Looking through the "Third Eye"

Concern of Every Individual

Central Chronicle Feb. 09, 2010.

Also in Free Press "Weekend" issue, Feb 21, 2010

                 All the created things, animate or inanimate, vegetative or aquatic or belonging to any form or category are interdependent on each other for their existence and subsistence. They directly or indirectly contribute to the growth and co-existence of others on this planet. All play their roles to keep this nature and environment in equilibrium. These facts we learn at our primary schools and are very much familiar with it. But the fact worth-noting here is that we, as human beings don’t apprehend the grade of responsibility that falls on us towards the wellbeing of the nature. Many great heads and organizations talk a lot on this issue trying to draw attention to the plea of the nature. There are also organizations and individuals who take concrete steps to do something concretely for the health of the nature but their contribution is like mite of the poor widow in the donation box.

               The Holy Bible says, ‘God created everything and saw that everything was good and beautiful, and at the end He took a little clay and formed the man (representing all human beings) and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils. God gave man the dominion over whole of His creation and asked him to be the ‘steward’ to take care of the creation. He put man in the Garden of Eden. But man disobeyed God and faced the consequences.’ Even today human beings disobey the Creator and heartlessly exploit the creation and off course unaware of the repercussions. The frequently occurring natural calamities and disasters remind us of our responsibility towards nature but perhaps we think it to be the job of the experts and environmentalists and not of every individual. The truth is that every one of us individually is responsible to protect the environment and ensure healthy existence of humanity and other species of beings.

         According to Indian spirituality we are made of five elements namely earth, water, fire, wind and sky which are also five elements actually present in the nature. Alternatively, one can say that we are created out of nature thus our very existence is because of the nature. So when there is imbalance in the nature, will not be our existence in danger? Is it not our own responsibility to take care of the nature, to ensure our own existence? If the earth is polluted, the air remains no more pure and the water becomes noxious with chemicals and turned into undrinkable, can we still expect a pure and healthy human race?

             Apart form physical crisis; there will be also spiritual and religious crisis. Man claims to be rational, spiritual and wisest among the creation, but from where do we get this wisdom? We have Vedas and great epics containing wisdom handed down to generations. But remember this wisdom was the outcome of the deep contemplation and reflection of the ancient sages who sought it amidst the nature. Our religious sense and civilization have their origin in the nature. If there will be no trees and forests, will the spiritual seekers seek wisdom and peace on the busy crossroads? What do we have in stock to pass on to the coming generations, the looted nature? God dwells in the nature, we know it well. If the nature is destroyed then where do we stand?

- B. Johnson Maria

The author can be contacted at

johnsongwlr@gmail.com

Are we to be punished?

The Cuckoo said, “See the funny fellows have finished praying, now they are coming out to meditate on the nature. They pretnd to seek God in nature. But same nature they destroy mercilessly.” . . . . . The philosopher within me was awakened… I felt speechless.As I came out of the chapel with others to have nature mediation, I heard a cuckoo cooing. It was a beautiful morning; the whole nature seemed to coming out of its night’s rest. It was very pleasant to hear a cuckoo’s sweet voice. I thought to give an ear to it. As I heard it with little attention, I felt that the sweet voice of the cuckoo was smeared in pain. I tried to understand what it was telling. The things, which the cuckoo told me, really compelled me to think. It said, “see, the funny fellows have finished praying. Now they are coming out to have nature mediation. I am pained to say that these people pretend to be meditating on the nature, on the presence of God in nature. The same nature in which they try to seek God, they mercilessly destroy, they don’t bother to preserve it.”
It was clear that the cuckoo was blaming all of us, though nobody paid attention to it. I being one of them, thought to interrupt it. I said, “hallo, my dear little cuckoo! How can you blame us blindly?” The philosopher within me was awakened. The cuckoo was very much interested in replying me: it said, “You people don’t bother about little creatures likes us. You yourself cannot live in harmony, neither you allow us to live, you don’t love each other, and you are the cause of our separation from each other.” I heard some other cuckoo cooing somewhere far. Its sound was not very clear but faint. This cuckoo continued, “Can you hear my friend trying to communicate?” Earlier this communication was not difficult at all, there were many trees, no vehicle, no noise, we could hear each other from very far. But now you human beings make so much noise that we are not able to communicate among ourselves.”
I tried to defend human beings, “why, being one of the parts of God’s creation, don’t we also have right ot live on this planet?” the cuckoo was prepared to answer me, it said simply, “well, you are the ones who made this principle ‘your freedom ends where my freedom begins’ but is it only applicable to human beings? You have freedom to construct huge structures, you have freedom to cut trees, you have every freedom to exploit the nautre, the way you want; but have you ever thought about our freedom?” have you ever thought how we suufer because of your freedom? Have you ever thought who pays the price of your freedom?”
The philosopher within me had no more questions to ask, I was speechless. Perhapse I could feel the weight in what the cuckoo said. The cuckoo, seeing me speechless, flew away.