The Story Behind Our 501c3 Non-Profit Ariven Community
Every single purchase from Sensitive Planet helps fund our 501c3 Non-Profit: Ariven Community.
‘Ariven’ means “one who has awakened” in the Southern Indian language of Tamil. Ariven Community was born from a deep desire to create intelligent, self-sustaining, eco-friendly animal sanctuaries that provide the highest quality, food products for humans while nourishing the Earth for future generations and simultaneously building conscious communities around each sanctuary.
As a child living in South India, it would pain Nandhiji to see and feel the cry of cows, bulls, and buffalos squashed together in trucks headed to slaughterhouses- and not being able to do anything about it. It was also frustrating to see the vast wasted land with thorn trees and bushes simply unused when millions were starving. Nandhiji felt really bad for eating food knowing that there were hungry children all around who did not have even one full meal a day.
Some of his favorite fantasies that would run in his mind over and over again and each time a newer little fold to that dream were- saving the life of all these animals that were discarded, having huge farms to grow food and feeding the hungry. These fantasies sort of fell asleep through the years of ‘growing’ up.
Many years later, Nandhiji became a wandering saddhu who engaged in intense spiritual practices under the guidance of his Siddha Gurus. One day, Ammachi was traveling through Nandhiji’s hometown, Sivakasi, and she was staying in his parent's house.
Nandhiji’s parents had a lot to complain to Amma about him. They told Ammachi, Please put sense into this boy’s head. He has forgotten responsibilities. He wanders from one pilgrimage to another. His business has collapsed and instead of being ashamed, he seems happy to spend the little money he has on feeding people. He has become mad. Ammachi smiled and held Nandhiji to her lap saying, "Son of Siva, just do whatever you do from your heart!"
This is when Nandhiji told her in a few words, the dream of Amma Sanctuary. Ammachi said, "Just do it, Amma is with you!" These words of empowerment meant everything to Nandhi. Ammachi’s inspiration has lead the first sanctuary to be called Amma Sanctuary.
Soon afterwards, Nandhiji, found himself in California with each day a little step as foundation towards unfolding the ancient intent of Saivam Vetri, the goal of creating sanctuaries for retired animals globally, with each sanctuary supporting large organic farms that pledge over 25% of its vegetarian produce to feed the hungry among various other initiatives such as creating firewood substitute, clean electricity, and inputs for international organic farming – organic pesticide and super manure.
Why a sanctuary as a spiritual project?
Ari is an ancient Tamil word that means ‘to know’. Ariven means, the one who is awake. This is the age of higher consciousness with mass awakenings. After waking up to realizing we are the spirit having the human experience, we are in touch with the reality described in all religious texts, as the I Am. In this realization is the oneness of life, reality, karma, and dharma.
As awake, we realize the joys of being on the receiving end of grace. In coming together as a community of the awake, we not only enable compassion and sharing on global scales but also lift our civilization to the next level of consciousness. As spiritual beings inspired in the action, we journey beyond the I Am to What If, i.e, transform humanity through our intent as action.
How are you choosing the animals for the sanctuary?
Imagine making an ox carry the heavy load every day under the hot sun nearly all its life and when old age shows signs, it is sold off. Soon it lands in a slaughterhouse. Likewise, the cows that are milked until their yield of milk does not justify the food it is given, are sent to a slaughterhouse.
Our sanctuary is primarily for animals used by humanity that would otherwise end in slaughterhouses. Our sanctuaries will be a little ‘thank you’, we as the human race could express to the selfless animals who have been milked and have toiled for us. We seek assistance in creating the prototype for 200-500 aged animals in our debut project – Amma Sanctuary. In Stage 1, We learn from this project to create macro sanctuaries to house 5000-15000 aged animals. at stage 2. What we seek to do must be on scales to represent humanity and retired animals everywhere on Planet Earth.
