Salman Khan 5 years, who are the Bishnois

[Guest guest]

Namaskar Mitra,

 

Salman Khan's killing of animals angered the Bishnoi community. Who is this

community and why is it that they worship animals/trees. Read this article.

with prem sanjeev

http://esamskriti.com/html/essay_index.asp?cat_name=qanda&cid=422&sid=102

 

Eco-religion of the Bishnois of Rajasthan

Courtesy & Copyright Prabuddha Bharata Dr Kiran Prasad The roots of

environmental conservation go back to religion which emphasizes harmonious

living with nature’s creation. Several environmental practices had religious

sanction and there were proscriptions against harming nature. One of the

out-standing cases is the eco-religion of the Bishnois of Rajasthan who are

anunusual community with a philosophy of protecting plants and animals. They

follow a set of 29 rules, which include instructions on how they should live

and what should be done after their death. The faith that God adequately

compensates the cultivators for all the losses caused by animals underlines the

basic philosophy of the Bishnoi religion; all living things (including animals)

have a right to survive and share resources. It is astonishing that more than

450 years ago, a simple villager from a remote desert area, without even the

basic education, clearly understood the importance of preserving bio-diversity.

He not only understood it himself, but also had the wisdom to influence

generations of people to preserve it by weaving it with their religion. The

Bishnoi religion was launched in 1542 AD by Guru Jambeshwarji, or Jamboji as he

is affectionately referred to by his followers. He was a great saint and

philosopher of the medieval period. He prescribed 29 tenets and the followers

of the tenets are called Bishnois (literally ‘twenty-niners’ in Hindu). The

tenets were tailored to conserve bio-diversity of the area but also ensured a

healthy eco-friendly social life for the community. Out of the 29 tenets, 10

are directed towards personal hygiene and maintaining good basic health, seven

for healthy social behavior, and five tenets to worship God. Eight tenets have

been prescribed to preserve bio-diversity and encourage good animal husbandry.

These include a ban on killing animals and felling green trees, and providing

protection to all life forms. The community is also directed to see that the

firewood they use is devoid of small insects. Wearing blue clothes is

prohibited because the dye for coloring them is obtained by cutting a large

quantity of shrubs. The Bishnois are presently spread over the western parts of

Rajasthan and parts of Haryana and Punjab. They are more prosperous than the

other communities living in the Thar Desert, probably because of their

eco-friendly lifestyle. Their villages are easily distinguishable with plenty

of trees and other vegetation, and herds of antelopes roaming freely near their

homes. The fields are ploughed with simple ploughs using bullocks or camels and

this causes minimal damage to the fragile desert eco-system. Only one crop of

bajra is grown during the monsoon season. The bushes, which grow in the fields,

protect the loose sand from wind erosion and provide the much-needed fodder for

animals during a famine. The Bishnois keep only cows and buffaloes as rearing

of sheep and goats, which devour desert vegetation, is taboo. Though they are

Hindus, they do not burn their dead but bury them to save precious wood and

trees They store water during the year in under-ground tanks by collecting rain

water as it is precious in this dry desert area. In 1737, when officials of the

king of Jodhpur started felling a few Khejri trees in Khejerli village, men,

women and children hugged the trees that were being axed. In all, 363 Bishnois

from Khejerli and adjoining villages sacrificed their lives. Later, hearing

about it, the King of Jodhpur apologized for his action and issued a royal

decree engraved on a copper plate, prohibiting the cutting of trees and hunting

of animals in all Bishnoi villages. Violation of this order by anyone including

the members of the ruling family would entail prosecution and a severe penalty.

A temple and monument stand as testimony to the sacrifice of the 363 martyrs.

Every year, the Bishnois assemble there to commemorate the extreme sacrifice

made by their people to preserve their faith and religion. The Bishnois

aggressively protect the khejri trees and the antelopes, particularly the

blackbuck and chinkara, even now. According to them, if a tree is saved from

felling at the cost of one’s head, it should be considered a good deed. They

not only protect antelopes but also share their food and water with them. In a

number of villages Bishnois hand-feed the animals. The Bishnois immediately

detect hunters who come to their villages and catch them. If the poachers

escape leaving a dead antelope in an agricultural field, the owner will mourn

its death like that of the passing on of a near or dear one and will not eat or

drink water till the last rites are performed. On many occasions the Bishnois

are injured and even killed by hunters but they fearlessly provide strict

protection to the blackbuck and chinkara, which fearlessly roam in their

settlements. It’s foe this environmental awareness and commitment that Bishnois

stand apart from the countless other sects and communities in India. Hinduism

and Eco-Religion In ancient India, nature was regarded as God’s most beautiful

and precious creation. In fact, many plants and animals were worshipped for

their services to humankind. Since water is regarded in many cultures as life

sustaining, its purity was preserved and several religious practices revolved

round the use of water. Rivers, lakes and ponds were places sought to refresh

the body and mind. Even today, a dip in the river on special religious

occasions is regarded as an important event. Many religious fairs like the

Kumbha Mela involve millions who take a dip in sacred rivers. But today the

declining fresh water sources render such religious events unfeasible. Hinduism

in its pantheon of gods has a special place for nature with various gods and

goddesses representing it. The wind god is the carrier of gentle, calm and cool

breezy gusts soothing the body and mind. The forests host a variety of flora and

fauna. All human settlements were carefully sited so as not to encroach upon

forests. Ancient sages, seers and philosophers set up their religious centres

in the forests, advocated nature worship and protection as a part their

philosophy. According to the Hindu philosophy, all elderly people should lead

the last phase of their lives in the forests, in meditation and worship. Thus

the forests served as ideal places for retirement and worship. Agricultural

lands are regarded as the gifts of Mother Earth and a part of the agricultural

produce is offered to God during worship. The coconut tree and the cow are

given a special place in most households and great care is taken to nature

them. The tulsis shrub is regarded as auspicious and grown in the front

courtyard of many Hindu households. Flowers and leaves are used for worship.

Even in big cities potted plants are used to select flowers for daily worship

many plants have medicinal properties and some, used for curing common

ailments, are found around the household. The banyan tree, the neem tree, and

the mango grove are favourite spots for places of worship. These trees are

therefore spared from being felled and offered protection. The fishing

community worships the sea as the goddess who provides them with the means for

their livelihood and ensures their safe return from the sea. Several seashore

temples and places of worship can be found even today. Thus Hinduism

encompasses an eco-religion with a philosophy of protecting and nurturing

nature including living creatures, the seas, forests, landscape and flora.

Buddhism and Jainism The Buddha preached compassion for all beings and

non-injury to all creatures, which forms the basis of a Buddhist eco-religious

philosophy. The careful and judicious use of environmental resources would be

possible only if we inculcate the values of compassion and simplicity among

people. The great waste generated by the materialistic consumption trends by

people could be minimized if the values of simplicity and compassion could be

ingrained in the future generations. The eco-religious philosophy of Jainism

has absolute non-violence at its core. It advocates both physical and verbal

non-injury towards all beings. No animal is injured even if it lacks economic

or aesthetic value. Thus environmental education for appreciation of all life

forms can be found in Buddhist and Jaina religious literature.

 

 

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