You are Therefore I am: A Declaration of Dependence
Ebook
Traces the spiritual journey of the author, as he learns to view the world as a network of multiple, diverse relationships.
René Descartes' famous maxim 'I think, therefore, I am' considers the world in terms of dualism, division and separation. Yet the Sanskrit dictum, So Hum, is well known across India but not in the West, and can be translated as 'You are, therefore I am'. A journey of the mind, You are Therefore I am examines the sources of inspiration which formed child monk, peace pilgrim, ecological activist and educator Satish Kumar's understanding of the world as a network of diverse yet interconnected relationships.
Written in four parts, the book begins with Satish's memories of conversations with his mother, his teacher and his Guru, all of whom were deeply religious. The second part recounts his discussions with the Indian sage Vinoba Bhave, J. Krishnamurti, Bertrand Russell, Martin Luther King, and E. F. Schumacher. These five great activists and thinkers encouraged him to engage with social, ecological and political issues. In the third part Satish narrates his travels in India, which have continued to nourish his mind and reconnect him with his roots. The final part brings together Satish' world-view, which is based in relationships and the connections between all things.
You are, Therefore I am is an inspiring and deeply moving look at how we can re-connect with the world and find peace within ourselves by embracing Satish' emergent world-view.
Traces the spiritual journey of the author, as he learns to view the world as a network of multiple and diverse, yet interrelated, relationships.
Traces the spiritual journey of the author, as he learns to embrace 'So hum' - a philosophy where you understand the world as a network of diverse relationships.
An inspiring and deeply moving work that goes through both personal, biographical details and broader philosophy and spirituality, such as Vinoba Bhave and Martin Luther King.
Written by activist, ecologist and internationally renowned speaker Satish Kumar.
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Part One: Encounters with Meaning
Learning From Nature
A Hindu Mind
Mother Principle
The Joy of Making
Going to Laden: Meeting the Guru
A Jain View of Reality
Dharma Practice
The Five Practices
Self and the World
Part Two: Quest for Wholeness
Return to the World (walking with Vinoba Bhave)
Soil, Soul, Society
Learning from the Sun
Truth is a Pathless Land (conversation with J. Krishnamurti)
No Birth, No Death
Rationalism and Non-violence (encounter with Bertrand Russell)
Justice before Order (meeting Martin Luther King)
Poverty and Progress (insights from E. F. Schumacher)
Part Three: Travels in India
Islam, a Religion of Peace
A Land of Contrasts
Temples of Delights
A Culture of Crafts
To Be a Pilgrim
In the Footsteps of Gandhi
Seeds of Renewal (visiting Vandana Shiva)
Part Four: A Relational Philosophy
You Are, Therefore I Am: A Reverential Ecology
A Declaration of Dependence
Notes
Index
Satish Kumar offers us the gift of So Hum You Are, Therefore I Am. His mental journey and inspirations need to become everyones inspiration, to help us to move from violence to non-violence, from greed to compassion, from arrogance to humility.
Satish Kumar is, for me, the sage of the deep ecology movement.
The life of this vigorous, wise, compassionate and humble man is an example to all of us about how to make the most of our gifts and create our own opportunities to serve humanity's future
We are most blessed in having in Satish Kumar a teacher of this new understanding of the truth, both new and age-old, of the one indivisible life that sustains us all.
- Title: You are Therefore I am: A Declaration of Dependence
- Author: Satish Kumar
- Publisher: Green Books
- Print Publication Date: 2002
- Logos Release Date: 2024
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781907448638, 1907448632
- Resource ID: LLS:9781907448638
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-05-14T01:20:15Z
Satish Kumar is an internationally renowned speaker on ecological and spiritual issues. He was born in Rajasthan, India, and now lives in England where he is Editor-in-chief at Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, co-founder of Schumacher College and founder of the Schumacher Society UK. Satish has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Education, and in Literature, and he was also presented with the Jamnalal Bajaj International Award for Promoting Gandhian Values Abroad.