Aparigraha the Humane Solution

Author(s): Kamla Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 45

ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION-RISK TO HUMAN SURVIVAL 3 7
Having come full circle, it seems that the exploited would emerge again as a giant using his full force, and would destroy the exploiter unless the latter learns to behave.
Historically man's attitude to nature has passed through several stages. In the beginning, natural forces or the elements, such as air, water, fire, earth etc. appeared all-powerful and man always considered them as superior, so he felt the need to worship them, till he was unable to control them. He translated these natural gifts as dieties, and he could do nothing but show reverence to them. Thus religion was born out of fear (though this is only one view), so man had nothing else to do but to take nature and its elements as 'venerables'.
Gradually, man as a being gifted with reason, understood the natural forces (the elements) as causes and effects, and his attitude towards them changed. Instead of remaining a mute spectator to the phenomena of nature he became curious to know its intricacies. His religious fear changed into scientific enquiry. As he proceeded systematically with greater and greater understanding of natural phenomena, he felt his knowledge as not just passive, but as powerful. And, here began the reversal of roles, he now wanted nature to submit to his demands, euphemistically called his needs. Here emerged man the conqueror! Man became the master and nature just an obedient servant. Later, with scientific discoveries and inventions, technolog developed leading to rapid industrial progress, which led to man's economic progress. His basic wants which were difficult to be satisfied earlier due to a number of hurdles, now got more than satisfied; his wants increased manifold; and a system evolved which not only satisfied wants but created more and more wants to be satisfied- the more the wants, the more the pace of created wants, the better the society, economically. This went on and is going on with dramatic changes brought about after the Industrial Revolution. More and more control on nature disturbed its equilibrium, further leading to environmental crisis and endangering man's own existence.
This state reminds one of the story of four young boys travelling together in a forest. They saw a dead lion lying under a tree. The boys