The most important documentary I have seen in 2008: “Story of Stuff is a fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.” Worth every minute!

Created by Annie Leonard, who spent 10 years of her life researching and putting together this 20-minute power packed piece.

Play it at www.storyofstuff.com

Love is not in wanting, neither is it in detachment.

You will know what it is only when you pour your self completely, till you give it all away. Pour yourself into the sunrise you see, pour yourself into the whiff of the flower you smell, into the touch of the tiny fingers of a child, into the bird that leaves no traces in the sky, into the eyes of the stranger who serves you tea, into your work, into every hug, into the earth you step on, into the breath you breathe, pour and pour and pour, without keeping anything, until you have emptied yourself. Till that day when you too are washed away.

In that nothingness you are complete.

The act of forgiveness.

As will always be the case in the material world, duality will show up in each and every aspect of our lives, similarly we shall always come across persons deserving forgiveness and those who do not. It is easy to forgive the deserving and there is nothing more to be seen in such an act as the person simply deserves it, he or she has earned it! But it is forgiveness of the un-deserving which is the difficult yet benevolent part. It is the un-deserving person who is ailing and as such in need of solace and a soothing balm. I suppose this is why the Lord Jesus said “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing.”

Of course, it would even be better if I were to remain rooted in the Advaitic principle of “Who is there to offend and who is there to forgive?” But I realize that I still have miles to go before I reach that state of unshakeable stability in One-ness.

Born and raised in Vancouver, Severn Suzuki has been working on environmental and social justice issues since kindergarten. At age 9, she and some friends started the Environmental Children’s Organization (ECO), a small group of children committed to learning and teaching other kids about environmental issues. They traveled to 1992’s UN Earth Summit to Rio de janero, where 12 year-old Severn gave this powerful speech that deeply affected (and silenced) some of the most prominent world leaders.

Read the full text of Severn’s speech, and pass it on to another 12 year old you know.

Thanks to friends at Karmatube

is not hate. It’s Fear.

Here’s sharing 2 insightful interviews by the Zen teacher Adyashanti. It’s worth every minute.

Love is indiscriminate

For complete interview: Here

In the last few months, I am feeling the need to re-examine my relationship with money more closely. For about 3 years since I quit my corporate life in USA, I was working full time for non-profits without a salary. Starting this year, I have been involved in some for-profit projects. I can see traces of manipulation, insecurity, greed and guilt associated with my interaction with money. At the same time, I am beginning to appreciate the benefits of a Gift Economy more than ever before.

Today, from what we hear about the economic crash of United States, stock exchange rise-and-plummets and international government policy intervention; the whole thing looks like a spruced-up, sophisticated Casino-style trading to me. Only thing is, the people who get most affected here are the people who have the least say in the decision-making process.

The problem is not with money, with exchange or with sharing and supporting each other. The problem is the fundamental pillars on which we have built our current economic structure. It is proliferated off the seeds of scarcity, insatiable greed and distrust. Instead of abundance, a spirit of sharing and trust.

Recent history has seen the rise and fall of Communism, but have we questioned the rise and fall of Capitalism the way it is going? [Check out this interview passed on by Samir. Though I have some differences with what the economist is saying here, fundamentally I endorse his views.]

[If you are keen to learn more on how money works, check out this very interesting article sent by Naveen]

Today, as we inquire into our systems of functioning both at an individual and collective level, the ideas of Gram Swaraj resonate strongly in my mind.

Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth,
“You owe Me.”
Look what happens
with a love like that,
It lights the Whole Sky. –Hafiz

India’s Humble Rickshaw Goes Solar:
It’s been touted as a solution to urban India’s traffic woes, chronic pollution and fossil fuel dependence, as well as an escape from backbreaking human toil. A state-of-the-art, solar powered version of the humble cycle-rickshaw promises to deliver on all this and more. The “soleckshaw,” unveiled this month in New Delhi, is a motorized cycle rickshaw that can be pedaled normally or run on a 36-volt solar battery. [more]

Be The Change:
Learn more about the basics of solar energy from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory here. [more]

>>From our friends at Daily Good

1) Blogs of people on the ground:

• Bihar Baadh
• Bihar Flood
• Bihar Flood Relief
• Bihar Flood 2008

2) Latest News Articles

3) Learn about the Kosi River

These words my friend saw carved in the arc of a Spanish church in the heartlands of Mexico. When I heard them, i fell quiet for a long time.

I am realizing right now, that lately each day my trust in the goodness and the intelligence of the universe is increasing. Life is fair, and always rooting for us.

Like most people, I too have insecurities. About relationships, money, future and what not. But somehow the more I surrender, the more I trust and just concentrate on my work in the present moment, I experience an unnusual quality of peace.

Trust always multiplies. When I trust, I challenge my insecurities. I take risks. I also fall.

The hardest part is always the point right before you jump off the airplane without a parachute. But then, I have seen that infallibly something holds me caringly before I hit the dirt (death). Giving me twofold courage to keep moving towards facing uncertanties with much greater faith and inner completeness. Today I know that my whole journey is about learning to trust the wisdom of the universe and letting go.

I so love you Life.

My mother was frantic trying to figure out how to wire money for the bihar flood victims. So this post is dedicated to her, and to those who badly want to do something, who cant stand watching the horror show on T.V.

Mum’s concerns were two fold : she wanted to make sure the money got into the right hands, and she wanted to send it asap, by wire transfer.

I called a close freind who is organising a collection of bare nessesities process in Ahmedabad, and she recomended calling Goonj. Being a big NGO, these people were too busy to give us details of wire transfer, etc.

So we called up friends and then friends of friends and found these people who are not an NGO, but are a motivated group of citizens going personally to Bihar with goods they have collected. They are Javed and Mona, res number 06122522081, and cell no., 09835486721. Another contact is Rajiv Ranjan on +919431442239.

Javed bhai is working from Patna itself. He is working with a group of people collecting dry food items. The women, housewives, are busy packing the food. Their children, after school are helping too. Their target is to pack 10,000 kg food, 2,000 kg clothes, including sanitary napkins, etc. The plan is to load the trucks on 7th night, from Patna to Araria to Raniganj. A well known social worker, Medha Patkar, is coming to meet them today.

Money can be transfered into the acount of Rajiv Ranjan, HDFC Bank, Patna, Account no 1861530001952. His email address is 27.rajiv@gmail.com.

I am copying Rajiv’s email contents:

Hi freinds,

this is Rajiv talking to you for channelising relief materials for flood victims of north Bihar. I will not talk much about the calamity as you can gather informations through various sources. The major concern is proper relief materials at proper place.What is happening here that in the absence of proper infrastructure everything is going haywire.To fill this gap we the citizens of S.K. NAGAR,PATNA are trying to bridge the gap.in our own small way. Our one team of ten persons are camping at raniganj block H Qof Araria dist one of the worst hit places.We are giving all possible support from here. This way we have tried to establish an integrated forward backward linkage to do the things effectively.

Believe me this type of consolidated initiative by cititizens is considerd first and unique in its own way Ms Medha patkar had visited our place at raniganj and was full of praise. Hindustan -A hindi daily news paper having maximum circulation in Bihar in its patna edition of 5-9-08 on page no 4 has given a very good coverage of our effort. Now i request you all to be with us in this trying time.

Apart from these group, there are many more who are working on this.
http://biharfloods/ now lists more than 60 organisations in different parts of the world which are involved with helping in relief and rehabilitation operations for the floods in Bihar.

Contact them to offer your services, materials, funds, etc. Also see the Disaster Management section in http://socialcauses/ And this is a link to New York Times on Bihar flood.

The above pic shows railway tracks submerged in the waters of kosi river. I wonder how the map will look now, if we are to draw it afresh. The parallel lines of the river have gone crazy.

Another option, is to pack items like clothing, food stuff, medicines (you will find the list at Goonj) , and hand over the carton at a collection center in your city. If you cant find one, then any railway station in India is supposed to accept cartons for Bihar flood releif.

Posted by Grasshopper, from www.baktoo.blogspot.com.