In the lead up to Earth Day, celebrated on April 22nd each year, Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj spoke of our responsibility, as custodians of the earth’s resources, to preserve the ecology of our planet for future generations. God has given us everything we need to survive. We have been given air to breathe, water to quench our thirst, fruits, vegetables, and grains to nourish our bodies, and the sun’s rays to keep us warm. And yet, despite all these blessings, humanity has taken more from the earth than we have given back, so much so that we are exhausting the earth’s resources.
In the last century, in the name of development, humanity has over-utilized the earth’s resources. We have cut down trees to clear land for concrete buildings and roads; we have taken the lives of animals, birds, and fish to feed ourselves; and we have polluted the earth’s atmosphere and water bodies, endangering the lives of many creatures with whom we share this earth.
We need to learn to live and let live. On Earth Day, we need to pause and reflect on how we are treating the earth and what we are doing with the resources we have been blessed with. We must learn to use only what we need and share the remainder of our blessings with others in an attitude of service so we can help alleviate their burdens. We need to see the connectedness of all life forms and understand how the destruction of one species can impact the earth’s ecological balance, causing far-reaching repercussions.
We need to lead our lives in such a way that we understand the true purpose of God’s creation, that we understand who we are and our relationship with God, with the earth, and with our fellow beings. To discover the answers to these questions, we meditate. As we connect with God’s love and Light, we awaken to our connectedness, and we begin to live in harmony with all of God’s creation.
