Essay by Karunaa Bisramsingh of the Gyaan Deepak Kirtan Mandali (age : 17)
Swadeshe 2009
The environment comprises the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the space we occupy. Hindus believe in the revering of this home of ours and their practices show that they are environmentalists whose aim is to maintain harmony on Mother Earth.
In every religion God praises the environment and has taught man to be grateful for the resources provided by it and to show reverence for it. The human population of the Earth has increased exponentially over the last few hundred years. This has been possible because of exploitation of environmental resources but has also resulted in severe damage of the environment.
Hindus are intrinsically connected to the environment. They believe that since one element affects the other they need to preserve and revere them all. Shri Ram, in Ramayan, spoke of the beauty and wealth of Mother Earth. He said that the earth with its wealth of crops makes as godly a sight as the riches of a generous man.
Today much is being said of the three R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle. However, Hindus have long propagated this practice. In religious ceremonies, a significant amount of biodegradable materials are used such as leaves, flowers, wood and clay deeyas. Leaves are made into spoons and the suhari leaf is used as a plate. Disposal after use, is easy and less clutter is had. Even in ‘havan’ the mixture of ghee, googol, sugar and black til, not only purifies the atmosphere but the residue is minimal, useful used as plant-soil. Hence, the environment is preserved. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness!
The eco-friendly lifestyle of Hindus is seen in their vegetarian diet. Animals’ lives are spared and food- chains maintain a stability which prevents an imbalance in nature. Also, it is more difficult to maintain the environment through rearing of animals than plants as animals require more water, land space and food. Besides, the cow is regarded as one of the five mothers worshipped by Hindus. To kill a cow would be like killing one’s own mother, the source of sustenance.
Another of the five mothers worshipped by Hindus is Mother Earth. They revere trees such as neem, bale, pipal, mango and tulsi and hence, would not destroy them by acts of slash and burn or cutting them down. Also, these trees contribute significantly to the oxygen content in the air. The fewer trees there are, the more carbon dioxide there would be in the environment and hence, more suffocation. The more plants there are, the more air, and greenery there is and consequently, the more one connects with nature and peace through the activation of the heart chakra.
Even in death, Hindus are conscious of their environment. Cremation is chosen over burial as it is a more sanitary way of disposing of dead bodies since bones and flesh are non-biodegradable.
Hindus offer worship in various ways to the earth, sun, sea and sky. They worship Mother Earth and waterways seeking protection from disasters. They offer water to the sun every morning in gratitude. How could they worship the environment on one hand and curse it on the other by wanton destruction?
During fasting periods of Hindus, less food is consumed .This puts less strain on the world’s natural wealth and also the first trophic level, the producers, will increase and hence all the other trophic levels in the food chain will increase.
It is evident that Hindus are sensitive to ecosystems and inseparable from the environment. They believe that within everyone is the Gangaa, Yamuna, Saraswati Rivers, the sun and the entire universe and just as they preserve the world within, the microcosmic world; they must also preserve the macrocosmic world.
