THE CODE OF ECOMYSTICISM IN RABINDRANATH TAGORE’S WORKS: A CRITICAL APPRAISAL; pp. 311–326

Religions and mystical experiences have long connected humans to nature. This paper examines the ecological philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, which posits that God is present in all beings and that the Supreme, humans, and the environment form a single, interdependent ecosystem. Tagore's works teach that everything in the universe emanates from the One, and that humans, as both spirit and matter, are on a journey with nature toward the Unmanifest. Ecomysticism, which holds all life as sacred, is presented as a framework for understanding this holistic spiritual ecology and the mutually augmenting relationships within the bio-network.

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Abstract

Religion was our first attempt at literature, cosmology, ecology, making sense of where we are in the universe. All religions are inherently predisposed to mystical experience – a harmonious and balanced existence and substantiation of Nature and man – man, who is conscious of his existence both in the material and the spiritual realm, as man is the highest spirit and the lowest matter linked by mind. Ecomysticism embraces the idea that all life is sacred and hence revered. This paper discusses the ecological philosophy which enunciates God’s presence in every being that surround us and tries to evaluate the holistic spiritual ecology launched by Tagore. The unity of being in his works teaches that everything in the universe arises from the One, emanates from Him; deduces that the Supreme, humans and the environment form one ecosystem and recognizes the mutually augmenting relationships with the natural world – an understanding of the unity and interdependence of the bio-network. It elicits that the manifest is on voyage to the Unmanifest together with our pilgrim souls.