Hold me. Hold me closer, until our bodies merge and our imaginations share their dreams like one mind. Dancing, swaying in the moonlight, we are lost together on the inky sands of the night-swept shore. Our fingers interlacing, skin to skin.

A river, carrying all water drops to the ocean, breathes a sigh of relief as she opens into the wide expanse of water, where all memories of her journey are lost. A vastness that envelops all fears and soothes them like a mother murmuring to her child.
Please hold me. I can’t lose You. You are too precious to me. You are me. Your love binds me to this reality – this world of shapes and colours; this dreamscape of signs and walkways.

In the leafy, shaded garden, seated on a grassy mound, a wise saint sits in stillness contemplating the elusive depths within. With such fearless determination he sits, as wind and rain beat his body. Only his chest moving as he breathes the life force into his cells.

I’m listening. Listening for stories in the whisper of the leaves in the breeze. What words can be woven from this web that surrounds me?
Ivy, watering can. Cobwebbed greek figure of grey plaster, flecked with green lichen and dry litter of autumn leaves. Yellow flowers for which I can’t find words to describe. Their petals like thin shavings of butter soaked in sunlight.

In the immense, swarming hive of London, it is easy to avoid human connection. Much easier to avert one’s eyes or block out the city’s voices with the headphones of one’s iPod.

So, it came as a pleasant surprise when I stepped into the crowded bus on Tuesday morning and was greeted by an older man with a trim beard, sparkly eyes and a jaunty hat. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other for a few moments. During the short bus journey, I turned to look at him a couple of times and he returned my gaze. As the bus approached its third stop, I felt a hand touch my own. I turned and the gentleman said ‘Goodbye’, before he alighted.

The other passengers around me were oblivious to this exchange, but it touched me deeply. There was something mystical about the encounter.

The following day, on the underground, I noticed a young man examining his finger, which appeared to be quite badly cut and bleeding. He began to search in his bag for something. In my pocket I had some tissue, which I offered to him, He accepted it. He did not look at me, or speak to me further. Yet, I was left with a sweet glow inside for having been able to offer some help to a fellow human being, albeit in a small way.

Later, I was on an overground train from London to East Sussex. Two West Indian gentlemen said, ‘Good Morning’ and sat down opposite me. Throughout the hour-long journey we did not really speak, although they offered me some sweets and I said goodbye when I left the train. However, it felt like we had acknowledged one another in a simple, human way, often lacking in the London buzz.

My final encounter came on Friday. As Premasagar and I headed towards home from an evening stroll, we came across an elderly woman standing in the street. She appeared to be confused, so I asked her is she was OK.

Mistaking me for someone she once knew, she began talking to us. Her speech was a mixture of English and another language she explained was Greek.

It soon became clear that she was lost and could not tell us where she was staying. Her speech was repetitive and confused. While Prem called for help, I walked up and down the street with Pishpa clutching my arm. She was a charming lady with a warm smile and a quick sense of humour.

Eventually, an ambulance arrived. We took her inside the van and wrapped her in a blanket. The paramedics tried to find out more about her. Finally, she agreed to go to the hospital for some food and rest.

Shortly before leaving, I said to her, ‘Go to the hospital and get something warm to eat and drink and have a rest.’ She looked at me with a cheeky grin and said, ‘Yes, Mummy!’

Prem and I walked home as the ambulance drove away.

It would have been so easy to pass her by, to smile and walk on, but we didn’t. We stopped and connected with her, and she was safer and our lives richer for it.

On Saturday, 10th March, three Yogic monks from all around Europe, arrive in Manchester, UK to sing and play music. They are coming to raise money for underprivileged children and hopefully ‘raise the roof’ as well.

In support of the Student Action Manchester projects Chorlton Kids and The Ladybarn, the Ananda Marga Yoga and Meditation Centre in Chorlton, Manchester are staging a charity fund raising concert at Yoga Shala in Manchester city centre (map). Also featuring local artist, Kal, this event promises to be entertaining and inspirational.

All proceeds go to ‘Student Action Manchester’, who will channel the money directly to the children they support. This is possible because everyone involved, from the organisers to the artists, are freely volunteering their time and energy. All design, public relations and media work has been donated by Dharmasphere. Additionally, local food retailers Unicorn, Barbakan Deli, Chorlton Wholefoods and Forest Foods have all made generous donations of wholesome refreshments to be sold at the event.

The Chorlton Kids project helps children between 5-12 years old from a Manchester based one-parent safe-haven. These children are primarily supported to engage in arts & crafts activities and indoor games, and are also taken out on field trips. The Ladybarn project supports local learning-disabled children and young adults by facilitating arts and crafts pursuits as well as cooking and gardening activities.

This event is therefore a threefold opportunity: firstly, to enjoy a culturally rich evening of music in the heart of the city; secondly, to support a worthy cause; and thirdly, to share the spiritual inspiration of the performers!

Inner Song 7 @Yoga Shala, 1st Floor, 12 Newton Street, Manchester, Manchester M1 1AN (map). Tel: 0161 288 6918.

No fixed entrance fee – all donations appreciated :o)

Click the play button above to hear an interview with Dada Ravishekharananda & Dada Nabhaniilananda from Ananda Marga as well as Jess Etridge from Student Action Manchester at All FM radio.

Audio file downloads: 64kbps mp3 | hi-res mp3 | hi-res ogg

Enjoy!

Pi to me a Kingdom is.
Such perfect joy therein I find,
that it excels all other bliss
that world affords or grows by kind.

Though much I think I feel I want,
and still my mind permits to crave,
Infinity goes on and on,
the splendour falling wave on wave.

The European Union is seeking again to ban the swastika symbol. There has been a flurry of debate about the vastly different meanings the symbol has to different cultures.

This has centred on the feelings of the German nation, European Jews and Hindus.

From YNet News (via Anarchaia):

Germany plans to use its presidency of the EU to launch an initiative which could lead to common laws across the bloc making it a crime to deny genocide and display Nazi symbols.

“The swastika has been around for 5,000 years as a symbol of peace. This is exactly the opposite of how it was used by Hitler,” said Ramesh Kallidai of the Hindu Forum of Britain.

“It is almost like saying that the Klu Klux Klan used burning crosses to terrorize black men, so therefore let us ban the cross. How does that sound to you?”

Links

• BBC article
• Reclaim the Swastika reader comments
• Rainmountain posts to Flickr
• Positive Swastikas Flickr Group

Prout (PROgressive Utilisation Theory) is a visionary socio-economic system to encourage a cooperative society. A new short story competition has been announced for writers to open a window on a future, Proutistic society. From the press release:

IMAGINE A SOCIETY IN WHICH…
…food, clothing, housing, education and medical care are guaranteed to everyone.

…most farms, banks, industries and services are run as cooperatives owned by the workers.

…there are no multinational corporations.

…different voices, languages and cultures are respected.

…there is self-sufficiency in food, medicines, clothing, housing, and local transport.

…the environment is protected and restored, all agriculture is organic, waste is recycled and renewable energy is used.

…universal spirituality is valued, not religious dogmas or conflicts.

…leaders are selfless servants of the people.

STRUGGLE AND CONFLICT…
Naturally, such a society could never come about without great struggle. The richest one percent who control our world today would do anything to prevent it.

They direct the multinational corporations and manipulate the US Empire, going to any length to neutralise such a progressive society. When it does come about, there will always be selfish people who would try to destroy it for their own personal benefit.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE IN A COMPELLING WAY…
…the people, the struggles, the sacrifices, the tragedies and the triumphs that would be needed to achieve such a society?

…in which part of the world such a society would first take root and what threats, opposition, and deceit that would be employed to undermine it?

…how living in such a society would affect people?

SHORT STORY COMPETITION DESCRIBING A FUTURE SOCIETY BASED ON PROUT!
Prout stands for the Progressive Utilization Theory, an alternative socio-economic model. In the words of Noam Chomsky,
"Prout’s cooperative model, sharing the resources of the planet for the welfare of everyone, deserves our serious consideration."

To know more about Prout’s socio-economic model and its policies, see www.prout.org and www.proutworld.org.

The Prout Research Institute of Venezuela is hosting a short story competition about a future Prout society and the struggles needed to bring it about. Stories may not exceed 5,000 words and must be previously unpublished. Entrants may be located anywhere on the planet, but each person may submit only one story written in English, Spanish or Portuguese. The stories will be judged on whether the future society portrayed correctly represents Prout, as well as on good writing and originality.

JUDGES
A committee of four panelists, led by the published writer Devashish Acosta (author of "When the Time Comes" and "The Ashram"), will judge the contest. To ensure impartiality, all stories will be numbered and the authors’ names will be removed until the final decisions are made.

A Proutist who wishes to remain anonymous has generously donated funds so that we can offer the following cash prizes:

• First prize: US$500
• Second prize: US$300
• Third prize: US$200
• Five fourth prizes: US$100 each
• (Winners in economically developed countries will receive a check or bank transfer. Winners in economically undeveloped countries will be sent an international postal money order.)

The winning stories will posted on the Prout Institute of Venezuela website. In addition, the Prout Research Institute of Venezuela reserves the right to publish the stories in an anthology and in a Prout magazine.

DEADLINE
Midnight March 31, 2007 Venezuelan time (GMT minus 4 hours)
Winners will be announced May 15, 2007

All stories must be sent by email to shortstory[at]prout.org. There is no entrance fee. Stories that exceed 5,000 words, that arrive late or that do not describe the struggles to achieve or maintain a Prout society will be disqualified from the cash prizes. After June 15, 2007, all authors are free to submit their stories to other competitions or venues for publication.

Source: PRI Venezuela, via After Capitalism

Black morning.
Clouds, muggy and moody,
Smother the mouth
of the city.

Thousands of bodies
Slide to the grind,
Underground.
Faces straight and indifferent.
Lost
in folds of paper
and fatigue.

Walls plastered with
Where to go
What to wear
What to buy

Thousands of bodies,
Thousands of faces.

Each a different form
of an endless You.

‘Lotus Date’ by Anadi.

‘Breathe’ Movie