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The Green Guru |
by Manisha Sheth Gutman Located in the state of Karnataka in southern India amidst forests and flowing rivers is an 800-year-old matha, or Hindu monastery. Known as the Sonda Swarnavalli Samsthana, it continues the ancient tradition of Adi Sankaracharya, the greatest exponent of Advaita Hindu philosophy. Traditionally, the head of the matha is also a leader to the residents of the region in other ways. The present head, Shri Gangadhareshwar Saraswati Swami, has gone beyond his prescribed duties to take on social and environmental issues confronting the Sonda region. This vision has earned him the title of ‘Hasiru Swamigalu' - the green swami. Despite India's rich spiritual heritage, globalization and the speed of development are distancing India from the roots of its wisdom, which lie in a deep reverence for nature. Now, this spiritual leader is teaching people to see god in trees, forests and rivers once again. Swamiji believes that the current disconnect between nature and religion is due to a misunderstanding of spirituality, inappropriate industrialization and stiff competition for survival in urban contexts. Within a year of being named the leader of the matha, at the young age of 21, the swami led a six-day procession on foot along the Bedthi river to mobilize people to protest against a dam and a hydroelectric project that would have submerged most of the abundant forests of the region. Almost 50,000 people gathered at the end of this procession and the government had to withdraw the project. To the residents of Sonda who are mainly agrarian Brahmins, the swami is an inspiring figure, urging them to act to protect their natural environment. Everyone is welcome to join his movement regardless of their religious beliefs. Muslims and Christians respect him. Over the years, even the government has begun to recognize the extent to which he inspires the hearts of the people. Environmentalists rely on him for his support and for the calm, apolitical quality he brings to the conservation movement. His students, who come to get educated at the matha, learn about agriculture while tending its farms, and when they graduate they either become priests or return to farming, carrying with them a deep reverence for the green gods of this earth. www.swarnaganga.org Story from Positive News Hong Kong |
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