Support
Ahimsa Village currently has the following people and organizations supporting its success.
People | Organizations | Similar projects | Sunny's Vision
Barbara Anderson – has a Ph.D. in Philosophy, and began her academic career teaching aesthetics existentialism at Skidmore College. After publishing a fictional biography of Soren Kierkegaard, she moved back to Penn State to teach writing. When the computer invaded the classroom, she left the English department to teach improvisional dance; and form the Extemporary Dance Theatre, which performed in the Centre Region for ten years. In 1981, she returned to Penn State to teach courses in the Philosophy of Technology, Ecological Design, and Peace Studies for the STS Department. In 1995, she founded Penn State Center for Sustainability. After moving to Julian Woods Community she founded the O-AN Zendo. She has been practicing Zen for nine years and her current interests revolve around the ways in which art and the spiritual affect world views.
Holly Cadwallader, EdD - therapist, educator, environmentalist. Holly has held positions as an environmental educator at Crystal Cave and the Zoological Society of Philadelphia. She is currently president of the Shawnee Preservation Society, a not-for-profit citizen's group in Monroe County, concerned with resource conservation, historic preservation, and a sustainable community. She is also involved with the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association (MAREA), and serve as the organization's PA Energy Fest Volunteer Coordinator.
Deb Fischer – plant expert, businesswoman, member of JWC.
Jean Forsberg – artist, educator, member of JWC.
Robert Forsberg – inventor, community founder, member of JWC.
Sunny Rehler – has been a licensed physical therapist in PA since 1986. He specializes in geriatrics, back and neck care, massage and craniosacral therapy. At an early age he developed an interest in science due to his curiosity about how things work. This led him eventually to the university, where he completed academic programs in engineering physics and quantum optics (the study of the interaction of coherent light with matter). His Ph.D. is from the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. During his post-doctoral work at the University of Stuttgart he became more and more aware of the misguided directions of technology and left the field of theoretical physics to pursue his calling to live more in harmony with himself and the world around him. He completed training in therapeutic massage, then later in physical therapy, attending schools in Germany. Shortly thereafter he returned to the U.S. and was able to have his credentials accredited in the State of PA. He is currently a member of the Board of the School of Living, an educational organization, which promotes the concepts of sustainability, ecology, alternative education and community land trusts. He currently resides at the Julian Woods Community in Julian, PA and can be reached by E-mail at: livingpotentials@hotmail.com
Ann Wilken - is a long-time member of School of Living, the organization's Office Manager, and currently a board member and Treasurer. She also helped to found Julian Woods Community in the mid 70's and has lived there ever since; building a home and raising two children with her partner Jeff. Ann (and Jeff) started a furniture restoration business at Julian Woods, followed by several accounting and business management positions for local companies. She has been a part-time foster care mother and is currently a trained Counselor Advocate for the State College Women's Resource Center, the area's organization for women dealing with domestic violence and sexual assault. Ann spends her off-hours gardening and co-counseling.
Julian Woods Community – an intentional community (established 1975), members include a diverse group of 18 adults & 3 children on 140 acres. The common land is in a School of Living land trust. Located 15 miles from Pennsylvania State University. Members may own or lease home lots after a capital investment. Families are autonomous, are financially independent, and own their own homes. Community decisions are made by consensus. Owns and operates a living machine in 2 greenhouses that constitutes their wastewater-treatment system with some indoor, almost year-round growing space.
O-An Zendo - O-An Zendo is a place for the teaching and practice of Zen meditation, rooted in the American experience. The meditation hall sits in the midst of 180 acres of Central Pennsylvania woodland with miles of hiking trails and abundant plant and animal life. We are part of Julian Woods Community, a member of the School of Living Trust. Our commitment to care for all beings is expressed through sound and sustainable ecological stewardship.
Fellowship for Intentional Communities – “The Fellowship for Intentional Community nurtures connections and cooperation among communitarians and their friends. We provide publications, referrals, support services, and sharing opportunities for a wide range of intentional communities, cohousing groups, ecovillages, community networks, support organizations, and people seeking a home in community.” --- http://fic.ic.org/
National Gardening Association - Nonprofit provider of plant-based education aims to promote home, school, and community gardening.
Penn State University – Ahimsa Village will be located only 15 miles from Penn State University. Pennsylvania’s land grant institution. The University provides access to many resources such as educational opportunities, student interns, the Center for Sustainability.
School of Living - The School of Living (SOL) is a nonprofit, educational organization that was founded by Dr. Ralph Borsodi, an economist, in 1934. The mission of the SOL is to teach people about the philosophy, practices and principles of living that are self-empowering for individuals within the general aim of establishing decentralized, ecologically-sound, self-governed and humane communities. All its resources, but most specifically the land it holds in trust, are held in responsible stewardship for present and future generations. SOL is actively engaged in: community land trust, intentional community support, permaculture, ecological use of resources, human scale and local self reliance, appropriate technology, alternative education, consensus decision making, non-exploitive banking, and alternative currency. SOL is a regional organization and operates community land trusts in PA, MD, and VA. More information available at www.schoolofliving.org.
Sierra Club – two of the core members have a strong connection to the Sierra Club, the nation’s oldest and largest environmental organization. The PA Chapter is very interested in supporting environmental education programs throughout the state. It is our intent to work with the PA chapter to develop an environmental education program for kids at Ahimsa Village.
Consulting
Echoing Green Foundation
Provided to give prospective members and supporters an idea of some similar successful projects.
Added Value – Brooklyn, NY CSA run by disadvantaged low-income kids. http://www.added-value.org/index.php
Blue Rock Station - an Ohio homestead featuring an earthship, straw bale structures, rare breeds farm, and workshops on sustainable living. www.bluerockstation.com/
Eco-Learning Center (Traverse City, MI) - The Eco-Learning Center strives to provide leadership, scientific research, study, education, guidance and promotion of living sustainably on the land, in diverse communities, and in natural balance with the Great Lakes Bio-region. http://www.ecolearningcenter.org/
Green Chimneys - Green Chimneys, a pioneer in the field of animal-assisted therapy, serves at-risk youth on its 160 acre farm campus. http://www.greenchimneys.org/index1.html
Maryland Salem Children’s Trust - non-profit corporation that provides a holistic environment for troubled kids; incorporates a whole foods vegetarian diet, horse therapy, organic gardening, and spiritual life. http://www.mdsalem.com/
The Nature School Foundation (Greenville, NH) - At the Nature School we believe that education was meant to provide a community supported environment where respect for all life and an understanding of our individual passions and contributions to the whole is a part of our original instructions. Our staff’s own innate respect and love for nature seeks to inspire the community to develop a deep understanding of the life cycles in nature, to foster healthy social development, and interaction with and service for the community. http://directory.ic.org/records/?action=view&page=view&record_id=20394
Sunny Rehler has been a supporter of Ahimsa Village from the beginning, offering advice, resources, and assistance. We are currently in dialogue with Sunny about possible membership in Ahimsa Village. Below is Sunny’s community vision:
SUNNY’s COMMUNITY VISION
If I were a better artist, I would simply draw an image of the “Tree of Life” (like the School of Living Tree) to describe my vision.
At the roots of the Tree are:
1) Connection and Harmony with the Natural World
2) Wisdom based upon the “Truth Within”
3) Spiritual Practices and Mindfulness*
4) Reverence for Life
The trunk of the tree includes:
1) Food production (Organic Gardening)
2) Building and Maintenance of Physical Structures
3) Cottage Industries
4) Connection (with each other)
5) Cooperation “ “ “
6) Integrity
Branches of the tree may include:
1) Educational/ Retreat Center
2) Healing Center
3) Artistic and Aesthetic Endeavors
4) Out-reach and Humanitarian Projects
5) Service** (to each other, to our neighbors, to the planet)
Educational programs and workshops (as well as the community as a whole) will illustrate the principles of Mindfulness, Sustainability, Permaculture, Nonviolent Communication, Holistic Health, Establishing Harmony with Ourselves, Our neighbors and the Natural World.
*Note: Regarding “Spirituality” I am NOT committed to expecting that the whole community follow the same spiritual path (although this would be of some advantage, if it were to happen).
I agree with Ram Dass, who writes that:
“All that you seek is already within you. In Hinduism it is called the Atman; in Buddhism, the pure Buddha-mind. Christ said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is within you.” Quakers call it the “still, small voice within.” This is the space of full awareness that is in harmony with the entire universe, and thus is wisdom itself. Every new level of meditation … attunes you more delicately to this space so that you can hear and be guided by your inner voice more clearly
Your attachments lead you to seek outside of yourself for answers that can only come from your own heart. Each time you lose contact with that inner awareness, you need only mediate. For through meditation you will hear that inner ‘click’, that sense of rightness about what you are doing. Your answers are unique. Listen with your heart. “
(From JOURNEY OF AWAKENING by Ram Dass)
**By “Service” I concur with the definition of Rachel Naomi Remen:
“Serving is different that helping. Helping is based on inequality. When you help you use your own strength to help those of lesser strength. People feel this inequality. When we help, we may inadvertently take away from people more that we could ever give by helping them. When I help, I am very much aware of my own strength. But we do not service with our strength, we service with ourselves. We draw from all of our experiences. The wholeness in us serves the wholeness in others and the wholeness in life. The wholeness in you is the same as the wholeness in me. Service is a relationship between equals.
“Serving is also different from fixing. When I fix a person, I perceive them as broken. Their brokenness requires me to act. When I fix I do not see the wholeness in the other person or trust the integrity of the life in them. When I service, I see and trust the wholeness.”
Ahimsa Village Community
4022 S. Eagle Valley Rd, Julian, PA
814-355-0850
info@ahimsavillage.org
http://www.ahimsavillage.org
© 2006