Our elders say that ceremonies are the way we “remember to remember”
— Robin Wall Kimmerer

Ceremonies large and small have the power to focus attention to a way of living awake in the world.
— Robin Wall Kimmerer

Ceremony focuses attention so that attention becomes intention. (If you stand together and profess a thing before your community, it holds you accountable)
— Robin Wall Kimmerer

The first principle of Permaculture as put forward by David Holmgren is Observe & Interact. For a long time I have been puzzled by Observation. I have wondered what does it mean to observe! At bahulavana, I tried capturing details of things that I noticed. I made a list of flora, I found out the physical & chemical profiles of soil, I am making a bird list as well as a list of other fauna. However all these didn’t give me a sense that I was doing observations like many inspiring permaculture gurus who tell stories about how things were, how things changed, and how they participated in the process.

In the season of the Gulmohars
We went out for a walk
Hand in hand together
in silence, no talk.

I was sitting there
with a cup of tea,
some strong black tea,
with a dash of lime
at the Schorlemmer Cafe

ಬಣ್ಣ ಬಣ್ಣದ ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಸೊಗಸಾದ ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ
ಹೂವಿಂದ ಹೂವಿಗೆ
ಹಾರುವ ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ

ಹಕ್ಕಿ ಇಲ್ಲ
ಪುಕ್ಕ ಇಲ್ಲ
ಬಣ್ಣ ಬಣ್ಣದ
ಚಿಟ್ಟೆ ಇಲ್ಲ

ಬಾ ದಾಮಿನಿ
ನನ್ನ ಕಂಗಳ ಹೊಳಪು ನೀ
ನನ್ನೆದೆಯೊಳೊಂದು ಮಿಂಚು ನೀ
ಆಗು ನನ್ನ ಸಂಗಾತಿ
ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಪಾಯಸದಲಿ
ತೇಲಿಸುವೆ ಮುಳುಗಿಸುವೆ
ಬಾದಾಮಿ ನೀ