HINDUISM

OVERVIEW

Hinduism is the oldest living religion. With more than one billion followers, it is the world’s third largest religion. While most followers are found in India, there are sizeable Hindu communities across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. In many ways, the term Hinduism is a collection of various spiritual and philosophical lineages that share common foundational beliefs. traditions. All life is considered sacred and deserving of respect.

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More about Hinduism

'Do not harm the environment; do not harm the water and the flora; earth is my mother, I am her son; may the waters remain fresh, do not harm the waters… Tranquility be to the atmosphere, to the earth, to the waters, to the crops and vegetation.'
– The Atharva Veda, one of Hinduism's Veda scriptures

BELIEFS & VALUES

Hindu beliefs & values share much common ground with conservation.

Respect for all living beings: Hinduism believes that all of nature is pervaded by one spiritual power. To put this belief into practice, Hindus revere all forms of life, including natural entities, such as rivers, mountains, forests and animals. It is believed also that a soul can be reincarnated into any life form, making all life sacred and deserving of respect.

Ahimsa: The ethical principle of respecting all living things and not causing harm to other living beings. Many Hindus follow a vegetarian diet because of this belief.

Avoid consumption: Hindus are taught that over-consumption of material things should not be a goal in life. They are not to use anything belonging to nature (coal, wood, birds, or even worms) if they cannot replenish it. 'Everything in the universe belongs to the Lord. Therefore take only what you need, that is set aside for you. Do not take anything else, for you know to whom it belongs,' says the Isa Upanishad.

Simplicity: Hinduism considers simplicity a virtue. Efforts to exploit natural resources are considered a distraction from the central purpose in life, which according to Hinduism is to achieve peace and fulfilment by discovering our spiritual nature.

Karma: Protecting life forms results in good karmic retribution; causing harm incurs negative karma.

Dayã: Empathy for the suffering of others.

HINDUISM & THE ENVIRONMENT

Find out what Hindus around the world most care about when it comes to the environment, according to this survey conducted by Bhumi Global, the Hindu movement for Mother Earth, in 2021. Of those questioned:

Virtually all (99%) agreed or strongly agreed that environmental issues need to be urgently addressed
98% are concerned or very concerned about environmental issues
95% are comfortable or very comfortable about adapting their lifestyles to help the environment

EXPLORE HINDU ACTION IN CONSERVATION

There are approximately 1.2 billion Hindus today, most living in India and Nepal.

For centuries, Hindus have practiced teachings on treating all life forms with compassion and respect. But in many areas traditional Hindu practices are being forgotten and neglected. Much work is being done by temples and communities, however, based on Hindu beliefs and values, to protect sacred rivers, groves and other sacred natural sites; to ensure more environmentally sustainable religious pilgrimage inside nature reserves; to support green energy; and to reduce waste.