Human Responsibility and the Environment: A Hindu Perspective

Abstract

THE WORLD COMMISSION on Envi-ronment and Development acknowledged that to reconcile human affairs with natural laws 'our cultural and spiritual heritages can rein-force our economic interests and survival imperatives,.l But until very recently, the role of our cultural and spiritual heritages in environmental protection and sustainable development was ignored by international bodies, national governments, policy plan-ners, and even. environmentalists. Many fear that bringing religion into the environmental movement will threaten objectivity, scientific investigation, professionalism, or democratic values. But none of these need be displaced in order to include the spiritual dimension in environmental protection. That dimension, if introduced in the process of environmental policy planning, administration, education, and law, could help create a self-consciously moral society which would put conservation and respect for God's creation first, and rele-gate individualism, materialism, and our modem desire to dominate nature in a sub-ordinate place. Thus my plea for a definite role of religion in conservation and environ-mental protection. From the perspective of many world religions, the abuse and exploitation of nature for immediate gain is unjust, immoral, and unethical. For example, in the ancient past Hindus and Buddhists were careful to observe moral teachings regarding the treat-ment of nature. In their cultures, not only the common person but also rulers and kings followed those ethical guidelines and tried to create an example for others. But now in the twentieth century, the materialistic orienta-tion of the West has equally affected the cultures of the East. India, Sri Lanka, Thai-land, and Japan have witnessed wanton exploitation of the environment by their own peoples, despite the strictures and injunctions inherent in their religions and cultures. Thus no culture has remained immune from human irreverence towards nature. How can we change the attitude of human beings towards nature? Are religions the answer? I believe that religion can evoke a kind of awareness in persons that is different from . scientific or technological reasoning. Relig-ion helps make human beings aware that there are limits to their control over the ani-mate and inanimate world and that their arrogance and· manipulative power over nature can backfire. Religion instills the recognition that human life cannot be measured by material possessions and that the ends of life go beyond conspicuous consumption.