my personal ahimsa

Well to begin with, it would seem that all religious traditions have hints at non-violence. But none have generated the kind of political action and social change that ahimsa has sparked. I deeply admire the Jains in there commitment to it, and vegetarianism;Buddhism and Hinduism also put considerable emphasis on it. It is to me the most beautiful doctrine. In all of my writing about the future in personal journals, and whenever I catch myself daydreaming about living on a commune, it always occurs to me that my most important contribution to life on this earth may simply be in how I choose to live. I can find precious few other doctrines that better capture my vision, even Christ's Sermon on the Mount, is basically a similar plea. But what I like about the eastern traditions is that they do not stop at the human-god, human-human relationships, but cross over into the human-earth, human-non-human interactions. To me this is the most powerful and enlightening aspect of the eastern traditions, that has the power to effectively deal with the myriad of social, and environmental problems our world now faces.

Basic Principles
Local and sustainable food and energy
Non-violence and simplicity
Cooperation
Love
Action

LIFESTYLE AND ACTIONS
· Plant and nurture a tree every year
· Strive for a vegan and % raw diet
· Cook and power home with sustainable fuels such as solar, ethanol or biogases
· Avoid driving unless with sustainable fuels such as bio-diesel (cars are violent, strive for a car-free existence)
· Spin and make a % of clothing and fabric for household uses with sustainable local fibers
· Grow a % of food, medicine, and fibers organically and ecologically and with as little violence as possible i.e. no-plow, Permaculture etc.
· Bicycle or walk as much as possible
· Participate and promote barefoot philosophies such as health-care and education
· Meditate peace/Atonement daily
· Fast and pray oft (daily prayers)
· Establish or support an animal and/or life sanctuary (see life sanctuary document) for abused animals and/or humans
· Search the scriptures of all religious traditions daily and attend services
· Promote/ live Buddhist economics
· Live and work communally and cooperatively in a community
· Promote peace by many means such as peace tours, talks or rallies
· Engage in direct action, non-violent resistance and insistent lobbying and advocacy for just causes utilizing all my talents and creativity to make the world a better place for both humans and non-humans alike
· Limit possessions (no TV)
· Write and express myself in appropriate mediums such as photography, painting, and short stories and seek to publish and promote Ahimsa ideals

virtual me

i write in journals too. i want this space to be accessible to people all over. i feel passionately about making a difference in this world i've been born into. i'm not bitter. well maybe a little. but i want to make a difference. i want to live a life less ordinary. not that ordinary is something to be. but that there are certain ordinary activities that should be. i aspire to live like. be like. talk like. dress like. these people:

Jesus Christ. mahatma gandhi. buddha. juan bosch. EF schumacher. vandana shiva. my mother. hugh nibley. Kurt vonnegut. leo tolstoy. noam chomsky. ralph nader.

and thousands of others who lived life beautifully simply and selflessly.

i want to work with my hands. till the earth. walk not drive. photograph. speak. write. make love. have children. know the names of plants around me. teach.

more to come...