Living in symbiosis with cosmic forces - Bhagavad Gita Verse 3.11

Originally Posted by mkthpavi

Dear C & C
Relieved to see your posts...was somehow unable to dedicate more time to IL in the last few days.
The topic that you have dealt with is something close to my heart. I strongly feel that at the rate by which we humans are depleting nature, we will not have much to live with within the coming hundred years.
Incidentally, the very scientific development that we all are so proud of, turns out to be the rootcause of environmental degradation. If only we didnt have advanced mechanics / computing, we wouldnt have machines to cut down trees at this rate / aeroplanes that can traverse the oceans !!!!
How can we claim to be part of nature when we are hell-bent on destroying it in the name of development?
The recent natural disasters such as the tsunami, typhoons, earthquakes are nature's way of letting us know who's in charge. Interestingly, some of the worst disasters have struck the Asia-Pac region where the population is extremely high and hence perhaps higher environmental pollution ?? I dont know if there is any scientific connection to this.
Our ancestors feared Nature and worshipped them, which in turn meant that they damaged it lesser. I am asked in my office whether it is true that monkeys are worshipped as God in Hindu religion. I say "yes" and told about Lord Hanuman. It does sound "stupid" to the western mind, but come to think of it, it does bode good for Nature when we start treating trees, plants and animals as equivalent of God.
It is a shame that while we are now apparently living a modern lifestyle and polluting nature, we are leaving a worse and worse world for the generations to come. And funnily enough, we pay through our noses to experience "natural air" in resorts, "purified distilled water". I even saw "Oxygen Bars" here in London in a mall.
What a world to be in?
Isnt it time we change?

Perhaps those of us who have this realization can do our bits to preserve Nature and be One with it. As a first step, let us stop accumulating plastic covers at home and let us try to use public transport, instead of individual vehicles like cars / scooters.

Thanks and love
Your IL disciple
Pavithra

Dear Pavithra
It is now an established scientific fact that man descended from the monkey. What is the surprise in venerating our ancestors symbolised by Hanuman? It is this strong respect for our roots that keeps us flourishing.

Thomas Malthus talks of catastrophies that will set right the lop-sided growth in human population from time to time. It is interesting to consider the end of Kaliyuga, which is still a long way to go, will start a universal catastrophie when all the living beings will be annihilited by an Avatar of Vishnu. For Kalki to manifest and carry out His task, this world will need to survive for a long long time. So notwithstanding all this madness that we see all around, some good souls will continue to initiate such steps as will keep the world surviving till the eventual Pralaya.
Sri

Dear Pavithra,
Though delayed occasionally due to unforeseen circumstances, God willing, we both will make sure not to miss posting! The posts on Gita & all your FBs have become so dear to us, believe me!!
You are so passionate about enviromental degradation. But the improvement has to be a cooperative effort to make a success of it.
Why in London malls, Pavi, ozone bars are right here in Spencer Plaza!
Cows are worshipped as Kamadhenu, monkeys as Hanumar, Sun as Aditya, snake as Naga devatha besides Bhooma Devi for Prithvi.Near Ajmer, there is a temple which abounds in rats which are reverentially worshipped.
These were done more to avoid abusing nature and other creations of God.
When I see cows reaching out for plastic covers, tears swell in my eyes - why did we stop using plantain leaves as serving plates? Now the awareness has come no doubt, but execution is still lacking sadly!
It is not enough if we live with nature, but we must be in perfect harmony for our benefit in life - that is what symbiosis is all about.
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by mkthpavi

Dear C & C
Relieved to see your posts...was somehow unable to dedicate more time to IL in the last few days.
The topic that you have dealt with is something close to my heart. I strongly feel that at the rate by which we humans are depleting nature, we will not have much to live with within the coming hundred years.
Incidentally, the very scientific development that we all are so proud of, turns out to be the rootcause of environmental degradation. If only we didnt have advanced mechanics / computing, we wouldnt have machines to cut down trees at this rate / aeroplanes that can traverse the oceans !!!!
How can we claim to be part of nature when we are hell-bent on destroying it in the name of development?
The recent natural disasters such as the tsunami, typhoons, earthquakes are nature's way of letting us know who's in charge. Interestingly, some of the worst disasters have struck the Asia-Pac region where the population is extremely high and hence perhaps higher environmental pollution ?? I dont know if there is any scientific connection to this.
Our ancestors feared Nature and worshipped them, which in turn meant that they damaged it lesser. I am asked in my office whether it is true that monkeys are worshipped as God in Hindu religion. I say "yes" and told about Lord Hanuman. It does sound "stupid" to the western mind, but come to think of it, it does bode good for Nature when we start treating trees, plants and animals as equivalent of God.
It is a shame that while we are now apparently living a modern lifestyle and polluting nature, we are leaving a worse and worse world for the generations to come. And funnily enough, we pay through our noses to experience "natural air" in resorts, "purified distilled water". I even saw "Oxygen Bars" here in London in a mall.
What a world to be in?
Isnt it time we change?

Perhaps those of us who have this realization can do our bits to preserve Nature and be One with it. As a first step, let us stop accumulating plastic covers at home and let us try to use public transport, instead of individual vehicles like cars / scooters.

Thanks and love
Your IL disciple
Pavithra

Dear Chithra and Cheeniya Sir,
Newton's law clearly applies to this shloka- Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If we worship nature and take care not to destroy her, she is bountiful.On the other hand, if we destroy her by various means(as we are doing now), she shows her fury.
I enjoyed reading this too.
Love,
Malathi

Dear Malathi,
Thanks for coming here.
By performing our daily rituals, the various aspects of the Lord are propitiated.
We perform our daily duties and let the cosmic forces bless us.
Let them bless us and we propitiate them!
May we not disturb the cosmic ecology by not doing what is to be done.
Now, my grandfather used to say thus:
The children in India, are told, they must get up before the sun rises. A child might think "So what, the sun rises like every other day! Let it rise! Why should I get up?"
But we teach the children to rise in time to welcome the sun. The sun is a blessing and when a blessing comes, we should not be sleeping, but wide awake for its coming.
A recognition, a sensitivity is involved here. By recognising the cosmic forces, we do not take them for granted.
This appreciation is what ecology is all about.There is no ecology other than our own understanding. Ecology is only for the person who understands and does not counter argue for everything for the sake of it!!
Love,
Chithra.

Originally Posted by Malathijagan

Dear Chithra and Cheeniya Sir,
Newton's law clearly applies to this shloka- Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If we worship nature and take care not to destroy her, she is bountiful.On the other hand, if we destroy her by various means(as we are doing now), she shows her fury.
I enjoyed reading this too.
Love,
Malathi

Originally Posted by Malathijagan

Dear Chithra and Cheeniya Sir,
Newton's law clearly applies to this shloka- Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If we worship nature and take care not to destroy her, she is bountiful.On the other hand, if we destroy her by various means(as we are doing now), she shows her fury.
I enjoyed reading this too.
Love,
Malathi

Dear Malathi
That is a neat sum-up of the essence of what is conveyed in this Verse of Gita. Man has become so greedy that he has started genetically modifying his food resources in order to get more out of them despite being aware of the fact that such actions are entirely harmful. He is already paying a heavy price for his past indiscretions. It is a pity that he continues relentlessly to milk the planet dry and leave it more and more unfit for living
Sri