Śramani Institute
Śramani Institute

FiveBecomings

FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi) projects strengthen the EcoResilience of rural communities and their ecologies by working with them to (re-)establish their local ecology- and culture-rooted self-reliance through their own intelligent and creative efforts.

Each FiveBecomings project benefits a ~10-village cluster with stewardship over a ~100-acre Commons having 5 sectors, in which community members engage in economic activities related to fulfilling all 5 types of basic needs (self-reliance). Read the EaRTh article on the design and implementation of FiveBecomings projects.

EARTH

  • cultivated food-based livelihoods
  • tangible non-food-commodity-based livelihoods

WATER

  • major water management
  • water-related livelihoods
  • intra-Community trade
  • intra-Community decision-making (governance)
  • Community gatherings
  • team activities

FIRE

  • milk-based livelihoods
  • animal rearing & shelter-building
  • animal-based livelihoods
  • dung-based livelihoods
  • biogas & bioelectricity
  • composting systems
  • organic waste processing

AIR

  • ecological restoration & forest-based livelihoods
  • multi-layer natural farming/food forest
  • plant-based healthcare
  • healthcare facility infrastructure

ĀKĀŚ

  • personal evolution
  • creativity
  • identity

FiveBecomings not only enables rural communities to locally and regeneratively produce the Commodities and Services (C/S) required to fulfill their own basic needs but also supports them in developing C/S innovations to satisfy wants sustainably. The ecology- and culture-rooted approach of establishing integrated self-reliance results in both ecological resilience and economic resilience for a (rural) community and the ecology it inhabits. Read the EaRTh article on ecosymbiotic self-reliance.

The Śramani Institute implements FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi) projects in different bioregions across the world. Below is a list of FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi) projects currently being implemented:

IMPORTANCE OF FIVEBECOMINGS COMMONS:
ENTREPRENEURSHIP, INNOVATION, & JOY

The FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi) Commons has a unique and vital role. It is an ecologically abundant and biodiverse hive/ haven, where members of different villages come to work, learn, share, exchange, trade, innovate, and celebrate together. It is where Community members converge to collaboratively and entrepreneurially develop new regenerative Knowledge-Technologies-Practices (Knowtep) that support them in preserving their interconnected wellbeing and enable them to engage in ecosymbiotic livelihoods. Thus, the Commons should not be thought of merely as a training center or demonstration site, as it comprises the heart of each FiveBecomings (Pañchabhūmi) project.