An excellent documentation of a model village with a visionary Sarpanch who found a novel way to encourage villagers to celebrate the birth of a daughter and in the process populate the village land with more and more trees.

TVNFs latest short film PARIYON KI PIPLANTRI OR FAIRIES OF PIPLANTRI (Subtitles in English) is a powerful story of transformation of a village brought about by a systemic approach and a committed community…By eliminating female infanticide and growing trees… A society that respects women also values reciprocity, nurturing and cooperation…

Watch the film on this link

The rising temperatures & sudden changes in the weather patterns become a common phenomena nowadays world over. In the name of development the human species has become so selfish that it has almost forgotten that it is overusing the natural resources which are meant for all the living creatures of the earth.

Age old practices of sustainability has been forgotten & have been replaced by quick methods that are destroying the quality of air,water & soil. For our commuting & travel comfort we invented different modes of transport, each of which mostly uses fossil fuels which are non renewable sources of energy. Indiscriminate use of these fuels have deteriorated the quality of air beyond repair at some places.

Water is another resource which has been exploited extensively. The day is not far that the very existence of human species will be threatened due to scarcity of water.

Quality of soil is also damaged by constant use of fertilizers.

All these things make me think Are new inventions really necessary for today ‘s world? Can’t we focus more on discovering nature’s ways of balancing & sustaining the living & nonliving resources rather than blindly focusing our energy & efforts on new inventions which are merely increasing our comforts & are doing more harm to our health & health of our mother earth.

Each one of us if we start observing the nature closely & carefully, we will discover how beautifully everything is scrutinized & balanced to maintain the natural cycles.

The drying of leaves & their falling on the soil during Summer is followed by monsoon during which the rainwater helps it to get mulched in the soil ,only to be converted it into manure so that the nutrients in the soil are replenished.

The need of the hour I think is “To Discover rather than Invent.”

Learn self-conquest, persevere thus for a time, and you will perceive very clearly the advantage which you gain from it. As soon as you apply yourself to contemplation, you will at once feel your senses gather themselves together: they seem like bees which return to the hive and there shut themselves up to work at the making of honey.

Saint Teresa of Avila

Do not mourn the worldly loss; ask for your soul to be saved. Many delighted in what you hold dear. In the end it left them and became mere wind. Escape from its love before it escapes you.

Rumi.

Daoism is an ancient Chinese nature spirituality–a non-religion, till its decay in later generations. A non-religion of ease, paradox, and energy flow.
You cannot pray to the Dao for favors–it is a subtle force that pervades all things and is unaware of its own greatness.
You cannot beat up or marginalize the Other, because they offend your smelly little nationalism or religious chauvinism. Daoism in its origins has no identity badges that allow you to do that.
–Raj Ayyar
‘When people see some things as beautiful,
other things become ugly.
When people see some things as good, other things become bad.
Being and non-being create each other.
Difficult and easy support each other.
Long and short define each other.’
–Daodejing, 2.
If you want to shrink something,
you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to get rid of something, you must first allow it to expand.
If you want to take something, you must first allow it to be given.’
–Daodejing, 36.
Taken from Tao Te Ching, tr. Stephen Mitchell.

The self-existent Lord pierced the senses to turn outward. Thus we look to the world outside and see not the Self within us.

Katho Upanishad