Reichman 1 Katie Reichman CTW 2 Dr.

Kirk Glaser January 30, 2012

The Existence of the Environment: The New Enlightenment

To be a Buddhist is automatically to be an ecologist and a conservationist. - Reverend Don Castro of the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple. Environmental protection has been in effect for only fifty years; a short amount of time considering the amount of harm we have done to the world over the centuries. Conserving the natural world is not a difficult concept to grasp; in fact, it makes perfect sense. The environment is our home and it provides us with provisions necessary for everyday use and survival, yet we continue to abuse it. More than seventy-five percent of Americans have admitted to littering over the past five years and a large percentage of that number will not stop littering even though its illegal and expensive (Green Eco Services). People dont realize the severity of their actions, which is what leads to the destruction of our natural world. We take advantage of nature, believing it will always be there to sustain us. Humanity should be the ones caring for it and ensuring it still exists for future generations to enjoy. In Buddhism, however, preserving the environment is one of the main basic principles that the Buddha taught over twenty-five centuries ago (Quang). Compassion, for both mankind and the environment, is at the root of the Buddhas teachings. Through a realistic viewpoint and the concept of karma, Buddhists have come to understand the principles of both worldwide and personal sustainability and have applied them in ways beneficial to the natural world.

Reichman 2 Buddhism is not a religion in the sense of the word like Christianity or Judaism. It is a philosophy, a way of life. Sustainability, in the same sense, can be a way of life. The guidelines by which one chooses to live are similar to the (carbon) footprint one chooses to leave on earth. It is this way of thinking from which karma arises. Karma, despite what popular myth says, is not the belief that what goes around comes back around. NonBuddhists have skewed perspectives of Buddhism and are afraid to explore this fascinating religion. Many people dont understand the Buddhists true meaning of karma and believe that one collects bad karma from a previous life (Willard). Rather, it is a natural force and holds the idea that what you do affects others (Rahula, 32). It is a Sanskrit word that literally means action. Karma is not the effect of an action, as many believe (Urlaub). Humans constantly send ripples into the world based on the choices we make. Any choice, no matter how big or small, affects others. Deciding to wear a yellow shirt this morning to class may put a smile on someones face and is an example of the ripple effect. However, it is not a decision that upsets the karmic balance in the world. On the other hand, the decision to litter is an example that produces larger ripples in the world. If humanity chose to release smaller ripples into the world and keep our karma in balance, we would be in greater harmony with the natural world (Urlaub). These ripples affect not our past nor our future, but our present, our reality. The Absolute Truth in Buddhism is Reality. It is the ability to see things as they are and to acknowledge that there is nothing absolute in the world, that everything is relative, conditioned, and impermanent (Rahula, 39). The condition in which the world is today is not the same as it will be tomorrow. This line of thinking also applies directly to man. Nothing is absolute in the world, and humans are a part of the world, so we must

Reichman 3 also be impermanent. Not only are we impermanent, but the concept of an I or a being does not exist in Buddhism. This is a difficult notion to grasp because it is completely against the idea of I think, therefore I am (Rahula, 26). This quote, originally stated by Ren Descartes, has become the accepted way of thinking. It is also what has led us to become self-centered and greedy. As the Buddhist monk, Thich Tri Quang, said, The external environment is seriously polluted because the internal environment in the mind is seriously damaged. With so many individuals, we do not think of everyone in the world as a whole. Thinking only in terms of I, man has hurled himself into a life filled with only selfish desires and competitions. Its a life leading to self-destruction and one that harms our environment (Quang). In contrast, the Buddha believed that all beings were created equal and he acknowledged the importance of protecting not only humanity, but the environment as well. He realized that the view of I caused endless conflict and was at the root of all our wants in the world (Rahula, 27). As Sulak Sivaraksa, founder of the Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation, asserts, sustainable lifestylesare possible when the individuals interests are at harmony with that of the whole. When we can forget about the individual and work as one entity, we have a better chance of protecting the environment effectively. The principles of Buddhism regarding sustainability are not difficult to comprehend. Rather, they are common sense that we have known all along, but that have been lost due to a warped mindset. The Buddha lived, and all of his followers continue to live, in contentment. This does not mean one lives ignorantly or without knowledge and truth (Quang). It is a simple way of life from which many Americans could benefit. As a

Reichman 4 saying of the Buddha reads, "like a beautiful flower that is colorful but has no fragrance, even well spoken words bear no fruit in one who does not put them into practice" (Urlaub). As a culture, we need to preserve and give back to our natural world just as it has given us what we have asked of it. The Buddhists have long been advocates of living in harmony with the environment and it is about time we listened to and learned from their teachings.

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Works Cited
Hirsch, Bill and Welch, Julie. Buddhism and Sustainability: A Conference on Buddhist Ecology. Northwest Dharma News. 24 January 2012. http://news.northwestdharma.org/Summer2010/BuddhismSustainabilityConference.php Littering Facts and Statistics. Green Eco Services. 25 January 2012. http://www.greenecoservices.com/littering-facts-and-statistics/ Quang, Thich Tri. Buddhism and Environmental Protection. BuddhaSasana. 23 January 2012. http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha006.htm Rahula, Walpola. What The Buddha Taught. Grove Press: New York, 1974. Sivaraksa, Sulak. Sustainable Lifestyles in Community: A Buddhist Perspective. 24 January 2012. http://www.buddhanetz.org/texte/sustain.htm "Sustainability principles inspire scheme for a reincarnation." Modern Power Systems Dec. 2008: 49. Business Source Complete. Web. 27 Jan. 2012. Urlaub, Julie. The Karma of Personal Sustainability Sustainability: business, life, environment. Taiga Company. 25 January 2012. http://blog.taigacompany.com/blog/sustainability-business-life-environment/the-karmaof-personal-sustainability Willard, Cliff. Whats Wrong With Buddhism?: An Atheists Perspective. Sofia. 27 January 2012. http://www.sof-in-australia.org/blog.php?blog_id=412