posted by Kamala on Dec 12
Dearest Friends and Family,
Daniel Lau of the Climate Justice Fast asked me to prepare a 5 minute talk and to come with him to the Clima Forum, where he had a press meet. It was less attended than we hoped, there was Russian Press and Danish Press from the School of journalism. One of the Danish Press had lived in Mumbai for some time and was very keen to know more of Amma…
The CJF FASTERS, Daniel Lau, Anna Keenan, Sara Svensson, Matthieu Balle, are astounding. Day 36 today. 36. They are alert, very mentally clear, they are all handling press, meetings, etc., with awesome aplomb. They are slower in their movements each day, and I noticed that their lips are cracking horribly. Nonetheless, their selflessness and purity is becoming the overarching hallmark of their quiet presence. They have been joined by 2 Americans Paul, Thomson from Minnesota, and Stewart Scott, from the East Coast in the US, who mans an interfaith booth. Both Paul and Stewart are in their 60’s and are doing Fasts in solidarity. Paul is Fasting three days on, three days off, Stewart had headed for the longer haul, but I think his health has been a problem, and he is now doing a restricted type of Fast, with some limitations on the amount of food, etc. Deepa Gupta of AU-India has also joined in solidarity, and is taking one meal a day for the duration of the time that the others are in total Fast.
In addition, the 36 day mark is held by several people who are not here at the COP. Three days ago, 300 people in Turki began to Fast in solidarity with those here. 1000’s more throughout the planet are participating in someway, shape or form. All need your prayers and loving support from your hearts.
What follows is the text of the talk:
Thank-you.
I am Your Aunty Kamala. My Family lives in the ashram of Holy Mother Amma, Mata Amritanandamayi, also known as the Hugging Saint in Kerala, South West India. Amma is a source of pure and unconditional Love and Wisdom on this Earth. With Her, Love is the only Truth.
I am Your Aunty, as by this name, we can enter each others hearts, and allow each other to accept our love for one another. Deep down, we all deeply love one another, for we are all part of the One Truth, called Life. This Life persists whether we have bodies or not, it pervades everything, everywhere. It doesn’t matter whether or not we believe in it, our beliefs and disbeliefs cannot altar the fact of our existence. When we enter each others hearts, we touch each other is a very real way that is far more profound than the physical.
When we arrived in Copenhagen, we were immediately inspired to try to serve as assistants to the Climate Justice Fast. I heard about it once in India, back in November, but nothing since then. To know of the Fast, burns, it sears us. The Fast, reaches into a place inside us, that is beyond words. Its a place of Truth, duty and responsibility, the ability to respond.
Gandhi saw certain criterion as being necessary to undertake a Fast. The first and foremost of these is Purity of Intention.
The One who undertakes the Fast must be Truthful and deeply sincere. Once, entering into a Fast, Gandhi said:
“It is a matter between me and my Maker…I am wrestling with Him! If there is pride or defiance in me it is all over with me…Let God keep this body if He has still to make some use of it. Let it perish if it has fulfilled His purpose.”
Gandhi stated that the Fast is, “A whip administered to lethargic Love.”
The Fast, as penance, has powerful results. That ‘wrestling dance’ makes a man stand naked in the truest sense, before his Maker, stripped of every falsehood, self-deception, and grand self-delusions.
This is purity.
The Climate Justice Fasters considered for several months before taking the decision to begin the Fast. They were unable to get away from the scritch in their conscience. They finally responded to that call.
The fact that they are still steadfast, longer than any of Gandhi’s Fasts speaks to the purity of their intention.
And what is that intention? These noble people have no desire to ‘twist arms’.
Theirs is the agonized repentant call of the Heart, the tears of the children for the great damage and desecration done to the Mother, Our Earth Mother. Their love is pure, it leaves no one out.
So, yes. The Climate Justice Fast more than meets Gandhi’s observation of the need for the Fast to be a matter of penance, a call from the heart, an act of purification.
Gandhi used the back drop of India to exercise the sword of ethical Love. His Fast was tied to him, as an individual.
The Climate Justice Fast, embraces the deepest longings of All People everywhere, in its massive intention of repentance before the altar of Truth, for the actions of ALL of HUMANITY.
This Fast is our Fast, it is our Penance, whether or not we can understand this fact. This Fast is from Life, to Life, and for Life.
We may not get the kind of common sense deals that we would all dearly love to see here at COP-15. But this doesn’t mean that we need to wait. Gandhi’s motto was that we should be the change we want to see. We can make the changes ourselves.
As your old Aunty, I want to encourage you to go out in your countries, out in your towns and villages, and take the message of Love for the Earth, the danger that we face, created by our thoughts and actions, the message of Truth, that we are all One. Its time to set aside our differences so we can advance, together. We will answer the model of development based upon greed, with a love of simplicity, with sharing and caring for each other. Let us cross over the threshold together, to a new dawn in the development of a humane human civilization that Loves, the Whole Earth.
I bow, to the Truth in You.
END.
Don’t know what the Lord will do with it, but its out there.
Loving you,
Aunty Kamala