GreenFriends™ Ireland

"Only through love and compassion is the protection and preservation of Nature possible" -- Amma

GreenFriends™ is Amma's initiative to help us reawaken the awareness of our unity with all of creation and to cultivate an attitude of love and reverence for Mother Nature.

GreenFriends™ activities in Ireland

GreenFriends™ Ireland has been given long-term access to an acre of land with the aim of coming together both to learn and to share with others our knowledge of how to grow organic vegetables, medicinal herbs and trees. We are very eager to grow in ways that are beneficial to Nature and do not harm her. Karen, who helps with the flowers during Amma's programme in Dublin, has provided the land in West Cork to develop this project. On our first meeting, we chanted the 1000 Names of the Divine Mother, and then began to prepare the land for next year's growing season.

Many 'greenfriends' have skill/experience to share in bee-keeping, organic growing, permaculture, seedsaving, uses of medicinal herbs, flower-growing, waste reduction, composting. However, it's not at all necessary to have specialist knowledge to be part of Greenfriends. Gathering as community with our particular purpose is also an important part of our activity.

Our plans for the coming year & later:

• To establish the West Cork garden as a learning centre where anyone is welcome to join us in 'learning by doing'
• To show people (in the city particularly) how to grow their own fruit and veg, in an organic, harmonious way
• To help others to start their own organic gardens
• To develop the 'Sacred Grove' at our new Amma garden
• To have an annual open-day where practical workshops are held on sustainability, basket-making, bee-keeping, waste reduction, building alternative housing, and herbal medicines
• To save seeds (from organic vegetables, medicinal herbs and trees) in order to sell plants and seed packets for Amma's programme to raise funds for Amma's charities.
• To grow flowers for Amma's programme
• To plant & care for native trees such as the hawthorn & willow, traditionally considered sacred in Ireland.

To join us in these projects, to find out more or to stay informed, contact GreenFriends™ at greenfriends@ammaireland.org or phone (021) 4936908 or 0857471483.

Ancient cultures around the world expressed gratitude to Nature for Her life-giving gifts. There are numerous stories of Amma giving the same love and attention to a plant, a bird, or a bug as She gives to us, Her human children. Developing our Love and respect for Mother Nature will bring awareness to our every action. In this way, we can each play a vital role in restoring the harmony between humanity and Nature.

This is the spiritual inspiration and vision behind GreenFriends™.

Other GreenFriends™ initiatives inspired by Amma's Teachings:

• Grow a Tulasi (Holy Basil) plant or any other plant or tree that you feel to be sacred. Each morning when watering the plant, offer your love and gratitude to Mother Nature.
• Plant nine or more trees every year and lovingly care for them. Encourage children to participate as well.
• Make an inner resolve not to take more than is necessary from Mother Nature, and not to unduly destroy anything in Nature, by simple acts such as not wasting food, car-pooling, recycling, conserving water, etc.
• Devote some time each day to connecting inwardly with Mother Nature. This may be through introspective activities in Nature, such as meditating, praying, singing, or silent walks. "If we find harmony within ourselves, that harmony will benefit Nature and be reflected throughout Creation."

Amma's Teachings, Lessons from Mother Nature

"Everything is pervaded by Consciousness. It is that Consciousness which sustains the world and all the creatures in it. To worship everything, seeing God in all, is what religion advises. Such an attitude teaches us to love Nature. None of us would consciously injure our own body, because we know it would be painful. Similarly, we will feel the pain of other people to be our own when the realisation dawns within us that everything is pervaded by one and the same Consciousness. Compassion will arise, and we will sincerely wish to help and protect all. In that state, we won't feel like plucking even a leaf unnecessarily. We will pick a flower only on the last day of its existence, before it falls from the stem. We will consider it as very harmful to the plant, and to Nature, if the flower is plucked on its very first day due to our greediness.

Looking at Nature and observing its selfless way of giving, we can become aware of our own limitations. That will help to develop devotion and self-surrender to God. Thus, Nature helps us to become closer to God and teaches us to truly worship Him. In reality, Nature is nothing but God's visible form which we can behold and experience through our senses. Indeed, by loving and serving Nature, we are worshipping God Himself.

Just as Nature creates the favourable circumstances for a coconut to become a coconut tree, and for a seed to transform itself into a huge fruit tree, Nature creates the necessary circumstances through which the individual soul can reach the Supreme Being and merge in eternal union with Him. A sincere Truth seeker, or a true believer, cannot harm Nature because he or she sees Nature as God - he doesn't experience Nature as being separate from himself. He is the real lover of Nature." - Amma