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Spiritual Food for the New Millennium |
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MAIL ORDER SERVICE OF SATTWIC ORGANIC
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SFNM
RESPONDS TO ARTICLE IN BIODYNAMIC MAGAZINE In
February, I received a copy of the article published in
the BD magazine, Sept/Oct issue.
We no longer receive the magazine; people had
mentioned the article, but only now have I heard it in its
entirety. We
have noticed a significant decrease in the number of food
orders making me wonder if this article had a negative
influence. This
is one of the reasons I am writing this response. We do
not discard other factors in the decrease in orders such
as the deplorable deterioration of the economy.
We have also considered that our best providers
like Steve Moore, Miller bakery, Massena Farms, Lake
Caloosa Community Farm, all of which provided the foods in
high demand, have for various reason that we all know
stopped providing their food. Therefore,
we find it necessary to clarify some of the imprecision of
the article. In
the hope that it will correct this trend if, in effect, it
has had a negative influence on our marketing efforts. The
first imprecision in the editorial part of the article
says that a polarization took place in the movement as a
result of the letter of SFNM.
My perception is that the polarization existed long
before the letter and even long before SFNM came to
existence. Proof
of this is the letters we received from numerous people
candidly opening their hearts to some longstanding
frustrations with both the BDA and the Demeter
Corporation. What
did happen is that this polarization came to light. The
second imprecision in the editorial states that none of
the members of the Advisory Board of SFNM were consulted
prior to suspending operations.
This will be better dealt with below in responding
to the two letters that have been publicly displayed in
the BD magazine. The
first letter from my good friend Heinz Grotzke again
states that members of the Advisory Board had not been
consulted. There
is a misconception and an imprecision in that statement. The misconception is that my invitation
to become a member of the Advisory Board was based on the
high qualifications as experienced farmers to give advice
on farming practices, not on policy. We have also an Advisory Board on
nutrition based also on their expertise in that area.
Therefore, there was no obligation to consult the
Advisory Board for this matter. Nevertheless, I did, and
that is the imprecision. We sent a letter on December 13th,
copy enclosed in this letter.
As a
point of clarification, our operation was suspended as
clearly stated in our telephone answering service (not
shut down) since we were hoping that there would be a
solution to the problem.
Our efforts to find an amicable solution through
the BDA had no effective response.
We had a serious responsibility with the students
that we were taking for a month long trip to India with an
elaborate itinerary.
We could not risk leaving the country and exposing
ourselves upon return to a legal action that would have
demanded from us a financial responsibility that we could
not face. To
correct another imprecision, none of our communications
accused the BDA of attacking us in any form.
Our complaint was totally referring to the Demeter
Corporation. To
point out further imprecisions, the second letter states
that I have chosen to take sides with confrontational
individuals. There
has never been and there is no intention to discredit
JPI’s work. On
the contrary, I have always supported and will continue
supporting its work which I consider extremely beneficial
and necessary. I
certainly owe an apology to these two members of the
Advisory Board for not responding to their letters.
I am sorry that I have to explain the reason for
not doing so but amongst other things, it was due to the
lack of responsiveness to the proposal I offered to the
BDA to solve this problem, added to a history of prolonged
discussions with no result of effective action.
Unofficially BDA Board members had advised us not
to worry about possible legal action, yet subsequently we
received a complaint of harassment from our students who
were still using the term biodynamic in their catering
business; they had to eliminate it. Of
course, cooperation can be maintained even in
disagreement. We
have a wonderful relationship with Sally Fallon of the
Weston Price Foundation who strongly promotes meat eating
while we strongly support vegetarianism.
We participate in her conferences and we respect
each other sincerely.
We value her efforts even though it is contrary to
our view of non-violence and we collaborate in those
aspects in which there is common ground.
Nevertheless, sometimes it’s healthier to walk
different paths that will lead to the same end. As I
have always believed, spiritual farming is a great gift
given by Dr. Rudolf Steiner to the world and in our very
modest way with scarce resources we will continue
supporting and disseminating it to reach more and more
people in the world, even though we now use a different
word to describe the same practices. |
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Copy
of letter to Advisory Board: December
13, 2000 Dear As
a member of the SFMM Advisory Board, I request your
counsel on the enclosed letter from Anne Mendenhall of the
Demeter Corporation. Chuck
Beedy of the BDA suggested to respond to that letter (with
a copy for them) and that is what I intend to do based on
your counsel. I
believe my interpretation seems to be lacking some clarity
and request the favor of your opinion. As
you can see from the letter (copy enclosed), the Demeter
Corporation has acquired the word Biodynamic under
trademark laws and is determined to enforce a rule that
the use of the word be only under the Corporation’s
approval. Its
Board of Directors has decided to revoke the previous
agreement we had with the Corporation and the BDA
concerning: a) the work of the Advisory Board with regard
to the categorization of farms, and b) the use of their
logo on our product list. With
this revision, it seems we will only be allowed to offer
Demeter Certified products if we want to promote
Biodynamic agriculture.
This brings us back to where we started, i.e. there
are only a few products we can offer and these few are
usually developed for large scale production and
consequently will find their way into commercial grocery
stores with which we have no desire to compete. This
would make sense if the word Biodynamic was trademarked
and the use of the ® next to it was for selling certified
products. Where
the symbol is not included, it would mean that product is
not guaranteed by the Corporation. To pretend that the
word Biodynamic cannot be used other than as a property of
the Corporation seems unacceptable. The
way we understand it is that Biodynamics is a form of
agriculture that follows the guidelines given by Rudolf
Steiner and that any human being willing to follow these
guidelines should be allowed to do so.
The difference should be that those who use the
Biodynamic word with the trademark symbol will be
guaranteed as having their products certified by the
Demeter Corporation, and the products of those who do not
use the symbol are evidently not certified and there is no
guarantee that the guidelines have been followed.
This would be for the consumer to decide – if
they want to run the risk or not.
This is how we have been running our project and
the customers seem to be very happy with the system.
We have never heard anyone complain about the
categories and in fact have heard many thanks about a)
making available hard-to-find products (coming from farms
that are not certified), and b) having the opportunity to
support small farms. It
does not seem reasonable to forbid the use of the word
Biodynamic. If
that is the case, we will not be able even do to the
educational and promotional work of this earth-healing
agricultural modality.
We would have to fold our project and go back to
where we started. We
would be allowing wonderful Biodynamic food to be sold
with and as commercially grown food. This would condemn many of the small
farmers to abandon their practice of Biodynamic methods
and discourage new farmers to work in this direction. I
need help in clarifying my perception of a contradiction
between the opening of the letter where our work is
praised and the threatening last sentence of the
guidelines. Hoping
to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Victor
Landa
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THE IMPORTANCE OF EATING LOCALLY-GROWN FOOD It’s
so simple. You just go to the local grocery store and in
one quick (well, maybe not so quick) trip through the
aisles you’ve got all you need to feed the family for
the next week. And,
if it’s one of those new one-stop supermarts, you can
also pick up your dry cleaning, grab a few videos for your
weekend entertainment , do you banking, pick up your
prescriptions and give the kids a half hour in the
supervised play center.
An incredible variety of foods from near and far is
right there at your fingertips and you’re building up
credits towards next Thanksgiving’s free turkey.
SO WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE TO DO
YOUR FOOD SHOPPING? HOW
ABOUT FRESHNESS? The
products you purchase on the grocery store shelves have
traveled an average of 1300 miles before they make it into your shopping
cart, including the so-called “fresh” produce.
It can be ten or more days from the time a fruit or
vegetable has been harvested until it reaches your
refrigerator. HOW
ABOUT PURITY? Much
of our produce comes from huge corporate farms where
herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilizers are used
with gay abandon. And
since this country does not yet require items grown from
genetically-modified seed to be labeled as such, you never
know whether or not there are fish genes in your corn or
macadamia nuts in your tomatoes.
In addition, a lot of our produce is imported from
Third World countries who use pesticides that are banned
from use in this country.
Many of these banned toxins are sold to them by US
companies; then the food is shipped back to us for our
consumption. Pretty
scary, huh? HOW
ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT?
Food that has to be shipped and refrigerated for
days or even weeks, requires packaging.
That’s lots of Styrofoam, plastic cardboard, etc.
added to our monumental accumulation of waste. The shipping process demands gasoline and
oil and makes a significant contribution to our air
pollution. The
corporate farms that we are most likely buying from are
also a lot less likely to care about what their farming
methods are ultimately doing to the soil and the rivers
and streams. HOW
ABOUT THE LOCAL ECONOMY?
By eating locally grown food we help support small
farmers in the area and keep them in business.
In turn, when more profit stays with the farmer and
he makes a decent living, he and his family can help
support other local businesses.
HOW
ABOUT YOUR HEALTH? It
has been well known by the ancient health sciences that
people thrive on food grown in the region where they live.
The plants, animals and people of a particular
region share the same water, soil and air and are adapted
to the same climatic conditions.
Therefore, the food produced in an area is more
likely to be supportive to the health of that area’s
inhabitants. And
nature, in her great wisdom, provides the foods we need in
the seasons that we need them, giving us light, juicy,
cooling foods in the spring and summer months and the
heavier, stick-to-your-ribs foods like root vegetables for
the cold weather months.
So eating both locally and seasonally helps to
maintain the nutritional balance that we need for optimum
health. So
there are five good reasons for not buying all your food
at the supermarket. But
what are the alternatives?
Jim Mulligan, in his article, The Great
Hunter-Gatherer Continuum suggests a range of choices from
the “culturally normative” to the “most earth
friendly.” On
the culturally normative end of the spectrum is the choice
of shopping at the Supermarket Only which, he
points out, limits one to foods that are almost
exclusively produced by the “vast agribusiness
complex.” The
next step along the continuum is termed Selective
Supermarket Shopping, in which you “use your
influence to both buy locally and to encourage the
supermarket chains to stock more local, earth-friendly
goods.” However,
Mr. Mulligan warns that consumer pressure, even highly
organized consumer pressure, is not as strong an influence
in the marketplace as are the concerns of the giant
agribusiness complex.
The
third step is Occasional Shopping at Specialized
Retailers, ones that focus on local, organic and
earth-friendly products, in other words, health food
stores, co-ops and produce stands.
Mulligan notes that there is far less interaction
between these types of food stores and the agribusiness
economy. Chances
are that there is a much closer relationship between these
marketplaces and local agricultural and economic efforts. Moving
along the continuum we come to the habit of Regular
Shopping at Both Specialized Retailers and Supermarkets
which can eventually lead to Buying Almost Exclusively
at Specialized Retailers.
The consumer who makes this move forfeits the huge
range of product choices and the other services offered by
the supermarkets for healthier, more environmentally
friendly products and the knowledge that they are
supporting the local food economy.
The
next step is to Shop (When You Can) at Farmers’
Markets. This
option is usually only available during the summer and
early fall months. Mulligan
points that, with this step, you “get the freshest
produce, all of your money goes directly to the local
producer and you have an opportunity to interact with the
farmer.” With
this step the shopper is making a significant step towards
supporting the local small family farms in his/her area.
On
the Most Earth Friendly end of the continuum is the choice
to Subscribe to a Community Supported Agriculture Farm or
CSA. In
this arrangement the consumer actually makes an investment
in a local farmer’s harvest.
He pays a set fee, prior to the growing season,
which entitles him to a share of the year’s produce. His
share is picked up at a designated time each week
throughout the season.
This
is a true partnership between the consumer and the local
farmer. The
consumer joins in both the risks taken every year by the
farmer and the joys of a good harvest. Some CSAs even
offer the members the experience of helping with the
harvest. This
option takes a real commitment on the part of the
consumer. Although
most CSA farms grow an impressive variety of produce,
there will be an abundance of the items that are currently
in season, requiring that one either do some canning, or
freezing, sharing with friends and neighbors or perhaps a
combination of the above.
It demands a great deal more personal involvement
with the food you eat than does a weekly trip to the
supermarket but CSA members find it well worth the effort
(see article on page 9)
Of course this is a seasonal arrangement, and not
all of the food items that you need will be available from
the farm so one will still have to frequent the food
stores. But
after enjoying the pure, fresh food from a local organic
farm, it would be difficult for anyone to go back to the
other end of the continuum. |
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PROFILES
IN FARMING III: THRESHOLD FARM Hugh
Williams and Hanna Bail are the proprietors of Threshold
Farms, a 45 acre spread in Upper Hudson Valley, New York.
Hugh started farming in 1961 on the family farm in
Australia where his mother, a devotee of anthroposophy and
biodynamic gardening, had quietly been using the
preparations on her home garden while Hugh was growing up.
After
college and some time spent traveling, Hugh discovered
steiner’s Agricultural Lectures in a bookstore in New
York City.
His mother was able to put him in touch with Bob
Williams in Australia who became his real teacher of
Biodynamics. He’s
been employing Steiner’s
farming methodology since 1973.
Hugh
and Hanna grow vegetables, fruit (peaches, pears and
apples) and keep a small herd of cows with their calves,
pigs, sheep and a donkey.
The cows on Threshold Farm are a crossbreed of
Ayrshire and Shorthorn.
The first heifer born on the farm is now milking
and her brother, who Hugh describes in glowing terms, will
sire the herd this year.
The cows are grass-fed, which Hugh says is
“becoming a big thing,” and the calves are not
separated from their mothers.
“They are simply a part of the herd; they run
with the herd,” as Hugh puts it.
Their farm animal population also includes a cat to
keep the chipmunks out of the greenhouse and a dog “for
the woodchucks.” Hugh
and Hanna make all of their own biodynamic preparations on
the farm and, as of this spring are 100% self-sufficient
in compost. Hugh
estimates that, after mucking out the barn, they found
themselves with about 70 tons of “beautiful biodynamic
compost” from their cows and their hay and grass.
The only aid they are not presently self-producing
is an organic potting mix. “This is going to be our next task,”
Hugh states, “to make our own.”
Threshold
Farm is the sole source of support for Hugh and Hanna and
their ten-month-old baby, Christopher.
Except for cheeses, eggs grains, pasta and some
other things, it also produces almost 100% of what they
eat. This
spring they started a small cheese production, about 4
lbs. a day. Although
the weather has presented some challenges of late, Hugh
accounts this to the Devic world being “very confused by
human intentions.”
Hugh and Hanna deal with this by trying to be very
clear in their own intentions. Orchardry
is where Hugh Williams has had both his biggest challenges
and his greatest successes as a farmer.
An obvious love for his work (“ I will farm for
as long as God wills it.”) has undoubtedly helped him to
persevere and, after thirty years of working with the
Steiner methodology, he has successfully developed a
totally non-toxic method for growing fruit.
“You have to know what you’re doing,” Hugh
states, “and not many people know, partly because so
much of it [the fruit we now eat] was developed on a
pesticide intensive regime.
I had to create new guidelines.” When
asked what is the most amazing thing that he has
experienced in his farming career, Hugh states, “Every
harvest! And
Rudolf Steiner’s spiritual-scientific insights into
farming and their revelation in the nitty gritty.”
He is gratified to see that a peer group of
like-minded farmers are developing and encourages SFNM to
continue their supportive activities.
Our
final question to Hugh was, “What is the most beautiful
thing on your farm right now?” His
answer: “The young heifers just about to have their
first calves. Also
our new baby’s wonder at it all and my wife Hanna’s
abilities – without her, the farm, as it is, would
hardly be possible. We’re
both very hard workers and we have complimentary
abilities. Hanna
has strong organizational skills; she’s good socially, a
good marketer. She
also has great ability with biodynamics.
I guess she has a great underlying anxiety about
what we’re doing to the earth.
She loves farming, animals, the earth.” |
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Winter
camp Just
after the New Year, members of the School of Life went
with Vyasa to Jane’s Island, on the Chesapeake, for the
annual Shanti Yoga winter retreat.
We camped in “the Shanty” (!), a refurbished
mansion on the island, right on the water and in the midst
of pine forest. It is definitely a repeat destination.
As usual for the camps, we enjoyed a
mono-diet—this time, rice pudding, and everyone had the
opportunity to cook.
The special discipline of the retreat was mona—the
yogi practice of silence, which for us meant speaking only
when necessary. This helped set the right mind frame for
group study of the Bhagavad Gita and a complete audio
course on Ayurveda by Dr. Vasant Lad, as well as twice
daily yoga practice and agni hotra. It was also a time to
reflect on the past year and take resolutions for the
new—and in addition to personal resolutions, all members
of the School of Life have been given the resolution of
practicing gratitude and ahimsa (non-violence.) The
retreat provided a wonderful opportunity to prepare
physically, mentally, and spiritually for the New Year. |
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Gandhi Memorial Ceremony
Gathering
for the Gandhi Memorial Ceremony |
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On
January 30th, the anniversary of Mahatma
Gandhi’s death, the Global Coalition for Peace held a
ceremony to commemorate the passing of Mahatma Gandhi. The
site was a small park in front of the Indian Embassy where
a beautiful statue of Gandhiji, just placed there in 1999,
stands. Already when we arrived someone had placed a
bouquet of flowers in the statue’s hand, which seemed
auspicious. We
had only gotten the permit from the Park Service to have
the ceremony a few days before, bad weather was expected,
and we hadn’t had much chance to publicize. To prepare
the environment for what was to come, a recording of the
Gayatri mantra was played. (This and all that followed
would not have been possible without the wonderful sound
system provided by Richard Miller and Patrick de Santos.)
Lucho Jimenez, who had been the main organizer, served as
MC. Richard
and Patrick as usual provided great music throughout the
ceremony; they were joined by Anne Stuecker to perform a
peace song. The first speaker was Professor Colman
McCarthy, renowned peace and non-violence teacher;
following was a thoughtful and inspiring piece by Rose
Lord, read by Linette, which focused on Gandhiji’s
character (this text is available on the website,
schooloflife.org, under the GCFP link); and finally author
Linda Grover shared her vision for a Day of World Peace
with us. To
conclude the program, three young Hare Krishnas from the
Potomac Temple led a kirtan (devotional singing), chanting
the Maha Mantra, held to be very effective in bringing
world peace. All
in all, about 70 people gathered, and the weather was warm
and sunny. Next year, the GCFP will repeat the ceremony in
conjunction with the Indian embassy. Seminar:
Peacemaking in Times of War On
Saturday, April 6th, Mr. Colman McCarthy gave a
seminar on the principles of peaceful living and the
practice of non-violent conflict resolution.
Mr. McCarthy is a pacifist, teacher, journalist,
and advocate of non-violence. He teaches at high schools,
colleges, and law schools, and is a respected journalist
with a nationally syndicated newspaper column which has
run for 25 years in the Washington Post. He is also the
founder and director of the Center for Teaching Peace.
The morning began with a presentation “How To
Become a Peacemaker”, in which Mr. McCarthy shared some
of his considerable experience in guiding young people
into the path of service, as well addressing topics such
as why become a peacemaker and the viability of
non-violence rather than violence as a means to resolve
conflict. A one-hour lunch break followed. This lunch was prepared by School of Life
members; the meal itself was shared in silence, listening
to a tape of the words of Mahatma Gandhi. It was a
beautiful and restful time.
The afternoon resumed with a workshop in two parts:
Nine Steps of Conflict Resolution and Eight Reactions to
Conflict, in which a conflict scenario was given and the
group was asked to give their own preferred responses,
drawing from a list of options provided (which turned out
to be the eight reactions). It was a very educational and
inspiring day, not only because of Mr. McCarthy’s vast
knowledge but because of the thought provoking, reflective
orientation of the seminar. And the speaker was very
engaging, funny, empathetic, and energetic, which made it
a delightful experience.
Mr. McCarthy is the author of four books: I’d
Rather Teach Peace; Solutions to Violence; All
of One Peace: Essays on Nonviolence and Strength
Through Peace: the Ideas and People of Nonviolence. All
of these are available through Shanti Yoga. |
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I
HAVE SEEN WAR |
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Peace Concert On
Saturday, April 20th, the day of the massive
D.C. anti-war demonstration, Patrick de Santos and Richard
Miller’s band “Peace On Earth” with guests Lilo
Gonzalez, Sharon Verghese, an d grammy award winner Bill
Denoff (composer of Take Me Home, Country Roads),
gave a Peace Concert in the sanctuary of the New York Ave.
Presbyterian Church. As the brochure for the concert
beautifully explains, the group “echoes the voice of
humanity that praises the beauty of life in a world of
peace and love, a world of non-violence where love and
harmony prevail.” This was the band’s debut
performance; originally this first concert was planned for
June, but when news of the demonstration came, it was
decided to have it on the same day. The very special style
and spirit of the music was appreciated by all who came.
And the music was punctuated by a recording of the
words of Mahatma Gandhi, reproduced specially by the
Global Coalition for Peace for the day and available
through the Center. Also, Brother Moses, a playwrite and
actor, gave a moving rendition of Dr. Martin Luther
King’s “Declaration of Independence From the War in
Vietnam”. More such concerts are intended to follow to
help lift many people’s minds and hearts to a place of
peace. |
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Retreat at Bethlehem
On
the weekend of April 25-26th, during Sally
Fallon’s Weston Price Foundation’s 3rd
Annual “Wise Traditions” Conference five people will
be staying at Bethlehem (the ashram’s property at 4209
East-West Hwy). This is the biggest group hosted here yet.
The vision behind Bethlehem is to be an urban
retreat center, where people can stay short (1 day) or
long term (several months) and partake of various healing
modalities, including food therapy, detoxification, juice
fasting, bodywork, Biocircuit, steam bath, yoga classes,
and more. However,
it is also a welcome Urban Retreat center for people who
are visiting the D.C. area and prefer a sattwic (pure)
environment, versus hotel life. Bethlehem not only has a
small yoga studio but also a heated indoor pool, and is
right on the Georgetown hiking/biking trail. The spacious
backyard and surrounding trees really make one forget that
the house is right on a major highway. It is also within
convenient walking distance from the metro. It is hoped that the Ashram will be able
to serve more and more people in these ways, in addition
to providing yoga classes and weekly meditation. |
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CSA 2002Soon
vegetables will be coming from the farm in Pennsylvania to
Shanti Yoga’s doors for the CSA season. The first
delivery will be the first weekend of June and we will
receive fresh vegetables every Saturday from then until
Thanksgiving weekend.
Last year the CSA grew to 54 members; this year we
are hoping to increase the number again to 75.
This is especially a concern because last year our
farmers Tim and Fabienne Rapsey and Debra Faulkenberg lost
$16,000 dollars—the number of shares people bought were
just not enough to cover the cost of growing the food,
much less to produce any profit.
As all who have been members for a few years can
attest, every year the CSA share gets better. From the
farm, a greater variety and amount of food is available;
and of course, Spiritual Food for the New Millennium
provides great supplements ranging from cheese, to grains,
to orchard fruits, from Sattvic-Organic farms all over the
country. One goal of our CSA is to reduce members’ need
to shop at stores throughout the season to a minimum, and
this too gets closer to the ideal every year. |
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Café PrasadAn
exciting new development in Shanti Yoga Ashram is the
success of “Café Prasad”.
This was conceived as a service whereby people
could share our ashram meals, either to try sattvic-organic
or organic food for the first time, or, for people who do
not usually cook for themselves, to still be able to
experience the food.
The need for this was especially evident from
experience with the CSA: many people do not know what to
do with the kinds and amounts of fresh vegetables we
receive, and it was hoped this could be a way of making
the food feel more accessible. It has been a happy
surprise that so many people have joined us, even placing
“carry-out” orders. It is yet another demonstration of
how food can be a vital factor in building community. |
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Children’s YogaChildren’s
Yoga is being offered again at Shanti Yoga. The class is
on an 8-week session, and covers basic classical yoga
postures, proper breathing, relaxation, and intoning. A
core group of about 13 girls has formed (no boys have
signed up yet) and they are working to improve their
flexibility and strength, as well learning to breathe
abdominally. It
is a lot of fun to share yoga with young people and
hopefully plant the seeds of respect and inner peace they
will need to face life’s challenges. |
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New School of Life MembersThis
year the School of Life welcomes Brandon Lord, Marita
Arosemena, and Ozan Jaquette as Aspirants. |
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Raw Milk StoppedRecently
Shanti Yoga received a letter from the Maryland Department
of Health saying that it had been brought to their
attention that raw milk products were being sold on the
premises, and that upon purchase and testing of the milk
they had confirmed that the milk is raw.
The letter stated that raw milk products are
“adulterated food” and “not fit for human
consumption”. So
unfortunately the raw milk and cream are no longer
available to us (along with the butter, cheese, and yogurt
we made from them.) We will have to look for ways to
change state or national legislation so we can have this
precious milk again. |
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Summer CampFrom
June 29 through July 7 Shanti Yoga Ashram will have its
annual Summer Camp at the CSA farm in Pennsylvania.
Attendance is limited to School of Life members and is
highly recommended as a considerable opportunity to
further spiritual growth, and experience the wealth that
the Sangha, or spiritual community, can provide.
Camping is primitive style—we pitch the tents and
dig the latrines—and the diet is strictly fruit and milk
and cream. The daily schedule typically includes morning
and evening yoga, agnihotra at sunrise and sunset, group
study, and of course time for individual reflection, and
counsel with Vyasa. As Swami Sivananda said, “An ounce
of practice is worth a thousand tons of theory”, and
camps are definitely a time of experiential learning. |
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Website Success
Thanks
to the untiring efforts of Rose Lord, manager of the
School of Life and maintainer of the School’s website,
the Global Coalition for Peace site is getting more
widespread attention.
(The School of Life page schooloflife.org
is divided into three: Shanti Yoga, Spiritual Food for the
New Millennium, and Global Coalition for Peace.) Since
October 2001 the site has received
over 1400 visitors—and it is not even listed on a
major search engine.
The site features beautiful letters touching on the
need for healing and non-violence in this time, visions of
world community and caring, as well as links to unbiased
news reports of political and peace events.
The website was created in order to bring people
around the world together for a sequential meditation on
peace. The
meditation is performed every Saturday night at 6 p.m. in
the local time zone. This was a response to the September
11 tragedy. Another
main purpose of the site is to provide a place to go for
people who feel the need to promote healing and
non-violence, but who do not have the support for their
ideals around them. The original letters displayed on the
site were by people such as Rigoberta Menchu-Tum, His
Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Deepak Chopra, but these are
now complemented by the expressions of private people. We
would like to invite people also to read the “Prayer for
America” by Congressman Dennis Kucinich which is on the
page. The School of Life is continually
exploring ways to utilize more of the Internet’s
potentials for spreading the philosophy of ahimsa,
non-violence. |
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Massena
Farms is sorry to inform you that our usual high quality
of oats did not develop in the 2001 crop year. The
drought and hot weather late in the crop's development
were responsible. We do plan on growing more this
year and certainly want to thank all of you, including
Shanti Yoga, for your support. We do have some steel
cut oats from the previous year that we feel still have
some flavor and food value because it has been in freezer |
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EDITOR’S JOURNAL
During
the final week of efforts to pull everybody’s articles
in and get this newsletter together, Hugh Williams and
Hanna Bail were experiencing a dramatic crisis on
Threshold Farm. A
severe frost was threatening to destroy the fruit tree
blossoms and cold day temperatures were preventing the
bees from flying and pollinating the trees.
Hugh spent three nights in the orchards trying to
avoid losing the crop by lighting fires to keep the area
as warm as possible.
But he could not have done it alone.
Hanna reports that with the help of some great
friends and neighbors who also dedicated some cold
nighttime hours to those orchards, the trees seem to have
made it through.* That’s
a beautiful example of how community can make the
difference between survival and devastation.
The
School of Life is another example.
Our teacher tells us that we must have Sangha (a
like-minded community) in order to keep our spiritual
growth alive and well.
In the 2 ½ years that I’ve been involved with
the School, I’ve found this to be so true.
But in addition to supporting each other in our
spiritual growth, I’ve also seen (and experienced) many
instances in which members of the community have supported
each other in times of personal crisis and celebrated with
each other in times of joy.
We
are taught that the same life energy flows through all of
us and through all living things.
It seems to me that when we try to keep our energy
confined to our own little world it becomes stale and
powerless. But
when we allow it to flow freely, it’s constantly
replenished, made fresh and vibrant. I often find myself asking, “Do I have
enough energy for [this or that].”
While I don’t believe in spreading oneself too
thin, I’m beginning to understand that there’s always
enough energy to put where it’s really needed.
And the great thing about being a part of a real
community is that there is this other source of supply
when your own energy might not be enough.
Whether the problem is a physical one or a
spiritual one, we won’t get help unless we let our
community know that we need it. So I guess that means that
we must not be afraid to ask.
Like the fruit trees, it could mean the difference
between survival and devastation.
*Hugh
gives some credit for the survival of his fruit trees to
the generous use of valerian – a key ingredient in the
Steiner preps. |
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Spiritual Food for the New Millennium |
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4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda,
MD 20814
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