Acharya Prashant explains that environmental pollution is a secondary symptom of a deeper internal crisis. He argues that spirituality is fundamentally concerned with the self, which is affected by internal, physical, and external conditions. Therefore, caring for the environment is an essential part of spiritual practice. He points out that despite the alarming statistics—such as two million deaths annually in India due to air pollution and the severe contamination of the Shri Ganga and Shri Yamuna—there is a widespread lack of concern. This indifference, he suggests, stems from a lack of self-respect. When individuals do not value their own lives or dignity, they remain unmoved even when breathing poisonous air or losing years of their lifespan. He further discusses the contradiction between religious worship and the actual state of nature. While people worship rivers as mothers, they simultaneously allow them to become repositories for untreated sewage. He clarifies that India's pollution problem is not a byproduct of economic development or high GDP, as the country's per capita income is relatively low. Instead, it is a result of internal pollution and a lack of character. He compares India with other developing nations that maintain cleanliness, attributing their success to a greater sense of individuality and self-worth. He criticizes the environmental industry for focusing on external activism while ignoring the need for internal human transformation. Finally, Acharya Prashant emphasizes that policies and government actions are limited because they are executed and followed by individuals. If the individual is internally filthy and lacks dignity, they will continue to disregard public spaces and natural resources. He asserts that true environmental protection can only happen when humans address their internal violence and lack of self-respect. He concludes that the quality of the environment is a direct reflection of the quality of the human heart and mind, and without internal change, external efforts will remain ineffective.
