Restoring harmony in nature

There is a rhythm to everything in the universe. The wind, the rain, the waves of the sea, the pattern of our breathing, our heartbeat—everything has a rhythm of its own. We must maintain this for our mental and physical health. Our thoughts and actions become the rhythm and melody of our lives. A perturbation in our thoughts will be reflected in our actions. This will subsequently upset the harmony in nature.

This disturbance is one of the main causes for natural disasters like tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes.
Once, a king disguised himself and went hunting. During the hunt, he became separated from his entourage and lost his way. Fatigued and very hungry, he entered a hut he saw. The forest dwellers did not recognise the king. They offered him some fruits. When the king ate one of the fruits, he said, “This is bitter!”

One of the forest dwellers replied, “What to do? The ruler of our kingdom is utterly selfish, a hedonist and a womaniser. That cruel man extorts excessive taxes from the poor, executing those who are unable to pay. Because of his unrighteous acts, even normally sweet fruits have turned bitter.”

After returning to his palace, the king was unable to forget what had happened in the forest. “My subjects are suffering so much because of me,” he thought. Reflecting thus, he began to repent. He resolved to dedicate the rest of his life to the welfare of his subjects. He slashed taxes, launched charitable initiatives, and rendered necessary assistance to his subjects.

After some time, he went hunting incognito in the forest and and visited the same hut. The forest dwellers offered him some fruits again. When he tasted them, he found them exceptionally sweet. When he asked the dwellers why this was so, one of them said, “Our king has turned over a new leaf. He is now ruling the kingdom righteously. The people are contented and satisfied. Owing to his noble acts, a positive change has come about in nature.”

What do we to understand from this story? Our actions affect nature as well. If one’s actions are bad, the rhythm in nature will be lost. Good actions will, likewise, be reflected in nature, restoring its lost rhythm.
Many today are exploiting nature ruthlessly. Hence, natural disasters are increasing. Today, even nuclear families prefer to stay in huge bungalows. For a two-person family, a house with two rooms is sufficient. If they wish, they can go for a three-or four-room house. However, many are building 10- or 15-room mansions. Mountains are levelled, rocks blown up, and bore-wells dug. We do not hesitate to exploit nature ruthlessly for our own selfish ends.

If we are just a little bit more thoughtful, we can avoid depleting natural resources. Here, in India, there are thousands who commute to work in cars. If five people came together to travel in one car, 200 cars would suffice instead of 1,000. And what massive gains there would be as a result. Traffic would be reduced. There would be fewer road accidents. Pollution would be reduced. Fuel consumption and expenditure would fall, and we would be able to save more money. With less traffic, we would be able to get to work much faster, too.

The actions of people today are like those of the foolish woodcutter who chopped the very branch on which he was seated. We must change. Protecting nature is not merely a duty towards nature but a duty towards oneself. When man and nature co-exist harmoniously, life becomes peaceful. When melody and rhythm blend beautifully, music becomes pleasing. In the same way, when man lives in harmony with nature, life itself becomes a sweet song.

The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader