Earth and Soul | What world can learn from Indian environmental ethos

Environmental ethos of any culture is the underlying value system towards ecology, planet and environment of that civilisation. It answers the big question: How does a civilisation/culture view its environment and resources?

These days the buzzwords in the realm of national policies all over the world are pollution, carbon footprints, global warming, climate change, etc. We have pollution with its various manifestations: Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, et al. These have become global problems necessitating global solutions.

Environmental ethos tries to explain the reasons and probable solutions for the climate crisis. It provides a course of action from individual and societal to state levels on how to cope with problems of environmental degradation. It gives a broad outlook of any society on how to protect nature and its various sub-organs like plant and tree life, animal and bird kingdom, rivers, lakes and water-bodies, etc.

The Indian civilisation, which is the oldest surviving civilisation, has a comprehensive, well assimilative and inclusive outlook towards nature. This has evolved from the Hindu ethos of life, ecology and reverence to nature. Further, it is also interesting to see how these environmental values have been assimilated and made part of Indian culture so that these values can be an integral part of our daily lives. So, these values are not mere philosophical musings but existential realities too. These principles can work as a beacon for the climate change-ridden world. India can be an environmental vishwa guru if these principles are followed and advanced to the world.

The roots of India’s environmental values can be traced back to the Vedic and Upaniṣhadic periods along with the eras of Puranas, Ramayana and Mahabharata. Even the Jain and Buddhist philosophies enhanced our understanding by adding their values.

India’s environmental philosophy stems from the basic belief that man is an extension of the planet. Man is a micro cosmos, being a small part of the macro-cosmos (planet). Man and planet enjoy mutually inseparable and interdependent relationships where existence of man is dependent on the well-being of the planet. Earth is like a mother. We evolve from the earth, take food and other elements from it, and finally decay and merge with it. Like a mother who gives birth to the child and takes care, mother earth gives birth to the human and gives her never-ending natural bounties in abundance. The ancient Hindu dictum summarises it subtly: “The Earth is our mother and we are all her children.”

The whole universe, be it living or non-living, is made of five basic elements (Pancha-Tattvas) — space, air, water, fire and earth. Every living and non-living being is composed of these Pancha-Tattvas. There is a balance in nature of these five elements. Pollution is the result of imbalance in these five elements inter se or per se. Mother earth is worshipped in its various manifestations like plants and trees, rivers and seas, hills and mountains, etc. They are worshipped as living deities. Every god and goddess in Hinduism has a plant/tree and a bird-animal attached with it.

While reciting daily prayers in Hindu temples, one says: “praniyon mein sadbhavna ho” (let each creature co-exist). Man is not the centre of the universe, rather he is a part of the universe. Human is not the only inhabitant of this planet. There are lakhs and lakhs of other creatures who also have a right to live. This ethos is not man-centric but, following the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, is planet-centric that includes worshipping of all the creatures of the world.

So, the environmental ethos of Hinduism is not ‘survival of the fittest’ but mutual co-existence, peace and interdependence of all beings of this planet. The resources of mother earth are not ‘products’ which can be mindlessly ‘exploited’; rather, they are to be worshipped and consumed only on the basis of need. We humans do not have any exclusive, unbridled and limitless right on these natural resources which are to be consumed for the betterment of all and not for individual aggrandisement. So, there cannot be mindless exploitation of nature for the selfish interests of human beings.

Therefore, all lives, human and non-human, are of equal value, and have the same right to existence. As enunciated by in the Hindu Declaration on Nature (Assisi Declaration 1986), we humans evolved from these creatures and they are our ancestors and hence we should worship them: “The evolution of life on this planet is symbolised by a series of divine incarnations beginning with fish, moving through amphibious forms and mammals, and then on into human incarnations. This view clearly holds that man did not spring fully formed to dominate the lesser life forms, but rather evolved from these forms itself, and is therefore integrally linked to the whole of creation.”

The Yajurveda lays down that “no person should kill animals helpful to all”. Animals are revered as gods. Hanuman and Ganapati are the most powerful deities; peepal, Ganga, Himavan, tulsi, and banyan trees are considered holy. This philosophy of non-violence towards birds, animals and even micro-organisms were strengthened by Jainism and Buddhism and was revived more recently by Mahatma Gandhi. The Mahatma always spoke of the importance of ahimsa and looked upon the cow as a symbol of the benign element in animal life.

The Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, is primarily an herb and plant-based medicinal system, with deep insight into preservation of environmental balance to benefit personal health and pollution-free environment. Planting tulsi trees has been hailed as a virtue. Tulsi is still kept in each household so that the incoming air is purified; it is venerated as mother for her medicinal and air-purifying qualities.

The other personal value which is becoming popular in the Western world is minimalism. Indian ethos has developed its core intrinsic value of Apragrah i.e non-possession beyond one’s needs; this can go a long way in following steps at individual level on how to limit use of natural resources and curb wastage. Sustainable planet is in-built in its intrinsic value system. In Indian philosophy, we humans are not the owner of the earth and its resources but we are the trustees of its resources. We have to use them in such a way that we are able to sustain these resources for the future generations as well.

Global environmental concerns like river pollution, global warming, wildlife extinction, mindless exploitation of natural resources, etc, can be addressed following this philosophy. World can learn a lot from India’s environmental ethos. We can easily rid ourselves of many environmental ills plaguing the world following Indian ethos.

The author is an interior designer. She has created more than 120 mini-forests and 700 vertical gardens with waste plastic bottles along with her husband. Views expressed are personal.

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