Green Friends

"Children, one of our priorities should be to preserve nature. We must put an end to the practice of destroying the environment for money, for our selfish short- term needs. Each family should grow trees and plants in their yard. When the ancient sages enjoined that we should worship the trees, they were teaching the world the necessity of preserving and protecting nature. Our traditional practices of growing flowering plants and lighting oil lamps serve to purify the atmosphere." - Amma.

Our beloved Amma has stressed on many occasions the need to regain a reverent attitude toward Mother Earth. This planet is more than just a lifeless rock floating in the emptiness of space. On the contrary She is a living Being, the source of life itself, and deserves our respect and care. The 'Green Friends' project initiated by Amma in India encourages this very attitude of love and reverence towards Mother Nature.

There are numerous stories of Amma giving the same love and attention to a plant, a bird, or a bug as She gives to us, Her human children. In doing this She is teaching us to be more expansive in our self-giving, to see all beings and things as Divine.

One day in San Ramon, as Amma was driving back from the Temple after a morning of darshan, a devotee pointed out the saplings that were growing on both sides of the road. "We planted them earlier this year, Amma," he offered reverently. "Each little sapling has a name - this one here is Compassion, the next one is Patience and so on. As each tiny seed was dropped into the earth, prayers were chanted and we were asked to contemplate on the quality that each name bore." Amma was pleased and remarked appreciatively, "These saplings will grow to be great trees capable of more strength and resilience than any other ordinary tree. Do you know why? Because they have each imbued the quality that you so lovingly planted them with. Plants and animals also have the capacity to absorb and retain such subtle qualities, not just humans."

It is in this spirit that we should approach the Environment, and we can do this most effectively in our immediate surroundings, such as our own yard or a neighborhood garden. Perhaps we, as Amma's children, can begin to consider doing our own individual parts in restoring balance back to nature, by small acts of loving attention, such as planting a few saplings in an area without much foliage, or to begin growing some of our own fruits and vegetables. Caring for the environment will come very easily if we take the simple vow of not taking more from Mother Nature than we can give.

Read more about the green friends initiative. The green friends in Chennai, India have done a remarkable job in beginning to create a haven of flowers in a once-barren landscape. Find out how.

As Amma tells us, "Planting a tree is selfless service to society. Just as we enjoy the presence of trees planted by people in the past, we too should plant for the future generations. If we haven't done any selfless act, we should plant a tree or sapling; that would be a truly selfless deed, benefiting ourselves and others."

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