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FORCES OF LIFE WITHIN YOU
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Only
a strong united front of spiritual people can lead the way
for a better world. Unity
in diversity is one of the main dictums in the practice of
Yoga. It is
contained in the word itself since Yoga comes from the
Sanskrit root "yug" which means "to
join" or to "unite".
This can be a guiding principle for any situation in
life. Looking
at the spiritual communities as a whole, with this principle
in mind, the message of unity becomes a clear one. The different impulses within the various
communities have developed wonderful aspects of human life
as in the areas of Education, Medicine, Art, Agriculture,
etc. What a wonderful gift to the world, it would be if the
synergistic effect of this basic principle "Unity in
Diversity" were implemented in all these different
areas. We
are at a crossroads where the issue of food is bound to
become a referendum of planetary proportions - a very
appropriate "field" where spirituality and
materialism will face each other.
It seems to be a legacy of Dr. Rudolf Steiner and his
method of biodynamic agriculture that this task be taken by
spiritually responsible people.
A strong united front is needed.
A united spiritual community free of jealousy,
rivalry, ego-centrism and other impediments is needed.
Spiritual movements have grown in each area of human
endeavor. It
has spread around the globe.
In North America, there is an opportunity now to
unite us all on the issue of spiritual food. The
Spiritual Food for the New Millennium initiative
relies on the implementation of the unity in diversity
principle. It
started as an idealistic proposal to correct serious
societal shortcomings, namely:
a) abuse of the soil, b) abuse of the farmer who is
not paid the real value of his labor, c) abuse of the
consumer who is receiving poisoned food, and d) the
farmer/middleman/consumer dynamic based on self-serving,
materialistic concerns; as well as to raise the level of
consciousness of humankind through bio-dynamically grown
food. However,
it has became evident that other issues needed to be
addressed. We
can see that a downfall of the "organic food"
movement is taking place.
The name will carry on but it will not be more than
an empty shell used to deceive uninformed consumers.
We infer from this experience that should biodynamics
follow the conventional route of marketing it would lead to
the same downfall. A
new approach to marketing is needed with enough protecting
mechanisms to ensure purity.
When we talk about "marketing" in this
context we are getting into a totally different dimension.
Touching many different aspects:
political, social, generational, etc.
Marketing bio-dynamic food through the Spiritual Food
project goes beyond the limited field of
"agro-business."
This is why a strong diverse community and
communities with strong spiritual roots are needed. What
a beautiful perspective, the world is avid for spiritual
knowledge. Science
and religion, as they have been presented, are facing
serious challenges as has the materialistic approach to
life. Yet, the
point of critical mass has not been reached, and will not be
reached until a sensible alternative is clear. The
spiritual communities can become the catalytic element that
will gear humanity to more elevating roadways, moving in the
direction of the spirit, the way to know the truth.
For hundred of years now we have been tearing apart
everything that has come within our reach.
We have dissected and mutilated without distinction
animal, vegetable, mineral, the planet itself, paradoxically
without knowing, drawn by that sacred impulse to find the
truth. In our
bloody hands and stained bodies we look around, surrounded
by the destruction that is starting to stench so strong that
we don't know where to go to get away from it.
This is why we are trying to find our way to other
planets with desperate attempts of physical feats,
struggling with gravity and with other forms of life that we
don't want and can't recognize; thinking in our arrogant and
materialistic ways that the only form of life is that made
to our image. We
all have a "redemptor" within ourselves. "Christ consciousness" is the
essence of that redemptor buried deep under layers of our
daily active lives. But it has been and will always be ready
waiting to be of service, waiting to "be."
Only Christ could offer the ultimate sacrifice but we
all can help to carry the cross of humankind by pointing in
the direction of the spirit and not of the world. What
does this mean in terms of putting it into action? According
to yoga, there are four basic human drives:
food, sex, sleep and self-preservation.
It stands out very clearly that if we are going to
work with these the most viable approach is by means of
food. Dr.
Rudolf Steiner was very clear in his lectures on Agriculture
[1] when he said the reason people do not put into practice
the spiritual principles they hold as ideals was "a
problem of nutrition."
At first sight it might seem preposterous, but with a
little bit of thought and meditation, remembering that all
the cells of our body are replaced every seven years and
that the new cells that are being made are made out of the
elements and forces which we bring in as our food, we will
be more willing to recognize its merit. In
addition, the ecological, social and economic implications
of the process of food and nutrition have vast ramifications
in the fabric of society which indicates very clearly how
this plays a central role in our existence. By
the Spiritual Food for the New Millennium initiative
we are trying to convey that through Biodynamic Agriculture
we are feeding the physical and the spiritual bodies of both
man and the planet. Therefore,
the idea is to "create" a market; the number of
people in spiritual communities is big enough to develop an
initial market to support the farmers.
This "market,"
the initiator of a new societal dynamic, must be
based on ethical principles rather than economic and
self-centered ones. We
also need to be realistic and must function at least
temporarily within the materialistic frame, therefore, a
good balance must be attained. Implementation
of the project will take some time and fine tuning. What is important at this point is to
look deep into our hearts, to stretch our hand to our own
"redemptor" and kindly lead him out to join with
other hearts to proclaim this unity and bring light to the
world. Let's
allow our imagination to stretch out into the future to
envision the time when a farmer, who chooses to do so, can
earn a livelihood from his or her labors and that this will
allow enough time for his/her spiritual practice.
Let's envision a time where space is created on the
farm where city dwellers can come to stay to experience
nature and a meditative environment, to breathe fresh air
and eat healthy food, and to experience the body, work on
the mind, and open up to the spirit. Let's
envision a time where farmers give the opportunity to lead
those interested in a spiritual life to the "Path of
Knowledge." Let's
provide them with enough means to support apprentices with
reasonable compensation. Ultimately, let's give farmers the
opportunity to become role models for generations to come -
to become a source of aspiration for the young when the time
comes to decide how to direct their lives.
Let's inspire in the young a sense of reverence and
devotion for what their predecessors have accomplished.
This
is the ideal of coming together as a community uniting
efforts to support different impulses leading to the raising
of consciousness of humankind.
---Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov
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Spiritual Food
for the New Millennium, 4217 East-West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814; 1-888-384-9642; 301-654-4899