Sangha of Auspicious Companions

InnerNet Weekly: The Difference Between Natural and Unnatural

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. The Difference Between Natural and Unnatural by Masanobu Fukuoka [Listen to Audio!] For thirty years I lived only in my farming and had little contact with people outside my own community. During those years I was heading in a straight line toward a "do nothing" agricultural method. The usual way to go about developing a method is to ask, "How about trying this?" or "How about trying that?" bringing in a variety of techniques one upon the other. This is modern agriculture and it only results in making the farmer busier. My way was opposite. I was aiming at a pleasant, natural way of farming which results in making the work easier instead of harder. "How about not doing this? How about not doing that?" — that was my way of thinking. I ultimately reached the conclusion that there was no need to plow, no need to apply fertilizer, no need to make compost, no need to use insecticide. When you get right down to it, there are few agricultural practices that are really necessary. The reason that man’s improved techniques seem to be necessary is that the natural balance has been so badly upset beforehand by those same techniques, that the land has become dependent on them. This line of reasoning not only applies to agriculture, but to other aspects of human society as well. Doctors and medicine become necessary when people create a sickly environment. Formal schooling has no intrinsic value, but becomes necessary when humanity creates a condition in which one must become "educated" to get along. Before the end of the war, when I went up to the citrus orchard to practice what I then thought was natural farming, I did no pruning and left the orchard to itself. The branches became tangled, the trees were attacked by insects and almost two acres of mandarin orange trees withered and died. From that time on, the question, "What is the natural pattern?" was always in my mind. In the process of arriving at the answer, I wiped out another 400 acres. Finally I felt I could say with certainty: "This is the natural pattern." To the extent that trees deviate from their natural form, pruning and insect extermination become necessary; to the extent that human society separates itself from a life close to nature, schooling becomes necessary. In nature, formal schooling has no function. […] Almost everyone thinks that "nature" is a good thing, but few can grasp the difference between natural and unnatural. If a single new bud is snipped off a fruit tree with a pair of scissors, that may bring about disorder which cannot be undone. When growing according to natural form, branches spread alternately from the trunk and the leaves receive sunlight uniformly. If this sequence is disrupted the branches come into conflict, lie one upon another and become tangled, and the leaves wither in the places where the sun cannot penetrate. Insect damage develops. If the tree is not pruned the following year more withered branches will appear. Human beings with their tampering do something wrong, leave the damage unrepaired, and when the adverse results accumulate, work with all their might to correct them. When the corrective actions appear to be successful, they come to view these measures as successful accomplishments. People do this over and over again. It is as if a fool were to stomp on and break the tiles of his roof. Then when it starts to rain and the ceiling begins to rot away, he hastily climbs up to mend the damage, rejoicing in the end that he has accomplished a miraculous solution. It it the same way with the scientist. He pores over books night and day, straining his eyes and becoming nearsighted, and if you wonder what on earth he has been working on all the time — it is to become the inventor of eyeglasses to correct nearsightedness. –Masanobu Fukuoka in One Straw Revolution Share the Wisdom: Latest Community Insights The Difference Between Natural and Unnatural Tam-tam wrote: I remember reading Mr. Fukuoka’s book, One Straw Revolution, twenty five years ago with the enthusiasm of one discovering about natural farming. I remember him saying that if you encapsulate the … Edit Lak wrote: Wow – Okay ‘The Difference between Natural and Unnatural’I’ve luckily reached 46 years and in that time, I’ve learnt that; The following method doesn’t work, i… Ravi Sheshadri wrote: Dear MasanobuI agree completely with you. We have become so unnatural that we are not aware about what our natural self was originally. We have been improved so many times that our original ‘avatar’ w… susan schaller wrote: We, in the industrialized world, are so far from what is natural, it is almost impossible to imagine what would be natural. On one hand, I am thankful to be alive, after unnaturally being cut op… Conrad wrote: Thanks Somik for the opportunity to respond. What is natural for an aware adult is what one feels, thinks, and believes is natural. If that person does something that he or she feels, thinks, and beli… Share/Read Reflections >> Wednesday Meditation: Many years ago, a couple friends got together to sit in silence for an hour, and share personal aha-moments. That birthed this newsletter, and later became “Wednesdays”, which now ripple out to living rooms around the world. To join, RSVP online. Some Good News A 15-yr-old Dog’s Gift Stillpower: A Path to Flow, Clarity, and Responsiveness Economics of Happiness: The New Economy Video of the Week Young Leader of Rural India Kindness Stories Practicing a Little Patience Running To The Record Shop A Small Act Of Kindness Multiplied By Another. About Back in 1997, one person started sending this simple “meditation reminder” to a few friends. Soon after, “Wednesdays” started, CharityFocus blossomed, and the humble experiments of service took a life of its own. If you’d like to start a Wednesday style meditation gathering in your area, we’d be happy to help you get started. InnerNet Weekly is an email service that delivers a little bit of wisdom to 68,941 subscribers each week. We never spam nor do we host any advertising. Archives, from the last 10+ years, are freely available online. You can unsubscribe anytime, within seconds. A Gift Economy offering of CharityFocus.org (2008)

Kindness Daily: A Small Act Of Kindness Multiplied By Another.

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A Small Act Of Kindness Multiplied By Another. November 21, 2011 – Posted by Puffin I was doing a year of voluntary service in a residential home for people with learning disabilities. It was set in an English village, deep in the countryside, quite different from my home in Sweden. One of my fellow volunteers, a girl from from Tanzania, seemed a bit desperate, so I asked what the problem was. She told me she had a friend back home who was really struggling with her university studies. It was beginning to look like finacial difficulties would make it impossible for her to complete her course. So this friend of mine had done something incredible: she had sent all her pocket money for the month to Tanzania to support her friend! This meant that she didn’t have much food to eat, no money to go anywhere outside the village, no money to buy any clothes, and so on. We lived in our workplace so not being able to leave the village tended to make you go a little bit nuts after a while. Now her only chance to go anywhere was to take a bicycle, or ask for a ride. We got lunch at work during weekdays and food at other times when we worked, but everyone knew this wasn’t enough. I was so touched that she did this for her friend and I felt I had to do something. So, during my next trip to one of the nearby towns I walked into the fair trade shop to buy some food. I didn’t have much money left myself but I thought I’d buy her an extra box of the muesli we both liked and some rice. I started talking to the woman working in the shop (who was also a volunteer) and eventually told her about my friend. The woman looked at me, amazed. "Does she eat pasta?" she asked. "Yes," I replied. She immediately started loading a bag with pasta, cookies, more muesli, sweets and other things until the bag was full. "Give her this for me. It’s my treat!" I couldn’t believe it but cried with happiness. As I left the shop and to go home with my unexpected bag of food I asked the woman her name. "Just Gloria," she said. "God bless both of you!" Imagine my friend’s face when I arranged the gifts on my kitchen table and fetched her from her room to see! I have never seen her so happy! She told me that only that morning she had been praying for God to help her get through the month. A few weeks later she found Gloria in the shop and thanked her in person. These two extraordinary women really showed me what true kindness and compassion is, and the impression will stay with me for the rest of my life! Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Kindness with my Son, by Karen Words of encouragement, by silentdreamer One Size Fits All, by Camilion Snail Mail Surprises, by brighteyes A Stolen Bike and Help from Strangers, by Jessica Laplante Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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Need to Create? Get a Constraint

Art consists in limitation. The most beautiful part of every picture is the frame. — G. K. Chesterton

~~~~ Tip of the Day: “One of the many paradoxes of human creativity is that it seems to benefit from constraints. Although we imagine the imagination as requiring total freedom, the reality of the creative process is that it’s often entangled with strict conventions and formal requirements. Pop songs have choruses and refrains; symphonies have four movements; plays have five acts; painters still rely on the tropes of portraiture. Perhaps the best example of this phenomenon is poetry. […] Instead of composing free verse, poets frustrate themselves with structural constraints. Why? A new study led by Janina Marguc at the University of Amsterdam, and published in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, provides an interesting answer. It turns out that the obstacles of form come with an unexpected psychological perk, allowing people to think in a more all-encompassing fashion.” Jonah Lehrer of Wired Magazine explores the psychology of constraints.
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~~~~ Be The Change: Choose a creative constraint today, whether in a project, relationship, or even your own daily routine.

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Economics of Happiness: The New Economy

Gross National Product measures everything, except that which makes life worthwhile. — Robert Kennedy

~~~~ Good News of the Day: Many people are facing their most significant economic challenges in generations. From the hardships of unemployment to the perils of mounting debt, worry about the health of a national economy that depends on consumerism and market success dominates our conversation. But what is the economy is really for? “We’ve had enough of the official mantra: Work more, enjoy less, pollute more, eat toxic foods and suffer illnesses, all for the sake of increasing the gross domestic product. Why not learn ways to work less and enjoy it more; spend more time with our friends and families; consume, pollute, destroy and owe less; and live better, longer and more meaningfully? To do all this, we need fresh solutions,” say John De Graff and Linsa Sechrist in their article on Economics of Happiness. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169D249:C3009629A010612CE613A9BBC7A6A5A0B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: Explore research on well-being, at the New Economics Foundation. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169D24A:C3009629A010612CE613A9BBC7A6A5A0B4B847859706E37D&

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A 15-yr-old Dog’s Gift

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third. — Marge Piercy

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “I have the pleasure of meeting hundreds of incredible heroes, but this one caught me off guard. Your hair will stand on end as you read the story of this man and this dog who picked one another up time and time again: ‘I saw in the front yard what appeared to be a very old dog that was in obvious distress. He would walk in a semi-circle, then fall to the ground, then struggle back to his feet and do it again. I saw him do this same thing at least three times as I walked over to him. This was to be by far my easiest rescue because this poor old boy was in no shape to run from me, but also the most heartbreaking.'” Laura Simpson, a tireless advocate for animals, shares a touching story of Roadie, the 15-yr old dog, and his gift to a grieving man. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169D185:C3009629A010612C7AF050E0AB10B93BB4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: The next time you are a little down, do an act of service — it might just be the gift you need.

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Dalai Lama Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Video of the Week: Young Leader of Rural India

You’re receiving this newsletter because you are a KarmaTube subscriber. Having trouble reading this mail? View it in your browser. Not interested anymore? Unsubscribe Video of the Week Nov 18, 2011 Young Leader of Rural India This amazing 30-year-old woman leaves her senior management position in the corporate world to become the youngest person to head a village in India. She has brought about tremendous change by promoting education, providing access to clean drinking water, and building toilets for the people of her dessert village. Share: Related KarmaTube Videos Hardest Working Mayor in North America The Doctor Who Would Cure Haiti Mama Hope in Kenya Julia Butterfly Hill on ‘Disposability Consciousness’ About KarmaTube: KarmaTube is a collection of inspiring videos accompanied by simple actions every viewer can take. We invite you to get involved. Other CharityFocus Projects: DailyGood // Conversations // iJourney // HelpOthers MovedByLove // CF Sites // Karma Kitchen // More Thank you for helping us spread the good. This newsletter now reaches 39,080 subscribers.

Multivariate Bridges and Metaphysical Mangoes

How can I be useful, of what service can I be? There is something inside me, what can it be? — Vincent Van Gogh

~~~~ Inspiration of the Day: “Last weekend, my friend Nimo came to the group with a problem. On the main pathway between a slum and the nonprofit Manav Sadhna (MS), a stream had built up due to the persistent rain we’ve been getting lately. The issue was that kids from the slum trying to get to MS had to cross the stream daily or more with no proper way to walk, and between the water’s filthiness and the pressure it was rushing with, it was becoming a dangerous situation. Rumor even had it that one kid had climbed a parallel drinking water pipeline to cross the stream and had fallen from a considerable height. So our Sunday project was to go down to the stream and fashion together a safe walkway across the water.” What follows is an honest reflection on exploring service in action. http://premiere.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=169CD03:C3009629A010612C26A195D4D9AC7E97B4B847859706E37D&

~~~~ Be The Change: See something that needs to be done for the common good, but has no takers? Give it a shot and see what you learn.

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Dharma Quote from Snow Lion Publications

Kindness Daily: Practicing a Little Patience

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Practicing a Little Patience November 17, 2011 – Posted by Aurelia I work at night in a department store. Yesterday I had a customer come to my register to order socks from our catalog. It seemed pretty clear and easy to me, but she was struggling to figure out how many 3packs she needed to order. She apologized for being so confused and told me she had a head trauma and it was taking time for her to think. I told her not to worry and we would figure it out together. She pulled out paper and wrote down 3 and then put numbers in groups….it was really something how she worked hard to figure out 3 x 4 = 12. That she needed 12 pairs, which was 4 packs…which I could have just told her, but I could see she needed to figure it out and feel good about it. In the meantime, her husband showed up and she lost her train of thought. It took about 10 minutes to place her order, but she left feeling really good about herself and her husband thanked me profusely. Sometimes it’s hard to show patience, but it really pays off. Add/View Comment >> About Newsletter Kindness Daily is an email that delivers today’s featured story from HelpOthers.org. If you’d rather not receive this email, you can also unsubscribe. Similar Stories Grocery Store Flower Bouquet, by treeflowerpuzzle Lesson From A Janitor, by Raksha Paid In Full With One Glass of Milk, by brighteyes Children Have The Best Hearts, by ljcrowefamily Miles of Smiles, by JZ Helpful Links Smile Cards: do an act of kindness and leave a card behind to keep the chain going. Smile Decks: 52 cards with a kindness idea on each! Smile Groups: share your own stories, make friends, spread the good. Smile Ideas: loads of ideas that can support your drive of kindness. Unsubscribe If you’d rather not receive these stories by email, you can remove yourself with two easy clicks. Community

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