Changes

# Gratitude (कृतज्ञता)  

# Gratitude (कृतज्ञता)  

# Compassion (करुणा)  

# Compassion (करुणा)  

# Simple Life reflecting sparing use of Natural Resources  

# Simple Living reflecting sparing use of Natural Resources  

# Service (सेवा परोपकारः च |)  

# Service (सेवा परोपकारः च |)  

# Sacrifice (त्यागः)  

# Sacrifice (त्यागः)  

Furthermore, in the 12th century, Basaveshwara, the great Reformer said, <blockquote>''Compassion is the root of Dharma. Bereft of compassion, there is no Dharma.''</blockquote>

Furthermore, in the 12th century, Basaveshwara, the great Reformer said, <blockquote>''Compassion is the root of Dharma. Bereft of compassion, there is no Dharma.''</blockquote>

=== Aparigrha- Simple living & sparing use of Natural resources ===

=== Simple Living Reflecting Sparing Use Of Natural Resources ===

It is the desire of all human beings to enjoy life, and to secure happiness. The question however examined by the ancient Bharatiya thinkers has been how to secure it. Is it by increasing the wants or limiting the wants. They opted for the latter and incorporated it in the first verse of Ishavasyopanishad. It reads:<blockquote>ॐ ईशावास्यमिदँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥१॥<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%88%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D Ishavasyopanishad].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''oṁ īśāvāsyamidam̐ sarvaṁ yatkiñca jagatyāṁ jagat। tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ mā gr̥dhaḥ kasyasviddhanam॥1॥''</blockquote>Meaning: All we find in this ephermeral world are created by God. Let us use them only to the minimum extent and let us not snatch the wealth belonging to another.

It is the desire of all human beings to enjoy life and secure happiness. However, the question is how to secure it - by increasing the wants or limiting the wants. The ancient Bharatiya acharyas opted for the latter and incorporated the same in the first verse of the Ishavasyopanishad. It reads,<blockquote>ॐ ईशावास्यमिदँ सर्वं यत्किञ्च जगत्यां जगत्। तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथाः मा गृधः कस्यस्विद्धनम्॥१॥<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%88%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E2%80%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D Ishavasyopanishad].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''oṁ īśāvāsyamidam̐ sarvaṁ yatkiñca jagatyāṁ jagat। tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ mā gr̥dhaḥ kasyasviddhanam॥1॥''</blockquote>Meaning: All we find in this ephermeral world is created by the Supreme Being. Let us use them sparingly and let us not snatch the wealth belonging to another.

Swami Vivekananda who rejuvinated and propagated the greatness of Dharma, said thus:<blockquote>''Race after race has taken the challenge up, and tried their utmost to solve the world-riddle on the plane of desires. They have all failed in the past; the old ones have become extinct under the weight of wickedness and misery, which lust for power and gold brings in its train, and the new ones are tottering to their fall. (India and Her problems p.12)''</blockquote>He declared that only 'Sacrifice' brings harmony and real happiness.

Swami Vivekananda who rejuvenated and propagated the greatness of Dharma also declared that only 'Sacrifice' brings harmony and real happiness. The life of Mahatma Gandhi has been the manifestation of the above principle. He said,<blockquote>''Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary restriction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment.''</blockquote><blockquote>''A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above a certain level it becomes hindrance instead of help. Therefore, the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them seems to be a delusion and a snare. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must meet at a certain point a dead stop, before it degenerates into physical voluptuousness. A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances so that they do not hinder him in his service of humanity on which all his energies should be concentrated.''</blockquote>Also, having seen the disastrous consequences of over exploiting natural resources, the world is awakening now. There is a great movement for preserving and protecting natural resources. And we have to fall back on the directive in the Ishavasyopanishad in order to ensure justice to posterity.

 

The life of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest personality of this century, has been the manifestation of the above principle. He said:<blockquote>''Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary restriction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment.''</blockquote><blockquote>''A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above a certain level it becomes hindrance instead of help. Therefore, the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them seems to be a delusion and a snare. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must meet at a certain point a dead stop, before it degenerates into physical voluptuousness. A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances so that they do not hinder him in his service of humanity on which all his energies should be concentrated.''</blockquote>The Supreme Court of India, in its celebrated judgment in Sachidananda Pandey V s. State of West Bengal ( 1987 (2) S.C.C. 295) dealing with the importance of environment quoting a German Philosopher, said thus:<blockquote>''Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge on us. Each victory, it is true, in the first place brings about the results we expected, but in the second and third places it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel the first.''</blockquote><blockquote>''Ecologists are of the opinion that the most ecological and social problem is the widespread disappearance allover the world of certain species of living organisms. Biologists forecast the extinction of animals and plant species on a scale that is incomparably greater than their extinction over the course of millions of years. It is said that over half the species which became extinct over the last 2000 years did so after 1900. The International Association for the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources calculates that now, on average, one species or sub-species is lost every year. It is said that approximately 1000 bird and animal species are facing extinction at present. So it is that the environmental question has become urgent and it has to be properly understood and squarely met by man.''</blockquote>The world is awakening now, having seen the disastrous consequences of over exploiting of natural resources and there is a great movement for preserving and protecting natural resources. We have to fall back on the directive in the Ishavasyopanishad in order to ensure justice to posterity.

=== Service or Paropakara ===

=== Service or Paropakara ===