Note on Buddhist Approach to Overcome Environmental Crisis (Ecological crisis)

The environmental crisis is a global truth .By environment we understand Physical

and biological surroundings of an organism. The environment covers non-living (a-
biotic) and also living (biotic) organisms such as plants, microorganisms and
animals’. The nature, environment, ecology, ecosystems are all related to each
other. These subjects are of great concern of study today by the people in this planet
earth. The great Scientist Albert Einstein while defining environment has told that
“Everything that isn’t me is environment”. In a greater sense it may be stated that
you are the part of my environment and I am the part of your environment. Again
many researchers have defined environment as “the sum total of the conditions that
affect the development and life of organisms”. According to the scientists the
environment is the suitable coordination of five important elements such as soil,
water, air, plants and living beings.

Minute but complex equilibrium has been created in the environment of this planet
earth through millions of years of the order of gradual manifestation. At present the
equilibrium of this environment is in fatal disruption. By this, environment has been
polluted and it is still an ongoing process. The reactions of environmental pollution
on the planets and living beings are a far-reaching affect, in some cases at the
present it has become very serious.

Buddha’s teachings regarding environment

 If we go through The Buddha’s life we can clearly understand how much The
Buddha loved the nature. First of all The Buddha was born in Lumbini Yard in Nepal.
His birth was not at Royal Palace but it was a place which was full of natural beauty
in a free and clean atmosphere. So one can imagine how long this place was chose.
He was born as Siddhartha to be the future Buddha. The very birth of the Buddha in
Lumbini forest indicates that Buddhism emphasized on nature and its protection. He
was going to be The Buddha after four innumerable cycles of births and rebirths,
after 550 times births as Bodhisattva and as a birth place Lumbini was chosen.

Before attaining Buddhahood, in a ploughing festival in a village accompanied by his

father Suddodana Prince Siddhartha sat under a Jambu tree and got absorbed in a
trance and meditated .Before attaining Buddha hood Goutama took milk-rice from
Sujata under a banyan tree. That provided many birds’ habitants, insects thus
mention about ecological balance.

Secondly Siddhartha Gautama started his deep meditation practice in deep forests,
hills of nature and ultimately became the Enlightened One in Uruvilla Forest (at
present Bodhgaya). One can clearly realize the natural beauty of Uruvilla forest was
the suitable place to be The Buddha- the supreme being of the world. It was a place
of tranquillity, peaceful, natural, and full of fresh air which has helped to keep his
body fit even without any food for long 49 days. In the fifth week The Buddha sat for
seven days under Ajapala Nyagrodha tree 9 generally known as goat Herd’s Banyan
tree); in the sixth week The Buddha sat under the Muchalinda tree for seven days; in
the seventh week the Buddha passed seven days under Rajayatana tree. Late Dr.
Asha Das. A renowned Buddhalogist of India said that all these trees are associated
with Buddha which dominated very turn in his life.

The Buddha preached his first sermon Dhammacakkapabattansutta to his earlier

colleagues (later on pancha baggiya disciples) in the Deer Park (Migadava) at
Isipatana, woodland. While approaching towards Kushinara the Buddha stopped
under the Mango Grove of Cunda. The Buddha passed away at Sala forest of Malla
at Kushinara.

Even the Physician Jibaka of The Buddha was an expert in collecting medicinal
plants from the nature for Buddha’s treatment.. So one can imagine how much
importance is given in Buddhism to save the nature. In Theravada system
monks are not allowed to cut the trees and plants. The Buddha introduced retreats
for the monks during the rainy season. The monks would not beg for alms because
while walking their steps may kill the insects and the young sprouts on the ground.
The Buddha showed an extraordinary zeal in spending time amidst natural
surroundings which are seen throughout eighty years of his life and also in Jataka
stories ( stories o past lives.)

It is emphatically observed that echo-friendly and environment loving   are related to

the great compassionate thinking of the Buddha. From his teaching we can clearly
understand thet reverential perception of humanity towards trees and plants can
save the global crisis of environmental degradation.

The Buddha’s precepts

The Buddha introduced precepts for human beings to lead a good, pure and descent
life. In the five precepts the first one is to abstain from killing.living beings.. The killing
may be direct one or may be indirect. In highly industrialized countries where there
are lot air planes, use of refrigeration etc producing CFC and other toxic gases while
polluting the earth’s atmosphere are killing many species of the world indirectly. The
disappearance of thousands of species are causing ecological imbalance. In the
name of festival there are lot of religions in the world .which kill billions of   animals
for eating. But history says that the great Emperor Asoka established hospitals for
animals, built forests by planting trees for providing shelter to the animals. Precept of
killing is key to environmental preservation or to protect environmental pollution. As
there is a great hole in the ozone layer discovered by the British scientists, ultra
violet rays are coming from the sun to the earth’s surface and these fatal rays are
causing detrimental effects on humans and living beings including cancer, skin
diseases et. Many living beings are dying out of these rays. So if we think how this
has been created in the ozone layer. It is the toxic gas creating hole in the ozone
layer. From where this toxic gases are coming? From industries. So in turn science
and advanced technology are indirectly responsible for killing living beings through
various types of acute diseases.. The teachings of The Buddha are concerned with
the protection of wildlife and environment. 

According to Buddhism, the environment has become so much polluted because of

excessive delusion , greed and hatred of humans.. During the Second World War
atomic bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Killing thousands and
thousands of people this bombing destroyed the whole environment not only of
Japan but also of the whole world. When these bombs were tested in Mexican
deserts the atmosphere experienced pollution of nuclear hazards as at that time of
bombing the whole of Japan and neighbouring countries experienced about the
dangerous effects of nuclear hazards causing unimaginable sufferings to the human
and all living beings. Very recently nuclear power plant disaster has caused severe
effects in environment . Ultimately in some ways or other this will affect on the
species of the world and ecological balance will be lost.

Environment crisis is manmade crisis. So man’s mind must be free from pollution. As
a result the earth has become sick. If a person is sick he is to be given proper
treatment to be free from his sickness. As such environment and ecology are to be
given proper treatment to be free from pollution. What are those treatments ? The
very first treatment is make men free from mind pollution. According to Buddhism
because of ignorance everything arises out of ignorance or delusion or moha. If
anybody is to be freed from ignorance he must have spiritual development through
meditation. 

The Buddha’s teachings stress on respect for other’s life (abstinence from
killing living beings); respect for other’s properties (abstinence from stealing), respect
for women ( abstinence from sexual misconduct), respect for truthful words
( abstinence from telling a lie) ; respect for one’s own body ( abstinence from
taking alcohols); universal loving kindness, great compassion, altruistic joy,
equanimity; right livelihood ( not to be involved in business on living beings,
business on flesh or meat; business on arms; business intoxicants; business on
poisonous materials); meditation; love for the humanity; wisdom, love for the earth
and nature; to know oneself ( having insight knowledge); to make oneself free from
delusion or ignorance, greed and hatred through acquiring wisdom; charity and
loving kindness respectively etc.

It is not possible to return back to environment of earlier days. But by the practice of
The Buddha’s teachings we can minimize or overcome the environmental pollution if
there is a sense of awakening amongst those countries which are producing
maximum toxic gases in the world and keeping remarkable contributions in polluting
the environment thus the environmental crisis.

In Karanaiya Metta Sutta The Buddha said that “ As a mother loves his son and
protects her at the risk of her life, such kind of unbounded love and compassion are
to be extended   for all beings ( sentient and non-sentient beings)”. In the same Sutta
in another verse The Buddha said that “Whether seen or unseen, who lives near and
far away; born or to be born, let all beings be happy”. What a wonderful verse.. No
other great man could tell let all beings be happy.
To make all livings happy The Buddha emphasized on the Karma of oneself. As you
sow so you reap. If you destroy the nature, nature will destroy you. There is no
exception.

As many religious people view it, Buddhist reality is profoundly ecological, and
Buddhism itself is an ecological religion. It powerfully expresses human
identification with nature. Buddhists believe that all things, including humans,
exist by their interrelationship with all other parts of nature To think of one's self
as isolated from the rest of nature is be unrealist.

"The Buddha taught that respect for life and the natural world is essential. By
living simply one can be in harmony with other creatures and learn to appreciate
the interconnectedness of all lives. The simplicity of life involves developing
openness to our environment and relating to the world with awareness and
responsive perception. It also enables us to enjoy without possessing, and mutually
benefit each other without manipulation."

Buddhist teachers and masters constantly remind us of the importance of living in

tune with nature and respecting life.

Buddhist precepts direct the faithful to seek a right livelihood, an essential

dimension of which is concern for the life of all creatures. This puts emphasis on
"ahimsa" (avoiding injury to any sentient creature) . This is the first of the five
precepts of Buddhist life and a major principle of Jainism. In practice, Buddhists
believe that it is the act of killing or hurting an animal which is harmful, but not
the eating of meat that someone else has provided.

Note that the Buddhist king Asoka the Great established hospitals for both human
and animals. He insisted on kindness to animals, and forbade their killing even for
food.

Buddhism teaches that if we wish to save the environment, we must first analyze
our lives to determine how our self-deification is destroying the world by
depleting, overpopulating, and polluting the environment.

The Buddhist approach to solving the global ecological crisis then includes :

1. Compassion is the basis for a balanced view of the whole world and of the
environment.
2. The use of the "save and not waste" approach means that nothing in nature
is spoiled or wasted. Wanton destruction upsets the vital balance of life.
3. Ecology is rebuilt through the philosophy of Sarvodaya (uplift of all), which
is based on loving kindness, compassionate action, and altruistic joy.

Suval Sivaraksa and Aubrey Meyer have suggested the following modifications of
the Buddhist Four Noble Truths to make them relate to ecology:

1. Climate change is a reality. It is the source of flooding and drought,

desertification and loss of land.
2. Climate change is caused by over-consumption of fossil fuels, loss of soil,
and excessive herds of livestock. Individual over-consumption in the global
North is an expression of greed and a fear of loss. Fear and greed are root
causes of all suffering. Capitalism thrives on individual fear and greed.
3. The climate we have to change is the climate of greed and fear, in which
consumerism and profiteering can thrive.
4. To overcome suffering, start at home, with yourself. Ask yourself: Where
can I cut down my consumption? How can I repay my carbon debt to my
children’s children? Plant trees. Don’t fly. Eat local and organic foods.