Plants/Animals
The Hindu idea is that this whole
world is a forest. To keep this world as it is we have to keep the
world-forest intact. Hinduism describes everything in terms of
divinity and in relation to the Ultimate Reality. The different
aspects of this Ultimate Reality are all to be found in the
various forms of the physical world.
Lord
Krishna brought forward the cows and played on His flute through
the forest of Vrindavan, which was full of flowers, vegetables,
and pasturing grass. The Vrindavan forest was as sanctified as the
clear mind of a devotee.
Refer to Hinduism
and Ecology: Seeds of Truth - By Ranchor Prime.
***
In the Bhagavad Gita,
Krishna compares the world to a single banyan tree with unlimited
branches in which all the species of animals, humans and demigods
wander. Indian consciousness is full of trees and forests. If you
look, for example, in Greek literature, you will find only a few
descriptions of trees and forests, whereas Indian literature such
as Ramayana and Mahabharata is full of such descriptions, as if
the people were always under a tree. The bond between Indian
people and trees is very strong.
Hindu tradition describes three basic categories of forest.
One is shrivan, the forest which provides you prosperity. Then
there is tapovan, where you can contemplate as the sages did and
seek after truth. The third is mahavana – the great natural
forest where all species of life find shelter. Each of these
categories must be preserved.
(source: Hinduism
and Ecology: Seeds of Truth - By Ranchor Prime p. 10). Refer to
Christian
The
‘Saint’ Who Chopped Down Thor’s Sacred Tree
- hinduhumanrights.info).
Refer
to Eating
of Meat and Beef in the Hindu Tradition
- By David Frawley - hinduvoice.com). Also refer to Killing
Calderon Dolphins in Denmark
Refer
to Fight
Global Warming by Going Vegetarian
- govegan.com.
Refer
to Outrageous
Disgrace – Animal experiments
- Conservatively
speaking, approximately 100 million vertebrates in the world are
experimented upon annually by the animal research industry of
which approximately 22 million animals
belong to the
United States
. Most of the animals are
killed after research.
(source:
The
Day of the Bullies - By
David Irving).
Forests
and groves were considered sacred, and flowering trees received special
reverence. Just as various animals were associated with gods and goddesses,
different trees and plants were also associated in the Hindu pantheon. The
Mahabharata
says that ‘even if there is only one tree full of flowers and
fruits in the village, that place becomes worthy of worship and
respect.’
Hindus see divinity in all living creatures.
Animal deities therefore, occupy an important place in Hindu dharma.
Animals, for example, are very common as form of transport for various Gods and
Goddesses. The entire clan of Shiva is
replete with ecological symbolism. Shiva’s consort Parvati is considered the
daughter of the mountain. She is the personification of Mother Earth. In Hindu
stories and iconography, there is a
close relationship between the various deities, and their animal or bird mounts.
Each divinity is associated with a particular animal or bird, and this lends a
special dimension to the animal kingdom.
As the sheep is to
Christianity, the cow is to Hinduism. Lord Krishna was a cowherd, and the bull
is depicted as the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Today the cow has almost become a
symbol of Hinduism. As opposed to the West, where the cow is widely considered as nothing better
than walking hamburgers, in India,
the cow is believed to be a symbol of the
earth - because it gives so much yet asks nothing in return.
Because of its great economic importance, it makes good
sense to protect the cow.
It is said Mahatma Gandhi became a vegetarian because
he felt cows were ill-treated. Such is the respect for the cow, notes scholar
Jeaneane Fowler,
that Indians had offered to take in millions of cows waiting for slaughter in
Britain as a result of the crisis in beef production in 1996.
Snakes are a symbol of healing and primal energy. In art, the Naginis are
figures of beauty.Vishnu reclines on the serpent
Ananta
eternally. In
Kerala, snakes are worshipped as guardians of the home; and it is said that when
a snake enters your life, there will be a new birth of creativity and wisdom. In
Bengal, the goddess Manasa, a divine nagini, is worshipped for her powers to
vanquish illness. Dogs have always been man's faithful friends, loyal and
loving. Yudhishthira refused to enter heaven without his dog. After the Pandavas
crossed over to the celestial zones, Yudhishthira's dog became dharma
personified. He told Indra, ``This dog, O Lord, is highly devoted to me. He
should go with me. My heart is full of compassion for him''.
Nag
Panchami is observed on the 5th day of the bright half of
Shravan (July-August). On this day nag, cobras and snakes are worshipped with
milk, sweets, flowers, lamps and even sacrifice. The image of Nag deities made
of silver; stone, wood are first bathed with water and milk, and then worshipped
with the reciting of the following mantras:
Nagah preeta bhavantih shantimapnoti
vai vibhoh,
Sashanti lok ma sadhya modate
shashttih samah.
Nagaraja: Snakes
and cobras are held in awe and reverence in India. They are worshipped and
offered prayers on the Nag Panchami day.
Refer
to Killing
Calderon Dolphins in Denmark
and The
Global Meat Industry - Depths Of Depravity - by Radha Rajan and
Paying
a Price for Loving Red Meat -
nytimes.com and Boss
Hog - rolingstone.com and How
“The NAFTA Flu” Exploded - By Al
Giordano
***
Snakes
and cobras are held in awe and reverence in India. They are worshipped and
offered prayers on the Nag Panchami day. Fast is observed and Brahmins are fed
on this day. The piety observed on this day is considered a sure protection
against the fear of snake-bite. At many places real cobras and snakes worshipped
and fairs held. On this day digging the earth is prohibited, because the
serpents live under the earth or in nether world and digging may hurt or annoy
them. The various purans like Agni Puran, Skanda Puran, Narad Puran, etc. They
roam about the land wearing lustrous jewels and ornaments. The thousand-hooded
Shesh Nag or Anant is the most earth like a chaplet on his crown. When he nods
or yawns, the earth with its oceans and mountains, begin to tremble. A
small village near Sangli, Battis Shirale,
is famous for its snake catchers, and people throng the streets to watch the
thrilling performances of expert snake charmers.
Pola
Festival - Expressing Gratitude for animals
Cattle
are bathed, colorfully decorated and taken out in processions
across the village, accompanied by the music of drumbeats in
Central India.
Pola
brings out an important facet of Hindu culture, which does not
look upon cattle as mere beasts of burden, but treats them with
dignity and gratitude.
(image
source:
Webmaster's own collection from Maharashtra, India).
Refer
to The
Global Meat Industry - Depths Of Depravity - by Radha Rajan and
Paying
a Price for Loving Red Meat -
nytimes.com and Boss
Hog - rolingstone.com and How
“The NAFTA Flu” Exploded - By Al
Giordano
***
The harvest festival is
celebrated by farmers all over Maharashtra. On this day bullocks, which are an
integral part of the agricultural chores and consequently the village economy,
are honored. They are bathed, colorfully decorated and
taken out in processions across the village, accompanied by the music of
drumbeats and lezhim (a musical instrument made of a wooden rod and
an iron chain full of metallic pieces). Pola brings out
an important facet of Hindu culture, which does not look upon cattle as mere
beasts of burden, but treats them with dignity and gratitude.
On the new moon day of Shravan,
farmers celebrate the feast of the bull. Man is part of nature. There is a
strong bond between man and everything round him. The bull is a farmer’s
inseparable partner. The whole year round the bull renders him invaluable
service. On Pola’s Day the farmer wants to show his appreciation to the bull. On
this day the bulls are washed and decorated. Their horns are
colourfully painted. They are not given any work. They are given special food,
taken in procession and worshipped. In some places the camel is considered more
important than the bull. For some people the horse, or the donkey, or sheep are
more important. The importance of an animal is related to its utility to man.
(source:
travelmasti.com
and aryabhatt.com).
Refer to
Killing
Calderon Dolphins in Denmark
Vegetarianism in Hinduism
There is evidence of
vegetarianism in the Vedas, Upanishads,
Dharma Shastras, Yoga Sutras and most sacred texts of
Hindus. These scriptures unambiguously support the meatless diet.
This was observed by the ancient travelers like Megasthenes and
Fa-Hsien, a Chinese Buddhist monk who, in the fifth century,
traveled to India in order to obtain authentic copies of the
scriptures.
"The
purchaser of flesh performs himsa (violence) by his wealth; he who
eats flesh does so by enjoying its taste; the killer does himsa by
actually tying and killing the animal. Thus, there are three forms
of killing: he who brings flesh or sends for it, he who cuts off
the limbs of an animal, and he who purchases, sells or cooks flesh
and eats it - all of these are to be considered
meat-eaters."
- Mahabharata
In the Tirukural, a Tamil
scripture written over 2,000 years ago, abstaining from a diet
consisting of flesh is clearly stated as a virtue.
"Greater
than a thousand ghee offerings consumed in sacrificial fires is to
not sacrifice and consume any living creature..."
- Tirukural
Today India has the highest population of
vegetarians in the world. According to reports 20% of India’s
population is vegetarian.
Indians have been behind some of the greatest discoveries and
ideas in the world. From mathematics, to astronomy to literature,
the Indian mind has always been able to give form to abstract
ideas and concepts. Vegetarianism is just one more thing that we
should thank India for fostering.
(source:
Refer
to Global
Meat Industry - Depths of Depravity - By Radha Rajan
Refer
to Eating
of Meat and Beef in the Hindu Tradition
- By David Frawley - hinduvoice.com).
Vat Savitiri - The Worship Of A
Sacred Tree
The Savitri festival falls on the full moon day of the month of Jyeshtha, around
June. On this day, women fast and worship the Vat tree to pray for the growth
and strength of their families, like the sprawling tree which lives for
centuries. Newly married women visit a nearby Vat tree and worship it by tying
red threads of love around it. They offer flowers and sweets to the tree. When
the moon rises full and resplendent on the horizon, special feasts are shared by
families.
Almost every woman in India knows the Puranic legend of Savitri, one of the most
venerated women of Indian mythology. Savitri was a princess, born by the
blessing of the sun god to King Ashwapati. A lustrous woman of great beauty, she
was sent to the forest ashrams of sages to look for a suitable bridegroom for
herself. Eventually, she met Satyawan, a prince living in the forest because his
blind father had been banished from his empire. When Savitri revealed to her
parents her determination to marry Satyawan, the court astrologers tried to stop
her. They said that the prince's lifeline clearly showed that he would die
within a year. Savitri had however, accepted him as her husband and would not be
deterred from her resolve. She married him and went to the forest ashram to live
with him and his parents.
On the full moon night of jyeshtha, the couple went into the
jungle to collect firewood. As Satyawan rested under a Vat tree, Yama, the god
of death came to snatch away his life. Savitri, seeing Yama take away her
husband's breath, followed, pleading with him to return her husband's life. At
each milestone, going from earth to heaven, Yama tried to persuade the
determined princess to return home and accept the destiny of her husband as
unchangeable. In the face of her resolve to conquer what appeared to be
insurmountable obstacles, all his efforts were in vain. Then, to persuade her
more effectively, he offered her three boons, excluding the life of her dead
husband.
Savitri, a woman of great intelligence, couched her requests in such a manner
that she got back everything that her family had lost. First, she asked for the
lost sight of her blind father-in-law. Next, she asked for their lost empire and
prosperity. And finally she asked for worthy progeny. When Yama had granted her
the boon of progeny, she reminded him that his boon could not be fulfilled
without Satyawan. Yama, defeated by her strength and faith, had to surrender the
life force of Satyawan to her, and bless her with an immortal place in the
hearts of her people.
Today, Savitri's power and her tenacity to overcome insurmountable problems
remains an inspiration for every woman. She is venerated on the jyeshtha full
moon day which is named after her and the tree under which this legend
unfolded.Nag Panchami
(source:
Nag
Panchami and Vat
Savitri - The Worship of Sacred Trees).
Even e Lord Krishna always wore a peacock feather in his crown.
Ganesha, the son of Shiva, is a combination of
elephant and man. The elephant is worshipped in this country and even today
forms an integral part of many temples and festivals. Muruka or Subramanyan,
another son of Shiva, also with the trident as his favorite weapon, and the
peacock as his vehicle, is a deity of woods and mountains in South India. Animals also appear as independent divine
creatures.
Sacred Groves and Trees
The pipal tree or
asvatta (Ficus religiosa) has had a conspicuous position in the
cultural landscape of north India and human collective memory for more than
5,000 years. It was depicted even on Mohenjo Daro seals. Buddha himself found
enlightenment under a pipal tree (Mansberger, 1988). Buddha is reported
to have been born in a sacred grove, Lumbinivana, full of sal trees (Gadgil,
1985).
For Hindus the bel tree, Aegle marmelos,
is associated with Shiva, tulasi with Vishnu, and fig (Ficus glomerata)
with Dattatreya, the son of Trimurty.
Nakeera,
the Tamil poet of the Sangam period,
states that Lord Muruka could be found in the forest, in a place surrounded by
water, rivers, tanks, meeting places under trees, new-grown groves, etc.
The
kadampa tree is likened to Lord Muruka himself. Sangam tradition holds that
he is the owner of all the hilly tracts with rich groves (Ramachandran, 1990).
Ayyappa, Aiyanar and Sasta (all considered to be the same) of south India is
essentially a deity of the woods, whose province is to guard the fields, crops
and herds of the peasantry and to drive away their enemies.
No temples existed in India
during the Vedic period. They were not to be found in the pre-Buddhist period
except for wooden ones. The ancient Buddhist sacred place was the stupa
(Hastings, ed., 1934). The various gods and goddesses whom the indigenous
population of peninsular India worshipped were not accustomed to dwell in the
secluded atmosphere of temples; they loved the open air. Even today, for the
gramadevata
(village goddess) of south India there are no temples in many villages. The
deity may be in the shadow of a big tree. Generally they are lodged in small
shrines. In a good number of villages no object is placed to represent the deity
and the tree itself is regarded as the embodiment of the deity.
An interesting stage in the
transformation of the sacred tree into the anthropomorphic form was observed by
the Italian traveller Della Valle, who visited India in 1623–25. He found in
Surat the worship of Parvati in the form of a tree. Her face was painted on the
tree and offerings were of vegetable origin (Wheller and Macmillan, 1956).
In the personification of Lord
Shiva, for instance, we may observe the evolution of Indian traditional thought
of living in partnership with nature. He is as old as Indian thought and his
origin probably merges with oblivion in the Indus Valley culture. He has
mountains and wild places as his abode. His entangled hair symbolizes the
primeval untamed forest. The Ganga originating from his tress depicts the
watershed function of sacred groves. Serpents coiled around his neck symbolize
coexistence with the denizens of the ecosystem. By his trident and leopard skin
attire he brings to our mind the picture of the hunter-gatherer. This destruction is followed by
creation; incorporating the elements (bhutas) from Mother Earth sprouts
crops and grasses and once again forests. The sacred grove, on the other hand,
was aboriginal forest which enhanced overall landscape heterogeneity and thereby
greater plant and animal diversity. The necklace of rudraksha (Elaeocarpus
spp.) adorning Shiva’s neck also highlights his links with the forest.
Various trees, fruits and plants have special significance
in Hindu ritual. Hindu religious scripts, stories, and rituals have
attempted to drive home the importance of preserving nature by deifying it
through the centuries.
Lord Krishna
says in the
Bhagavad
Gita
(9.26):
Patram Pushpam phalam toyam, yo mey bhaktya
prayachchati Tadaham bhakt yupahrutam asnaami prayataatmanaha
I accept a leaf, flower, fruit or water Or
whatever is offered with devotion.
The
neem
tree is sacred and its flower is offered to God and eaten on New Years day
although it is sour. The bilva
tree, its flowers and fruits are very sacred for Shiva worship. The
tulsi
(sage) plant is regarded as the abode of Krishna and is important in all
pujas.
Sandal
wood,
its paste and oil are important in
worship of gods.
All plants and flowers have medicinal value in the
Hindu system of medicine (ayurveda) brought by the divine medicine man
Dhanvantari
during
Samudra mathana (churning of oceans).
The
coconut
tree and the coconut are sacred and are offered to God during worship. Mango
leaves are used as festoons during pujas and auspicious events. All flowers and
leaves of plants are used during worship for pushpa puja and patra puja. The lotus
is a sacred flower and plant for Hindus. The banana
plant and leaves are used for ornamentation and worship.
The 'tulsi' plant or Indian basil is an important symbol in the
Hindu religious tradition. The name 'tulsi' connotes "the incomparable
one". Tulsi is a venerated plant and Hindus worship it in the morning and
evening. Tulsi grows wild in the tropics and warm regions. Dark or Shyama tulsi
and light or Rama tulsi are the two main varieties of basil, the former
possessing greater medicinal value. Of the many varieties, the Krishna or
Shyama tulsi is commonly used for worship.
Tulsi
As A Deity
The presence of tulsi plant symbolizes the religious bent of a Hindu family.
A Hindu household is considered incomplete if it doesn't have a tulsi plant in
the courtyard. Many families have the tulsi planted in a specially built
structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an
alcove for a small earthen oil lamp. Some households can even have up to a dozen
tulsi plants on the verandah or in the garden forming a "tulsi-van" or
"tulsivrindavan" - a miniature basil forest.
Vaishavites or believers of Lord Vishnu worship the tulsi leaf because it's the one that pleases Lord
Vishnu the most. They also wear beaded necklaces made of tulsi stems. The
manufacture of these tulsi necklaces is a cottage industry in pilgrimages and
temple towns.
Tulsi
As An Elixir: Apart from its religious significance it is of great medicinal
significance, and is a prime herb in Ayurvedic treatment. Marked by its strong aroma and a stringent taste, tusli is a kind
of "the elixir of life" as it promotes longevity. The plant's extracts
can be used to prevent and cure many illnesses and common ailments like common
cold, headaches, stomach disorders, inflammation, heart disease, various forms
of poisoning and malaria. Essential oil extracted from karpoora tulsi is
mostly used for medicinal purposes though of late it is used in the manufacture
of herbal toiletry.
According to Jeevan
Kulkarni, author of Historical Truths
& Untruths Exposed, when Hindu women worship tulsi, they in effect pray
for "less and less carbonic acid and more and more oxygen - a perfect
object lesson in sanitation, art and religion". The tulsi plant is even
known to purify or de-pollute the atmosphere and also works as a repellent to
mosquitoes, flies and other harmful insects. Tulsi used to be a universal remedy
in cases of malverdana fever. Prof Shrinivas Tilak, who teaches Religion at Concordia University, Montreal
has made this historical citation: In a letter written to The Times,
London, dated May 2, 1903 Dr George Birdwood, Professor of Anatomy, Grant
Medical College, Bombay said, "When the Victoria Gardens were established
in Bombay, the men employed on those works were pestered by mosquitoes. At the
recommendation of the Hindu managers, the whole boundary of the gardens was
planted with holy basil, on which the plague of mosquitos was at once abated,
and fever altogether disappeared from among the resident gardners."
Tulsi In Legends: According to one legend, Tulsi is also
mentioned in the stories of Meera and of Radha immortalised in Jayadev's Gita
Govinda. The story of Lord Krishna has it that when Krishna was weighed
in gold, not even all the ornaments of Satyabhama could outweigh him. But a
single tulsi leaf placed by Rukmani on the pan tilted the scale. In the Hindu
stories, tulsi is very dear to Lord Vishnu. Tulsi
is ceremonially married to Lord Vishnu annually on the 11th bright day of the
month of Karttika in the lunar calendar. This festival continues for five days and concludes on the full moon day, which falls in
mid October. This ritual, called the 'Tulsi Vivaha' inaugurates the annual
marriage season in India.
(source: http://hinduism.about.com/religion/hinduism/library/weekly/aa062000a.htm).
Page < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >