How We Relate to Life

He who has faith and devotion in God as a result of his innate innocence, easily beholds God in everything, in every tree and animal, in every aspect of Nature. This attitude enables him to live in perfect harmony, in tune with Nature. The never-ending stream of love that flows from a true believer towards entire Creation will have a gentle, soothing effect on Nature. This love is the best protection of Nature.

The relationship between man and Nature is like the relationship between Pindanada, the microcosm and Brahmnananda, the macrocosm. Our ancestors understood this and so they included Nature worship in religious practices. The idea behind all religious practices was to closely associate human beings with Nature. By establishing a loving relationship between man and nature they insured both the balance of nature and the progress of the human-race.

Ancients loved and worshipped trees and plants such as the banyan tree, bilva and tulsi, not because the trees bore fruit and helped them to make a profit, but because ancients knew that they were connected.

Indic scriptures suggest that a householder should perform the pancha yajnas or five daily sacrifices… Bhuta yajna is the last sacrifice; it is to serve all living beings as embodiments of the Universal Being. This is done through the feeding of and caring for animals and plants. Earlier, family members never ate before feeding domestic birds and animals.

They would also water their plants and trees before eating. In those days worshipping Nature and natural phenomenon were part and parcel of human life. People were always eager to please Nature in gratitude for her kind gifts. Bhuta yajna brings about the consciousness of the unity of all life.

The will of separation between humans and Nature is created mainly by the selfish attitude of humans. They think that Nature has created only for them to use and exploit in order to fulfill their selfish desires. This attitude creates a wall, a separation and a distance.

Everything is pervaded by consciousness. It is consciousness which sustains the world and all creatures in it. To worship everything, seeing God in all, is what religion advises. Such an attitude teaches us to love Nature. None of us would consciously injure our own body, because we know it would be painful. Similarly, we will feel the pain of other people to be our own when the realization dawns in us that everything is pervaded by the same consciousness. Compassion will arise, and we will sincerely wish to help and protect all. In that state, we won’t feel like plucking even a leaf unnecessarily.

Looking at Nature and observing its selfless way of giving, we can become aware of our own limitations. That will help to develop devotion and self surrender to God. Thus, Nature helps us to become closer to God and teaches us to truly worship Him. In reality, Nature is nothing but God’s visible form which we can behold and experience through our senses. Indeed, by loving and serving Nature we are worshipping none other than God Himself.