G. Rajasekaran

Let us protect the Earth and its resources

The danger to the environs on the Earth where we live has come very near to us. Rise in temperature, destruction of forests, death of other living beings,
pollution of ground, water and atmosphere on which our life depends - these are some of the dangers.

​

The Earth and its resources must be protected. If not, human beings might perish. This problem is being debated intensively all over the world.

​
 

 

 

Nobody has raised this point!

​

The economic machine that is ruling the world today is consumerism. This is just another name for greed.

​

          
                
      
 

This is the mantra of life today.

​

Television, car, mobile phone, laptop, fridge - trying to get such gadgets has become the main purpose of life.

​

Our newspapers and TV are teaching this to everybody, young or old, through the advertisements.

​

Mahatma Gandhi said:

       
 

If we go on using the resources of the Earth for producing more and more unwanted things, how can Earth bear this?

​

It is Science and its other side Technology that have been used for satisfying this human greed. But, it is possible to stop this and use Science and Technology for
the welfare and progress of the human race.

​

  
    
           
      

The technological products that came from Science have become merchandise. So Science is regarded as the friend of market economy. The real purpose of Science has been hidden from people.

​

Some people have emphatically blamed Science for the destruction of Nature. They claim that all this is the result of the notion: "Science is everything". We must
not forget that there is something beyond Science. What is needed is Science combined with Spirituality. Nobody has pointed this out.

​

They point out only the faults of Science. There are so many benefits from Science. Everybody knows them.

​

Science is a priceless treasure. It is the growth of common sense that evolved into Science. By directing our intelligence in the proper direction, by systematizing the resulting knowledge, storing it for thousands of years and increasing that knowledge, human beings have created Science. To reject Science is not wise. If we reject it, we will be pushed to the dark ages.

​

What is Nature?

Some people praise Nature by replacing the notion "Science is everything" by "Nature is everything". What is this Nature?

​

Today, scientists have studied the history of the Universe for 14 billion years. They have found that it started with the Big Bang, then stars, galaxies and planets were formed and in one planet, life originated and evolved. One form of life evolved into the human being with a wonderful brain. This evolution was not a straight line going upwards. There were many bends and downward paths. So many random changes. Many destructions and regenerations have made the evolutionary path into a rough one. Most of the changes were like the numbers in a game of dice. The world that we are enjoying now is the result of this game of chance played by Nature.

​

Nature that is praised by some people was not always beneficial to humans or other living beings. Many millions of years ago, before humans appeared on the Earth, Nature has destroyed itself many times. The living beings that lived upto that time have been destroyed. Even now Nature is taking terrible forms like flood, tornado, earthquake and tsunami and destroying life. This will continue. All this is not due to Science. This is due to Nature. The true form of Nature is terrible.

​

​

​

   
             
 

​

Human race has progressed beyond ignorance and reached Science. But the journey must continue. We must reach spiritual knowledge beyond science. 
 

           
 

What is the fate of other living beings on the Earth?
 

Along with Earth, we must protect other living beings on the Earth too. We have to follow the path of benevolence and Ahimsa showed us by Buddha, Jesus and Gandhi.

​

 
 

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thiruvalluvar declares Ahimsa as the foremost precept to follow. The Bible commands us not to kill; it does not specify "Do not kill humans". Christians do not follow the command. As Bernard Shaw pointed out, as long as there are people who kill animals, Ahimsa and benevolence will not flourish and wars will not stop. Vallalar's benevolence embraced even the plant kingdom.  

                                                

Let me briefly recount my experience. Everybody in my family is a nonvegetarian. I too liked the taste of nonvegetarian food. When I was a small boy I was sent for buying meat or fish. One day I witnessed a bleating sheep being slaughtered. On Deepavali day early morning, I saw my mother cutting the neck of a pet hen which was screeching. I also saw her putting live fish (a small variety called ayirai) into boiling water even while they were jumping. I felt bad, but could not do anything.

​

Later, in the High School, Karuppasamy Thevar who was supposed to teach carpentry, taught us Thirukkural also. He was a follower of Thiruvalluvar. I was very much affected by the teachings of Thiruvalluvar, Buddha and Gandhiji. But I was powerless.

​

When I was studying in Madras Christian College, I stopped eating nonvegetarian food. But when I went to my home town in vacation, my father scolded me and made me to return to non vegetarianism. He said my health will be affected if I eat only vegetables.

​

Finally, only after I joined in a job in Bombay, I got the freedom to become a vegetarian. I was 21 at that time and I have been vegetarian ever since.

​

Some believe that vegetarianism will spoil health. This is totally wrong. I have been vegetarian for more than 60 years. Many famous brahmins have been vegetarians and live long with good health. There is such a variety of vegetarian dishes in South Indian food and all of them so tasty! There is no need to kill animals for taste.

​

Some others think that if everybody shifts to eating vegetables, the plant life on the Earth will be destroyed. This also is totally wrong. A nonvegetarian destroys
ten times more plant life than a vegetarian. For, the animals that are eaten by a nonvegetarian have to eat that much plants in order to survive.

​

Therefore, the Earth will be destroyed only by the nonvegetarians. Let us protect the Earth and the living beings on it.

​

Corona Virus Pandemic
 

A major disaster in the form of the Corona Virus has struck the Earth. At this point in time nobody knows how this will end. 

​

There is ample evidence that it started in one country. It started from a open meat market where many animals, including some exotic ones were slaughtered. In that country almost everybody eats flesh. Disease is one more outcome of non vegetarianism.

​

It is high time that some international action is initiated against that country that has caused such a havoc on the whole world.