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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Seeta Lakhani, Hindu Tutor at Eton College

Connections with Nature

Good morning.

For a long time, I’ve been fascinated by the traditions and rituals of the tribes in the Pacific . Natural landscapes with trees, mountains and caves are held in tremendous reverence. Dance, song, prayer, and gift-giving have been an essential way to demonstrate harmony between people and nature. With this deep connection to nature, the perception is that all living things are interconnected. All life has sacred meaning.

I find a tremendous synergy between this and my own religion. In many Hindu religious ceremonies: leaves and flowers, fire and water, are used as a way to connect with a higher reality. All these symbolic gestures are a way of recognising that deeper ecological awareness is spiritual awareness.

The philosophical heart of my religion revolves around the idea that at a deeper, spiritual level, all living things are intrinsically interconnected. It’s something Hindus call ‘Brahman.’

According to this belief, God is not somewhere ‘out there’ in the heavens, but is present here and now, in our living, breathing world.

As Hindus we don’t see it as a moral obligation to breathe, or to care for ourselves. If we begin to feel that we are part of, and not separate from the natural world, I feel that our behaviour would effortlessly and beautifully follow environmental ethics.

I pray that I always remember this deeper connection we have with everything around us. I pray that we more naturally will, as opposed to feeling like we should, be inclined to care for all living nature.

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