Prithvi - Part II - More on Gaia and interconnectedness

Only after the last tree has been cut down,

only after the last river has been poisoned,

only after the last fish has been caught,

only then will you find that money cannot be eaten.

                            ---Cree native American prophesy

The more we learn about the earth and its ecosystem, the more we know that we are heading towards doom. The mechanistic materialistic view of earth as a dead source of material that can be exploited to the maximum has cost us our planet as well as the biodiversity.  It is said that when Descartes heard the screaming of a dog on whom his students performed vivisection, he exclaimed "do not mind that. It is just the sound of a machine being taken apart" . I was terribly shocked to hear this anecdote because the image I had of descartes was that of an advanced thinker. In contrast, Native american views of nature displays harmonious thinking. Compare the above incident with a saying from the blackfoot native Indian tribe.

"What is life? It is the flash of the firefly at night

It is the breath of the buffalo in the wintertime

It is the little shadow that runs across the grass

and loses itself in the sunset"

The present widespread worldview has been heavily impressed upon our psyche on the lines of the materialist thinkers. Hence we don't even realise and recognise that there is a problem. Is there a way out? I would like to present and discuss alternative healthy views of Mother earth that are very much needed in today's world if we want to survive. These views come from various periods of time and various parts of the globe. (This is a continuation of ideas presented in the earlier post on Prithvi- our mother).

Before getting into the details of gaia, we take a short tour of the broad lens that is used to view the earth as a superorganism. The word 'Superorganism' represents an intriguing phenomenon in nature. This creates controversy among scientists and the general masses but is in general defined as 

" any complex thing or system having properties and functions determined not only by the properties and relations of its individual parts, but by the character of the whole that they compose and by the relations of the parts to the whole."

There are many levels of superorganisms that come to my mind from my studies in fields such as biology, philosophy, science fiction. Example of first level of superorganism are beehives, anthills, corals. Individual organisms work together to achieve a goal that is far beyond their imagination. The next thing that I can think of is a human. Humans are finest examples of superorganisms as there are billions of microbes in our body that help in regulating so many different functions in our body. Hence this body is such a congregation. The third is on a planetary level. Isaac Asimov in his foundation novel series talks about a whole planet that acts as a storehouse of information where the least important information is stored on rocks and similar components whereas that which is required immediately are with more sentient beings. The whole system acts like an organism.* The fourth level is also found in Asimov's work and is given a title "galaxia" a superorganism that consists of a whole galaxy. The fifth level(assuming one universe for the moment) is the whole universe as a superorganism. The ideas at the fouth and  fifth levels are next to impossible to be tested anywhere in the near future but is worthwhile to think about. 

* The gaia nature of the earth can also be viewed as a comparison between the human superorganism and the earth as done here.

The whole universe as a superorganism comes from the scriptures of sanathana dharma that talk about the universe being constituted of three things, namely paramatma(god), jeevatma(individual souls) and achit (all insentient matter). The Paramatma is the soul whereas the other two constitute his body. Hence the whole universe, in short is the God-organism. This is something that science will never even think about because of its inherent limitations of not seeing anything beyond five senses.

Gaia in modern times and ancient cultures

The Gaia hypothesis is the first comprehensive scientific expression of the profoundly ancient belief that the planet Earth is a living creature.Formulated by British atmospheric scientist James Lovelock and American Microbiologist Lynn Margulis, the Gaia hypothesis states that the Earth's climate and surface environment are controlled by the plants, animals and microorganisms that inhabit it. That taken as a whole, the planet behaves not as an inanimate sphere of rock and soil, sustained by the automatic and accidental processes of geology, as traditional earth science has long maintained, but more as a biological superorganism-a planetary body-that adjusts and regulates itself.

Geophysiologists warn that if the planet does function like a body, the Earth may have the equivalent of vital organs and vulnerable points. Regions of intense biological activity such as the tropical rain forests and coastal seas, are seen as vital not only to their geographic regions but to the entire global environment, much as the liver or spleen is necessary to the survival of the body as a whole. Once destroyed, these planetary organs can debilitate the entire system, much as an injury to the spine can cripple one's body up through the neck and down to the toes.

Many of us would remember the experience of trying to cram nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulphur cycles for our high school examinations. All of these cycles are excellent examples of earth regulation systems. Food chains and food web is another component of this great regulating organism. 

There are a lot of controversies in the scientific community as to how the gaia metaphor affects mainstream social theory and ethics and whether the hypothesis can be satisfactorily 'scientifically' verified. That the Earth does not reproduce is cited as a reason for not accepting it as a living organism in the true sense of the word. However what still remains out of reach for this science  is the definition of a living thing.To save some time here, we can borrow the ancient knowledge of the presence of 'atma' to classify a being as living. Instead of a detailed physical sciences perspective of gaia theory, we see some salient bird's eye view of this theory and some of its philosophical implications.

Lovelock once exclaimed " I think of the Earth as a living organism. The rocks, the air, the oceans and all life are an inseparable system that functions to keep the planet livable. In fact I now believe that life can exist only on a planetary scale. Can't have a planet with sparse life any more than you can have half a cat".

Many individual cultures have this thought in some form or the other. The Ufaina Indians in the columbian Amazon believe in a vital force called fufuka which is present in all living things. The source of this vital force is the sun. From the sun, it reaches the earth and is constantly recycled among plants, animals and human beings. Each group of beings requires a minimum of the vital force in order to live and is seen to be borrowing the energy from the total energy stock. When any being dies, the energy is released and goes back to the stock. Similarly when a living being consumes another, the consumer acquires the energy of the consumed. What is of importance to the Ufaina is that the vital force continues to be recycled from one species to another in such a way that not too much accumulates in any one of them, since this could deprive another of its vital force and upset the natural balance.

We can see that the above idea in principle the same as that veiled by modern science in a cobweb of jargons. The only difference here is that the Ufaina live by their wisdom whereas we, the others are insensitive as a race.

In the Vedic culture 

The vedic hymns are the most ancient and sublime words that present a worldview of essential interconnectedness of the whole cosmos. What to speak of the earth. The whole of Rig veda creates an atmosphere where appreciation of nature and her bounties are part and parcel of the experience. These should not be taken to be hymns glorifying personified natural elements as maliciously done by the western Indologists. The hymns act at several different planes of consciousness. They represent the subtle elements and also the gross elements at various levels of realisations. The Prithvi suktam in Atharva veda is a fine example of imagery, poetry, nature worship, environmental consciousness, cooperation among living beings and above all a sense of oneness- a cosmic web in which each of us is a part.

The entire hymn of 63 verses is exceedingly important. Persons who are conversant with the modern tenets of ecology can fully appreciate this hymn. It does not view earth as a lifeless inanimate object as the modern physical scientist does. It begins with the idea that earth is supported by not mere gravitational forces, but by Truth, consecration  and askesis (tapas).Earth can be made a happy abode for humans only when they live by satya and rita, Truth and Right. Earth spreads out for us and makes us prosperous. (12.1.12)refers to the self-cleansing nature of earth.(12.1.8)states that Earth in the beginning was sea salila upon the ocean arņava; then the supreme intelligence manishi created the subtle structures mayāĥ characterising the human beings and other beings, and inanimate matter. The rişhi thinks of himself as the son of earth and parjanya as his father (12.1.12).Each living being from the blue lotus to the human being on earth is uniquely supported by a gandha, odour of earth.

Mother earth appeared in her personal form in various periods of Indian history running for millions of years. We all know about the Varaha avataram of Lord Sriman Narayana where he saved Bhudevi from Hiranyaksha. However, the point to be noted here is that Bhudevi is not a personification of the visible globe alone but also of all the regions of the earth that are beyond our perception(ie, the 8 khandas other than bharatha khanda and 6 dweepams included)

Once, She was annoyed by the tyrannic, adharmic reign of King Vena and withdrew her resources thus resulting in a severe drought. Later on, his son Prithu ascended the throne and ruled as a just king. Still, She did not restore the earlier fertility. This annoyed King Prithu who chased Bhuma devi who had assumed the form of a cow. Later after some persuasion, She recognized the virtues of the current ruler and gave away her wealth to all the people. (In Greek Mythology, Demeter was the goddess of the harvest, who also controlled the seasons and hence was capable of destroying all life on earth . Life came to a standstill as the depressed Demeter once searched for her daughter who had been taken to the underworld. This story also echoes the idea of Mother Earth reacting to the happenings in the society).

Bhuma devi is considered by some to be an iconic, metonymic personification of earth in Hinduism. I think the word 'personification' itself invokes the idea of an artificial imagination of a non-existing personality. However, this kind of artificial force is not found in ancient Indian works. Bhudevi is just one among us. She is as real as any one of us. Sita Devi calls out to her to take her away from this manushya lokam so that she could end all her sufferings. Bhumadevi also responds to the yearning and takes her to nagalokam.

Some embedded notions of Ecology are found in the Indian culture. The 'Kolam' is often thought of as a decoration in front of a house but on deeper inquiry we come to know that it is a way to exercise the memory of the debt felt to the Earth goddess for her forbearance towards us despite all sorts of pain-inflicting activities by us like digging, spitting etc. We can observe that a Bharatanaatyam dancer touches the ground and pays respect to Mother Earth before beginning her performance. This is once again to plead her to be patient when the dancer stamps on her all along.

In Bhu Stuti(A hymn to Mother Earth) by Swami Vedanta Desika, we find that Bhudevi is not only Goddess Earth but the one who gives us all natural wealth. She is in charge of life anywhere in any universe. Above all, She is the spiritual instructor who teaches Prapatti to aspiring mumukshus(those desiring liberation from the birth cycle).

There is a vedic verse which is repeated often without knowledge of the meaning. This is a good example of the all pervasiveness and oneness of  vedic thought

tacchamyo-rAvrNeemahe | gAtum yagnyAya |
gAtum yagnyapataye | daivee: svastirastu na: |
svasti mAnushebhya: | oordhvam jigAtu bheSHajam |
sham no astu dvipade | sham chatushpade |
om shAnti: shAnti: shAnti: ||

We seek that which gives us peace from sorrows, present and future. We seek growth for the rite of sacrifice and growth for patron of the rite, the yajamAna.The grace of the Gods be unto us.Well being to all mankind. May plants, like medicinal herbs flourish and grow upwards. Good come unto us from creatures that go on two feet and good from those that go on four feet.

Om! Peace!Peace!Peace

Some Native american quotes on mother earth and nature

"...all things share the same breath- the beast, the tree, the man....the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports "  -- Chief Seatlle

" I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings are but rather how well its people relate to their environment and their fellow man"-  Sun bear of Chippewa tribe

A Ojibwa (native American) prayer to the soul of nature

Oh great spirit , whose voice i hear in the winds,

and whose breath gives life to all the world,

Hear me, for I am small and weak,

I need your strength and wisdom

Let me walk in beauty and my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.

Make my hands respect the things you have made

and my ears sharp to hear your voice,

Make me wise, so that I may understand the things that you have taught my people

Let me learn the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and every rock

I seek strength not to be stronger than my brother

but to fight my greatest enemy - myself

Make me always ready to come to you with clean hands and straight eyes

So, when life fades, as the fading sunset,

my Spirit may come to you without shame.

When studying the views of ancient and some modern cultures regarding earth and nature in general, we can feel the sharp contrast in the basic ideals. An Earth that is alive versus the one that is devoid of life has underscored the lifestyle of the masses according to the vicissitudes of time.

The West's heliocentric revolution in scientific understanding displaced humans from their fancied central position in the eyes of god(Note that most of the eastern philosophies never subscribed to such self-centered views) and the structure of the universe. The Gaian revolution(ie, the modern resurgence of the idea) will displace us from our fancied position as the superior species, uniquely in charge of the planet. Will our powerful egos resist the Gaian conception for this reason? Or are we sufficiently mature as a species to accept our position and responsibility as one part of a larger organism?

It is crucial to the question of whether or not we adopt this revolutionary concept to keep in mind that scientific concepts and the theories generated from them are no longer judged in terms of chimeral 'truth' but of usefulness. By usefulness, we mean conducive to human survival. In fact , as stated before, our self-centered views and practices threaten our very survival as a species. In that respect, a concept of ourselves as part of the life of earth, coupled with scientific knowledge of its geophysiology might prove useful in bringing about a reorganizing of our social structures and conduct, so that we rediscover our balance within Gaia and thereby insure our survival.

Scientists often cringe at any attempt to answer questions through alternative methods. They are narrow-minded enough to exclude interesting intuitive ideas like intelligent design. Hence, it is no surprise that there were many oppositions to Gaia theory for fear of the rebirth of the 'Goddess' in popular imagination.

Any amount of rational discourse will be insufficient to prove that the more-than-human world has atleast an equal status to that of human beings and to the works of the best human creative genius. Each of us need to spend time with the 'animate earth ' out there to realise that 'every speck of matter is sacred simply because it exists'.

 Prithvi- Our Mother

Biologist E O Wilson, among many other scientists, has studied the complex interdependence among various species in the biosphere. He found that every species makes some constructive contribution- small or great - to the ecology of the planet. For eg, if the vegetation- grasses and shrubs- decrease, the herbivores suffer. And if the herbivores decrease, the carnivores are affected but he found that there is one species that does not contribute to the ecology. Yes....you guessed right! It is us, the HUMANs!

If the human species became extinct, there would hardly be any problems for any other species or for the ecology. In fact, most ecological problems would be solved if humans became or were made extinct. Arguably humans constitute the most intelligent species on the planet. Normally in a classroom, the more intelligent a student, the more potential he has to make positive contribution. Then why is it that the most intelligent species is making, not a positive, but a negative contribution to the planet?

                               (Courtesy: Spiritual Scientist Series)

This question looms large in the modern industrial age when all that we humans do is to infinitely dig away anything that is left as resource of nature and mother earth. Then once in a year to create some news for the media, we all make up banners and posters to celebrate this "Earth Day" . Anyway I liked the Google doodle for this year's Earth Day.

Greenery is something which we can never be tired of. I wonder at times how the world would look if it had all the plants predominantly in red or blue colour.

I believe that i have 2 effective ways of contributing to the cause of earth. One which i follow right from my birth, ie, vegetarianism and another using cloth bags instead of plastic ones.

One might wonder how vegetarianism might save the environment and the ecosystem for we all know the usual reasons for people turning to vegetarianism. Ethical reasons, health, aesthetic, religious (like karmic reasons) and sometimes financial reasons too are cited. However, here is where the unknown advantages lie:

1. Conservation of Fossil fuel. It takes 78 calories of fossil fuel to produce 1 calorie of beef protein; 35 calories for 1 calorie of pork; 22 calories for 1 calorie of poultry; but just 1 calorie of fossil fuel for 1 calorie of soybeans. By eating plant foods instead of animal foods, I help conserve our non-renewable sources of energy.
2. Water Conservation. It takes 3 to 15 times as much water to produce animal protein as it does to produce plant protein. As a vegetarian I contribute to water conservation.
3. Efficient use of grains. It takes up to 16 pounds of soybeans and grains to produce 1 lb. of beef and 3 to 6 lbs. to produce 1 lb of turkey and egg. By eating grain foods directly, I make the food supply more efficient and that contributes to the environment.
4. Soil conservation. When grains and legumes are used more efficiently, our precious topsoil is automatically made more efficient in its use. We use less agricultural resources to provide for the same number of people.
5. Saving our forests. Tropical forests in Brazil and other tropic regions are destroyed daily, in part, to create more acreage to raise livestock. By not supporting the meat industry, I directly reduce the demand to pillage these irreplaceable treasures of nature. Since the forest land "filters" our air supply and contains botanical sources for new medicines, saving these needs our immediate attention.

(courtesy:www.britishmeat.com)

 

   Avoiding the use of plastic bags is ofcourse a well known  way of helping the environment. I was using a couple of cloth bags for sometime and for some reason i discontinued the practice halfway. I have decided to resume this practice from my next purchase.

There is absolutely no use in just developing our technological comforts without making a large scale paradigm shift in our ways of lives in order to save the earth from becoming barren in a few decades. The popular but extremely unhealthy practice of malls and other shops using colossal amounts of plastic bags (no need to mention power consumption) should be stopped by rule as opposed to by incentives etc. because general masses are least concerned to consciously stop their usage. I have read elsewhere that if we pile up all the cans thrown out as garbage in America in one year, then they can form a chain that can extend from the earth to the moon (and this was years ago!).

All of these phenomenon seem to increase proportionally with the technological advancement of a country as well as the increase in the purchasing power of the populace. What i observe among many Indians in America is a reckless attitude towards resources. People who used to save (anything from food, electricity, money) spend like bottomless vessels after landing here. Back home, the situation is not drastically different. The so-called 'hip' culture all around the metropolitans have resulted in lots of dumb, non-thinking people without any concern for the country, ecology and environment. This so-called "modernization" is biting at the roots of mother earth and is the situation that led to the initial question of this post above.

However this was not the situation before the machine era. The ancients were far more conscious and appreciative of nature's bounties and devised ways to live in harmony with nature. "Bhumi" or "Prithvi" is the consort of Lord Vishnu and hence is the mother of all living beings. She is extolled in many vedic hymns like the Bhu suktam and Prithvi suktam in vedas.

Raimundo Panikkar writes in "The Vedic experience.."

"The Vedic attitude toward the earth springs from mankind's primordial experience of being on the one hand a guest, and on the other an offspring, of Earth. The earth is undoubtedly mother, is close to Man, but at the same time she is also alien, other and aloof. The earth is the foundation, the basis out of which emerges all that exists and on which everything rests. The earth is the basis of life and, when considered as a divine being, she always occupies a special place among the Gods.

Investigation of the Earth is of the same nature as personal introspection. To harm the Earth is a masochistic vice. Man is from the Earth and part of the Earth, yet he surmises more and more that he is not only of the Earth, not just an earthly thing."

The Rig Veda, 5th Mandala, 84th suktam extols prithvi as follows:

1. The mighty burden of the mountains bulk

rests, Earth, upon your shoulders; rich in torrents,

you germinate the seed with quickening power.

2. Our hymns of praise resounding now invoke you,

O far-flung Earth, the bright one.

Like a neighing steed you drive abroad your storm clouds.

3. You in your sturdy strength hold fast the forests,

clamping the trees all firmly to the ground,

when rains and lightning issue from your clouds.

Ancient Rishis symbolised the Earth as Mother cow, a treasure house of all bounties and gave her supreme respect. We need to understand from them how to respect her. We also have something to learn from Mother Earth also directly. One is perseverance by observing her enduring nature and the other is the path to liberation from this world, namely surrender to Sriman Narayana. The latter can be learnt by understanding Tiruppaavai , a beautiful hymn to Krishna by Andal, incarnation of Bhumi devi.

Ancient greeks had similar conceptualization of Mother Earth and called her Gaia. The same concept of a living Earth has re emerged in the 20th century due to the findings of modern science. Gaia superorganism theory has gained adherents in recent times. For a general idea of the same- http://geneticsevolution.suite101.com/article.cfm/gaia_theory

                                   different conceptualisations of gaia

The Atharva Veda has a large and beautiful suktam on prithvi with 63 verses, some of which i present below:

2. Untrammeled in the midst of men, the Earth,
adorned with heights and gentle slopes and plains,
bears plants and herbs of various healing powers.
May she spread wide for us, afford us joy!

3. On whom are ocean, river, and all waters,
on whom have sprung up food and ploughman's crops,
on whom moves all that breathes and stirs abroad--
Earth, may she grant to us the long first draught!

12. Impart to us those vitalizing forces that come,
O Earth, from deep within your body,
your central point, your navel; purify us wholly.
The Earth is mother; I am son of Earth.
The Rain-giver is my father; may he shower on us blessings!

13. The Earth on which they circumscribe the altar,
on which a band of workmen prepare the oblation,
on which the tall bright sacrificial posts
are fixed before the start of the oblation--
may Earth, herself increasing, grant us increase!

Note the 4th line in the above verse.

34. Whether, when I repose on you, O Earth,
I turn upon my right side or my left,
or whether, extended flat upon my back,
I meet your pressure from head to foot,
be gentle, Earth! You are the couch of all!

35. Whatever I dig up of you, O Earth,
may you of that have quick replenishment!
O purifying One, may my thrust never
reach right unto your vital points, your heart!

We absolutely do not care for whatever the ancients pray in these two verses above. What we find often is miles of dug earth for all sorts of cables and underground transportation. This has indeed gone to the level of "reaching her vital points" and has created havoc.

"While most earthquakes are caused by movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, human activity can also produce earthquakes. Four main activities contribute to this phenomenon: constructing large dams and buildings, drilling and injecting liquid into wells, and by coal mining and oil drilling. Perhaps the best known example is the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China's Sichuan Province in May; this tremor resulted in 69,227 fatalities and is the 19th deadliest earthquake of all time."   (courtesy: wikipedia)

 Soil pollution has reached its heights and exponentially etches our planet's capacity as a resource base. I have personally seen quite a few places like the one in the picture above in the outskirts of major cities. A literal 'alert' sign has been issued by concerned organisations like WHO and sustainability establishments regarding the whole issue of pollution of all kinds.

Great Pacific garbage patch, oil spills and the list is endless. My emphasis in this essay is more on the general feeling and the importance accorded by ancients to mother earth and our recklessness rather than discussing the nuances of environmental pollution. Actually, most of us have enough knowledge about the environmental degradation (all kinds of environmental damages including water, soil, air) but refuse to see the big picture for fear of losing small comforts. We should keep in mind that all these ecosystems are fragile and hence balanced only until left alone. As observed in the opening quote, we meddle with all of these ecosystems and rapidly moving towards self-destruction.

A new movie, called HOME is a high quality presentation on our atrocities on this planet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU

Each one has to give a thought about these serious environmental issues especially when our Earth is so special in our vicinity at least considering the fact that we might not spot liquid water for atleast another 500 million km from Earth and habitable planet for atleast  41,325 billion km from us.


May bhumi devi as well as the mighty Lord save us!