Satish Kumar is of Indian origin. His works are mainely oriented towards a holistic life, from economics, to nature, to earth, to people, to respect and connect.
He believes that Descartes in his:"I think therefore I am" has placed the ego at the motor of the human being and established a dangerous dualism. He says this solitary consciousness has made the western man alone, thinking that animals are without spirit so he killed them; that he was superior to others so he colonized them, that he produced guns and war machines to put everyone under the fear of terror, that he destroyed many ecosystems until he realized he lived in it. (le monde magazine extracts)
He says in some of his interviews:
"I became a Jain monk at the age of nine. I came across Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography when I was eighteen. I understood that religion, spirituality and the world should not be placed in separate compartments. Sadhus or monks usually take abode in caves or mountains, giving the impression that spirituality is only for those at a higher plane.
Gandhi said that this kind of dualism is not right. We must incorporate spirituality in e veryday life. When I read that message, I felt I could no longer be a monk."
"Gandhi, Vinoba and Schumacher saw a beautiful, cohesive world. Human beings need to learn from Nature and live in harmony with Nature. The problem is not poverty, but affluence. We do not need to alleviate poverty, we need to alleviate affluence.
The word 'poverty' has been hijacked and corrupted. It originally meant 'voluntary simplicity'. In Gandhian terminology, being poor is better than being rich. He lived simply in a hut made of mud, bamboo and grass.
Today, a successful economy means more. Whereas Gandhi, Vinoba and Schumacher say: "Enough! Where is sufficiency?'
from Life positive, interview
These are my wishes for a bright new year 2011 in the Arab world:
"You are therefore I am"
thank you for reading my blog
5 comments:
Timely, and pertinent. happy New Year
The elimination of others has become an accepted practice in our world, a Spanish style inquisition? You are therefore I am not?
On the Dawn of 2011, someone blew up a church in Alexandria, and as I write this, someone is probably plotting to blow-up a shrine in Iraq, or another religious symbol in our world; that, I may have to accept bitterly, but the indifference of the masses is unreconcilable....are they
nations loosing their souls?
People are often away from any soul searching. People make nations and not the other way round.
Happy new year
Happy new year from Greece.Very interesting blog
Do you know where can l find yalah undergound film for downloading ?
thank you for your wishes for the new year, and for your encouragement on the blog.
I believe you can find some contact for the yallah underground documentary through their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/yallahunderground?v=wall
All the best in Greece
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