Green Angel of the Month: March - April

 

Interviewee: Erato Xatzymihalaki

The Green Angel these months of spring is the Angel of Hope, who dares to dream of a harmonious, sustainable co-existence between man and nature while rebuilding a relationship that can retrieve forgotten truths, bringing people closer to the serenity of nature and the inner serenity of one’s own existence.
‘Hopeland’ is a vision that has gradually, over the last two years found its realization on a slope in the land of Argolis in Peloponnese-Greece, between olive trees that resemble sculptures, preserved holm oaks, an oak tree 500 years old and houses made of straw bales; one of the friendliest, dreamlike human intervention in nature. 

Erato, which is the vision behind ‘Hopeland’?
My occupation is that of a family counselor and for some time now I have worked in parental counseling. Through this activity I realized very quickly how children grow up by chance. How parents are not prepared for it, how they are not ready to answer questions, how they rely on what other people are doing, and on what their parents did or the opposite.The educational system on the other hand is focused on giving knowledge rather than cultivating critical thinking and all that leaves children unsatisfied, if not miserable. My initial desire was to build a school, but that was something that could not be realised practically, so I turned towards the idea of creating a space that could function as a camp where children could come and learn some hidden truths; things having to do with nature, things that they don’t have the opportunity to learn in the cities, even in villages anymore, learn how to eat well, learn about proper standards of living as well as learn to participate in the actions and decision making. This was the initial concept. I saw this place as a nature camp with a small number of children who will be working the land, will learn to plant, learn about nature and its elements. Which child really knows nowadays that we as humans come from earth, water, air, fire and finally ether, the forgotten spiritual element and such things?
Then I thought that this area in winter should be used by adults for knowledge in the form of seminars that have more to do with self-awareness, ecology, psychology, focusing more on the side of anthroposophical knowledge. Slowly the idea took the form of a community. I visited two communities abroad, ‘Damanhur’ in Turin and ‘Findhorn’ in Scotland. I sought information through the internet and settled on the idea of forming an eco-community which would include the whole process of recycling and permaculture which started in Australia and tends to cover the whole world with the idea of sustainability of an area whether that is our balcony or the roof of our house, or a huge estate. In this context the housings should be passive solar houses, made with as much natural building materials as possible. While searching I came across a natural construction method with straw bales. I found it an easy and quick way of constructing, with earthquake-resistant benefits and insulating benefits for cooling in summer and heating in winter. One leads to another and now we reached ... Hopeland. 
  
What does hope mean to you?
Hope is life. Life without hope cannot be. Hope is the basic quality of human, if hope becomes extinct, life would be extinguished.

...And in your case we see that it’s that which turns the impossible into possible ... how a vision begins with an idea until it takes its practical form ... How would you describe this process so far?
The feeling I have is that it is a miracle. There were too many small coincidental moments together that formed a collective miracle. I feel that there is help for this entire project, the circumstances and synchronicities led me to meet the right people while the initial resources were found to start all this.
I think this kind of community structures have to do with our present as well as our future, where we can begin to construct the transition to a more healthy way of living. The greek financial crisis came to seal this. This damage cannot go on anymore. In essence it is all about a crisis in values that culminates with the economical crisis we are going through now. From somewhere love for life should be fired once again and this cannot be done within the city. The houses, the cement, the lack of colors ... we are living in dead material. Relationships, communication, values, what is alive anymore? 

Is there hope in Nature?
The very nature is hope. You see how the cycle of life is within the 4 seasons .... how a flower decomposes and is reborn and decomposes and is reborn again. This is life, hope and creativity.

Considering the way man has intervened in nature so far, do you believe there is hope?

There is hope, it is up to us to awaken to the knowledge that lies within us.No need to look for this knowledge out there, it’s already within us.

Do you think that this is a general awakening period we are going through now where the spiritual awakening coincides with the green awakening?

I think the darkness is about to end, that this time is the kick of death. It is striving to hold on, it’s like the Lernaean Hydra, where you cut one head and ten more come out, it hooks, it bites, it resists but eventually dies in the presence of the good. The light is born ...actually it has been since forever, but now is the time where, in the core of every human there is an awakening, the spark becomes a flame and many flames together make the light. I think we live in great times. Much is said and much is heard and certainly it’s not an easy process we go through, but I think it's only for the course of good ...but how to say this to a man who loses his home because he owes ... how to say ... you know it is for your own good… It’s not a matter of telling now, you have to let him see it for himself. 

In a society where the prevalent pattern of well-being is ‘the more we have, the more we are’ what does ‘Hopeland’ have to suggest?
The key is to go back to the truth of 'I am'. We have seen how the 'I have' functions so far. Those who are from middle class and above know this well. We have too many things… from the gadgets in our bags and in our homes, the cars and the bank accounts… In the midst of all these things, we forget the 'I am' and this is the reason that this season is truly an awakening. Because it puts us back to discover that we really are not what we have... because we do not have anymore, so what's left? It is very essential now to turn oneself inwards and indulge in the process of self-awareness. 

What is it that we need to cultivate within ourselves that will enable us to produce thoughts that are able to transform our reality?
What I think makes the difference is how you see reality. If you divide people into two general categories, those who see the glass half empty and those who see the glass half full, those who belong to the second category are those who like alpinists and pioneers move forward and all the rest follow. What we need to say again, is that what is needed is hope. Without hope we cannot create anything.

  

  

  www.elpidohori.gr

Green Angel of the Month: February

     Interviewee: Doris Nünninger-Fräulin

Doris Nünninger-Fräulin has grown her wings in a big romantic garden full of flowers, trees and herbs, near her house which is located in South Germany near the borders of Switzerland. Her role the past years has been to connect people to nature through courses and workshops which she gives about herbage and medical herbs along with walks in nature. On her courses one can learn how to make ointments with pure beeswax and special herbs or flowers, herb-vinagre with lemon thyme and learn the old art of knowing which plants from your garden you can use for different conditions as remedies.




Doris, what is your relationship with nature?
My relationship is mainly with herbage and medical herbs. I use them in the kitchen and for healing.

Have you taken a training in this field?
I studied in the Sambuca-School, an association to conserve the knowledge about traditional herbs. I wanted to know more about herbs so this was my start. Before I was a remedial teacher, working with handicapped children. Then I became very ill and because of that I couldn`t work in my profession any more. I couldn`t do anything  but walk outside in nature. I had the feeling that this is what would help me the most.

What pulled you towards nature?

I wanted to feel the colour green around me, green meadows, green forest. The green colour was essential for me, I longed for it. I really had the intuition that it helps me. I had this problem with my head. I could not do anything but walk. I got the feeling this would heal me and give me release from pain and tension. It was not possible to do anything else, there were these headaches... The body was leading me. I could not go to a town, there was too much stimulus and noise around, also I couldn’t go shopping, it was all too exhausting. I could not concentrate. Walking outside in nature was what really cured me. I started to feel better.
 
Is that when you started taking notice of the different plants growing... ?
I was always interested in plants. That was not something new. But what came up as new was that I developed an interest in medical herbs. I started studying the knowledge of certain herbs and their substances and then I started to experiment with that. My experience was that it was doing me good, so I wanted to study more... I was searching for something and I knew that this was it! I felt better and better, the  more I knew the more I could use it on myself. Now I could live without antibiotics and sedatives, sleeping pills and all that. Before it was not possible, so often I had no defense against noise and many inputs from outside. I got nervous and felt like I was connected to a high voltage power line. Being in nature, finding the right herbs for me, allowed me to let go of those strong medicines and change to natural herb-medicine. I also sensed that I wanted to teach this to others. I had the aim very quickly to make it my new profession.

I have noticed in your courses people do really practical things. I met some people who were quite enthusiastic to prepare soups, balms, vinaigre and so on. Do you work with pure natural products only?
First I teach them some facts about herbs and then how to use herbs from their garden for themselves, in the kitchen for salads and soups and how to prepare little homespun remedies, tinctures, syrup, balms, ointments, herb-salt etc.

I once cooked a special green soup with you from the first green herbs coming out in spring...
It is a soup with so many vitamins that really gives you a vitamin boost.  It brings you in connection with nature, cleaning your whole system and giving you strength. It is like a springtime ritual to prepare a green soup like this after the long winter. In springtime nature gives us exactly that what we need to bring back strength and vitality to the body. All through the year, according to the season the earth provides us with herbs to stay well.

Is this a spiritual aspect of nature? Somehow you connect your green interest with a different consciousness.
For me it is a kind of  contemplation and meditation to be in nature. There are different forms of meditation and being in nature is a good way to come into a meditative state of mind. I don`t have to sit down for this, it is possible to be in a meditative state of mind whilst walking in nature.

Also what you mentioned about floating with the seasons of the year and being part of it seems to be a spiritual way of life for you. Not only sitting inside, feeling alone and isolated... Do you somehow feel more connected?
Yes, I am a part of the whole, not separated. I can be aware of this much more as well as of the relation I have with the universe, the plants, the elements and all living beings. And because I am more conscious about it, I can act differently.
  
This sounds like you have more awareness of the state of our planet now?
There is more awareness and sensitivity for what is around me and for nature as such. My life changed a lot because of this. There are different levels: Thankfulness is something important to me. This means to take things not for granted but as a gift. I am very thankful for this. To feel gratitude as well is something essential and very deep. I feel that I got such a gift and my life changed! Such richness. I  trust more and more in everything and that the right things are coming to me. The herbs which I need start growing in my garden. I am convinced that whatever I need will show up in my life. I just have to be aware of it and trust.

It sounds like there is less fear?
I feel that I am being taken care of by nature and that there is so much abundance. This is what makes me grateful. This is the consciousness that was in the background all the time. In this way spirituality is a way of life for me. I am related to everything and I perceive everything as a present. Without spirituality I probably would not look at it this way and I would not be aware of it. The whole spectrum of values: peace, happiness, gratitude -all these values can be experienced in nature. This is wonderful.

So your mind has to be open for it?
You  have to be open and then nature can help you. Otherwise you can make walks and be outside and not sense anything. My experience is that if I need a herb - then it comes to my garden, it will just start growing there. I am very often totally surprised. I cannot make plans - plants come on my way. Then I do something with this plant. This was so last year with white-thorn. It was suddenly there, when I needed to have one. Many times this happens but we do not notice it. You just pass by and you don`t see it. If you are open and sensitive you will notice it.


Interview to Patrizia Heise

Green Angel of the Month: January

Interviewee: BK Raju 

Spirituality and concern for the environment go hand in hand. Living simply, wasting nothing and showing respect for the environment is one aspect of this. There is an abundance of advice and information available nowadays showing ways to save energy and money in relation to ecology. As well as the saving of energy though, spirituality involves also the generation of energy, an aspect that we hardly ever consider available to us, individually and collectively. How is this possible? Few of us are aware of the impact of our thoughts on matter. The Rural Development Wing (R.D.W) of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University took the initiative. It conducts successful field level experiments in what is called ‘Sustainable Yogic Farming’; an innovative concept that involves the practice of Raja Yoga Meditation together with the application of organic manures and bio fertilizers on a field.
BK Raju who is the coordinator of the Rural Development Wing explains to us how the application of pure and positive subtle energy of the mind has a profound impact on farming.

For  three years now in Tapovan Farm at the foot of Mt. Abu in Rajasthan India an agricultural method is being used via experimentation of Raja Yoga meditation. 
Could you tell us how this works?

Two thirds of India’s population lives in rural areas where
agriculture is the main source of livelihood. The 1960’s saw
the introduction of mechanized agriculture with the
‘green revolution’. Hybrid, genetically modified seeds,
chemical fertilizers and pesticides became readily available
on the market. Although crop productivity increased in the
short term, there was a rapid increase in soil infertility
and toxic residues causing food-borne illnesses. At present,
agricultural productivity has stagnated and food security is
seriously threatened. Farmers seem desperate and have no
guarantee of crop success and their soils show clear signs of
depletion of organic matter. In numbers of more than 216,000
farmers have committed suicide since 1997. The R.D.W is
working in partnership with Government institutions, NGOs &
Research institutes to empower farmers by reconsidering
methods of crop protection and production.

Raja Yoga is a method in which we utilize the power of our thoughts. Through Raja Yoga we gradually attain elevated and pure thoughts. By directing this powerful thought energy, vibrations, onto the field there can be a lot of positive impact on the plants.
There is lot of power that can be given to the plants and they are capable of receiving such power. We give this power through meditation and plants respond very well to that. Members of the rural development wing are experimenting with the power of yoga on the plants and the practical result of this is visible.

What is the outcome you have seen so far?
We apply Raja Yoga as an addition to the usual organic farming. In some cases that involve sugar cane, turmeric and wheat we have even seen 50% more yield in the yogic farming compared to the organic farming alone. 

Has there been an in-depth research on this?
A number of scientists are involved in this yogic farming and have come up with wonderful results. A systematic study on the consequences of ‘perpetual yogic agriculture’ by means of scientific research was recommended. S.D. Agricultural University, Dantiwada (Gujarat) is following the project under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 5 years in order to conduct research on the role of meditation

The experimental land is divided into three equal sized plots:
one is organic, one is with fertilizers, one is organic plus yoga
practice. Before being planted the seeds for the organic and yogi
plot are given to the BK centre and kept in a special meditation
room; whilst in yoga attention is focused on the seeds.Initial
findings indicated that out of 100 seeds sown in each plot,
40 germinated with fertilizers, 60 with organic agriculture and
80 with organic agriculture plus yoga practice. This was an
immediate verification that organic methods and yoga were
creating quicker germination and stronger growth. The university
will produce a full report when the research is completed.
More on http://www.yogickheti.com/Research.html

together with organic inputs on  productivity in agriculture. The main scope of the MOU is to develop and test the application of meditation on organic farming modules for various crops, study the effect on soil micro flora and study the restoration of soil fertility and consistency in the levels of productivity. The research is going on and we can give out the results only after 5 years, we have just completed 2 years till now. We can arrive at concrete evidence only after 3 more years. The conversion period for the organic matter is 3 years.  

Is this method applied during the process of treating the plants or is it a separate time you do this type of meditation?
 The seeds that are about to be sown are first exposed to meditation, they are empowered with the pure vibrations of Raja Yoga and then they are sown. Whilst watering, hoeing, weeding etc. we suggest to the farmers to remain in a state of meditation as this will positively affect the farming. 

Does the farmer need to be a yogi or anyone can do this?

Further studies on the effects of Raja Yoga Meditation
are being conducted in various farms across the country
under the guidance of R.D.W. So far the results show that
soil fertility is enhanced by this system which optimizes
soil biological activity and the physical and mineral nature
of the soil as the means to provide a balanced nutrient
supply for plants. In Kolapur, on an area of 800 acres
where excessive fertilizers were used, the land became
infertile. The government spent thousands of rupees with
no result. More than 70 farmers in this area are
experimenting with yogic farming. In many cases products
obtained by yogic farming are highly demanded and make
better profits.

Anyone can do this yogic farming, the only thing that is needed is positive and elevated thinking. The mind should be positive enough to enable it to meditate. When there is no hatred or animosity towards anybody, then these loving, positive vibrations will make the whole system of yogic farming work. We provide training to the farmers and ask them to start on a trial basis and continue with that. We advise farmers and, in general, people to experiment at their own places giving positive vibrations daily for 5 minutes. A lot of farmers, around 400 farmers all over India are practically applying Yogic Agriculture.

Does the application of yoga power result in a more healthy production?
It is a cycle that starts early from the seed stage when we empower the seeds through the practice of Raja Yoga Meditation. The seeds are activated and the growth that we can observe right from germination will be quite good. You can see the plant growing well in terms of its greenness and the harvest will be very good in terms of nutrients.

How does this food affect us?
Food affects body and mind. As the food so the mind and as the mind so the body.

As the food that we consume has its impact on the mind of
the person who eats it, in the same manner our mind, too,
has profound impact on the holistic health of the person.
It is now a firmly established fact that the state of the
human mind directly affects the state of health of an
individual. This method of Yogic Agriculture, establishes
an emotional relationship with nature as a whole. Plants
do respond to  positive emotions, to the application
of positive energy/ vibrations (this is scientifically
established by different scientists across the world)… 
extract from ‘Perpetual Yogic Agriculture’ pdf file that
can be found here: http://www.yogickheti.com/Artical.

What could this thinking approach teach us about our relationship with nature?
The whole world is dependent upon 3 basic powers: the power of the soul, the power of the Supreme Soul and the power of Nature. These three are interdependent. As is the state of the souls so will be the state of nature, as the power of the soul degrades so will the power of nature degrade. This is the basic relation. It’s time now for us to empower nature with the power of the Supreme and it is the power of the Supreme that can transfer the world into the Golden Age, where nature and humanity are in complete harmony.

People in the West are not used to this kind of understanding. The impact of the power of thought in the way that is described here might appear a bit difficult for people to perceive. If we transfer this to our everyday life how could our awareness be changed according to this understanding?
We advise people to firstly obtain knowledge of meditation and of the soul. By knowing and realizing the actual self, the actual form and the actual power within ourselves we can proceed with the experimentation of such subtle powers. There the success story starts.

GreenAngel’s visit to Tapovan Farm outside Shantivan Campus.
Once there one can experience the peaceful vibrations that are present all over the place. A tour around the farm gave a profound understanding and a practical experience of how when human consciousness co-operates with Nature, a harmonious balance can be established once again.

Guiding through the Ayurvedic proprieties of the plants. 
(Left) the plant from which the famous Castor Oil is produced. (Right) Stevia Plant.  

To know more about Yogic Farming visit: 

http://www.yogickheti.com/ (kheti means field)

Green Angel of the Month: December

Interviewee: Ruth Deighton


 

High in the mountains on the isle of Evia Greece, in the arms of the elements of nature, the wild flora & fauna, Ruth’s easy and creative nature finds its expression on the canvas of nature. When spirit and matter co-operate together the beauty of life unfolds. It is simple and austere.

Frozen Beauty

 Ruth, could you give us a description of the area in which you are settled?
 I have a small piece of land in central Evia, on the slopes of Mount Dirfi, and the closest village is called Seta. I live in a little cabin there. The place is quite isolated, as there is not a village close by, so there is no electricity or connection to mobiles, what we call off the grid.

The land is high enough on the mountain so it has an unusual climate for Greece. Still Mediterranean with quite a warm summer but we get frost from any time in September to May so one must grow things that are not frost sensitive. 

There are a lot of spruces in the mountain around and lots of wild mushrooms. It is a good place for high altitude crops such as cherries, walnuts, apples and chestnuts.  In a typical winter, from December until April, there is snow on the ground.

How easy was it to turn a wild space in nature into an eco-human friendly space?

Identifying
Wild Mushrooms

It was enormously difficult physically, a real challenge.  But that was what I needed, to work hard, and not think, and get physically and satisfyingly tired. I wouldn’t say that every human would find it friendly, these days.

When I decided to plant some trees the first thing I did was to get rid of most of the brambles and wild weeds. I had to put up a fence because there are goats up there that eat everything and I had to protect my samplings. After that I planted some vegetables to add to the local wild greens, available to eat.

I knew nothing about gardening when I went there. I thought that I would just sow and wait… I didn’t know anything about quality of soils but I learned that as I went along, mostly through reading.

There was a wonderful book about biodynamic gardening by John Soper that talked about gardening in tune with the moon and forces of nature.

Living off the gifts of the land

I tried to follow his recommendations wherever I could by making my own fertilizers and pesticides, and by working the land in co-ordination with the planets, and making compost in the bio-dynamic way.

What do you do for electricity and water?
There is stream at the bottom of the land so I have water for watering all the things that I grow there. My drinking water is from the same stream but we have a pipe that goes from the very source where the stream comes out of the earth. I have a wooden stove and the wood I use is from pruning and dead trees that I collect from the land.
Electricity is not a problem, I have oil lamps for the evening and reading lambs that work with batteries and are charged with a solar powered battery charger… I am usually exhausted having worked all day on the land and I enjoy reading for a while before going to sleep.

Wild Fauna

How did you decide to settle there?
I first settled there in 2003. Before that my life was very different, I had lived on another island with my family, near the sea, I worked as an examiner of English as a foreign language and travelled all around Greece through this work. Then when my son was going to University in England he died in an accident and my life changed, after experiencing this shock. He died around Christmas and his body was cremated. In spring we took his ashes to this land partly because once my son had said that the best time of his life was when we had gone camping on this land and had a memorable time just living in nature. So I thought that was the perfect place for his remains. So in the spring we went to this piece of land to plant some samplings with his ashes. While I was planting these trees, a man that was growing potatoes on a piece of land next to mine came to see who these people are. We had owned this land for around 20 years and came occasionally to camp. The potatoes’ man suggested that we build a little cabin there. He knew a neighbour that could make this cabin for us and so we said that we would think about it. We went back home and when we came back after some time he had already started building it without our permission! In any case it seemed a good idea and things were in a way happening for us and so I moved in.

How did your contact with nature help you deal with your condition at that time?

I started digging and walking and observing nature and I found it was the best therapy for me to deal with this enormous change in my life. It made me physically exhausted so that I could sleep like a baby at night and it challenged me mentally because I was learning. Through observing I could see how nature lives and dies…but never really dies…it is a continuous process and you just have to go with the flow and embrace what happens in your life. I didn’t think too much, I just did…  My life became nature, chopping wood, making campfires, cooking, eating whatever grew and flourished and could harvest in the wild.

What was the greatest gift you experienced through this relationship with nature?
The greatest gift is the peace I found in my heart. It is the spiritual blessing that the time I spent with nature has given to me.

What do you think death is?
Death is just a lie. You can see that from nature. It is an on-going process, all of nature is continuously living and dying and re-inventing itself. Nature is our greatest teacher, protector, saver, and life–giver.

Do you think that life works for us?
I would say life works with us. The secret is to embrace it, take the difficulties and learn from them. To realize that we are not separate human beings but we are all one. We keep forgetting it so life comes and reminds us.
As Heraclitus said, “ And from all, is one, and from one, is all”.

In what way does nature inspire you to work with her?
When I see nature suffering, in any way, I want to help repair the damage, for example when I see a tree damaged by a tractor, or land that has been scared by man’s interference, I feel an ache in my heart, and try when I can to repair the damage.


Would you say that art in nature is a way to communicate with nature, or understanding her more?
I feel that a walking meditation in nature, or a swim, or gazing at the stars are examples of communicating with nature. Art in nature is about spending time in nature, and communicating ones own inspiration, and about honoring her and playing with her. Ultimately we are here for a tiny mini- moment of time; we are privileged to be able to stop, to smell the flowers and to play.
Time out!

Creative Communication with Nature.
See more of Ruth's artistic games with nature in Eco Art Section

For more information contact Ruth at: ruthdeighton@hotmail.com

Green Angel of the Month: November

Interviewee: Dr.Adel Abu-Assi

This month Green Angel flew over Lebanon, a small country with a rather unique personality. Looking from above, the closest distance to the sky are the rugged mountains of El- Chouf and the magnificent cedar forests. Some of these trees are estimated to be more than 2,000 years old and represent one of the few remaining natural landscapes of Mount Lebanon that were described in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Old Testament as well as in countless documents throughout history. From these cedars the wood crossed the seas and brought to Jerusalem by King Solomon to build his glorious temple.  From the summit, the distance holds a panoramic view of the countryside. More beauty unfolds as the Green Angel zooms into the small villages that surround the high mountains. An interaction of nature and humans…small stories waiting to unfold. Coming closer Green Angel’s attention is caught by a loving vibration that is diffused throughout a very humble farm surrounded by a variety of trees, colouring the scene with autumn hues. 
The soul of this farm is Dr. Adel, who chooses to live simply with nature. 

Panoramic view of the farm

Dr. Adel, more and more we see individuals with various backgrounds turning their interest towards a more natural way of living. In your case, what was the main factor that contributed to the development of this interest?

The main factor in my case was my occupation as a medical doctor. As a pediatrician I first think of preventive medicine before thinking of curative medicine. Starting from myself I chose this road as the main, true way to good health. After experiencing good health with this kind of lifestyle, I started propagating it to my patients and their families.
 

Could you tell us what is involved this organic farming you are doing?

It involves growing fruit trees, all kinds of varieties that grow in this area and growing them with no fertilizers at all.

The fruit of the sumac tree,
famous as a spice

What do you experience when you get involved in these activities?

Every weekend I come here. It is a 180 degrees turn from being a doctor, helping people and waking up at night and standing by for every emergency case. It’s a big change to come here after that and be in calm and quiet nature. Furthermore, I believe in the productive activity that once Mahatma Gandhi spoke about that promotes a good health. That is the physical exercise you do in the field, whilst producing some kind of vegetables and fruits.

Autumn hues

 Which value do you think is most important for you to live a life that is in harmony with nature?

In order to live in harmony with everything and not only nature, you need to have love in your heart, to be full of love and have no place there for anything else. Nature gives you all the good things.
It doesn’t make you feel sad or frustrated. So, I choose to live in harmony with everybody and everything, even with those who may cause trouble to me. I value this trouble as a motivator for me to have more love, forgiveness and acceptance of the other.

The farm is surrounded by
a variety of apple, walnut,
pomegranate, sumac, lotus
& quince trees

From your experience as a doctor, in which way is our inner environment, our physical body and the outer environment connected with each other?

The inner and outer environment are very much interrelated and connected to each other. The first thing to do in order to treat somebody is to make him feel more relaxed in his mind before prescribing any medicine for his sore throat or his ear infection or pneumonia. By helping the person become more relaxed and balanced from the inside, that automatically increases his immunity system. The more balanced you are from the inside the more immunity you have to all kinds of diseases. Being balanced inside is also related to how much love you have inside for others and being free from hatred, greed and all other negativities.

Cedar trees, considered to be
more than 2,000 years old are seen 
in El-Chouf Nature Reserve

What should be our relationship with nature in order to lead a more healthy life?

First of all nature never takes revenge. You may neglect some kind of tree or plant and come back after years and this tree will never hate you because you ignored or neglected it, so nature is very forgiving. We have to learn first of all from nature how to forgive others. 

And nature also needs from you to be very sensitive and kind to her. They call her Mother Nature, so as much as you love your mother you have to love nature as well. Nature is now getting polluted and contaminated and there are many transgressions against nature. We should avoid doing any bad actions towards nature, starting from minimizing the use of fertilizers and pesticides, cutting down trees and any other harmful acts towards nature because this will return back to us. I am a vegetarian for the last 36 years and that helped me maintain good health and a healthy way of living in nature.

How did you decide to become a vegetarian?
That occurred after reading the Vedic literature and after hearing some lectures on different yoga philosophies back in the 70s, at the time I was staying in the United States. I was convinced that what they say is really right and the right way to live. So when I felt it as the truth I said why not try it! Then, when I started to become a vegetarian, my colleague doctors said that I was not going to make it, that I would have anemia and vitamin deficiencies. So they started betting on me. After six months I took a blood test and it was all normal, after one year I took another blood test and was again all normal and kept going on and in time they all lost the bet! I feel very healthy and pleased with myself and this gives me satisfaction; the kind of satisfaction that doesn’t come from being richer, having more buildings, better cars, more fun, this and that…

As a pediatrician do you encourage parents to promote a vegetarian diet for their children?
Definitely yes!  I even insist upon taking their children to nature and teach them how to plant, how to grow fruits and vegetables before going to learn about TV and internet, computer games and all that junk. To teach them how to make a small garden in front of their house. This is actually working and people start getting more used to helping their parents with gardening. More and more people are starting to go back to a more healthy type of food, organically grown food and vegetarian food.

GreenAngel's smile as bidding farewell
to the high mountains...

As humans, which part of ourselves do you think we have lost that made us distance ourselves from nature?
We started looking for happiness in the wrong way. Where to seek happiness? First of all we need to go inside to seek happiness because the kingdom of God is within us, not somewhere outside. Once you go within you find out that your closest friend is nature and you should not keep any distance from her.

Green Angel of the Month: October

Interviewee: Golo Pilz

Energy is essential for our world to function, both in physical and spiritual terms. The Organization of the Brahma Kumaris for the last 75 years provides methods to generate spiritual power through Raja Yoga. Apart from the spiritual foundation, Brahma Kumaris has also founded a Department of Renewable Energy that has been actively involved in the research and demonstration of renewable energy types since 1992. Our sun emits daily over 100 times the energy we need to cover our planet’s demands. Renewable energy technologies offer a sustainable and clean solution for the environment. 

Golo Pilz, the Initiator and Head of Project IndiaOne is setting the foundation to meet the demands for electricity and other power sources for the residents and visitors of the Complexes of the World Spiritual University of Brahma Kumaris on Mount Abu, India. 
For Golo, combining spirituality and values with the development of alternative technologies for the creation of a sustainable world comes naturally...

Focus-testing.

You have been working in the field of renewable energy sources for more than 15 years. So far what has this included?
I first came to India in 1984 and saw great potential in the renewable energy sources; there I also experienced power cuts and fuel shortages for the first time. So I started wondering what could be done about it. The circumstances were positive, the Institution was very interested in my ideas, so we started. In 1993 we established a department for renewable energy sources and began carrying out various research projects. The first one involved the building of an environmentally friendly house of mud bricks, also known as zero energy or passive solar architecture building. Then we equipped it with a solar cooking system and we put up a small wind generator and photovoltaic for an RnD (Research and Demonstration) project sponsored by the German government. From that day on, we started exploring further possibilities in the use of renewable energy sources that will cover not only small houses but also the entire Institution.

Reflector - Receiver & 3 Inventors

Today, Brahma Kumaris is probably the largest Institution in India using renewable energy sources. We have 5 solar steam cooking systems based on parabolic dishes, almost 800KW installed photovoltaic solar panels in 150 systems spread all over India and currently we are setting up a 1MW (MegaWatt) solar power plant. This is an RnD project sponsored by both the Indian Government and the German Government. It's a very innovative thermal power plant based on a 60m2 parabolic dish in which the sunlight is focused on a receiver which also functions as a thermal storage. The thermal energy is stored overnight and hopefully we will be able to operate the plant on a 24-hour basis.

Solar Steam Cooking System at Shantivan Campus.

What is the capacity of the power plant?
The power plant is intended for the Shantivan Campus and can host up to 20-25.000 people. Our peak load at the moment is 1MW. We also have large demands for hot water and steam, so we hope that with the new power plant we will be able to generate electricity for the entire campus. This means 500.000 litres of hot water daily, plus some extra steam for the kitchen in order to cook meals for everyone. So we hope that the plant will provide for the entire campus.

In your opinion, how does the use of this energy affect the broader environment?
We are all aware of our world’s massive problems: the climate is changing and everyone experiences its effects; we are going through a financial crisis; we have conventional fuel deficiency and the situation is quite dramatic to say the least. So we need to switch our economy and our power generation to a renewable, cyclic technology. This is where solar energy can play a vital role. It is an ideal solution for the sun drenched countries as it can help generate energy, distribute it locally and create employment opportunities for the local society. So research projects like this one are essential in order to demonstrate the viability of renewable energy technologies, convey technology from the West to the developing countries and enable these countries to set up a sustainable infrastructure. Our world is on the brink of financial collapse, it is facing enormous economic problems and huge fuel deficiencies, so it’s a dire necessity to adopt these new technologies and really give them a chance.

Focus & Sun.

Knowing that Brahma Kumaris is an organization with spiritual orientation, according to your opinion, what stimulated the interest in the environment?
I have been practicing meditation for 27 years. Normally, when you start meditating, you become a very peaceful being and you develop love and compassion for human beings as well as for nature and the environment. As we have only one planet, we cannot continue growing incessantly. What we need is growth in quality – not in quantity – and a quality growth is only possible when we look deeper into technology and the systems that we use. It is very important for us to find ways to change our lifestyle and contribute solutions to all our problems.
As a spiritual person, I am a vegetarian, which helps reduce my energy consumption. I am a very moderate consumer, I don’t buy every year a new mobile phone and I don’t change cars frequently or do anything of the sort. I try to pursue a modest lifestyle but that doesn’t mean I concede to a lower quality of life. I am careful and I think before I purchase something. Each one of us needs to consider what we can do on a personal level with respect to energy consumption. One should ask oneself: “Do I need to turn on this light?”, “Do I really have to travel there?”, “Do I need to spend so much water?”. In other words, we need to carry out a personal “energy audit”, encourage others in that direction and spread the good news.
Spiritual people are environment friendly people because spirituality and green philosophy go hand in hand; they both sustain the environment, they both want to bring peace and happiness on earth. And in order to bring peace and happiness on earth, we need to create sustainable technology and a sustainable economy.

You practice meditation for quite some time. From your experience, what is the connection between our thoughts and the environment?
By nature, first we think, then we plan, then we act. The technology we
use was first visioned in our minds, in our consciousness. To a certain extent, the world is a reflection of our thoughts. So in order to change the world and make it right, environmentally friendly, green and a world of peace and happiness, we need to change our consciousness. Under no circumstances can we sustain long-term change with today’s thought patterns. So, in order to bring lasting changes to our world, we first have to bring a change in our thoughts. We need to start thinking in a more peaceful, greener, less greedy manner and we need to have more compassion; then technology, our thoughts and our actions will automatically become environmentally friendly, helping create a brighter future.

How do you think we can implement values in our society, a society that is bombarded by diverse opinions and faces challenges, such as financial and environmental crisis?
It is very difficult for people to find orientation nowadays. Like you correctly said, there is information overkill; with the numerous opinions we hear every day, it is difficult to find orientation and distinguish right from wrong. On a personal level, I find that meditation, inner peace and stillness help me clarify ideas in my mind, achieve inner strength, essential calmness and act correctly. So I believe that contemplation or meditation can be very helpful in dealing with the current situation, which I honestly find very confusing.

Solar Land from the Mountains.

What does Nature represent for you?
Nature is our mother and our father. It provides oxygen, food, it is our playground, our environment that supplies us with everything we need, and thus we should be careful not to destroy or harm it. Currently, our activities harm nature extremely. We exploit nature without considering the next generations. We over-exploit the natural resources and our ecological footprint is disastrous. At the moment we make use of one and a half planets and in 25 years we will be making use of 2 planets – and this without taking into consideration that population is growing at the same time. So it is obvious that we need to bring change, otherwise we will learn the hard way. We need to realize the difficult situation we are in and change our lifestyle, our attitude and our consciousness if we want to avoid a hard crash.

In what ways do you think we have dissociated from our purpose on earth?
Our original purpose on earth is to live in joy and happiness. At present, many people on our planet live in hardship. People don’t have enough food, face drastic climatic changes and many others don’t experience peace. It is a fact that humanity has lost a dimension; it has lost its connection to its origin, to God and to our purpose on earth. We have embraced materialism and possessiveness thus ethics like inner peace, purity, compassion and brotherhood are not valued much anymore. This is sad because ultimately we reap what we sow and it’s high time we humans assess the situation we are in and bring change both on a personal level and a global level. Plenty of environmentally friendly ideas and technologies exist; we only need to implement and make the most of them.

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Powerful Vegetarian Food prepared almost daily in the Small
Solar Oven on the Roof of the BK Center in Athens!