A perspective of Totnes – small is beautiful from top of the world!

Two years returning to my place of Birth, United Kingdom a proud Celt from Brum and resident of Transition Town Totnes. The first town in the UK to go plastic free and a number one supporter for an ecological world to be reclaimed, home of Schumacher College a progressive School of Ecological studies. – Founded by Peace Activist Satish Kumar. I was initially inspired by Rob Hopkins holding a PhD on localism establishing the Transition Towns movement some years ago – how do reclaim a village against the fast paced extractive growth of Capitalism and Western Values that decimate ecological wellbeing across the earth.

What is sacred balance in a domination of mass culture. against localism and the loss of community village?  My internal dream of thought, a feeling I walk within every day searching, embedding my values yet also inspiring and helping other communities lost in a distracted disconnected world.

I recover over the weekend in one of the mega cities on planet earth; Delhi. Second most populated city in the world. I find respite at The YMCA Hostel, my legs, body and emotions exhausted. I embrace a meditation – Ksobha: A strong current of water or emotion that may cause harsh projections of our feelings. I float into more rest as I reflect the torrent of water flowing down the River Ganges across the largest Mountain range in the World, The Himalayas. I release the energy not serving my rest and peace. The bioregion of the Himalayas – a unique planetary feature of tectonic plates pushing against each other – uplifting the earths two land masses; the Indian continent and Russia-China causing the earth to uplift into the heavens. I visited the Himalayas 2 years ago on my way to study at Schumacher, completing my second course of Yoga studies with the Rishikesh yogi School. Travelling with a friend and her friend we ventured to the Valley of Flowers a National Park dedicated to the presevation of the biodiversity across the bioregion.

I reflect how I have landed in Delhi, leaving Totnes after 2 years learning, embracing localism. A topic of interest I discovered 10 years ago working in local government across South Australia whilst managing ‘Living Kaurna Culture Centre’ – Warriparinga lore ground an important ceremonial meeting place, part of a sacred dreaming story – Tjilbruke the peace lore of Mother earth and managing a wonderful aboriginal cultural interpretation centre set on a beautiful restored wetland.

13 years with the City of Marion local government, seven years managing or sitting on country-lore ground, much was learnt about Adelaide and Australia the windy place of Warriparri. Warri is wind and parri is water – a beautiful river flowing through a wetland.

Returning to my place of birth a deadly Celt who is proud of skin and colour, born in Birmingham, Brum the land of the Balti the middle of a small Island. The melting pot of United Kingdom my dad would always proudly say, you’re born in UK, not England. West Midlands holds much for the Celts in the north and being a Cooper delivering wooden keg barrels to the thirsty drinkers in London and further south to Devon and Cornwall. Union on the flag yet I would differ. How much we have moved away from family and skin for what Totnes and Schumacher would appreciate how bioregionalism and economics systems support families and wellbeing across our community.

‘Bioregionalism’ is a beautiful word describing First People aligning and embedding with Mother earth. The Celts have struggled to hold on to family for thousands of years with the arrival of Rome and empire building of roads, taxes and money for which today, we struggle to find peace in a fast paced world.

Growing up in Australia from the age of 4 years, richly experiencing culture not many ‘white fellas’ would have experienced. I feel grateful to sit around the ancient fire, embrace ceremony of smoking and spirit, whilst listening to learn with respect the values of local lore. It was the salty sea and love at home with my parents that ensured I continued to be of service to my body and emotion of peace with whom I have become.

I reflect from a high perspective on a Mountain range the River Ganges, as it flows towards largest water delta in the world bordering on Bangladesh. Clean water at the top yet, as the river reaches the sea polluted, one of the most polluted water systems in the world.

I have learnt much these two years in Totnes, a perspective that ‘small is beautiful’. How to embrace more internal gratitude for the little things in life. Completing a masters in regenerative economics from the ethos and college named after E.F Schumacher and his well-known book – ‘Small is Beautiful’. Buddhist economics strongly feature the ethos of how we must reclaim our trade and commerce across the earth.

I was inspired by Rob Hopkins founder of the Transition Town movement during the peak oil, fearing the impact on our economy. Rob completing his PhD on localism and the wisdom of losing the village-town at the pace of captialism and big cities. I had the honour of meeting Satish Kumar a living legend, peace activist and well-known author who inspired me to write my first book. Satish came to my home town to launch his book. A Jain monk from India and establishing Schumacher College. Satish kindly offered to assist with my book launch in the UK at St Marys Church, Totnes.

What is a transition plan or movement to embrace a Regenerative Economy in troubled world?

What do we need across our landscapes of planetary ill-health? As the facts remain as I sit in my hotel room contemplating what next. The consuming heat and polluted air of Delhi that struggles like so many mega cities of this new world. I reflect on rivers and water of peace lore from Adelaide, Kaurna dreaming lore and I often reflect and draw correlation between the ancient text of Hinduism – Bhagavad Gita, reflecting on yoga values.

Chapter 2, Verse 20

‘As rivers flow into the ocean but cannot make the ocean overflow, so flow the streams of the sense-world into the sea of peace that is the sage of who one can be. How we hold grace in our own internal river of truth.’

I reflect – what lifestyle and regenerative platform will I walk forward into, with the wisdom of all that I have travelled, learnt and embraced, so far through my life?

To be in service in all dimensions is one that I value the most, today being in service attached to a monetary system that is fast paced, extractive by nature and is a struggle for me to embrace; as I see the world walking off a cliff.

First People of Australia, that in my first book, I address in depth, looking at how to step more into alignment and embrace this giving, caring and stewardship approach to water and soil, as acknowledged on the 9 August 1991 at the Rio Earth Summitt – United Nations gathering to discuss the State of the earth’s environment.

The unfinished business in Australia of sovereignty is yet to emerge on the great southern land, the only indigenous culture on the earth. I attempt to contrast the story of Mahatma Ghandi. I see his image and symbol of freedom throughout Delhi. We all lost our sacred land across this urbanised Gaia of Mother earth.

Do we see Freedom on the earth today? What has yet to occur in India I ask, as a sovereign independent nation and how does bioregionalism align to this deeper wisdom.

I reflect on the state of Tamil in southern India seeking her region to be reclaimed as a bioregional independent state, much like Yolngu People in Northern Australia First Nations seeking the same independence through a treaty. I left Europe for India via Barcelona and much of the water research of Catalonia I undertook, speaks the same language to reclaim bioregionalism aligning to sovereign governance structures uniquely supporting the ecological wellbeing of their communities. This is what I see is missing today that supports the village of family and skin rather big business and big government of this new world order.

‘It takes a village to raise a child’ – does it not!

A quote or core value which many wise ancient cultures embrace. Holding the Matriarch of mother-child in the Village. What have we lost today? What would Mahatma Ghandi say today? Be the change we wish to ‘be’ this wisdom valid more so today. So, who will I become, moving forward embracing values, virtues and a livelihood of giving back to localism!

To be grateful for mother earth and embrace an ecological wellbeing lifestyle. The challenge is big business, big government and a lack of investment in urban village building or de-coupling. How must we de-couple urban infrastructure to replace the local village and remove the greed and profit that returns to just a few.

The final day of our pilgrimage with my friends from India, we visited the highest ‘Vishnu Temple’ – Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand, India.

I return my thoughts to Sacred Balance of Vishnu – part of Hindu cosmology, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are the principal deities representing creation, preservation, and destruction, respectively, within the cyclical nature of the universe. Wisdom existing in three.

Vishnu God of preserver and sustainer of the universe, often depicted with attributes symbolizing protection and righteousness. He is believed to incarnate in various forms (avatars) to restore balance and dharma.

What is humanity’s dharma to restore balance across the earth? The golden question to ask any community leader.

Economy

What is needed for balance of life? The original word economy deprives from the Greek word – “Oikonomia” literally translates to “household management“.

Is our house and communities in order across a Cartesian economic system embedded with fear and control. Neoliberalism policy across the world rules the day.

The Vishnu temple was rebuilt in the 18th Century with origins from the Vedic scripture’s some 1500 year ago.

Seven years ago, I walked into my own ‘giving back business’ to walk forward into the new me, not to turn my back on the wisdom of stories of dream time of Australia whilst attempting to navigate the trauma of a ‘colonial economy’ deprived from early thought theory Cartesian economics that has evolved from controlling mother earth and her rich resources for only a few that capitalise on the monetary riches. The majority of our communities – remain in fear and still today we see slave labour at play.

We will never control Mother earth – we must learn to reciprocate and learn from her.

My lore today is a culture that I teach and promote – what I have embraced for what is right so I remain in alignment with Gaia and mother earth systems.

My second book that I will launch this year – ‘Water is our Way home’ – explores more how do we embrace more of this sacred balance whilst exploring a ‘giving back enterprise’ across our bioregions and villages through what I term – Water Governance. Guru Narayani residing in Peedham southern India the state of Tamil for which I acknowledge in my first book terms the sacred word for water – Theertham (Holy Water). When we see water as a commodity it is just water but when we water as sacred like many good faiths across the earth, we begin to reclaim a more health relationship with water. I reflect my friend Jane and Jay from the Devon Bioregional Learning Centre – Jane taking me to the Holy Spring water in Totnes, how we must reclaim and nurture springs much similar stories with First People of Australia at sacred spring sites.

I reflect on Grandmother earth and how I see the small village we must reclaim; Totnes is a good example of what can be achieved with the right values to work collectively. Totnes has it challenges today like any other town or village with increasing pressures from outside the system.

Our challenge is big Mega Cities that bring in their water and food from outside the bioregion. Urbanisation is a problem with roads, concrete bitumen across Gaia – mother earth degrading biodiversity and contaminating water systems. I have been fortunate to visit many parts of the world to see firsthand community leaders moving towards a regenerative system across their community’s embracing equality with wealth distribution. Embracing universal values yet remaining in localism will bring collaboration across this ‘One Earth One Breath’ metaphor I term in my Dissertation Paper. Bioregionalism will encourage biodiversity and reclaim once again a local economy across the earth.

Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King and many other great leaders speak of values that shape our destiny. I reflect on First People of Australia an ancient culture embracing values that allow people and communities that have survived climatic events across Mother earth.

How must we quickly adapt our communities, and reclaim community lore

What is a new transition into a new world? What is the paradigm that will allow people as leaders to move out the way – war or civil unrest is not the answer.

Community lore that embraces the bioregions unique ecological features is a good start. Today the world is ever so dis-connected, yet connected via a Digital economy. Universal values will assist greater cooperation and move more towards peace yet remaining once again embedded into the earth.

I reflect on the oldest Map in the world that has survived climate change – First People Map of the Sovereign Nations across Australia embedded and woven into the unique landscapes. This is the new transition I see to embrace across the earth, not this monopoly Global Agenda that will end in conflict and War for which we see emerging today. Reclaim the middle and the circle the non-linear way of life, degrowth and enjoy sitting and yarning around the ancient fire with my friends – First People would always welcome of all colour around the fire of peace.

Water is a warning sign for humanity we live and die by water, today every river is polluted, more marine life is dying and fresh water contamination is a serious issue for all countries. Water is divine. My ancestry story of water on craggy rock allows me to appreciate early teaching of Divine and the mirror of God. Not much water going into the core of Mother earth, rather rushing out to sea – the roads today have become our drivers.

I have been grateful to learn with elders in Adelaide the Tjilbruke dreaming story and the sacredness of freshwater spring dreaming and learning the teachings of Buddha of the stillness of the lotus flower across stillness of water. Wetlands and water birds teach us much about how we see Mother earth.

I reflect on the beautiful river Dart in South West Devon flowing out to sea, my time walking riding up the Biddle Brook and how communities raise concerns. Grateful to have met the ‘Friends of the River Dart’ and how we must understand all the parts of the whole of a system. I sit in my hotel and reflect on my trip up the Himalayas and witness large volumes of water gushing down the River Ganges from the heavens. I fill my water bottle up from the upper tributaries to drink clean water. Yet the lower parts of the river and out to sea is polluted. We have lost our way with water; humans are 97% water – all life depends on water.

I reflect on 60,000 years of dreaming and ancient culture that has survived climate change, people witnessing land and coastline disappear within a month, their soils vanishing before their eyes. I read an article on Symbiotic culture by Richard Flyer ‘Re-villaging a disconnected world: A ‘sacred operating system’ for our time how humanity is been ever so disconnected in a fractured world. The longing to belong we all social animals, this ‘common humanity’ concept that mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh teaches. We must all re-birth this ‘Symbiotic Culture’, reclaiming localism particularly in big cities for which I attempt to find common humanity in a ‘hostile take culture of survival’. First People would agree it doesn’t need to be like this. Humanity has lost her way. We must reclaim the middle values of village and for me and my internal river, water is our way home.

My concluding thoughts as rain breaks into a heavy cycle listening to the unique sounds of rain on my heaven – the monsoon rain arrives in Delhi, time to take the rainbow umbrella I recently bought for a test walk rather test drive and dance in the rain of love.

Grateful for the beautiful community of Totnes and Schumacher College for allowing me to contribute my first article to Totnes Pulse and I look forward to sharing more of stories, wisdom and contributing to uplifting and inspiring the people of Totnes and greater Devon.

My current website my first book published – www.gratitudeoncountry.com

Drop me a hello message for early release of my second book – ‘Water is our way home’ – craigcoopermsw@outlook.com