150, 5K, 1M, 500M 041024

Today Ashvayuja Suddha Dwitiya, Swati nakshatra pradhama paada, Saayam sandhya. Krodhi to Krodhi, Lunar year cycle. On the way to Thirukadaiyur. 

What is the number that we work with, intimate with? Are these millions in following real, or just numbers sake? 

Science tells: 150, the number of people with whom we can maintain stable social relationships of intimacy. The innermost circle may be 3-5 people; followed by 10-15 circles (sympathy group, team in sports, group of saints, and Jesus’s 12); then 40-50 circles (hunters’ camp); Dunbar’s 150. Then 500; 1500; Plato’s 5300 for a direct democracy. 15000; 50,000; 150,000; 500,000; 1.5M; 5M; 15M; 50M; 150M; 500M in that order. It goes on in multiples of 10/3. When all else is equal, blood kin gets a preference in all this, probably.

A place of living, a village. It has coexisted with us. It is a forum for us to coexist. We live doing various things with a variety of sources for living and drains of living, via livelihoods or otherwise. Giving us life. Linked together, leveraging, linking with others, other life, and other things animate, inanimate. We lead and we are led. We learn, unlearn, and relearn. We love, care, practice, and pursue.

Surely, it is a place where there are systems, forums, and platforms for multiple livelihoods to play out. In their local specific set of contexts. With land, water, livestock and other natural resources, physical resources, social, human, financial and spiritual resources. Farmers, farmworkers, gopis, gopals, govinds, artisans, weavers, craftspersons, vendors, value-adders, service providers, etc. Most often, each family has a portfolio of livelihoods of its own. The processes, routines of living vary. Consumption, nutrition, production, value-addition …. entertainment, engagement, taking risks ….. The food miles, footprints contributions vary …. Life styles, meeting the needs, or greed ….

Do we really need evidence of the N-way, for this to go to scale? Isn’t it already established by 1000s of years of work so far? Seeking evidence is a bogey, isn’t it? Particularly after years of ‘diligent’ observations, measurements are sought. Isn’t an industry in itself, servicing a new order of ‘vested interests’?

Are we meeting the sustainability, systems, and legacy needs of the NextGen? Are we carrying the democratic voice collectivized forward? Or are we imposing our thoughts on the jana baahulya? Can, all of us human beings, living beings, have our identities intact-enhanced, solidarities established, capacities ensured, rights-entitlements guaranteed, well-being bettered, and maintained? Can we have freedom, choices, and options fair, just? Even when the crunch hits us, do we have our lives going on – air, water, food, shelter, entertainment, engagement et al, as long as possible, for all of us? Not at the cost of others. Systems of the future.

Can we be with nature? Local? Can we customize, communitize? As quickly as possible? Can we live as sustainably, can we pursue sustainability as far as possible? Can we continue to offer a better ‘planet’ for NextGen always? Can we create, augment partnerships, forums, platforms; movement(s) – global movement at local levels? Can we do it? Can we get more and more into this?

Yes, we can. If we coexist, flow with 150 first. In N? sanghatanayoga for 7L.

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