by Rutger Tamminga
Last year we started an association under the banner of The Earth Lovers Family, promoting Neohumanist Ecology. This association promotes a new thinking, inspired by Shrii P.R. Sarkar’s Neohumanism, with a shift from self-centered thinking to a universe centered mindset. These ideas of the expansion of mind have their roots in Tantra, but today are also widely embraced in the ecological community.
To help people embrace a new way of thinking we have been holding meditation camps in the forest of Ananda Jyoti, with lovely nature in the northern part of Taiwan. Usually, we get between 20 and 40 people to attend and we organize different activities.
Apart from daily yoga, kiirtan and meditation, we also engage in nature and art activities. Such art activities usually inspire reflection on where I come from, where I am and what I want to do with the rest of my life. Sometimes people have gone through a lot and join our activities to find strength to move forwards.
Nature is a great teacher, and through nature we can find our own ‘nature’, realize our own connection with everything in the universe. It is all very intuitive, free and at the same time moving and filled with love. People so much want to move forward in their lives and find a way of living that resonates with their souls!
A big part of the mind shift from self-centered thinking to a universe-centered mentality is work related to our identity. But there is also a need for an intellectual change. Thomas Berry writes so eloquently in defense of such a ‘new language.’
“Our challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human. It is to transcend not only national limitations, but even our species isolation, to enter into the larger community of living species. This brings about a completely new sense of reality and value.” (Thomas Berry, “The Ecological Age,”)
In our Earth Lovers Family camps, we always include activities related to exploring the new ethics for ‘the ecological age.’ The camp we did in April included a group mandala with three layers: plants, insects/birds and mammals and people.
Ananda Dhara – Parents and Children’s Camps
Apart from meditation camps we also organize parents and children one day activities in Taichung’s Ananda Dhara MU. Attendance is usually 40-50 people. We do children’s yoga, storytelling and play in nature. When the weather is good, these activities are wonderful. We have potluck vegetarian lunch, make music, and paint and draw with all things natural. This year so far we have organized three camps.
Juei Ai Yoga Center
At Juei Ai Yoga Center we have regular asanas classes, group meditation and online programs. Other teachers also use our space to teach art, dance and music and alternative lifestyle activities.
Teacher Training
Every few weeks we have teacher training for kids’ yoga teachers, special yoga, or for Yoga Psychology.
Through nature and all these wonderful people, we all learn better to love and live together as “Children of Mother Earth.” (Shrii P.R. Sarkar) The shift in consciousness from self-centered to universal thinking is probably the hardest job humanity has ever faced. It is also the only real solution that can help resolve the current ecological crisis.
If you are inspired by this and want to coordinate, share or give feedback on promoting ELF work around the globe, please feel free to contact us!
The Earth Lovers Family