|
Hinduism contains perhaps
the most ancient religious scripture known to the world as the sruti (that
which is heard – the Vedic literature which was originally passed down
orally) and the smriti (that which is remembered –includes the poems of
Ramayana and Mahabharata and the Puranas). This rich source of literature on
human relationships with the environment has helped guide its followers to
live in perfect harmony with nature for thousands of years. Hindus worship
the sun, the stars, the rivers, the trees and the animals- nature in all its
manifestations and glories. The majority of Hindus are vegetarians, due to
their belief in the sanctity of all life and commitment to Ahimsa (Patanjali
Yoga Sutras), that is non-violence.
The following is the message
of living in harmony with Mother Nature from the Holy Scriptures of Hinduism:
Live in complete harmony
with Nature,
Experience the grace of God in the splendour of the universe.
Be blessed by God’s reassuring love,
The sweet dawn will sweeten your soul,
The dazzling mid-day will set your hearts aflutter,
And the serene music of your soul will guide you towards peace and
prosperity.
And when the day’s task is over, you will sleep in the lap of Mother Nature,
All the deities will be favourable to you.
Mother Nature, Yajur Veda
(34.37)
By Vijai Singhal
|
Ten Key Hindu Environmental
Teachings
|
By Pankaj Jain, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor, University of North Texas.
Hinduism contains numerous
references to the worship of the divine in nature in its Vedas, Upanishads,
Puranas, Sutras, and its other sacred texts. Millions of Hindus
recite Sanskrit mantras daily to revere their rivers, mountains, trees,
animals, and the earth. Although the Chipko (tree-hugging) Movement
is the most widely known example of Hindu environmental leadership, there
are examples of Hindu action for the environment that are centuries old.
Hinduism is a remarkably diverse
religious and cultural phenomenon, with many local and regional
manifestations. Within this universe of beliefs, several important
themes emerge. The diverse theologies of Hinduism suggest that:
- The
earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess, and must be
treated with respect.
- The
five elements - space, air, fire, water, and earth - are the
foundation of an interconnected web of life.
- Dharma
- often translated as “duty” - can be reinterpreted to include our
responsibility to care for the earth.
- Simple
living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.
- Our
treatment of nature directly affects our karma.
Gandhi exemplified many of these
teachings, and his example continues to inspire contemporary social,
religious, and environmental leaders in their efforts to protect the
planet.
The following are ten important
Hindu teachings on the environment:
1. Pancha Mahabhutas (The five
great elements) create a web of life that is shown forth in the structure
and interconnectedness of the cosmos and the human body.
Hinduism teaches that the five great elements (space, air, fire, water, and
earth) that constitute the environment are all derived from prakriti, the primal
energy. Each of these elements has its own life and form; together
the elements are interconnected and interdependent. The Upanishads explains
the interdependence of these elements in relation to Brahman, the supreme
reality, from which they arise: “From Brahman arises space, from space
arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water, and from water
arises earth.” Hinduism recognizes that the human body is composed of and
related to these five elements, and connects each of the elements to one of
the five senses. The human nose is related to earth, tongue to water,
eyes to fire, skin to air, and ears to space. This bond between our
senses and the elements is the foundation of our human relationship with
the natural world. For Hinduism, nature and the environment are not
outside us, not alien or hostile to us. They are an inseparable part
of our existence, and they constitute our very bodies.
2. Ishavasyam – Divinity is
omnipresent and takes infinite forms.
Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad
Gita (7.19, 13.13) and the Bhagavad
Purana (2.2.41, 2.2.45), contain many references to the
omnipresence of the Supreme divinity – including its presence throughout
and within nature. Hindus worship and accept the presence of God in
nature. For example, many Hindus think of India’s mighty rivers –
such as the Ganges - as goddesses. In the Mahabharata, it is noted that the
universe and every object in it has been created as an abode of the Supreme
God meant for the benefit of all, implying that individual species should
enjoy their role within a larger system, in relationship with other
species.
3. Protecting the environment is
part of Dharma.
Dharma, one of the most important Hindu concepts, has been translated into
English as duty, virtue, cosmic order, and religion. In Hinduism,
protecting the environment is an important expression of dharma.
In past centuries, Indian communities – like other traditional communities
– did not have an understanding of “the environment” as separate from the
other spheres of activity in their lives. A number of rural Hindu
communities such as the Bishnois, Bhils, and Swadhyaya have maintained
strong communal practices to protect local ecosystems such as forests and
water sources. These communities carry out these conservation-oriented
practices not as “environmental” acts but rather as expressions of
dharma. When Bishnois are protecting animals and trees, when
Swadhyayis are building Vrikshamandiras
(tree temples) and Nirmal
Nirs (water harvesting sites), and when Bhils are practicing
their rituals in sacred groves, they are simply expressing their reverence
for creation according to Hindu teachings, not “restoring the
environment.” These traditional Indian groups do not see religion,
ecology, and ethics as separate arenas of life. Instead, they
understand it to be part of their dharma to treat creation with respect.
4. Our environmental actions affect
our Karma.
Karma - a central Hindu teaching - holds that each of our actions creates
consequences – good and bad – which constitute our karma and determine our
future fate, including the place we will assume when we are reincarnated in
our next life. Moral behavior creates good karma, and our behavior towards
the environment has karmic consequences. Because we have free choice,
even though we may have harmed the environment in the past, we can choose
to protect the environment in the future, replacing environmentally
destructive karmic patterns with good ones.
5. The earth – Devi – is a goddess and our mother and deserves our
devotion and protection.
Many Hindu rituals recognize that
human beings benefit from the earth, and offer gratitude and protection in
response. Many Hindus touch the floor before getting out of bed every
morning and ask Devi
to forgive them for trampling on her body. Millions of Hindus create
kolams daily – artwork consisting of bits of rice or other food placed at
their doorways in the morning. These kolams express Hindu’s desire to
offer sustenance to the earth, just as the earth sustains themselves.
The Chipko movement – made famous by Chipko women’s commitment to “hugging”
trees in their community to protect them from clear-cutting by outside
interests, represents a similar devotion to the earth.
6. Hinduism’s tantric and yogic
traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality and contain teachings
and practices to unite people with divine energy.
Hinduism’s Tantric tradition teaches that the entire universe is the
manifestation of divine energy. Yoga – derived from the Sanskrit word
meaning “to yoke” or “to unite” - refers to a series of mental and physical
practices designed to connect the individual with this divine energy.
Both these traditions affirm that all phenomena, objects, and individuals
are expressions of the divine. And because these traditions both
envision the earth as a Goddess, contemporary Hindu teachers have used
these teachings to demonstrate the wrongness of the exploitation of the
environment, women, and indigenous peoples.
7. Belief in reincarnation supports
a sense of interconnectedness of all creation.
Hindus believe in the cycle of
rebirth, wherein every being travels through millions of cycles of birth
and rebirth in different forms, depending on their karma from previous
lives. So, a person may be reincarnated as a person, animal, bird, or
another part of the wider community of life. Because of this, and
because all people are understood to pass through many lives on their
pathway to ultimate liberation, reincarnation creates a sense of solidarity
between people and all living things. Through belief in reincarnation,
Hinduism teaches that all species and all parts of the earth are part of an
extended network of relationships connected over the millennia, with each part
of this network deserving respect and reverence.
8. Ahimsa (Nonviolence) - Non-violence is the greatest Dharma.
Ahimsa to the earth improves one’s
karma.
For observant Hindus, hurting or harming another being damages one’s
karma and obstructs advancement toward moksha
- liberation. To prevent the further accrual of bad karma, Hindus are
instructed to avoid activities associated with violence and to follow a
vegetarian diet. Based on this doctrine of ahimsa, many
observant Hindus oppose the institutionalized breeding and killing of
animals, birds, and fish for human consumption.
9. Sanyasa (Asceticism) represents a path to liberation
and is good for the earth.
Hinduism teaches that asceticism –
restraint in consumption and simplicity in living – represents a pathway
towards moksha
(liberation) which treats the earth with respect. A well-known Hindu
teaching - Tain
tyakten bhunjitha – has been translated, “Take what you need
for your sustenance without a sense of entitlement or ownership.”
One of the most prominent Hindu environmental leaders - Sunderlal Bahuguna
- inspired many Hindus by his ascetic lifestyle. His repeated fasts
and strenuous foot marches, undertaken to support and spread the message of
the Chipko, distinguished him as a notable ascetic in our own time.
In his capacity for suffering and his spirit of self-sacrifice, Hindus saw
a living example of the renunciation of worldly ambition exhorted by Hindu
scriptures.
10. Gandhi is a role model for
simple living.
Gandhi’s entire life can be seen as
an ecological treatise. This is one life in which every minute act,
emotion, or thought functioned much like an ecosystem: his small
meals of nuts and fruits, his morning ablutions and everyday bodily
practices, his periodic observances of silence, his morning walks, his
cultivation of the small as much as of the big, his spinning wheel, his
abhorrence of waste, his resorting to basic Hindu and Jain values of truth,
nonviolence, celibacy, and fasting. The moralists, nonviolent
activists, feminists, journalists, social reformers, trade union leaders,
peasants, prohibitionists, nature-cure lovers, renouncers, and
environmentalists all take their inspirations from Gandhi’s life and
writings.
Dr. Pankaj Jain is an Assistant
Professor of South Asian Religions and Ecology at the University of North
Texas. He has taught Indian Films, Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu languages, and
literatures at North Carolina State University, Rutgers, Kean University,
Jersey City University, and the University of Iowa. In his scholarship he
connects the ancient Indic traditions of Hinduism and Jainism with
contemporary issues – particularly the environment.
(Acknowledgement:
Adapted from the essays by Christopher K. Chapple, O. P. Dwivedi, K. L.
Seshagiri Rao, Vinay Lal, and George A. James in Hinduism and Ecology: The
Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water and Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence
in the Web of Life, both published by Harvard University Press.
Thanks also to the essays by Harold Coward and Rita DasGupta Sherma in Purifying the Earthly Body of
God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu India, published by SUNY
Press. I am also indebted to kind comments by Reverend Fletcher
Harper and for his invitation to write this article.)
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Judge Weeramantry focuses on Hindu contribution to environment
protection
Judge Weeramantry focuses on Hindu
contribution to environment protection
Hinduism demonstrates an ecological
awareness and great respect for the natural world, said Judge C.G.Weeramantry
at the inaugural meeting of the World Future Council held in Hamburg on 9 -13
May 2007.
The following is an abridged version
of his speech:
Hinduism, the Environment and the
Long Term Future
There are several principles of
importance to the human future that can be distilled from the teachings of
Hinduism – principles relating to the inevitability of the consequences of
one’s actions, the interconnectedness of all things, the linkage between
past, present and future, the integrity of the human family, the harmony that
is necessary between humanity and the natural order and many others.
Running through them all is the
all-pervasiveness of the divinity, which is present in all things and a
cosmic view of space and time which militates strongly against a short-term
view of the consequences of one’s actions. This requires us to think,
moreover, of the prevalence of the needs of the community over the egoism of
the individual.
Hinduism, regarded by its adherents
as Sanatana Dharma, or the Eternal Truth, contains perhaps the most
ancient religious scripture known to the world. These texts contain the
theology, philosophy and guidance for daily life that form the basis of the
religion of over a billion people in the world today.
The principal sources of dharma
are the sruti (that which is heard – the Vedic literature which was
originally passed down orally) the smriti (that which is remembered
–includes the itihasa or epic poems of history and the puranas
or stories from ancient history) and ac?r? (the norms and standards
constituting the practice of those who know and live by the first two sources
of dharma).
There are hundreds of smriti texts,
constituting an immense body of juristic literature equal to if not exceeding
that in other systems. This vast treasury of concepts and principles was
virtually unknown to the West for centuries. It was only in 1794, with the
translation by the jurist Sir William Jones of the Laws of Manu, that even
the existence of this repository of legal wisdom became known to Western
legal scholarship.
1. Ecological Awareness in Hinduism
It is clear that the most ancient
texts on Hinduism demonstrate through the praise of the deities an ecological
awareness and great respect for the natural world. There are many specific
teachings on environmental matters contained in all these writings and
ecological activists have drawn much inspiration from the text. A few
examples are:
* “Do not cut trees, because they
remove pollution.” (Rig Veda, 6:48:17)
* “Do not disturb the sky and do not
pollute the atmosphere.” (Yajur Veda,5:43)
* Destruction of forests is taken as
destruction of the state, and reforestation an act of rebuilding the state
and advancing its welfare. Protection of animals is considered a sacred duty.
(Charak Sanhita)
All of this is an enormous source of
concepts, principles, traditions and practices which is of deep relevance to
the study of the future of humanity and of the long-term perspectives which
it is so essential to bring into the thought-frames of the present
generation.
Among these concepts are the
following:
2.The Presence of the Divinity in all
Things
An important feature of the Hindu
worldview is that the supreme deity resides in all things. This divinity is
present in all things for as Sri Krishnan says in the Bhagavad-Gita:
“On me the Universe is strung
Like clustered pearls upon a thread
In water I am the flavour
In sun and moon the light”
We are told in the Upanishads
that “after creating the Universe God entered into every object created.”
Consequently his creations must be treated with respect.
This view of the relationship between
God and creation inspires Hindus to maintain a harmonious relationship
between human beings and nature.
3. The interconnectedness of all
things
Hindu law and philosophy are set in a
cosmic view of the universe with aeons of time spreading behind and before
us. The present and even the centuries behind and before us are a microcosm
of time in the infinite expanse of eternity.
Within that cosmic view there is also
a view of the interconnectedness of all things. The nexus between things
past, present and future is emphasised as is the causal relationship between
them. All of this flows from the concept that God pervades all things. Since
the divine presence is everywhere all things have an integral connection with
all others.
4. The Integrity of Humanity, Past,
Present and Future
It follows from what has been said
before that Hinduism takes a holistic view of the human community. Past,
present and future are one organic whole just as all of humanity is one
organic whole.
In the words of Radhakrishnan “To the
Hindu, human society is not an organisation. It is an organism. It is a
living, growing thing.”
5. The Unity of the Human Family
We have referred already to the
integrity of the human family, past present and future. It is one family
occupying one small abode in space. As such their vision is not of a planet
that is vast and limitless but of one which is small and limited. One family
occupies it and must therefore share it, small though it be.
The One World/One Family concept has
today become more urgent than ever, for whether through trade or
communications or travel or the information revolution or the shortage of
earth resources or pollution, we are increasingly realising that we survive
or perish as one family.
6. The Need for Human Harmony with
all forms of Life
Hindu teaching is rich in its
instructions on harmonious coexistence with all forms of life.
This means a bond not only between
humans and animals, but also between humans and all forms of vegetation. In
the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna compares the world to a single banyan
tree with unlimited branches under which all the species of animals, humans
and demigods wander.
7. The Sarva Bhuta Hita: The
Notion of the Welfare of All Beings
The highest ethical standard that
Hindus ought to apply, according to their dharma, is the concept of Sarva
Bhuta Hita. The tradition requires that the common good takes precedence
over private advantage. That includes protection of the environment, the
support of the poor and needy, the oppressed, the needs of children and those
who are yet to be born and the welfare of other living beings.
8. Doctrine of Karma: The inexorable
effects of present actions on the future
The doctrine of Karma means that an
action which has been committed by a human being in this life, follows him or
her again and again through future lives (whether he or she wishes it or
not). Every action performed creates its own chain of reactions and events,
some of which may take a long time to surface. Environmental pollution is an
example of the karma of those who believe that they could continue polluting
the environment with impunity and regardless of the consequences for future
generations. Once karma begins, it continues without a break. Regardless of
whether the person is dead, his or her karma will survive into their next
birth.
9. Examples of Practical Action Based
on Hinduism to Protect the Environment
The Bishnois, Defenders of the
Environment :
The Bishnois was a small community in
the state of Rajasthan who practised environmental conservation as a part of
their daily religious duty. The religion is an offshoot of Hinduism and was
founded by Guru Maharaj Jambeshwar in the 15th century. He believed that if
trees were protected, animal life would be sustained and his community would
survive. Therefore he formulated twenty nine injunctions. Principal among
them was a ban on the cutting of any green tree and killing of any animal or
bird.
The Bishnois people’s defence of the
natural environment needs to be more widely known as one of the world’s
classic instances of martyrdom in defence of the environment. In 1730 Amrita
Devi, a Bishnois woman was at home with her three daughters when she came to
know that a party of woodcutters sent by the Maharaja of Jodhpur were on
their way to fell a green Khejri tree for the construction of the Maharaja’s
new palace. She prevented the woodcutters from felling the tree and was
killed by them for her resistance, as were her three daughters. The news spread
like wildfire among the Bhishnois community and hundreds of them assembled on
the spot, prepared to give their lives in this cause and 363 of them did.
This is known as the Khejrali Massacre. The Maharaja apologised for the
conduct of his officials but this has ever since been an inspiration to the
environmental protectionists of India.
10. Avoidance of Waste
“Resources are given to mankind for
their living. Knowledge (Isha)
of using them is necessary.” -
The first stanza of Isha Upanishad
Gandhi’s classic statements that have
inspired the environmental movement include ‘The country’s development has to
be in harmony with nature … each member of a community has to live in
communion with nature.’ ‘The earth has resources to meet everybody’s needs,
but not anybody’s greed.’ ‘Man must voluntarily limit his wants.’ And ‘We
must learn to live lives of simplicity and austerity.’
11 A Vision of Sustainable
Development
Hindu philosophy with its deep
notions of trusteeship of earth resources and its reverence for nature as a
sustainer of humanity had encapsulated within it the modern notion of
sustainable development. The assets of nature are there for humans to use for
their sustenance and development. But the assets of nature are held in trust.
This is the essence of the modern concept of sustainable development and
Hindu philosophy provides a strong philosophical base for this concept.
11. A Deep Concern for Future
Generations
This is interlocked with the previous
topic. Trusteeship of resources is based on the philosophy that the wealth of
nature provided by God is provided for humanity in general and not for this
generation or that. The long term vision of Hinduism reaches through to
thousands of generations and all eternity. It is totally incompatible with
this notion that any one generation has the right to diminish or extinguish
the resources that nature provides. Indeed this would almost amount to
sacrilege and also to theft from future generations of their rightful
inheritance. This idea of the preservation of nature can be illustrated by
many episodes in Hindu history.
12.Respect Due To Land and the
Landscape, Which are Considered Holy
Hindu philosophy is impregnated with
notions of respect for nature and for natural phenomena such as forests,
rivers and mountains. The environment is alive and teems with life, trees and
rocks become shrines and the river is respected as a source and support of
physical and spiritual life. Nature, like the gods of old, can be both
threatening and protecting.
13. Our Dependence on Mother Earth
which nourishes and tends Humanity like a Mother
Hinduism is replete with spiritual
and poetical references to mother earth. The Atharva Veda, devoted to praises
of mother earth contains 63 verses embodying the sentiments of Hindu
visionaries regarding the dependence of humans on mother nature and the
respect for the natural order that follows naturally from such a vision. The
Prithvi Sukta or Bhumi Sukta hymn in the Atharva Veda says “Earth is my
mother. I am her son.” Prithvi or Bhumi Devi is the Goddess who personifies
Mother Earth
14. The Environment and Its
Components (Both Living and Non-Living Forms) – Have Rights – including the
right to exist without being harmed, polluted or destroyed.
All of the preceding discussions
would have served to highlight the basic Hindu approach to nature which vests
it with a personality of its own. It is not a subject of ownership, but has
rights of its own. It is not a form of subordinate existence for the purpose
of serving humans, but is in a partnership with humans
15. Factors that Warp our
Relationship with Mother Earth
The conduct outlined above naturally
stands in marked opposition to the egocentric and materialistic vision which
is a major cause of our environmental problems today.
The Hindu vision of dharma involves
the idea that human beings must accept certain limitations on their desires
so that the natural order can be preserved. Further, the Gita prescribes a
devout and frugal lifestyle that has inspired and may be expected to continue
to inspire ecologically supportive lives in which wasteful consumption is
eliminated
16. Governmental Duty in regard to
the Environment
“Wealth and life are preserved by men
for enjoyment. But what avail
a man to have wealth and life who has not protected the land?” - sukraniti
Hindu literature is very strong on
the duties of rulers in relation to the environment. In fact, the titles
associated with kingship reflect this very strongly. Among these are
descriptions such as Bhupalana (protector of the earth), Bupala (earth
guardian), Bhubharata (husband of the earth).
* * *
We close, as we began, with an
emphasis on the spiritual dimension, which is lacking in our modern approaches
and attitudes to all issues connected with the long-term future. This lacuna
in modern thinking, as compared to the frameworks of ancient thought, has
been picked up by contemporary Hindu thinkers as a crucial area for action as
we address the task of conserving the human future.
To quote Swami Tripurari, a modern
commentator on the Bhagavad-Gita
“Our present environmental crisis is
in essence a spiritual crisis…
The current deplorable condition
demands a spiritual response.
One of the measures that could help a great deal to fulfil this need is to
regenerate and rejuvenate basic values of Hindu culture and propagate them.”
|
Ten Key Hindu Environmental
Teachings
|
By Pankaj Jain, Ph.D., Assistant
Professor, University of North Texas.
Hinduism contains numerous
references to the worship of the divine in nature in its Vedas, Upanishads,
Puranas, Sutras, and its other sacred texts. Millions of Hindus
recite Sanskrit mantras daily to revere their rivers, mountains, trees,
animals, and the earth. Although the Chipko (tree-hugging) Movement
is the most widely known example of Hindu environmental leadership, there
are examples of Hindu action for the environment that are centuries old.
Hinduism is a remarkably diverse
religious and cultural phenomenon, with many local and regional
manifestations. Within this universe of beliefs, several important
themes emerge. The diverse theologies of Hinduism suggest that:
- The
earth can be seen as a manifestation of the goddess, and must be
treated with respect.
- The
five elements - space, air, fire, water, and earth - are the
foundation of an interconnected web of life.
- Dharma
- often translated as “duty” - can be reinterpreted to include our
responsibility to care for the earth.
- Simple
living is a model for the development of sustainable economies.
- Our
treatment of nature directly affects our karma.
Gandhi exemplified many of these
teachings, and his example continues to inspire contemporary social,
religious, and environmental leaders in their efforts to protect the
planet.
The following are ten important
Hindu teachings on the environment:
1. Pancha Mahabhutas (The five
great elements) create a web of life that is shown forth in the structure
and interconnectedness of the cosmos and the human body.
Hinduism teaches that the five great elements (space, air, fire, water, and
earth) that constitute the environment are all derived from prakriti, the primal
energy. Each of these elements has its own life and form; together
the elements are interconnected and interdependent. The Upanishads explains
the interdependence of these elements in relation to Brahman, the supreme
reality, from which they arise: “From Brahman arises space, from space
arises air, from air arises fire, from fire arises water, and from water
arises earth.” Hinduism recognizes that the human body is composed of and
related to these five elements, and connects each of the elements to one of
the five senses. The human nose is related to earth, tongue to water,
eyes to fire, skin to air, and ears to space. This bond between our
senses and the elements is the foundation of our human relationship with
the natural world. For Hinduism, nature and the environment are not
outside us, not alien or hostile to us. They are an inseparable part
of our existence, and they constitute our very bodies.
2. Ishavasyam – Divinity is
omnipresent and takes infinite forms.
Hindu texts such as the Bhagavad
Gita (7.19, 13.13) and the Bhagavad
Purana (2.2.41, 2.2.45), contain many references to the
omnipresence of the Supreme divinity – including its presence throughout
and within nature. Hindus worship and accept the presence of God in
nature. For example, many Hindus think of India’s mighty rivers –
such as the Ganges - as goddesses. In the Mahabharata, it is noted that the
universe and every object in it has been created as an abode of the Supreme
God meant for the benefit of all, implying that individual species should
enjoy their role within a larger system, in relationship with other
species.
3. Protecting the environment is
part of Dharma.
Dharma, one of the most important Hindu concepts, has been translated into
English as duty, virtue, cosmic order, and religion. In Hinduism,
protecting the environment is an important expression of dharma.
In past centuries, Indian communities – like other traditional communities
– did not have an understanding of “the environment” as separate from the
other spheres of activity in their lives. A number of rural Hindu
communities such as the Bishnois, Bhils, and Swadhyaya have maintained
strong communal practices to protect local ecosystems such as forests and
water sources. These communities carry out these conservation-oriented
practices not as “environmental” acts but rather as expressions of
dharma. When Bishnois are protecting animals and trees, when
Swadhyayis are building Vrikshamandiras
(tree temples) and Nirmal
Nirs (water harvesting sites), and when Bhils are practicing
their rituals in sacred groves, they are simply expressing their reverence
for creation according to Hindu teachings, not “restoring the
environment.” These traditional Indian groups do not see religion,
ecology, and ethics as separate arenas of life. Instead, they
understand it to be part of their dharma to treat creation with respect.
4. Our environmental actions affect
our Karma.
Karma - a central Hindu teaching - holds that each of our actions creates
consequences – good and bad – which constitute our karma and determine our
future fate, including the place we will assume when we are reincarnated in
our next life. Moral behavior creates good karma, and our behavior towards
the environment has karmic consequences. Because we have free choice,
even though we may have harmed the environment in the past, we can choose
to protect the environment in the future, replacing environmentally
destructive karmic patterns with good ones.
5. The earth – Devi – is a goddess and our mother and deserves our
devotion and protection.
Many Hindu rituals recognize that
human beings benefit from the earth, and offer gratitude and protection in
response. Many Hindus touch the floor before getting out of bed every
morning and ask Devi
to forgive them for trampling on her body. Millions of Hindus create
kolams daily – artwork consisting of bits of rice or other food placed at
their doorways in the morning. These kolams express Hindu’s desire to
offer sustenance to the earth, just as the earth sustains themselves.
The Chipko movement – made famous by Chipko women’s commitment to “hugging”
trees in their community to protect them from clear-cutting by outside
interests, represents a similar devotion to the earth.
6. Hinduism’s tantric and yogic
traditions affirm the sacredness of material reality and contain teachings
and practices to unite people with divine energy.
Hinduism’s Tantric tradition teaches that the entire universe is the
manifestation of divine energy. Yoga – derived from the Sanskrit word
meaning “to yoke” or “to unite” - refers to a series of mental and physical
practices designed to connect the individual with this divine energy.
Both these traditions affirm that all phenomena, objects, and individuals
are expressions of the divine. And because these traditions both
envision the earth as a Goddess, contemporary Hindu teachers have used
these teachings to demonstrate the wrongness of the exploitation of the
environment, women, and indigenous peoples.
7. Belief in reincarnation supports
a sense of interconnectedness of all creation.
Hindus believe in the cycle of
rebirth, wherein every being travels through millions of cycles of birth
and rebirth in different forms, depending on their karma from previous
lives. So, a person may be reincarnated as a person, animal, bird, or
another part of the wider community of life. Because of this, and
because all people are understood to pass through many lives on their
pathway to ultimate liberation, reincarnation creates a sense of solidarity
between people and all living things. Through belief in reincarnation,
Hinduism teaches that all species and all parts of the earth are part of an
extended network of relationships connected over the millennia, with each part
of this network deserving respect and reverence.
8. Ahimsa (Nonviolence) - Non-violence is the greatest Dharma.
Ahimsa to the earth improves one’s
karma.
For observant Hindus, hurting or harming another being damages one’s
karma and obstructs advancement toward moksha
- liberation. To prevent the further accrual of bad karma, Hindus are
instructed to avoid activities associated with violence and to follow a
vegetarian diet. Based on this doctrine of ahimsa, many
observant Hindus oppose the institutionalized breeding and killing of
animals, birds, and fish for human consumption.
9. Sanyasa (Asceticism) represents a path to liberation
and is good for the earth.
Hinduism teaches that asceticism –
restraint in consumption and simplicity in living – represents a pathway
towards moksha
(liberation) which treats the earth with respect. A well-known Hindu
teaching - Tain
tyakten bhunjitha – has been translated, “Take what you need
for your sustenance without a sense of entitlement or ownership.”
One of the most prominent Hindu environmental leaders - Sunderlal Bahuguna
- inspired many Hindus by his ascetic lifestyle. His repeated fasts
and strenuous foot marches, undertaken to support and spread the message of
the Chipko, distinguished him as a notable ascetic in our own time.
In his capacity for suffering and his spirit of self-sacrifice, Hindus saw
a living example of the renunciation of worldly ambition exhorted by Hindu
scriptures.
10. Gandhi is a role model for
simple living.
Gandhi’s entire life can be seen as
an ecological treatise. This is one life in which every minute act,
emotion, or thought functioned much like an ecosystem: his small
meals of nuts and fruits, his morning ablutions and everyday bodily
practices, his periodic observances of silence, his morning walks, his
cultivation of the small as much as of the big, his spinning wheel, his
abhorrence of waste, his resorting to basic Hindu and Jain values of truth,
nonviolence, celibacy, and fasting. The moralists, nonviolent
activists, feminists, journalists, social reformers, trade union leaders,
peasants, prohibitionists, nature-cure lovers, renouncers, and
environmentalists all take their inspirations from Gandhi’s life and
writings.
Dr. Pankaj Jain is an Assistant
Professor of South Asian Religions and Ecology at the University of North
Texas. He has taught Indian Films, Sanskrit, Hindi/Urdu languages, and
literatures at North Carolina State University, Rutgers, Kean University,
Jersey City University, and the University of Iowa. In his scholarship he
connects the ancient Indic traditions of Hinduism and Jainism with
contemporary issues – particularly the environment.
(Acknowledgement:
Adapted from the essays by Christopher K. Chapple, O. P. Dwivedi, K. L.
Seshagiri Rao, Vinay Lal, and George A. James in Hinduism and Ecology: The
Intersection of Earth, Sky, and Water and Jainism and Ecology: Nonviolence
in the Web of Life, both published by Harvard University Press.
Thanks also to the essays by Harold Coward and Rita DasGupta Sherma in Purifying the Earthly Body of
God: Religion and Ecology in Hindu India, published by SUNY
Press. I am also indebted to kind comments by Reverend Fletcher
Harper and for his invitation to write this article.)
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Religion, ethics and human rights, a Hindu
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