Born, sustained and return to Delight

Upasana’s idea of sustainability lies in understanding material, currency and the emotion of delight. As Manoj explains, “In our tradition there is a discovery that everything is born out of delight, is sustained by delight and returns to delight”.

While there are many dimensions to sustainable fashion, the most prominent influences are on three different levels. Primarily sustainability at a physical level, at a financial level, and at a psychological level.

At a physical level it concerns itself with material and technology. If a material is natural or biodegradable it follows a certain life cycle which results in zero waste. Everything that degenerates becomes composed for something else. Essentially when natural materials are used, they follow a cycle, which ensures that physically they will be in harmony with the whole.

When wood is used, as a natural consequence it contributes to deforestation. When wood used used in Upasana’s construction, they planted trees of the same species right behind her. The goal is to essentially minimize the use of artificial materials and maximize the use of natural materials. Further, there is an entire financial domain, where at a financial level it must sustain itself. Then comes the energy domain, where Manoj explains, “What you do has to replenish you energetically. You have to feel energized by what you do. This is where psychological sustainability comes in.”

At the very foundation of psychological sustainability lies the emotion of delight. That is the very foundation of it. “On one side is creation and the other side is destruction, in between there is something being sustained and carried over and there is an evolutionary process happening. You have the Vishnu who is horizontally placed and who goes through the avatars. He evolves. He is the sustainer. Not only in static sustenance but there is an evolution. On one hand there is a continuous creation by Brahma. There is a destruction in order to create something. This is an evolutionary process, in which delight is the key thing. You have to find the delight . If you are not coming alive by doing all this it is unsustainable ”,explains Manoj.

If it is not fun, it is not sustainable. You can do it for sometime. But you can’t go on and on and on. If you have to really go your full lives journey, then you have to tap into your true delight. We are born out of delight. Our soul is of the nature of love and delight. If you don’t come in touch with that, your face won’t be lit up.