4. Caring for Nature
Download PDF: PCT-004 Caring for Creation
Hindu people believe that God is everywhere. We can see God in nature.- The soul is present in all living beings. They can all feel happiness and sadness, pleasure and pain.
- Hinduism teaches that animals should be treated well, though they don’t usually let dogs and cats in the house because they make it dirty.
- Hindus think that cows are considered very special. The cow is like our mother because she gives us milk.
- From milk we can make so many things, which can all be eaten by humans: cream, cheese, yoghurt, butter and ghee. (What is ghee? If you don’t know, then try to find out. Perhaps ask someone, like your mum or your dad.)
- Hindu people use ghee for frying. Many of them do not eat meat (they are vegetarians). If they do eat meat, they do not eat beef because it comes by killing the cow and the bull.
- In India, people often eat off leaves taken from the banana tree. Cups are made of clay, baked hard in the sun. After eating, they throw them away. They go back into nature and don’t cause pollution.
- Hindus believe that trees are very special. They are always giving to everyone. They give us shelter from the sun, wind and rain, wood for making things and for fuel; also fruits, leaves, nuts, bark and flowers.
- Krishna used to like trees and animals. He would go everyday to the forest, along with his friends and all their cows and calves.
- Today Krishna’s village (called Vrindavana) is a holy town. But many of the forests have been chopped down. Now, some Hindu people are planting trees to help protect all the birds and animals who live there.
- Water is very important to Hindu people. They take a bath every morning, sometimes in a river or a lake (its quite hot in India, so you can do this!).
- As the cow in important, so is the bull. He is often used instead of a tractor, to plough and to pull carts.
