Buddhist and the Environment

General Statement

In Buddhism, the idea of earth stewardship has long been recognized, even though it is not always articulated per se.

In Buddhism with its many variants and forms (there are more variants of Buddhist practice than there are denominations in Christianity), stewardship is subsumed into a strong but mostly intuitive sense about responsibility for the world that is only in recent decades translating into ecological sensitivity.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of many of the world’s

half-billion Buddhists, articulates some of Tibetan Buddhism’s perceptions, first about our present circumstance, and then our responsibility to the earth.

Peace and survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities which lack a commitment to humanitarian values.

Destruction of nature and natural resources result from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth’s living things.

This lack of respect even extends to earth’s human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace does not become a reality, and destruction of the naturl environment continues at the present rate. ...

Clearly this is a pivotal generation. ... We must act before it is

too late. [1]

The essence of the Buddhist message about the environment revolves around the doctrine of compassion. The Tibetan scholar, the Venerable Karma Gelek Yuthok, quotes from the Mahayana about the traditional teachings about compassion:

Since the doctrine of Buddha specifies compassion, those who take refuge in it should forsake harming sentient beings with a compassionate heart. [2]

Buddhism is a religion which teaches different stages of spiritual development and different levels of doctrine. Not doing harm is a stage reaching toward the higher Buddhist attitudes toward all living things. This includes loving kindness, compassion and altruism. On the attitude of loving kindness, the Buddha taught clearly:

The merit, which results from making all of the time rich and extensive offerings with all that can be found in the billions of worlds to the supreme noble beings, cannot match one moment of loving kindness. [3]

Buddhism is like Christianity in that it uses many symbols from the natural world. The blooming lotus is the symbol of spiritual awakening. Clear water is a symbol for clarity of mind.

Zen Buddhists are equally concerned about nature. In 1985 the then Japanese Prime Minister H. E. Nakasone related a Japanese Buddhist view of our present predicament and responsibility.

Our generation is recklessly destroying the natural environment.... Our soil, water, air, flora and fauna are being subjected to the most barbaric attack since the earth was created. This folly can only be described as suicidal. If we are to preserve our irreplaceable Earth and ensure the survival of mankind, I believe we must create a new global ethic and devise systems to support it.

We Japanese generally believe that the great universe is our home, and that all living things should co-exist in harmony with the natural universe. We believe that all living things -- humans, animals, trees, grasses -- are essentially brothers and sisters. [4]

Zen Buddhism offers an aesthetic ethos coupled with an ethic of frugality and simplicity. As Hwa Yol Jung, a Buddhist ecologist, writes:

Zen seeks an active harmony between man and nature.... It lets things be, and it accepts the naturalness of nature and of the “way of things.”

For Zen, nature has intrinsic value. The way of Zen is not to manipulate and appropriate nature, but rather to disclose it as it is. [5]

The intrinsic harmony that Zen affirms between man and nature contrasts with the technological mentality predominant in the West. In Zen and other Eastern religions, an attempt is made to penetrate into the spiritual essence of man and nature and to reflect it outwardly. This keeps man simple and rooted in natural values.

The stewardship ethic from Buddhism can be summarized as one which first emphasizes compassion for living things and respect for the integral harmony of the created order, and secondly, teaches self-restraint in the face of opportunities to better one’s own life at the expense of others or creation.

Buddhist Statement

By THE DALAI LAMA ON THE ENVIRONMENT

"Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities that lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth's living things.

"Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it. It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past that resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information, and it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations."

"As people alive today, we must consider future generations: a clean environment is a human right like any other. It is therefore part of our responsibility towards others to ensure that the world we pass on is as healthy, if not healthier, than we found it."

"HUMANITY AND ECOLOGY"

Peace and the survival of life on earth as we know it are threatened by human activities that lack a commitment to humanitarian values. Destruction of nature and natural resources results from ignorance, greed and lack of respect for the earth's living things.

This lack of respect extends even to the earth's human descendants, the future generations who will inherit a vastly degraded planet if world peace does not become a reality, and if destruction of the natural environment continues at the present rate.

Our ancestors viewed the earth as rich and bountiful, which it is. Many people in the past also saw nature as inexhaustibly sustainable, which we know is the case only if we care for it.

It is not difficult to forgive destruction in the past which resulted from ignorance. Today, however, we have access to more information; it is essential that we re-examine ethically what we have inherited, what we are responsible for, and what we will pass on to coming generations.

Many of the earth's habitats, animals, plants, insects and even micro-organisms that we know to be rare may not be known at all by future generations. We have the capability and the responsibility to ace; we must do so before it is too late.

Just as we should cultivate gentle and peaceful relations with our fellow human beings, we should also extend that same kind of attitude towards the natural environment. Morally speaking, we should be concerned for our whole environment.

This, however, is not just a question of morality or ethics, but a question of our own survival. For this generation and for future generations, the environment is very important. If we exploit the environment in extreme ways, we will suffer, as will our future generations. When the environment changes, the climatic condition also changes. When the climate changes dramatically, the economy and many other things change. Our physical health will be greatly affected. Again, conservation is not merely a question of morality, but a question of our own survival.

Therefore, in order to achieve more effective environmental protection and conservation, internal balance within the human being himself or herself is essential. The negligence of the environment, which has resulted in great harm to the human community, resulted from our ignorance of the very special importance of the environment. We must now help people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people to understand the need for environmental protection. We must teach people that conservation directly aids our survival.

If you must be selfish, then be wise and not narrow-minded in your selfishness. The key point lies in the sense of universal responsibility. That is the real source of strength, the real source of happiness. If we exploit everything available, such as trees, water and minerals, and if we don't plan for our next generation, for the future, then we're at fault, aren't we_ However, if we have a genuine sense of universal responsibility as our central motivation, then our relations with the environment, and with all our neighbours, will be well balanced.

Ultimately, the decision to save the environment must come from the human heart. The key point is a call for a genuine sense of universal responsibility that is based on love, compassion and clear awareness.

From "Humanity and Ecology," 1988, by The Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Notes:

[1] His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, “An Ethical Approach to Enviromental Protection,” in Tree of Life: Buddhism and the Protection of Nature ,Buddhist Perception of Nature, Geneva, 1987, p. 5

[2] Venerable Karma Gelek Yuthok, as cited in Dr. Chatsumarn Kabilsingh, “How Buddhism Can Help Protect Nature,” Tree of Life , Buddhist Perception of Nature, Geneva, 1987, p. 11

[3] The Gautama Buddha, quoted in the Samadhiraja Sutra , Vol. II, Dege version

[4] Japanese Prime Minister H. E. Nakasone, Speech before the Commemorative Session of the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, October 23, 1985

[5] The Christian Century magazine, "Ecology, Zen and Western Religious Thought," Hwa Yol Jung, Nov. 15, 1972, Pg. 1153