Hindu ethical teachings on environmental ethics: HSC Studies of Religion
“Ethics: describe and explain Hindu ethical teachings on bioethics OR environmental ethics OR sexual ethics (this page: environmental ethics)”
Hindu environmental ethics grows from the belief that the divine pervades creation: "Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself" (Isha Upanishad 1). Ekam sat, "truth is one" (Rig Veda), makes all life interconnected; the wise see God "in all beings" (Bhagavad Gita 6.29) and see a cow, an elephant and a dog "with equal vision" (5.18). Ahimsa (non-harming) leads many Hindus to vegetarianism and reverence for animals; dharma upholds rita, the cosmic order; karma and samsara make all beings kin; yajna links worship, rain and food (3.14); and restraint, the Lord's ownership and Gandhian simplicity oppose greed. The Earth is honoured as mother in the Atharva Veda's hymn to the Earth. Lived examples: sacred rivers (Ganga), trees (peepal, banyan, tulsi) and the cow; the Bishnoi (Khejarli, 1730); the Chipko movement (1970s); river clean-up campaigns. The gap between teaching and practice (polluted sacred rivers) is a real challenge.
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What this dot point is asking
The Hinduism depth study asks you to describe and explain Hindu ethical teachings on ONE of bioethics, environmental ethics or sexual ethics. This page covers environmental ethics: how Hindus understand their relationship with nature and their duties towards the earth, water, plants and animals.
The study is of the whole Hindu tradition, so show both common teachings and diversity (Vaishnava devotion, Advaita philosophy, village practice, reform movements). Ethics has been examined every year; NESA's own sample answers for Hinduism used environmental ethics in both 2023 and 2025. Top answers organise by teaching, cite sources (Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Vedas), and show teachings applied in lived practice.
Texts (Prabhupada translations, vedabase.io): Isha Upanishad 1 (the Lord owns all; take only your quota); Bhagavad Gita 3.14 (rain from yajna), 5.18 (equal vision), 6.29 (God in all beings), 9.26 (leaf, flower, fruit, water), 13.28 (the Supreme in all bodies); Rig Veda: ekam sat; Atharva Veda 12.1 (Prithvi Sukta, Earth as mother). Teachings: Brahman and atman in all; ahimsa; dharma and rita; karma and samsara; yajna and panca maha yajna (including bhuta yajna for other beings); restraint and simplicity. Practice: vegetarianism; cow protection; sacred rivers, groves and trees; tulsi in the home. Movements: Bishnoi (Guru Jambheshwar; Khejarli, 1730, Amrita Devi and 363 martyrs); Chipko (1970s, Uttarakhand; Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Sunderlal Bahuguna); Gandhi's simple living.
The answer
Sources of Hindu ethics
| Source | Examples | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Shruti ("that which is heard") | Vedas, Upanishads | Revealed truths: Brahman, rita, the unity of existence |
| Smriti ("that which is remembered") | Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas, Dharma Shastras (Laws of Manu) | Applied duties (dharma) and devotion |
| The example of the wise | Gurus, saints, Gandhi, community elders | Living models of dharma |
| Conscience and context | One's stage of life (ashrama) and circumstances | Applying dharma to new situations |
Because Hinduism has no single authority, teachings are applied flexibly, which helps explain the diversity of practice.
The principal teachings
1. The divine pervades creation
- "Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong" (Isha Upanishad 1).
- "A true yogi observes Me in all beings and also sees every being in Me" (Bhagavad Gita 6.29).
- Ekam sat: "the truth is one, the wise call it by many names" (Rig Veda), which NESA's 2025 sample used to show that "all life forms are interconnected".
Ethical consequence: nature is sacred and belongs to God; humans are not owners but users who should take only what they need.
2. Ahimsa: non-harming
Ahimsa is the duty not to injure any living being. Because the same atman lives in all creatures, the sage sees "with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater" (Gita 5.18). Ahimsa underlies vegetarianism, the protection of the cow and the nonviolent environmental movements.
3. Dharma and rita
Rita is the cosmic order in the Vedas; dharma is righteous duty that upholds it. Environmental destruction disrupts the order on which all life depends. The householder's panca maha yajna (five daily duties) includes bhuta yajna, feeding and caring for other living beings.
4. Karma and samsara
Every action has consequences (karma), and the atman may be reborn in any form (samsara). Animals and even plants share the cycle of rebirth, so all beings are kin and harming them generates bad karma.
5. Yajna: sacrifice and reciprocity
"All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties" (Gita 3.14). Human life depends on a cycle of giving and receiving with the natural world; worship offers back simple gifts: "a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water" (9.26).
6. The Earth as mother
The Prithvi Sukta (Atharva Veda 12.1) honours the Earth as a mother who sustains all; verse 12 is often rendered "Earth is my mother, I am her son" (a widely used paraphrase of mata bhumih putro aham prithivyah). Many Hindus touch the ground in respect on rising in the morning.
7. Restraint and simplicity
Detachment from desire (Gita teaching on action without attachment to results) and Gandhi's example of simple living oppose consumerism. Gandhi's saying that the earth provides enough for everyone's need but not for everyone's greed is widely attributed to him, though its exact source is uncertain.
Applying the teachings
| Area | Practice | Teaching expressed |
|---|---|---|
| Diet | Many Hindus are vegetarian; beef is avoided by most | Ahimsa; reverence for the cow |
| Animals | Cows protected; animals associated with deities (Ganesha's mouse, Durga's lion); feeding animals as bhuta yajna | Ahimsa; atman in all |
| Rivers | The Ganga, Yamuna and others worshipped as goddesses; bathing at tirthas; clean-up campaigns | Sacredness of nature; purity |
| Trees and plants | Peepal and banyan revered; tulsi grown and worshipped in homes; sacred groves protected by villages | Divine presence in nature |
| Festivals | Growing use of clay images for immersion and quieter, greener Diwali celebrations | Applying ahimsa to modern pollution |
| Activism | Bishnoi; Chipko; Hindu leaders' statements on climate change | Dharma as duty to the Earth |
The Bishnoi
The Bishnoi community of Rajasthan follows principles taught by Guru Jambheshwar (15th century), including prohibitions on felling green trees and killing animals. In 1730 at Khejarli, Amrita Devi and 363 Bishnois were killed as they embraced khejri trees to prevent them being felled for a ruler's palace. The Bishnoi still protect wildlife such as the blackbuck.
The Chipko movement
In the 1970s, villagers in the Himalayan foothills of present-day Uttarakhand, many of them women, hugged trees ("chipko" means to cling) to stop commercial logging. Associated with Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna, it drew on Gandhian nonviolence and reverence for the forest, and influenced forest protection in the region.
Diversity within Hinduism
- Vaishnava devotion (for example ISKCON) stresses vegetarianism and the world as Krishna's property.
- Advaita Vedanta stresses that Brahman is the one reality; critics have asked whether calling the world maya (illusion) weakens concern for it, but most teachers answer that the world is the manifestation of the divine and must be respected.
- Village and folk Hinduism protects sacred groves and local deities of trees and water.
- Reform and modern Hinduism (Gandhi, contemporary gurus) link these teachings to climate change and sustainability.
Evaluating Hindu environmental ethics
- Strength. A world-view in which nature is sacred and all beings are kin gives strong motivation for care.
- Strength. Living examples (Bishnoi, Chipko) show teachings becoming action.
- Challenge. The Ganga and Yamuna are among the world's most polluted rivers, partly from ritual offerings and cremations as well as industry and sewage, showing a gap between belief and practice.
- Challenge. Rapid economic development in India pressures forests and rivers; Hindu teachings are one voice among many.
Step 1: Name the area and the first teaching with its source
"In environmental ethics, the first teaching is that the Lord pervades and owns all creation: 'Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord' (Isha Upanishad 1)."
Step 2: Explain what it requires
"Because nature belongs to God, Hindus should 'accept only those things necessary', practising restraint and treating rivers, trees and animals as sacred."
Step 3: Name and source the second teaching
"The second teaching is ahimsa, non-harming of all beings, because the sage sees a cow, an elephant and a dog 'with equal vision' (Bhagavad Gita 5.18)."
Step 4: Explain its application
"Ahimsa leads many Hindus to vegetarianism and inspired the Bishnoi, who died at Khejarli in 1730 to protect trees, and the nonviolent Chipko movement of the 1970s."
- Listing practices without teachings
- Say which teaching (ahimsa, Brahman in all, dharma) each practice expresses and cite a text.
- Treating Hinduism as uniform
- Mention diversity of schools and regional practice.
- Unverified quotations
- Popular sayings about nature attributed to the Vedas or to Gandhi are often paraphrases; cite verse numbers and say when a saying's source is uncertain.
- Ignoring the gap
- Evaluation questions reward acknowledging pollution of sacred rivers and the pressures of development.
- Confusing bioethics and environmental ethics
- Vegetarianism belongs here as treatment of animals; abortion and euthanasia belong to bioethics.
In one sentence
Hindu environmental ethics teaches that the divine pervades and owns all creation, so nature is sacred and all beings are kin, and through ahimsa, dharma and rita, karma and samsara, yajna and restraint it guides adherents to vegetarianism, reverence for rivers, trees and animals, and activism such as the Bishnoi and Chipko movements, even though the pollution of sacred rivers shows a gap between teaching and practice.
Try this
Q1. Outline how the teaching of samsara supports care for animals. (3 marks)
- What the marker wants. Rebirth in any form, kinship of all beings, karma of harming them.
Q2. Explain how Bhagavad Gita 3.14 expresses a Hindu view of humanity's relationship with nature. (4 marks)
- What the marker wants. The cycle of food, rain and yajna, reciprocity, duty, and a contemporary application.
Q3. Analyse how the ethical teachings of Hinduism guide adherents to navigate environmental issues today. (20 marks)
- What the marker wants. Several teachings with sources, lived examples, diversity, and analysis of the gap between teaching and practice.
Exam-style questions
Questions in the style of NESA exam questions on this dot point, each with a worked answer. They are written by ExamExplained unless tagged "Past paper"; the year shows the paper a question is modelled on.
2025 HSC SoR II Q25 (b)Past paper5 marksExplain TWO ethical teachings relevant to ONE of the following areas: • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethics.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2025 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(b), SoR II Q25(b)). 5: a thorough explanation of TWO ethical teachings relevant to the chosen area, integrated terminology. 4: sound. 3: an explanation. 2: a description of at least ONE teaching. 1: statements about Hinduism.
NESA's sample answer used environmental ethics. Its teachings were ahimsa, which "encourages respect for all living beings, promoting a lifestyle that minimises harm to animals, plants, and ecosystems", seen in reverence for rivers such as the Ganga and trees such as the banyan; and ekam sat, from the Rig Veda ("the truth is one, the wise call it by many names"), teaching divine unity so that "all life forms are interconnected, fostering a sense of responsibility to protect the environment".
To reach 5, source each teaching precisely and link it to a specific practice (vegetarianism; river clean-ups; tree protection by the Bishnoi).
Source: NESA, 2025 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2025 HSC SoR II Q30Past paper20 marksWhat is chosen to be upheld in ethical decisions is shaped by sources such as sacred texts or lived experience and how they help adherents navigate the world today. With reference to the stimulus, analyse how the ethical teachings of Hinduism guide adherents to navigate the world today. In your response, refer to ONE of the following areas: • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethics.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2025 marking guidelines, SoR I Q19, SoR II Q30). 17 to 20: a comprehensive analysis of how Hindu ethical teachings guide adherents to navigate the world today, integrating the stimulus effectively, detailed and accurate information and terminology. 13 to 16: thorough analysis. 9 to 12: an analysis. 5 to 8: a description. 1 to 4: general statements.
Plan (environmental ethics). Use the stimulus's two sources.
- Sacred texts. The Lord pervades and owns everything, so take only one's "quota" (Isha Upanishad 1); the sage sees God "in all beings" (Bhagavad Gita 6.29) and sees a cow, an elephant and a dog "with equal vision" (5.18); ekam sat (Rig Veda); the Earth as mother (Atharva Veda 12.1).
- Principles. Ahimsa, dharma and rita, karma and rebirth in other species, yajna and restraint.
- Lived experience. Vegetarianism; the Bishnoi (Khejarli, 1730); the Chipko movement (1970s); campaigns for the Ganga; Gandhi's simple living; Hindu temples and communities in Australia planting trees and adopting eco-friendly festival practice.
- Analyse the tension. Pollution of sacred rivers and rapid development show the gap between teaching and practice; worship itself (idol immersion, fireworks) raises environmental debates that teachings help resolve.
Source: NESA, 2025 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2024 HSC SoR II Q25 (a)Past paper7 marks(i) Outline ONE ethical teaching in Hinduism. (2 marks) (ii) Explain how the teaching outlined in part (a) (i) is reflected in ONE of the following areas within the religious tradition of Hinduism: • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethics. (5 marks)Show worked answer →
What earns full marks (NESA 2024 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(a), SoR II Q25(a)): (i) an accurate outline; (ii) a clear explanation of how the teaching is reflected in the area, with evidence and terminology.
(i) Model. Ahimsa (non-harming) is the duty not to injure any living being in thought, word or deed, because the same atman dwells in all.
(ii) Model. In environmental ethics ahimsa is reflected in widespread Hindu vegetarianism, which reduces harm to animals; in reverence and protection for the cow and other animals; in the Bishnoi community's refusal to fell green trees or kill animals; and in the nonviolent Chipko movement to save Himalayan forests. The Gita's vision of the sage who sees "with equal vision" a cow, an elephant and a dog (5.18) grounds this care for all beings.
Source: NESA, 2024 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2023 HSC SoR II Q25 (a)Past paper5 marksThe person who is always involved in good deeds experiences divine happiness. (Rig Veda) With reference to the stimulus, explain how ONE ethical teaching in Hinduism is applied in order to encourage adherents to do good. In your answer, refer to ONE of the following: • bioethics • environmental ethics • sexual ethics.Show worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2023 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(a), SoR II Q25(a)). 5: an accurate and detailed explanation of how ONE ethical teaching encourages adherents to "do good", integrating the stimulus with clear and relevant examples and terminology. 4: accurate explanation. 3: an explanation. Lower marks for general statements.
NESA's sample answer used environmental ethics. It explained that Hindu behaviour is shaped by dharma; that "all living things are parts of God" and "must be treated with enormous respect because the whole world is sacred"; that many Hindus in Australia and India do not eat meat; and that this dharma leads to "divine happiness".
Strengthen with sources: Gita 6.29 (God "in all beings"), Isha Upanishad 1, and karma (good deeds bring good results).
Source: NESA, 2023 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2022 HSC SoR II Q25 (a)Past paper3 marksDescribe ONE ethical teaching in Hinduism. In your answer, refer to ONE of the following. • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethicsShow worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2022 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(a), SoR II Q25(a)). 3: accurately describes ONE teaching from one area. 2: briefly describes. 1: relevant statements.
Model (environmental ethics). Hinduism teaches that the divine pervades the whole of creation: "Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord. One should therefore accept only those things necessary for himself" (Isha Upanishad 1, Prabhupada translation). Nature is therefore sacred, and adherents should take from it only what they need, practising restraint and avoiding waste.
Source: NESA, 2022 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2021 HSC SoR II Q25 (a)Past paper3 marksOutline ONE ethical teaching within Hinduism from ONE of the following. • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethicsShow worked answer →
What earns 3 marks (NESA 2021 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(a), SoR II Q25(a)): an accurate outline of one teaching in the chosen area.
Model (environmental ethics). Karma and samsara teach that every action has consequences and that the atman may be reborn in any form of life, human, animal or plant. Harming nature therefore generates bad karma and disregards beings who share the same cycle of rebirth, so Hindus are guided to live gently with the natural world.
Source: NESA, 2021 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2020 HSC SoR II Q25 (b)Past paper8 marksSpeak the truth. Follow the path of righteousness. Do not neglect your recitation of your Veda. (Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11) How do the ethical teachings of Hinduism guide adherents towards the path of righteousness? In your response, refer to ONE of the following ethical areas. • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethicsShow worked answer →
Criteria (NESA 2020 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(b), SoR II Q25(b)). 7 to 8: accurate and detailed information on how Hindu ethical teachings guide adherents towards "the path of righteousness" in the chosen area, with clear evidence and integrated terminology. 5 to 6: accurate information, some evidence. 3 to 4: general statements. 1 to 2: statements about Hindu ethics.
Plan (environmental ethics). "The path of righteousness" is dharma.
- Dharma and rita: righteous duty upholds cosmic order; harming nature breaks it.
- Ahimsa: non-harming towards all beings; vegetarianism.
- Brahman in all: Isha Upanishad 1; Gita 6.29.
- Yajna: "Rains are produced by performance of yajna" (Gita 3.14), linking worship and nature.
- Examples: Bishnoi; Chipko; Ganga clean-up; Gandhi.
Source: NESA, 2020 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
2019 HSC SoR II Q25 (a)Past paper7 marks(i) Outline ONE ethical teaching in Hinduism. (3 marks) (ii) How does the ethical teaching outlined in part (a) (i) give guidance to adherents in ONE of the following areas? • Bioethics • Environmental ethics • Sexual ethics (4 marks)Show worked answer →
What earns full marks (NESA 2019 marking guidelines, SoR I Q14(a), SoR II Q25(a)): (i) an accurate outline of one teaching; (ii) a clear understanding of how it guides adherents in the chosen area, with terminology.
(i) Dharma is righteous duty according to one's stage of life and the order of the universe (rita); acting according to dharma sustains the world.
(ii) For the environment, dharma includes duties to care for nature: the householder's daily offerings (panca maha yajna) include care for animals; Hindus honour rivers, trees and animals as sacred; and the Gita teaches that the cycle of food, rain and sacrifice depends on dutiful action (3.14).
Source: NESA, 2019 HSC Studies of Religion examination and marking guidelines.
Practice questions
Original practice questions graded from foundation to exam level, each with a full worked solution. Try them before revealing the solution.
foundation3 marksDescribe how ahimsa guides Hindu attitudes to the environment. (Original)Show worked solution →
Ahimsa means non-harming of all living beings. Because Hindus believe the same atman is present in every creature and that God is seen "in all beings" (Bhagavad Gita 6.29), harming animals or nature is harming the sacred. Ahimsa guides many Hindus to vegetarianism, to reverence for the cow and other animals, and to protecting trees and rivers.
Marking: 1 for the definition, 1 for its basis, 1 for an application.
core5 marksExplain how the concept of Brahman pervading creation shapes Hindu environmental ethics. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Teaching
- Brahman, the ultimate reality, pervades everything: "Everything animate or inanimate that is within the universe is controlled and owned by the Lord" (Isha Upanishad 1). The Rig Veda's ekam sat teaches that the one truth takes many forms.
- Consequences
- Nature is sacred, not merely a resource: rivers (the Ganga, Yamuna), mountains (Kailash), trees (peepal, banyan, tulsi) and animals (the cow) are honoured. Because the world belongs to God, humans are not owners and should take only their "quota", which supports restraint and simple living, as Gandhi practised.
- In practice
- Tree planting at festivals, river clean-up campaigns and eco-friendly festival practice (for example clay images for immersion).
Marking (Original): 5 for the teaching with sources, its ethical consequences and examples.
core5 marksExplain how Hindu environmental teachings have inspired action, using TWO examples. (Original)Show worked solution →
- The Bishnoi
- Founded by Guru Jambheshwar in 15th-century Rajasthan, the Bishnoi follow principles that forbid felling green trees and killing animals. In 1730 at Khejarli, Amrita Devi and 363 Bishnois were killed hugging khejri trees to stop them being cut for a ruler's palace. Their example of ahimsa and reverence for trees continues in wildlife protection today.
- Chipko
- In the 1970s, villagers in the Himalayan foothills (in present-day Uttarakhand), many of them women, embraced trees to stop commercial logging, using Gandhian nonviolence. The movement is associated with Chandi Prasad Bhatt and Sunderlal Bahuguna and contributed to restrictions on felling in the region.
- Link
- Both apply ahimsa, reverence for nature and dharma to protect the environment.
Marking (Original): 5 for two accurate examples each linked to teachings.
exam8 marksAnalyse the extent to which Hindu ethical teachings guide adherents to care for the environment. (Original)Show worked solution →
- Teachings
- Brahman in all (Isha Upanishad 1; Gita 6.29); ekam sat; ahimsa; dharma and rita; karma and samsara; yajna (Gita 3.14); restraint and simple living.
- Guidance in practice
- Vegetarianism reduces harm; sacred rivers, trees and animals are protected; the Bishnoi and Chipko movements; Hindu leaders and organisations campaign on climate and clean rivers; Hindu communities in Australia run green festivals and tree planting.
- Limits
- Severe pollution of the Ganga and Yamuna, including from ritual offerings and cremation, and rapid development in India show a gap between teaching and practice; some argue that seeing the world as maya (illusion) or focusing on moksha can reduce concern for the material world, though most teachers reject this reading.
- Judgement
- The teachings provide a strong and distinctive basis for environmental care; their impact depends on whether adherents apply them consistently.
Marking (Original): 8 for accurate teachings with sources, examples, limits and a judgement.
Practise this
Sources & how we know this
- Studies of Religion Stage 6 Syllabus (Hinduism depth study) — NESA
- 2025 HSC Studies of Religion marking guidelines — NESA (2025)
- 2023 HSC Studies of Religion marking guidelines — NESA (2023)
- 2020 HSC Studies of Religion marking guidelines — NESA (2020)
- Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 3.14, 5.18, 6.29, 9.26 and 13.28 — Vedabase (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust)
- Sri Isopanisad, mantra 1 — Vedabase (Bhaktivedanta Book Trust)
- Studies of Religion I Stage 6 Syllabus (2009) — NESA
- Studies of Religion HSC exam papers — NESA