The Official Website of his holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Today being World Mother Earth
Day, let us pledge to nurture and care for the environment. 

Development
is imperative, but a short-sighted approach is often the cause of great harm.
Sustainable development is that which keeps in mind the long-term effects and
benefits of any programme. 

Short-sighted development is a disaster. Ravaging natural resources without a
long-term vision will destroy the ecology, which is the very source of life.
The purpose of development should be to support and sustain life. With the
bigger picture in mind, all development plans will factor in the ecology,
sociology and psychology. Then the very process of development becomes a
conscious endeavor to preserve the planet and its resources. The health of our
planet is of utmost importance.

Environment consciousness is inbuilt in the human system. Throughout history,
Nature ( prakriti) has always been
adored in India; mountains, rivers, the sun, the moon, the trees have been
revered. In fact, ancient cultures all over the world have exhibited a deep
reverence for Nature. For them, God was not in temples or churches, but was
inherent in Nature. It's only when we start moving away from Nature that we
start polluting Nature. Today there is a pressing need to revive the ancient
practice of honouring and conserving Nature.

Many are of the view that damage to ecology is an inevitable by-product of
technological progress. But that is not necessarily so; actually, a sustainable
growth is assured only if the ecology is protected. Science and technology
should not be regarded as anti-environment; rather, we need to find ways of
maintaining harmony in environment while progressing in science and technology.
This is the biggest challenge of this century.

Just observe Nature; the five elements of Nature are opposed to each other.
Water destroys fire, fire destroys air. Then there are so many species in
Nature - the birds, reptiles, mammals; all these different species are hostile
towards each other and yet Nature balances them out. We need to learn from
Nature; how Nature digests waste material and produces something more
beautiful. Similarly, it is not technology and science that pose a hazard, but
the waste material generated by technological and scientific processes.

We need to find methods to consume the waste and develop non-polluting
processes, such as harnessing of solar energy. A return to traditional methods
such as organic and chemical-free farming will go a long way in preparing the
ground for healthy development. Tradition, technology, trade and truth are the
four key factors, which need to be revived time and again. Unless they are
revived, the whole meaning for which they were initiated will be lost; ancient
and modern methods should be synergised. Despite advances in the field of
chemicals and fertilisers, the ancient Vedic technology of using cow urine and
cow dung continue to be one of the best ways to cultivate crops. Several
studies have shown that natural farming leads to enhanced yield.

The latest technology needn't always be the most economically viable or
efficient technology. We need to look into the merits; just because something
is new, it is not necessarily good and just because some thing is old, it need
not be discarded.

There can be no sustainable development in a society full of stress and
violence. A disease-free body, a stress-free mind, a violence-free society and
a toxin-free environment are vital elements of sustainable development. If we
have to keep opening more and more hospitals and prisons as society develops,
it does not augur well. Access to more hospitals beds and availability of more
prisons are not signs of development.

Sustainable development also means freedom from all types of crimes. Destroying
the environment, cutting down trees, dumping toxic waste, using non-recyclable
materials is also a crime. Environment is our first body, then comes the
physical body and the mind, the mental sheath. You have to cater to all the
three levels.

In reality, man's greed is the greatest pollutant. Greed stops man from sharing
with others. Greed also obstructs the preservation of ecology; man is so
greedy, he wants to make quick profits and achieve quick results. This greed
not only pollutes the gross, physical environment but also contaminates the
subtle atmosphere; it stimulates negative emotions in the subtle mind. These
negative vibrations, once compounded, give rise to unrest in society. Negative
feelings of hatred, anger, jealousy are the root cause of all disasters and misery
in the world, whether they are economical, political or social in nature.

 People should be encouraged to treat the
planet as sacred, to treat trees and rivers as sacred, to treat people as
sacred, and to see God in nature and in people. This will foster sensitivity;
and a sensitive person can't but care for nature. It is basically insensitivity
that makes a person act callously towards environment. If a person is
sensitive, he will nurture environment, thereby eradicating pollution.

 The Art of Living Foundation