Becoming and Being a Shifu (Master) program provides opportunities for the students to explore and integrate in Auroville. As part of this exploration we visited Sadhana Forest community last Friday. Every Friday the community offers a tour, screens a documentary and serves a vegan organic dinner (this offering is free of charge and reservations are not required).
Here are some things we saw, discussed and experienced.
- We have discussion about the environment and people particularly about compassion and share our thoughts and heard others thoughts about the world.
- Compassion towards humans, animals and towards children
- We learned about Deforestation and Reforestation
- We noticed they used ash to wash vessels
- Three buckets to subsequently wash the vessels and prevent waste
- Less amount of water is used to wash hands
- Human excreta in dry composting toilets is eventually used as compost. These are stored in a barrels with saw dust for a year to make compost
- Human pee is a Nitrogen rich element when it is mixed with charcoal is good for the soil.
- Efficient use of redesigned stoves
- Speed breakers like soil structures were built to reduce soil erosion
- Vegan dinner!
- Rescued animals were sheltered and taken good care of by the volunteers
- High compressed plastic sheets are used as roofs of dorms
- New species of animals and birds are coming to the forest because of rich natural environment
- Seeds were thrown in surface and volcano like structures made up of leaves maintain the humidity. Water bottles with holes at the bottle with threads as root of bottle ensure the moisture is well maintained in the soil.
Here are some insights from the Shifuians.
Arun Kumar:
I learned that the initiative can turn into a movement when everyone realises the importance of the initiative. I learned about the soil structures to prevent the soil erosion when the heavy rainfall happens. I learned that everyone likes the nature and wants to prevent and want to make it prosperous but it all requires standard procedures. I learned that the efficient use of water is an impact which they want to achieve from everyone. I learned the importance of working together to create a enriched forest for all living beings
Rajesh:
The experience of visiting sadhana forest was a really a tremendous one. What I have learned is one of the precious learnings in my life.
To live a life, there are many ways, choosing the way to live my life is in my hands.
I noticed my passion towards people, the passion towards children, the passion that i have towards nature and animals.
Soundhariya:
My reflection about Sadhana Forest they focusing reforestation, water conservation, recycling and reduce wastage and how to grow plants and how to pour water in it. They put one movie about roots. It say that how roots are important in our life because roots only save the world. so trees and forest are most important in our life and also the world.
Poonguzhali:
I did learn about Sadhana Forest; they are focused on water conservation and reforestation, natural materials, and organic foods. They are using construction methods, like composting toilets, and recycling the waste, and they are also using drip irrigation to grow the plants and trees.
Ajay:
I learnt about the importance of forest and saving rain water and get a chance to interact with strangers and also about reusage of everything, and to live simple life with more compassion towards nature.
Dinesh:
After visited sadhana forest l learned about how to use the water in efficient way. The reason for using the charcoal powder as dish wash powder because of rich in carbon and nitrogen. The reuse of waste products such as plastics into useful ones. How they conserve the water in order to prevent soil erosion. The importance of roots and how the plants transfer the food to roots make it healthier and thicker. How they human and animal waste into manure by natural process. The concept of drip irrigation (The process of pouring water into roots).
Sundar:
I learnt to interact with strangers. From the strangers, I learnt to live with unity. I learnt to save water easily. I will apply that method to my home. I learnt the importance of trees and growing roots. I learnt to use the waste materials from them. I learnt to live with animals. I learnt to convert my waste food to my pet’s food.
Sivaguru Prasath:
Learnt about effects we have made in the nature and environment. Also learnt about water and soil conservation and food wastage management.
