GREEN PAGE
The following are links to other websites which may be of interest to you:
“The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies.”
John Muir
Gaining enlightenment is like the moon reflecting in the water.
The moon does not get wet, nor is the water disturbed.
Although its light is extensive and great, the moon is reflected even in a puddle an inch across.
The whole moon and the whole sky are reflected in a dewdrop in the grass, in one drop of water.
Enlightenment does not disturb the person, just as the moon does not disturb the water.
A person does not hinder enlightenment, just as a dewdrop does not hinder the moon in the sky.
The depth of the drop is the height of the moon.
As for the duration of reflection, you should examine the water’s vast need or smallness,
And you should discern the brightness or dimness of the heavenly moon.
Dogen Zenji (1200-1253 CE)
“The Earth is like honey for all creatures, and all creatures are like honey for this Earth. This shining, immortal person who is in the body, he, indeed, is just this self. This is immortal, this is Brahman, this is all. The Earth and all living beings are mutually dependent, even as bees and honey are. The bees make the honey and the honey supports the bees. Brahman is the self in each, in the Earth and in the individual.”
—Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 11.5.1
“The sun shines not on us, but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies.”
—John Muir
If there is one thing I love more than yoga, it is being in the midst of nature. I thank my father for instilling a deep sense of awe and gratitude for the earth’s wonders in me at a very young age. Like so many others of our time, I am saddened by the state of the environment and am attempting to limit the size of my footprint on this earth in any way I can.
The following is a list of organizations and products I particularly like (this list is by no means inclusive as there are so many wonderful charitable groups battling for good causes) with links to their websites, in case you would like more information:
Animal Rescue and Biological Diversity Issues:
Friend’s of Orange County’s Homeless Pets (two of my kittens came from this wonderful rescue group)
Best Friends Animal Society (we have been supporting this group since almost the beginning—they have turned into a nationwide organization of angels saving animals who might otherwise be put down and caring for those who are not adoptable)
Ironwood Pig Sanctuary (these rescued pigs are just so adorable, and you get a little newsletter every so often telling you about the individual pigs)
http://www.ironwoodpigsanctuary.org
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (rescuing Africa’s elephants and rhinos)
https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org
Humanitarian Issues:
Solar Cookers International
An amazing group providing solar cookers to low-income women in developing nations, allowing them to boil and purify water and alleviating the need to hunt and gather firewood for food preparation.
Amrit Davva
Organized by a group of doctors to raise funds to build medical clinics in places like northern India, where there is very little access to health care.
http://www.amritdavaaworld.org/
Environmental Issues:
Nature Conservancy’s “Go Wild with Native Gardening)
A tool to help you determine native species that you can plant in your yard to help the bees, butterflies and birds.
Several years ago, Alton and I took out all of the grass in our yard, and went “native.” The results have been so beautiful. We now have a wonderland of hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, and have also reduced our water usage by 50% (in part by converting to small drippers and sprays rather than conventional sprinklers, which tend to “overspray” and waste so much water).
Grand Canyon Trust (This one is close to my heart as the Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places in the world)
Save the Redwoods League
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
Union of Concerned Scientists
Other Issues:
Archaeological Conservancy
Links to Products and Services that help the environment:
To stop the multitudes of catalogues from showing up in your mailbox:
Yellow Pages Goes Green--stops all of those unwanted and unused phonebooks from arriving in your driveway:
http://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/stop-yellow-pages/
A place to send in all of your old wine corks for recycling:
Yemm & Hart will actually pay you for them:
http://www.yemmhart.com/materials/winecork/wine_cork_recycling.html
Or you can also now drop them off at Whole Foods, who will send them on to
Cork ReHarvest http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/blog/whole-story/cork-reharvest
Matt and Natt Vegan Handbags--really cute and stylish totally vegan bags:
