Guiding Light: Adopt eco-friendly habits for a golden future

Climate change and global warming are sometimes thought of as things that will happen in the future. But scientists are finding increasing evidence that the planet is changing now — and that people must take a large share of the blame for this phenomenon. They further explain that excessive carbon emissions through industrial, vehicular pollution, use of CFCs and plundering of forests and natural resources have depleted the ozone layer. This has trapped more and more of solar radiation inside the earth's atmosphere.

As a result, the earth is heating up which has begun to trigger a chain of natural upheavals like floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and landslides in recent times. To prevent such an eventuality, humans need to work on themselves. Man does not need to master nature. The human soul is the master of all that is material. It is when the soul begins to identify itself with the body that it comes under the influence of matter and vices.

In the Golden and Silver Ages, when all human souls had self awareness and divine qualities, nature was their obedient servant. No natural calamity ever occurred in that era because humans and nature existed in complete harmony, each respecting the other. This state of affairs continued till the beginning of the Copper Age, when the souls forgot who they were and began to come under the influence of the body and the vices. They then began to exploit natural resources, gradually harming the environment. In return, nature too ceased to obey souls who had lost mastery over themselves.

As the influence of the vices grew, so did the plunder of nature, and what was once a harmonious relationship turned more into one between an exploiter and the exploited.

This process, over time, has brought us to the present pass. Now, if we wish to go back from the brink and return to a life of harmony with nature, we need to realise our spiritual identity and values. Such awareness will make us naturally eco-friendly, and send out a positive energy that will bring the elements of nature into harmony with us again. If a critical mass of humans begin to live with this spiritual awareness, nature will, by itself, become our friend, and humanity will look at a golden instead of doubtful future.

(The writer is a spiritual educator & popular columnist for publications across India, Nepal & UK. You can write to him at: nikunjji@gmail.com / www.brahmakumaris.com)

Published on: Thursday, June 16, 2022, 08:43 AM IST