Copenhagen conference and story of a bowlful of milk

Copenhagen conference on climate change is just a week away. We expect all the leaders of developed and developing countries will gather there to decide some action plan to fight the climate change that has taken place in last century. But people have already started doubting whether any consensus can be achieved in this meeting. No doubt the data that is presented in various scientific articles is alarming. It is giving a call for immediate action. But all the wise men around the globe fail to understand. Why ? What is the reason for this negligence ? Let me tell a story.

Once upon a time in some part of India there was a king. He ruled his people nicely and people were happy with him. Rain used to be quite regular and the crop was plenty. No one was hungry and no one lived with any fear.

And a year came when there was no rain. Farming was impossible and people went to the king crying about the helpless situation they were in. Generous king decided to open all the granaries and distribute the grain for nominal cost and provide them other occupations for the year. The situation unfortunately continued for three consecutive years and the king was extremely worried. So the priest suggested 'Mahabhisheka' for the Shiva. So they decided to completely fill Shiva's pindi with milk and immerse him completely till he bestowed rain. Orders were given that on an auspicious monday, everyone will bring whatever milk produced at his home to the temple.

That day it was like a big festival. Everyone clad in nice clothes came to the temple. The king himself was the first to pour his share of milk. The priests were chanting shlokas and mantras to please the god of rain Varuna and the lord Shiva. The rituals started very early in the morning at sunrise and a big queue was formed to offer the milk. Everyone had brought the maximum he could and they themselves had not even drunk a drop of it. As the day progressed the temple began to fill with the milk and at noon it was almost full. Remaining was a part which appeared just a bowlful. But the milk was finished. People were extremely sad that they fell short by a very small amount. But the king immediately ordered some more from neighbouring places. And more and more cans of milk were brought and emptied only to find that a bowlful was still required.

The king got angry and sent his men to find out if there is anyone who has not brought milk to the temple. Who was the one who betrayed the entire village ? And they found an old lady who was feeding here grandchildren. They went to her place and demanded the milk. And she said she will come. Only a bowlful of milk was left in her house. She brought the milk and emptied. For everyone's surprise the Pindi was fully immersed. And the black clouds of rain began to fill the sky. People were happy once again and they went home praising the lord and the king.

The wise king was astonished by seeing this. What I could not do with hundred cans of milk, this lady achieved with just a bowlful ? What is the reason ? Next day he asked for the lady. And she spoke with very simple and calm words. "I have a regular routine of milking my cows. In the morning I let the calves free first and let them drink the milk. Then I go to milk cows and do it in a way to hurt them minimum. Then I thank them for milk and clean them. My cows give me a lot of milk. I feed my grandchildren first and also give share to Brahmacharis who come for Bhikshaa. If anything left, is then given to elder people of the house. You did completely reverse. On that day, by your order, calves were kept hungry and so were kids of the kingdom. Their mothers were unhappy and quarrels could be heard from every house. How could the God be pleased ?"

The failure of the Copenhagen conference will be due to this humancentric, selfcentred policy. What is the reason that we are worried for the climate change ? What are our motives and fundamental concerns in this issue ? As I see it western world is worried about a RESOURCE that will be finished very soon if we don't act now. The world will not be a habitable place for HUMAN RACE. There will be large economic changes that will be forced on us.

India gives a simple answer. We need to shift our focus form WE to the entire creation. I remember beautiful concept 'Goumata' in this context. Cow is considered mother and treated as holy in India. The reason typically given is because it provides us milk as food, cow dung is used as fuel, the bull used for ploughing and many others. But the underlying reason is different. God did not create cow so that humans will get milk. So that we can make fire and do cooking. Still we enjoy the benefits. So its Hindu way of thanksgiving by calling her mother. Similarly mother earth and nature was not created for us. It is not for us that environment contains exact amount of nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide. It is not for us that rivers flow and the monsoon cycles continues years after years.

So we don't have any right to forcefully snatch things from nature leaving permanent scars. We need to realise that we are just a part of this creation and living in harmony and experiencing this oneness is the solution for all this problem. This paradigm shift is what is required to make this world habitable. For us and for everyone.