Protecting the nature... A need of the hour
What do the humans and environment have in common? Most of the people wonder at this question, not realizing that both have the same needs and necessities for existence. Still, most of the people, who are aware of it, act as if environment is some far away place - deep in the forests, on the banks of rivers or on the snow capped mountains, rather than the place where we are born, where we survive and where our body is ultimately fragmented.
Our lives are intimately dependent on nature. All the creatures on earth are protected by Her. We are well aware that a small change in any natural phenomenon will have a drastic impact on us. Take for example, the polar icecaps, which, due to global warming are melting. It may result in a rise in the sea level, submerging a vast area of land. This is just a single alteration in a natural phenomenon, which is feared to destroy umpteen number of resources. But we are hardly aware that our actions and thoughts have also the potential to affect the environmental balance.
Man has progressed a lot in the field of science. But his ignorance of coexistence in this earth shows how conservative he has become. A sincere scientist always believes in the oneness of man with nature. Thus he can never think of conquering nature for the materialistic pleasures of man. The relationship between man and nature is like that between microcosm and macrocosm. It is not the so-called modern intellectuals who understood this, but our great ancestors. That is why the idea of preserving and protecting nature was given so much importance in all our customs and traditions. By establishing such a loving relationship between man and nature, they ensured the balance of nature, and in hand with the progress of man.
In times past, a small pond and a grove of trees adorned every Indian house. Each of home had tulsi, bilva and other medicinal plants, which were taken care of and bowed down with devotion and reverence. They know the medicinal value of plants that were known to our hermits long ago have been proven by modern science. But do our modern scientist show such love and reverence to these plants as our ancestors did?
The ancestor's loved and worshiped trees not because they bore fruits and helped them to make profit but because they knew that in truth we are one with nature.
It is the sense of ego in us, which makes us believe that we are separate from nature. It is this same ego, which creates a false ideology in man, that nature has been created exclusively for him, to exploit to satisfy his selfish desires. Today man does not think of this life. He is more interested in finding out whether life exists on mars or any other planet. He does not care to live happily on this earth.
Scientific inventions are highly beneficial bit they should not be against nature. Modern science says that even trees and plants can respond in an imperceptible way to the thoughts and actions of man. But with science reaching its unimaginable heights we have experimented how to act against the laws of nature. This constant harm to nature has made nature retaliate. The increase in natural calamities in its various forms like earthquakes, floods, droughts, tsunamis etc. are pointing to this retaliation by nature.
We must realize that the destruction of nature is the same thing as the destruction of humanity. All living and non-living things on this planet are in desperate need of man's kindness, love and protection, as we are in need of the same from them. The humanity needs to be aware of this golden thread of oneness between man and nature and to contribute his share towards it. Only this will enable us to live in harmony with nature.
