The Environmental Writings and Ideas of Hinduism - Term Paper Example

Explore and discuss in detail the environmental writings and ideas of Hinduism The human thought and action are strongly influenced by the writings and ideas put forth by world religions. To be specific, most of the writings and ideas of different religions deal with the human urge to maintain ecological balance. One can see that world religions provide ample importance to the relationship between ecological balance and the sustenance of life on earth. Within this scenario, the sacred texts and beliefs of Hinduism provides ample importance to environmental writings and ideas. Thesis statement: The exploration and discussion on the environmental writings and ideas of Hinduism prove that Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas and Upanishads in Hinduism deal with environmental writings, and Hindu lifestyle, Hindu spirituality, Hindu teachings, Hindu Dharma, and Karma deal with environmental ideas. Hinduism: environmental writings and ideas The environmental writings and ideas of Hinduism are broad because it teaches the ultimate aim of human life. So, this section is broadly divided into two: environmental writings of Hinduism and environmental ideas of Hinduism. Environmental writings of Hinduism: The Bhagavad Gita First of all, Bhagavad Gita is generally considered as one among the most holy texts of Hinduism. One can see that Bhagavad Gita points out the importance of devotion and selfless action in human life. When devotion and selfless action are superimposed into the context of ecology/environment, one can see that devotion/loyalty is the core of harmonious life in nature. On the other side, selfless action is important in nature because the living world consisting of trees and plants symbolize selfless action without considering any special benefit from others. One may misunderstand that Bhagavad Gita ignites the spirit of rivalry and hatred. But the essence of Bhagavad Gita is the exposition of human mind. In addition, Bhagavad Gita teaches the law of nature that all living things are inseparable from the Mother Nature. Within the context of Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna unveils his real identity, beyond his role as Prince Arjuna’s friend and guide. Jack Hawley made clear that, “Now that Arjuna has submitted himself as a pupil, Krishna transforms into His true role as the Divine teacher” (13). To be specific, Lord Krishna reveals his identity as the protector of all living things in the world. So, one can see that Bhagavad Gita is an integral part of environmental writings of Hinduism. The Ramayana Ramayana, a sacred text of Hinduism portrays the life of Rama, the ancient king of India. Besides, the author of Ramayana, (say, the Indian saint named as Valmiki) is generally known as the fist lyricist of ancient India. The author’s life is symbolic of human transformation from materialism to spirituality and harmonious life in nature. To be specific, the author was a robber, who later became a saint and poet. So, one can easily identify the fact that the story behind the epic is symbolic of the realization of the importance of nature. The protagonist’s wife in the epic, Sita, is symbolic of human relationship with nature. For instance, Sita is portrayed in Ramayana as the daughter of the Indian earth goddess named as Bhumi. On the other side, some animals and birds are portrayed as important characters in the epic. For instance, the monkey god named as Hanuman is Rama’s protector. Paula Richman stated that, “Hanuman finds himself drawn to Rama and becomes his staunch devotee” (5). On the other side, another character named as Sugriva (say, the king of monkeys), plays an important role in the epic. Other characters in Ramayana like Jatayu and Garuda are birds with supernatural power. The Aranya Kanda (say, chapter) in Ramayana portrays Rama’s life in exile, especially in a jungle named as Panchavati. In short, Ramayana is symbolic of the importance given to environmental writing in the sacred texts of Hinduism. The Mahabharata One can see that Mahabharata is related to the environmental writing of Hinduism. In Mahabharata, human beings are advised to be cordial with nature. S. L. Goel stated that, “Man is advised in Mahabharata to develop equilibrium and integration with all existent beings” (120). Besides, the utilization of natural resources must be rational because natural resources are for all the living things on the earth. One may misunderstand that Mahabharata is the detailed description of Kurukshetra War, and installs enmity in human minds. Actually, description of Kurukshetra War is a minor segment in Mahabharata. When one tires to identify the scope of environmental writing in Mahabharata, one can see that Mahabharata is symbolic of the destructiveness of wars and it’s after effects. In Mahabharata, even the princes are forced to lead exile life in jungles. For instance, the exile life of the Pandava princes in the forest proves the importance of nature in human life. Some of the animal characters from Ramayana, like Hanuman, are portrayed in Mahabharata with utmost importance. Besides, Lord Krishna’s adventurous life is an important part of Mahabharata. Within this scenario, Lord Krishna’s life is symbolic of naturalism portrayed in Mahabharata. To be specific, Lord Krishna’s life represents the importance given to farming and animal husbandry in ancient India. So, one can see that close reading of Mahabharata unveils the environmental writings of Hinduism. The Vedas The Vedas, within the context of environmental writings of Hinduism, provides ample importance to ecological balance and sustenance of life on earth. All the Vedas point out the importance of divine interference in protecting natural resources. The Hindus consider that nature is symbolic of the deities they worship, and this limits the scope of action against the laws of nature. Gavin D. Flood made clear that, “The great nineteenth century-Sanskritist, Max Muller, thought that all the deities of the Veda were ‘the agents postulated behind the great phenomena of nature’, such as fire, water, rain, the sun and storms etc” (45). To be specific, Rig Veda portrays the Earth and the heavens as a single entity. In Rig Veda, Varuna (say, a deity) is symbolic of water. The other deities are responsible for the protection of the other elements in nature. Besides, Indra, who represents thunder and lightning, is the king of all the deities. One can see that the Rig Veda consists of hymns towards the basic elements of nature. So, chanting hymns create positive energy in human minds and results in the origin of positive attitude towards nature. The Rig Veda provides ample importance to ecological balance and the wellbeing of human beings. In short, Vedas educate human beings by providing deep knowledge and awareness in sustaining life on earth. So, the accumulated knowledge in Vedas related to nature is not limited to the context of Hinduism, but extends to the wider context of humanity as a whole. The Upanishads Basically, the Upanishads are symbolic of the philosophic/theoretic aspect of Hinduism. To be specific, the core elements of Upanishads help an individual to examine the scope of the search of truth and salvation in human life. Besides, Upanishads deeply influence the different schools of philosophy within Hinduism. But close reading of Upanishads prove that the same is interconnected with the environmental writings of Hinduism. Within the context of Upanishads, the ideas like reincarnation, nirvana, and Absolute Almighty are most important. One can see that Hinduism believes in rebirth and the same is applicable to all living things. To be specific, the belief in rebirth helps the followers of Hinduism to have a different view on the living world. When one is in need of nirvana, one must be cordial with Mother Nature. Besides, Upanishads provide ample importance to the concept of soul in every living thing. On the other side, Upanishads are taught in Ashrams or special schools organized by Gurus in Hinduism. Ranchor Prime made clear that, “From this profoundly natural setting emerged the Vedic teachings of the Upanishads such as the Brihad-Aranyaka, which means ‘The teaching which began in the forest’” (12). In addition, meditation is an important characteristic of Upanishads. One can see that meditation leads an individual towards the secrets of nature. The deep knowledge in Upanishads helps an individual to realize the fact that human life and nature are inseparable. Environmental ideas of Hinduism: Hindu lifestyle The environmental ideas of Hinduism are interconnected with the realization that human beings must treat other living things with due care and attention. Debashis Guha stated that, “All sorts of practices, rituals and worships of minor gods and demigods notwithstanding, the unique “religious way of life” is not disjoint of “ethical way of life” as Hindu religion does not keep off from the practicability of life on earth” (88). So, Hinduism teaches that all living things represent the divinity of the creator. When one is mistreating other living things, one is acting against the creator. In Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna is portrayed as a person who is deeply interested in animal husbandry. To be specific, Lord Krishna is the protector of cows. On the other side, Lord Siva travels on an Ox, named as Nandi. Lord Siva’s son Ganesha travels on a rat. So, the Hindus used to worship these animals and treated them with due care and attention. On the other side, sacred pools and groves are preserved near Hindu temples. These pools and groves are symbolic of the importance of environmental ideas in Hinduism. One can see that these pools and sacred groves play an important role in maintaining ecological balance. In short, Hinduism teaches the world that human life is interconnected with nature. Hindu spirituality One can see that Hindu spirituality accepts environmental ideas because the same is closely related to the harmonious life in nature. Klaus K. Klostermaier opined that, “Traditional Hinduism offers indeed many insights into nature and many incentives for preserving it and contemporary Hindu scholars and gurus make use of Hindu mythology and philosophy to awaken an ecological consciousness in their audience” (477). In Hindu spirituality, the material world is portrayed as an upside down Banyan tree. When one sees the refection of the Banyan tree in the water, one may assume that the reflection is the real tree. So, mere assumption based on illusion creates confusion in human minds. On the other side, meditation and yoga are closely related to Hindu spirituality and environmental protection. In addition, forests, mountains, and river banks play an important role Hindu spirituality. For instance, the Kumbh Mela in India is symbolic of the relationship between Hindu spirituality and environment. So, one can see that the spiritual aspects of Hinduism is interconnected with environmental ideas. Hindu teachings Within the scenario of Hindu teachings, the physical world including different elements of nature plays an important role. For instance, the Hindus consider that the natural forces are symbolic of the creator or Brahman. J. S. H. Gildenhuys stated that, “Hindu religion has a concept of a supreme spirit, Brahman, above the many divine manifestations” (71). Besides, the Hindu teachings provide ample importance to the presence of divinity in different elements of nature. To be specific, Brahma is the mastermind behind the creation of the world. Lord Vishnu is responsible for the sustenance of the living things in the world and Lord Siva is responsible for the annihilation of living things. All these gods act according to the will of Brahman or the ultimate truth. So the Hindu teachings identify the God’s presence in nature. In addition, the Hindus teachings provide ample importance to non-violence. This is important because a non-violent individual can realize the importance of nature in human life. In short, Hindu teachings help human beings to realize the importance of the sustenance of the living world. Hindu Dharma The Hindu Dharma fundamentally consists of one’s duty towards the religion. In Hinduism, one can express one’s duty by taking measures to protect the environment. So, ancient Hinduism accepted environmental protection to its core. Stephen Knapp made clear that, “Vedic Dharma encourages and provides the means for a person to understand and recognize God in all of creation” (1). Besides, when protection of environment becomes one’s duty, the same is considered as an offering to the Gods and deities. In India, the life of Bishnoi people is one among the examples that represent the duty towards Mother Nature. The Bishnois are renowned for their interest in the biodiversity of the desert area of Rajasthan, India. They consider that the protection of nature is their duty or Dharma. One can see that Hindu Dharma does not separate religious belief from nature. This is important because individual responsibility is not different from the collective responsibility towards nature. When the living things are treated with respect, the whole world will become a better place to live in. This is the core aspect of Dharma in Hinduism. Besides, the scope of Dharma is not limited to the context of Hinduism because the protection of environment is a universal responsibility. So, one can easily identify the fact that Hindu Dharma is interconnected with the environmental ideas of Hinduism. Karma Within the scenario of Hinduism, the term Karma means one’s action. To be specific, one’s Karma defines one’s future. Hinduism teaches that one’s deeds determine one’s destiny. When one does good things in life, the scope of peace in future life increases. In addition, human beings cannot escape from the after effect of Karma because the same is interconnected with daily life. Dixie Dennis stated that, “Not only does karma in Hinduism refer to the endless cycle of birth and death, it also refers to action-to-action moments in everyday life” (188). When an individual becomes aware of the importance of Karma, moral behaviour becomes important in life. To be specific, Karma determines one success in future life. When Karma is superimposed into the context of environmental ideas of Hinduism, one can see that Karma and protection of the environment are interconnected. Besides, the law of nature can be linked with Karma because ecological balance determines the sustenance of life on Earth. When the deeds of human beings create ecological imbalance, there exists less scope for survival. So, Karma is the hidden reason behind one’s destiny. On the other side, Karma is interconnected with the idea of reincarnation. When one involves in bad deeds, there exists less scope for Moksha or the escape from rebirth. In short, the concept of Karma and its application in daily life is interconnected with the environmental ideas of Hinduism. Summing, the environmental writings and ideas of Hinduism are not limited to the context of Hinduism. Instead, these environmental writings and ideas can be utilized to realize the importance of nature in human life. The core elements of the sacred texts and literary works in Hinduism are related to the sustenance of nature and its resources. On the other side, the philosophical/theoretical aspects of Hinduism are linked with the innovative ideas that inculcate the message of environmental awareness in daily life. In short, self realization leads one to the awareness that one’s life is interconnected with other living things in the world. So, environmental writings and ideas of Hinduism teach the basic lesson that divinity is not limited to the context of the Gods and deities, but extends to the living world as a whole. Works Cited Dennis, Dixie. Living, Dying, Grieving. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2008. Print. Flood, Gavin D. An Introduction to Hinduism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Print. Goel, S. L. Environmental Health And Value Education. New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications, 2008. Print. Guha, Debashis. Practical And Professional Ethics (vol. 2: Environmental Ethics). New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, 2007. Print. Gildenhuys, J. S. H. Ethics and Professionalism: The Battle Against Public Corruption. Stellenbosch: AFRICAN SUN MeDIA, 2004. Print. Hawley, Jack. The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners. California: New World Library, 2011. Print. Klostermaier, Klaus K. A Survey of Hinduism. Albany: SUNY Press, 2007. Print. Knapp, Stephen. The Power of the Dharma: An Introduction to Hinduism and Vedic Culture. Lincoln: iUniverse, 2006. Print. Prime, Ranchor. Hinduism and Ecology: Seeds of Truth. London: Motilal Banarsidass Publ, 1994. Print. Richman, Paula. Ramayana Stories in Modern South India: An Anthology. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2008. Print. Read More