One tree is equal to ten sons

[Guest guest]

Vandalizing the Earth Is Theft

 

by Vasudha Narayanan

February 7, 2007

 

"One tree is equal to ten sons" says the Goddess Parvati

in the Matsya Puranam, a little known Hindu text.

Billboards bearing this sign, stressing the importance of

growing trees, have sparkled all over the temple town

of Tirumala-Tirupati in south India since 1995.

 

The temple here is no ordinary one-it has been

asserted that this is one of the richest religious

institutions in the world. In terms of piety, it is certainly

one of the most important pilgrimage spots in India.

That this ancient, traditional temple complex promotes

reforestation and donations for ecological projects is

important; it raises the consciousness of millions of

Hindus about the ecological disaster that is facing the

Earth.

 

The temple also encourages visitors to purchase, for a

minimal price, saplings and trees that come from this

sacred site and to take them back home as a token of

divine grace (prasada) and plant them there.

 

In northern India, for years, people had neglected the

pollution of the sacred river, Mother Ganga. She was

supposed to be the veritable mother of life. This river is

also the purifier, washing away moral and physical

pollution from human beings. Surely, argued many

Hindus, she, this mother who purifies, did not need any

help to be purified? But she did-big time.

 

Scientist-priests and devotees of the river have worked

hard to get the masses and industrialists out of denial

and have pushed efforts to clean not just Ganga, but

other rivers such as the Yamuna and the Kaveri.

 

Similar examples can be quoted from all over India.

Hindu narratives, rituals, customs as well as local,

ethnic folklore have been highlighted to help lift up the

urgency of protecting the environment. From major

Hindu temple complexes to small grass root

organizations, one is urged to give one's time, money,

and energies to saving the Earth. In some meditations

and action forums, Earth is personified as a Goddess

and like dharma or righteousness, she protects those

who protect her.

 

In many states in India that are not necessarily

associated with any single religious tradition, some

ethnic conceptualizations of the environmental problem

compare the degradation of nature to the oppression of

women. Here too, as in many other forums, men and

women are working together, raising consciousness and

working for solutions, using local narrative and ritual

contexts.

 

Should the environment, then, be a major priority for

people of faith? Yes, absolutely. Most religious

traditions emphasize the afterlife and the transience of

this life. This Earth, this life is but a dew drop. Should

we spend time on taking care of this fleeting world?

The answer is, or ought to be, "Yes."

 

This universe is in some theologies the body of the

deity, the temple, the light. Surely this is cause enough

to be gentle with Earth?

 

Many traditions speak about the wrongness of taking

away that which belongs to others. In acting as

accessories to vandalizing the Earth, are we not taking

away from those less privileged, taking their water,

their right to live, as well as from our future

generations?

 

Other traditions speak of compassion, of caring for

human beings. In taking care of this Earth, in

preventing further climactic and ecological disasters, in

providing the basic right of access to clean water,

perhaps one may be called a person of faith, a person in

harmony with the universe?

 

 

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/vasudha_narayanan/2007/02/o

ne_tree_is_equal_to.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/yw3f2j

 

Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor in the

Department of Religion at the University of Florida.

The "On Faith" [Washington Post] panelist also served

as president of the American Academy of Religion in

2001-2002. With the University, Narayanan created the

nation's first Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions

(CHiTra) to encourage the research, teaching and public

understanding of Hindu culture and traditions.

[Guest guest]

Our hindu culture is indeed "eco-sensitive" and there are so many practises and customs that are meant to promote this awareness and sensitivity.

One such which comes to mind is the practise of associating a particular star in the indian astrological calendar with a particular tree. Thus all the 27 stars have their own trees. The Thenmala Ecotourism project [Kerala] has a "Nakshatra Vanam" where all these trees have been planted. They also sell saplings and people are urged to plant them and protect them for all round prosperity.

 

The following link has an interesting article on how the Forest Dept. is also effecting conservation through communal harmony.This is very heartening especially when our "sacred grovesPambu Kavu's" etc. are being destroyed to make room for "growth and development".

 

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2004/12/24/stories/2004122405710500.htm

 

A green shot in the arm for communal harmony By J. B. S. Umanadh

NARSAPUR, DEC. 23. The Forrest Department is setting up a "Kartika vanam" for people from all religions in the forest nursery at Narsapur in Medak district, 50 km from Secunderabad.

The 3.5-hectare land set aside for the ambitious project will soon flourish into a designer garden based on astrology, mythology, Vedas and scriptures of the Hindu, Muslim and Christian religions.

Navagraha vanam

At the entrance of the park the stage is set for a massive "Navagraha vanam" (garden of nine planets). On the outer periphery of this theme park, nine gardens representing each planet are planted -- darbha for Kethu, raavi for Guru, uttareni for Budha, jammi for Sani, tellazilledu for Surya, medi for Sukra, garika for Rahu, sandra for Kuja and moduga for moon.

The Rasi - Nakshatra vanam, which will have a lawn in the centre and three outer layers with acacia catechu (Sandra) and acacia perujinea (Inupa tumma), and mimosops elengi (Pogada), would be second in row.

Seven representative plants were identified for the Saptarushi vanam with the help of priests. The master plan envisages garika for Jamadagni, jambi for Vasista, ummetha for Goutama, tulsi for Kasyapa, avisa for Agastya, maredu for Viswamitra and uttareni for Bhardhwaja.

Chand-tara vanam

The crescent-shaped garden for Muslims would have the lucky numbers 786 carved with select herbs. Forest officers are shopping in Bangalore and Hyderabad for the jaffra, khajur and anjur plants that would adore the crescent. The Cross-shaped Christmas vanam will have golden duranta as a major component, followed by auricura cunninghamai, terminalia calappa and casurina.

The Siddipet range officer, C. Sridhar Rao, who had picked up the idea from parks in Bidar and Shimoga of Karnataka, had succeeded in stopping encroachment on the 20-hectare forest land in Narsapur. Initially, a nursery was planned there, later with the help of funds from the AP Community Forest Management project he took up the work. "The information about representative planet is available in scriptures, all awe have to do is to look for them" Sidhar Rao adds.

 

 

 

 

 

msbauju <msbauju > wrote: Vandalizing the Earth Is Theft

 

by Vasudha Narayanan

February 7, 2007

 

"One tree is equal to ten sons" says the Goddess Parvati

in the Matsya Puranam, a little known Hindu text.

Billboards bearing this sign, stressing the importance of

growing trees, have sparkled all over the temple town

of Tirumala-Tirupati in south India since 1995.

 

The temple here is no ordinary one-it has been

asserted that this is one of the richest religious

institutions in the world. In terms of piety, it is certainly

one of the most important pilgrimage spots in India.

That this ancient, traditional temple complex promotes

reforestation and donations for ecological projects is

important; it raises the consciousness of millions of

Hindus about the ecological disaster that is facing the

Earth.

 

The temple also encourages visitors to purchase, for a

minimal price, saplings and trees that come from this

sacred site and to take them back home as a token of

divine grace (prasada) and plant them there.

 

In northern India, for years, people had neglected the

pollution of the sacred river, Mother Ganga. She was

supposed to be the veritable mother of life. This river is

also the purifier, washing away moral and physical

pollution from human beings. Surely, argued many

Hindus, she, this mother who purifies, did not need any

help to be purified? But she did-big time.

 

Scientist-priests and devotees of the river have worked

hard to get the masses and industrialists out of denial

and have pushed efforts to clean not just Ganga, but

other rivers such as the Yamuna and the Kaveri.

 

Similar examples can be quoted from all over India.

Hindu narratives, rituals, customs as well as local,

ethnic folklore have been highlighted to help lift up the

urgency of protecting the environment. From major

Hindu temple complexes to small grass root

organizations, one is urged to give one's time, money,

and energies to saving the Earth. In some meditations

and action forums, Earth is personified as a Goddess

and like dharma or righteousness, she protects those

who protect her.

 

In many states in India that are not necessarily

associated with any single religious tradition, some

ethnic conceptualizations of the environmental problem

compare the degradation of nature to the oppression of

women. Here too, as in many other forums, men and

women are working together, raising consciousness and

working for solutions, using local narrative and ritual

contexts.

 

Should the environment, then, be a major priority for

people of faith? Yes, absolutely. Most religious

traditions emphasize the afterlife and the transience of

this life. This Earth, this life is but a dew drop. Should

we spend time on taking care of this fleeting world?

The answer is, or ought to be, "Yes."

 

This universe is in some theologies the body of the

deity, the temple, the light. Surely this is cause enough

to be gentle with Earth?

 

Many traditions speak about the wrongness of taking

away that which belongs to others. In acting as

accessories to vandalizing the Earth, are we not taking

away from those less privileged, taking their water,

their right to live, as well as from our future

generations?

 

Other traditions speak of compassion, of caring for

human beings. In taking care of this Earth, in

preventing further climactic and ecological disasters, in

providing the basic right of access to clean water,

perhaps one may be called a person of faith, a person in

harmony with the universe?

 

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/vasudha_narayanan/2007/02/o

ne_tree_is_equal_to.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/yw3f2j

 

Vasudha Narayanan is Distinguished Professor in the

Department of Religion at the University of Florida.

The "On Faith" [Washington Post] panelist also served

as president of the American Academy of Religion in

2001-2002. With the University, Narayanan created the

nation's first Center for the Study of Hindu Traditions

(CHiTra) to encourage the research, teaching and public

understanding of Hindu culture and traditions.

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Nakshatra gardens and shade therapy is fascinating. One takes a nap under the shade of a tree during the tree's nakshatra and time and it heals ailments. And then there's also Maharishi's Nakshatra Bees which make soothing honey with qualities of the nakshatras. Not sure of the process but I think the Vedas are played for the bees constantly.

[Guest guest]

Pranam,llundrubji. This is really fasinating. Perhaps, you can elaborate a bit more?

Thanks.

With Love

Shankaree

 

llundrub <llundrub (AT) cox (DOT) net> wrote:

Nakshatra gardens and shade therapy is fascinating. One takes a nap under the shade of a tree during the tree's nakshatra and time and it heals ailments. And then there's also Maharishi's Nakshatra Bees which make soothing honey with qualities of the nakshatras. Not sure of the process but I think the Vedas are played for the bees constantly.

 

 

 

 

 

Let my every word be a prayer to Thee,

Every movement of my hands a ritual gesture to Thee,

Every step I take a circumambulation of Thy image,

Every morsel I eat a rite of sacrifice to Thee,

Every time I lay down a prostration at Thy feet;

Every act of personal pleasure and all else that I do,

Let it all be a form of worshiping Thee."

 

>From Verse 27 of Shri Aadi Shankara's Saundaryalahari

 

 

 

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