St Aloysius B. Ed College organizes Eco Spirituality Talk
Mangaluru: St Aloysius B. Ed College a leading institute of teacher education of the city organized a talk on Eco-Spirituality. Rev. Fr Simon Fernandes SJ, Environmentalist and Director-SWADES, Goa, was the resource person.
He began his speech with the famous quote by Gandhi, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” He said, eco-spirituality has to do nothing with religions. Eco spirituality is a relationship and interdependence of man with the nature irrespective of his/her religion. Eco-spirituality also expresses seeing the universe with ecological perspectives. Ecology in all its manifestations expects and represents harmony. We should be able to see life in all things. Lack of awareness on our part has resulted in the extinction of many species, flora and fauna.
He pointed out that our failure to create constructive consciousness towards environment in our developmental activities and the greed to accumulate wealth by exploiting the nature has damaged the flora and the fauna, water, air and soil. Eco-spirituality gives importance to ecological sustenance and its balance by avoiding any harm to it. Man should realize his interconnectedness with the nature rather than material life. Thus he can feel within the harm caused to the nature by him.
He also insisted the significance of planting more and more trees and the usefulness out them. Environment day should not be confined to 5th of June only, but it should be an integral part of our lives to protect the living planet. When man understands his interconnectedness intimately with the nature he will be able to know the whole planet and all life in it as a vast eco‐system linked with human spirituality. The talk ended with the note, ‘The only spirituality that unites all religions is Eco-spirituality’. The speaker responded to the queries of the students.
Dr Farita Viegas, Principal, welcomed and introduced the speaker. Anam, a second year B. Ed student rendered the vote of thanks. The faculty members were also present for the talk.