28 ConcordinNature-UnderstandingThe Interconnectedness and Reciprocal Gratifying

1. Learning Objectives

2. Introduction

3. The Four Order as Individual Units

4. Interrelationship Between Material Order, Plant Order And Animal Order.

5. Material Order, Plant Order Animal Order Versus Human Order

6. Credibility and Self-Regulation In Nature

7. Distinction Between Four Order of Harmony In Nature

7.1 Distinction on The Basis of Activity

7.2 Distinction on The Basis of Innateness

7.3 Distinction on The Basis of Characteristic

7.4 Distinction on The Basis of Conformance

8. Summary

1. Learning objectives

After completing this module, the students will be able to learn about the following:

Teachings of concord in nature.
Core in interrelationship and reciprocal gratifying in overall nature.

2. Introduction

The harmony in nature is described by how entities in nature are interconnected and reciprocal gratifying. If we watch around, everything that we see can be put into one of the following four orders’. Material Order, Plant/Bio Order, Animal Order, Human Order. The big land mass of the continents, gigantic water bodies like ocean and seas, mountains and rivers, the atmosphere above, the dense gases & fossil fuels deep below the surface of the earth etc. – all fell into the Material Order. Even, if we look around beyond the earth, the material order is visible in the form of stars, planets, moons and several astronomical bodies. Our land mass is covered with grass and small shrubs and they form the lining on the entire soil and vegetation. All of this is the plant/bio order. And it is the next big order on our planet. Animals and birds form the third largest order and we call them the Animal Order. Humans are the smallest order and they are referred to as Human Orders. Animals are far greater in quantity as compared to the human order. Each one of us can recognize all these four orders around ourselves and see that together these four orders comprise of all the units that we see and understand around us. We can easily see that the first three orders are interconnected. Each order is connected to other order. And the relationship between these orders is in such a way that they all fulfil each other and coexist with each other. We thus see that the three orders besides the Human Order are in harmony and are fulfilling to the human order.

However we as humans have not yet understood and learnt to live in relationship of mutual fulfilment with these three other orders. This is because we have not understood the harmony that exists between these orders. Consequently, we have disturbed ourselves and also the balance amongst the other three orders. This is evident when we see that we have pretty much plundered the body of the earth. The effect of this disharmony is now affecting our lives in the form of diseases and maladies. Though, if we explore our natural acceptance; we find that we want to live harmoniously with nature. This is important for our own happiness. This is an undeniable and a very significant relationship for each osne of us. Knowledge is the basic need of the human order, and it needs to get on to the focus of its every thought and action. The present-day concern for ecology has largely stemmed from a utilitarian perspective, a materialistic world view.

3. The four order as individual Units

Let us explore some relevant aspects to explore harmony in Nature for the sympathetic Interconnectedness and reciprocal gratifying. Each order is composed of a number of ‘things’. Each one of these ‘things’ is also called a ‘unit’.

3.1 Material Order: It is clear to us that the material order is the most abundant in nature and exists in the form of all the soil mixtures, metal and compounds, various gases, water and other liquids etc.

3.2 Plant Order: Plant order exists as the smallest seeds to the plentiful grass, the various plants and trees and the all the vegetation in the ocean. When we consider humans and animals, we can understand that they are as a coexistence of the Self and the Body. If we look at the body, we find that in its fundamental unit, there is a cell.

3.3 Animal Order: The Animal order is made of various kinds of animals and birds. These entities display a body as well as a conscious activity The Animal Order thus is the coexistence of the Animal Body (Plant Order) and the Self.

3.4 Human Order: The Human order is constituted of all the human beings. Each human being is co-existence of the Self and (Plant Order).

4. Interrelationship between Material Order, Plant Order and animal order

The Material Order provides the nutrients to the Plant/Bio-Order in the form of soil, minerals, etc while the Plant/Bio-Order decays and forms more nutrient, thus enriching the soil. The Plant/Bio-Order also decays to substances like oil and coal, which are stored deep within the earth as protection against the heat from the molten core inside the earth as well as the heat from the sun. Plants help move the nutrients through the various layers of the soil. Thus Plant order and Material Order naturally exist in a relationship of mutual fulfilment with each other. The Material Order provides the basis for movement of all animals, birds and fishes. Water, Oxygen and other gases are necessities for both plants and animals.

5. Material Order, Plant Order Animal Order versus Human Order

It is clear that the above mentioned three orders are fulfilling to each other. When we look at the connectedness with human beings, we find that each of these orders is fulfilling to the human order. We humans also have a natural acceptance to be mutually fulfilling to these three orders. However, we are not able to ensure this mutual fulfilment. We are dependent on the material order for soil and minerals and metals, but only end up polluting the soil and depleting the fossil fields; we are dependent on plants for our food and holding together the larger ecosystem, but we have destroyed forests and destroyed multiple species of plants and herbs; we are dependent on animals to carry out our production and transportation activities, but have made many species of animals extinct,-and are today known for our cruelty towards animals.

We thus see that the three orders besides the Human Order are in harmony and are fulfilling to the human order. However, we as humans have not yet understood and learnt to live in relationship of mutual fulfilment with these three other orders.

6. Credibility and Self-regulation in Nature

There are several cyclical processes that we can see in nature. For example the cycle of water, evaporating, condensing and precipitating back to water giving the weather phenomena. The quantity of water on the surface of earth remains conserved by itself, no need for human intervention. Similar to Breeds of plants and animals are similarly self-regulated in their environment. The appropriateness of conditions for growth of both plants and animals are self-regulated in nature keeping the population proportions naturally maintained. These two characteristics namely, cyclical nature and self-regulation provide us with some clues of the harmony that is in nature.

7. Distinction between four order of harmony in nature

The four orders namely Material Order, Plant/Bio Order, Animal Order, Human Order are distinguished on the basis mentioned below:

On the basis of Activity.
On the basis of Innateness.
On the basis of Characteristic.
On the basis of Conformance.

7.1 Distinction on the basis of Activity

An activity means something that ‘has motion’ and/or ‘has a result’. The material order is active in multiple ways, and the same with the plant order or animal order or human order. We can understand this in the following ways

7.1.1 Activity in the Material Order

All material things (i.e. units in the material order) can be understood as an activity of ‘units’ coming together to form a bigger unit. We call this ‘Composition’. Thus any unit in the material order can be understood as an ‘activity of Composition/Decomposition’.

7.1.2 Activity in the Plant Order

The plant order is basically structurally made up of the material order. However, an additional activity of ‘respiration’ is exhibited by the plant order. For example: we all know that plants ‘breathe’. Plants are made up of smaller cells that also ‘breathe’ or ‘pulsate’. So, when we look at all the units that make up the Plant order we will find that they can be understood in terms of Composition/Decomposition and Respiration.

7.1.3 Activity in the Animal Order

When we explore the Animal Order, we find two fundamentally different set of activities. One set of activities is the ‘physico-themical’ or activity of the body and the other is the ‘conscious’ activity of the Self.

7.1.4 Activity in the Human Order

We have already seen that human beings are co-existence of a physico-themical body and a conscious Self. The activities in the human body are similar to that in the animal body; and we have seen this in detail as: composition/decomposition and respiration. Thus, in human beings, ‘I’ has the activities of Desiring, Thinking, and Selecting/ Tasting, with a possibility or need for Understanding and Realization

7.2 Distinction on the basis of Innateness

Innateness is an intrinsic quality that cannot be separated from it. We refer to this principle as ‘Innateness’ also known as spontaneity of that unit. This is intrinsic to the unit.

7.2.1 Innateness of the Material Order

Look at all the material order. It is possible to convert material things from one to another form. However, it is not possible to annihilate it. We cannot make it cease to exist. The particles that make up that unit continue to exist. For example, when you burn coal and it has finished burning and only some ash is left and smokes have gone out, it is not that the basic material, the fundamental particles in coal, have ‘ceased to exist.

7.2.2 Innateness of the Plant Order

Because the Plant order is a development of the material order, it also has the innateness of ‘existence’. In addition, it also exhibits the ‘growth’. This principle of ‘growth’ cannot be separated from any units of this order. If it is of Plant order, it will grow. For example, if you have a plant, you cannot stop it from growing. It will continue to respire and keep changing in this way.

7.2.3 Innateness of the Animal Order

The Animal Body is a development of the Plant order and therefore this order inherits the innateness of the previous order namely ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. This is at the level of the body, which is physico-themical in nature.

7.2.4 Innateness of the Human Order

When we look at the human being, we find that ‘existence’ and ‘growth’ are fundamentally present in the body, just as in the animal body. At the level of ‘I’ however, in addition to the will to live, a human being’s innateness is the ‘will to live with happiness’.

All along, we have been exploring into ourselves and when we do, we find that just surviving is not enough for us; we also desire happiness and its continuity! We don’t desire to not be happy, even for an instant. It is our basic need. So, we have been looking into the causes of unhappiness, and when we did, we discovered that the basic cause for our unhappiness is that we are living only with assumptions,

7.3 Distinction on the basis of Characteristic

In a fundamental way, this is the ‘usefulness’ or ‘participation’ of the order in existence. This ‘value’ or ‘participation’ is also referred to as “natural characteristic”. The ‘characteristic’ the order displays is ‘natural to itself.

7.3.1 Characteristic of Material Order

The fundamental characteristic of ‘Composition/Decomposition enables units or entities to come together and form a bigger unit. Bigger units transform to smaller units. Particles of soil combine to form a brick. Bricks combine to form towers. This is a case of composition. When the tower falls, it breaks down to small particles of soil. This is decomposition. This is the way material entities participate with other material units.

7.3.2 Characteristic of Plant Order

We can see in this order that Plant units nurture or worsen other Plant units. To nurture means to be supportive, to aid other Plant activities in the growth of Plant units. For example, vegetable is a Plant unit and our body is also a Plant unit. If I eat vegetable, it helps my body grow. Similarly, If I eat the same vegetable in larger quantity than required, it will work to worsen my body. To worsen means to be a deterrent, repressive to the other Plant activity.

7.3.3 Characteristic of Animal order

When we look at the animal order, the body of the animal belongs to the Plant order, and hence has the same ‘usefulness’ or ‘value’ as the Plant order. Thus ‘nurture/ worsen’ is the Characteristic of the animal body.

7.3.4 Characteristic of human order

Similar as to the case in animals, the human body also belongs to the Plantorder and hence has the same characteristic as the Plant order. It either nurtures or worsens other Plant units. The Characteristic of the Self in human beings is ‘Perseverance, Bravery and Generosity.

Perseverance – Being assured that the all encompassing solution is to understand and live in harmony at all levels of existence, living with this commitment without any perturbation.
Bravery – Being assured that the all-encompassing solution is to understand and live in harmony at all levels and I am ready to help the other to have the right understanding. This is the commitment to help the other have the right understanding of the harmony and living at all levels of existence.
Generosity-Being assured that the all-encompassing solution is to understand and live in harmony at all the four levels and I am ready to invest myself, my body and wealth to help the other have the right understanding.

As human beings we participate in the innate order of things with our ‘values’ of Perseverance, Bravery and Generosity. This is also our ‘participation’. This is our natural characteristic. This is what is natural to us. Though we have Characteristic, we are not living according to this. This is the basic reason for the contradiction and conflict that we see in human being.

7.4 Distinction on the basis of Conformance

Each unit ‘conforms’ through the principle of conformance. This is better understood via examples from the four orders:

7.4.1 Material order: The continuity of the fundamental nature of the material unit is preserved through the physical and chemical processes. Take iron for example. Each atom of iron conforms to the constitutional structure of ‘Iron’. There is no atom of iron that will be unlike the other atom of iron, if it were, we would not call it iron. We call this ‘constitution conformance’. The material order exhibits constitution conformance.

7.4.2 Plant order: A mango seed will always sprout a mango plant. All of us know this. Even if you never went to school, you know this. Everything in the mango plant, its flowers, its fruits, its leaves, the taste of the leaves, the colour of the leaves, all this information, this basic information of every mango plant is stored in the seed. Hence, we say that a plant conforms to the seed, or has ”seed conformance’. This ‘seed conformance’ method is the mechanism by means of which the continuity, of a plant species is maintained in nature.

7.4.3 Animal order: Have you ever seen a goat chase a snake, kill it and eat it up raw? Have you ever seen a dog only eating grass and nothing else? We see that a goat is always like a goat, and a dog is always like a dog. Animals, we can see conform to their lineage. How animals are, their behaviour is according to the lineage they come from. Hence, we say that an animal conforms to its breed or has ‘breed conformance’.

7.4.4 Human Order: humans are not according to our lineage or race, as in animals. We may pick up something from our parents as we grow up, but we are usually very different in many ways from them. We humans are according to our imagination; according to our desires, thoughts and selections in self. The desires, thoughts and selections we have in T can come from anywhere. Together, we call this etiquette.

8. Summary

In this chapter we have tried to focus attention on the harmony in nature and its role in interconnected and reciprocal gratifying. For this purpose everything that we see can be put into one of the following four orders’. Material Order, Plant Order, Animal Order, Human Order. The first three orders namely the Material, Plant and Animal Order. We can easily see that they are interconnected. Although the Human Order are in harmony and are fulfilling to the human order. We as humans have not yet understood and learnt to live in relationship of mutual fulfilment with these three other orders. Consequently, we have disturbed ourselves and also the balance amongst the other three orders. However, if we explore our natural acceptance, we find that we want to live harmoniously with nature. When we look at the connectedness with human beings, we find that each of these orders is fulfilling to the human order. These two characteristics namely, cyclical nature and self-regulation provide us with some clues of the harmony that is in nature. The Four Orders are distinguished on the basis of Activity, Innateness, Characteristic, and Conformance. An activity means something that ‘has motion’ and/or ‘has a result’. The material order is active in multiple ways, and the same with the plant order or animal order or human order. Activity in the Material Order can be understood as an activity of ‘units’ coming together to form a bigger unit. Activity is basically structurally made up of the material order. Activity in the Animal Order is the ‘conscious’ activity of the Self. The activities in the human body are similar to that in the animal body; and we have seen this in detail as: composition/decomposition and respiration. The second base of ‘Innateness’ of the Material Order is to convert material things from one to another form. Innateness of the Plant Order exhibits the ‘growth’. Innateness of the Animal Order is ‘existence’ and ‘growth’. And it is similar in human order. The fundamental characteristic of material order is ‘Composition/Decomposition enables units or entities to come together and form a bigger unit. ‘Characteristic’ of Plant order is to nurture or worsen other Plant units. Characteristic of Animal order has the same ‘usefulness’ or ‘value’ as the Plant order. Characteristic of human order either nurtures or worsens other Plant units. ‘Conformance’ in material order is preserved through the physical and themical processes. Conformance of Plant order is safeguarded through seeds. Animal order behaviour is according to the lineage they belong to, the lineage they come from. Human Order: humans are not according to our lineage or race, as in animals. Thus Indebtedness to humanity, if honestly analyzed, will be readily evident. We cannot take a step forward, nor can we do any work without cooperation and help from the four order mention in the chapter. Every order in this earth make countless contribution to development of harmony in the nature —whether in visible or invisible way.

Suggested Readings

Tolle, E. (2005). A new Earth: Awakening to your life’s purpose, New York: Penguin Books. Ulrich, R. (2002). Health benefits of gardens in hospitals, Plants for People, International Exhibition Floriade.
Dubos, R. (1980). Man adapting. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. (Original work published 1965)
Evans, G.W., Jacobs, S.V., & Frager, N.B. (1982). Behavioral responses to air pollution. In A. Baum & J.E. Singer (Eds.), Advances in environmental psychology, Vol. 4 (pp. 237–269). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Tripathy, 2003, Human Values, New Age International Publishers.
F. Schumancher, 1973, Small is Beautiful: a study of economics as if people mattered. Blond & Briggs, Britain