Rajiv Gautam

Let us think and rethink about our present acts towards nature. Have we really acted in a nature-friendly manner? What happens when we humans cannot assimilate ourselves with nature? These simple but serious queries lead to other issues. These issues create a debate between human and nature.

Humans are considered to be the rational beings. It is due to our rationality that we get higher position among all animals on this earth. This planet is the vast ecosystem where all species deserve equal value. To protect their value, humans need to respond everything in a right manner. This manner becomes a tool for positivity which leads to uniformity.

Natural proximity
Nature includes the phenomena of the physical world. It has power to attract the attention of anyone else. The beautiful landscapes with green trees play significant role in our lives. This sort of natural proximity supports to refresh our mind and generate new energy. When this energy is utilised in productive works, it turns to be a milestone for the outstanding result.

Human beings are not apart from nature. We are part of it. This relation takes us back to the pre-industrial society. The people from that society performed eco-friendly acts. They sustained their lives with limited facilities. With the crowing of roosters, they would wake up and perform their tasks.Time itself was a matter of speculation. The sun and shadows were their clocks. Their limited knowledge was sufficient enough to conduct nature-friendly acts. They would engage themselves in agriculture and animal rearing. Their working culture made them maintain a healthy life. Their sweaty bodies were the authentication for producing organic products.

The worshipping methods of gods were there to get inner salvation. Many more temples were constructed on the top of hills. They would visit temples early in the morning. This sort of morning walk further supported them to be calm and healthy. Keeping themselves calm and cool, they would be intoxicated with the sublimity of nature.

The current situation differs from the context of pre-industrial society. The invention of modern technology has replaced this society into minority. The machines have replaced human muscles. Due to this, the working culture has been totally changed. Visiting different places, including temples, has become part of entertainment. The modernity has created partiality and divided the society into varied groups.

In the name of modernisation, there has appeared massive domination over nature. The commercial motive of modern people has adversely affected to result out this domination. People have cared only for their momentary pleasure without considering the sustainable goals. More fruits with less effort has become the modern tradition. This has expanded the selfish nature and this nature has created problems over nature. The problem has occurred with the trading aspect of nature. The cause is that when the land is traded, the environment is degraded.

The mismatch between pre-industrial and modern society is really hazardous. It is true that everything changes with the changing process of time. It applies in the case of technological changes, too. But, there appears tragedy when the natural degradation takes place. Who is responsible for this degradation? The answer is none other than human beings. The cause is that nature itself is not selfish but the self-centred acts of humans happen to cause natural degradations, including climate change. This degrading aspect has created suffocation to all the species that have existence on this planet. This has also forced these species to lose their value from the earth.

What is the solution to this debate? The answer is none other than assimilation. The integration between humans and nature is the key to settling down the debate. Assimilation is the process of becoming similar to something. This similarity leads to unity and it functions for oneness. When it functions for oneness, it avoids all sorts of hierarchies. As a result, everything gets chances to flourish in an appropriate way with favourable environment. This also turns out to be the result of cautiousness. With this carefulness, there appears perfection in this world. This is even the key to value ourselves with valuing the nature.

Attachment
Time has appeared to be serious about environmental issues before it is too late. Without protecting our mother earth, it is hard to protect the lives of all beings. To conduct any work, humans need to be serious about nature. We need to care how our attachment with nature is indispensable to address present need concerning the need of future. No doubt, we are advanced in comparison to the people of the pre-industrial society. But, we should focus on such development that provides a justice towards nature. That justice applies through the means of assimilation between human and nature.

(The author has pursued M. Phil. in English from Tribhuvan University.)