Inner cleansing must for outer harmony

Today, globally, every country is facing the consequences of pollution, contamination, or abuse of air, water, food, and even space on a very large scale, but they are not able to find a foolproof solution to this dangerous threat to humanity. Environmental pollution has been the focus of public attention during the last couple of years, and it is now being increasingly realised that man has wantonly and cruelly been treating the planet Earth and ravaging and ruining the atmosphere. The denudation of forests, the poisoning of lakes and rivers with pesticides and industrial wastes, the pollution of the atmosphere with smoke from automobiles and factory chimneys, and the overuse of chlorofluorocarbons, resulting in the depletion of the ozone layer, have brought the world to the brink of an environmental disaster. Environmental scientists now warn that the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere would not only result in the greenhouse effect but would also increase the planet’s average temperature from 3°F to 9°F. This would cause the oceans to rise by several feet, flooding coastal areas, ruining huge areas of farmlands, and triggering other calamities. It is, therefore, being suggested now that industries must re-examine their production processes so that industrial wastes and the smoke from their chimneys can be reduced, waste products must be recycled, and means of mass transport be encouraged in place of automobiles for individuals or families.

If we look up the dictionary meaning of the word “pollution,” we may find something like “to destroy purity of; to contaminate.” However, we humans are only aware of the material pollution in the branches of the polluted tree, and we have totally disregarded the seed or root of thought pollution, which gave growth to that tree. So, without destroying the root basis of pollution, the source can never be purified. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the problem of environmental pollution is actually due to pollution of man’s mind, which is full of selfishness, jealousy, greed, anger, etc. The problem of ecological imbalance is due to our mental imbalance, and the disequilibrium in nature is due to the disequilibrium in man’s mind.

Secondly, we must understand that the problem of pollution is linked with the problem of enormous and rapid population increase. Hence, to meet the demands of a growing population, more and more electricity, fuel, energy, automobiles, wood, water, paper, and industries are needed, and all these act badly on the environment.

Also, man’s lifestyle has become such that there is a great demand for energy and consumer goods. So, more and more trees are cut, and forests and farmlands vanish to give place to expanding cities, resulting in more industrial waste and emission of CO2, SO2, etc.

Without reducing population and changing lifestyle and attitudes, the problem of environmental pollution cannot be solved. It is in this respect that the help of spiritualists is called for. The ultimate solution to this problem lies in realising the self and our relationship with other human beings.

Remember, great men are those who see that the spiritual force is much stronger than the material force. Hence, without a spiritual orientation of the relationship between man and man, moral and spiritual values cannot be brought into play or be sustained, and in the absence of these core values, no problem can really be solved for a considerable length of time.

It is, therefore, essential for all of us to understand our real and intrinsic nature behind the mask or the garment of the body to set the direction right. If this is not done, then possibly science without spirituality may dangerously lead mankind to a nuclear catastrophe, population explosion, or environmental upheaval. So, let us use the powerful weapon of spiritual wisdom to cleanse our soul from thought pollution and survive in harmony with nature and its elements without any kind of disturbance whatsoever.