{"id":655,"date":"2011-04-22T12:12:32","date_gmt":"2011-04-22T16:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/omsweetom\/?p=655"},"modified":"2011-04-25T09:53:39","modified_gmt":"2011-04-25T13:53:39","slug":"hinduism-mother-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/omsweetom\/2011\/04\/hinduism-mother-earth.html","title":{"rendered":"Hinduism and Mother Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

As we celebrate Earth Day, I am reminded of a story from the Hindu epic, Mahabharat<\/em>, that has always touched me. \u00a0Five just princes were banished from their kingdom and forced to dwell in the forest for many years. \u00a0One of the princes, Bhima, in an attempt to release his anger at this injustice, walked out of his tent with an axe and began chopping away at nearby trees. \u00a0Blinded by his rage, Bhima was unable to see the impact of his actions until Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu, gently placed an arm on Bhima\u2019s shoulder to stop him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrother Bhima, what are you doing?\u201d Krishna asked kindly.<\/p>\n

Bhima explained his anger, not only at the princes\u2019 predicament, but also at his inability to rectify it.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut why are you taking your anger out on these helpless trees?\u201d Krishna asked. \u00a0\u201cAre they the cause of your angst? \u00a0Did these trees take your kingdom from you? \u00a0Or was it the birds whose homes you just destroyed? \u00a0They can\u2019t even defend themselves against you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bhima, ashamed, looked down and dropped the axe.<\/p>\n

Krishna put his arm around Bhima, lead him back to the tent, and said, \u201cRemember, we must only take from Nature that which is a necessity. \u00a0If human beings today forget this principle and begin to abuse their power over Nature, future generations of humanity will pay the price.\u201d<\/p>\n

These poignant words, uttered thousands of years ago, are very much applicable in our world today as we see the effects of our actions against nature. \u00a0While we strive to reduce our carbon footprint in countless ways, save the rainforests, and protect endangered species, sometimes it\u2019s the smaller actions which have disproportionate impacts.<\/p>\n

Just yesterday, the New York Times<\/em> published a piece about the Hindu community in Queens that has been placing sacred offerings to God in Jamaica Bay in their effort to replicate rituals conducted on the banks of the sacred Ganges River in India. \u00a0To the dismay of the park rangers, many of these offerings – such as saris, coins, and murthis<\/em> – become lodged in the bay, harming the delicate balance of wildlife there. \u00a0The rangers have been reaching out to the community to inform of them of the environmental harm that is taking place due to the offerings, and it appears that many in the community are taking corrective measures.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, there are still those who disagree and believe the offering must be placed in the water in order to receive God\u2019s blessing. \u00a0But if a sari strangles the living sea grass or if a bird chokes on a coin or flower, is that really an offering to God? \u00a0\u201cOh God, I offer you this silver coin for your blessing…but please excuse the fact that a bird may choke on it?\u201d<\/p>\n

Rituals are an important aspect of Hinduism and should not be discounted. But when they harm the health of Mother Earth, I say modify the ritual, and I\u2019m not the only one. \u00a0The beauty of Hinduism is that it is a dynamic tradition and allows its adherents to adapt their practices to time and place (as an example, see the new wave in returning to an eco-friendly Ganesh Chaturthi<\/a>, one of the biggest Hindu festivals in Maharastra).<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure the millions of Hindus who recite the following prayer every morning would agree.<\/p>\n

Samudra Vasane Devi,<\/em>
\nParvata Stana Mandale.<\/em>
\nVishnupatni Namastubhyam,<\/em>
\nPada Sparsham Kshamasva Me<\/em><\/p>\n

O Mother Earth! Draped by the oceans, adorned with mountains and jungles<\/em>
\nThe consort of Lord Vishnu, I bow to you<\/em>
\nForgive me for stepping upon you with my feet<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we celebrate Earth Day, I am reminded of a story from the Hindu epic, Mahabharat, that has always touched me. \u00a0Five just princes were banished from their kingdom and forced to dwell in the forest for many years. \u00a0One of the princes, Bhima, in an attempt to release his anger at this injustice, walked…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":390,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hinduism-101"],"yoast_head":"\nHinduism and Mother Earth - Om Sweet Om<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/omsweetom\/2011\/04\/hinduism-mother-earth.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hinduism and Mother Earth - 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