Green Blockbuster

Just basically a chilled out film maker

The Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week.  Some very excellent performances up there and I’m sure they will be justly rewarded come the glitzy ceremony.  I haven’t received my invitation for the event yet.  However I’m sure it’s been posted and there’s simply a hold up with the posties. Rumour has it that I’m seated besides the legendary Martin Scorsese so I will definitely be taking my film script with me.  I won’t give anything away – but it’s a cross between Goodfellas and The Office.  The patent on the idea is pending so please no copycats.

Last year Avatar was the big film on the scene, and whilst it didn’t take any of the big prizes, it certainly made a huge impact. A few years prior – An Inconvenient Truth took away the award for Best Documentary.  The Day after Tomorrow, The 11^th Hour, WALL-E, Children of Men are just a few films that have had global success.

The common denominator in all of them? The strong underlying theme of environmental awareness and the impact of human activity on the world.  We have all seen, heard, read all about environmental issues.  From reducing carbon emissions, to recycling your household waste - governments, campaigners, activists, scientists, religious leaders, politicians, celebrities, businesses, even hardcore vigilantes have all been trying to get this message across to everyone in one form or another.  Two questions – Is it working? and Are we taking it seriously?

Those questions can be posed in our new poll feature so please do take part and share your views.  And you’ll find a few more blogs on this issue on here in the coming weeks.  What we will focus on is the museum’s motivations behind using this initiative.  It’s very easy to say the museum is just jumping on the green band wagon.  But that notion is so far from the truth that it will need to invest in a NASA developed mega super telescope just to get a glimmer of what the truth is.  Even then all it will see is a minute dot.  I know – I have a very vivid imagination but I trust you’re onto what I’m saying.

Green is Good

The Swaminarayan Museum has specifically put this environmental initiative at the forefront of its objective.  The easy thing would have been to sidestep it and just build the museum using conventional materials and technology.  However the very fact that the cost of the project had actually increased due to the use of green technology and environmentally friendly features should go a long way to show the huge commitment and genuine dedication of the Museum and of His Holiness Mota Baapji and his Holiness Acharya Maharajshree to this hugely important cause.  Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s personal relics need to be preserved – but that should never be at the cost of the wonderful and amazing habitat God Himself has provided us. 

Preserving the Sacred

Let’s look at this from a Satsangi viewpoint.  We all as believers of God accept Him as the creator of all.  Humans, animals, birds, insects etc.  The Supreme constructor of the mammoth mountain ranges, valleys and the serene rainforests and green lands.  The ultimate architect of the wide ranging and intertwining network of beautiful rivers, lakes and oceans, all decorated with a vast array of vivid and lush flowers, plants and trees.  Swaminarayan Bhagwan has created all of this and created us to be able to live in harmony with everything.  We should cherish this precious environment and take inspiration from the initiative the Swaminarayan Museum is taking.  If we can protect and preserve the environment that will in turn help protect and preserve the prasadi items – the museum can last an eternity.