Hinduism and Nature
The Indian housewife starts her day by cleaning the space outside the front door and decorating it with beautiful designs made of rice flour. Apart from beautifying her home, she is also feeding the ants and does not need to spray insecticide to keep them out.
When she bathes, she prays that the water may be as sacred as the River Ganga, which has proven antimicrobial qualities.
She encircles the Pipal tree seven times in a ritual binding the Indus, Vedic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and tribal traditions. It is a unique tree which filters impurities in the air and releases oxygen day and night.
She pours water over the sacred basil plant––tulsi––in the centre of her house, for it prevents coughs, colds and fevers.
She places a small bowl of cooked rice on the roof for her departed ancestors, which is eaten by crows who keep the outer environment clean.
She will sweep her house only under bright daylight, for she fears that she may harm or dislodge small insects from their homes in nooks and crannies if she sweeps in the twilight or darkness.
Every aspect of her life is intimately connected with nature and the environment, and scientific environmental management. Unfortunately, all that was good and preserved in the name of culture and tradition has been discarded in the name of modernization and development.
That is to say, India has a long tradition of conserving nature by giving it a spiritual dimension, but a fast-changing world, growing consumerism and population and the consequent pressure on land and natural resources has changed our value systems. The urgency of global warming and climate change calls for a greater response from the world’s religions.
Hinduism has a definite code of environmental ethics. According to it, humans may not consider themselves above nature, nor can they claim to rule over other forms of life. Hence, traditionally, the Hindu attitude has been respectful towards nature. – Nanditha Krishna, Author and Activist
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