For 5,000 years the Bhagavad Gita has influenced the Vaishnava (followers of Vishnu) culture. In fact, it’s impossible to divorce it from the entire Indian experience. An example of this is that Tilak and Gandhi, two pre-WWII politicians, in their quest for independence from Britain, wrote commentaries on the Gita. Doing so was an attempt to demonstrate to their constituents that they had mastery over the culture.

The Gita influences the values and mentality of the people. Whether or not they regularly study it, they’ve been raised and influenced by its ideals. Thus, those in the Vaishnava culture, and even those outside but influenced by it, are naturally more inclined to respect Nature and the environment than Americans.

For example, most Vaishnavas are vegetarian. Their thinking is that all living beings have souls. Thus, a human has no right to take the life of another creature. Meat eating consumes huge water, land, and energy resources, thus Vaishnavas conserve those resources. Moreover, Vaishnavas don’t endanger animal species by hunting them to extinction.

About 50% of Vaishnavas live in an agrarian setting. In general, they believe that a simple, non-materialistic life will be good for their progress in this life and the next.

These are just some of the practical influences of the Gita.

Every American should read the Gita to understand these influences.

The Gita’s perspective on greed is particularly relevant to the environment. Krishna teaches that the body is designed around five knowledge senses—seeing, hearing, tasting, touching, and smelling—along with five working senses—tongue, arms, legs, genitals, and anus. And the mind is in control of these senses.

This concept of the ten senses and the mind is not original with Krishna. It exists in several Eastern philosophies including Buddhism, Jainism, and Samkhya.

The basic concept is that the senses are magnetically attracted or repulsed by the objects of the world.

This attraction and repulsion result in suffering and enjoyment. Although enjoyment may seem desirable, it is temporary, illusory, and often degrading. Thus, it is false enjoyment. True enjoyment may experienced by one who rises above sense enjoyment and contacts the soul.

The method for connecting with the soul is called yoga (not the modern physical yoga).

As mentioned above, the mind is supposed to be in control of the senses, but in fact, the worldly predicament is that the senses have subjugated the mind. Yoga is the process to regain control of the mind and connect it with the soul and the Supreme.

In sum, there are two fundamental perspectives in which the Gita contribute to humanity’s relationship with the environment: First, all beings are souls. Second, life is meant for yoga—that is, connecting with the soul and the Supreme—instead of connecting the senses with their objects.

This latter perspective means that a Vaishnava follower of the Gita tries to reduce greed. Material consumption and possessions that are beyond the necessities of life are not important and indeed may inhibit one’s progress to a higher state both in this life and the next. In other words, yoga connection with the soul is all important.

Adopting these two perspectives alone will bring about a tremendous change in humanity’s relationship with Nature. And this is not a theoretical idea, nor has it proven itself on a small scale. Hundreds of millions demonstrate the effectiveness of this culture.

Moreover, there are at least two more components of yoga that may be viewed to be subtler, but that have the power to contribute immensely to the planet.

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