Pattakurubarapalli, VANA-ANTARA – INSIDE THE FOREST
Vanantara for me is a reality that evolved as I moved from life in the corporate world to one of an organic farmer living in a village in Tamil Nadu. As much emphasis as clean food, clean air and clean water receive these days, they remain pieces of a larger puzzle that each of us need to put together ourselves for a more wholesome life.
The peace of mind and centeredness that we experience in deep nature is unparalleled - the mountains, oceans and forests have a calling of their own; perhaps it’s something to do with being in the presence of a life more ancient than us, or perhaps as advanced as we like to think we are, something within us connects with the environment that all man evolved from. It certainly isn’t a coincidence that the greatest thinkers that we know of, right form the Buddha to Thoreau had their deepest reflection in nature.
Across time and to this day the most contended societies and people in the world are those that live in proximity and in sync with nature. As a community, this is my hope for Vanantara - to be that nature fix for every one of us - A life where peace of mind and deeper connections with family, friends and oneself is a way of being.
On a very practical level, Vanantara is also a model for reversing climate change - I’m not kicked about Mars, and afforestry is perhaps one of the best plans we have both as a carbon sink and a vital source of oxygen to sustain life on Earth. With the extensive planting we’ve undertaken in the monsoon of 2017, we have the beginning of what I am certain will be a lush forest in the years to come. Much of the joy will be in nurturing this plantation, seeing it evolve and knowing that we had a hand to play in it.
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The peace of mind and centeredness that we experience in deep nature is unparalleled - the mountains, oceans and forests have a calling of their own; perhaps it’s something to do with being in the presence of a life more ancient than us, or perhaps as advanced as we like to think we are, something within us connects with the environment that all man evolved from. It certainly isn’t a coincidence that the greatest thinkers that we know of, right form the Buddha to Thoreau had their deepest reflection in nature.
Across time and to this day the most contended societies and people in the world are those that live in proximity and in sync with nature. As a community, this is my hope for Vanantara - to be that nature fix for every one of us - A life where peace of mind and deeper connections with family, friends and oneself is a way of being.
On a very practical level, Vanantara is also a model for reversing climate change - I’m not kicked about Mars, and afforestry is perhaps one of the best plans we have both as a carbon sink and a vital source of oxygen to sustain life on Earth. With the extensive planting we’ve undertaken in the monsoon of 2017, we have the beginning of what I am certain will be a lush forest in the years to come. Much of the joy will be in nurturing this plantation, seeing it evolve and knowing that we had a hand to play in it.