Mr. Ghosh is one of the world’s most celebrated authors and thinkers, best known for his historical fiction. He holds two lifetime achievement awards, and has been awarded the Padma Shri, the Jnanpith Award, the Dan David Award, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.



Amitav-Ghosh.jpg

Amitav Ghosh

<h4>AMITAV GHOSH is one of the world’s most celebrated and awarded authors and thinkers. In conversation with TARA KHANDELWAL and MICHELLE D’COSTA, he talks about his latest book, The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, a non-fiction story highlighting the origins of our current climate crisis.</h4><hr>AG: Thank you for your very generous words of welcome.TK: Your latest book, The Nutmeg’s Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis, weaves history, colonialism, migration, superstition, and much more, to tell us an origin story of our current climate crisis. As a millennial, I am really interested in this very urgent issue. Why did you choose the lens of the nutmeg to tell this story?AG: The story of the nutmeg I take as an analogy for what is happening in the world right now. The nutmeg tree was a miraculous plant that existed only on the tiny Banda Islands and their surroundings in the Maluku province of Indonesia. For millennia, the nutmeg tree brought wealth and prosperity to these islands and the islanders. They became great entrepreneurs sailing across the Indian Ocean. Ultimately, the Dutch arrived and wanted to gain complete control of the nutmeg trade. So, what did they do? They wiped out the islanders. The islanders were destroyed because of their miraculous tree.It is an analogy for what has happened to our planet. We were given a beautiful planet full of all kinds of miraculous things. And now we have set about destroying this gift. The story of the nutmeg and the Banda Islands is one of the earliest examples of what’s now known as the resource curse, that is, a resource that ultimately creates devastation around it. Another example is oil in Iraq or Libya. In the same way, the vast gifts of the Earth have now been exploited to the point where the whole Earth is becoming subject to the resource curse.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_resource_curse2_5367552113.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T06:32:26.531Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>MDC: That’s really heartbreaking. I will never see the nutmeg in the same way again after reading your book. The first chapter is one of my favorites, because you talk about how one small incident of a lamp falling changes the course of history. You were haunted by this particular incident while you were writing the book in Brooklyn during the pandemic amidst all the ambulance sirens. Will you please narrate this story to our listeners? And what did it feel like writing this book in the middle of the pandemic?AG: It was a very strange time. You’ve lived through the pandemic, so you will be aware how strange it was. Everything was changing in the world. New York City, especially Brooklyn, is a very lively, vivacious place, and suddenly everything went quiet. On the street you could hear a dog bark from blocks away, except for when the ambulances were racing through. And that was happening all through the night and day. My house is not very far from one of Brooklyn’s largest hospitals, and outside there were refrigerated trucks for all the bodies of the dead. It was a very eerie time of great fear, as you will remember from your own experience.I had been planning to write this book for a long time, and just as the lockdown started, I began work on what ultimately became The Nutmeg’s Curse. Very little is actually known about what happened in the Banda Islands in those days. I first learned about it from a very short book by an American historian, Willard A. Hanna, Indonesian Banda: Colonialism and Its Aftermath in the Nutmeg Islands. That’s where I read about the lamp that fell in Selamon on the night of April 21, 1621. It really caught my attention and I thought, “How does the falling of a lamp lead to this calamity?” I wanted to see what had happened in greater detail, and I discovered that the only book that addresses this history was written by a Dutch archivist, J.A. Van der Chijs, published in Dutch in 1886.I discovered this when, on impulse, I did a Google search and found a pdf of the book. I printed it, but it was in Dutch so I couldn’t read it. On another impulse, I typed some of the Dutch sentences into a translation app. Then mysteriously, miraculously, something comprehensible appeared. I began to spend hours, days, typing in paragraph after paragraph, page after page of this Dutch book until I was able to piece it together with some help.TK: I love the way you describe this in the book. Was this the most challenging part of researching this book, not having access to the language?AG: It was so frustrating, but I’ve dealt with many languages and I didn’t allow myself to be intimidated. I thought, “If I persevere I’ll be able to do it.”MDC: I think it’s also an intellectual challenge that pushes you forward in a way.Your book addresses some of the many violent ways in which Europeans have invaded places and impacted their original inhabitants. One shocking fact I learned was how the Lord Chancellor of England, Sir Francis Bacon, justified the massacres on the islands as having been willed by God. So, what did you discover when researching this book that was really shocking to you?AG: When I got into the historical sources about what had happened during the colonization of the Americas, the scale of the violence was absolutely unbelievable. Between 70% and 90% of the Indigenous populations were wiped out through extraordinary orgies of violence. What happened in the 16th and 17th centuries in the Americas was quite unprecedented. The scale of that violence really has no match anywhere, honestly.But I think it’s important to understand that climate change, the way that it is unfolding, is also a kind of violence. It’s the kind of mediated violence that has also unfolded in the Americas. The violence of the Americas was of a particular type; it was not like the Second World War where people were killed with machine guns – that technology didn’t exist back then. In fact, a large part of the violence of the colonization of the Americas unfolded via the environment. Environmental changes wiped out people’s ways of life. The environment itself became an instrument of violence. And this is what we are seeing today; the environment has again become an instrument of violence.For example, the people in Bengal are losing their lands, losing their livelihoods, to rising waters and intensifying cyclones. Climate change is not merely a thing of greenhouse gas emissions and policy decisions. Climate change is a kind of war. We’re confronting a form of ecological violence.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_resource_curse3_e40fedd8a5.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T06:34:07.891Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr><hr><h4>But I think it’s important to understand that climate change, the way that it is unfolding, is also a kind of violence.</h4><hr><hr>TK: And it’s so visceral, the changes that people deal with on a day-to-day basis. I’m really interested in the way you wrote about climate – this paradigm shift. It made me think very differently. You said that literature needs to change the way climate is written about. Michelle and I were trying to think of books in which climate is front and center or the plot vehicle. In all the books we came up with, either the genre was dystopian or it was self-help or non-fiction, like Bill Gates’ latest book, which gives suggestions like a manual. Yours was such an interesting paradigm shift. So, can you tell us how you feel fiction should address climate change? You mentioned that one way is to give voice to non-human entities. Can you elaborate on that?AG: Yes. The problem that arose in the 17th century is that the Earth came to be thought of as dead by elite westerners. Over time, across the world, people accepted this view. Farmers and fishermen don’t accept this view, nor do the Adivasis [Indigenous communities in India]. For them the Earth is alive and filled with many kinds of beings – Adivasis think of forests as living beings, and now we know that forests are living beings. But you can’t compensate for the loss of forests by planting trees somewhere else, because a forest interconnects the multiple species and entities.&nbsp;<hr> &nbsp;&nbsp;<hr><h4>Adivasis think of forests as living beings, and now we know that forests are living beings. But you can’t compensate for the loss of forests by planting trees somewhere else, because a forest interconnects the multiple species and entities.</h4><hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_resource_curse4_418a6f312f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T06:35:56.432Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>For me, the most difficult challenge facing us today is to do with ethics – what our ancestors did, what you read in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, and so on. Those texts are filled with the voices of non-human beings of many kinds. The Mahabharata begins with snakes, and they are an important part of the Mahabharata. That is the greatest challenge facing us today – how we write about non-human beings of various kinds. In modern Indian literature there are writers who are giving agency and voice to these non-human elements.MDC: Yes, another Adivasi writer I’m reminded of is Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar. I absolutely love his writing, his stories are full of nature, everything comes to life. You don’t usually see that in stories that are set in urban spaces.You have addressed climate through fiction in your book, Gun Island, and through your non-fiction. So, what are the takeaways you want your readers to go away with about climate from fiction versus nonfiction, because they are two very different forms?AG: They are different, but they’re also not so different. Gun Island is a novel while The Nutmeg’s Curse is non-fiction, but in many ways there is a huge overlap. In Gun Island I wrote about migrants who are instances of the crisis, and I’ve written about the migration crisis in The Nutmeg’s Curse. They are interconnected in many ways. In order to really write productively about our situation, we have to forget some of these ironclad distinctions that were made in the past between fiction and non-fiction, and so on. There was always a lot of overlap between these genres.A famous example is the work of Herman Melville. Melville used huge amounts of non-fiction in his work. He was an ethnographer, so Moby Dick is filled with information about whales. In fact, the whole story is based on an historical incident. I think we are going to have to loosen the boundaries as we go ahead.TK: Your research also involves speaking to travelers, climate refugees. You’ve spoken about Bangladeshi migrants who move to places like Italy because of climate conditions in the Bengal region. Could you share an anecdote about this? What kind of things were foremost in their minds? What were they running from?AG: Well, I met many Bangladeshi migrants who told me the stories of how they left. Often, agriculture had become impossible in their villages, because of the erratic rainfall, because of changes in the seasons, and so on. That’s increasingly the case across the world. Many of them were forced to leave because of those reasons, but if I asked them, “Are you a climate migrant?” none of them would accept that. I was very struck by that because Bangladeshis are well educated about climate issues. The Bangladesh government and many NGOs in Bangladesh disseminate a lot of information. We would do well to study what Bangladesh has been doing in terms of both education and resilience measures.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_resource_curse5_2a7aac66cd.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T06:37:27.836Z" alt="">&nbsp;<hr>It was very interesting talking to these guys. I would say, “Are you a climate migrant?” and they would say, “No,” because it wasn’t just climate. It was as Margaret Atwood said, “It’s not just climate change, it’s everything change.” There were political difficulties, family issues, and so on. In these Italian migrant camps, there were lots of Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, but very few Indians. I think the Indians who have been displaced by climate tend to migrate within India, except for the Punjabis. They are migrating on a large scale now, abandoning their lands. Other than that, most migration tends to be toward Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, or the West Coast.One story I particularly remember was of a young Pakistani boy from a farming family in the Punjab. I was speaking to him in Rome, and he had fought with his father. It happens all the time, everywhere. At any other time, he probably would have gone off to another village, or to a relative, and spent a few weeks there. Sooner or later, his father would have said, “Son, please come back,” and he would have gone back. In his case, he was sulking and he went to the railway station. There he met up with a group of migrants who were making their way to Europe and he fell in with them. He made this incredible journey, half walking, from Pakistan to Iran, then crossing Iran to Turkey, where he was shot at by Turkish soldiers. From there he finally ended up in Rome. This is one of the ways in which the world has really changed.TK: I just can’t wrap my head around that story! You know, I recently reread your book, The Hungry Tide. It’s amazing the way you brought the Sundarbans to life. You have also depicted the Sundarbans in other books like Jungle Nama and Gun Island. How have things changed in your portrayal of the Sundarbans from The Hungry Tide to Gun Island?AG: The Sundarbans is a landscape and ecology that is being absolutely devastated. Each of the cyclones that has hit the Sundarbans in the last ten years since The Hungry Tide has made the situation incredibly dire for the people there, much more than I imagined. Cyclone Aila was a devastating blow to many people, and every year it’s gotten worse. Cyclone Amfan in 2020 was completely devastating – a lot of the reclaimed land, which was fertile, rice producing, was submerged under seawater. Those lands may not be cultivable again for years. Many people have lost their livelihoods.MDC: Yes, it feels like a dystopian world, but unfortunately it is our reality, and it is something that we can’t escape.TK: On that note, thank you so much for being here today and talking to us, sharing your insights. The books you’ve written have changed the way I think, and they’ve added a lot to my life. Thank you.AG: That’s wonderful to know. Thank you very, very much.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/The_resource_curse6_980322347f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T06:38:43.455Z" alt="the-resourse-curse">Image Source: rawpixel.com<hr>To listen to the original podcast ‘Books and Beyond with Bound’, please go to <a href="https://boundindia.com/books-and-beyond-podcast/">https://boundindia.com/books-and-beyond-podcast/</a><hr>

The resource curse

Sri Mātā Amritānandamayī, often known as&nbsp;Amma, meaning mother, is an Indian spiritual leader,&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guru">guru</a>&nbsp;and humanitarian, who is revered as “the hugging saint” by her followers.&nbsp;She is the chancellor of&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amrita_Vishwa_Vidyapeetham">Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham</a>, a multi-campus research university.

Amma.webp

Amma

Two kinds of poverty

Amruta Patel

<h4
 
 id="h-amruta-patel-is-a-student-at-the-london-school-of-hygiene-tropical-medicine-she-has-been-studying-marshall-rosenberg-s-nonviolent-communication-and-heartful-communication-for-the-last-several-months-here-she-describes-an-experience-volunteering-at-one-of-the-covid-19-vaccination-centers-in-london-where-she-was-able-to-apply-her-newfound-communication-skills-in-a-challenging-situation"
>
 AMRUTA PATEL
 is a student at the London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine. She
 has been studying Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication and Heartful
 Communication for the last several months. Here, she describes an experience
 volunteering at one of the COVID-19 vaccination centers in London, where she
 was able to apply her newfound communication skills in a challenging
 situation.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="has-text-align-center">
 
 How Communication Changes Lives
</h3>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 I have been volunteering at the COVID-19 vaccine centers in London on some of
 my days off, and what an experience it has been! After a year of stunted
 conversations over Zoom and carefully extracting myself from situations with
 too many people, I found myself in a massive hall welcoming hundreds of
 strangers on their way to getting their jabs. It was overwhelming, exciting
 and sobering to be a part of this group effort to help combat the virus.



 During one of my shifts, I was working in the post-vaccine waiting area,
 checking on people to see if they were feeling well during their compulsory
 period of observation before they could leave. Everything seemed to be going
 well, and most people were largely positive about the experience, while some
 were still nervous about the vaccine and its effects. The mood was light and
 the vibrations happy, when suddenly a man marched into the room, anger and
 frustration rolling off his shoulders in palpable waves. He exclaimed, “I
 refuse to wait! I’ve waited 45 minutes already for this bloody jab,” as he
 rushed past the paramedics.



 I put my hand up and said, “Sir, please wait for a while so …” and was
 promptly knocked to the ground. I still don’t believe he meant to do it. I
 think I was just in the way, and my arm a bit too close to his frame. He moved
 with such force and energy that the momentum pushed me over. The only thing I
 felt in that moment was shock, as I turned and watched him stride out of the
 room. Not even a moment’s pause to apologize! But then I centered myself and
 thought, “Everything is all right. You are fine and no one was hurt.”



 When I told this story later, my family was upset at the aggression shown
 towards me. He could have stopped and helped, or at least said thank you to
 the people who took time out of their days to volunteer. But perhaps we should
 ask the question, “Why did he do it?”


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h5 class="has-text-align-center">
 I did not have to see this situation as right or wrong. I could feel
 compassion toward someone without letting their behavior or situation
 upset me or my mood.
</h5>

<hr />

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


 From what I observed in the few moments I spent in his orbit, he was wearing
 paint-splattered clothes usually seen on contractors or workmen. In addition,
 the vaccination process was running a little late and appointments were
 delayed that day. Perhaps he had a job to get to, or perhaps his manager was
 phoning him to ask why he had not arrived for work yet. If he was paid by the
 hour, perhaps the delay was affecting his ability to make a steady income in
 an already-tough economic climate.



 I have no idea what was going through his head that day, but I have learned to
 look for the drivers behind someone else’s actions and words. In doing so, I
 could remove myself from the situation and empathize with his potential
 predicament. You would think that after eight hours on my feet I would have
 felt incensed and irritated by the whole event, but I left my shift that day
 feeling completely happy and fulfilled. I had contributed to something much
 bigger than him or myself and had thoroughly enjoyed doing so.



 I did not have to see this situation as right or wrong. I could feel
 compassion toward someone without letting their behavior or situation upset me
 or my mood. I cannot think of a more useful way of interacting with the
 complex and dynamic world that surrounds us today.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

Turn it around

Ananya is a designer and illustrator who enjoys finding dynamic ways to tell stories. She works on projects with social impact, and runs a youth collective bringing innovative design approaches to climate action and gender equality.

Ananya-Patel.jpg

Ananya Patel

<h4>ANANYA PATEL explores the timeless nature of wisdom and how it affects every little detail of our everyday life.&nbsp;</h4>

Timeless Wisdom

The gigatonne challenge

<h4
 id="h-ananya-patel-shares-her-experience-of-the-gigatonne-challenge-and-how-it-has-helped-her-learn-about-community-building-and-teamwork-with-elizabeth-denley"
 >
 ANANYA PATEL
 shares her experience of the Gigatonne Challenge, and how it has
 helped her learn about community building and teamwork, with
 ELIZABETH DENLEY.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: Ananya, tell us about yourself and what you’re doing.
 

 
 AP: I am a
 graphic designer and illustrator. I’ve also co-founded a climate action
 group in Vadodara, India, called the Vadaavaran Collective. We started
 as a youth-led climate action collective in 2020, in the middle of the
 pandemic, as a lot of us were back home with some time on our hands. We
 signed up to the Gigatonne Challenge run by Complexity University. This
 global community supports and trains people around the world to tackle
 complex global challenges, including climate change.
 

 
 The Gigatonne Challenge helps teams around the world build capacity to
 reduce carbon and greenhouse gas emissions. You start with a small
 target and increase your target as your team grows and becomes stronger.
 The goal is for different teams everywhere to contribute to the global
 movement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create green jobs, and
 build resilient communities.
 

 
 Q: What sort of projects are you working on?
 

 
 AP: We
 started with composting for sustainable waste management. There aren’t
 any waste segregation policies in Vadodara, so a lot of waste goes into
 landfill, which can be a health hazard. As young people who didn’t have
 much experience in the climate space, but who shared a deep concern and
 who wanted to impact our community, we started with food waste to start
 building the muscle for tackling this complex challenge.
 

 
 We began working with small residential communities, helping them set up
 composting systems locally. And that has evolved. Initially we were
 collecting waste in our personal vehicles, composting, blogging,
 designing bins with a logo, etc. Then gradually we were at the third
 level of the Gigatonne Challenge, trying to abate 10 tonnes of carbon or
 greenhouse gas emissions per month, for three months, and we received
 some funding to do this.
 

 
 We approached a couple of low-income communities, low-cost housing
 residents in Vadodara, and a self-help group of women with a certain
 level of literacy and education. They were trained by the government to
 carry out public health awareness, AIDS awareness, and other campaigns
 at the community level. They had a considerable impact and influence in
 their community, so we asked if they would be willing to learn how to
 compost and manage waste. We would train them, we would employ them, and
 we would help them set up a livelihood-generating model so they could
 carry this forward. That’s where things started to make sense for our
 group: something that might work for the future, something we could
 replicate.
 

 
 Q: You’ve talked about a lot of decisions. Who made those decisions?
 And how did you make them?
 

 
 AP: We were
 conscious of having a structure and organization where everyone had a
 voice. There was a core team of five or six of us, and a wider volunteer
 and community network. We communicate dour proposals within the network,
 and asked, “Would you like to have an active role in making this happen
 and taking these decisions?” Those who did joined the team.
 

 
 The team of five or six of us steer edit forward, while people in the
 wider network were happy to lend their time and go with our decisions.
 In our team meetings, we heard from each person, what leads they had
 pursued, what insights they had, and what next steps we could take. And
 then the team discussed the best use of our time, resources, and energy.
 

 
 It was important for each team member to have a role and a
 responsibility, and everyone had an equally important role. If any one
 needed support, we offered it. Or, if anyone felt overwhelmed by their
 tasks, help was there to prioritize.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">
 It was important for each team member to have a role and a responsibility, and everyone had an equally important role.
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="622"
 height="802"
 alt="climate-action2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/climate_action2_997d4c2a6b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:44:43.900Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: So you worked together as a team without one person leading.
 

 
 AP: Yes.
 The Gigatonne Challenge has a certain structure of targets, reporting,
 and documentation to record the data and tell the story accurately. Some
 team members were good at working with data, while some were good with
 the community, talking to people and connecting with them. We tried to
 find a balance between both those things, and tried to keep the essence
 of what we were doing at the heart of it, while keeping an eye on our
 framework and what we needed to do.
 

 
 Q: How did the composting project go?
 

 
 AP: I think
 it was successful. The women produced a lot of compost, which they then
 started to sell as an additional source of income. We took them to the
 Maker Fest, which happens in Vadodara once a year. We tried to draw out
 these little opportunities over the course of the year, and get these
 women to talk about their story. They were given a bit of training from
 the government and from other organizations to sustain their business,
 make business decisions, and become financially more stable.
 

 
 They faced a lot of community challenges, and a lot of compost was
 destroyed in the process. But through all that, these women kept going.
 They kept collecting waste, they kept talking to people. The lady who
 led the group was a good spokesperson. We tried to highlight her voice
 where we could.
 

 
 We were then approached by other self-help groups around the city,
 wanting to do something similar, because they saw it was bringing value
 to this particular group.
 

 
 I’m about to start a project with a bit more structure – six groups in
 six different localities. We’ve got another round of funding from the
 Gigatonne Challenge and we have designed an action-learning program
 where we gather the women, along with our volunteers who will be working
 with them, and our mentors who give a few hours a week to help these
 groups design their systems.
 

 
 It is an equal education space, and a really lovely environment to have
 these conversations. We have designed a three-month training program on
 waste collection, composting, maintaining compost, basic planting, and
 gardening. Our hope is that we can guide these women to work in their
 localities – where can they find sources of waste, where can they set up
 composters, etc.? Our volunteers and mentors will help them make sense
 of the information, put it into a system, and support them to set up
 livelihood generation hubs around Vadodara. We call them “Waste to
 Wealth” hubs.
 

 
 Q: And you’re also working with Kenyans. Tell us about that.
 

 
 AP: In
 Vadodara, I gradually took on more of a leadership role, coordinating
 the different arms of the team. I found it very fulfilling, and was able
 to use a lot of my skillsets and interests in different ways. So I was
 asked by the Gigatonne Challenge at Complexity University to start
 supporting teams in other parts of the world, and was then introduced to
 a team in Bungoma County, Kenya.
 

 
 It is a youth visionary network that has been operational since
 2018.They wanted a way for their work to have an action-oriented
 tangible impact, which is why they signed up to the Gigatonne Challenge.
 They are farmers in their 20s and 30s, who are very passionate about
 improving farming processes, livelihoods, and the quality of crop
 production in their area. I’ve been working with them for the past 12
 weeks and they have successfully moved from level1 of the Gigatonne
 Challenge to level 3.
 

 
 Q: What does that mean?
 

 
 AP: The
 level refers to targets. A level 1 team has just been introduced to the
 challenge. They are getting a sense of how to take an action-oriented
 approach toward climate crisis. The team is put through a two-week
 program where they are guided by experienced faculty and coaches. I was
 a coach for this team. And their goal for the two weeks was to set up a
 system that abated one tonne of carbon or greenhouse gas emissions
 within the two weeks. It had to be measured in accordance with the
 climate science.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 width="600"
 height="446"
 alt="climate-action3"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/climate_action3_f62cff8b24.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:45:23.943Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Many teams choose food waste because it’s accessible and doesn’t require
 too much infrastructure, expertise, or money to setup. This team also
 chose food waste because composting fertilizers is valuable for their
 farms.
 

 
 When you finish level one, you move to level two, setting up a system
 that abates ten times the carbon or greenhouse gas emissions per month.
 Just to give you a reference, one tonne of carbon or greenhouse gas
 emissions is around 700 to 1200 kilograms of food waste.
 

 
 In Kenya, the team found big market centers where farmers and other
 vendors sold their produce every day. There was a huge source of waste
 that was being dumped or taken to landfill, so they would collect it by
 handcart, bring it to their farms, and create compost.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <div class="block-image">
 <figure>
 <img
 decoding="async"
 width="600"
 height="341"
 alt="climate-action4"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/climate_action4_0ae95734ab.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-11T13:46:02.199Z"
 />
 </figure>
 </div>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Q: So, after 12 weeks, what happens next?
 

 
 AP: At this
 stage we’re trying to have a much more structured and intentional way of
 leading teams through. Vadodara was one of the first teams to take up
 the Gigatonne Challenge, and when we started everyone was still figuring
 it out. It’s quite a new approach, completely based on action, in
 accordance with the science, and how we divide the work among everyone
 in the world.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="has-text-align-center">Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4>

 <hr />

Climate action initiatives

<h4
class="block-heading"
id="h-ananya-patel-talks-about-the-evolution-of-the-gigatonne-challenge-a-grass-roots-environmental-movement-she-also-explores-leadership-why-teams-should-sometimes-take-a-pause-to-connect-and-how-a-sense-of-responsibility-toward-the-people-involved-helps-her-stay-focused-on-the-challenges-at-hand-this-is-part-2-of-her-interview-with-elizabeth-denley"
>
ANANYA PATEL
 talks about the evolution of the Gigatonne Challenge, a grass roots
 environmental movement. She also explores leadership, why teams should
 sometimes take a pause to connect, and how a sense of responsibility
 toward the people involved helps her stay focused on the challenges at
 hand. This is part 2 of her interview with
 ELIZABETH DENLEY.
</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<h3 class="block-heading">
Next Steps in the Gigatonne Challenge
</h3>


Q: How many teams are there around the world now participating in the
 Gigatonne Challenge?



AP: At this
point, we have around70 teams – some not so active, some very active,
some at level 1, some at level 4 – which is 40 times the amount of
waste. It increases 10 times for each level.



I designed a lot of the crowdfunding material for social media,
especially for the more focused campaigns to communicate with the world
about the vision and the work that has been done.



Q: Apart from food waste, what other projects are involved?



AP: There
are a couple of teams in Canada working with energy, with their local
councils. The councils are receptive to creating policies that limit the
use of energy in office buildings.



For the teams in the southern hemisphere, a lot of the work is with
sustainable zero-emission transport, from carts to electric vehicles.
The Gigatonne Challenge helps the teams get electric vehicles for their
work, so that they don’t add to the problem.



Q: Ananya, where do you see this going? You’ve been there since the
 beginning stages. This is something that works at a grassroots level
 around the world, and it’s coordinated out of a university. What sort
 of leadership will make this grow going forward so that it has a huge
 impact on the world?



AP: I
started out as a team member physically going to restaurants and food
vendors, picking up bags of garbage, bringing them to compost, and
actually doing the work. Now I’m helping other teams do that, because I
have built a capacity, I’ve built some experiential knowledge.



I’ve spent time with communities who are experiencing this issue on a
much larger scale. I think I have a responsibility to support these
communities, to help them pick up skills.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
<figure>
 <img
 alt="environment-teamwork2"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/environment_teamwork2_700x555_15503eaa19.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:16:33.181Z"
 />
</figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


The climate crisis is something we’ve grown up with, and we can’t ignore
the way it’s happening in the world. One of the things that really had
an impact on me were the big fires in the Amazon. I remember thinking,
“What do we do? What is the future for me?” I know a lot of people who
were coming out of university and starting their careers, and trying to
figure out who they are, when the pandemic hit. A lot of things were
uncertain. At that point I was like, “It doesn’t help to just fret about
it.”



If you can imagine a world where all these issues don’t exist, maybe you
can do something about them. It just made sense to me. I’ve always
wanted my work to have an impact that is beyond myself, that means
something more to the world, and this is something I have stumbled upon
that gives me that.



Q: You’re also a designer and a very good illustrator. How does that
 capacity help with this?



AP: The
teams do a lot of really hard meaningful work, but they don’t have the
tools or the capacity to share their stories in an impactful way.
Telling their stories makes a huge difference. While designing a lot of
infographics and visual material for the Gigatonne Challenge, I have
started to see how the creative aspect comes into play – communicating
the story, and the design.


<h3 class="block-heading">
Tips for Young Leaders
</h3>


Q: What qualities do you think are important for young leaders today,
 given the uncertainty of our future and the need to do something and
 not just wait for somebody else to do something?



AP: When
there is this intense need to do something, it’s easy to get caught up
in the work. I remember being so focused on the project and making sure
the team was okay that I didn’t ask myself, “Am I okay?” Had I done
that, I would have supported the team better. It’s important to take a
minute to assess yourself, what you’re going through. It’s difficult and
challenging, and a lot of people have anxiety about it.



It’s frustrating because things don’t work out sometimes, and it’s easy
to just keep going and going, especially when you don’t have much time.
It’s important to take a step back, assess how you’re doing internally:
Are you in connection with yourself with why you’re doing this work? Why
are you in this space? While working with people, it’s important to keep
reminding yourself of these things, and place yourself in your world. It
helps to keep going, otherwise you can easily feel burned out or lost.
When I did connect with myself, I was able to communicate better with
others.



When I was open about the challenges I was facing, the other team
members were more open about what challenges they were facing. That
created a space in the group where everyone felt it was okay to share
what they were going through.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<div class="block-image">
<figure>
 <img
 alt="environment-teamwork3"
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/environment_teamwork3_700x521_d9be731718.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T11:17:07.196Z"
 />
</figure>
</div>

<hr class="vertical-space1" />


Q: Is that how you deal with differences of opinion in the team? With
 a team of five, obviously you won’t all agree on things all the
 time.



AP: We
haven’t been in a position of insane conflict, but when everyone is
feeling overworked or tired then conflicts bubble up. I just press pause
on everything.



For example, one time we were not able to agree on how we were spending
the money or what our priorities were. We were all tired and feeling
pressured, so I said, “Can we press pause?” That meant no more spending
money for the next three days. We didn’t go to work for the next three
days. We took a moment, and then we came together and had a physical
meeting.



We spent half a day connecting with each other, talking about what was
important to each of us, why these challenges were coming up, and why we
were having disagreements. That pause and reset helped us pick up and
say, “Okay! Now we’ve understood everyone’s needs, what do we need to do
as a team? In our group’s needs, everyone’s needs came into play. My
training in Heartful Communication has really helped.



Q: Any last words?



AP: The
reason I’m able to continue working with people in this way is because I
have a sense of responsibility toward them. If you don’t have that sense
of responsibility, you can’t do the work as effectively on an
operational level. It’s important for me to remind myself why I’m doing
it, what my role is, and what I need to do to make this work. Then
balance that with accepting those things are not in my hands, as I need
to be patient and mindful with those.


<hr class="vertical-space1" />

<hr />

<h4 class="has-text-align-center block-heading">
Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL
</h4>

<hr />

Environment, teamwork, and leadership

<h4>Nonviolent Communication, now also known as Compassionate Communication and Needs-based Relating, was developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, who firmly believed that people enjoy contributing to one another’s well-being more than anything else. Through an emphasis on deep listening, NVC helps us to learn to hear our own deeper needs and those of others, and discover the depth of our compassion. It brings an awareness that all of us are trying to honor universal values and needs, every minute, every day.</h4><h4>Needs Consciousness is one of the core pillars of NVC, where Dr. Rosenberg suggests “all human actions are an attempt to meet needs.” Things like respect, acceptance, security, contributing to others, belonging, learning, relaxation, harmony, and many more – we all share. Here, VANESSA PATEL and her daughters AMRUTA and ANANYA explore needs, including what they are, and how we experience them in everyday life.</h4><hr>Vanessa: The word “need” sometimes has different meanings. For example, “needs” can be interpreted as being needy. So how can we better understand needs in the NVC context? And perhaps we can look at other words we can use instead of “needs.”Ananya: Needs are also our values, the fundamental human motivators, our longings, yearnings, aspirations. They can be seen as energies that bring nourishment and add value to our lives. They are motivators that drive what we do and what we say. It is important to understand that needs are universal, and they’re experienced by every human being, though we may experience different needs at different times and with varied intensity. Very importantly, needs are always expressed positively because they’re life-nourishing. There is no such thing as a negative need.Amruta: Since needs are universal and experienced by everyone, they give us an opportunity to connect and empathize with the experiences of others. All our actions are an attempt to meet our needs, and this consciousness can help us look beyond what someone says or does, to connect with why they may be doing that, or what might be motivating them to say something in particular.Vanessa: Needs also lead to feelings: our feelings arise directly from our needs. When our needs are met, we experience so-called positive feelings; and when they’re not met we experience feelings that we don’t enjoy.Ananya: I experienced this recently. A couple of weeks ago, we were supposed to take a flight from Ahmedabad to Varanasi, but because of bad weather the flight was cancelled. On the same day Amruta was leaving for the UK, and she was still at home in Baroda.<hr><hr><h4>Our feelings arise directly from our needs.&nbsp; When our needs are met, we experience positive feelings,&nbsp; and when they’re not met we experience feelings we don’t enjoy.&nbsp;</h4><hr><hr>We were quite stressed and harried, as we didn’t really have any clarity on the situation. We wanted to get to Varanasi as soon as possible, so we also wanted efficiency. It was hard to pinpoint those needs at that moment, but we knew we wanted to support our team members in Varanasi, and we wanted some ease and clarity on how to overcome the situation. Amruta was at home hearing all this from us.Amruta: I was feeling sad because you had left. I was missing our companionship. At the same time, I was also feeling excited for you, because you were going to have a good time in Varanasi, and a lot of planning went into it. That met my need for your well-being and shared joy.When you told me about the alternatives –staying in Ahmedabad to take a later flight, or coming back to Baroda and traveling back to the airport with me again a few hours later–I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to influence your decision. Obviously, I would have liked you to come back, but you had to decide how best to meet your needs for efficiency and clarity. I think somewhere in there you also had a need for ease, and so you came back home.Vanessa: We saw the biggest smile on your face when we returned home that evening, and it dissipated the frustration and fatigue we felt thinking about doing the journey all over again later the same day. So, it was a textbook situation: although we were able to empathize with ourselves and feel okay about being a little helpless, we were also very happy to have company.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/When_needs_must3_303a4b56c6.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T09:17:50.812Z" alt="when-needs-must"><hr>Ananya: The same situation was seen from two perspectives. Because our needs were different, and of varied intensity, our responses to the situation reflected that; yet, because we wanted similar things for each other and for ourselves, we were easily able to connect with each other, even though we were focused on different things.Vanessa: We were very happy to be with each other and gain support for the situation. But I’m sure there are other times when you say, “Okay, I need some space.” Are there occasions when you feel, “I could be enjoying something else rather than being with family”?Ananya: In the routine of our daily lives, the needs we face don’t really jump out at us, or we don’t acknowledge their presence. For example, as I am living at home with family, my need for nurturing and support is regularly met. It’s an important need for me, which is met on such a regular basis that when my friends want to meet up, or there’s an opportunity to do something with other people, I often choose to go. I don’t take it for granted that my family is always there, but it’s a need that is met so regularly that other needs become more alive when new situations come up.Vanessa: How, how does that resonate with you, Amruta?Amruta: I like that you said “other needs become more alive” because certain needs are met quite regularly. For me, my need for space and autonomy is met on a daily basis, as I live on my own away from family. So, when I come here, I feel a strong need for connection. It comes alive more intensely at certain intervals, and becomes an overarching need for me at that time, and perhaps not as intense for everyone else.Ananya: What I’m sensing is that there are different layers of needs that we experience at any given time. And some needs are more alive in us and are looking to be met more immediately than others. We prioritize our needs, but that doesn’t mean our other needs are not important, or that we’re not looking for them to be met.Vanessa: Sometimes, in a recurring situation, there’s predictability in having our needs met. There is comfort and more confidence in a situation where you know your needs will be fulfilled. As Ananya was saying, she knows she can bank on family time every day. The connection is there when she needs it. While you, Amruta, are here for a limited time and you want to maximize the connection. Even if it’s not doing anything specific, togetherness is more important than casual socializing, right?Amruta: Yes, exactly. When I come home, it’s also meeting my need for rest and relaxation, which I don’t get when all these other things are happening. I think it’s partly because for the longest time, especially since I went to boarding school, coming home is associated with holidays, and holidays are associated with switching off and meeting the need for complete rest and relaxation with no other demands on my time. Maybe that’s why I want to do nothing when I come home.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/When_needs_must4_f537adc7c7.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T09:19:13.681Z" alt="when-needs-must"><hr><hr><h4>When I come home, it’s also meeting my need for rest and relaxation,&nbsp; which I don’t get when all other things are happening.</h4><hr><hr>Vanessa: Were there some experiences you had at boarding school that you can look at now with a new perspective, with this understanding of needs and how they evolve?Amruta: Yes. The school we went to had boarders and day scholars, and we spent our out-of-school time very differently. On weekends, day scholars might go to a birthday party, a get-together, or a sleepover with other non-boarders. I remember really wanting to go, which I now recognize as a need for belonging, acceptance, and social validation by my peers. To go, we had to be signed out by an adult, but you weren’t keen for us to attend these parties. At that age, my thoughts were so judgmental, I couldn’t understand why I couldn’t be with my friends.Vanessa: It’s not that I didn’t empathize. I understood your need to have fun in everyday situations, to have these experiences. At the same time, my need for your safety and well-being was an overarching need that gave me peace of mind. It was in some way a coping mechanism for me to say, “No, I prefer not to sign my child out for this.”Amruta: Nowadays I get your need for our safety and well-being, and your peace of mind, because you were far away in a different city; you weren’t comfortable with us staying over with people you didn’t know. We were kids, but I was thinking, “I’m not a child, I can handle myself,” and I hadn’t really experienced the need for safety.In order to understand someone else’s need, I think you really have to have experienced it at some level. I have a better understanding of it now that I’m older and have experienced the need for the safety and well-being of others. And it was probably also a factor of age and life experience as well.Ananya, you also had a similar experience with school, what do you think?Ananya: As we grow up, we sometimes forget how it felt to be in a particular situation. But they were very real needs for us, and we felt them intensely. At the time, it felt frustrating and unfair, and I felt helpless. Even as adults, many of us don’t have the tools or capacity to understand and process that “this need is not being met,” or what it means to mourn an unmet need. So, what can we do about it? How can we avoid transforming it into resentment or bitterness, where it feels like we are losing something important, which creates a heaviness that we don’t want to feel?<hr><hr><h4>In order to understand someone else’s need,&nbsp; I think you really have to have experienced it at some level.&nbsp; I have a better understanding of it now that I’m older&nbsp; and have experienced the need for the safety and well-being of others.</h4><hr><hr>For me, it’s helpful to talk about it, or break it down to process it, and with “Needs Consciousness,” we have a vocabulary that can help us do this better. Also, we have grown up enough to understand what it means to give space to someone else’s needs first. Perhaps our needs aren’t always going to be met fully.Vanessa: In that case, how do you handle a situation where you have conflicting needs, and somehow you come to the understanding that it’s more important that the other person’s needs are met? How do you do that so that it doesn’t feel like you are giving up what’s important to you?Ananya: When somebody else is looking out for their own needs to be met, I’m aware that they are needs I might have had at some point. I understand those needs, because I wanted them too at another time, and empathy and understanding from another person would have helped me then. But it’s not always easy to respond this way, even with the consciousness and understanding I have.In fact, because I am conscious of this, it is difficult to navigate this space – to reconcile the real discomfort of conflict with the openness and acceptance I know it takes to move ahead. It is not always a conclusion that is easy to reach, but it’s somewhat easier because the need for the other person’s peace of mind and well-being is important to me too. Hopefully I’m able to open my heart and stay with my intention to connect with the other and what matters to them.Amruta: Now we’re older, and we’re able to express our needs, it’s more enabling. I think it is much more difficult in situations where needs are not being met and there’s no change in sight. As we grow, as we mature, there are needs that become less salient just because our circumstances change. Even biologically, we empathize better with people because our brains grow, the prefrontal cortex develops in a way that enables us to think about other people. We start realizing that we don’t exist in a vacuum, and we can engage with other people’s needs without seeing it as giving up something of ourselves and not getting anything back.Even still, it’s easier to apply to certain situations than others. Say you have a situation where someone wasn’t meeting your needs, you might either let it go or decide that those needs are being met by other people in your life. There is a certain level of acceptance that comes with growing up that makes it easier.<hr><hr><h4>What does it mean to mourn an unmet need?&nbsp; How can we avoid transforming it into resentment or bitterness?&nbsp;</h4><hr><hr>Ananya: Regarding what you’ve just said, I am trying to be more aware of pushing away my needs in pursuit of this acceptance. We are all conditioned to respond with, “You should be looking after someone else’s needs, and your needs come second.” But I have realized that it’s important to give space to my needs, whether they are being met or not. It means being in connection with myself, and creating an internal space where those needs are respected, if not met. I think it’s an important step before the development of acceptance, and I find I am able to move forward with more peace and less heaviness.Vanessa: Well, here’s the challenge: we understand that needs are universal and all human beings share them. So why do we often end up at odds? Where does the difficulty lie?We may understand the principle of needs – that there is an underlying value or motivator that drives us to do the things we do – and that they are shared by each of us on some level. So, it creates an opportunity for connection, empathy and common ground. And it is this deep connectedness that lays the foundation for compassion. But the reality of living with the awareness of needs in our everyday routines can be a bit more complex. First, it only works if we are willing to connect with others on the level of needs, to look beyond whatever surface conflicts arise, and step into the world of the other. If that intention is not there, it is very difficult to take the next step.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/When_needs_must5_70c9d5b3f2.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T09:20:41.998Z" alt="when-needs-must"><hr><hr><h4>Our priorities or methods may be different, but in the end,&nbsp; cooperation offers the best chance for success.</h4><hr><hr>Say I want to rest or relax, and I choose to do that by quietly reading a book. You may also want to relax, and choose to do that by chatting with me about your day. Our need is the same, but your way of meeting it is at odds with mine. That is where the potential for conflict emerges – in the strategies we use to meet our needs, not the needs themselves. We don’t always agree on how goals can be reached. Our priorities or methods may be different, but in the end, cooperation offers the best chance for success.<hr><hr><h4>Illustrations by ANANYA PATEL</h4><hr>

When needs must

<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.45%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share2_c6792f7ace.webp" alt="earth-we-share2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share2_c6792f7ace.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share2_c6792f7ace.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share2_c6792f7ace.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure><h4 style="text-align:justify;">In December 2023, ten ceramicists and sculptors met to collectively express what it’s like to share a world in crisis, through their medium of clay, which is so connected to the Earth. ANANYA PATEL was there to observe the artists in their element, and write about the projects they were working on.</h4>&nbsp;Over a span of two weeks in December, ten ceramists and sculptors from around the world gathered at the Ceramics Center, a not-for-profit studio established in Vadodara in 1998. It was among the first of its kind in India, offering support to artists, and at its heart was Jyotsna Bhatt, the late artist and beloved teacher, who was integral to the evolution of the Ceramic Center and the growth of the community. The center has always operated under an ethos of providing space, infrastructure, and technical expertise to facilitate the experimentation and execution of creative ideas, with a focus on creative expression rather than commercial gain.&nbsp;These ten artists were the second cohort of the “Remembering Jyotsna Bhatt” camp series in her memory, to bring new voices and perspectives to the center. They united under the theme, “The Earth We Share,” collaborating, experimenting and reflecting on the interconnected relationships between humans and the environment, and the issues emerging from geopolitical tension and climate change. The camp culminated in a group exhibition where the artists invited viewers to reflect on the beauty and fragility of the Earth we share. As they worked, artists reflected on their creative practice, on working at the Ceramic Center, on their interpretation of the theme, and on what it means to create art in a collective community setting.With her roots in Vadodara and a long standing relationship with the Ceramic Center, Falguni Bhatt conceptualized this edition of the camp, selected the artists, and curated the show. “This series of works explores the theme of lost landscapes and the impact of human activity on the natural world. I seek to highlight the beauty of the natural environment, while also drawing attention to the ways in which we have altered and destroyed it.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:69.01%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share3_36f32cd7e0.webp" alt="earth-we-share3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share3_36f32cd7e0.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share3_36f32cd7e0.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share3_36f32cd7e0.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Shalini Dam explores geopolitical narratives in her work. Here she prepares the components of her six-meter-long piece exploring the duality of peace and war through its symbolism in various societies and cultures.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.28%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share4_9bcab48f2b.webp" alt="earth-we-share4.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share4_9bcab48f2b.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share4_9bcab48f2b.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share4_9bcab48f2b.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.19%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share5_639a6c67c6.webp" alt="earth-we-share5.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share5_639a6c67c6.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share5_639a6c67c6.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share5_639a6c67c6.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Jean Appleby, head of Pottery at the Heartfulness Institute, came to the camp to develop an artistic project.“From the first time I made art, I felt some guidance, that the ideas came to me in full form, not like I was discovering so much as I was receiving.”&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:69.14%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share6_c7846604d9.webp" alt="earth-we-share6.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share6_c7846604d9.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share6_c7846604d9.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share6_c7846604d9.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">&nbsp;Recently, the guidance Jean received led her to explore an imagined narrative around early human civilization. She crafted a collection of objects created and preserved by early beings to be discovered and used in the present day.&nbsp;<img class="image_resized" style="width:70.59%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share8_877097ff3d.webp" alt="earth-we-share8.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share8_877097ff3d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share8_877097ff3d.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share8_877097ff3d.webp 800w," sizes="100vw">On creating these vessels for others to reflect upon, she hoped to “inspire us to recognize that many beings from many places have inhabited our planet. All beings entrust us to nurture Earth for all to become ONE.”Shweta: “I believe an artist’s thought has a voice that rings through their work to resonate with its audience. The artwork is an expression of that minimalism that hopes to provoke the viewer to reflect and delve deeper within. My ceramic works are in reverence and gratitude to our life force or energy, to Nature, and our planet Earth.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:69.81%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share7_8fe4c1f09b.webp" alt="earth-we-share7.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share7_8fe4c1f09b.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share7_8fe4c1f09b.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share7_8fe4c1f09b.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.23%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share9_16e48ac01a.webp" alt="earth-we-share9.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share9_16e48ac01a.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share9_16e48ac01a.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share9_16e48ac01a.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Dr. Julie Bartholomew was inspired to continue her research on bees and insect communities. She started her Habitat series in 2020 as a response to the loss of biodiversity, particular insect life, following the wildfires that devastated habitat in Australia. A beekeeper herself, her pieces are architecturally constructed working hives that can sustain bee communities and promote their population growth.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.36%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share10_08d98eebc9.webp" alt="earth-we-share10.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share10_08d98eebc9.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share10_08d98eebc9.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share10_08d98eebc9.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:67.58%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share11_d71f1e9077.webp" alt="earth-we-share11.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share11_d71f1e9077.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share11_d71f1e9077.webp 290w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share11_d71f1e9077.webp 290w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;This interest in bees and their collaborative communities is also shared by fellow artist, Antra Sinha. Antra says, “I am intrigued by the different types of shelter that exists in our civilization, and their status. I continue to think about hives, bees, and the collaboration that exists in communities of sentient beings and compare it to humans.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.96%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share12_8169d71f20.webp" alt="earth-we-share12.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share12_8169d71f20.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share12_8169d71f20.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share12_8169d71f20.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:71.08%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share13_17f5b72bbe.webp" alt="earth-we-share13.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share13_17f5b72bbe.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share13_17f5b72bbe.webp 400w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share13_17f5b72bbe.webp 400w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Indrani Singh Cassime shared her insights on the artistic collaborative community developing at the Ceramic Center. “I have made some lifelong friends, so overall it has been a fantastic experience. We have markings and angles. Hidden and seen, yet to be explored. To me exploring a new material and pushing its limits is just like exploring a new friendship.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:71.25%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share14_e27cd1e84d.webp" alt="earth-we-share14.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share14_e27cd1e84d.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share14_e27cd1e84d.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share14_e27cd1e84d.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:49.16%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share15_61d6b2ef3f.webp" alt="earth-we-share15.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share15_61d6b2ef3f.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share15_61d6b2ef3f.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share15_61d6b2ef3f.webp 500w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Indrani used this opportunity to experiment with the distinctive features of her environment and the synergy emerging within the group. She brought her own materials, like volcanic sand from a beach near her studio in Pondicherry, and mixed them with clays, glazes, and wood fire ash from the Ceramic Center, creating pieces with unique textures and effects. Her series of Memory Vessels are made of various mixtures of clay collected from her fellow artists’ workstations.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">To me exploring a new material and pushing its limits is just like exploring a new friendship.</h4><hr>Khageswar Rout is inspired by the unique materiality of the medium: “All the natural elements work together to create a ceramic piece. It emerges from the earth, and water gives it malleability, without which you cannot shape it. Air dries it in place, but keeps it fragile and tenuous, until it is cast in fire to give it strength and hold its form.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:60.3%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share16_42123ea71e.webp" alt="earth-we-share16.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share16_42123ea71e.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share16_42123ea71e.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share16_42123ea71e.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;He, along with others, observed that in India, very few community-centered studios exist, where artists have the opportunity to work on equal ground, share ideas and knowledge, and draw inspiration from one another. “We have become used to working in our own studios, to make and promote our own work. We have forgotten that art is meant to be learned and created by receiving from and giving to one another, not in isolation. It used to be that way, but we don’t teach young artists that, and we don’t practice it ourselves.”&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.35%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share17_16a7fcaf44.webp" alt="earth-we-share17.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share17_16a7fcaf44.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share17_16a7fcaf44.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share17_16a7fcaf44.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Art is meant to be learned, and &nbsp;created, by receiving from and giving to one another, not in isolation.</h4><hr><figure class="image image_resized" style="width:70.66%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share18_412abff9ae.webp" alt="earth-we-share18.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_earth_we_share18_412abff9ae.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_earth_we_share18_412abff9ae.webp 800w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/earth_we_share18_412abff9ae.webp 800w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;After just a few days in each other’s company, a sense of togetherness and harmony emerged in the space. Each participant supported and collaborated with the others to enhance their knowledge and explore new avenues, lending a fresh set of eyes and a helping hand when needed. They expressed the need for artists to share their learnings and experiences in community art spaces so young creatives have access to more knowledge and opportunities. Many generously shared their new discoveries and recipes with the Ceramic Center, facilitating upcoming generations of ceramic artists, and nurturing an environment of respect and care where they can produce meaningful work that pushes boundaries.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photographs from the CERAMIC CENTER, BARODA</h4><hr>

The Earth we share

Dr. Rao is a climate scientist specializing in climate adaptation, terrestrial carbon cycle dynamics, and ecological restoration. She serves as Lead for Climate Adaptation with the United Nations Development Programme India at NITI Aayog, and as Senior Scientist for Forests by Heartfulness.

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Ananya S. Rao

<h4>Climate change calls us beyond sustainability toward regeneration, inviting us to restore damaged ecosystems, examine the greed and disconnection behind environmental harm, and cultivate the inner transformation needed for collective action.</h4><h4>ANANYA S. RAO, PhD In conversation with MAMATA SUBRAMANYAM</h4>&nbsp;Q: Climate news can feel overwhelming these days! What is one story from the climate regeneration movement that gives you hope?AR: Much of the climate news today can feel disheartening and discouraging. Climate anxiety has become especially common among young people, who are understandably worried about the future they will inherit.I try to stay aware of positive climate stories from around the world, because they remind us that regeneration is already happening. I came across a story from Brazil about how, thanks to rewilding efforts, blue-and-yellow macaws have returned to the skies over Rio for the first time in more than 200 years. In Japan, researchers have developed a plant-based plastic that could help reduce plastic pollution if it can be scaled. Chile is developing vast wildlife corridors across thousands of kilometers. The UK has reached its lowest emissions level in more than 100 years, largely because of investment in wind energy. Even the ozone layer is showing signs of recovery.In India, the Aravalli restoration project is another hopeful sign. What I appreciate is that the effort is not only about planting trees. It is about ecological restoration: bringing back forests where forests belong, grasslands where grasslands belong, maintaining the uniqueness of different forest types, and restoring degraded landscapes to their natural character.What gives me hope is the range of actions now taking place, from renewable energy and ecological restoration to ordinary citizens cleaning beaches, rivers, and neighborhoods, and I hope that others reading about them would feel the same hope.Personally, I have been involved with Forests by Heartfulness, a mega-greening initiative of Heartfulness Institute. What is important about this work is that it is not simply tree planting. It offers a model for large-scale ecological restoration, conservation of rare and endangered species, and regeneration of damaged landscapes.One of the most recent projects we have taken up is near Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, in the heart of the new capital. The project focuses on ex situ conservation—protecting rainforest species outside their natural habitats—and on protecting species listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.Q:&nbsp;These stories are reassuring, but the larger climate picture can feel overwhelming. At a high level, how is the planet doing right now?AR: The planet’s systems are under severe strain, and the effects are being felt by humans, animals, plants, and entire ecosystems. We are living through what scientists describe as the sixth mass extinction. The Anthropocene, this era in which human activity has become a planetary force, is witnessing species loss at an alarming rate. Every three hours, one species is pushed to the brink of extinction.Planetary boundaries are the limits within which Earth’s systems can remain stable and supportive of life. They include climate change, biodiversity loss, freshwater use, ocean acidification, and the condition of the ozone layer. There are nine planetary boundaries. Last year, scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research reported that seven of them had been crossed, meaning that human activity is pushing Earth’s systems beyond safe limits. Freshwater systems are under stress. Chemical pollution, microplastics, and changes in soil and water quality are affecting ecosystems. Ocean acidification is also increasing. These are not isolated problems; they are signs that the basic systems supporting life are being strained.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/our_home_needs_help2_4ffccd2381.webp" alt="our-home-needs-help2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;As climate scientists, we work with future scenarios. These are not simple predictions; they are models based on different emissions pathways. We ask: What happens if the world continues business as usual? What happens under a low-emissions pathway? What happens under a mid-level or high-emissions pathway?&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">"When thought is polluted, action becomes polluted.&nbsp; When thought becomes clearer, action can also change."</h4><hr>&nbsp;Earlier reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used scenarios known as Representative Concentration Pathways [RCPs]. These pathways describe different levels of radiative forcing, a key metric scientists use to estimate the additional warming pressure that human activity places on the climate system. RCP 2.6 represented a lower-emissions pathway, RCP 4.5 a mid-range pathway, and RCP 8.5 a high-emissions pathway.Recently, I came across an article saying that RCP 8.5 is no longer a useful way to describe the most likely future. For someone who works with climate modeling, that is a sobering realization. It means that some of the assumptions behind earlier modeling need to be revisited, and that our scientific frameworks must keep pace with how rapidly the world is changing. This is one of the saddest things I’ve come across because it calls into question some of the assumptions that have shaped years of modeling work. In layperson’s terms, the dire consequences once projected from human activity may pale in comparison with what could now be unfolding.&nbsp;Q:&nbsp;The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals gave the world a framework for 2030. It is clear that we have to think even further ahead. Are there new goals we should now be aiming for?AR: The Sustainable Development Goals gave countries a shared development framework for 2030. Many nations have aligned their development plans with them, but there is now a growing sense that we need a deeper shift.Sustainability asks us to reduce harm and live within planetary limits. Regeneration goes further: it asks us to restore damaged ecosystems, renew the conditions for life, and help the Earth recover its own vitality. So, we must move from sustainability toward regeneration. Whether that means regenerative farming or regenerative practices in general, everything needs to be more focused on regeneration. I think that’s a more future-forward approach to the goals.I am especially interested in the idea of Global Flourishing Goals. The phrase itself points to an important shift: development should not be measured solely by economic growth but by whether people, communities, and ecosystems are able to flourish. The term "Global Flourishing Goals" sounds so beautiful to me. The Institute I was working with earlier, UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development, has also developed a flourishing framework for what it means for human beings to flourish. Is it possible without environmental flourishing? These flourishing goals, in fact, bring about the interconnectedness of human beings with the environment, with all the other creatures inhabiting the planet. So, in that sense, it’s a comprehensive and holistic approach to development.Another aspect of this Global Flourishing Framework would be to look deeply into <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/message-from-a-microbe" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">human well-being</a> to understand what it means for a human being to flourish. It will then become very necessary to focus on internal work that human beings need to undertake. I strongly believe that unless change happens at the individual level, we will never be able to create change at the global level.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/our_home_needs_help3_3f99572878.webp" alt="our-home-needs-help3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;What climate issue feels most pressing to you now, and what kind of action is needed from individuals, communities, and institutions?Every issue related to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/lets-talk-about-climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">climate change</a> is of prime importance, especially today, when many of us sit in air-conditioned rooms. When we step outside, we realize how extreme the planet’s climate has become. In May, we experienced thunderstorms in Delhi, which are expected, but this time they were beyond the normal range. At the same time, erratic weather brought snowfall to Kashmir in the Himalayas, spoiling the apple crop and affecting agriculture. Farmers are among the worst affected by such erratic weather.What would be the most pressing issue? To me, the most urgent issue is the mindset behind the crisis. We cannot solve climate change only with technology if the same patterns of consumption, separation, greed, and indifference continue.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/our_home_needs_help4_0066ca9e4a.webp" alt="our-home-needs-help4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;We all know there is enough evidence scientifically. There is enough evidence without looking at science. You just need to step out of your houses, and you can, through experience, know very well that something isn't right with the planet's climate.When that is the reality, how do you approach this problem? Is it going to be your responsibility, something that’s going to affect you, your children, your family, your neighborhood, your city?The awareness that needs to come is this: what is happening outside us has arisen from the way we think. When thought is polluted, action becomes polluted. When thought becomes clearer, action can also change. Governments and institutions have major responsibilities, but individuals and communities also have roles to play. I’m not suggesting that individuals should carry this responsibility while governments stand aside.I’m not saying that individuals should make all the changes while governments don’t act on them.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">"Sustainability asks us to reduce harm and live within planetary limits. Regeneration goes further: it asks us to restore damaged ecosystems, &nbsp;renew the conditions for life, and help the Earth recover its own vitality."</h4><hr>&nbsp;The realization has to happen at every level: individual, community, municipal, national, and global. Each one of us bears responsibility. Can you make that shift? Can you make that difference?&nbsp;Ultimately, thought pollution is the cause of all other forms of pollution. Thought pollution is a term coined by Daaji, the guide of Heartfulness. What is thought pollution? It is the ego, greed, and jealousy that have brought the planet to its current grim state. Unless this thought pollution is addressed, we cannot take a step forward without falling backward again. Practices such as Heartfulness cleaning help us let go of inner heaviness and complexity, creating more clarity in the heart and mind. <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-science-behind-creating-a-daily-meditation-practice" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Meditation</a> deepens our connection with ourselves. From that connection comes clarity, and from clarity comes the courage to act. These Heartfulness practices are one part of the solution for addressing thought pollution and restoring balance.Q:&nbsp;What worries you most when you look at the current state of the world?AR: I have daily exposure to climate data, including current data, data on the past 100 years, and projections for future scenarios. What worries me most is that many people still do not feel the urgency of action.It’s not about creating panic, but it’s also not about waiting for things to change in the next 20-30 years. The action must happen right away, right now, and that kind of urgency is not seen in people.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">"The crisis is rooted in disconnection. Restoring connection—with ourselves, with one another, and with the natural world—is essential to restoring balance to the planet."</h4><hr>&nbsp;The main thing I would say is needed for this action to come about is inherent kindness. Kindness expands the circle of concern. It helps us feel the suffering of other people, other species, and the planet itself.With all the war we are seeing, the emissions it produces are staggering. We rarely speak about this aspect of war: its cost to the planet, and what it reveals about our lack of kindness toward other beings.Q:&nbsp;Beyond familiar personal actions like recycling and reducing food waste, how can individuals with no climate background contribute to regeneration at a larger scale?AR: Yes, at an individual level. Recycling, using reusable bottles, upcycling, and reducing food waste all matter. But I think now is the time to scale up, even as an individual with no climate experience.Start where you live. In an apartment complex or neighborhood, people can form a committee to work on food waste segregation, e-waste recycling, composting, plastic and paper recycling, and partnerships with local organizations. From there, the effort can expand to the block level, the municipal corporation, the city administration, and even state-level policy conversations. When people organize locally and represent their communities, small actions can begin to influence larger decisions.Q:&nbsp;We began with hope, and I would like to end there. What gives you hope now?Around the world, people are waking up to interconnectedness—the human species' reliance on everything around us, from birds and bees to plants and other animals.I think there has been a little more awareness over the last two or three years, especially after COVID, which forced many people to pause and notice their surroundings. Some began gardening, growing food, or reconnecting with the natural world. And although most of us have gone back to our regular lives without much of a change, there is still a large section of humanity that is much more aware of everything happening around us. That awareness is prompting much more action.Many IT professionals or people with a regular job have quit their profession and are moving back to the villages, moving back to their childhood homes to try and regenerate the land, work with the soil, make their hands dirty, grow something, live more sustainably, just because they want to feel the difference that they make to this whole situation, and that is very heartening to see.Initiatives such as Forests by Heartfulness also give me hope because they show that ecological restoration can be practical, organized, and rooted in care for rare and endangered species. Over 2,000 acres of forest have been rewilded in Madhya Pradesh, the largest state of India, and in Gujarat, we are taking up the Aravalli work ourselves, thanks to Daaji’s vision. These projects focus not only on saving rare, <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/green-kanha" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">endangered</a>, and threatened plant species, but also on propagating them. He is also doing this with the help of tissue culture, developing protocols for some extremely rare plant species, including those with far fewer than 100 individuals remaining in the wild. These efforts help me stay positive about where humanity may be heading. When we develop a deeper connection with ourselves, we begin to feel a deeper responsibility toward everything around us. When this connection deepens, nobody needs to tell us to take action or make a difference to the planet. It becomes a felt duty.The crisis is rooted in disconnection. Restoring connection—with ourselves, with one another, and with the natural world—is essential to restoring balance to the planet.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/our_home_needs_help5_81cf79f401.webp" alt="our-home-needs-help5.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr>FROM FORESTS BY HEARTFULNESSForests by Heartfulness nurtures and protects native, endemic, and endangered plant species through expert-guided nurseries, plantation drives, long-term monitoring, and community participation.<a href="https://heartfulness.org/forests/">https://heartfulness.org/forests/</a>&nbsp;

Our Home Needs our Help

Anchal Shrivastava lives in Pune, India. A Renaissance man with a passion for life itself, he learns from observation, experience and most of all the insights from the heart.

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Anchal Shrivastava

Being spiritual, at its core, is just being aware of the spirit inside and attending to its needs. My body has material needs of food, cleanliness, exercise etc. which I fulfil duly as it keeps me running. Similarly, my soul too has needs of purity, positivity, righteous living, love etc.&nbsp; So when my soul is deprived of its needs, how can I realign my soul and body to become one, which is the secret and primary need of success in any field?<img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/spirituality_in_daily_life_2_img_498cc1b25a.jpg?updated_at=2023-03-30T10:21:31.620Z" alt="self-being">Righteous living pertains to, but is not limited to, doing the right thing always, which we have made very difficult for ourselves in today’s life. We have become so used to doing things as per our convenience, that we don’t care whether what we are doing is morally and ethically right. So, who is really harmed here? Not others, but only our soul, which is getting engrossed and heavy. We can really feel the difference when we do something good, especially something good for others; we feel good and light. It’s a beautiful feeling, isn’t it!So what I am trying to speak of here is a basic need, and the primary teaching in every religious and spiritual institution – the right way of living. If there is anything more important to <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/Heartful%20Living" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a> than this, it is the right way of thinking, which again eventually builds up to righteous living.Now one may ask how do I know what is right and what is wrong? Well, the soul always knows it, and guides us too! What we have to do is be aware of the presence of our soul inside. Believe me, you can listen to it. But to be able to listen to your inner Self takes a lot of practice, and this practice is best known as meditation. So I believe including this very practice of listening to the soul in our daily life, acts as the first and very important step towards finding <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-power-of-softness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">spirituality</a> in our daily life.As they say, “Keep calm and meditate”.&nbsp;&nbsp;<hr>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:center;">Article by ANCHAL SHRIVASTAVA</h4><h4 style="text-align:center;">Photography by MONA MISHRA</h4>&nbsp;<hr>

Spirituality in daily life

Ancient Indian Proverb

Treat the Earth well

Andy Puddicombe

Blue sky

Anil is the founder of Samunnati, which offers financial, co-financial and non-financial solutions to marginal, small and medium holders, including farmers, agri enterprises, wholesalers and retailers. Anil has over 28 years of experience in Rural, Retail and Agri Banking, and over the last decade his work has focused on creating newer institutions across the country and operating in the financially excluded markets, with corresponding support structures for their capacity building. Anil has practiced Heartfulness Meditation since 1993. In particular, he works with several NGOs to bring Heartfulness programs to them and build their organizational capabilities.


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Anil Kumar

Samunnati

Animesh Anand is an editor, based in Dehradun, India. He loves reading about the spiritual traditions of the world. He also loves music!



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Animesh Anand

<h4>ANIMESH ANAND explores the nature of cultural differences, how we perceive them, how we transcend them, and how a meditative mind can perceive from a deeper level, avoiding prejudice and bias. This leads to unity amidst the diversity.</h4><hr>Around the time I started meditating, I was studying a particular culture. After I was done with some preliminary reading, it got me thinking, “So how is it that this is so beautiful, but others don’t know about it”? Then, when I read about another culture, I felt the same way. Each of them was so right in their own way. Over a period of three weeks, I felt like I had been two different people!After a few more meditation sessions, it hit me: It was me who was looking for a side to pick. It wasn’t those books. Those books said to me what they wanted to say. And each one wanted my best, in their own way. My line of questioning changed to: what if everyone’s talking about the same thing, but in a different way? Is there a point of intersection?Looking at things with a contemplative mind helps you expand your consciousness– your sense of awareness of the things around you and your own self. You see “the bigger picture.”It helps you slow your brain activity. The increased focus helps you really understand what you are looking at. In terms of learning about another culture, it would be: What are you learning? In what context?Often, we approach a culture, or a faith, with a preconditioned mind. We are born into it, or told that it is the only truth. Our inclination to cultures are deepened by looking at people and the goodness we see in them. That’s a beautiful thing; but we often disregard the fact that we see only a subset of a very large group of people, who are a result of many things – not only their faith, but other factors that are instrumental in bringing about goodness and affecting their choices.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pointsof_Intersection2_700x700_d4d21e023e.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:06:01.197Z" alt=""><hr>The differences we see in each other are often the result of factors like:<ol><li>Forms of governance. As an example, people born in capitalist societies are often more punctual than those born in socialist countries.</li><li>Geography. People choose their attire depending upon the land they were born.</li><li>Land. This decides what people eat (meat, vegetables or both).</li><li>Size of country. To what extent is a culture strongly or loosely connected? Has there been an intermixing of cultures that has led to what we see today? etc.</li></ol>Meditation helps us see that it’s always easier to see the separators than the integrators. They are more frequent, more prominent, and more fact-based, something our minds gather quick. Integrators happen when the mind’s done its work and the heart operates.<hr><hr><h4>Integrators happen when the mind’s done its work&nbsp; and the heart operates.</h4><hr><hr>After we are done trying to fit another into our pattern of identification – and, in the worst case, failed – we let the heart take over. Imagine if you were lifted from your country and placed in a different country where the language is different. I believe you would pick the language up, eventually. Would you be hungry for long? I don’t think so. You would start communicating, expressing your needs. Others would start responding, and you would develop a sense of how communication takes place in this new culture. How do babies learn a language, anyway?&nbsp;Contemplation helps us see that the intersections are love, harmony, compassion, and kindness. So-called primitive societies are often limited to such integrators. For more complex societies, we can add intersections like zeal to work, being honest, accepting what is rightfully ours, and rejecting what’s not.<hr><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/pointsof_Intersection3_700x700_4a175c8b63.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T12:07:02.033Z" alt=""><hr>An intersection common to all societies is the realization that we are all born, each of us has a desire to live a peaceful life, and each has wishes, a few of which are going to be met and some are not. Each one of us is going to have a life that’s for themselves and for others. The intersection is love.Unity comes with a move toward the higher.&nbsp;&nbsp;Meditation helps us see the higher side. It lets us see the reality among truths. In practical terms, it helps us see the esoteric sides of faiths, which we often tend to miss. While understanding a culture, we are often re-establishing our association with an existing belief system, rather than trying to understand what it really is. Our approach is inherently conformational. Otherwise, the integrators would be more prominent. And our walk toward unity would be faster.Isn’t it ironic that we are pre-disposed to seeking unity in the material world? Because we have a common material interest. Yet, in our personal world, we have found ways to dissociate from others. The same people we work with, might have a different relevance outside the context of work. Bringing it down to a smaller context, when we have a bad day at work, we are eager to go home. When we have conflict within the family, we want to run to work. Think of it in the simplest context: If you were dying of thirst in the middle of a desert, and someone gave you a glass of water, would you be worried about their culture or their religion?<hr>

Points of intersection

<h4>
 ANIMESH ANAND
 gives us some tips on how to identify and cultivate the simple things in
 life that make us happy, rather than trying to create happiness through
 external means.
 </h4>

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Ever since childhood, we’ve been bombarded with stressors: to perform
 brilliantly at school, to be awarded a prestigious degree, to get a
 wonderful job, a beautiful partner, a profitable client, a big car, etc.
 It’s endless. What if we were to look at them not as stressors, but just as
 other tasks? As things we don’t need to do if we can’t. What if we
 look at our entire lives like that?
 

 
 Will not having those things make us less beautiful as human beings? I don’t
 think so. Can we use that as a reminder every time we feel stuck and at a
 loss? Imagine feeling low at potentially losing a $1,000,000 business deal.
 Worse, what if the deal comes through but you die on the way home? (Sorry,
 just trying to make a point here!) Every time we “lose,” can we remind
 ourselves of the beautiful things we already have: the spouse who loves us,
 the child who looks at us and sees his entire world, friends who look
 forward to spending time with us.
 

 
 Every day lived well is a day of a few acquisitions and a lot of gratitude.
 

 
 What gives us the strength? Happiness. Sometimes, we seek
 to create happiness, but “to create” can be another stressor,
 because we seek to create something we lack. Could we instead
 identify happiness? Let me explain. Say you like music and playing
 the guitar. Creating happiness would mean that you play the guitar to derive
 happiness out of the activity. Identifying happiness reminds you that you
 are playing the guitar because it makes you happy.
 

 
 Finding something that’s already there is much easier than creating
 something. The distinction may not be that great, but when we’re feeling
 absolutely beaten and someone tells us to create happiness, it is
 yet another difficult thing.
 

 
 We derive happiness from the little things in our lives, and from the people
 we touch and who touch us. Sometimes, I think that all we need is food,
 shelter, clothing, and a few good people. Of course, there’s
 nothing wrong with trying to have it all, but it’s okay not to. It’s
 important to remind ourselves that we are not the doers. In fact, we can try
 with all our might to do the best we can, without entertaining the idea of
 “doer-ship.” That’s the essence of life.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="text-center">
 It’s
 important to remind ourselves that we are not the doers.
 In fact, we can try with all our might to do the best we can,
 without entertaining the idea of “doer-ship.” That’s the
 essence of life.
 
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Everything in Nature keeps moving. Trees give us life. The Sun shines. Your
 pet dog wags its tail at you. Excellence cannot be forced. It’s already in
 you. The only problem is that we’re bogged down by the hits we take, and the
 idea of doer-ship adds to the burden of negatives. When we don’t feel we are
 the doer, yet we go about doing things, the idea of unhappiness isn’t really
 a burden. Of course, sometimes we will feel down, but it is easier to get
 back on our feet.&nbsp;
 

 
 There are things we can do, and there are things beyond our control. Should
 the world end, who would be there to know if we ever existed? Yet, playing
 our part to save the world is our duty. Since we exist, we must act. We can
 ask. We cannot demand. We can try. We cannot be sure.
 

 
 Forgiveness also helps us identify happiness. Seeking rewards appropriate to
 your efforts is a great thing, but wishing ill for those who deny you those
 rewards is not. Sometimes you feel you’re not being heard. So change course,
 wishing well for those who didn’t hear you. The end result? You are in a
 happier state of mind.
 

 
 What happens when you think about things that make you unhappy? I believe
 they are polarized views of the world, choices, desires driven by choices, a
 perceived sense of loss, generalizations, etc. Of course, choices are what
 make us and they are important. If it weren’t for choices, a man stuck in a
 hole would never pull himself out. But creating a balance is equally
 important and conducive to happiness. It essentially comes down not to
 disregarding things that are not on your palette of choices, but
 just letting them be.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />


 <img decoding="async" width="400" height="600" alt=""
 class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/identify_happiness2_fb4956081f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T13:01:39.391Z" />
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 <hr />

 <h4 class="text-center">
 Happiness isn’t always winning. It isn’t
 always having a big smile
 on your face or making merry with family and friends.
 Sometimes happiness is just being able to stand tall in the
 face of adversity.
 
 </h4>

 <hr />

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

 
 Happiness isn’t always winning. It isn’t always having a big smile on your
 face or making merry with family and friends. Sometimes happiness is just
 being able to stand tall in the face of adversity. Some people spend their
 entire lives malnourished, yet they smile. Why? Perhaps it is because the
 concept of material comfort has not even been planted in their minds. It is
 okay to work for money and success, but without being disappointed if we
 don’t acquire them after consistent efforts. Why do we let the idea of not
 having something that was never ours disappoint us? For everything we have
 lost, for everything we thought we could be, we still are and will always
 be.
 

 
 Once we identify what makes us happy, accepting what we already have, we can
 work on creating something from it.
 

 <hr class="vertical-space1" />

How to identify happiness

ANIRUDH DHANDA

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<h4>ANIRUDH DHANDA explores the way memories trigger heartfelt events and people
 from the past, and remind us of situations that evoke emotional responses. Is this what being human is all about?</h4>

<hr class="vertical-space1">

It always surprises me: Brewing my first cup of tea, walking in the park, hearing a
 particular voice, the chirping of a particular bird, a forlorn leaf falling from the tree, smelling something
 distinct, seeing a person, seeing the sunrise or the longing of the dying sun, inhaling the aroma of food, reading a
 phrase in a book, hearing a song, or a voice in the park.
Any of these and many other similar mundane happenings during my waking hours can remind
 me of somebody, something, some happening, and my mind takes an instant flight in time. I am transported
 unconsciously, and without any active effort on my part, to another time. I smile involuntarily and move on. It’s
 always a different experience in the string of life. It is not fanciful, but belongs to real life.
A steaming morning teacup transports me to my friend’s place in Bolton, England, and I
 see him walking down the stairs still a little groggy and without his specs.
A particular aroma of food makes me instantaneously travel to my mother’s kitchen, or to
 my aunt’s kitchen in Delhi, India, and the taste of peas, mutton curry, or cutlets comes live on my taste buds.
The sight of the dying sun takes me to different locales. I view the entire scene at the
 Shimla Ridge with a single blow of cool breeze on my face.
The whiff of good coffee is enough to vividly remind me of the exhilarating mood at an
 international airport.
A swig of cold beer or sangria being served in a large, shapely glass flies me to Las
 Ramblas in Barcelona.
A hint of perfume conjures up a different picture … so vivid.
How does it happen? Where is that storehouse of memories, which come thrusting through
 all the years gone by, yet is so lively?
I do not want to know the physiology behind it, or the functions of the prefrontal
 cortex, temporal lobe, or the limbic system of the brain. All that is true, and there must still be much more to that
 which is yet to be unraveled by medical science. What I wish to share is the sheer marvel of the whole thing. That is,
 the existence of a storehouse and the immaculate retrieval system which is activated on the slightest of provocation.

<hr class="vertical-space1">
<img class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/memories2_1cdbb053de.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-05T08:17:42.134Z" />

<hr class="vertical-space1">
I so clearly recollect the voice of my elder brother, which I heard, or thought I heard,
 in a busy market in Guwahati, after more than seven years of him being gone. I cried into my pillow the entire
 evening, something I haven’t done once in the last seven years. Is our karma too imbedded somewhere in a similar kind
 of cloud store?
Attempting to live in the present moment is a utopian arrival at a point where we will
 not be affected by past happenings and future uncertainties. Is it actually that? Or are we running away from your
 past and not dealing with it? Such happening presupposes voluntary death of the prefrontal cortex, temporal lobe, and
 the limbic system of the brain. Would we still continue to be human, I wonder?
Learning from the past and working in the present, unmindful of the future, is the
 beauty of being human, and not deliberate forgetfulness.
<hr class="vertical-space1">


<hr>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">Article by ANIRUDH DHANDA</h4>


<hr>

Memories

Anish hails from the vibrant landscapes of South Africa. He finds immense joy in the enriching tapestry of family life, and balances the demands of the corporate arena with a deep commitment to his family. Heartfulness helps him create a harmonious integration of personal and professional life.

Anish-Dave.webp

Anish Dave

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">ANISH DAVE reflects on parenting, and how the responsibility of a parent is to lay the foundation for their children to carve their own destiny.</h4>It has been said that souls choose the family into which they are born so they can forge ahead in their spiritual journey. We may therefore deduce that there are no unplanned pregnancies, but perhaps, unplanned parenting. Whether planned or unplanned, when a baby is born it is a blessing for the parents who become custodians of the soul. The blessing in turn must be translated into a responsibility that needs to be built on the foundations of faith and love. &nbsp;&nbsp;Parenting may sound common, but it is a privilege that many are not able to experience. With all the added stresses experienced in our daily lives, more and more couples find it challenging to conceive. Added to this, there is pressure from their families to continue the family name, traditions, religious teachings, and the different state of economies. Previously, it was a blessing to have the mum at home full time, attending to every milestone of the child, while the father was the breadwinner. Today, both parents are forced to work in order to meet higher economic demands, leaving a void that cannot be filled easily by caregivers or teachers.&nbsp;Parenting does not come with a manual, which is why it is such a challenge. Some children go through early life with no hurdles, which makes parenting somewhat easier, but this is rather rare in the modern world. Parents, whether single or joint, will have different experiences with raising and nurturing children. If the foundations of love, purity, trust, truthfulness, humility, naturalness, self-respect, respect for others, and knowing right from wrong are taught from an early age, children will hold on to these principles, and they will be on their way to becoming responsible adults and parents themselves. Parents deal with their children's experiences of life-learnings like puberty, bullying, social adjusting, sexual exploration, etc. Some parents have no idea how to deal with these issues.&nbsp;Heartfulness practices enable me to listen to my heart, and this has been a key component of my parenting journey. If my heart is tuned and connected inwardly, the challenges transform into benedictions. Our hearts are connected through love backed by faith.&nbsp;Many parents face challenges with disabled children, mentally challenged children, children with ill-health, and so on. These parents may not realize it but they are gifted with capacity—the capacity to nurture and provide for these special souls. Love and faith will surely make their challenges more acceptable, and easier to navigate.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">If my heart is tuned and connected inwardly, the challenges transform into benedictions. Our hearts are connected through love backed by faith.&nbsp;</h4><hr>My hardest-learned lesson as a parent is not to have any expectations for my children. They will go through life, as they must, by undergoing the effects that are afforded through birth. When our children are born, we forget that we are only their temporary custodians. Consequently, we let the ego take over, and we start building dreams and expectations for them. This is bound to lead to disappointment.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/child_destiny2_93f32e0aa9.webp" alt="child-destiny2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_child_destiny2_93f32e0aa9.webp 145w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/large_child_destiny2_93f32e0aa9.webp 450w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/child_destiny2_93f32e0aa9.webp 450w," sizes="100vw"></figure>Our children will grow up having their own dreams, their own choices, their own paths. When we insist on forcing our dreams and expectations on them, conflict arises, and we risk losing them. We need to lay strong foundations and continue to support our children mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. We can allow them to traverse their own path and let them know that we are there for them when they need us.&nbsp;Communicate! Be someone who listens to them and not just hears them. Yes, there will be challenges, but there will also be celebrations when we overcome them. Yes, there will be tears of sadness and also be tears of joy. We cannot control everything that happens to them.&nbsp;Once we “let go” of control and expectation, and “hold on” to faith and love, their paths will be voyaged with Divinity.&nbsp;

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