Specially written for Vikalp Sangam
Let us go back to the beginning of everything. Not to the big bang, that would be too far. Let us recollect our innocent childhood exercises when our biggest concern was identifying the object correctly.
“What is this?”
“A pencil”
“Whose pencil is this?”
“Kartik’s”
“How much does it cost?”
“10 INR”
Do we ever reflect on these questions where we talk about the owners and the finances? Do we ever realize there were no questions around how it was made, who was the creator of the pencil, or for that matter, how many trees were sacrificed during the production? All we learnt was to objectify the pencil and to subside our curiosity to know the full story behind the objects we encountered.
The ‘Science’ Paradox
Slowly, let’s come to the current time of online food orders, instant gratification, and no-hurdle deliveries. Due to the new era of technological revolution, the entire world is at the tip of the fingers, from the desert dates to the Himalayan spring water, but amidst all these conveniences, did we ever pause and take a moment to think about the process of getting the exclusive luxurious Italian fresh flower perfume at the doorsteps of a Tamilian house, located at the outskirts of Chennai or are we too busy asking Siri to play feel-good music? Or worse, are we still trapped in the same question, “How much does it cost?” Let us come back to the concept of the scientific theory of this confusion. As a mechanical engineer, if I need to design a new induction motor, do I really need to ponder upon the intricacies of the nuclear power plant constructions, from where I will be getting the electricity to run the induction motor? Do I need the crash course on substation monitoring devices that control the electricity flow in the motor? The practical answer is NO. I just need to know the induction motor functionality which could help me design an efficient motor. Science, as a subject, divides the entire system into smaller parts to make the job easy for an individual, like mechanical engineers are designated to design motors and civil engineers to construct nuclear power plants, but sadly (or fortunately?), life doesn’t function in parts. Life is more like trying to assemble IKEA furniture in the dark – too complex with too many unseen connections and unexpected challenges with interdependent components!
Introduction to ‘Process Lens’
To understand life in its totality, we need to remove the default setting of ‘object lens’ that was given to us from our childhood as a part of the education system, the system whose entire objective is to make mechanical humans who can work like machines and cannot think creatively. The need of the hour is to adopt the ‘process lens’ with which we can observe the entire process of object creation, and recognize its true value rather than asking the mundane query of “How much does it cost?”
The process lens helps in understanding the struggle that the farmers in Vidarbha must go through to supply their produce to the mall at lower cost as the consumers prefer to shop from the convenience of the aisle. This lens also builds the consciousness in the consumers and convinces them to prefer the hawker’s market over spending their money filling the pockets of the rich industrialists. Suddenly, through the process lens, the blue denim jeans would become the representation of water pollution, so much so that the groundwater of Vapi, Gujarat turned blue because of the excessive usage of industrial dyes. Till we start to see everything through the process lens, climate change will remain the topic of the conferences where plastic bottles are used for the VIP speakers, and it will never reach where the actual population lives – in the middle of the crisis of high temperatures and fewer greeneries.
Buddha’s Middle Way Theory
Please do not think that I am suggesting leaving everything and joining a monk cult in the Himalayas to reduce the carbon footprint (though the view would be nice), but my inclination is towards adopting Buddha’s ‘middle way’ theory. The theory suggest that we do not have to live in extremes, rather find a middle path. For example, if we think that living in a treehouse, to reduce carbon emission, is extreme then, why don’t we identify the current era of overindulgence as extreme as well?
Can we, for the sake of our future generation, for once, try to incorporate the process lens in our day-to-day life? The life in which we spend most of our waking time trying to earn money that, in turn, reduces the quality of our life and we desperately attempt to fill the quality gap with the quantities of consumer goods without realizing these goods’ actual harm on the climate. Now, it depends on us whether we would like the act of buying to be an infertile, meaningless, rushed act, offering little possibility for true joy; or it to be a creative, spiritual act of connecting with the creator, community, and the entire process of creation.
Let’s not shy away from understanding the full story behind what we consume. Let me tell you, it is all about building the muscle of mindfulness through the process lens, and one day, maybe one day, we will enjoy saving the planet as much as we enjoy creating the IKEA furniture in broad daylight and if not, remember – climate change won’t care whether you are wearing Gucci or potato sack.
For the last time, how much does Gucci cost? It is not in rupees – it is the lasting footprint we leave on this beautiful spinning sphere we call home.
About the author:
A social entrepreneur, farmer, and a yoga teacher, Pavan is an individual trying to find the meaning of life by various means. He runs his climate action start-up Van One (Instagram: @van.one._), trying to be one with van (Forest in Hindi).
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