Not taking care of the material basis of life is the sign of unconsciousness and stems from the old idea of disgust of the world. This indifference creates a lack of civic sense and the sense of beauty in outer life. At its bottom it is a kind of selfishness where one is bothered only about oneself including one’s own progress leaving the rest to be somehow taken care of by someone.
But apart from the attitude behind it, much of it is the offshoot of the way mind handles nature. One seldom finds this rot and dirt and filth in the forests inhabited by the animal life. In our pursuit of desires, pleasures and comforts, we have created structures and systems, machines and factories that pollute everything from the soil to the sky. Hopefully this is a passing phase and mankind is indeed becoming conscious of the damage it has caused to earthly life and, as it grows in consciousness, it will find a way to heal the damage it has caused.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
