This weekend was a relaxed one though we had some engagements. Kanchana started with the Sarvodaya executive committee meeting on Saturday morning where she is a member. After spending some time at Sarvodaya she had to rush for another appointment at a Temple close by. The chief priest of the temple invited K for a lecture after listening one her former lectures delivered somewhere else. This lecture was on her pet topic “environment and motherhood” where the audience was pregnant mothers and their husbands. Kanchana has been delivering this lecture for past 4 years as a voluntary service. This is a joint venture with another gynaecologist where he directs pregnant mothers and fathers to behave in a certain way benefiting the unborn child as the foetus is sensitive to external world form 5 weeks on wards. Sometimes she had to visit remote districts too with the programme. What she focuses in her lecture is loving and respecting mother earth (mother of all living beings) and her sons and daughters (all trees and animals). Asking mothers to start looking at the nature listening to birds songs, sound of wind and enjoy the beauty and at the same time talking with the unborn and teaching the beauty of the natural environment and importance of protecting it to the unborn baby in her tummy. This is based on the scientific basis that the foetus can hear and feel outer environment through mother’s feelings and voice. With our experience during last 4 years mothers say it a beginning of a real change within them and they have seen a real change in their babies after they were born. I too experience that with my two boys as they are very sensitive and care about the nature.
It was a pleasant morning with like minded people where we shared our ideas on Buddhism, environment and people’s attitude. These responses always drive us to do more for the people and environment. I felt this meeting as one of the changing point of lives and something we have been looking for a long time.
Thushara