I love weekends. I am at Ocean Shores and it stormed all day yesterday. This morning is calm and there is even a hint of spring in the air! I woke up to birdsong and the sound of the surf churning wildly a quarter mile away. This weekend is time for me to organize and do some chores that I have not had time for since my return from India. It is also a great time for me to do some reading. I am reading Talks with Ramana Maharshi which is fascinating. His wisdom comes through strongly. The book is about realizing “abiding peace and happiness” and is based on conversations held with Ramana Maharsi, one of the greatest sages of the 20th century.
I also came across a great article about the work of Wangari Maathai. She is a Nobel Peace Prize winner from Central Africa. In the 70’s she started a grass roots movement, The Green Belt Movement, which encourages African villagers to plant trees. She is now involved in the Billion Tree Campaign which is already responsible for planting 11 billion trees! I can’t wait to read her book, “Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World.” In this book, Maathai writes about taking simple actions and using spiritual values to heal ourselves and the earth, the two being inseparable.
Here is a great quote from the article: “Her Green Belt Movement embraces four key values: love for the environment, gratitude and respect for Earth’s resources, self-empowerment and self-betterment, and the spirit of service and volunteerism.” You can read more about Ms. Maathai’s laudable work below:
A Nobel Peace Prize winner finds spiritual values in planting trees.
