Mental pollution is causing the environmental one as well, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji

Today, 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 for humanity. Since environmental pollution has been the focus of public attention the last couple of years it is now being increasingly realised that man has wantonly and cruelly been treating the planet and ravaging and ruining the atmosphere. The denudation of forests, the poisoning of lakes and rivers with pesticides and industrial wastes, the pollution of atmosphere with smoke from automobiles and factory chimneys and the overuse of chloro-fluorocarbons, resulting in the depletion of ozone, have brought the world to the brink of an environmental ruin. Environmental scientists now warn that the accumulation of Co2 in the atmosphere would not only result in the green-house effect but would also result in increase in the planet’s average temperature from 3° F to 9° F and this would cause the oceans to rise by several feet, flooding coastal areas and ruining huge areas of farmlands and triggering other calamities. It is, therefore, being suggested now that the industries must re-examine their production processes so that the industrial wastes and the smoke from their chimneys can be reduced and that waste products must be recycled and that means of mass transport be encouraged in place of automobiles for individuals or families.

If we look up for the dictionary meaning of 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. Infact it won’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 disequilibrium in our mind.

Secondly, we must understand that the problem of pollution is linked with the problem of population increase. To meet the demands of the 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 and there is more industrial waste and emission of Co2, So2, etc. So without reducing population and changing lifestyle and attitudes, the problem of environmental pollution cannot be solved and it is in this respect that the help of spiritualists is called for. Because the ultimate solution to this problem lies in realising the self and also 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 humans 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 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 or population explosion or environmental upheaval. So, let us use the powerful weapon of spiritual wisdom to cleanse our soul from thought pollution and live in harmony with nature and its elements without any kind of disturbance whatsoever.r