Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
TABLE 8.3
Significance of Water as Stated in Different Religious Scriptures
Buddhism
“As the rains fill the rivers and overflows into the ocean, so what is given here may
reach the departed.” Buddhists seek “nirvana” in natural settings amid rivers,
forests, and mountains.
Christianity
John 4:1-42, Jesus offers “living water” to a Samaritan woman so that she will
never thirst again.
Hinduism
The sacred rivers of Hindus are “Ganga, Sindhu, Srasvati, Yamuna, Godavari,
Narmada, Kaveri, Saryu, Kachipra, Vetravati, Mahasurandi, Khyata, Gaya,
Gandak.”
During the Great Flood (Pralaya), Manu is rescued by a fish; the fish towed a large
boat taking into it seeds and animals, and anchored it on the highest of the
Himalayas.
Baby Krishna was carried to safety by his father (Vasudev) across the river Yamuna
when the army of Kansa was chasing them. The water of the Yamuna parted when
it touched the feet of Krishna.
Islam
“Heavens and Earth were joined together—we made from water every living
thing—.”
Judaism
The divine flood washed away all the sins of the world but only Noah survived.
Parting of the Red Sea by Moses enabled the Israelites to escape from the
Egyptian army.
Shinto
Waterfalls are sacred, used in “suigyo,” and standing under can purify the believers.
Zoroastrianism
The evil spirit Angra Mainyu attacked the earth and made pure water salty. Thus,
pollution is evil, and pure water is sacred. The dead are not cremated, buried, or
immersed in water because fire, earth, and water must be kept pure.
Source:
Dwivedi, O.P. 1989.
World Religions and the Environment
. 462. New Delhi, India: Gitanjali;
Abrams, P. 2000. The water page.
Water in religion
. Water Policy International Ltd.
http://
www.africanwater.org/religion.htm
(accessed January 2, 2014); Holy Quran-Surah Al Aneba,
verse 30; Kalidasanskritam Manglashatkam (2056 Vikram calendar).
In Latin, the term
nature
means “to be born” (natal, prenatal, etc.). In English, the
term has successfully evolved into three meanings (Proctor 2004): (i) the quality or
character (13th century), (ii) the inherent force directing the world (14th century), and
(iii) the physical world as a whole (17th century). It is in the context of its use to denote
“the physical world as a whole” that there is a need to review the relevance of the-
ology and spiritualism because its very nature is being jeopardized by human greed
and delusion. There also exists a strong connection between “sustainability” and theol-
ogy (Jenkins and Chapple 2011) because the proper use of spiritual beliefs can affect
the environmental behavior and involve the stewardship response of human society.
Multiple social and ecological problems that make up the challenge of sustainability
can be addressed through religious, spiritual, and philosophical ideals. Indeed, unsus-
tainable use of natural resources (i.e., soil, water, forests, energy, minerals, wildlife) is
attributed to humanity's insatiable desires. Consequently, the earth and all its creatures
are commodified into a pool of resources to be exploited to satisfy these never-ending
desires. The unsustainable use of natural resources is driven by the religion of market:
