Extracting a Humanisitic Philosophy of Social and Environmental Well-being from the Bhagavad-gītā

The Bhagavad-gītā is a sacred Hindu text that is widely regarded as one of the most important spiritual works in the world. It presents a comprehensive philosophy of life that has been studied and followed by people across cultures and religions. One of the central themes of the Bhagavad-gītā is the importance of living a life of virtue and duty, or dharma. This philosophy has implications for social and environmental well-being, which we will explore in this blog. The Bhagavad-gītā emphasizes the importance of treating all individuals with respect and compassion. The text teaches that all living beings are interconnected and that harming others ultimately harms oneself. This is exemplified in the following shloka: "ātmavat sarva-bhūtāni na tvevāhaṃ teṣu te yo māṃ paśyati sarvatra sarvaṃ ca mayi paśyati" (BG 6.29) This shloka emphasizes the importance of seeing oneself in all living beings and recognizing the divine presence in all things. It teaches that we should treat...