Positive Microvita in the Forests of Ananda Vrati
By Dada Vimaleshananda

Are there positive microvita* in a master unit? For sure! Everything started one morning in Ananda Vrati Master Unit. “I should carve some stones with Shrii Sarkar’s quotations and put them at the feet of the trees!” What a crazy idea, still … why not.
I asked a Master Unit resident how to find carving tools and he suggested to look for a tool shop in
Scranton, PA. I phoned and they didn’t have the right tools. I had my first setback … still I trusted the positive microvita, and that there should be some alternative way to get the stones carved. I started to call mortuaries and one of them agreed to help me out. I collected a few stones from the ground and I took off. I had all my luggage with me and along the way after a couple of phone calls I decided to travel to Washington DC. There in Home Depot I found the tools I was looking for and I started the work with the stones. In Washington DC Dada Vimalananda gave me a couple of short quotes and in few minutes the stones were vibrating with Shrii Sarkar’s words. It was encouraging. I showed the opera prima in New York Sectorial office and more appreciation came. I was now ready to start the project as soon as I was back in Ananda Vrati. Once there I went into the woods and I placed the first stones with quotes. More ideas started to flow … let us give a name to the forest ... let us call it Spirit Forest.
One of the little secrets of Ananda Vrati is that there is a wonderful collection of books on different types of subjects related to education, outdoor, adventure, sports, games etc. I got attracted by one which is named ... The Virtue Project. By chance I found some cards related to the books. There where 52 virtues for 52 cards with the name and description of each one. I started to play with them. There was one with the name … steadfastness. Actually I didn’t know what it meant so I read the explanation.
Interestingly enough I found myself completely lacking in that virtue ... ok, I will complete this project no matter what, this is the meaning of steadfastness. The second forest came alive and it was called … the Virtue Forest.

Early morning I decided to start the operation. I moved the garden tables to accommodate the tools, placed the cordless phone, gathered the computer to listen to the Prabhat Samgiit songs, displayed the cards and then … the hardest job … collect 52 smooth stones. Actually in Ananda Vrati there are plenty of stones of a quality called blue stone that is the material used for landscaping and external pavements. All around the area it is possible to see beautiful dry stone walls made with this special type of stone. Still 52 good stones … find them, carry them … it took me a while and some sweat. I started to carve the virtues, first the short ones … love, tact, mercy, trust, unity, etc. By midday I was completely exhausted but 21 virtues had been produced, on stone.

One forest, two forests, but what about the main forest, the one we used for the obstacle course? Let us call it the Cakra Forest. I went there and … unbelievable; there was a series of big tall trees all in one line. These are the cakras! I can set the stones around the biggest ones with all the names of the propensities. I really got excited and doubled my efforts. Let Ananda Vrati be a place where everybody can meditate on our ideology just by walking in the forest. Besides that we will have to take care of it and maintain it and keep it clean. Who could think that stones would have so much value.

One forest, two forests, three forests ... but what about the 15 shiilas (shields)? Is there a forest available for them? Of course there is, and the first carved stones are already in place. Now there is still some difficultly regarding the longest shiilas … I don’t want to write a poem on a stone. Some adjustment will need to be made and some shiilas will be reduced to one or two meaningful words. Well, it is time to sleep. I think it is enough work for today. Ananda Vrati has now more meaning and its microvita are still there waiting to be useful to those spiritually inclined minds who wish to come and spend some time in its surroundings.

*Microvita are very minute particles, from which living substance is formed. It is through the emergence of microvita that life begins and carries forth