Session 1 of "Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence", the Mind and Life XXIII conference with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in dialogue with contemplative scholars, activists and ecological scientists who discuss the interconnection between individual choices and environmental consequences. The conference was held at His Holiness's office in Dharamsala, India, from October 17-21, 2011.

Produced by the Mind and Life Institute ) and the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama talks about the importance of environmental awareness in this short clip from first session of the Mind and Life XXIII conference - "Ecology, Ethics and Interdependence", held at His Holiness's office in Dharamsala, India, on October 17, 2011. The entire first session can be seen on Youtube, and the entire conference is here. 

This piece includes his short film on Gratitude and Happiness. Brother David Steindl's spoken words, Gary Malkin's musical compositions and Louie's cinematography make this a stunningly beautiful piece, reminding us of the precious gift of life, and the beauty all around us.

Louie Schwartzberg is an award-winning cinematographer, director, and producer whose notable career spans more than three decades providing breathtaking imagery for feature films, television shows, documentaries and commercials.

James O'Dea is a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and was until recently its President. The former Washington office director of Amnesty International and CEO of the Seva Foundation, O’Dea is a member of The Evolutionary Leaders Group founded by Deepak Chopra. Here he discusses the challenge of living through personal and planetary upheavel and his new book, Creative Stress.  Click on the book to be connected to Amazon.

Raz Mason addresses the personal framework of resilience, and its relationship to sustainability.  She is a chaplain; creator of Warrior Wheel Training for people in high stress environments, especially those in the military and public safety; and founder of Mason Consulting, which focuses on training and coaching. Her work as a chaplain resident at the Portland VA Medical Center, experiences in Navy and Army officer training programs, and professional background in domestic violence agencies reflect her commitment to working with individuals and families from high stress occupations and environments. She holds an MDiv degree from Harvard Divinity School, an MA in Pastoral Studies from Seattle University, and a BA degree in mathematics from Bryn Mawr College. She was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv in Portland, Oregon on October 7, 2011.

The Avatamsaka sutra is the story of Indra's Net.  Created during the conference, this wonderful net stretches endlessly, an ancient metaphor for our interdependent Universe. Creating a net, made of recylced fabrics, all natural and lightweight materials, at Bioneers is a collaborative endeavor, bringing people at the event together to share stories and get to know one another.  Debra Goldman is an artist living in the Pacific NorthWest who travels to events to engage people in creating Indra's Net.

A biology pioneer is how the term came to being and Emmet expands upon the term. Each year the bioneers gather in San Rafael, California to renew friendships, exchange views and information, and explore the integration of mind, body and spirit. Emmet Brady of the Insect News Network was interviewed by Ruth Ann Barrett of EarthSayers.tv, voices of sustainability at the 2011 conference.   Emmet's mission is to educate, inspire and empower people everywhere to care for the natural world, by exploring the world of Cultural Entomology. The Insect News Network (INN)  travels the globe to learn how people think and feel about our 6- and 8-legged friends. Created and hosted by E. Emmet Brady, the I.N.N. is a non-stop multi-media interdisciplinary plunge into the microcosm.

Not enough to change the supply side of the equation. Niall Dunne spoke at the Presentation at Global Sustainability Summit, "Creating a Sustainable Future" National Liberal Club, London, 29th of July 2010. He is Managing Director for Saatchi & Saatchi Sustainability in Europe the Middle East and Africa.

Environmentalist and entrepreneur Paul Hawken, CEO of OneSun Solar, an energy company focused on ultra low-cost solar based on green chemistry and biomimicry. His speech at the Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship 2010 focuses on environmental problems around the world.

Join the global Wiser community, the Social Network for Sustainability at Wise.org. Their visions comes from it’s former Executive Director, Paul Hawken, who recognized its need when researching his latest book, Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being, and Why No One Saw It Coming.

Click image to order his book from Amazon or visit your local bookstore. Thank you.