So Hum - "I am That"

I have a deep, personal connection with the words, So hum. 

So hum is a mantra that means "I am That". In Vedic philosophy, it means identifying oneself with the universe or ultimate reality. 

(…) तेजो यत्ते रूपं कल्याणतमं तत्ते पश्यामि योऽसावसौ पुरुषः सोऽहमस्मि ॥१६॥

“The light which is thy fairest form, I see it. I am what That is“

(A mantra is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, a word, or a group of words in Sanskrit believed to have psychological and spiritual powers. The earliest mantras were composed in Vedic Sanskrit by Hindus in India, and are at least 3000 years old.)

This past week, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, Potawatomi educator, botanist, and bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass. 

(The event was presented in partnership with the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Critical Indigenous Studies at The University of British Columbia, Museum of Anthropology at UBC and the Vancouver Institute.)

Her talk, “Restoration and Reciprocity: Healing Relationships with the Natural World,” was both profound and thought-provoking and reminded me yet again about the power of oneness.

One key takeaway from Dr. Kimmerer's lecture was the concept of reciprocal, biocultural restoration, that in healing the land, we heal ourselves. She challenged us to think beyond land as property but land as a keeper of knowledge, not as a belonging but as a source of belonging, and not as a right but an entity with which we must build a relationship based on responsibility.

As I was taking notes during the lecture, I realized how this perspective aligns so well with Hindu philosophies that emphasize the intrinsic value of nature, not just as a resource for human use but as part of a spiritual whole. Dr. Kimmerer's ideas resonated deeply with me within the context of the environmental teachings that I grew up with as shared by my parents and grandparents and our ancestors, where nature is viewed as sacred. In Hinduism, we view the Earth (Bhumi), as a goddess, worthy of reverence and protection. Beyond that, the principle of Dharma central to the Hindu worldview is at its core about living in balance and harmony with nature. The Panch Mahabhutas (five elements—earth, water, fire, air, and space) are the foundation of life. And, maintaining balance among them is seen as essential to sustaining the world.

Dr. Kimmerer asked a crucial question: How do we reciprocate the gifts the earth offers us? One powerful answer she gave is through education. But what does it really mean to be an educated person? Is it the number of years in school, the number of degrees, the number of years on Earth, or something more? Dr. Kimmerer reminded us that "An educated person knows their own gifts and how to give them to the world."

As we honour the experiences of Indigenous peoples and commit to the work of reconciliation, on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, I am reflecting on how I can apply these teachings in my own life both as an educator and as a learner. Dr. Kimmerer’s reflections on traditional ecological knowledge, biocultural restoration, and two-eyed seeing—the integration of both Indigenous and Western ways of knowing—feel especially important today. She asked each of us to think about what if, instead of human exceptionalism, our conservation efforts were guided by kinship and interconnectedness. What if healing our relationship with the land became part of our reconciliation journey?

By restoring our relationship with Earth, we can all move closer to restoring our relationships with one another.

#TruthAndReconciliation #Restoration #IndigenousKnowledge #ReciprocalRestoration #TraditionalHinduWorldview #Hinduism #Sanskrti #LandBack #TwoEyedSeeing #HealingOurLand #BraidingSweetgrass #EducationAsReciprocity