Paryavaran Pradushan Bahya Aur Antarik

Here's a comprehensive summary of the Jain text "Paryavaran Pradushan Bahya aur Antarik" (Environmental Pollution: External and Internal) by Vinod Muni, based on the provided PDF pages:

The article, "Paryavaran Pradushan aur Jain Drishti" (Environmental Pollution and the Jain Perspective) by Dr. Sushma, discusses environmental pollution from a Jain viewpoint, emphasizing its multifaceted nature extending beyond the physical to the mental and intellectual.

I. The Broad Scope of Environment and its Pollution:

• Ancient Indian Culture: The article begins by highlighting the antiquity of Indian culture, acknowledging contributions from both Vedic and Jain traditions. It suggests that in ancient times, when nature was revered as divine or motherly, environmental pollution was not a significant problem.
• Definition of Environment: The environment is defined broadly, encompassing water, air, earth, space (sound), energy, and human consciousness.
• Ancient Categorization: The Mahabharata included eight categories under the environment: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Space, Mind, Intellect, and Ego. The Vedic tradition also pointed to elements like space, earth, water, herbs, vegetation, and then the "Vishvadevas."
• Modern Categorization: Modern thinkers categorize environmental pollution into eight types: water, air, soil, noise, radioactive, bio, chemical, and electrical pollution. The first three are the mediums of pollution, while the latter five are its causes.
• The Root Cause: Ideological Pollution: The core argument is that external environmental pollution stems from "ideological pollution" (man, intellect, and ego). If ideological pollution is absent, the likelihood of other forms of pollution is significantly reduced. Unpolluted thoughts lead to a conscious effort to prevent the pollution of water, air, earth, space, etc.

II. The Jain Perspective on Environmental Protection:

• Ahimsa as the Foundation: The Jain principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) is presented as the fundamental basis for environmental protection. The Tirthankaras realized that neglecting Ahimsa would inevitably lead to nature's imbalance and catastrophic pollution of land, water, and air.
• Reverence for Nature: Ancient Indian culture, influenced by Jainism, viewed elements of nature with deep respect, even as deities or mothers. This led to a societal commitment to maintaining their purity.
• The Impact of Selfishness: Modern humans, forgetting the motherly aspect of nature and seeking to dominate it, have inadvertently caused widespread pollution. This has led to concerns about rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, and the submergence of islands.
• Specific Jain Teachings and Examples:
  • Earth (Prithvikaya): Lord Mahavir prohibited the harming of earth-bodied beings. He emphasized that actions causing harm to earth-bodied organisms also lead to harm to other life forms. The excessive exploitation of minerals, especially coal, for which the earth is dug up, generates pollution. The burning of coal, its dust, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and other organic gases are major pollutants.
  • Vegetation (Vanaspati): Trees are crucial for environmental conservation. They absorb pollutants like carbon dioxide and release essential oxygen. Trees like the Peepal are considered "oxygen banks." Trees also prevent soil erosion by binding the soil with their roots and play a role in rainfall. They are a source of food, clothing, shelter, and medicine. The destruction of forests by developed nations has escalated environmental crises. Jain tradition fosters a feeling of kinship and even reverence for trees. The shade of trees was instrumental in the Tirthankaras attaining omniscience. Jain tradition views trees as fulfillers of all human needs, likening them to "Kalpavrikshas" (wish-fulfilling trees).
  • Living Beings (Jeev): Nature has created a diverse range of living beings to maintain ecological balance. For example, frogs and mice control harmful insects in agriculture, while owls control mice and frogs. Eagles and peacocks control snake populations. Deer consume grass that hinders the growth of trees and medicinal plants. Carnivores like lions and tigers regulate the populations of herbivores. Even predatory animals are designed to hunt only when hungry, thus minimizing unnecessary violence. Similarly, aquatic life controls pollution in water bodies. However, human greed for taste, strength, beauty, or decoration has led to excessive killing of animals, contributing to pollution. Jain ethics emphasize Ahimsa for both householders (Anuvrat) and ascetics (Mahavrat) to prevent this imbalance.

III. Types of Environmental Pollution from a Jain Perspective:

The article then delves into the specific types of pollution, often linking them back to underlying causes:

• Industrial Pollution: This is identified as the most severe and dangerous form of pollution. It's divided into:
  • Industrial Waste: Gases emitted from coal, diesel, petrol, or uranium used as fuel, such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, are harmful. Carbon dioxide traps heat, contributing to global warming. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) exacerbate this effect. Greenhouse gases lead to deforestation and a breakdown in atmospheric balance. The depletion of the ozone layer due to these gases is a grave concern, leading to increased skin cancer and eye diseases. Acid rain from these emissions damages forests, lakes, and historical monuments.
  • Products of Consumption: Cosmetics and hair dyes can cause localized pollution and health problems. Cigarettes and similar products harm users and bystanders. Vehicles like cars, scooters, and airplanes, powered by petrol, emit harmful gases. Even cement and related products release harmful gases.
• Water Pollution:
  • Industrial Effluents: Industries discharge vast amounts of untreated waste into rivers, making the water unfit for drinking or even irrigation. The article cites the Yamuna river as heavily polluted with coliform bacteria. Discharge of copper, lead, zinc, mercury, and chromium from industries pollutes rivers. Alcohol factories release chlorides, nitrates, phosphates, potassium, and sodium, contaminating water bodies.
  • Urban Sewage: In metropolitan areas, untreated sewage is often dumped into rivers, rendering them poisonous.
  • Preserving Water Purity: Ancient practices like throwing coins (gold, silver, copper) into water bodies were aimed at purifying and enriching the water, providing health benefits.
• Urban Pollution:
  • Urban Sprawl: The migration of rural populations to cities has led to the growth of metropolises, with concrete jungles replacing natural vegetation.
  • Air Quality in Cities: The concentration of vehicles and industry in cities leads to higher air pollution compared to rural areas.
  • Slums and Sanitation: In densely populated slum areas, poor sanitation and overcrowding contribute to significant pollution.
  • Water Supply in Cities: Providing clean water in large cities is a challenge, leading to the use of chlorine, which itself is a pollutant, in water purification.
• Noise Pollution:
  • Vehicular Noise: Vehicles like scooters, cars, and buses, along with their horns, generate excessive noise, causing stress and even hearing loss.
  • Festivals and Celebrations: The use of loudspeakers during festivals, weddings, and religious events further amplifies noise pollution, disturbing peace and affecting concentration and memory.
  • Fireworks: Diwali and other celebrations involving fireworks create intense noise pollution, alarming and disturbing people, especially children and the sick.
  • Mahavir's Message: The article emphasizes Mahavir's message of "Live and let live" as a solution to noise pollution.
• Agricultural Pollution:
  • Contaminated Water: Polluted industrial water used for irrigation contaminates the soil with toxins.
  • Radioactive and Chemical Contamination: Radioactive elements from nuclear explosions and chemical gases entering the atmosphere through rain also reach agricultural lands, poisoning crops and making them unfit for consumption.
  • Pesticides and Herbicides: The use of pesticides to kill rodents and harmful insects, and herbicides to control weeds, further contaminates food crops and reduces their quality. This is cited as a cause for diseases like jaundice spreading epidemically in cities.
• Chemical Pollution: This includes pollution from conventional weapons, nuclear weapons (atom bombs, hydrogen bombs), and chemical weapons. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and their long-term genetic effects, are stark examples. Nuclear testing also releases radioactivity.

IV. Ideological Pollution as the Root of All Problems:

• The Five Sheaths of Ideological Pollution: The article elaborates on the roots of ideological pollution:
  1. Negative Thoughts (Ashubh Chintan): Loss of universal harmony and the rise of narrow self-interest leading to greed, attachment, and anger.
  2. Prejudice and Stubbornness (Abhinivesh): Refusing to accept reality due to false pride, leading to societal discord. Jainism's Ratnatraya (right faith, right knowledge, right conduct) is the best remedy.
  3. Envy and Resentment (Irshya-Dvesh): Developing jealousy and hatred towards successful individuals, leading to character assassination. Jainism advocates for cultivating friendliness, compassion, joy in others' happiness, and equanimity.
  4. Degradation of Character (Charitra-Hanan ki Kutshit Pravrittiyan): This arises from envy and resentment, causing mental unrest and societal disharmony.
  5. Ideologically Pure Public Life: The ideal state.
• The Cycle of Desire: The article outlines the path from contemplating worldly objects to attachment, desire, anger, delusion, loss of memory, loss of intellect, and ultimately, destruction, as described in the Bhagavad Gita. This process is rooted in ideological pollution.
• Corruption and Terrorism: Corruption and terrorism are identified as direct consequences of ideological pollution.
• War and Arms Race: International conflicts and the race for conventional, nuclear, and chemical weapons are also products of ideological pollution.
• The Jain Solution: Jain acharyas recognized ideological pollution as the root cause of all environmental problems. They prescribed Anuvratas (small vows) for householders and Mahavratas (great vows) like Ahimsa, truth, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possession for ascetics as the only way to overcome this "great disease." The relevance of these vows remains crucial today.

V. Conclusion:

The article concludes by reiterating that all forms of environmental pollution, whether physical or ideological, lead to immense suffering. It quotes a Vedic hymn from the Yajurveda that beautifully describes a world free from pollution, where the air is sweet, rivers flow with sweetness, and all elements are imbued with purity and harmony. The author urges a return to this ideal state by freeing the world from environmental pollution. The article also includes extensive references and citations from Jain and other scriptures.