The Bhakti Centre (TBC), located in the heart of Manhattan, an educational and cultural centre centered on the Vedic values, recently hosted a unique confluence of academicians, diplomats, researchers, monks and in general enthusiasts concerned with the topic of sustainability according to a release issue. ‘Sustainability from the Inside Out’, as the conference was named, was hosted conjointly by Govardhan Eco Village, Mumbai and the Sacred Ecology Forum, to explore the profound connection between the practice of yoga and the sustainability of the Earth and its resources ahead of the International Yoga Day.
The conference began with Gauranga Das, Director, GEV and Vice-President, ISKCON Chowpatty explaining the inspiration and history behind the conception of the event – as a follow up to the conference on ‘Hinduism and Ecology’ which was held last year in GEV, as a unique way to commemorate International Yoga Day, and as an offering to His Holiness Radhanath Swami, who has remained the spiritual powerhouse behind both these projects, GEV and TBC, which started coincidently around the same time, 2003.
The discussion was around the broad theme of the role of spirituality in providing a narrative to the question of sustainability. Sandeep Chakravorty, the current Consul General of India, stressed the human role and the need of inner change to address the question of climate change. He mentioned about the role of austerity and frugality in abating the blazing fires of consumerism.
