Spirituality and Ecology

Spirituality and Ecology: What the Pandemic Taught Me

Hare Krishna!

A few years ago, during the lockdown, we were all forced to sit still. Suddenly the traffic stopped, skies became clearer, rivers started cleaning themselves, and we heard birds we hadn’t noticed for years. Nature was healing — and it made me ask myself: Had we been hurting her all this time without realizing it?

In those quiet days, I reflected a lot. For years, we’ve been chasing comforts — bigger houses, softer beds, shinier things. But no matter how soft the mattress, the soul inside remains restless. We decorate the body endlessly but forget to nurture the soul. We invest in gadgets and luxuries but ignore the very planet that gives us water, food, and life itself.

The pandemic exposed this imbalance. Suddenly, the things we thought mattered — travel, malls, entertainment — vanished overnight. What remained? The basics: food, water, fresh air, and human connection. And in that silence, many of us realized: happiness doesn’t come from endless consumption but from harmony — with nature, with people, and with God.

Nature Is Not Separate From God

Vedic wisdom calls the Earth Bhumi Devi — the wife of Lord Vishnu. Before we step on her, we pray:

samudra-vasane devi parvata-sthana-mandale
vishnu-patni namastubhyam pada-sparsham kshamasva me

“O Mother Earth, consort of Vishnu, forgive me for touching you with my feet.”

When you see the earth this way, you can’t exploit her carelessly. She’s not just soil; she’s sacred. The Gita reminds us that earth, water, fire, air — all are Krishna’s energies. Hurting them is like hurting a part of Him.

What Lockdown Revealed

During lockdown, many of us city-dwellers struggled. Shops were closed, supply chains broke, and suddenly we were dependent on government relief — rice, pulses, whatever came. My heart ached seeing people walking hundreds of kilometers back to their villages because cities could no longer support them.

It showed me how fragile our modern life is. We think we’re secure because we have money in the bank — but when food stops arriving at the market, what use is that money? Our grandparents lived close to the land. They grew food, shared with neighbors, and worshipped cows, rivers, and trees. Somewhere along the way, we traded that simplicity for speed and forgot gratitude.

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Spiritual Ecology

Ecology isn’t just about protecting forests or recycling. It’s about recognizing everything around us as part of Krishna’s creation.

When we exploit nature without acknowledging her divine source, imbalance arises — pandemics, climate disasters, inner emptiness. But when we see every river as Ganga, every cow as sacred, every tree as offering shade out of compassion — our relationship with the world transforms.

The Bhagavad Gita says:

patram pushpam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati —
“If one offers Me with love a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I accept it.”

Even the simplest offerings — a leaf, a drop of water — are sacred when made with devotion. Imagine if we treated nature with the same reverence in our daily lives.

Living Simply, Thinking Deeply

I’m not saying abandon technology or live in caves. The lesson for me is: simplify. Grow a little food, reduce waste, buy local when you can. Spend more time chanting, less time scrolling. See every living being — plant, animal, human — as part of a divine family (Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam).

The pandemic was a harsh teacher, but it reminded us of something timeless:

• The soul’s happiness isn’t in possessions but in connection.

• Nature’s healing is tied to our own healing.

• Serving Krishna also means serving His creation.

A Prayer for Today

Now that life feels “normal” again, I pray we don’t forget these lessons. Let us treat the earth as sacred, live more consciously, and root our lives in devotion. Because only when the soul is satisfied can the world truly be at peace.

Hare Krishna.