Indian guru asks climate talks to subsidize love
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UN-led talks on climate change are looking at giving billions of dollars to poor countries. But an Indian spiritual leader is telling delegates that they instead should subsidize love.
Shri Shri 1008 Soham, who helps guide the massive Kumbh Mela pilgrimage on the Ganges River, journeyed from his Himalayan cave retreat to the Mexican beach resort of Cancun to spread his message.
Wearing a flowing yellow robe and attached turban -- his UN accreditation badge hanging around his neck -- the guru known as Babaji questioned if the conference was looking at the big picture.
"We talk about climate change. But what about the climate inside us?" he asked.
"We are all the time talking about subsidizing the fund to the developing countries. It is fantastic. I feel very fortunate.
"But what about subsidizing the essence of human love? Compassion, accepting and respecting each other to share the collective responsibilities of our planet," he said.
Babaji voiced regret that "very little have I seen spiritual masters" at the two-week conference, saying they could encourage respect for "Mother Earth."
"When a mother is taking care of a child, she does not count her time, her frustration, her good mood, bad mood. She is just happy that she is a mother, taking care," he said.
Babaji also asked the talks to look at history, saying that Genghis Khan went on his conquering spree in part to find land for Mongolia's cattle.
"You can imagine what would happen if there is no drinking water," he said.
Babaji gave an example of his love-for-Mother-Earth initiative, hailing as a "great success" his efforts to clean up plastic from the latest Kumbh Mela earlier this year.
The Kumbh Mela, considered the world's largest festival, drew some 80 million people who bathed at the site where the Ganges and Yamuna holy rivers meet in northern India for more than 104 days.
Babaji invited the journalists in Cancun to take part in the next Kumbh Mela in 2013.