Closer the man is to nature’s benevolence, the more bountiful it becomes, says Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj Ji
Around the globe, the five elements of nature are up in revolt against human beings, unleashing their fury in the form of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and tsunamis. Despite having several warning systems in place today, no one is really sure about what they are going to wake up to. Hence, disaster management has come up as a major focus area in current years. But while we can gear up for any natural calamity within limits, it is almost impossible to stand up to the unprecedented high magnitude of nature’s wrath that we have witnessed lately. Especially in the case of earthquakes, which are occurring so frequently. The question that, hence, emerges in everyone’s minds is: What is the reason behind this drastic change in the temperament of nature, which has been revered for ages as the mother by mankind, from the most bountiful to the most ferocious?
Though calamities were not unknown in the past few decades, their occurrence was rare. According to scientists all over the world, global warming, caused by the emission of carbon gases into the atmosphere as a result of greater mechanisation, industrialisation, and depletion of green cover, has brought us to the present predicament. They say that earth has been pushed with such great momentum to the brink that even a full and immediate halt to these activities will not free us from the consequences. The root cause, however, is that man has violated natural laws and plundered resources recklessly to meet his greed, without restoring anything that he took away from nature. His nature, driven by selfishness and corrupted by the quest to exploit and profit from what is free for all, made him greedy and short-sighted, thereby inviting his downfall. Therefore, the corruption of man’s nature has led to the degradation of natural resources and the environment. Man has founded the so-called modern world by going against the laws of nature and violated the lessons that nature taught him — to share, sustain and exist in harmony with others.
Through each of its five elements, known for their characteristic qualities, nature is a human being’s best guide and teacher. Mother Earth nourishes every species and life on the planet. It is in its heart that seeds germinate and life is sustained. As much as it is known as a bountiful giver and nourisher, it is as much known for its strength and firmness. the element of water is known to keep a low profile all the time, flowing towards a low-lying surface. It is known to take the shape of whatever it is poured into, to meander its way through difficult terrains and yet meet its final destination, the sea. Depending upon the temperature, it can change its form to water vapour or solidify into ice. It is said that a person who learns to master the art of adjustment and flexibility can never be subjected to the wrath of water, for he has befriended it.
The element of fire is known to have a unique capacity of burning away or finishing the unwanted. Unlike water that gets dirty while purifying the human body or belongings, or the air that becomes toxic on being subjected to pollution, fire detoxifies without losing its original nature. It is for this reason that ores are treated with it for purity, clothes are disinfected in the sun and rubbish is burnt away. The power of meditation is like the fire which finishes the past waste and negative traits of a soul and frees it completely of the bondage of karma.
Similarly, the air breathes life into everything on earth. It is a natural transporter and carrier. Temperamentally, it is known to soothe and lift spirits. It, along with the sky, or space as it is called, teaches the importance of the element of freedom. It is in the sky that the birds fly, that kites take soar and humans escape to for experiencing unbounded recreation. The vast expanse of sky holds the uncountable stars and their galaxies, planets, and satellites, which automatically and silently follow a cyclical pattern of revolutions and rotations.
The human body is the closest form of external nature. Our ancestors believed that the body of a person who has imbibed the lessons demonstrated by five elements of nature can never be hurt by the wrath of nature. This is so because the natural environment is an extension of our internal nature and the disturbance in the latter is finally replicated in the fury of nature. Natural disasters and upheavals are becoming common because humans have bypassed the lessons that it has to teach. So what we need to understand is that: Closer the man is to nature’s benevolence, the more bountiful it becomes.
