Why Earth day? Earth day serves to (i) remind us that the Earth and its
ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance; (ii) recognize a collective
responsibility to promote harmony with nature and the Earth to achieve a just
balance among the economic, social and environmental needs of present and
future generations of humanity (1992 Rio Declaration); (iii) increase awareness
about the importance of their planet on the need to maintain the natural assets
of the earth in order that life continues on the earth.
STEM:
Present-day Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are no longer
ample tools to environmentalists, climatologists, meteorologists, geologists and
other scientists to address the increased frequency, unpredictable pattern and
cataclysmic impact of droughts, floods, cloud bursts, cyclones, landslides,
hailstorms, earthquakes, forest fires, epidemics, cold waves and heat waves,
etc.
Karma Theory. This concept is becoming more and more common in public
discourses; a not so strange word: Kaliyuga or the age of a gradual process of
physical, behavioural, moral and spiritual decrepitude. The law “Every action
has an equal and opposite reaction” is proven false here. In fact the Karma
theory states that “Every action has an equal and matching reaction”.
The trap of excessive consumption. Humans, as the most intelligent
specie of the Creation is trapped in the mad rush of consumerism. Each
individual is only trying to surpass his neighbour; the humane aspect of life
has been gradually eroding; we have been acting negligently, failing to take
due care of the planet that gave us life, and using its resources very ruthlessly.
April 22, 1970: First commemoration of Earth Day. In spite of the various
conferences, sensitisation campaigns, Climate Change and the ensuing unstable
environment has further accentuated the ecological imbalance. Worse, the modern
world is continuously inflating the already huge bubble of confusion, excessive
materialism, unethical destruction of natural habitats, societal deterioration,
fanaticism, distrust, corruption, and self-centredness (Me, Mine & Myself).
All things being equal, the already exhausted
Earth has been, is and will always be a scapegoat in the Man versus Nature
battle of supremacy.
The loop of Interdependence & interconnectedness. In 1971 Barry Commoner, a leading scientist-activist and environmentalist wrote
his four laws of ecology in The Closing Circle:
(1)
Everything is connected to everything else. There is one ecosphere for all
living organisms and what affects one, affects all. (2) Everything must go
somewhere. There is no "waste" in nature and there is no
"away" to which things can be thrown. (3) Nature knows best.
Humankind has fashioned technology to improve upon nature, but such change in a
natural system is "likely to be detrimental to that system". (4) There
is no such thing as a free lunch. Exploitation of nature will inevitably
involve the conversion of resources from useful to useless forms.”
Pollution is poisoning our thoughts and emotions, air, land and water, endangering
life on earth! The moral decline (antisocial behaviours; rising individualism; inability to detect emotions
regulating destructive behaviour; thrusting aside social and personal living
values, gives way to excessive or impulsive self-indulgence) is indeed a fright.
Moral decline goes hand in hand with the deterioration of our biosphere.
Nature has been taken for granted and its hitting back is indeed very
hard.
Yet, humans have not learnt the lessons, pursuing the merciless activities:
fields …drugged to produce more food; animals …force-fed to satiate the human
palate; plastic and non-degradable products …rising higher than hills; water,
air and land pollution …choking life; Mother Earth …withered. Elephants, tigers
are coming to inhabitable regions because humans have invaded their habitat. Land
is continuously being reclaimed from the sea and the rising sea levels are reclamations
of land by the sea.
Science alone is not enough to solve this crisis. Reduce, Reuse, and
Recycle as well as Replenish and Restore Responsible human behaviour is the
only way to pay Respect to our planet, Mother Earth. And, humans must reconnect
with Mother Earth in reverence for life.
Experts on the lookout for holistic solutions. Research scholars of pure,
applied, physical, social and other sciences are on the lookout for an
all-inclusive insight on holistic solutions - cosmological, evolutionary,
anthropological, sociological, psychological solutions; they are delving into the
sensitivity of people towards their spiritual and religious beliefs, re-reading
the beliefs and practices from the ecological perspective to revisit and revive
their respective world-views. And strong spiritual and religious feelings tend
to re-gear people to aparigraha, i.e. refrain from excessive consumption
of things. That would halt to a large extent the ruthless exploitation of the
resources and the greenhouse effects, and thus help to mitigate the
catastrophic impacts of global warming.
Need to connect to our surroundings. The world population needs to toe the
line of our ancestors and live a life related to things around them, deeply
anchored in living values and beliefs caring for the self, the family, society
and more importantly about ‘mother nature’ and the Divine. Every human being
need to take cognisance of today’s crisis as a universal concern and
disseminate the right knowledge. Awareness and accountability is required from
all.
Prithivee Sukta of the Atharvaveda: an
entire hymn dedicated to Mother Earth.
The
Vedas and allied texts (Upanishads, Manusmriti, Arthshastra…) all refer to the
gross elements (ether, air, fire, water, earth), planets, creatures,
directions, trees, plants, rivers and seas as vital in maintaining the
ecological balance of Mother Earth. On May12, 2017,
at the release of the book of N.C. Joshi, Secretary of the Rajya Sabha
‘Atharva Veda-Prithvi Sukta’ the former Vice-President of India, Mr. Hamid
Ansari referred to that sukta in explicit terms:
“Understanding the treasures of planet earth and the
means to exploit and utilise them in a sustainable manner has been central to
human civilization. Our earth system with its complex inter-linkages between
the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere and the ecosphere provides us
with water and land resources, ecological, water and energy resources… It
indeed contains essential principles of life, environmental sustainability,
peaceful coexistence and resultant multicultural approaches.”
Local, national & international efforts. The multilevel efforts of the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the numerous conferences
on environment and sustainable development, the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), Earth Charter Initiative, the Forum on Religion and
Ecology, the worldwide NGOs, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, and
the various spiritual and religious teachers and/or preachers, movements,
declarations have qualified the problem of Mother earth as an urgent ‘cultural
issue’ from a comprehensive ethical standpoint; a new discovery …Philosophies
and communities have holistic approach where human life is eternally connected
to Mother Earth.
The wake-up call: The Human race has to:
»
Put a full stop to its stance as an indifferent, silent and negligent
strange observer and adopt responsible attitudes as regards to resource
utilization and conservation strategies.
»
Stop and cause to stop the self-seeker’s approach where no
other species matters except ourselves; once we cross the line to kill off
other species, next would be …people!
»
Share a symbiotic relationship by connecting to the surroundings
and maintain a “sustainable development” formula, infused in the rituals of
daily life.
»
Rope in more and more people to disseminate true knowledge
about Mother Earth and her powerful message in the language of fires, floods,
storms, and droughts.
»
Take climate science beyond the laboratories and tune with the
tangible experiences of place, identity, and culture, connecting past and
present experiences in planning the future.
»
Rediscover the sanctity of Mother Earth sacredness by
recoding the legacy through narratives (face to face story-telling to children,
cultural representations) as an effective and efficient tool) for enhanced
ecological awareness.
»
Re-allocate due importance to spirituality, living values and
religion which have been pushed to the back seat in the wake of scientific and
technological development.
Vedic philosophy, logical beliefs & practices. The Arya Samaj, as a
reform movement, advocate orthopraxy, correct belief and correct practice of
the Vedic philosophy; Ethical conduct, both in day-to-day life, and rituals and
worship; Devotion as unwavering obeisance to the spiritual and religious
teachings, and the laws of nature (the Creation); The law of Karma where we
shall reap the consequences of our actions in an equal and like manner, rewards
for positive actions and penalties for negative actions; Encourages capacity
building to understand and propagate the physical sciences embedded in the
hymns of the Vedas and develop a synergy between science and spirituality to
transform the ‘social animal’ into ‘social/human beings’; A fundamental
reorientation of human consciousness, accompanied by action that is born out of
inner commitment.
Responsible behaviour towards Mother Earth. Given the Vedas were and acknowledged
as the Revelation to mankind at Creation, the Vedic society was therefore the
first Earth & Environmental Protection Agency in the history of mankind. Various
verses in the Vedas promote environmental friendliness, and emphasise on our
duty to respect nature and all natural resources - a first and firm message to mankind
to take due care of Mother Earth. The Prithivee Sukta of the AtharvaVeda
elaborates on practices upholding protection of the environmental. Humans need
to:
»
Care for Mother Earth as a grown up cares for his mother {maataa
bhumih putro aham prithivyaa};
»
Be ethical towards the motherland who has given us a place to
live, sustains our life by providing us with the necessities (food, shelter,
clothing, etc.) as well as the means to increase our levels of happiness up and
even attain eternal bliss or salvation {saa no bhumirbhuridhaara payo
duhaamatho akshatu varchasaa} ;
»
Understand the cycle of seasons, crops, and the judicious use
of resources (grishmaste bhume varshaani sharadhamantah shishiro vasantah…}
;
»
Perform Yajna in towns and villages as a scientific environmental
cleansing process (f39umigation through evaporation and sublimation) to improve
the quality of our air, water and land, as well as in fields as part and parcel
of organic farming {prithivyaamurdhvaah shuraa aahutyaah purastaat} ;
»
Live and let live other species to ensure a sustainable
ecological balance and long term happiness for all {shaantivaa surabhih…prithivee payaa
saha} ;
»
Stand firm walking along the path of Dharma (righteous
living) just as Mother Earth is in its routine (revolution on its axis,
rotation around the sun …etc.) {sa no bhumih poorvepeye dadhatu} ;
»
Know planet Earth and the universe as the university of life
( jyotiramritam martebyhya udyantsuryo rashmibhiraatanoti } ;
»
Teach children to be respectful towards planet Earth, legate
it to coming generations;
»
Recognise the essence of a strong leadership from learned men
for a spiritual and strong commitment to act dutifully {prajaapatih
prithivee vishva garbhaa mashaamaashaam ranyo nah krinotu};
Earth as the Foster Mother. It is still considered very good to live in forest
where one can experience environment in its purest form. Modern day retreats
are in the forests, on hills and mountains as emerging eco-tourism
destinations.
All
these developments need thoughtful consideration as human survival is possible
only with the conservation of entire flora and fauna and the synchronization of
lifestyle with nature and the five elements (space, air, water, fire &
earth), including plants and animals.
Mother
earth will be peaceful for us only when we would be ethical towards her {prithivee
shaantih}.
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Bibliography:
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RigVeda 2.12.13; 2.41.20; 10.35.3; 10.46.9; 10.66.9;
10.189.01 & 03
YajurVeda 1.25; 3.05 & 06; 11.16; 13.05; 14.04;
14.19; 17.67; 18.18; 22.29; 23.43; 32.26; 36.03
AtharvaVed 12.01-63
Satyaartha Prakash ch 8, 9 & 10; RigVedaadi
Bhaashya Bhumikaa
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Acharya Bramdeo Mokoonlall
Atlanta, GA, USA,
Arya Sabha
Mauritius | Greater Atlanta Vedic Temple
