Vimala Thakar (1921-2009) a philosopher, social activist and mystic, and woman before her time who overturned the norms of Indian Spiritual and Political life in the mid-20th century, treading a path of profound reflection and awakening, combined with tireless activism for social justice.
In his essay, “Buddha Touched the Earth“, John Seed writes:
One of my teacher’s, the late Vimala Thakar (1921-2009) saw the film about the Terania Creek actions, “Give Trees a Chance”, and she exclaimed “But this is pure Gandhi! People in India have forgotten how powerful non-violent direct action can be. Please take this film and the story of Terania Creek to India.” Mahatma Gandhi had developed “satyagraha” or “truth force” in his struggles for India’s independence blurring the distinction between political action and spiritual growth.
John Seed in -“Buddha touched the Earth“
wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vimala_Thakar
“The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings… integrating the totality of living, and to become aware of the wholeness of which we are a manifestation.”
Vimala Thakar, “moving in wholeness”, 2007
In the sanctuary of silence
beauty comes to life.
On the altar of silent beauty
humility plays with life.
In the light of dancing humility
innocence opens Itself.
Freedom is the blossom.
Love is the perfume,
compassion its graceful way of walking.
Vimala Thakar
“In this era, to become a spiritual inquirer without social consciousness is a luxury that we can ill afford, and to be a social activist without a scientific understanding of the inner workings of the mind is the worst folly. Neither approach in isolation has had any significant success. There is no question now that an inquirer will have to make an effort to be socially conscious or that an activist will have to be persuaded of the moral crisis in the human psyche, the significance of being attentive to the inner life. The challenge awaiting us is to go much deeper as human beings, to abandon superficial prejudices and preferences, to expand understanding to a global scale, integrating the totality of living, and to become aware of the wholeness of which we are a manifestation.”
Thakar, Vimala, “Awakening to Total Revolution” in What Is Enlightenment? magazine Issue 19, Spring/Summer 2001.
“When awareness of the totality, of wholeness, dawns upon the heart, and there is awareness of the relationship of every being to every other, then there is no longer any possibility of taking an exclusive approach to a fragment and getting stuck there. As soon as there is awareness of wholeness, every moment becomes sacred, every movement is sacred. The sense of oneness is no longer an intellectual connection. We will in all our actions be whole, total, natural, without effort. Every action or nonaction will have the perfume of wholeness.”
Vimala Thakar
Documentary film: https://inthefireofdancingstillness.com/