Today is Bak Poya:

Buddhism promotes environmental conservation

by Ven. Gnanapala Sri Vajirarama Temple Colombo

Jethavanarama

The Ancient sages have laid down certain rules for planting trees. They always saw to it that houses were surrounded by gardens containing a variety of trees and plants, decorative and herbal.

The Vrikshayurveda contains scientific methods of preserving and treatment of seeds, methods of irrigation, location of ground water, nourishment and fertilisers, raising of orchards and sustainable horticultural production.

The science of plant biology was founded in vedic times, in the Agni Purana and Varaha Purana are names of trees which a man should cultivate in his lifetime. These scientific treatises produced by the ancients have baffled even modern researches.

Kautiliya in his treatise on economics asserts that the royal park warden should be a scientist proficient in botany and rukshayurveda or, the science of maintaining the health and life of trees. That plant life and human life are parallel and complimentary in many aspects was a confirmed view of the ancient Rishis.

Benefits

The Agni Purana also explains similar benefits. Trees provide endless joy to all gods, gandharvas, asuras, kinnaras, nagas, birds animals, and all human beings.

Long before the Westerners thought of ecological balances these good practices had come down from ancient Aryan times, upto the Asokan era.

Sri Lanka's historical record shows that the first conservation park was set up some two thousands years ago in the Anuradhapura area, from the times of the ancient Sinhala kings. Environmental conservation and concern have been of special significance.

Buddhism made Lanka more beautiful. The Chronicles and inscriptions contain numerous references to parks and gardens. Special care was bestowed on the growing of medicinal herbs. Flowering plants were grown for making offerings to the Buddha.

Pleasure gardens

Anuradhapura's Nandana and Mahamevna parks were two pleasure gardens of our glorious past. That the Sinhalese were well versed in horticulture, agriculture and irrigation technology is evident from the ancient ruins and chronicles such as the Mahavamsa. Beautiful public parks once adorned Sri Lanka's ancient cities, for both king and commoner. Vast glades and forest reserves were maintained for the benefit of monks and ascetics as well as for the protection of our fauna.

The Chinese monk Fa-Hsien in describing his visit to Anuradhapura in the fourth century dwells with administration and wonder at the sight of the innumerable gardens for the floral requirements of the temples. The capital was surrounded on all sides by flower gardens, and these were multiplied so extensively, that, according to the Rajaratnakara, they were to be found within a distance of four leagues in any part of Sri Lanka.

Another advantage conferred by Buddhism on the country was the planting of fruit trees and vegetables for the use of travellers in all the frequented parts of the island.

Mahamevna

Five centuries before the birth of Christ Arahat Mahinda son of emperor Asoka told king Devanampiyatissa. "O great king! the birds of the air and beasts have an equal right to live and move about in any part of the land as though the land belongs to the people and all other beings. Thou art only the guardian of it. The time has therefore come for us not only to live in harmony with birds and beasts but also with the earth's resources, the water on which our very existence depends."

The Buddha preached in the Vanaropana Sutta that the forest with its unlimited kindness and benevolence does not demand it sustenance and extends generously its produce during its lifetime. It gives protection to all beings, even shade to the axeman who destroys it.

Inspiration

In India, King Asoka asked his people not to burn the forests. His example of planting herbs and trees is an inspiration to the whole world. Asoka's sagacity was also shown in his efforts to cultivate medicinal herbs in his own and other countries. During war, trees were not destroyed. They neither ravaged an enemy's land with fire nor cut down its trees.Recent excavations in Sigiriya have revealed one of the oldest surviving example of Asia's ancient art of landscape gardening in Sri Lanka.

The western area has three distinct garden systems: symmetrical water gardens and symmetrical boulder gardens stepped and embanked terrace gardens encircling the base of the rock. Also recent excavations have revealed an intricately laid out micro water garden system of an unknown type.

Instruction and practices pertaining to trees have come to us from vedic times, and Westerners will be surprised how voluminous instructions have been enshrined in the Rigveda and Purana because trees and plants give us food, clothing, shelter, medicine, wisdom and happiness.

The Buddha has stressed the need for close contact with nature and pointed out how advancement of the mind leads to a greater appreciation of nature. We in Sri Lanka have a special responsibility towards protecting the natural environment.

This is so because the conservation of natural resources and living in harmony with the environment are a part and parcel of the Buddhist way of life.