What they had to say about Anubhuti...

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The World’s Biggest Solar Kitchen

The Solar Kitchen at the Brahma Kumaris headquarters in India can produce up to 38,500 meals per day at full capacity.

Thoughts on 'Celebrating Human Greatness'

The Brahma Kumaris – the World Spiritual Organization have organized an evening of conversations – “Stories and Conversations on Greatness in America”. The meeting is to be held on Saturday, 6 October, 07 at the Anubhuti Meditation and Retreat Center in Novato, California. Janardhan at 415 884 2314, or email janardhan@humangreatness.org provides details.

That same weekend the BKs have arranged a Workshop on “Living Values Education”. The workshop runs from 7:00pm Friday to 5:00pm Sunday, 5-7 October, 07, and will be led by Dianne Tillman a psychologist and primary author of Living Values Series and Kyoko Kimura an experienced LVE teacher. Sister Kyoko at 415 563 4459, www.anubhutiretreatcenter.org, or www.livingvalues.net provide information.

I happened to be reading this morning from a June 2000 issue of the National Geographic which I picked up from the Novato library attracted by an article – “Indus, Clues to an Ancient Civilization”. Before I had dwelled into the article I found myself intently reading the magazine’s publishing page. The Society’s brilliant work and dedication – “for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge” – have always impressed me It holds my respect and admiration.

“Human Greatness”, “Living Values”, and “Increase and Diffusion of Geographic Knowledge” conjures in my head an expansive wonderful fabric and a collage of qualities that excite the mind and warm the heart. There is greatness beyond the sum of the three activities, and that greatness is an attribute that arises, and can only arise, from the Trinity of “Greatness”, “Values”, and “Knowledge (Learning)”, as embodied in us ‘Humans’ who have the moral prerogative of nurturing that seed, that little spark of light that is inherent in our nature.

The obduracy of life seems to rob us of this intrinsic ‘goodness’ and replace some of that with ‘discontent’ and rightly so, as it should! Discontentment with our lifestyles and relationships, and what’s out there. Well there is nothing out there except the sky, the stars, the planets, the nebulae, the quasars, the voids, and the Immensity. What makes the Immensity eternal is our mind, our heart, and our spirit which engages 24/7, every minute, every hour, every day, and indeed every moment. Take the spark - of affection, kindness, and caring - out of us and we are left fatherless, motherless and every conceivable relationship less, like an orphaned lost child.

Let Him hold our hands and lead us, even sometimes carry us in His arms and leave footprints of our time, in time to be washed away, standing testimony to that relationship that verily sought to teach us greatness and values.

Samir Mondle

Fri 28 September 2007

Novato, CA

05:30

Dr. Fred Alan Wolf's message for the BKs in Marin

To: Kim Shine
Marin County Planning Commission
c/o Marin County CDA, Kim Shine, Commission Secretary
3501 Civic Center Drive Room #308
San Rafael, CA 94903

Dear Kim,

The kind people at the BK institute asked to me send you a letter of
support towards their effort to open a retreat center in Marin. I have
been in contact with their center in San Francisco and their other centers in
Mt.Abu in India and in Athens, Greece where I was invited to speak at a
conference dealing with science and spirituality. The BK people are indeed
special in that they have been a huge asset to any community that contains
them. Mayor Willie Brown often praised their good works and generosity
especially to the less fortunate among us.

Although I am not a member of their organization I have especially
benefited from a deep spiritual relationship I have felt in the presence of
one of the main sisters of the organization, Dadi Janki. That presence and
simple heart-felt communion is rarely felt in any community especially
these days of troubles and fears that appear within and on our shores. The
retreat center would provide that to the community and all would find
benefit from their presence.

Sincerely,

Fred Alan Wolf Ph.D.
Have Brains / Will Travel
San Francisco
mailto:fred@fredalanwolf.com
web page: http://www.fredalanwolf.com

Anubhuti Retreat Center Opening Ceremony

Is Iran Next?

Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)

Surprise meeting with Steve Tyler and watched him perform in front of a small gathering at the Peace Alliance conference in Washington DC recently.

Celebrating Human Greatness in New Orleans

“Celebrating Human Greatness” is an initiative to commemorate the Brahma Kumaris’ 30^thanniversary in the USA. The intention of this initiative is to introduce the BKs to the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the USA. The approach we are taking is to gather together groups of community leaders in each selected city to meet each other in conversations about moments of greatness in their lives, and to reflect on the intrinsic qualities that make up human greatness.

The initiative was launched on January 25 in New Orleans, a city that was struck by a devastating hurricane that reduced the population by 50%. This city was selected because of its countless stories of individuals who emerged their greatness to help restore the community. Two separate events were held and both were wonderful successes, generating great appreciation and interest on the part of the New Orleans residents, and great enthusiasm in the BK community to continue service there.

Sister Mohini of New York gave the opening remarks on greatness and created a peaceful atmosphere for people to look within themselves. Chris Rose, finalist for the Pulitzer prize in newspaper journalist from New Orleans, then gave his experiences from the days following the hurricane’s devastation. He related how a volunteer relief worker, tired and scruffy from a long journey from another state, confronted Chris on a torn up street and asked, “Who’s in charge? Where should I go?” Chris replied, “No one’s in charge,” as his eyes welled with tears. He pointed towards a street covered with water and told the man to just start helping. Several days later, Chris encountered the man again. The man still hadn’t slept – but this time he was on fire with a deep desire to reach out and contribute.

The participants at the gathering – city officials, NGOs and religious leaders – then told each other stories of how they responded to the hurricane. They were apprehensive about calling themselves “great,”but there was an awakening to the idea that greatness is an innate quality of the human spirit.

The second New Orleans conversation, held the following day at the Ashe Cultural Center, followed the same format, and was topped off by a remarkable performance by Grandpa, a local jazz and blues singer. The old man hobbled onto the stage with a warm grin and sang a version of “What A Wonderful World” that brought the house to tears. Grandpa’s ability to share his spirit in such a beautiful, unbridled was gave living breath to the concept of greatness.

Both programs concluded with meditation, toli (sweet gift) and blessings. The guests left brimming with gratitude, compliments and eager to continue their conversations about human greatness.