The Pine Tree, Coronation Throne, Norbugang Chorten, Yuksum, West Sikkim

The tree blooms in spring               

Standing before it, I

Exchanging grace

In a silent rapture

A thousand years have passed

On this ground where we live and die

The tree and I,

Have felt the wetness of the air

Yogishwar Sri Kalipada Guharoy

And the wind rushing through the pines

Megha Malhar Raga, Hindustani Classical Raga, Associated with the power to bring out rains

Recollecting each and every name

Like a flame

Of the birds and stars, mountains and rivers

Adjacent to each other we stood

The skull and the wood

Green leaves and hair

Teeth and thorns

Shredded underneath this ground

Where we live and die…

listen to Raga Megha Malhar Pandit Jasraj

Sarada Maa

Puja antarer puja

Khuje paoyar puja

Chena achenar ei bandhan theke mukti paoyer puja

Jaha bastob tahai satya tahai ananter antar darshaner ananda dhyan

Paripurnatar akhanda jyoti te she nejeke utshorgo koriachey

Ei jyoti antarer bashoman pratik

The only symbol of an eternal deliverance

Sabda Taranga theke bodher uday

Akhyar parichay shei ananter nirbak sritir madhur saisaber bandana

Words are a process of creation of the manifest from the unmanifested sempiternal childhood

There is a field of silence called the lateral unborn field of union

Martin Heidegger called it ‘enchanted regioning’

Rabindranath Tagore and Divine Mother, Japan, circa 1917

In Zen, it is the space of enlightenment; it is dynamic

Sahasra lahari samudrer kampane ek sroter milito pran

Sudhu theke jay nritya o tar chirantan chetona

Sudhu theke jay shei chetona phooler kushume

Jhara patar sree angane

Suryer taploke

Ba jyotshnay snighdha pakhiralaye

Meshpalak unmukto haste dhariyachey meghomallar ke

Baje rudra bina prati koshe

Er artha jagoron maha-mantrer jagoron

Sabda taranger dyoti kaler strot ke shodhon kariachey

“Mother is the discoverer of Man’s secret after he has been stripped of his machines, his religions, his spiritualisms and his materialisms, his Western or Eastern ideologies — when he is himself, simply a heart beating and calling for the Earth-of-Truth, simply a body calling for the Truth of the body, like the seagull’s cry for space and high wind.

It is her secret and her discovery that I will try to tell you.

For Mother is a fairy tale in the cells of the body.

A human cell, what is it?

Another concentration camp … biological this time?”

Or a passport to … where? – The Mind of the Cells, Satprem

-J

Tourism supports 1 in 10 jobs, outpacing global economy for 6th consecutive year, WTTC

Travel & Tourism generated 1 in 10 of the world’s jobs in 2016 as the sector grew by 3.3%, outpacing the global economy for the sixth year in a row, reads a new report by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC’s Economic Impact Report 2017, which is conducted in conjunction with Oxford Economics, researches the economic impact of Travel & Tourism impact on global level, for 25 regions, and 185 countries.

According to the research, Travel & Tourism grew by 3.3% in 2016, generating US$7.6 trillion worldwide, which is 10.2% of global GDP when the direct, indirect and induced impacts are taken into account. The sector supported a total of 292 million jobs in 2016, which is 1 in 10 of all jobs in the world

Additionally, global visitor exports, which is money spent by foreign visitors, accounted for 6.6% of total world exports, and almost 30% of total world services exports.

David Scowsill, President & CEO, WTTC, said: “This is the sixth year in a row that Travel & Tourism has outpaced the global economy, showing the sector’s resilience, and the eagerness of people to continue to travel and discover new places, despite economic and political challenges across the world.

The continuous growth of our sector underlines the significance of business and leisure travel in driving economic development and job creation throughout the world.”

Southeast Asia (8.3%) was the region with the fastest growing Travel & Tourism sector in 2016, driven by the expanding Chinese outbound market and the countries own growing markets. Latin America (0.2%) was the slowest growing region. Some countries performed well above the world average, but the Brazilian economy dragged down the whole region.

The other regions registered the following growth: South Asia (7.9%), North East Asia (4.6%), Oceania (4.4%), the Caribbean (3.2%), North America (3.1%), the Middle East (2.7%), Sub-Saharan Africa (2.4%) and Europe (1.6%).

Travel & Tourism is expected to grow by 3.8% in 2017, generating US$ 7.9 trillion. This growth is slower than previously forecast, as a result of a downgrade to the global economy and a dampening of consumer spending.

Over the next decade the sector is forecast to grow at an average of 3.9% per year. By 2027 it will generate more than 11% of the world’s GDP and employ a total of 380 million people. One quarter of all jobs created in the next decade will be supported by Travel & Tourism.

Scowsill continued “The future prospects for Travel & Tourism are good, but the sector continues to face challenges. The impact of terrorism and the rise of populism pose a severe risk to the ability of people to travel efficiently and securely. The sector itself needs urgently to address the impact of growth on destinations and its own contribution to climate change if it is to be sustainable in the long term. The UN’s 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development is a perfect opportunity to explore solutions together. We look forward to welcoming delegates at our upcoming Global Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, 26-27 April where these challenges will be addressed.”

About WTTC:

The World Travel & Tourism Council is the global authority on the economic and social contribution of Travel & Tourism. It promotes sustainable growth for the sector, working with governments and international institutions to create jobs, to drive exports and to generate prosperity. Every year WTTC, together with Oxford Economics, produces its flagship Economic Impact Report, which looks at the socioeconomic benefits of Travel & Tourism on global, regional and country level. This year the report shows data on 25 regional groupings and 185 countries.

Travel & Tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$7.6 trillion or 10.2% of global GDP, once all direct, indirect and induced impacts are taken into account. The sector also accounts for 292 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet.

For over 25 years, WTTC has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world’s leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses, who bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making, and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.

WTTC’s annual Global Summit brings together over 900 delegates to discuss the opportunities, challenges and issues facing the industry, while its Tourism for Tomorrow Awards recognise the industry’s power to be a positive force in sustainability. This year’s Summit will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, 26 – 27 April 2017.

Annebeth Wijtenburg

Communications Manager

annebeth.wijtenburg@wttc.org

+44 (0) 207 481 6483