Examining Sikh Environmentalism: A Catholic Perspective
So many religions are trying to address the environmental crisis the earth is facing. Each religion brings different perspectives to the table, and I would like to look at Sikhism in particular for this post.
There is an idea within the Sikh religion that humans treat the non-human nature how they feel on the inside. Dr. Rajwant Singh, Founder of EcoSikh, wrote, “The current instability of the natural system of the earth - the external environment of human beings, is only a reflection of the instability and pain within humans.” I will provide a link to his essay, “Environmental Theology in Sikhism” at the end of this post.
The idea offers an much different insight into environmental issues from what I was taught growing up. As someone who was baptized and confirmed into the Roman Catholic Church, I was taught about ways to “do my part” to help the environment. When I grew older, I began to wonder why all of my efforts, as well as the efforts in my household to make the planet cleaner and healthier, did not seem to help.
I think many environmentalists place so much blame and responsibility on the individual. What I mean by that is there is a lot of controversy about what is happening with climate change, and when individual people are made to feel like the environmental crisis is all their fault, they become both overwhelmed and hopeless. While there is unity within some environmental groups, many people who care about the earth do not live in a place where they can join these groups, but only support them online through social media and such.
The Sikh idea that the outside world, or non-human nature, is a reflection of what is inside humans, shows a deep understanding on how humans operate. One day I will be hopeful that my efforts to recycle and use zero-waste products are not in vain, and other days I find myself throwing away a non-recyclable piece of plastic, thinking What can I do? Nothing, really.
I used to think focusing on my own self-improvement was selfish. Now I understand that improving my mental health and encouraging others to do the same is actually helpful in the environmental crisis. Dr. Singh wrote, “The social justice crisis is that poverty, hunger, disease, exploitation, and injustice are widespread.” Scientists chose to use fear tactics, which still only got them so far in communicating climate change. I propose we begin to help those around us to make what is going on inside better. When we do this, the non-human world will surely show signs of improvement.