Discussion Guide questions
Here you can add or edit questions for discussion about the themes and issues raised in the films.
Bob Randall
Themes: belonging/family, ownership, stewardship, connection
1. In this video Bob tells us that, from an Aboriginal perspective, the land actually owns us. How does this relate to your (or your culture's) understanding of land ownership?
2. Bob then talks about how we are all family: the ground, trees, birds, reptiles, and every living thing. But doesn’t family refer to parents, children, and extended family. What could it mean to be related to everything?
3. Bob introduces kanyini, or caring with unconditional love, as a principle that "doesn't push anyone out, but brings everybody in." Have you experienced or practiced kanyini in your life?
4. At the end of the film, Bob say, "The completeness of being who you are, where you are, is a really good feeling." Have you had similar moments in your life when you experienced what Bob is describing?
Nelsa Libertad Curbelo Cora
Themes: power, service, belonging, violenc/non-violence, society, youth
1. What is Nelsa's understanding of power? What are the different kinds of power she mentions?
2. Why is Nelsa effective in bringing together street gang members without using violence or authoritarian power?
3. Who is considered “other” in your community? What are some courageous moves you could make to break down that barrier?
4. At the end of the piece, Nelsa says, “Love is the greatest power. Nothing is more revolutionary than love.” What kind of love do you think she is talking about?
An Invitation
Don Alverto Taxo
Themes: prophecy, harmony, nature, technology, intuition
1. Can you think of an example of a technology that supports a life in harmony with nature? How are indigenous and industrial cultures already working together?
2. Don Alverto invites us all to “allow what we feel in our hearts to come out in our daily lives.” Do you ever feel it is difficult to express what is in your heart? What invites you to live from that place?
3. Don Alverto says that our lives are more meaningful than a supermarket. What do you think makes life meaningful?
4. What do you think of Don Alverto's statement that every person feels a need to bring harmony into his or her life? What do you feel would bring harmony into your own life? Or into the greater community?
Orland Bishop
Themes: economics, slavery, competition, social change
1. Orland states that the human individual "awakes to meaning when we find relationships that we can dedicate our own freedoms to." What kind of relationships do you think he is talking about?
2. Orland says that we have an economic system that makes competition a necessity and scarcity a part of our economic worldview. How do you feel about this statement?
3. When have you experienced your personal worth to be determined by how much money you have?
4. What do you think Orland means when he says that slavery is worse in the twenty-first century?
5. What is Orland's understanding of revolution?
Seva Café: Love All, Serve All
Anjali Desai
Themes: giving, experiment, collective, service, food
1. Anjali says that the café belongs to everybody. Can you think of other community initiatives that belong to everyone?
2. Have you been involved in service projects in your community? If so, how has service taught you something you didn't expect?
3. Anjali says that when something good happens in one place it adds to “universal goodness” around the world. Do you feel that humanity is interconnected in this way?
4. People come to Seva Café, not just for an individual meal, but also for a shared experience. Can you think of another everyday situation where you could shift the focus from "me" to "we"?
Not Just a Piece of Cloth
Anshu Gupta
Themes: community, clothing, recycling, donation, service
1. Do you have a piece of clothing in your closet that you haven't worn in a year? In two years? Three? Why do you think you hold on to it?
2. Anshu describes how every piece of cloth can be re-used to become a new product. How might this way of thinking, if applied in your life, affect the way you consume and discard products?
3. Do you think there is a need for an organization like Goonj in your community? Or in your country?
4. How does an organization like Goonj compare to programs that we have in the United States, such as Goodwill or recycling?
5. Can you think of creative ways to recycle things you no longer use that may serve someone else’s needs?
The Heart of Religion
Father Alberto Luna
Themes: power, religion, surrender, interfaith, unity, God
1. Father Luna says that one of the biggest crises of humanity is that the value of the word “we” has been lost. Can you think of some ways this is true in world affairs today? How about in your community?
2. How would a culture based on the values of “us” be different from one based on the values of “me”?
3. Father Luna emphasizes the values and virtues at the heart of religion, rather than the differences of individual paths. He says, “The authentic and true God resides in your heart… and in everyone else’s heart.” Why do you think he emphasizes the heart of religion? Can you think of an example of something that brings people of diverse faiths closer together?
4. Father Luna says, “Due to technology, we’re getting closer every day.” But then he says, “It’s sad that the inner, more intimate distances are not vanishing.” Do you think technology has a role to play in helping people bridge these distances? What else might help bring people together on a deeper level?
5. What does Father Luna mean by “legitimate power”? What might lead a person to use power illegitimately?
Knowing How to Nurture Ourselves
Stephan Fayon
Themes: sustainable agriculture, seed-saving, global warming
1. When it comes to food, do you agree with Stephan that we have forgotten the essentials?
2. Why is saving seeds so important? What danger is Stephan alerting us to?
3. According to Stephan, why are ancient varieties of vegetables disappearing?
4. How are seed-saving and cultivating the land without pesticides acts of nurturing ourselves?
5. Is it important to you to know where and how the food you eat is grown?
Living Service
Jayesh Patel
Themes: values, poverty, service, compassion, humility, "be the change"
1. The sign at the entrance of the Gandhi Ashram says, “Happiness depends on what you can give and not what you can get.” What does your happiness depend on? How does this definition of happiness compare to what you see on television or in magazines?
2. Jayesh uses the acronym “W.A.L.K.” to explain his daily practice:
W – Witness nature
A – Accept circumstances
L – Love your life
K – Know thyself
How might you experience a difficult situation differently if you have these principles in mind?
3. Jayesh says, “We all are one. Through service, we connect people." What does this mean to you? What are some of the ways that an act of service can connect you to others?
4. Why do you think Jayeshbhai quotes Gandhi, saying that the biggest threat after India’s independence is “heartless intellectuals”?
5. Compare Gandhi's famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” with Jayesh's statement, “Be like a ladder, not like a leader." How are these two ideas connected?
Waking Up
Tenzin Palmo
Themes: Buddhism, delusion, happiness, awakening
1. Tenzin Palmo describes delusion as creating more and more causes of suffering in the pursuit of happiness. What do you think she means by this?
2. Tenzin Palmo states that people desperately want to be happy. What does happiness mean to you? How does your answer relate to the sign at the Gandhi Ashram: “Happiness depends on what you can give and not what you can get”?
3. At the end of the video, Tenzin Palmo asks, "How do we collectively wake up?” What does it mean to you to wake up? How about for a whole society?
4. Do you believe that humanity has the incredible potential that Tenzin Palmo refers to? If so, what is holding us back?
