Spiritual and Religious Significance in Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

Human beings have an intense relationship with nature from the origin of the human species,which was more utilitarian until organized religion. Animism was the primitive form of religion believed inhaving spirit in every living being and objects thus, creating a human-nature inter relationship. Earlyhumans were aware of the importance of natural things, such as earth, fire, water, air, and light, tocontinue and survive human life and they worship those elements as God is called Panchhtatav.Religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Confucianism, and Shinto are repeatedly remindingus about the interdependence between humans and nature. The philosophical systems of these religionsexplicitly prescribe the conservation of wildlife for human survival. Even the archaeological evidencefrom Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa suggests worshiped many animals and India during proto-historictimes (Dwivedi etal, 1987). Even in present days, some communities', especially the tribal (indigenouspeople) and other forest-dependent communities practices are evident in conserving biodiversity. Inrural India some indigenous communities consider some specific plantstrees, animals, or even riversand mountains as their ancestors and protect them as God or Goddess. Historically, the tribalcommunities have been harmoniously co-existing with their surrounding environment by following theirtraditional beliefs, practices, experiences, and indigenous knowledge. Their in-depth ecologicalknowledge has made them adopt a particular environmental condition through sustainable conservationpractices of flora and fauna. Spirituality means awareness, a deep sense of liveliness, the importance ofawareness, understanding, and recognition that we are living for a specific purpose and connecting ourphysical life and our physical world with something greater than knowledge. Rural peoples consider allliving being have a soul, and thus they must respect all living organisms. They give equal values andrespect to living and non-living beings like mountains, earth etc. So, biodiversity is the variation of lifeon earth that lives in different ecosystemshabitats and is interconnected.