S.M. Jain
There are two main objectives of yoga:
- Happiness, harmony and peace in this world
- Salvation i.e. eternal happiness
The first objective implies good physical and mental health of not only an individual but also of his family, society, nation and of all on this globe which has now become almost as a single village in which all are closely interconnected. Epidemics anywhere can spread all over because of growing connectedness.
Every one, everywhere be happy and healthy,
of good character and without sorrows and miseries.
All be healthy, happy and of good character.
There be peace every where in the Universe, in the entire cosmos, in environment, on the planet earth, in medicines, in all plant forms …- Yajurveda 36/17
Yoga is like a benevolent tree or like a miraculous gem which bestows all types of happiness and success.
- Haribhadra Suri’s Yogabindu 1/37
Yoga is to eliminate all adversities in life.
- Hemchandracharya’s Yogashrastra
Yoga is to get rid of sorrows in life.
- Bhagavad Gita 6/23
Yoga is instrumental in getting rid of sorrows in life.
- Yogavashishta 4/35
The foremost pre-requisite for good health is good ambient environment unpolluted pure air to breathe, pure water to drink and unpolluted soil to produce nutritious healthy non-toxic food. The exploding population and spiralling consumerism are polluting air, water and soil more and more resulting in increasing incidence of old and giving rise to new more resistant and fatal diseases. There is no yoga practice of Asanas (Postures), Mudras (Gestures), Pranayam (Breathing exercises) and Meditation (Dhyan) that can automatically, while doing these, purify polluted air being breathed in or neutralize the toxic harmful effects of polluted water and toxic food from polluted soil. The fact is that Pranayam (Breathing Yoga Practice) which is claimed to be most effective, if done in polluted air, will certainly be harmful. The physical or natural environment also influence social environment also at micro level in family and broadly in society, nation and globally also. Any environmental upheaval, the recent climate change and frequently occurring droughts, famines, earthquakes, storms etc. always have significant impact on social environment. Likewise social upheavals the conflicts, wars harm the natural environment. The natural and social environments are interactive and mutually reinforcing. Even at individual level the emotions of anger, vice, ego, performance, efficiency etc. are environment generated. Doctors, engineers and others who just do not work sincerely and even indulge in corrupt practices in India do very well in U.S., U.K, Europe etc. where there is good work environment in colleges or at work places. Good, peaceful and harmonious natural and social environment is an essential component of ‘Yoga’.
‘Yama’ and ‘Niyama’ the first two foundation steps in yoga practices prescribed by sage Patañjali, are the only effective means to take care of environment. Unfortunately these most important steps are generally ignored and even discarded by most of the yoga teachers. ‘Yama’ consists of five vows of Ahimsa (non violence), Satya (Truth), Achaurya (non-stealing), Aprigraha (non-consumerism) and Brahmacharya (Celibacy). If these five vows are imbibed and followed, environmental problems will be solved. Non-violence is not restricted in respect of the fellow human beings but to all life-forms, air, water-bodies and entire plant kingdom. All these natural resources have their carrying capacities, resilience and rejuvenation time-cycles and if over burdened or over-exploited beyond that, they will degrade and ultimately be annihilated. As in case of humans if anyone is over burdened with work beyond his capacity he will suffer and may even die. Presently all natural resources are being over exploited many times more than their capacities. Scientists have estimated that at present levels of population and consumption we need resources of 4 to 5 such plants as earth. Over burdening is violence. Non-stealing means not taking anything of anybody without his willingness. If one takes fruits dropped naturally by a tree it is non-stealing. Humans or animals eating naturally dropped fruits help the tree also by dispersing its seeds. Non-consumerism and celibacy are important because rising consumerism and population are two major causes of environmental pollution. The second step ‘Niyam’ is related totally to environment as it enjoins on yoga practitioners as foremost duty to purify not only human body but also the surrounding environment.
Unfortunately the most revered religious texts the Vedas advocate unlimited population and consumerism:
By God’s grace I should have bricks for house construction and cows for milk in billion-trillion numbers to cover unto the boundary of sea.
- Yajurveda 17/2
God has created things for pleasure of living beings in the world and men should enjoy all these to the best of his capability. (this is most injurious anthropocentric approach).
- Rigveda 9.6.6
The Vedas advocate consumerism and its means.
- Bhagavad Gita 2/45
There are many more references advocating clearance and destruction of forests in Vedas and Puranas.
For environmental health it is necessary that the interrelations and interactions between myriad constituents of environment going on as cosmic yoga (union) should be based on symbiosis (mutualism). This is also non-violence. There are following types of interactions:
- Mutualism - favourable to both and obligatory.
- Proto-cooperation - favourable to both but not obligatory.
- Commensalism - benefit one but does not harm other.
- Neutralism - Neither benefits nor harms each other.
- Competition - One directly inhibits other.
- Amensalism - Population of one is inhibited but not of other.
- Parasitism - one depends for food etc. on other (host) harms even kill the host in long run. Population of parasite is less than that of host.
- Predation - Population of predator is more than of other (prey), decimates prey quickly and eventually predator also is annihilated for lack of prey.
Mutualism is best and others are gradually more and more harmful. Parasitism and Predation are worst. All mature and stable systems in nature are symbiotic (mutually beneficial). Immature systems to the extent or degree of instability have harmful interrelations. Inherently there is mutualism in nature. Tree drops food for human and animals to eat and disperse its seed benefiting both. A butterfly or other insects take nectar from flowers but simultaneously help in pollination. Numerous types of micro flora and fauna (microbes) live in digestive system of humans, take food but help in digestion as humans are not capable of digesting food without their help. Nothing is harmful to other. It is mostly the anthropocentric attitude of humans and their faulty life-style that have changed beneficial bacteria etc. into harmful mutations. For example the plague bacillus Yersinia pestis was earlier living harmlessly in the intestines but turned deadly because of wrong life-style. It is like a close friend turning into a foe by wrong behaviour. There are numerous examples. For details readers may refer to author’s book Environmental Ethics.
The second objective of yoga is salvation. It is more an abstract form of spiritualism than of practical direct experienceable importance. It is noumenon and not a phenomenon. In Vedic stream it is union with God, the almighty, the creator controller as well as destroyer of universe at his will.
Union of jiva (soul) with paramatma (super soul) is objective of yoga.
- Yagjavalkya
But this Vedic concept of almighty God as creator is refuted in Gita (5/14):
God neither creates nor directs the activities. It is according to very nature of things.
In Buddhist stream though soul and god are not acceptable as such but there also the ultimate is to attain and merge in Buddhahood or Bodhisattva. In Jain stream the concept of one almighty God is not accepted but godhood, which is purest form of every individual soul, attainable by all mundane souls. Numerous souls have attained this state and more and more will continue to attain but each soul keeps its identity intact and does not merge into anyone supersoul (Paramatma). This attainment to ultimate purest from of soul is called salvation (Moksha).
Yoga is that which lead to salvation.
- Yashovijaya’s Dvavinshika
Purpose of yoga is salvation (Moksha)
- Haribhadra Suri’s Yogavinshika
Various steps of Yoga are relevant as much as they connect one with salvation (Moksha). But salvation may also be interpreted as freedom from sorrows and paint in worldly life.
- Haribhadva Suri’s Yoga Bindu 31
