When Mother Earth gets upset with us...

kkrish · Mar 12, 2011

This is in honor of all the citizens of Japan and other countries who have lost so much in natural disasters.
As I see more and more pictures of the devastation in Japan I am bewildered and saddened that Mother Earth could unleash such ferocity!

Every time I fly nothing gives me more happiness than when my feet touch the ground. Terra Firma always gives me the sense of security that all is well! But if that terra itself is not firm where on earth can we go? Will all those residents in earth-quake zones ever rest peacefully?

Thinking of all the lives that were lost within a few minutes – one minute they were going about their business the next they don’t exist – I could not fail to think of all the bitterness, anger, harsh words and hatred we all human beings spew at each other globally and locally.

Seeking an answer I turned towards Vedanta; all posts by Smt. Chitvish. I re-read some of the articles that I recalled providing some answers. They all did; in one form or the other. Thanks Chitvish ma’am.

I guess this how we humans will live our lives. During troubled times we will determine to be good to each other but once the memories fade away we become complacent in our security and fall back to the same old bickering, etc.

Again mother earth will come back with ferocity and knock some sense in us!

The cycle will continue….

Please share your thoughts!

iyerviji · Mar 12, 2011

Dear Kamala

I agree wtih you, will come back later.

Chitvish · Mar 12, 2011

Dear Kamala, sad indeed are such developments globally.But how much we abuse Mother Earth?/!! Do we ever think on those lines??

Why do we pay obeisance to Mother Earth (Bhooma devi), before getting up in the morning?

According to our shastras it is customary to recite the following mantra, before we get up from the bed.

Samudra vasane devi
parvatha sthana mandithe
Vishnu pathni namasthubyam
paada sparsham kshamasvame

O mother earth, who has oceans as her clothes, mountains and forests as her body, who is the wife of the lord Vishnu, i bow to you, please forgive me as my feet are touching you!

We touch the ground with our hands and keep on our head, reverently. This is laughed at, as superstition by many! They know not how ignorant they are.

When we sleep, our body experiences static or potential energy. When we get up, it changes to dynamic or kinetic energy because of the physical movement. When we bend down to touch the earth, static energy will be completely expelled from our system and kinetic energy will fill us up. When we first keep our feet on the ground, energy level descends and our stamina decreases. But, if we keep our hands on the earth, the energy level ascends and our body stamina increases doubly!!
This is an unchallenged scientific truth!!

I am glad, you are realising that Vedanta can answer so many queries. But some facts have to be internalised without asking 'why's. How many can do that??

kkrish · Mar 12, 2011

iyerviji said: ↑

Dear Kamala

I agree wtih you, will come back later.
Click to expand...

Thanks Viji Akka.

kkrish · Mar 12, 2011

Chitvish said: ↑

Dear Kamala, sad indeed are such developments globally.But how much we abuse Mother Earth?/!! Do we ever think on those lines??

Why do we pay obeisance to Mother Earth (Bhooma devi), before getting up in the morning?

According to our shastras it is customary to recite the following mantra, before we get up from the bed.

Samudra vasane devi
parvatha sthana mandithe
Vishnu pathni namasthubyam
paada sparsham kshamasvame

O mother earth, who has oceans as her clothes, mountains and forests as her body, who is the wife of the lord Vishnu, i bow to you, please forgive me as my feet are touching you!

We touch the ground with our hands and keep on our head, reverently. This is laughed at, as superstition by many! They know not how ignorant they are.

When we sleep, our body experiences static or potential energy. When we get up, it changes to dynamic or kinetic energy because of the physical movement. When we bend down to touch the earth, static energy will be completely expelled from our system and kinetic energy will fill us up. When we first keep our feet on the ground, energy level descends and our stamina decreases. But, if we keep our hands on the earth, the energy level ascends and our body stamina increases doubly!!
This is an unchallenged scientific truth!!

I am glad, you are realising that Vedanta can answer so many queries. But some facts have to be internalised without asking 'why's. How many can do that??
Click to expand...

Dear Chitvish ma'am
Thank you so much for this eye-opeing feed back!
You are right! How much we abuse Mother Earth! How much more can she sustain?

Yes ma'am there is a very fine line between superstition and understanding the true reason of certain of our rituals! Unfortunately sometimes the true reason is forgotten in the process of following certain rituals which then is branded as superstition.

The verse you quoted is so true! Are we not tainting Mother earth's clothes spilling toxins in! How we are chopping her body - deforestation.
Teh scientists are screaming their throats hoarse on this and the ever widening ozone gap in our atmoshphere.

We can go on...

I was also thinking of the wars, unrests and family problems that we all invite on ourselves forgetting that life is so fickle. Some of your explanations in your vedanta thread has made me reflect on this aspect. I say some because I am yet to read many more of your threads.

Siat · Mar 12, 2011

I think, humankind should remember that WE are in need of Mother Earth.
Our all Mother don´t need us, only we´re needing Her.
I´m really not a misantrophic, but when I look at those pictures, when I´m hearing all the news... I´m really, really sad and shocked about all this horrible tragedy. But I also see for example with a view of the nuclear danger, that some things are not a revenge from our Mother, but a bill for the ignorance, arrogance and pride of humankind.

It´s so sad and terrible, but I guess we have to face the fact, that, however, most of people will not change their behaviour nor their thinking. Alas!
Why oh why? Mankind-Crone of creation! :notthatway:

Samudra vasane devi
parvatha sthana mandithe
Vishnu pathni namasthubyam
paada sparsham kshamasvame

O mother earth, who has oceans as her clothes, mountains and forests as her body, who is the wife of the lord Vishnu, i bow to you, please forgive me as my feet are touching you!
Click to expand...

It´s so beautiful!

I´m consistently amazed and astonished that so many things, which the Gods and Goddesses revealed me on my spiritual journey relate to some teachings of the Hinduism...

I guess, many of the pagan paths which some peoples are following today having some similarities with the Hinduism.

How ever, all my prayers for the victims of this tragedy and light for the souls who have to go in this cruel way.

May the Gods and Goddesses guide the hearts and thinking of mankind
May their blessings and helping hands be with all the people, who are in need and in danger
May they attend all deparded souls on their journey.

Blessed be.

Siat

soumya234 · Mar 12, 2011

All that you have said is very true.Whoever you are, you don't have any control over the events when some tragedy happens.People will think about selfless acts such times and after sometime, back to old selfish thoughts.

Chitvish mam thank you for the sloka and the great explanation:bowdown:bowdown.

Coffeelover · Mar 12, 2011

Kamala,

Beautiful post. Yes, it happens all the times. May be 10 year back we did not know about other countries because of not having modern technology. i remember my grandma used to tell me about Tsunami etc happened in Triunelveli ( Tamil Nadu) 200 years back. It destroyed most of the villages and then they rebuilt everything. None of us believed her. She alwasy told us to give respect to the earth. Now because of the technology, we can see and feel the destruction. But Why should innocent people die?? I don't understand that. You can call it fate or Karma. But why?????

@Chitra, thanks for the solkam. I will start saying that from now on as soon as I get up.

CL:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown

Siat · Mar 13, 2011

But Why should innocent people die?? I don't understand that. You can call it fate or Karma. But why?????
Click to expand...

Dear Coffeelover,
my granddad used to say, that on the question "why" we never get an answer. It´s an unanswerable question.
I think, he is right. The only thing that happens is, that we´re querreling with the Divine (if we´re religious) or getting depressed, ´cause we can´t bear all the crueleties in the world.

I even don´t understand it... There are many things I don´t understand. But for the sake of peace of my heart and soul I´ve to put it in the hands of the Gods and Goddesses, ´cause I´m believeing, that They know and understand more than me little human.

Blessed be with peace.

Siat

satchitananda · Mar 13, 2011

kkrish said: ↑

But if that terra itself is not firm where on earth can we go? Will all those residents in earth-quake zones ever rest peacefully?

kamala, that is the transient nature of all physical life on earth?

Thinking of all the lives that were lost within a few minutes – one minute they were going about their business the next they don’t exist – I could not fail to think of all the bitterness, anger, harsh words and hatred we all human beings spew at each other globally and locally.

well said kamala. if only we could keep reminding ourselves of this every living moment of the day when we transact with others around us.

I guess this how we humans will live our lives. During troubled times we will determine to be good to each other but once the memories fade away we become complacent in our security and fall back to the same old bickering, etc.

our swamiji in the vedanta class used to refer to this as "smashaana vairagyam".

Again mother earth will come back with ferocity and knock some sense in us!

The cycle will continue….

Please share your thoughts!
Click to expand...

just shows how inconsequential and insignificant we are in the scheme of the universe and we cannot get beyond that little ego of ours which tries to inflate itself like the proverbial frog trying to imitate an elephant till it bursts one day. we imagine we are the centre of the universe. everyone and everything revolves around ourselves. it only takes an event such as this to shake us out of our beautiful slumber and dreams of self-aggrandizement..