BISHNOI

Living in Harmony with Nature  

उन्नतीस धर्म की आखड़ी, हिरदै धरियो जोय ।

 जाम्भे जी किरपा करी, नाम बिष्नोई होय ॥

What is in a Surname?

In most cultures, surnames are affixed to a given first name, typically in a patrilineal manner, to   reflect a person’s geographical, occupational, caste, and/or religious identity. Generally, people   hold their surnames in great pride and esteem, often coming up in arms with one another when   the prestige of their surname is perceivably challenged.

My surname, too, has a story behind its inception – a story that dates back over five centuries   and one that can be described in pages on end. ‘Bishnoi’ is derived from two Hindi words, ‘bees’ (or twenty) and ‘nau’ (or nine) to reflect the twenty-nine commandments or precepts that form   the nucleus of our philosophy.  

Purpose of this Article

I chose to write this article for two reasons. Firstly, this article traces my personal journey with   my philosophical and spiritual origins. The world is becoming increasingly homogenized , which   has its merits and demerits, but I believe that one should be deeply aware of one’s roots to truly   progress both spiritually and materially. Secondly, I believe that the world ought to know more   about a community that has been practicing  peaceful coexistence with nature for more than   five hundred years. Many of these principles are more relevant today than ever before.  

The views expressed in this article are personal and reflect my interpretation of the Bishnoi   philosophy. In no measure do these views bind other people who subscribe to this school of   thought ?  In fact, these views are not stagnant but are likely to evolve over time as I learn more   about the Bishnoi philosophy as well as the world around me. The debate on whether or not   faith should be a private matter is an enduring and unresolved one. My personal view is that   faith should neither be a force of public coercion nor an instrument of personal convenience.  Rather, faith should be a means to peace, harmony, and growth – both internal and external.  

Bishnoi – Origins, and Context

The Bishnoi philosophy was founded by Guru Jambheshwar (a contemporary of the founder of  Sikhism, Guru Nanak) in the modern-day Barmer district of Rajasthan in the early sixteenth   century. It is believed that he was born into a Rajput (warrior class) family in Pipasar village  (now in Jodhpur district) in 1451CE. He spent most of his youth as a cow herder. Otherwise an   introvert, Guru Jambheshwar would easily find ways to communicate with plants and animals.  In his late twenties, he left home in search of  answers to profound questions that troubled him.

The fifteenth century marked the start of the Age  of Discovery’, during which Europeans   explored previously uncharted territories. This included Christopher Columbus’ trans-Atlantic   voyages and the discovery of the Americas, as well as the Portuguese discoveries of the   archipelagos of Madeira and Azores, the coast of Africa, and the discovery of the sea route along the Cape  of Good Hope to India in 1498. Although these explorations led to a new worldview,  knowledge transfer, and distant civilizations  coming into contact, they were marked by   enslavement, exploitation, military conquest, missionary activity, and economic dominance by  Europe and its colonies over the native populations.  

While the Portuguese invaded India through Kannur, Kerala, the Lodi dynasty had already   established its stronghold in northern India, having succeeded the Sayyid dynasty in 1451. This   was followed by Babur’s invasion of India in the early sixteenth century, marking the onset of   more than three centuries of the Mughal Empire in India. Invariably, religious conversions took   place in India during this time, largely from Hinduism to Islam or Christianity. Economically,  India flourished during the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526AD), with vast social and economic   networks spanning large parts of Afro-Eurasia, leading to the circulation of goods, services,  technologies, people, and ideas. Both in terms of agricultural production of food and cash crops,  and manufacturing of textiles, shipbuilding, and steel, India was one of the world’s largest   economies. However, economic prosperity came at the cost of resource exploitation and   environmental degradation, as India’s vast biodiversity became threatened for personal gain.

For instance, there was a ten-year drought in Rajasthan in the late fifteenth century that caused   significant destruction of land, and animal and human life.

In light of   these imperial conquests, religious   conversions, and economic excesses, Guru Jambheshwar   set out to seek answers. At the age of thirty-four, as Guru  Jambheshwar sat on the sand dunes of Samrathal in the  Thar desert of Rajasthan, he attained enlightenment. He   produced 120 verses or Shabad is  a Shabadvani and laid   down twenty-nine founding principles. For the next fifty   years or so, Guru Jambheshwar is said to have traveled not only the vast expanse of modern-day India, but also   to other countries such as Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran,  and Saudi Arabia. People who embraced Guru  Jambheshwar’s wisdom took on the surname ‘Bishnoi’.  

‘Bishnoi’ is neither a caste nor an organized  religion; it is a philosophy that emphasizes  the   protection of plant and

animal life, and encourages its adherents to chart out their own spiritual   journey. In fact, Guru Jambheshwar denounced the caste system as a means of social   stratification as it proved to be a dividing rather than uniting force. People from various castes   gave up their previous surnames and caste identities once they subscribed to the Bishnoi   philosophy. ‘Bishnoi’ is not an organized  religion either. Today, there are approximately a  million Bishnois, living mostly in the rural parts of northern India. There have been no   missionaries to aggressively induct more people into the community; anyone who is inspired by   the Bishnoi doctrine voluntarily takes on the surname through a simple initiation. Hundreds of   years before ‘environmentalism’ and ‘climate change’ entered public discourse, a small   community in Rajasthan had already begun eulogizing  our divine connection  with nature.  

The 29 Commandments

Guru Jambheshwar’s path for a desirable way of life has been preserved and passed on from one   generation to the next for more than five hundred years. Often, however, as with most other   philosophical or spiritual schools, people give precedence to the implementation of an idea or   philosophy over the logic or principle behind it. In other words, we sometimes ritualize  spiritual   traditions without fully understanding the reason for their being. In my opinion, it is more   important to embrace ideological bases than to blindly follow ceremonial practices, because   manifestations of spiritual or philosophical thought evolve over time whereas their rationale   stands the test of time.  

In this section, I have grouped the twenty-nine commandments in the Bishnoi philosophy under   four themes – personal health and hygiene, spirituality and faith, ethical conduct, and   environmentalism. Although some principles overlap across themes, this grouping has been   used for clarity and brevity. The two ideas that bind all twenty-nine commandments are faith in  God and peaceful coexistence with all living beings.  

Personal Health and Hygiene

1. तीस दिन सूतक  (ensure 30-day quarantine for a mother and her new-born) 2. पंच दिन का रजस्वला  (rest for 5 days during menstruation)

3. सुबह स्नान करना  (shower in the morning daily)

8. पानी छान कर पीना व वाणी शुद्ध बोलना  (consume filtered water and milk)

9. ईंधन बीनकर व दूध छानकर पीना  (use clean fuel)

21. अपने हाथ से रसोई पकाना (partake of pure, clean food)

The Bishnoi philosophy places significant importance on maintaining external and internal   purity. Externally, keeping our bodies clean helps prevent illness, infection, and bad odors .  Internally, eliminating impurities of the mind allows us to be free from ignorance and see and   seek the whole and unprejudiced truth. External and internal purity together empower us to   perform our duties and responsibilities towards ourselves  and others in effective and meaningful ways.

Today, we have greater control over internal purity, through meditation, introspection,  perseverance, and self-discipline. External conditions such as environmental pollution, however,  that contaminate the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink inhibit our ability to   preserve our physical health and hygiene. In this context, the Bishnoi philosophy calls upon its   followers to take conscious measures to maintain personal health and hygiene, including   bathing daily before offering morning prayers and consuming clean food, water, and fuel. In   the modern-day , while it is encouraging to observe the growing value of organic farming and   sustainable living, it is equally disturbing that millions of children are dying of preventable   water- and air-borne diseases globally.  

The health and well-being of the mother and her new-born child is also discussed in the Bishnoi

philosophy, in that it is imperative to keep them away from potential diseases, especially during   the initial vulnerable days of childbirth . There is a scientific explanation for this. Not only are   newborns and their immune systems especially susceptible to germs, but also the incidence of   illness is much harder on their bodies. Other factors such as exposure to the sun, air quality, and   temperature control need to also be considered for the baby. The mother, too, needs adequate   rest time to rebalance her hormones and return to normal bodily functions. Whether or not   quarantine is observed for 30 days (given differences in technology and maternal leave practices   across cultures), sound health and hygiene for a mother and her child need to be safeguarded.  

The Bishnoi philosophy also encourages rest for women during menstruation. Ayurveda also   supports this idea in that as the body is cleansed during a woman’s period, the body is required   to balance the three biological energies or doshas found in the body – Vata (Air), Pitta (Fire),  and Kapha (Water). Exertion can lead to imbalances in these energies and adversely affect a  woman’s reproductive health. Although it may not be practical for women to rest for five days   every month, and some modern-day  health professionals may suggest certain physical exercises   during menstruation (due to the release of endorphins in the body), both women and men must   be conscious of the fact that women may need extra care and attention during her period.

5. M editate at dawn and dusk

6. T hank God as night falls

7.   O ffer prayers to the Holy Fire

16. F ast or abstain from eating food during Amavasya

17. R ecite the name of Almighty Vishnu daily

The Bishnoi philosophy puts faith in God at its core. It is believed that Guru Jambheshwar was   influenced by Saint Kabir’s iconoclasm, i.e., he rejected the centrality of rituals among both  Hindus and Muslims .  Although Bishnois identify as a Hindu sect, their teachings and practices   incorporate elements of other religious traditions. For instance, Bishnois do not practice idol   worship; in no Bishnoi temple will you find an idol of any incarnation of God. In fact, Bishnois pray to a Holy Fire, similar to the Zoroastrian concept of Atar. Furthermore, contrary to the   conventional Hindu practice, Bishnois bury their dead, as do Abrahamic religious traditions, as   an act of reverence toward the deceased.  

Bishnois are monotheistic in their faith. Guru Jambheshwar professes that there is only one  Divine Power, which is an abstract principle of truth and connects all living beings. Different   religious traditions refer to the Divine with a myriad of names. Since the Bishnoi philosophy   emerged in largely Hindu society, Bishnois refer to God like  Vishnu and pray as a means to feel  God’s presence and access the realm of limitless consciousness. Today, several cultures continue   to venerate Guru Jambheshwar. For instance, Muslims in the Malerkota town of Punjab   continue to uphold the precepts of the Bishnoi philosophy. Kings who were influenced by  Jambhoji included Sikandar Lodi of Delhi, Mohammed Khan Nagauri of Nagaur, Rao Santal of

Jodhpur, Rao Bikaji of Bikaner, Rawal Jait Singh of Jaisalmer, Rao Doodaji of Merta, and Raṇa Sanga of Mewar.

In line with conventional Hindu wisdom, Bishnois fast or abstain from eating food during  Amavasya (or no moon) every month. It is believed that no moon in the sky has a profound   effect on the human body and therefore, fasting during this time normalizes  the acid content in   the blood, and offers other physiological and spiritual benefits.  

Guru Jambheshwar asks his followers to not only thank God for the gift of life but also to   meditate daily. He says that it is best to meditate during Sandhya (in Sanskrit, ‘San’ means  ‘good’, and ‘dhya’ means ‘to meditate’) or dawn and dusk because these occur at the confluence   of day and night, and at the height of human consciousness and nature. To my limited   understanding, being a person of faith is someone who accepts and seeks to connect with a  Divine Energy. Spirituality, for me, is a personal search for balance between the mind, body, and   soul. In the Bishnoi philosophy, both are equally important.  

Ethical Conduct  

4. शील, संतोष, शुचि रखना (practice modesty, contentment, and virtue)

10. क्षमा सहनशीलता रखे (be forgiving in nature)

11. दया-नम्र भाव से रहे  (be empathetic in nature)

12. चोरी नहीं करनी  (do not steal)

13. निंदा नहीं करनी  (do not condemn)

14. सच बोलो (speak the truth)

15. वाद विवाद नहीं करना  (do not indulge in a fruitless argument)

20. अजर को जरो (overcome the sins of ego, lust, rage, greed, & attachment)

24. अमल नहीं खाना  (do not use opium or its products)

25. तम्बाकू नहीं खाना व पीना  (do not consume tobacco or its products)

26. भांग नहीं पीना  (do not partake of cannabis or its products)

27. मद्यपान नहीं करना  (do not drink alcohol)

The Bishnoi doctrine lays down certain ethical codes that are largely universal across   philosophical schools. These include being modest, content, virtuous, forgiving, empathetic,  honest, and so on. It also asks its adherents to overcome the five sins of ego, lust, rage, greed,  and attachment that give illusory temporary satisfaction and deviate from the path of God.  

Guru Jambheshwar was particularly troubled by the struggles over political power between  Hindus and Muslims and sought ways not only to reconcile them but also to put before them   notions of a heightened moral sensibility. Jambhoji also urged his disciples to abstain from   consuming substances that are physically harmful and hinder control over one’s senses.

Environmentalism

18. be compassionate toward all living beings

19. do not fell trees

22. provide shelter to goat and sheep)

23. refrain from castrating bulls

28. Do not eat meat

29. A void wearing blue clothes

Bishnois have a strong sense of kinship with animal and plant life. They protect flora and fauna   with fervent zeal and have often sacrificed their lives for the protection of biodiversity. The  ‘Chipko movement’ of September 1730 is known to many, in which 363 women, children, and   men – led by Amrita Devi – were hacked to death by the soldiers of Maharaja Abhay Singh of  Jodhpur, Rajasthan, who ordered the Khejiri trees in the region to be felled to build his new   palace. Amrita Devi embraced a tree and said ‘sir santhe rooke rahe to bhi sasto jaan’ that   means, ‘if a tree is saved from falling  at the cost of one’s head, it should be considered a good   deed’. She was decapitated in front of her two daughters who stoically followed her example,  clinging to the trees and meeting the same end. People flocked from the village and hundreds   died before the King stopped his men and ordered a decree forever protecting Bishnoi land   from hunting and deforestation.

Other examples of Bishnois who have laid down their lives against the felling of trees and the   poaching of endangered gazelles, blackbucks , and chinkaras, include Gangaram Bishnoi, who   sacrificed his life trying to protect a gazelle from poachers in August of 2000; Chhailluram Singh Rajput who died trying to save blackbucks in 2004; Karma, Gora, and Buchoji died in the   seventeenth century against the cutting of trees; to name a few.  

Bishnois are vegetarians because they believe that all living beings have an equal right to life.  In fact, Bishnoi temples serve as rescue shelters for injured animals, and no wood is burnt for   fuel or prayer unless it is free of all insect life. The Bishnoi philosophy strongly condemns   animal sacrifice; instead, the self is often sacrificed for the protection of animals and plants. The   number of blackbucks  and chinkaras in Bishnoi villages is more than those combined in all   sanctuaries in India put together. Most Bishnois live  in rural areas, are illiterate, and   unfamiliar with terms such as ‘global warming’, ‘climate change’, and ‘biodiversity’, but have   been protecting the environment for more than five centuries. The twenty-ninth commandment   against wearing the color  blue was informed by the use of a blue dye that was extracted from   the indigo plant, which was already scarce at the time. It is neither necessary nor  sufficient to be a Bishnoi to be a good human being, but following   the twenty-nine commandments of the Bishnoi, philosophy is likely to lead to desirable living.  Needless to say, I am proud to be a son of a Bish noi.

Bishnois are often considered   the first environmentalists of the world, and continue to   selflessly serve for the   sustenance and preservation of   biodiversity. It is often said that Bishnoi villages are oases in   the Thar desert of Rajasthan. Owing to conscious care for plants and trees, Bishnoi  settlements are seen as flourishing forests  

amid otherwise arid areas.

Bhavya Bishnoi