Inspiration from Satish (Summer 2021)
Satish is a former monk and long-term peace and environment activist. He has been quietly setting the Global Agenda for change for over 50 years. He is the editor of the Resurgence Magazine and co-founder of the Schumacher College in Dartington, Totnes, UK and is the guiding spirit of the college. He is also the author of many books: You are, therefore I am (2002); Soil, Soul, Society (2013); Elegant Simplicity (2019).
Soil, Soul & Society
The first session was about the ideas from the book “Soil, Soul and Society - a new trinity for our time”, where Satish Kumar elucidates the eastern wisdom for the west. He says that catering for the natural environment (Soil), maintaining personal wellbeing (Soul) and upholding human values (Society) are the moral imperatives of our time. Satish introduces us to a holistic vision that is enshrined in the ancient philosophies of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions of India, revived for our time by Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore.
2. You are, therefore I am
The second session was about the ideas from the book “You are therefore I am - a declaration of dependence”. We now live in the age of ecology. A new consciousness is born. In the wake of multiple environmental crises, a new realization is dawning upon us: we depend on the Earth. We depend on the laws of nature. We are part of nature, neither above it nor separate from it. Nature is the source of all life. The source of joy and celebration, arts and imagination, poetry and inspiration.
3. Elegant Simplicity
The third session was about the ideas from the book “Elegant simplicity - the art of living well”. Consumerism drives the pursuit of happiness in much of the world, yet as wealth grows unhappiness abounds, compounded by the grave problems of climate change, pollution, and ecological degradation. We've now reached both an environmental and spiritual dead-end that leaves us crying out for alternatives. With Elegant Simplicity, Satish provides a coherent philosophy of life that weaves together simplicity of material life, thought, and spirit.