Original articles by Adrienne Maree Brown from Luscious Satyagraha ; interview between Vandana Shiva & Sarah Ruth van Gelder from YES! Magazine; and a conversation with Thich Nhat Hahn from Oprah Magazine.
As a reprinted article, this piece reminds us to not allow ourselves “to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation.” This seems especially relevant now in the midst of tough situations in Libya, Japan, and Greece.
Adrienne Maree Brown’s blog, Luscious Satyagraha, includes wisdom on transformation and activism. In this piece she introduces us to two meaningful articles discovered on a visit to Jodie’s house. Both pieces ask us to give attention to our relationship to food and the earth. We connect to these articles through Adrienne Maree Brown’s blog.
there are some things i always read when i stay at my friend jodie’s house and i want to type them up here both so i can see them all the time and so you can experience them as well.
the first is an adaptation from Thich Nhat Hahn’s Five Contemplations for eating in mindfulness:
This food is a gift of the whole universe – the earth, the sky, and much hard work.
May we eat in such a way so as to honor it.
May we transform our unskillful states of mind and learn to eat in moderation.
May we take only foods that nourish us and prevent illness in people and the planet.
May we accept this food to realize the path of understanding and love.
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the second piece is a quote from Vandana Shiva:
i do not allow myself to be overcome by hopelessness, no matter how tough the situation. i believe that if you just do your little bit without thinking of the bigness of what you stand against, if you turn to the enlargement of your own capacities, just that in itself creates new potential.
and i’ve learned from the Bhagavad Gita and other teachings of our culture to detach myself from the results of what i do, because those are not in my hands. the context is not in your control, but your commitment is yours to make, and you can make the deepest commitment with total detachment about where it will take you.
you want it to lead to a better world, and you shape your actions and take full responsibility for them, but then you have detachment. and that combination of deep passion and deep detachment allows me to take on the next challenge because i don’t cripple myself, i don’t tie myself in knots. i function like a free being. i think getting that freedom is a social duty because i think we owe it to each other not to burden each other with prescription and demands. i think we owe each other a celebration of life and to replace fear and hopelessness with fearlessness and joy.
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Earth Democracy: An Interview with Vandana Shiva
Vandana Shiva is a physicist and an organic farmer, an instigator of India’s historic “tree-huggers” movement, and a renowned author. She speaks internationally on the perils of globalization, while mobilizing fellow citizens to reclaim their rights to life itself.
Sarah Ruth van Gelder: Tell me about the Earth Democracy movement. Where did that notion come from, and what form is the movement taking?
Vandana Shiva: The notion comes from a very ancient category in Indian thought. Just like Chief Seattle talked about being in the web of life, in India we talk about vasudhaiva kutumbkam, which means the earth family. Indian cosmology has never separated the human from the non-human—we are a continuum.
To read more of the interview click here.
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