Hindu Beliefs Reflected in Chipko, Bhoomi Project

[sandesh]

Hindu Beliefs Reflected in Chipko, Bhoomi Project

 

By Chelsea Cooley
Greenanswers.com
June 3, 2011

 

Perhaps the most recognizable environmentalists in India, those in the Chipko Movement are commonly referred to as "tree-huggers." "Chipko" means literally "to embrace," and these activists, a group made up mostly of village women, practice Gandhi's method of non-violent resistance, satyagrah, by standing between trees and loggers, often literally embracing the trees. Chipko began in northern India's Uttar Pradesh region on March 26, 1974, as a spontaneous protest. Members have since been integral in protecting forests against clear-cutting and in lobbying for a more conservative use of natural resources.

 

Hindu environmentalism has gained speed in recent decades, but it is a centuries-old association. Although an anti-logging protest in 1974 birthed the Chipko Movement, the group traces its pious, tree-preserving roots to 1730, when 363 Bishnoi Samaj people in the Jodhpur district were killed by loggers attempting to protect a forest of Khejri trees.

 

Cases like these prompted scholar Pankaj Jain, Ph.D., to insist that environmentalism is an integral part of the Hindu belief system, and he handily summarizes several Hindu environmental teachings to prove this point. One of these is prakriti, best understood as the energy force shared by all life forms. Prakriti represents the interconnectedness and interdependency of all life, as well as the five elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth. Furthermore, according to this belief, living things are connected to the divine energy that permeates the universe, and therefore harming any part of the universe harms oneself.

 

In the Hindu tradition, this divine energy is manifest in an omnipresent supreme deity, who exists in humans and nature alike. The earth itself and its sacred rivers are likened to lesser goddesses, who each deserve due respect, but the supreme deity lives in all of nature, which is his creation.

 

Dr. Jain further elaborates on the ideas of dharma, meaning duty, and karma, meaning action. In this line of thought, it is the duty of all people to protect the earth and its life forms. The "environment" is not an issue separate from everyday life and its tasks. Furthermore, one's karma (action) has clear consequences, and harming the earth, which is poor karm, creates unsavory results. To create positivity in one's life, both dharm and karm must be guided by ahinsa or non-harming. Therefore, by treating the earth, its ecosystems, plants and animals with respect and compassion, a person is both doing her dharma and practicing good karm.

 

Finally, the idea of reincarnation stands that after death, one may be reborn depending on one's karm. It is possible for a human in this life to be reincarnated as a tree or a dolphin in the next life. For this reason, a person must think of all creatures as having once been her own mother or father. Over several thousands of years and many rebirths, one has had a personal relationship with virtually every living thing.

 

To achieve his or her goals in life, a pious environmentalist can practice sanyasa or asceticism. This involves restraint, moderation, and deep meditation, all practices that improve one's character and eventually lead to moksh or liberation. In ecological terms, the theory is that practicing restraint and moderation can help anyone to consume less and conserve more, while meditation encourages thoughtfulness about life and living things. Hindu environmental activists throughout the years have put these ancient, time-tested practices to work in order to achieve ecological goals in the modern era.

 

For example, this March Hindu environmentalist N.K. Sukumaran Nair won a Karayogam Award for Environmental Protection for his work protecting the Holy River Pampa from ecological degradation. His organization has been active for over 15 years. Nair was also honored for instituting the Kerala River Protection forum in 1998. Significantly, the Malaya Mountains in Kerala serve as setting for the Hindu story of Shri Matsya Avatar, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, and the pious King Manu.

 

The environmental protection of holy rivers became a national issue in 2009 at the One Earth Summit held at Windsor Castle in the UK, where Hindu leaders announced the Bhumi Project, an effort to engage Hindus across India in environmental awareness and ecologically-sound practices by implementing green initiatives over the next nine years. Specifically, the group hopes to clean the holy River Ganges, encourage the consumption of ethically-grown food, and promote recycling. "Bhoomi" is Sanskrit for the Hindu "Mother Earth."