HINDUISM AND ECOLOGY

A HINDU PERSPECTIVE ON ECOLOGY

 HINDUISM

• HINDUISM IS BY MANY REGARDED AS THE OLDEST LIVING RELIGION IN THE WORLD – ACTUALLY A WAY OF LIVE

• HINDUISM IS REGARDED BY HINDUS AS SANATANA DHARMA OR ETERNAL RELIGION

• THE ORIGINAL AND ACTUALLY STILL REAL NAME OF HINDUISM IS SANATANA DHARMA WHICH CAN BE
TRANSLATED AS ‘ETERNAL LAW, ETERNAL RELIGION’

• ALSO KNOWN BY THE NAME VAIDIKA DHARMA OR RELIGION OF THE VEDA’S. THE VEDAS ARE THE REVEALED
SCRIPTURES OF HINDUISM

• THE WORD HINDUISM OR HINDU IS NOT COMPLETELY FOREIGN TO THE TRADITION. IT HAS THE SANKRIT
ROOTS ‘HAN’ AND ‘DU’.

• THE WORD ‘HAN’ MEANS ‘KILLING’ AND THE WORD ‘DU’ MEANS ‘SUFFERING’. ONE COULD SAY THAT THE WORD
HINDU MEANS “TO KILL SUFFERING.”
• HINDUISM HAS NO FOUNDER LIKE MOST OTHER RELIGIONS. HINDUISM HAS EVOLVED OVER THE CENTURIES
TROUGH THE TEACHINGS OF THE VEDA’S, UPANISHADS, THE RISHIS AND RISHIKAS, THE AVATARS, THE
BHAGAVAD GITA, THE ITIHASAS AND GREAT SAINTS

• THERE IS NO ONE PARTICULAR DOCTRINE THAT U YOU HAVE TO BELIEF IN OR AGREE TO. IT INCLUDE A WIDE
RANGE OF TEACHINGS, WISDOM AND INSIGHTS

• HINDUISM LEAVES ABSOLUTE FREEDOM TO THE RATIONAL MIND IN GENERAL AND ESPECIALLY REGARDING
FAITH AND DEVOTION. IT HONORS TRUTH BY WHICH POSITIVE WAY IT MAY COME

• HINDUISM ACKNOWLEDGES AND ACCEPT ALL RELIGIONS AS A WAY TO GOD. HINDUISM HAS RESPECT FOR ALL
RELIGIONS AND LIFE STANCES LIKE BUDDHISM AND HUMANISM
 IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS

• DHARMA: A CENTRAL PRINCIPLE WITHIN HINDUISM. THE SANKRIETROOT ‘DHRI’ AND MEANS ‘THAT WHICH
SUSTAINS’. A SIMPLE DESCRIPTION IS : ‘THAT WHICH BRING YOU TO GOD IS DHARMA’ AND ‘THAT WHICH TAKES
YOU AWAY FROM GOD IS ADHARMA.’ ON THE ONE HAND IT IS THAT WHICH MAINTAIN AND SUSTAINS THE
UNIVERSE. ON THE OTHER HAND IT ARE GUIDELINES ON THE PERSONAL LEVEL, SOCIETY, WORLD LEVEL AND
COSMIC LEVEL.

• KARMA: THE SANSKRIT ROOT ‘KRI’ WHICH MEANS ACTION OR DEED. TOW EXPLANATIONS: EVERY ACTION IS
KARMA - THE SECOND EXPLANATION IS SIMPLY SAD THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT. THREE TYPES OF KARMA:
SHANCHITA KARMA, KRIYAMANA OF AGAMI KARMA AND PRARDBDHA KARMA. AS LONG YOU HAVE KARMA YOU
MUST COMLE BACK TO EARTH.

• PUNARJANMAN: MEANS LITERALLY REBIRTH. THE SOUL GOES THROUGH THIS WORLD AND THE HIGHER
WORLDS MANY TIMES. THIS IS ALSO CALLED THE PROCESS OF SAMSARA. THIS CYCLE ENDS THROUGH MOKSHA
• MOKSHA: THE CENTRAL AND MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT OF HINDUISM. MOKSHA IS ‘ATYANTIKA- DHUKA-
NIVRITTI’ OR CESSATION OF ALL PAIN AND SUFFERING AND ‘PARAMANANDA PRAPTI’ OR THE ‘ATTAINMENT’ OF
SUPREME BLISS. IT IS LIBERATION FROM SAMSARA TROUGH UNION WITH BRAHMAN OR THE ABSOLUTE.

• JIVANMUKTA: THE WORD JIVANMUKTA COMES FROM THE TWO WORDS ‘JIVAN’ AND ‘MUKTA’. THE WORD
JIVAN HAS THE SANSKRITROOT ‘JIV’ WICH MEANS ‘TO LIVE’. HENCE LIBERATED WHILE LIVING. REACHING OF
MOSKHA.

• SAMSARA: THE WORD MEANS ‘WANDERING’. WANDERING THROUGH THE DIFFERENT WORLDS AGAIN AND
AGAIN. HENCE IYT IS NOT ONLY THE REINCARNATION CYCLE BUT THE WHOLE COSMIC PLAY OF CREATION.

• AHIMSA: NON- VIOLENCE IN THOUGHT, WORD AND DEED. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT VIRTUES AND
PRINCIPLES OF HINDUISM. THIS IS NOT ONLY RELATED TO HUMANS BUT ALSO ANIMALS AND EVEN ENTIRE
CREATION. VEGETARIANISM AND VEGANISM
• ONLY ONE ABSOLUTE – NO POLYTHEISM – ‘EKAM EVADVITIYAM BRAHMA’ CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD 6.2.1. ALL SO
CALLED GODS ARE ASPECTS OF THE ONE BRAHMAN OR GOD

• THE ABSOLUTE OR PARABRAHMAN IS NIRGUNA (WITHOUT ATRIBUTES), NIRAKARA (FORMLESS), AKHANDA

(INDIVISIBLE, WITHOUT PARTS), WITHIN AND WITHOUT EVERYTHING, WITHOUT BEGINNING AND END, ALL
PERVADING, THE SUBSTRATUM AT THE BACK OF EVERYTHING, … .
 ECOLOGY

• ECOLOGY COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD ‘ΟἾΚΟΣ (OIKOS), "HOUSE" AND –ΛΟΓΊΑ (LOGOS), "STUDY OF OR KNOWLEDGE” –
HENCE THE STUDY OF THE ‘HOUSEHOLDING’

• THERE ARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES WITHIN ECOLOGY

• ECOLOGY STUDIES THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ORGANISMS, WITHIN POPULATIONS AND COMMUNITIES (THE BIOTIC
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS), AS WELL AS THE RELATIONSHIPS OF THESE BIOLOGICAL UNITS WITH THEIR NON-BIOLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENT (THE ABIOTIC ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS)

• ECOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF LIVING ORGANISMS WITH EACH OTHER AND THEIR SURROUNDINGS IN
NATURE. NATURE MAINTAINS AN ECOLOGICAL BALANCE AMONGST ALL THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS AND HUMAN BEINGS ARE
PART OF THAT WHOLE ECOSYSTEM. BY OVER EXPLOITING NATURAL RESOURCES HUMAN BEINGS HAVE CREATED AN
IMBALANCE RESULTING IN THE CURRENT SITUATION WHEREBY NATURE IS NOT ABLE TO GENERATE THE RESOURCES AT THE
RATE THEY ARE BEING CONSUMED. THIS IMBALANCE HAS CREATED VARIOUS PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
DEGRADATION, LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY, SOIL EROSION, WATER AND FOOD SHORTAGE ETC.
HTTPS://WWW.FAITHECOLOGY.NET.AU/ECOLOGY_AND_HINDUISM
 HINDUISM AND ECOLOGY

• BEING CONSCIOUS AND TAKING CARE OF THE ECOSYTEMS, THE INTERACTION OF THE DIFFERENT PAETS AND
ELEMENTS IN THE ECO- SYSTEM, AND TO HAVE FRIENDLY AND CARRING ATTITUDE TO IT IS INTEGRAL PART OF
THE HINDU PHILOSOPHY - AHISMA – DIVINITY OF ALL

• ALL CREATION AND LIFE IS SACRED. THERE IS A ATMA IN ALL LIVING CREATURES

• HINDUS HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER OTHER LIVING CREATURES – ALL LIVING CREATURES ARE INTEGRAL PART
OF A BIGGER ECOSYSTEM AND EACH HAVE A VALUABLE PLACE IN GOD’S CREATION.

• THE HINDU SCRIPTURES WRITE EXTENSIVELY ABOUT THE EARTH, NATURE AND IT’S INVALUABLE AND
IMPORTANT PLACE IT OCCUPIES IN THE LIFE OF EACH OF US, OF ALL LIVING BEINGS, AND IN THE CREATION. IT
PRAISES THE DIVINE BEAUTY AND THE DIVINE THAT IS PRESENT IN ALL OF THE CREATION
• IN HINDUISM, THE EARTH IS DEVOTIONALLY DESCRIBED AS MOTHER EARTH. IT PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN
HINDU SPIRITUAL PRACTICE AS ITS TIED TO MANY OF OUR SCRIPTURE’S ANCIENT STORIES. IT IS CONSIDERED
TO NOURISH ALL LIVE

• ATHARVA VEDA 12.1.12 : “THE EARTH IS MOTHER, THE HEAVENS ARE FATHER”

• SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM 2.1.32-33: “THE RIVERS ARE THE VEINS OF THE COSMIC AND TREES THE HAIRS OF HIS
BODY. THE AIR IS BREATH, THE OCEAN HIS WAIST, THE HILLS AND MOUNTAINS ARE THE STACKS OF HIS BONES
AND THE PASSING AGES ARE HIS MOVEMENTS.”

• SHVETASHVATARA UPANISHAD 2:17: “LET US ADORE THE THE LUMINOUS, WHO IS IN FIRE, WHO IS IN WATER,
WHO IS IN PLANTS AND TREES, WHO PERVADES THE WHOLE UNIVERSE”
• THERE ARE DIFFERENT HYMNS DEVOTED TO NATURE AND DIFFERENT ELEMENTS OF NATURE. ON A DEEPER
LEVEL THOSE HYMNS WORSHIP BRAHMAN PRSENT IN EVERYTHING AND THE WHOLE CREATION

• BHUMI SUKTAM OR HYMN IN PRAISE OF MOTHER ERATH AND EVENTUALLY THE DIVINE MOTHER - ATHARVA
VEDA 12.1

• “SALUTATIONS TO MOTHER EARTH! IN HER IS WOVEN TOGETHER OCEAN AND RIVER WATERS; IN HER IS
CONTAINED FOOD WHICH SHE MANIFESTS WHEN PLOUGHED, IN HER INDEED IS ALIVE ALL LIVES; MAY SHE
BESTOW US WITH THAT LIFE”

• “SALUTATIONS TO MOTHER EARTH! (THE ESSENCE OF IMMORTALITY PERVADES IN YOU) MAY WE, YOUR
CHILDREN (BE ABLE TO) TOGETHER MILK THE RITAM (DIVINE ORDER) PRESENT EVERYWHERE IN YOU, O
MOTHER EARTH, BY ABSORBING (I.E. UNDERSTANDING) THE GREAT HONEYED SPEECH (VEDIC MANTRAS)”
• “SALUTATIONS TO MOTHER EARTH! GREAT IS THIS PLACE WHERE WE STAND TOGETHER (I.E. LIVE TOGETHER); MIGHTY
IS THE FORCE PRESENT IN IT, WHICH CONTROLS ITS GREAT SPEED OF MOVEMENT AND SHAKING, GREAT IS THE GOD
INDRA WHO PROTECTS HER WITH VIGILENCE (DAY AND NIGHT), (IN THIS GREAT MEETING PLACE ENVELOPED BY
DIVINE POWERS) MAY SHE THE BHOOMI (EARTH), MAKE US LUSTROUS LIKE GOLD SO THAT WE DO NOT SEE ANYONE
WITH THE ATTITUDE OF HATRED”

• THE BHUMI SUKTAM IS A BEAUTIFUL HYMN IN PRAISE OF MOTHER ERATH AND EVENTUALLY THE DIVINE MOTHER. IT
IMPARTS LESSONS REGARDING THE ATTITUDE A PERSON MUST CULTIVATE TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT.

• SEVERAL GODDESSES HAVE THE NAME OF RIVERS: GANGA AND SARASWATI – SHOULD NOT POLUTE NATURE AND THE
RIVERS

• PRAYER FOR ASKING FORGIVENESS TO MOTHER EARTH: “OM, OH GODDESS WHO HAS THE SEAS FOR CLOTHING AND
THE MOUNTAINS FOR BREASTS. OH WIFE OF VISHNU, I GREET YOU. FORGIVE ME FOR TOUCHING YOU WITH MY FEET”
• FROM THIS VISION IS IT (SHOULD IT BE) A LOGICAL CONCLUSSION THAT WE TAKE THE ECOSYSTEMS, NATURE
AND MOTHER EARTH INCONSIDERATION AND TAKING CARE OF NATURE, AAL LIVING BEINGS AND EARTH.

• EATING A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET – USE ECOLOGICAL CLEANING PRODUCT- ORGANIC FOOD – CONSCIOUS
USE OF TRANSPORT- NOT USING MORE THEN YOU NEED - NO CONSUMING IN A CONSCIOUS WAY AND NOT
SPOILING THINGS ARE ALL THINGS WICH LIES IN THE LINE OF THE HINDU PHILOSOPHY - GREEN ENERGY

• EVERYONE DOES WHAT HE/SHE CAN DO AND WHAT IS POSSIIBLE RELATED TO FINANCIAL, PERSONAL AND
FAMILY. THE INTENTION IS VERY IMPORTANT

• WE MUST FEEL GRATITUDE FOR THE BEAUTY AROUND US AND BE AWARE OF THE NEED TO PRESERVE THIS AND
TO THINK IN CHARACTER AND THE BEST OF THE GREATER WHOLE
 ADVAITA VEDANTA AND ECOLOGY

• ADVAITA VEDANTA – THE WORD ‘ADVAITA’ MEANS LITTERALY ‘NOT TWO’ AND EMBODIES THE TEACHINGS OF
STRICT NONDUALISM OR MONISM. VEDANTA REFERS TO THE END OF THE VEDA’S OR THE UPANISHADS – THE
SCHOOL OF VEDANTA WICH IS BASED ON THE UPANISHADS.

• IT SAYS THAT PARABRAHMAN, SOMETIMES ALSO CALLED BRAHMAN IS THE ONLY REALITY AND ALL ELSE IN
UNREAL - THE PHENOMENAL TRANSIT WORLD IS A ILLUSORY APPEREANCE (MAYA) OF BRAHMAN AND THE
ATMAN IS IDENTICAL WITH BRAHMAN (ABSOLUTE OR GOD).

• THE CHANDOGYA UPANISHAD SAYS: ‘SARVAM KALVIDAM BRAHMA NEHA NANASTI KINCHANA’ OR ALL
THAT EXIST IS BRAHMAN (GOD), THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS DUALITY ‘

• WHATEVER YOU SEE AROUND YOU AND SEES NOT IS ACTUALLY BRAHMAN OR THE ABSOLUTE AND EXIST IN
BRAHMAN. THE APPEREANCE OF THE WORLD IS IN BRAHMAN AND NOT WITHOUT IT BECAUSE ALL IS BRAHMAN.
• SO IN ESSENCE BRAHMAN (GOD) PRECEIVES BRAHMAN (GOD) AND THE PRECEIVING IS ALSO BRAHMAN (GOD).

• IN THIS VIEW IT IS A NATURAL OUTCOME THAT YOU CARE ABOUT NATURE, ECOLOGICAL SYTEM, MOTHER
EARTH AND THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE AND CREATION BECAUSE. NOTHING EXIST SEPERATED FROM THE
ABSOLUTE. ALL IS INTERCONNECTED.

• TAKING CARE OF NATURE AND THE EARTH BECOMES THEN A DEVOTIONAL SPIRITUAL PRACTICE NOT ONLY TO
PRESERVE, SUPPORT AND NOURISH NATURE AND THE EARTH AS WELL AS WORSHIP THE DIVINE AND THE
ABSOLUTE

OM SHANTIH SHANTIH SHANTIH