Ecology Consciousness

Ecology Consciousness

Is consciousness in any way related to ecology? The answer would be in the affirmative. As we mark World Environment Day on June 5th, we need to ponder and introspect seriously whether we are in sync with our environment. Being ecology conscious involves awareness of the environment, an awareness of how our actions are going to impact nature.

The headline, ‘US faces isolation as Trump readies Paris Pact pull out’ in the papers is proof enough that countries are not even ready to consider their responsibility towards sustaining  the environment. The befitting rejoinder to the US pull out came from the French President who said, "There cannot be any Plan B as there's no Planet B".

Global warming, air pollution, water pollution, and the resultant destruction and diseases are staring us at our faces but we choose to ignore all indications. Isn't it time we took  note of the warnings and became environmentally​ conscious? Should we wait for the government to take decisions, make legislation only to find Industry and Manufacturing Units find loopholes to evade the laws? After all our very survival is dependent on the Ecology balance; destroy that and nature will destroy us.

Consciousness of the fact that the five elements of the earth are the very elements that our body is made up of and any imbalance in nature of the five elements is bound to impact us is necessary. According to Ayurveda, each of the five elements is related to a primary organ of action which allows the body to respond to each of the sense organs. Any imbalance in the five elements, also known as 'Panchtatva' or 'Panchmahabhoot’ results in diseases. Vaastu Shastra and Feng Shui try to teach an individual to create a balance and harmony in the 'Panchmahabhoot’. 

In his book, 'Dialectical Materialism’, Alexander Spirkin speaks of the unity of Man and Nature. According to him, human beings live in the realm of Nature, they are constantly surrounded by it and interact with it. Man is constantly aware of the influence of Nature in the form of the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats and the flow of energy and information. Spirkin says that many of his troubles are a response to the natural processes and the changes in the weather, intensified irradiation of cosmic energy and magnetic storms that rage around the earth. We cannot live outside nature. Thus if we violate the laws of nature, the harmony of the biosphere, it will result in universal disaster.

It has been time and again proved by scientists and psychologists that the connect with the environment helps one live a healthy and happy life free of diseases and stress. Roger Ulrich, in his study,  found that with all other parameters being equal, patients with bedside windows looking at leafy trees on an average heal a day faster, need significantly less pain medication and have fewer post-surgical complications than patients who see a brick wall.

Mynoo Maryel, author of ," A Journey into Miracles and Self-Liberation" says, "Allow yourself to be in the spirit of nature, with trees, animals and birds. Nature provides food for the senses. This is about connecting yourself to your Spirit and getting comfortable in your truth."

Yet somehow most of the people are totally unaware or rather choose to be unaware of the environment and its impact on us. If each one of us became 'ecologically conscious’ and realised​ the need for some self-imposed regulations, whether it be rain water harvesting, planting trees, solar energy etc. and if Industries could also consciously monitor their effluents​ and emissions and if Corporate Houses as part of CSR could take a lead in creating  and nurturing ‘Ecology consciousness’ then we could together, through awareness and cooperation, fulfil our responsibility of not only saving the environment for ourselves but for the future generations too.

Dayalbagh, The Garden of the Merciful, is one such commune which has taken a lead in creating an environment with zero carbon foot prints. It has been in the forefront of  creating not only a Green Revolution  but also a White Revolution through community participation and instilling in the people a spirit of selfless service to humanity. If only we  all became more conscious of our responsibility towards the environment, problems faced today due to climate change could be addressed. To know more about the initiatives and the exemplary way of life read http://sigmasixq.blogspot.in/?m=1