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The Power of Heart-led Actions: Transforming Environmental Protection



The crisis for everyone on the planet


Nobody can deny that the world is in an environmental crisis. As many experts have pointed out, the Earth is currently threatened with devastation and pollution on a never-before-seen scale, owing primarily to human activity characterized by profound ecological insensitivity, resulting from a mechanistic worldview, reckless modernization, and massive industrialization fueled by consumer society. As a result, our epoch is known as the Anthropocene. Political leaders all over the world have pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Religious leaders and faith communities take a stand against climate change. We also see many outstanding environmental activists around the world doing everything they can to restore nature’s harmony. However, the environmental crisis is worsening. I’m wondering if there is a real solution.



Environmental philosophy is admirable, but is it actionable?


The class that piqued my interest the most during my master’s studies was environmental philosophy and ethics in the West because I wanted to be inspired by the best eco-philosophers and ecology movements to think and act more deeply for nature. Almost all of them agree that the traditional anthropocentric (human-centered) worldview, which holds humans to be superior to other beings and thus the sole (or primary) holders of moral standing, is the root cause of the environmental crisis. They all agree that this discrimination is fallible, but their arguments differ. Here are some intriguing eco-theories that have broadened and deepened my thinking:


Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel Laureate, coined the phrase “reverence for life” (“Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben”) to express what he considered to be the most appropriate attitude toward all living beings. An ethical person should hold an awareness that “I am life which wills to live, and I exist in the midst of life which wills to live.” [1] When contemplating on the will-to-life, respect for the life of others becomes the highest principle and the defining purpose of humanity [2], and helping all lives and refraining from injuring lives conform to a secularized ethics of compassion and environmental protection. Because all life forms are sacred without distinction of high and low, it is good to preserve or promote life and bad to destroy or obstruct life. The call to be kind (benevolent) to all living things becomes the foundation of Biocentrism.


Aldo Leopold, a well-known forester and naturalist, proposed an eco-centric approach to nature in his book A Sand County Almanac (1949), which extends moral responsibility to all members of the “community,” which includes not only humans, but also all other parts of the Earth, such as animals, plants, waters, and soils – all of which are collectively referred to as “the land” [3]. In a land ethic, Human beings are plain members of the land community, not conquerors, and they should respect and care for their fellow members in nature, as well as maintain the interconnected caring relationships between them.


Another inspirational figure, Norwegian philosopher and mountaineer, Arne Næss coined the term “deep ecology” which is contrasting, but not necessarily incompatible with, “shallow ecology”. He urged us to go “deep” through deep questioning, all the way down to fundamental root causes, because the “shallow” approach that stops short of the ultimate level of fundamental change in order to maintain industrialism’s “business as usual” is insufficient to restore nature’s harmony. “Deep” activists recognize the inherent worth of all beings (living and non-living) and work to raise awareness of the oneness and interconnectedness of all life. To truly preserve the ecological and cultural diversity of natural systems, foundational change rooted in a holistic worldview and way of life is required.


The notions of these environmental giants are well articulated, and they help me gain a better understanding of the moral benchmark and metaphysical foundation of environmentalism. However, I did not change my lifestyle significantly after taking the environmental class, despite the fact that I was already pursuing a basic lifestyle with a strong emphasis on adopting environmental-friendly approaches while staying in an ashram. I am doubtful that never-ending theoretical debates and criticisms (a hallmark of philosophy) and abstract conceptual ideas can truly help alleviate the pressing concerns of environmental destruction.


In the field of environmental care, it appears that intellectual speculation has reached its limit. Even if we are satisfactorily persuaded by non-anthropocentric approaches, we may be slow to translate philosophical ideals into practical actions in everyday situations. To emerge from the clouds and confront real-world issues in order to achieve true transformation, I believe that we need a more powerful force than the mind to propel us to action.



Direct spiritual experience is the tipping point


In earlier years of my life, most people wore environmental protection slogans on their lips but rarely on their hands. Like most people, I knew it was a good thing to do but rarely changed my way of life to accommodate it. Either it was troublesome or I forgot to do it. But everything changed when I had a close encounter with nature while staying in the Scottish Highlands in 2010 and 2011. As you can see in this photo taken in Randolph’s leap, one of Scotland’s “power spots,” there were pristine, unpolluted forests, rivers, and streams.




Beyond my mind’s comprehension, I felt nature spirits and was in awe of nature’s magnificence and glory. In communion with nature, my heart became wide open. A deep sense of connection with trees, flowers, insects, and animals erupted spontaneously, teaching me that I was only a speck in the grand scheme of things, a tiny part of the greater whole. Growing up in the concrete jungle, I never had such an experience. And it felt fantastic.


Since then, I have developed a deeper connection with nature and its forms of communication. My time spent in Scotland’s spiritual community, Findhorn, allowed me to immerse myself in the serenity of nature. I found solace in strolling along roads adorned with majestic trees on either side, cherishing moments of solitude. During these walks, I would capture captivating photos, often revealing astonishing orbs of vibrant colors that remained invisible to my naked eyes. Similar phenomena presented themselves during my travels in the countryside of India too. It wasn’t until I delved into the pages of “Enlightenment through Orbs” that I grasped their significance. According to the book, these enchanting orbs are known as angel orbs, a sight reserved for photographers with open hearts, attuned to higher energetic frequencies. Love is the key to unlocking this mystical connection.


Photo credit: Atīndra Yu


I witnessed the real existence and invisible powers of nature spirits through the lens of my camera. These intense spiritual experiences ignited my great love for nature, and I had changed ever since. I became aware of how my actions would affect Mother Earth, and I gradually altered my lifestyle to live more in harmony with nature and to cause the least amount of harm to other beings as possible. I was not subjected to any complex thought processes or moral pressure to protect nature. My guiding principle is simple: because I adore and revere nature, I naturally want it to thrive, so I care for it. There is no need for any reasoning.


Later, as I read the biographies of the three eco-philosophers mentioned above, I discovered a common thread of a spiritual relationship with nature in their personal experiences and thoughts. During his 1915 voyage down the Ogowe River in Gabon, Schweitzer experienced a mystical moment about the value of life. “… at the very moment when, at sunset, we were making our way through a herd of hippopotamuses, there flashed upon my mind, unforeseen and unsought, the phrase ‘reverence for life.’ … Now I had found my way to the principle in which affirmation of the world and ethics are joined together!” he wrote in his autobiography (p.156) [4], “… Now I had found my way to the principle in which affirmation of the world and ethics are joined together!” He developed a theory based on this sudden realization that all life is important and has inherent value, and that each living being should be treated as a “will-to-live.”


Leopold, too, had a watershed moment when he killed a wolf and saw “a fierce green fire dying” in her eye. He, like most humans, used to believe that fewer wolves meant more deer. More deer meant more opportunities for hunters. However, after witnessing the green fire die, he realized the deeper meaning that only the mountain knew: each organism served a specific purpose in the ecosystem, and killing individual wolves adversely affected the wolf population, deer population, vegetation, river, air, aquatic wildlife, and so on [3]. As a result, his selfish actions harmed not just one wolf but the entire mountain, disrupting the delicate balance of this mountain ecosystem. This experience gave him tremendous liberation and expansion of consciousness, inspiring him to “think like a mountain” and teach the philosophy of preserving ecosystem integrity and equilibrium.


In an interview, Næss discussed his childhood identification with tiny shrimps and later with grand nature, which compelled him to protect the area he identified with because “anything that is ruined here affects my self.” [5] In describing the process of Self-realization in deep ecology, he brought up the importance of spiritual realization, “The requisite care flows naturally if the self is widened and deepened so that protection of free Nature is felt and conceived of as protection of our very selves … so if your ‘self’ in the wide sense embraces another being, you need no moral exhortation to show care … You care for yourself without feeling any moral pressure to do it.” [6] Once we “see ourselves in others” in this broad way and have the expanded sense of the Self, we will be naturally inclined to care for all of living nature.


These three thinkers did not derive their philosophy directly from scientific ecology through logic or induction. They all had profound, personal, spontaneous experiences in nature – direct contact with reality – that forever changed their worldviews before the analytical mind kicked in, and developed their own theories. My immediate encounters in Scotland, like theirs, transformed my inner vision from that of an isolated human to that of a member of nature’s family. Our intuitive moments in and with nature inspired us to start doing something for the planet Earth in small and large ways.



The answer dawns when we return to nature


Looking at the Earth from space, we see no boundaries, no politics, and no segregation of humans and non-humans. Contemplate this for a moment. It is a beautiful planet that is teeming with life and home to a vast family of millions of species. But how many of us truly appreciate the Earth as our first Mother, who has been giving and sustaining us unconditionally, rather than merely utilizing her as a reservoir of resources that are available for excessive consumption and exploitation?


Let us unplug from technology and our hectic lives for a while and spend some quality time with Mother Earth.


We experience peace, joy, calmness, and expansion when we are immersed in nature. We enjoy feeling good without having to question why. We realize how small we are as a part of the magnificent nature when we truly experience it with our reawakened senses (taste the rain, watch the sunset, smell a flower, listen to birds sing). Being in nature reminds us of something very valuable that we have long forgotten: living from an open heart and being aware of our connection to everything near and far.


If we have the power to destroy the planet we all live on due to greed, selfishness, and a false sense of separateness, as history has evidenced, we also have the power to build and create through our genuine affection and care for nature, which stems from our own direct personal connection to nature. We do not necessarily learn about scientific discoveries and philosophical ideals (though it would not hurt) before we do it. Just get out there and be in nature, and we will find the connection again. Our hearts are once again filled with love. Our minds start to perceive the reality of oneness. Our bodies work for the benefit of all things. When we are balanced within ourselves, we naturally have the spiritual intelligence to restore nature’s balance and harmony.



Reference list:

1. Schweitzer, A. (1987). The Philosophy of Civilization. Buffalo: Prometheus Books. (Chapter 26)

2. Schweitzer, A. (1947). Civilization and Ethics. Unwin Brothers Limited. Preface and Chapter II “The Problem of the Optimistic World-View”.

3. Leopold, A. (1949). A Sand County Almanac. pp. 203. New York: Oxford University Press.

4. Schweitzer, A. (1949). Out of my Life and Thought (C.T. Campion Trans.). New York: Henry Holt and Company.

6. Naess, A. (1987). Self-realization: An ecological approach to being in the world. The Trumpeter, 4(3): 35-42.

Cooper, D. & Crosswell, K. (2008). Enlightenment through Orbs. Scotland: Findhorn Press.

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