The Vedic worldview is firmly rooted in honoring our Mother Earth, for which various forms of Earth worship or Bhumi Puja are prescribed. For proper meditation we must first do prayers to sanctify the ground on which we sit. Vedic ecology reflects this Vedic methodology for connecting with the Earth and helping unfold her many secret powers. Vedic rituals and Hindu Pujas are part of this process.

The Earth is not inanimate but a force of hidden consciousness unfolding a secret Divine Will for the higher evolution of all creatures. The Earth is the Divine Mother incarnate. In the wilderness she is Parvati, the wife of Shiva, who leads us to wisdom and transcendence. In the fertile plains she is Lakshmi, the wife of Vishnu, who bestows love and nurturance.

Unfortunately, most Hindus have forgotten this Vedic view of the Earth and don’t protect their natural environment. They have not added a Hindu point of view to the ecology movement, which is perhaps the main idealistic movement in the world today. Hinduism can help spiritualize the ecology movement and reconnect it with our ancient sense of the sacred Earth Mother and give us the tools to communicate with her. But this requires awakened Hindus who understand this tradition and its importance.

Part of the challenge of modern Hinduism is to reclaim its connection to the Earth. Bharat Mata or Mother India is also Bhumi Mata or Mother Earth. India embodies the Earth and its perennial wisdom by its connection with the Sun. Healing the Earth should be integral to all Hindu causes and to all spirituality everywhere.