It is about the interconnectedness of human beings with each other and the Earth. We are connected with the trees, the birds, animals and all other human beings. We have co-evolved with the rocks and the waters. We are not only beings but inter-beings. Each step that we take on the earth is sacred and can enhance our awareness and joy.
The last hundred years or so has created a radical disconnection between human beings and the Earth. This disconnection is creating a potential crisis for our shared world. Despite the fruits of technology many human beings feel lonely, unhappy and not in touch with themselves. This is also the first time in human history that we have separated ourselves from nature and cocooned ourselves in our concrete cities.
For many people in today's world the Earth has been reduced to 'real estate' or 'property' or 'mineral' or 'resource'. We have forgotten that the Earth is the source of all life and that we have evolved from this mother. We are children of the Earth, and if we are faithful to it, it will nourish us physically, psychologically and spiritually. The Earth also stands for a larger Reality that is both transcendent and immanent.
Fireflies has chosen as its symbol the tulsi plant (the basil) because it has been sacred here for centuries. It symbolizes the bond between the spiritual, the personal, the social and the ecological. The roots of the tulsi mingle with all the healing waters of our planet; in the branches of the tulsi live our gods with the sacred scriptures; in the leaves of the tulsi are found all the diverse human communities; the flowers of the tulsi represent the compassionate sages and prophets; and the seeds of the tulsi are tomorrow's visions waiting to be born.
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