Presentation Outline Contents: Intro: What is Matrikunj?

Conscious Farming An Integral Approach to Agriculture Conscious Farming in Practice Understanding Nature's Will Pests in Agriculture A New Vision of Health Steps Towards A More Conscious Future

The first we question we should always ask is, Why is this important? Were not talking simply about farming were talking about transformation of ourselves, of our communities, of our society, of our Earth, of our Future. We can bring land under cultivation that has never given fruit before, from deserts to city terraces, taking concrete steps towards universally ending hunger by taking the solution into our own hands. We can end and reverse the dangerous trends in environmental depletion, in the soil and in the atmosphere, which are just beginning to reveal their terrible consequences. We can end and reverse the trend towards materialism and profit-mindedness which is suppressing the free and rightful reign of the Spirit. We can bring about the transformation from Ignorance into Knowledge, rising to new levels of consciousness, where untold immaterial treasures await us.

Many people feel that the transformation of our race is too difficult a task to be possible, the condition of the world irreparable, its problems too complex, its people unwilling and unready. But we feel it is possible. How? Just look at the lotus flower. Where are its roots? In the mud and muck, and from that turbid filth, the most exquisite and graceful of flowers reveals itself. When we try to use our mind, we see only limits of the possible and impossible, the real and unreal, the manifest and the unmanifest. But Nature knows no limits where there is a will, Nature will find a way.

Living with Nature doesn't apply only to agricultural work - it's an attitude that can be taken into any profession, even into any action a consciousness of learning, expansion of the self, openness to the wisdom of Nature. Because Nature is not just something that applies to plants and animals and looks green and gets your clothes dirty and you have to drive out of the city to find; Nature is everything, including us, inside of us, a part of everything we do. When we realize this, there is no limit to the definition of a natural life.

Our existence, physical and non-physical, has come from Nature, so Nature is our Mother. When we go against nature, it is like a child disobeying its Mother; the mother does not scold, holds back her harsh words, but a tear comes to her eye. We are polluting the air, polluting the soil, poisoning ourselves with synthetic, unnatural chemicals; we have lost our connection to our Mother, and She is crying, She is asking us to come back, to reestablish our loving connection with her. Lets come to a unique place in the world where that connection is thriving, where Nature is being experienced in a way both New and Ancient: Matrikunj. -What is Matrikunj? Matrikunj is not a business, it is not a playground, it isn't even really a farm; it is a living school, a classroom. But not just for learning farming or agriculture, or masonry or carpentry, it is a

place for learning something more than any one of its countless parts it is a place of learning to live a certain lifestyle, with a certain attitude, to maximize a certain consciousness. And what is this lifestyle? It is living in harmony with Nature, with Nature's Truth, with Consciousness of the Divine, in every moment. Here, we are cultivating not only fruits, vegetables, and soil, we are cultivating our selves, our consciousness, the consciousness of all Humans and the Earth. Agriculture does not mean making money it is a part of life, learning to meet all of our needs from the land. We are striving for Health health of individual, health of soil, health of environment, health of the planet. We learn through experience to respect all creatures, as everything has its own role in Nature, without a hierarchy of importance or value, sharing a common center. The Mother Said, To know is good, to do is better, but to Be is Perfect. At Matirkunj, we are actively being, not just speaking or hoping or wishing. We can set an example and a standard for the rest of the world to learn from and follow. Being is the key to happiness, the key to freedom, the key to transformation.

What is happening at Matrikunj? We are growing 100% natural, organic crops, without any external inputs no weedicides, no pesticides, and no fertilizer, chemical or organic. Everything we use comes from the land itself, in the natural process. We apply only Amritjal or jivamrit (a microbial culture made from cow dung and cow urine, fermented with jaggery), and we mulch heavily with weeds, leaves, prunings, clippings, and kitchen waste, which acts as in situ composting and green manure. And from this low-cost, zero-external input, minimal-labor approach, we see yields that consistently match and exceed chemical and organic farming, not only surpassing total yield but yield per square foot, indicating higher efficiency. Crops like Yam and Elephant's Feet grow to sizes never dreamed of by chemical and even organic farmers, and mature faster than in other farming methods. Oil seeds yield more oil, and sugar cane yields sweeter juice. And our soil not only stays healthy but improves in health over time. See some specific examples: Brinjal: 333 kg in 6 months from x sq ft (how many plants?) Turmeric: Sugar Cane: We get 50% juice, and 25% jaggery from juice. Yam: 18 kg; can grow to 40, 50 kg! Elephant's Feet: 2 x 2 ft = 4 sq ft/7.5 kg = 2 kg/sqft; 1 acre = 43,000 sq ft; 80,000 kg = 1,60,000 Rp per acre; maturing within 6 months; chemical and organic farmers never get 1 kg/sqft. Oil Seeds: Our groundnut gives 52% oil (30%?), coconuts give more than 60% oil others get...

And it is not only yields which are impressive. Time and again, we have witnessed some agricultural miracles. Fruit Trees, like Papaya and Guava and Jackfruit and Wood Apple, inexplicably bear fruit perennially for years on end. Old Coconut and Banana Trees that fall ill are revived and bear heavy fruit like a young tree. Plants, like papaya and brinjal, will sprout up on their own in rocky soil any farmer would call unfit for even weeds. And, all is done at a fraction of the cost, because all is done without external inputs of any fertilizers, weedicides, or pesticides, chemical or organic, no complicated or labor-intensive composting, chemical or organic, no expensive and laborious struggling against weeds, all of which require increases in labor and expenses. Many trees that are grown here from seeds are never watered, only pruned by hand from time to time! But more important and revelatory than these simple numbers, which would entice any

farmer, is the experience of consuming the produce that comes from Matrikunj. Anyone that eats here will attest to the fact that the fruits and vegetables are nothing short of remarkable time and again, people call and say, That was the best fruit or vegetable or meal I've ever eaten. Because weve become dependent on the market to provide us with our produce, weve forgotten the natural taste of our fruits and vegetables, a taste as different as night and day. And it's a quality that is not limited to taste there is something special present in the produce, some subtle energy. It is consciousness, happiness, tenderness, health and robustness, vitality it is a Spiritual energy. The atmosphere of Spiritual growth, of Spiritual consciousness, of the Divine Love and Grace of the Mother, are all present here. And this special consciousness does not apply only to the produce in fact, the produce contains this energy because it absorbs that consciousness from the soil in which it is grown, from the air it breathes, and from the care it receives, from people but mostly from Nature. Therefore, the special consciousness present in the produce is a reflection of the consciousness of the environment as a whole, in the atmosphere itself, engrained into the earth, the air, the plants, and the people who are immersed in it. It is no coincidence that the Neem trees that grow all over Matrikunj were given the Spiritual Significance by the mother, Spiritual Atmosphere - they are one of the few species of trees on the planet that purify the air 24 hours per day. Other Projects And we are not only growing crops we are also developing the land and the farm in other natural ways, through spontaneous projects that require minimal expense to increase sustainability and demonstrate the possibilities of a resourceful farmer using what nature provides. We have built waste-water collection tanks to conserve water, built huts from Casuarina saplings grown on-site, prepared pickles from amla, tamarind, mango, lemon and more, cultivated a medicinal plant garden with over 40 traditional indigenous herbs, squeezed sugar cane and boiled jaggery, manufactured tools using an on-site blacksmith shop, all in addition to maintaining crop growth and with a team of only 5 to 6 hired workers. Everything you need to live, you can get from the land we are living that reality at Matrikunj. Natural farming places the heavy burden on Nature, who is a tireless worker, and if you work together with Her, farming becomes a Natural process, giving you not only freedom but inspiration. But to work with Nature, you must begin to understand Nature, through observation and experience. Nature is the Guru We are experimenters, and this is our lab. We are not the teachers, we are the students Nature is the teacher. But She doesn't give any lectures or simply hand over any information. She teaches us through experience, She is the possessor of ancient wisdom, She teaches us to learn, She teaches us to begin to know ourselves, She teaches us to be Conscious in that way, Nature is our Guru. Our goal is to spread knowledge to everyone who is willing and ready to learn. How else can we overcome the ignorance but by knowledge? In our modern society, knowledge has become intellectual property, a commodity, to be bought, sold and traded. Consciousness cannot be produced, processed, packaged, or sold. But knowledge can be cultivated, through direct experience. That's the appeal and the purpose of Conscious Farming to grow knowledge for all. This is Conscious farming: Nature, Man, and Divine, Joined Together in one Unending Line.

Conscious Farming An Integral Approach to Agriculture

What is Conscious Farming? People want to know, What is our method of farming? But We follow no strict method, there is no Matrikunj formula for all farmers to follow thoughtlessly. This is because Nature has no formula for us to follow! Take the question of watering: When should you water? You cannot say 3 times a week, you cannot say 200 L per quarter acre. Every day it will change, even for the same crop on the same farm, let alone on different farms in different climates with different crops. Think about it when do you drink water? When you feel thirsty! If I told you to drink one glass of water every half hour, would you do it? No! And if I forced you to do it, would you be happy and healthy? No! Your body tells you when you need water, and your body instinctively knows when it needs to drink water; by listening to your body, you will maximize your health. But the key is to develop an open channel of communication with your body, to learn to listen, to hear, and to trust and obey its advice. In the same way, the only absolutely essential quality that the farmer needs to develop is a conscious communication with their plants. They must learn to listen, to look, to see, and then, even more importantly, to respond. And that response can only occur in the present. This plant is speaking, communicating that it is thirsty, that it wants and needs water. Now your plant is wilting now it needs water. You cannot wait for your watering schedule by then, all of your effort will be wasted. The plant will not quarrel, but it will suffer, and in the end, you will suffer. So our method is constantly adapting and developing based on the farmer's growing consciousness. That's why we call it Conscious Farming. Through the growth of consciousness, the farmer learns what is good, what is bad, what is right in each individual, present moment, by cultivating awareness and consciousness of the situation. That is how all beings grow properly and develop strong, robust health it is the law of Nature. The same is true for your plants. By cultivating your own consciousness, you will become a better, more productive, more effective farmer, and your plants too will grow in consciousness. You will grow with your plants. This is the greatest gift of conscious farming you are growing not only plants, you are growing your own being, your relationship with Nature, your connection to your True Self, your own blossoming consciousness. We are not only cultivating effective farmers we are cultivating healthy, natural, concious beings, who will create growing environments in which the plants are nurtured with this consciousness. And this environment of growth will expand to growth of consciousness everywhere, in all forms. So the shift to Conscious Farming is a shift not simply in methods, but a shift in consciousness itself, a shift in vision, a shift in approach. Just like in Yoga, an external shift will not bring about transformation. To really practice, we first need to understand the goal for our agricultural effort, which we call, sustainable agriculture. -What is Sustainable Agriculture? Sustainability means sustaining life. Money in and of itself does not sustain life (you can't eat it), and so farming should not be focused on making money from the land. It means getting one's needs from the land, for the person, family, or group, to whom the land belongs. Money is for exchange before there was money, it was life that was being exchanged, food, materials, services, anything that meets ones needs. First, needs must be met, then money wil, come, once there is stability and surplus. But what are needs? It seems we no longer can keep straight which things we need to live and which things we want to live. All we really need is to be happy and fulfilled, and that fulfillment never comes from money, it comes from having all of our needs physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual recognized and regularly attended to. All of these things can be met on a Conscious farm, without external inputs, excessive cost, or labor.

First, we need a balanced diet balanced diet is a healthy diet. A well-rounded, complete diet can easily be grown from healthy, natural soil. From a balanced farm, a balanced mind, a balanced consciousness, will naturally come a balanced supply of food. Second, we have material needs: for shelter, cleaning, tools, building materials anything we need for daily life. All of these, too, can be grown and manufactured on site. We can make everything on the farm itself. Third, we need to be healthy we have medicinal needs. Again, Nature provides all of these things for us. The main portion comes from eating healthy food, which we get from the farm; The next portion comes from a healthy lifestyle, with all different kinds of physical activity balanced with rest, which farming will also meet. Then, herbs can treat almost all of our medical ailments. All of natures plants have medicinal properties even weeds that grow naturally and unexpectedly, which we often kill and throw away, have potent medicinal properties. Fourth, we need a constant supply of water. If we are drawing water from aquifers in wells, we need to recharge the water table. If we do not conserve rainwater, it will flow back to the ocean, to return only again as rain, and slowly we will drain the reserves of the Earth. To facilitate this process of recharging, the sustainable farmer must dig trenches and/or water bodies, for catching rain water. Conscious Farming also fulfills our subtle needs in a balanced way: farming is constant growth through a steady stream of new experiences and challenges which require the farmer to rise up and expand in order to meet and overcome them, providing physical work, mental work, vital work, creative work, even the Spiritual work of faith, devotion, and surrender, strengthening completely and integrating all aspects of the human self. And everything is purposeful there is no expense of energy just for the sake of exercising. These are the universal qualities of a healthy, natural lifestyle: integrated, experimental, experiential, purposeful, fulfilling all of our needs. The means of fulfilment is not limited to farming, but farming is an excellent and ideal way to meet all of those needs, because Nature gives an endless supply of teaching, all without asking any compensation in return.

Conscious Farming in Practice - Growing Natural Crops But this doesn't mean that there is no help for the aspiring farmer. What advice can we pass on to farmers? What have we learned from Nature that will support their efforts? What specific practices have worked here? Our overall goal in practice is minimum disturbance of Nature's processes. It doesn't mean doing nothing, it means always working with Nature, using your consciousness of Her processes to facilitate those processes. The First and Only rule is: NO weedicides/herbicides, NO pesticides, NO chemical fertilizers. These are the tools of Ignorance, interrupting and damaging Nature's process, which She has so carefully and painstakingly developed over billions of years. This is not just a concession chemical products do not really help, they come only from human greed and profit-mindedness. They lead to weaker plants more susceptible to disease, depeleted soil, tasteless and nutrionless produce, and even changes human body chemistry; Pesticides can kill natural predators of pests, directly leading to infestation. Nature's process is the process that is meant to be, and is best for all. These unnatural products have no place in our bodies, in our food, or in our soil, so they have no place in our farm. So how do we get fertile, healthy soil without external fertilizer or compost, even in infertile conditions like the ones we started with here?

Soil Management Healthy soil is created naturally by a delicate microbial ecosystem of soil life. (8) Bacteria, fungi, microbes, earthworms, and many more all cooperate in an unbelieveably intricate web which elegantly decomposes dead matter and creates fertile soil, called humus. Modern agricultural science has recognized the importance of this ecosystem, but tried to mentalize and commoditize it by designing and selling products to generate it artificially. (34.5) Helpful Bacteria, Fungi, Earthworms, all can be cultivated naturally - they are naturally-made organisms, not man made! (44) Here at Matrikunj, in only 2 growing cycles, we have seen a transformation in the top layer of soil from dry, dense, pebbled soil, into fertile, friable topsoil. How is it done? By Nature's selfdeveloping, self-dependent, and self-sustaining workers only. () Here we see Earth Star mushrooms, millipeds, and countless invisible workers decomposing dead material into soil. () Nature's vast array of agents transform material we think of as waste, accomplishing so perfectly and precisely the jobs that humans cannot. And best of all, they are wageless workers! You don't even need to ask them or call them to come, you simply provide the correct conditions and Nature will guide them. Once you realize the value of these organisms, simple consciousness will guide you to protect and enhance their work: for example, when you flood plots for irrigation, you should leave a raised bund, to protect the () earthworms they will move to dry areas when the water comes. This way, you conserve the earthworm life which keeps your soil fertile. () In Nature, there is no waste material the concept of waste simply doesn't exist. Everything is recycled into the environment, transformed into new life. Most farmers consider dried branches and fallen trees unusable because we don't know how to compost them, and either discard them or burn them. But Nature does know how to decompose them! Fungi turn any wood into fertile soil Here, we see various fungi and ants decomposing a thick tree trunk into topquality soil, visible beneath it. () A variety of organisms, micro and macro, working together, is the key to producing good soil. Opening your mind and embracing Nature is the only work you have to do! Our agriculture system can utilize the natural processes already in place, designed to facilitate growth in the most efficient manner, perfected over billions of years. () For the Conscious Farmer, there is no separation between Nature and their farm; the farm is an expression of Nature, and they begin to see how Nature is the perfect Conscious Farmer. () Like Nature, waste nothing no materials, no labor, no time, no energy. Once we know how Nature makes healthy Soil in which to grow plants, we can model our own methods to assist and facilitate these Natural processes with minimum disturbance.

Whole Plant Use We want to emulate and maximize Natures recycling process on our farm. Our goal is to participate in the cycle, instead of disrupting it. We can even make it go faster, with consciousness and understanding! By applying this concept of recycling everything, finding a use for everything, to all aspects of your life, you will find that Nature has given you everything you need to thrive, and more. Every weed that is pulled out, every branch that is pruned, every leaf that falls, every papaya skin and lemon rind, should be returned to the soil from which it came. Using whole plants provides the soil with everything that it needs to create whole plants. Everything the plant needs, like minerals such as iron, boron, magnesium, and many others, are already present in plant parts. Just keep in mind if you want the plant to have the minerals it needs to make leaves, stems, roots, fruits, and flowers, you need to put them into the soil where the roots can get them. Whatever you want or need from the plant, use it, and then return everything that is left over back into the soil. If you take, you should also give. Only this will prevent soil

depletion, establishing a healthy relationship with Nature. We can accomplish this by placing plant parts directly on the soil where they came from, so that they decompose and deposit their nutrition into the soil: this is called Mulching and In-Situ Composting.

-Mulching Mulching means covering the soil with any material, just as Nature does in the forest or jungle. This ground cover shades the soil and prevents evaporation, creating a microclimate in and just above the soil, a controlled area of temperature and moisture. This gives ideal conditions for plant germination and root growth, reducing the need for watering at the same time. This makes maintaining healthy soil easier and more sustainable. Mulching also suppresses weed growth by covering the soil, reducing labor. But mulching doesn't just cover the soil whatever you put for mulching will also be decomposed and penetrate into the soil. By using whole plants as mulch, we also simultaneously provide the nutrition the plants need for growth. -What can be used for mulch? Anything can be used for mulching cut weeds and grasses, coconut shells and fibres, straws from grasses or paddy, pruned branches, fallen leaves. The question is, what can't you use. Use whatever you have, whatever grows or falls from or near the crop or tree! Here we see a bananacrop being fertilized by trees and leaves cut after harvesting, spread and left on the soil. Crops and fruit trees of all kinds benefit significantly from proper mulching there's no limit to how much you can use. Here, plants are sprouting through one foot of straw and weed mulching, showing how hardy and healthy they are. Here, a sugar cane cutting has sprouted within only 4 5 days, without watering, simply because it was covered with a small pile of cut weeds taken from the plot in which it is planted. The pile of weeds provided all of the nutrients the plant needed, as well as created a microclimate of shade and moisture from the green plants, for unbelievably fast and healthy growth, for free! Another option is live mulching growing plants on bunds like Gliceridia, a fast-growing nitrogen-fixing plant, keeps the soil healthy, fertile, and aerated, and gives a steady supply of mulch. As the plant grows, you simply chop off some of the green leaves and leave them directly on the soil, where they will dry out and decompose, despositing all of their nutrients into the soil. Even fruit-bearing plants, creepers like this ash gourd beneath this Banana crop, can provide green cover that will keep the ground shaded, maintaining moisture, while also giving you fruit. Whole-plant use combined with mulching and in-situ composting provides a solution to meeting the nutritional demands of the plants without having to purchase them externally or spend time and labor making and transporting compost. Fertilizer and Compost Conscious farming doesn't place any strict or specific demands on you or the farm it simply gives you the tools of knowledge and awareness, and lets you make the decisions, as only you will have an active relationship with your plants. Keeping this relationship healthy, interactive, communicative, and constantly advancing will keep you and your plants heathy and happy. You can make or purchase compost or fertilizer at any time, but you should always know exactly what you are putting in to your soil, what you are feeding to your plants, just as you should always know what you are feeding to your own body or your children. Always keep it natural and organic. Most importantly, you should keep in mind that you do not need external inputs of compost

and fertilizer, especially if you have a plot where something is already growing, even weeds. By maintaining the basic tenents of soil health: whole plant use, in situ composting, mulching, your soil will remain healthy and continuously improve, benefiting you and your plants. If you have limited money and labor power, then you can put the heavy work burden on Nature (who has limitless energy) and put minimal burden on your self. In this way, gardening or even farming can be a part-time job. You can do composting, vermicomposting, EM treatments. But let it be known that all of these things are not necessary. Nature will take care of you, and your fruits and vegetables will be Natural. Most importantly, as you put your faith and trust in Nature to guide you as your Guru, your consciousness of Nature will thrive, and this consciousness will be present in your farm or garden and the fruit it bears. So now that we have healthy soil, what principles should guide us in choosing which crops to plant? Intercropping / crop rotation Just like humans, soil needs a balanced diet to stay healthy. Instead of tiring out the soil by growing a single crop in large scale, as is the practice in chemical agriculture, the farmer needs to replenish the different nutrients in the soil by keeping a rotation. Plants are designed to live and grow together there are no monocrops in nature. A forest or jungle is carefully designed to harvest maximum sunlight falling on that land per square foot through green leaves at multiple canopy levels. Ground plants also cover the soil, preserving moisture, protecting the microorganisms and earthworms that are sensitive to temperature, and increasing soil health. We can copy this system by planting different crops together, called intercropping or companion planting. Intercrops naturally help each other through nutrient exchange what one plant releases, the other takes in, taking maximum advantage of nature's recycling process. Adding a leguminous intercrop fixes nitrogen into the soil, enriching it. This kind of companionship occurs naturally in nature. Through intercropping, your soil fertility increases as you grow instead of decreasing as it does in chemical farming. Intercropping can also increase yield with sugar cane, by adding an intercrop between canes, like Brinjal in the plot shown here, you give more sunlight to the lower surrounding area of the sugar cane plant, so new shoots can grow. When you harvest the mature shoot, already new shoots are growing and developing - in this way, you can harvest sugar cane continuously for many years! Intercropping gives you more diversity per area of cultivated land, which is an essential part of a healthy diet and lifesytle. It is no accident that nature has created a vast diversity of fruits and vegetables and greens for us to eat! Through intercropping, one can grow everything one needs in even a small area of land. Intercrops can also provide precious protection from diseases and pests naturally, and without cost. Marigold, for example, protects against nematode disease, and works as a pest trap it attracts the pests that would otherwise damage your crops. And, they are beautiful flowers that can be used or sold, and it even has medicinal use! Intercropping makes maximum use of your land. So what can you intercrop together? Again, Nature is our Guru. Just as a forest or jungle has different canopy layers, the farmer plants together crops that grow at different height levels root crops, creepers, small plants, shrubs, and trees. The needs of the plants will guide you: plants that need full-sun will be the main crop, then those plants happy with half-shade can be a second crop, a third crop satisfied with shade can be added, and so on. Then you only stay mindful of the distance needs of each plant, and you are ready to plant your field. The possible combinations are endless, but here are some examples:

Understanding Pests Insects, Fungi, Weeds The Mother was asked the question: Are insects a manifestation of adverse forces? Are there forces directly hostile to vegetable nature? She Answered: There do not seem to exist forces consciously and voluntarily hostile to the vegetable kingdom. Insects do harm because they feed on plants, but in this way they serve them also. Both things are there, good and bad, without any conscious will. A deep fear of pests makes many farmers hesitate to try organic farming, and makes many laypersons feel it is too much work and risk. Both of these attitudes are simple misunderstandings, requiring a change in consciousness. Nature provides ample lessons that reveal so-called pests as playing a critical role in Nature's system - everything in Nature exists for a reason. First, we need to change the instinctive, ignorant gut-reaction that pests destroy our plants.

Healthy Plants Resist Disease The best protection against damage from any pests is to have a healthy plant just like in humans, the plant's immune system is naturally designed to fight illness, and maximizing health means keeping that system strong. Healthy plants grown naturally in healthy soil become strong and resilient. Plants grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizers, or even with organic fertilizers, become dependent on these external inputs, and lose their own intrinsic defenses, just like human beings that are grown on synthetic, artificial medicines and unnatural food. This weakness is what leads to damage. In 2010, Papaya Mealybugs devastated the papaya crop throughout Tamil Nadu, but ours didn't suffer in the least. How did we protect them? We simply sprayed water, creating the rainy conditions which mealybugs can't tolerate. But this wasn't the secret it was that our papaya here stayed strong, even with the mealybugs, giving us ample time to wash them away. See how green the natural fruit remained, compared to the chemically grown fruit? Weak plants in chemical soil easily succumb to such infestations, giving the farmer no chance to react.

But Nature has revealed to us the Truth about pests: pests come to plants not to torment the farmer, but for a specific purpose in the plant's life cycle the plant calls the pest. We interrupt that cycle because of our ignorance and greed, often ignoring the plant's needs. If we know what the plant-pest relationship is telling us, we can aid the plant naturally without worrying about the pest. When a plant has finished its first vigorous fruiting cycle for example, in this perennial Brinjal variety, the plant will bear fruit for two years, and then the size of fruit and plant will diminish the energy of the plant is exhausted, it becomes old and tired. So the plant may invite pests, such as insects or fungi, to help scale back the plant, conserving its energy, decomposing the parts that it no longer needs. The rest of the plant remains unharmed the plant even goes on bearing fruit. Here, we see an insect-infested, decomposed leaf is coexisting with flowers and fruits

in a healthy plant. It is not accurate to think of these organisms as pests that are damaging the plant they are working as Nature's pruners, and in fact are welcomed by the plant. By trimming the plant, it can again grow vigorously new flushes of leaves and bear more fruit. This period of retraction after a period of growth is the natural fluctuation of the life cycle of the plant. Knowing that the plant in fact wants to be pruned, the farmer can assist in this process by cutting back or pruning the plant themselves, leaving the clippings on the ground as mulching to provide nutrition to the plant. Again, this is the natural process of the Life Cycle of the plant and all of Nature, and we should cooperate to get best results for the plant, the soil, our selves, and the ecosystem as a whole. Even in young plants, insects may also attack if there is a deficiency of certain nutrients. These insects or microorganisms will convert parts of leaves, branches, flowers, any biomass, into the desired nutrient in their excreta, which goes directly into the soil. In this way, through a cooperative effort, Nature has designed a system for plants to medicate themselves. The most important realization is that the plant desires and calls to the pests if we attack the pest, we are going against the plant's feelings. But if we could instead be sensitive to the plants' needs, we can facilitate the natural growth process, which is larger in scope than the plant or crop alone. For example, we may put nitrogen-rich plants directly on the soil, or provide boron by fermenting tender leaves in water and giving them to the plant, directly answering the plants call. Our human mental intelligence is ignorant of the plant and the soil's feelings; it is not a part of their communicative ecosystem exchange. It is only through ignorance that we would deem it appropriate to apply pesticides and interfere and damage this natural cycle, of which we too are a part and upon which we rely. Don't posion the plant, poison the soil, poison yourself and poison others! This perception of disease and dying as a natural process of maturity and recycling also has implications for our perception of disease, destruction, and death, and its role in Nature in general, for all creatures and for ourselves. Disease is not a disability or a weakness, a negative state it is simply Nature's cycle of regeneration, of recycling. Without the micro- and macro-organisms responsible for decomposition, Life would not be possible. In many instances, our own body invites or even constructs a disease-state, such as cold, fever, or diahrroea, to cleanse itself. Again, we should cooperate with the signals given by the body, to help facilitate this cleansing process. Taking allopathic medicines to treat the symptoms only prolongs the illness, suppresses the activity of the body, forcing it to work harder, prolonging and even increasing states of toxicity. With knowledge and consciousness, we can work to really change this perception, and there is no more effective way to learn than to experience first hand, through Nature, the ultimate Truth of disease and life existing as one. Weeds - Friends of the Soil Weeds on most farms are considered pests. But they play an incredibly important and beautiful role in Nature, and by learning from Nature, we discover their value as a precious resource. Weeds will tell you many things about your soil. For example, certain types of grasses grow only in soil where there is a deficiency of organic carbon where the soil is not fertile. But these plants not only indicate the condition of the soil, they also improve the condition of the soil they are designed by nature to gently plow the Earth, to contribute biomass and nutrition when they fall and dry, to naturally mulch the soil to keep it cool and retain water, to provide sustenance for microbes, fungi, bacetria, worms, all of which play an essential role in humus production. Some, such as cassiatora and stylanthus, not only improve the soil but fix nitrogen, even in the worst of soil conditions. They are nature's soil-workers. Weeds will also help maintain the strength of your soil, providing a constant source of

biomass for mulching and soil nutrition. Weeds will also help hold and subsequently drain waterlogged soil during heavy rains. We've even observed that some plants show less susceptibility to pests and give better fruit in the presence of weeds after weeding, pests increase, and the plants are not as happy. The symbiotic relationship between crops and weeds is yet to be fully explored and appreciated. So don't simply plow your weeds, throw them away, or worse, apply weedicide or herbicide. These interventions are not helping you, they are intervening on Nature's natural process of fertilizing the soil it is a process the farmer wants to maximize, not minimize. If your soil is lacking in organic material, humus, and fertility, simply let the weeds grow! Then, once they mature, chop them and use for mulching, letting them decompose on the field, returning their accumulated nutrition to the soil. Learning how to use this process to their advantage will give the farmer all of the benefit and resources that Nature has to offer, strengthening the plants, his soil, his will and determination, and his faith in Nature. Using this method, we have witnessed soil transform from pebbly, sandy, lifeless soil into fertile, healthy soil, capable of supporting crops, within one growing cycle. We simply let the weeds grow to maturity, chopped them down by hand and laid them to dry in the sun directly on the soil as mulching and in situ composting, and then planted seeds. Weeding is being done already on every farm, but these weeds are thrown away or burned, most often completely unused farmers just don't understand Nature, they work against Her, in Ignorance and Blindness, instead of with Her, in the Divine Bliss of Consciousness. ` A New Vision of Health -A Healthy World is Possible Nature provides us with all the tools for health. Our biggest obstacle to obtaining and maintaining health is a fundamental misunderstanding of what health is what is a healthy person? We may determine the ideal number of calories for the average man of average height and weight on the average day, and what vitamins and minerals he should consume, but these will not guarantee his happiness. Health is an integrated, subjective, experience of Life. Only through integrating mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual exercise, striving for a complete balance in all parts of our Being and Nature, can we achieve health, but as we strive to live consciously, to expand consciousness into all of these different parts, we find that good health is within our grasp. Conscious Eating Hippocrates' famous saying goes, Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine your food. Good health starts with a healthy diet. Natural, Organically-grown Food not only has higher content of vitamins and minerals and less harmful substances like Lead and Mercury, than Chemically-grown Food but also is more satisfying, meaning that one doesn't have to supplement it with meat or processed foods. Although organic produce is becoming more available, one obstacle is that the cost of organic farming (which is often practiced with more external inputs, meaning more expenses, than chemical farming), makes the cost of organic produce too high to be accessible to many people. Conscious farming, like all Natural methods, requires no external inputs, and thus keeps costs of production low enough to sell at the market at rates comparable, if not lower, than chemical products. We believe that every day everyone should have at least some natural, home-grown product, whether it is fruit or vegetable or grain or greens or herbs, so that the natural instinct is not lost, that connection to Nature which is the basis of our connection to our True Selves, All Beings, and the Divine. Only by making Nature a part of our daily life, a part of our consciousness, will this

connection to Nature that is the heart and soul of the healthy, Natural Human, thrive and expand. It's possible, and it can have a great effect, planting the seeds of Natural consciousness to lead all towards a greater truth of improved health. But even more important than what you eat is learning how to eat. And there is no concrete system for that, because our bodies are not concrete systems! They are constantly developing and changing and reacting and adapting, internally and externally. But just like in Conscious Farming, where Conscious connection to the plants guides you, the key to healthy eating is Conscious Eating, in which your Conscious connection to your own body guides you. Your system, your body's instinct, spontaneously will tell you what you should eat and what you should not eat. If you are getting sick, if you have some digestive problem, it is a signal from your body that you should change your diet! It does not mean that you should take medicine to treat the symptom, it means that you are not in harmony with your own system, you are not cooperating with the Nature of your body. If you become sensitive and listen to your body, you will have no problem discerning its messages and following them. It is simply consciousness of Nature in another form, and you will find that Conscious Farming will grow your conscious connection to Nature in all of its forms at once. Food is not just for taste and pleasure, it sustains our life instead of Living to Eat, we should be Eating to Live, consuming in a way that reflect what we want to embody and become. Lifestyle A healthy lifestyle is balanced and harmonic, exercising and utilizing all the parts of our multi-faceted human nature, stimulating growth in body, vital, mind, and spirit. This balance is the key to happiness and good health. But achieving that balance is difficult in our modern society. Conscious farming and gardening provides an opportunity to work towards that balance. The work of the farmer is always integrative, stimulating and spanning and tapping into the inner resources of body, vital, mind, and Spirit the mental exploration and knowledge that guides his work, the vital desires that inspire and motivate and energize him, the physical work that is the vehicle of his creativity, his conscious-force in action, and the Spiritual realization through direct experience that is the substance of his connection with Nature, his True Self, and All Beings. So the beauty and grace and gift of the farmer's lifestyle is not actually growing food in particular it is the healthy, balanced growth and stimulation of all elements of the being that leads to integration. Anyone in any occupation can strive to achieve this balanced stimulation of body, vital, mind, and Spirit, for such balance and all-sided growth is the fundamental basis of good health and happiness. Dealing with sickness We need to fundamentally change our understanding of disease in order to properly treat it. Health is not something we can commoditize. Nature gives everything we need to be healthy for free it is only our unconsciousness and ignorance that has caused us to abuse our bodies, pervert our emotions, poison and clutter our minds, and suppress our spirits, giving rise to the vast, incomprehensible complexity of modern diseases, which has in turn made it necessary to have an ever-expanding arsenal of artificial, equally ignorant and unnatural, high-cost, chemical treatments to deal with them. All of this suffering would disappear if we went straight to the root of suffering: consciousness. Conscious farming and natural living are the practical means to achieve this transformation. Medicinal Plants Not only herbs given by a healer have the power to heal every plant has a medicinal value, from the weeds growing in your backyard to the fruits and vegetables we're eating. While they can be used for acute illnesses, the best treatment is prophylaxis eating healthy fruits and vegetables, not only that are healthy for you and full of nutrition but are themselves healthy, grown in healthy soil with a healthy consciousness. If they are healthy, they will make you healthy.

Towards a More Conscious Future Our goal is to demystify growing produce and working with Nature, making it accessible to everyone. You don't need a tractor or 50 acres of land or a team of laborers or a doctorate in agricultural science to be a Conscious Farmer all you need is Consciousness! The ultimate goal of Conscious Farming is not growing food, it is transforming the Earth and the Human Race, and that means we intend to reach every person. Health is not simply an individual effort a healthy lifestyle requires a healthy environment, healthy interactions and healthy relationships. Individual and Collective are in fact not separate, but are in a dynamic interchange, a symbiotic codependence. It was Sri Aurobindo's vision that the inner Truth, the True Self, the Spirit, must eventually manifest into a Spiritual Life, an external change, which would be the consummation of the Spiritual transformation. To improve our own individual health, we must accept that we cannot be Truly healthy without a healthy world. Conscious farming provides a direct, practical, accessible, and feasible way to take real steps towards this change. It promotes good health, good habits, good intentions, which automatically begin to prune away old negative patterns. Conscious Farming is not only a physical practice, it is a practice of consciousness itself, aimed at cultivating a deeper understanding of farming as a means of understanding the Self of Nature inside and outside of us as One Being, meaning that it penetrates into emotional, mental, and Spiritual realms. But consciousness cannot be taught through the mind in lectures or imposed regulatons it can only be experienced conscious farming is the means of this experience. Because it has no cost, it is accessible to people in any socioeconomic situation. Because it requires no starting materials - besides some space with sunlight it can be practiced anywhere. Because it provides the most basic and universal physical human need nutrition it immediately appeals to everyone, regardless of class or continent. Because there is no classroom or teacher or prerequisite courses, there is no esoteric knowledge barrier. The only tool one needs to be a conscious farmer is consciousness, something that is our natural right as human beings. We only need to spread this consciousness in the form of knowledge and wisdom. So how can it be done? Conscious Farming is not a doctrine, so people don't need to be indoctrinated into the rituals of a certain method. They only need to learn through experience! With a push in the right direction and a little motivation, anyone can accept Nature as their Guru, and Nature will unhesitatingly accept them as Her Disciple. -Outreach Programs Matrikunj is ready and willing to host and provide educational programs and resources. First, its doors are always open to those who sincerely want to learn. But the education that is available within the thorny boundaries of Matrikunj is not limited to these 43 acres it is available anywhere, because it is not Matrikunj or Baburam or any other person that possesses or teaches the wisdom. Only Nature is the Guru. The basis of every learning program is experience. Our vision is that by increasing the number of people learning from and experiencing and experimenting with Nature, Natural Living, Conscious Farming, and Consciousness, the more discoveries we will make as a whole, the more and faster we will all grow towards a future of interconnectedness and understanding, of ourselves, each other, and all of Nature. -Videos and Website In order for this knowledge to have an impact, it must spread, and to spread, it must be accessible to all. Modern advancements in communications make this realizable to an extent never before imaginable. By creating a website, we can upload videos that show hands-on work, real projects really being completed by real people, providing a second-hand experience that is the

closest to first-hand experience you can get. By capturing not only the projects' technical elements and practical value, but their beauty, the joy of participating and creating, of understanding Nature to the fullest and how to work with Her and receive from Her, all without limiting budget requirements, we can inspire countless people to take on their own projects. In time, it is possible that external farmers or amateur experimenters all are equal in the eyes of Nature can contribute their own documented projects, for the good fo all humankind. -Conscious Farm Network Matrikunj is not the only place where people are learning directly from Nature, but these efforts are isolated in an ocean of ignorance. By bringing them together and connecting them, we can greatly strengthen their effect on our collective consciousness. The goal is not to reach only farmers or agriculture enthusiasts, but to bring all beings that are eager to learn and grow into an environment that nurture's that thirst for the sweet nectar of experience. Farms that open their doors to volunteer workers will have the benefit of free labor, and the volunteers get the benefit of free knowledge and experience (and maybe some natural meals). It is a mutually beneficial relationship motivated not by profit but by love and respect for Nature and Consciousness, which is the basis of Spirit when we all start taking steps in the right direction, the world's momentum will begin to shift. -Helping Individuals become Conscious Farmers Anyone can be a conscious farmer anyone that has land or space, even a small terrace in a city, can practice, as long as the aspiration is there. It is not about what or how much you grow, it is about becoming a student of Nature, of consciousness, of initiating the experimenting and learning process that is essential to your own growth. We can easily provide the information necessary for individuals anywhere to delve into the world of conscious kitchen gardening. If the interest is generated, the information is there waiting for the seeker. We can prepare simple guides, available in print or online, that will get individuals initiated into Conscious Farming. Inspiration, knowledge, ideas and guidelines are already here, all part of a single movement towards are greater consciousenss we simply need to give them to the people. We have to inspire individuals to experiment and experience for themselves. When you don't have to worry about the cost of farming, then you have nothing to lose, so you can stop worrying, and start planting! The most important thing is to learn to trust Nature, to surrender yourself and your ego, to uplift and transform your consciousnenss - these are the ultimate goals of all Yoga, and Conscious Farming provides experiential lessons in a practical context that everyone can understand. In this way, Conscious Farming is Yoga. No matter what happens, Nature will teach you valuable lessons, and you will learn and grow.

Conclusion When you become a conscious farmer, you'll discover that you are not simply putting seeds in the ground you are bringing conscious living beings to this Earth, giving birth to children, and there is nothing more powerful than the bond between a parent and child. Like a father can recognize something wrong in the look on his child's face, you too will be able to see in the faces of your plants what they need, if they are suffering you will want nothing more than to bring them joy, and when they are joyful you will revel in their joy as if it were your own, and it will be your own. This is not some small, partial aspect of Nature; It is the Heart and Soul of Nature, it is the Heart and Soul of Life, because it is Our very Heart and Soul, the Heart and Soul of all things. This Love, this Connection, once you are immersed into it, once you have felt it, will make you

understand truly what it means to give, what it means to receive, what it means to be selfless, what it means to join with others into a greater self, what it means to love and be loved without limits or boundaries. Everyone has not only the capacity, not only the right, but the destiny, the necessity, the need, deeply engrained in their human Nature, in their very soul, to rejoin in Nature the True Self of Universal, Eternal, Immortal Bliss of Satchidananda. Though many people look at our modern world and say, no, it is too difficult, just look at the condition of the world, of the people in it, the world is so complex, it is impossible. At Matrikunj, we look at Nature and say, it is really possible.

Enough Right Brain let's use Left Brain. Poetry:

When geometric diagrams and digits Are no longer the keys to living things, When people who go about singing or kissing Know deeper things that the great scholars, When society is returned once more To unimprisoned life, and to the universe, And when light and darkness mate And make something entirely transparent, And people see in poems and fairy tales The true history of the world, Then our entire twisted nature will turn And run when a single secret word is spoken. -Novalis Savitri In the creature the unveiled creatrix works, Her face is seen through his face, her eyes through his eyes, Her Being is His through a vast identity. Then is revealed in man the overt Divine. I, III, pg 24 This is the sailor on the flow of Time, This is World-Matter's slow discoverer, Who, launched into this small corporeal birth, Has learned his craft in tiny bays of self, But dares at last unplumbed infinitudes, A voyager upon eternity's seas. I, IV, pg 69

I share my sky with the distant, flickering stars, I share my roof with scurrying chipmunks, I share my fruit with shy, sensitive cockroaches, I share my vegetables with luminous peacocks,

Pics: Documentation Larvae Rolling Leaves