Abstract

The relationship between humans and nature has undergone much desecration in modern times. Nature is objectified, used and abused, without any moral limits. To counter such a devaluation of the living earth, we propose the concept of ‘being-with-nature’ by building on Heidegger’s work, and then deepen it through the philosophy and poetry of Rumi and Tagore. We emphasize the fundamental ontological connection between human beings and nature. The value of the latter also depends on how human beings understand the divine, and how much and in what way nature is connected to the divine. Thus, we highlight some traditions and perspectives — rooted in pantheism or panentheism — that uphold the sacredness of nature. Rumi seeks and sees the Divine Beloved everywhere in nature. Through exceptionally vibrant imagery, he evokes the energy and presence of the living natural world. Tagore reminds us of the kinship we share with nature. For him, transcendence is to be found in immanence, and in this connection. Both Rumi and Tagore emphasize the dynamism of nature, and they see the sacred in it. There is a power and beauty to nature that cannot be reduced to its material or useful dimensions. Such intellectual traditions hold a lot of promise for environmental ethics and praxis. They can counter objectifying and extractive attitudes that stem from anthropocentric en-framings of the earth, and therefore share an important link with contemporary movements that seek to restore the sanctity of the natural world.