If you are anywhere near the Delhi NCR, you will agree with me that the extreme fluctuations in air temperatures over the last fortnight have left us befuddled. The first thought that comes to mind is that weather is fickle… it is playing truant… This thought is quickly replaced by a spark: the weather isn’t fickle; it’s adapting and mitigating the impact of human actions.
Hand on your heart, how do you rate yourself on self-discipline, on following a proper daily routine (dincharya, as we call it in Hindi)? Are you in a place to question the variability of weather in that case?
I tend to think similarly about climate change. The degradation of natural resources reflects the stupor of human consciousness. As we abandon compassion for all beings for the I-Me-Mine living, as we become intolerant toward the minutest of personal discomfort or anyone or anything coming between us and our grandiose ambitions, even a meandering river needs to be straightened out.
No incremental changes, no one-step-at-a-time. A complete overhaul of the way we think, feel, and act is the need of the hour. Sustainable living starts with a personal course correction in our consumerist habits and self-centeredness.
Start with an acceptance that climate change is ultimately a cause and a symptom of human behavior.
- Reduce Consumption: Be intentional about what you buy. Ask yourself if each purchase is a need or a want driven by the endless comfort-seeking you reflected on. This directly counters the greed and over-consumption patterns I identified as modern problems.
- Restore Personal Discipline (Dinacharya): Return to consistent, mindful daily practices—like walking instead of driving short distances, cooking at home, or meditation; these will create both personal and environmental benefits.
- Respect Nature: Avoid contributing to the exploitation; support businesses and policies that work with nature, not against it.
- Live Sustainably: Reduce waste, conserve water and energy, support local food systems.
यत्पृथिव्यां व्रीहियवं हिरण्यं पशवः स्त्रियः ।
न नालमेकस्य पर्याप्तं तस्मात्तृष्णां परित्यजेत् ॥
Srimad Bhagavatam (7.15.20)
All the food grains, gold, animals, and material pleasures on this entire earth are not enough to satisfy the desires of a single person. Therefore, one should renounce the thirst for endless consumption.
The most sustainable habit might be recalibrating our relationship with comfort and convenience itself. Just think about it!
