Beyond Ego: Why Future Demands An Ecocentric Worldview

Time of India

3 days ago

Rene Descartes, one of the foremost rationalists, famously proclaimed 'Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum,' which means 'i doubt, therefore i think, therefore i am.' Ethically speaking, besides pointing to importance of critical thinking, which is fundamental to existence, the phrase carries weight of 'i', the self: i doubt-i think-i am, intensely focusing on 'i', representative of ego.
Self-centredness reflects a lack of ability to understand different perspectives on the same truth, an inherent cognitive bias towards the self to exclude all others, and a lack of empathy. This self-serving approach is egocentric, where 'i' wants to manipulate the world, modifying its environment at the cost other beings for whom the Earth is a shared home.
An egocentric approach considers existence self-serving. It does not accept the
environmental crises
and treats rivers, lakes, forests, and mountains merely as resources to be exploited for ego's aggrandisement. This attitude must be transcended to save the planet.
Transcendence of ego comes from expanding the sense of self to include rest of the world – species on the brink of extinction, polluted rivers, plastic-filled oceans and toxic air. It requires a
paradigm shift
– from being egocentric to becoming ecocentric. With being and becoming a constant exercise in inclusion resulting in expansion of self that ultimately leads to realisation of the Self.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Krishn
says in the
Bhagwad Gita
: 'Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, reason, and also ego; these constitute My nature divided into eight parts. This, indeed, is my material nature. Other than this, by which the whole universe is sustained, know it to be My higher nature in the form of Jiva.'
Everything that we see or feel, in a way, is Krishn. There is no duality. Krishn and nature are not separate; they are one. Krishn is both within existence and outside of it, but he is not limited to it, because he is representative of the Supreme Self. He says in Gita: 'There is nothing else besides Me, Arjun. Like clusters of yarn-beads formed by knots on a thread, all this is threaded on me.' Krishn challenges Arjun's egocentricity by enabling him to see beyond the self and fulfil his dharm. In the 21st century, our dharm is to become eco-centric, that is, to acknowledge and value all living beings, not just by how useful they are to us.
Buddhists believe in
dependent origination
, that is, nothing exists without causes or conditions that enable its existence. All phenomena are interdependent, and realising this is shunyata, emptiness. Our existence is relative to causes and conditions and dependent on many other factors beyond our control.
Even an empty bottle, which we toss nonchalantly in the bin, carries unseen labour of hundreds of people who worked to ensure it reached us. These things may not occur to us when we discard bottles, clothes, gadgets, utensils, and other things and reach out for new ones. An egocentric model will not sustain us; we need an ecocentric model for a brighter tomorrow that nourishes our being and the environment.
Authored by: Sonal Srivastava
Why Arjun Was Chosen: The Untold Secret of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 4, Verse 3