Sumanapal Bhikkhu (Subhasis Barua)
In the modern age science has enabled mankind to achieve unprecedented advancement that has brought about a revolutionary change in our lives both in a positive and negative way. On the positive side scientific and technological improvement have resulted in extremely large scale manufacture of consumer goods that have made the impossible possible. Day to day mankind has become richer materially but it has caused many problems that have overshadowed the benefits a great deal. Environmental pollution is perhaps the most serious of these problems and it calls for immediate address. Environmental pollution is creating serious damage in the living conditions of countless people and is posing a serious challenge even to the very existence of human civilization.
Environmental pollution is not an isolated problem. It is a menace both for nature and man. Air, soil and water, all have become polluted leading to the natural disasters like flood, mud slides, draughts, earthquakes, forest fire stormy rains etc. As a result of climate change and global warming human beings may face serious shortage in food and water in future Many species of plants and animals are awaiting extinction and there has been an unprecedented rise in cases of unexplained diseases.
The main reason of environmental pollution is excessively rapid and unplanned development without the least regards for consequences. Pollution is also caused even by superfluity of consumer goods and food. Poisonous substances emitted by vehicles are also a source for pollution. The problem has been aggravated by the reluctance of developed nations to share their capability with underdeveloped nations. Both the rich and poor are equally responsible for environmental pollution. The rich people are contributing to environmental pollution by excessive consumption of goods and the poor people are causing environmental pollution by exploiting natural resources in their struggle for existence. Poverty is often considered to be the most potent reason for environmental pollution.
In industries a great amount of harmful substances like chemical water, gases and concrete substances are released in the atmosphere and this also is causing severe damage to the environment. We are using cars, various kinds of machines, entertainment and electronic gadgets, fashionable clothes and accessories. Moreover in more recent years we have become addicted to mobile phones and computers and this has made our life even more complex and complicated. Various companies have targeted man's insatiable demands for more luxury and comfort. If nature is destroyed it will affect the environment and pollution level will be so high that it will pose a serious threat to our existence.
The teachings of the Buddha can be applied for solving the problem of environmental pollution to good effect. Buddhism is often considered as an environment friendly religion and it takes within its fold not just human beings but also animals and birds or the entire environment. The Buddha described India in the following way:" delightful parks, groves, landscapes and lotus ponds are few, while more numerous are the hills and slopes, rivers that are hard to cross, places with stump and thorns and rugged mountains."1 The terrain described above may be classified as 'wilderness' in modern terminology. Ancient Buddhist scholars were well versed in the knowledge about trees and plants and early Pali sources2 lists 420 plants which the Buddha divided into three categories e.g. medicinal herbs, grasses, and forest trees.
We find a passage in Vessantara aātaka (J. 547) where we find reference to around one hundred plants and animals. Buddhism shows us a effective way towards solving the problem of environmental pollution. The Buddha has taught us to create a balance between our demands and our resources by living a simple life. In the modern age we as consumers are not concerning ourselves with the effects of our actions on environment. In Aṅguttara Nikāya we read a story of man who rested under a banyan tree , ate its fruit and then went away. The spirit dwelling in that tree thought it very amazing that the man would be so evil so as to break the branch of the very tree which had served him fruit. From then on the tree bore no fruit.
The problem created by human greed and consumerism may be solved at least to some extent if we can reduce our needs. In order to check the problem of pollution and climate change we may apply the Buddhist principles of simplicity and compassion. For many centuries human beings are exploiting natural resources without minimum consideration to its consequences. In order to check the problem of pollution we have to be kind our earth. For a long time Buddhist leaders have been considering the issue of pollution that has been plaguing the earth for a long time.
The very existence of life on earth is being threatened by the actions of humans which is the result of greed and ignorance. The need of the hour is to bring the problem of climate change and pollution to the notice of every individual and the Dalai Lama himself has called for a change in our attitude to nature. There is plenty of suffering in this earth and we should increase our love for the planet and our service to it.
Buddhism says that everything in this earth is interconnected i.e. man and nature are interrelated. None or nothing is isolated. if this teachings of the Buddha can be spread all over the world people will be more responsible towards performing their duties to control environmental pollution.
The main qualities that should be developed within us are contentment with less, sharing with others, forming a clear idea about the consequences of our actions on environment and awareness of interconnectedness of things. For this we need a change in our outlook which is essential.3
Buddhism teaches us that this earth is our house and we should take care of it as we take care of our house.4 The very existence of human civilization depends on our environment. Buddhist world view inculcates within us respect for nature. As the problem of global warming and climate change are assuming increasingly serious proportions people of the world are turning to the teachings of the Buddha for guidance and solution. The reputation of Buddhism as a eco-friendly religion is on the rise because its teachings inspires us to love nature and see the natural and human world very intimately related. If we can develop within us Buddhist virtues like compassion, equanimity and humility then we will become successful in helping the world to get rid of the problem of climate change.
Buddhism is being increasingly recognised for its reverence for the land. The Buddha lived his life surrounded by nature. His birth, Enlightenment and death all took place under trees. Buddhism says nature is important in all beings.
In an early text the Buddha says," Know ye the grasses and the trees... then know ye the worms and the moths, and the different sorts of ants, know ye also the four footed animals small and great, the serpents, the fish... the birds... know ye the marks that constitute species are theirs, and their species are manifold." Nowadays scholars have started paying more attention towards Buddhist principles of compassion, and commitment towards natural objects and life as a whole. And it is worthwhile to note that the teachings of Buddhism regarding ecology is proving inspiring and effective. Buddhism encourages us to understand the world and realize its true worth. We should comprehend the real nature of our environment. The Buddha teaches us that everything is changing and this is applicable to nature also. Several suttas in the Pali canon tell us that there is a close affinity between the human and the natural world. Man's deteriorating morals are causing harm to plants and animals. As a result of human activities harmful changes are taking place in the natural and animal world and this in turn are adversely affecting man's well being and happiness. and this possibility is indicated in the Cakkavattisihanāda Sutta where the adverse effects of man's activities on man and nature have been described in detail.5
The intimate relationship between the human and natural world has been probed more deeply in later commentaries particularly in the theory of five natural laws which tells us that biological aspect is affected by physical environment and physical environment affects our thought pattern because our moral standard has the physical environment at its base. The commentaries tell us that greed leads to famine, hatred leads to violence and delusion leads to epidemic. But we can make things follow the opposite direction:,- generosity leads to wellbeing, compassion leads to peace, and wisdom leads to purity.
The Buddha said that mind is forerunner of everything or cittena niyati loko.6 The importance of mind is supreme. In the Dhammapada we find," A defiled mind generates unhappiness and suffering, / A pure mind brings happiness and freedom from suffering." So we may say that the evils of greed, hatred and delusion pollute both our inner and outer world and their opposite, generosity, compassion and wisdom purifies our mind and outside world. The Buddha gave us inspiration to do good, cease to do evil and purify the mind. With a mind free from impurity we will be able to comprehend the basic interconnectedness of the entire world and their inherent profound relationship. If we can achieve purity of the mind ourselves, others will also be inspired by our example. Thus by being free from mental defilement ourselves, we shall be able to set examples for others and in the process help them to achieve purification of mind.
The Buddha analysed this principle in detail in his Law of Dependent Origination or paṭiccasamuppāda. For our survival we must learn to use the resources of nature without harming it because if we exploit them our suffering will increase. Open air, natural habitats and forest trees occupy a special position in Buddhism. Buddhism teaches us to satisfy our needs without harming nature. So we must draw a line between greed and necessities. Large trees are greatly venerated in the works of the Buddhist sages. Plants not merely provides us nourishment they also supply us with oxygen which is absolutely essential for our survival in this planet. Buddhism inspires to adopt a gentle and non violent attitude towards animal and plant life.
Environmental pollution is caused in many ways. Chemicals, pesticides and waste dumps have grown to alarming proportions in recent years. Though in the days of Buddha the problem of environmental pollution was unimaginable, in the Pali canon of the Buddhist literature we find sufficient evidence regarding the Buddha's attitude to nature. Various Vinaya suttas prohibit monks from polluting the environment. Noise pollution is one of gravest problems that is haunting nature and our environment. In Buddhism silence is regarded as something serene and noble and helpful for spiritual growth. Silence creates an atmosphere for meditation. The Buddha and his disciples were enthralled by the charm of silence and took to the forests for peace. In Buddhism we find many such suttas that address these problems. There are many rules in the Vinaya that prohibit monks from polluting the environment.7
The Buddha was aware of the fact the beauty of the natural world was a great source of joy and happiness for human beings. At the same nature can provide us with solace and comfort when we need them. For these reasons we should protect as well as respect nature. Buddhism ascribes great importance on our comprehending the world. We must overcome our ignorance and attain a comprehensive understanding of nature. Actually man and nature are interdependent. We depend on plants and animals for our survival and at the same time they also need our protection. The human world and the natural world are linked. Man has the ability to influence nature both in a benign and malign way and similarly man will also be affected in the same way by his actions. So all we need is to get rid of three poisons namely greed, hatred and delusion. This can be done only by starting with ourselves or in other words by freeing ourselves of these problems at first and then urging our friends, relatives and neighbours to do the same. After the attainment of these we all shall-
i. refrain from polluting the environment and maintain natural balance.
ii. develop wholesome energies and create an atmosphere from which we all are benefitted including the natural world surrounding us.
iii. extending help towards the implementation of various projects with the purpose of restoring the balance of environment.
Though Buddhism is a religion which is mostly occupied with the spiritual well being of people it contains many dictates that will make our worldly happy and comfortable. Once when the Buddha was asked what in his opinion the constant proliferative motive he replied that it was the conservation of nature because it has a positive effect on the well being of society. To Buddha works like ārama ropa or construction of parks or groves, vana ropa, building foot bridges were of paramount importance.
The word ārama means the residence of monks or garden or park. In spite of attaching special importance on non attachment the Buddha advised his monks to keep their surroundings clean and tidy. The Buddha was of the opinion that growing plants in our words is s noble action. In recent years various terms like 'Green Buddhism', 'eco-Buddhism', 'eco-Dharma' and 'eco-engaged Buddhism' are frequent in t modern Buddhist literature. Many writers have found ecological ethics grounded in Buddhist literature and among them we may mention the names of Pragati Sahni, Simon James, Cooper and James and Damien Keown. These authors are of the opinion that Buddhist attitude like the four Brahmavihāras namely loving kindness, or mettā, compassion or karuņā, sympathetic joy or muditā and equanimity will automatically develop an eco friendly attitude in the practitioner. If virtues like frugality, equanimity, and non harming are inculcated in people they will limit their consumption and harmful practices in industry and agriculture can be reduced to a great extent. So these virtues preached by the Buddha will help us in counteracting the effects of consumerism that implants in the individual an insatiable desire for luxury and material goods. Even though the Buddha did not promulgate these virtues for environmental purposes they definitely encourage a philosophy of life that is in keeping with the aims of modern ecological movement. So if a person follows the advice of the Buddha he can live a life that is in harmony with nature.
In 2009 twenty Buddhist leaders of the world signed Buddhist declaration on climate change (updated in 2015) which alerted global population of the fact that if current harmful trends cannot be controlled it will amount to the violation of the first precept i.e. not to cause harm to life 'on the largest possible scale.' If the Buddhist virtues like frugality and mindfulness are applied it will result in a reduction of carbon emission. “The declaration also underscores the fact that we must start using renewable energy as far as practicable and introduce new modes of transportation that are more environment friendly. We may quote the following lines from the declaration.” Many scientists have concluded that the survival of human civilization is at stake. We have reached a critical juncture in our biological and social evolution. There has never been a more important time in history to bring the resources of Buddhism to bear on behalf of all living beings.
The four noble truths provide a framework of diagnosing our current situation and formulating appropriate guidelines-- because the threats and disasters we face ultimately stem from the human mind, and therefore require profound changes within our minds. If personal suffering stems from craving and ignorance-- from the three poisons of greed, ill will and delusion--the same applies to the suffering that afflicts us on a collective scale. Our ecological emergency is a larger version of perennial human predicament. Both as individuals and as a species, we suffer from a sense of self that feels disconnected not only from other people but from the earth itself. As Thich Nhat Hanh has said, "We are here to awaken the illusion of our separateness," We need to wake up and realize that the Earth is our mother as well as our home-- and in this case the umbilical cord binding us to her cannot be severed.
When the earth becomes sick, we become sick, because we are part of her. Now we may talk about the list with the title, "Sixteen Core Dharma Principles to Address Climate Change." This list contains a comprehensive summary of the Buddhist teachings relevant to today's environment crisis. The list of the sixteen principle is a collective representation of Buddhist teachings that can be applied to redress the problem of environmental pollution and climate change. In short there is a reference to virtues, precepts, the recognition of suffering, non attachment, compassion, renunciation, leading a frugal life, reverence for life, the need for social justice and social change, etc. Buddhists can claim that the principles of ecology have a great affinity with the basic value system provided by Buddhism and unless we free ourselves from environmental pollution and global warming any attempt to get rid of suffering is difficult to succeed.
Notes and References:
1. Aṅguttara Nitāya, Vol. I, P. 35.
2. Dhammika, 2015, 1f.
3. Emillio F. Morgan, People and Nature : An Introduction to Human Ecological Relations.
4. Kindness to the Earth Focus of Dalai Lama's Australia Tour. Environment News Service. http: // www. ens - newswire. com/ ens/ apr 2007/ 2007 - 04 - 19- 01, asp.
5. Dīgha Nikāya, Vol. III, p. 71.
6. Samyutta Nikāya, Vol. I, p. 39.
7. Vinaya Piṭaka, Vol. IV, pp. 205-206.
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