of “Me! Me! Me!” and all she had to do was
water efficient irrigation, clean energy, and pick them (10).
other sustainable methodologies. They bring
back their knowledge to their communities The school she established in the Ashram
and green their turf. Sadhana Forest is is well-tuned to nature. Once a week, the
in Auroville, which is an international children attend a class in an estate some 20
community experimenting on human unity. miles from the city. Here they get to work
The founder of Auroville is a spiritual figure in the gardens and learn botany. During the
called the Mother. She was born in France as harvest season, they help with the harvesting.
Mirra Alfassa, and spent the last fifty years They are taught about cows and hens by
of her life in the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in looking at these animals in the farm. There is
Pondicherry, where she was the ‘Managing an aquarium maintained by the students who
Director’ and Spiritual Guide. She was a are diving enthusiasts. A group of dogs loll
trained occultist and could communicate around the school, and play with the students

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