‘WE OWE A LOT TO THE NEXT GENERATION’
Sadhguru, on World Environment Day, has said that using plastic is akin to poisoning ourselves
Spiritual reformer, author and founder of Isha Foundation, Sadhguru has been working relentlessly to preserve the environment. His vision gave birth to the campaign, Rally for Rivers, which has been making a huge impact. On World Environment Day (on June 5), Sadhguru, along with Erik Solheim, executive director, United Nations Environment, and actor Dia Mirza, who is also the UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India, was in Delhi to celebrate nature and spread awareness about plastic. The impending water crisis has started to look real. What are some of the tools we can give people to conserve water and make judicious use of the same? People need to realise that our bodies are 70% water – we are nothing but tall water bottles! I don’t want to tell anyone how much water they should use or shouldn’t use. But whatever you do – make it as conscious as possible. If you become conscious, you will only use as much as you need to. This will make a world of difference.
Right now, we are behaving as if we’re the last generation on the planet. We need to remind ourselves that we are just baton carriers, and we owe it to the next generation to hand over this planet at least as it was handed over to us, not in a destroyed, depleted condition. ‘The solution is conscious living’, you have rightly said. Could you share three habits that one could inculcate to have a long lasting impact?
If you live consciously, all habits will drop. Habits are relevant only as instruments of survival. Once you are seeking to live consciously, you should not have any habit, good or bad, because a habit means you are learning to conduct your life unconsciously. A habit is a small manifestation of the karmic pattern. You take in a certain input and make a pattern out of it. That becomes your habit. It is an unconscious way of doing things. Conducting your life unconsciously is not an intelligent way to live. If you are seeking evolution, if you are seeking to move from compulsiveness to consciousness, you have to break all your patterns – not good, not bad, but all. When you live consciously, your response to situation that arise will be agile and appropriate. We live in a utilitarian society and a social system driven by economy. Therefore, people end up making choices that harm the nature and environment. For instance, they would choose a polybag, which is cheap, instead of buying a jute bag that might cost more, disregarding the fact that the cost is way higher since it impacts the environment. What are two practical ways to make people change their choices? Responsibility is a key word for the future. Because of technology, we are heading to a time when everything will be available in abundance. If abundance should not turn against us, responsible usage becomes key – which is what we are trying to work towards. Yesterday, we launched a worldwide campaign to ban single-use plastics. Plastic is one of the most phenomenal materials we have created. It can be recycled thousands of times. Unfortunately, it has become a scourge because of irresponsible usage.
The entire movement that I have set forth in the world is a movement from religion to responsibility. From looking up for solutions to looking inward for solutions – both for individual solutions and solutions for the world. It is time we looked at ourselves as more responsible creatures.
Right now, we are behaving as if we are the last generation on the planet. SADHGURU