Traditional Wisdom And Environmental Protectio
Aconcern with the environment is A imperative for us because we live from it; we live in it; and we live with it. By saying that 'we live from it' is neant that it provides us the means to ur livelihood. It is the source of raw materials for productive activities. So much so that 'we mine its resources; ultivate and harvest its fruits; shape he contours of the land for human abitation, roads and dredge rivers or transport'. 'We live in it' means that 'the environment is notjust a physical recondition for human life and roductive activity; it is where we lead ur daily lives. Environment matters to s for social, aesthetic and cultural easons. It is where our work-a-day life akes place and derives its significance. tis where our individual and collective istories are made. It is where besides work we indulge in leisure: walking, ishing, climbing, swimming, playing, etc. The environment-forests, beaches, rivers, seas and mountains-provides us the backdrop for these activities. In this sense, it has what economists call 'recreation value'. We live withthe environment in the sense that the environment existed prior to our arrival and shall outlast us on earth. It is given to us, we have not created it. We can only respond to it by expressing a feeling of awe and wonder towards it. It has an inherent value and any 'loss of biodiversity, the disappearance of particular habitats and the extinction, local and global, of particular species of flora and fauna'is mourned for its own sake. Though in this sense environment is an end in itself, economists term it as 'existence value'. Indian thinkers abhor the idea of measuring the value of environment in material terms or in terms of satisfaction of preferences, because they realise that Indic sages realised that the cause for environmental degradation is not need but greed, our natural and unnatural desire to accumulate more and more. According to them the criterion of distinguishing between a natural or real, and a non-natural, artificial or contrived desire is that 'natural desires are quenched easily: thirst by water, hunger byfood. But the craving for possession is an artificial one; it goes on unceasingly and is never fully satisMoreover, a natural desire accorto them is fulfilled or satisfied the moment one gets what he sought. Fcexample, if youdrink the water youthirst for, your desire ceases. Similaif feeling hungry, youreceive the foyou seek, your hunger comes to aneIf, then, man's appetite for gold, forexample, always comes back, a passnever satiated, and so man's cravingoes on without an end, this is becadoes not proceed from an inclinatioimplanted by nature. The man with an imbalanced grmind constantly strives to fulfil his desires adopting right or wrong means. He forgets that 'all things arconnected'. The destruction of oneleads to the destruction of the other Therefore it is imperative to reveretraditional wisdom along with modeco-friendly practices and learn toin sync with the environment.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Ashok Vohra kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Ashok Vohra Speaking Tree ,Times of India
Traditional Wisdom And Environmental Protectio
Aconcern with the environment is A imperative for us because we live from it; we live in it; and we live with it. By saying that 'we live from it' is neant that it provides us the means to ur livelihood. It is the source of raw materials for productive activities. So much so that 'we mine its resources; ultivate and harvest its fruits; shape he contours of the land for human abitation, roads and dredge rivers or transport'. 'We live in it' means that 'the environment is notjust a physical recondition for human life and roductive activity; it is where we lead ur daily lives. Environment matters to s for social, aesthetic and cultural easons. It is where our work-a-day life akes place and derives its significance. tis where our individual and collective istories are made. It is where besides work we indulge in leisure: walking, ishing, climbing, swimming, playing, etc. The environment-forests, beaches, rivers, seas and mountains-provides us the backdrop for these activities. In this sense, it has what economists call 'recreation value'. We live withthe environment in the sense that the environment existed prior to our arrival and shall outlast us on earth. It is given to us, we have not created it. We can only respond to it by expressing a feeling of awe and wonder towards it. It has an inherent value and any 'loss of biodiversity, the disappearance of particular habitats and the extinction, local and global, of particular species of flora and fauna'is mourned for its own sake. Though in this sense environment is an end in itself, economists term it as 'existence value'. Indian thinkers abhor the idea of measuring the value of environment in material terms or in terms of satisfaction of preferences, because they realise that Indic sages realised that the cause for environmental degradation is not need but greed, our natural and unnatural desire to accumulate more and more. According to them the criterion of distinguishing between a natural or real, and a non-natural, artificial or contrived desire is that 'natural desires are quenched easily: thirst by water, hunger byfood. But the craving for possession is an artificial one; it goes on unceasingly and is never fully satisMoreover, a natural desire accorto them is fulfilled or satisfied the moment one gets what he sought. Fcexample, if youdrink the water youthirst for, your desire ceases. Similaif feeling hungry, youreceive the foyou seek, your hunger comes to aneIf, then, man's appetite for gold, forexample, always comes back, a passnever satiated, and so man's cravingoes on without an end, this is becadoes not proceed from an inclinatioimplanted by nature. The man with an imbalanced grmind constantly strives to fulfil his desires adopting right or wrong means. He forgets that 'all things arconnected'. The destruction of oneleads to the destruction of the other Therefore it is imperative to reveretraditional wisdom along with modeco-friendly practices and learn toin sync with the environment.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are Ashok Vohra kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: Ashok Vohra Speaking Tree ,Times of India