The present environment crisis and the way out

The Buddhist perspective::

Ven. Prof. Bellanvila WIMALARATHNA Thera

Ven. Prof. Bellanvila Wimalarathna Thera

Nature is well-known for her magnanimity and bountifulness. This is what has made the people to call nature, “Mother Nature”. The Buddha did observe these bounteous and generous ways of nature and constantly urged people to live close to nature, showering care and affection on her, for the nature is like the mother who protects the beings irrespective all-difference. Respecting nature and obeying her has been an age old habit with all primitive peoples. This has been very well so with the Indian people, also. The concept of its, the embodiment of nature and its order, was believed as being guarded and protected by the most ethical of the Vedic gods, namely, Veruna. The Aryan first tried to overcome nature. Finding that it is not possible, they personified her, and then deified her. With this they accepted not only the nature’s superiority but also her generosity and charity.

These primitive people gradually prospered because of this trust, confidence understanding they showed towards nature. They saw nature as a compassionate mother protecting and sustaining them, as a mother who protects her own only son even at the cost of her life. Often mother nature tolerates reasonable excesses on the part of the people, first as a compassionate mother does. However, when her progeny transgress the reasonable limits, she is compelled to take corrective measures, sometimes even painful remedial steps. Yet, the mutual understanding and trust, and also the belief in mutual dependence continues.

General advice to the lay on environment protection

This was so to a great extent in the Buddha’s time in India. That is one reason why we do not see detailed discussions on environmental problems of any big magnitude in the Buddhist texts. This does not; however mean that it was a period which was totally free of all such problems. There were problems, but much lesser in magnitude than those we see today.

For example we see in the Agganna Sutta of the Dighanikaya how mother nature, being displeased with the exploitative behaviour of the selfish people, inflicted mild punishment on them. What she did was to withdraw bounteousness and generosity, a punishment that fitted well the nature of the offence. Sometimes Buddhist texts refers to more drastic steps taken by nature to arrest several lapses committed by the people against her. The Samudda Vanija Jataka refers to such a situation. In fact, it narrates the story of a “tsunami”, alluding to the sea devouring the land.

Buddhist text show their awareness that if these lapses are allowed to continue without any check, the cumulative outcome would be very disastrous. So, when occasions arose and opportunities were available, the Buddha attempted to explain to the people how they should live in harmony with the nature, without exploiting, despoiling nature for selfish gain. The above mentioned Agganna Sutta is replete with warnings against such behaviour.

In fact, deforestation appears to have been growing into a problem of some magnitude so, the Buddha had to evolve methods of bringing about some check on it. We very cleverly used the folk belief of tree-worship. Besides making the bodhi-tree a sacred object of worship, He utilised the folk belief regarding tree-gods residing in trees. Through this belief he tried to instill some kind of fear and honour in the minds of the people towards trees, and discourage them from unduly cutting them down. We even used ethical arguments to discourage people from cutting trees. Thus, in the Petavatthu it is said that if one were to cut a branch of a tree that has given its shaded, is really committing an act of betrayal of friendship (mittadubba).

Besides, the Vanaropa Sutta of the Sanyutta Nikaya directly encourages reforestation and conservation of environment. It says:

“For whom does merit always increase,

Both by day and by night?

Who are the people going to heaven,

Established in Dhamma, endowed with virtue?

Those who set up a park or a grove,

The people who construct a bridge,

A place to drink and a well,

Those who give a regidence.

For them motif always increases,

Both by day and by night,

Those are the people going to heaven

Established in the Dhamma and endowed with virtue.

This advice is very interesting where in the Buddha links environment protection and conservation with acts of merit. Merit generation is essential for those who aim at the happiness in this life and in the next as well. This in fact, is the aim of all average Buddhists. Therefore, this kind of advice must have greatly appealed to the ordinary followers and encouraged them to engage in environment friendly behaviour.

Buddha made much use of aesthetic sense of the people as a means of encouraging them to engage in environment protection and conservation. This he did by his own example, and also by making his clergy disciples to demonstrate their aesthetic appreciation of the nature’s beauty.

In fact, the Buddha attained enlightenment under the Asvattha tree which, later came to be known as bodhi tree, by which it is popularly known today. The Ariyapariyesana Sutta of Majjhimanikaya clearly shows it is the Buddha’s pragmatic as well as aesthetic consideration that led to the selection of this spot as being suitable for his mental striving.

The Sutta records:

“Still in search, bhikkhus, of what is wholesome, seeking the supreme peace, I wondered by stages through the Magadha country until eventually I arrived at Senanigama near Uruvela. There I saw on an agreeable place of ground, a delightful grove with a flowing river with pleasant, smooth banks and a near village for alms resort”.

This shows the emphasis the Buddha laid on the link between environment and spiritual striving. This emphasis is clearly evident in many canonical references. Over and over again the Buddha admonishes his disciples to retire to forest or other similar calm and serene environments to engage in mental calm peace and concentration. In the Indriyabhavana Sutta the Buddha, after instructing in detail the Buddhist practice of cultivation of faculties. (Indriyabhavana) says;

“What should be done for his disciples out of compassion by a Teacher who seeks their welfare and has compassion for them, that have done for you. Ananda, There are the roots of trees, empty huts, Medicate......”

Forest groves have been the delightful residences of monks, and it is so even to-day for those who are earnestly striving to cultivate the mind with the aim of developing insight wisdom. The Thereagatha says that the Buddha specially praised those monks who lived close to nature-Jetavana, Veluvana, Jivaka ambavana which are suggestive of this particular emphasis.

While living in solitude in such forest groves the monks made use of the environment to experience a deep sense of aesthetic happiness. This serene aesthetic happiness as experienced by Ven. Sankicca is seen from his joyful utterance;

“Crags where clear waters lie, a rocky word,

Haunted by black - faced apes and timid deer,

Where cloaked in watery moss the rocks stand,

There are the highlands of my hearts delight,

I’have dwelt to forests and mountain caves,

In rocky gorges and haunts remote,

And where the creatures of wild do roam”

This is clear testimony to how close to nature the monks lived, and how much they benefited by such living.

Besides, the Buddha promulgated special rules for monks on how they should protect and conserve environment. The observation of Vas (Rainy Retreat) which the Buddha adopted from the pre-Buddhist Sramana tradition, is evidence for Buddha’s concern for environmental protection. Vinaya Pitaka contains numerous other references highlighting the Buddha’s special concern for this practice. He admonished monks not to spoil grasslands, water pools etc., which are extremely beneficial for all living beings, men, beast and birds alike.

Admonition to political authorities

While such were the admonitions made by the Buddha by way of encouraging both clergy and laity, as to how they should protect and conserve environment, the Buddha on various occasions, made it almost mandatory for the rulers and others responsible for administration of the country to do everything possible to protect and conserve the environment.

As it is well known, Chakkavatti - Raja, or Universal Rulership symbolizes the Buddhist ideal or righteous kingship and good governance. It is specifically stated in the Cakkavattisinhanada Sutta of the Dighanikaya that an ideal ruler should be greatly concerned about the environment. In one of the norms a Chakkawatti King has to follow it is clearly stated that he should not only give protection to all his subjects but also to beast and birds (miga-pakkhisu) living his kingdom.

This term “migha-pakkhi” is wide enough to cover all vegetation, animal and bird life and also their habitats. The Buddha must have done this purposely, for He knew that mere advice or example is not sufficient to induce people to care for nature. We may have thought it far more effective if he makes the ruler responsible by making it a legally binding obligation. The Chakkavatti-raja norms, the rules and regulations a Universal Ruler has to follow, are like the constitution of the country. Hence, if the protection and conservation of nature is entrenched in the country’s constitution, then it naturally becomes law of the land which have to be respectedly all. Perhaps, Buddhism is the first religion to include such a clause in a country’s constitution. Thus Buddhism makes protection and conservation of environment a mandatory duty of good governance.

To strengthen this belief the Buddha gives an ethical colouring to this, when He highlights a close alignment between natural environment and morality. Just as the above-mentioned Chakkawattisihanada Sutta, many other suttas explain how the breakdown in the moral order of the society leads to deterioration of the natural environment. The Suttas dealing with the Buddhist concept of good governance explains that moral degeneration could be caused by maladministration of the country, carried out in total disregard of principles of good governance. The chaotic condition into which a country could fall, affecting all aspects of life due to negligence and political mismanagement is very graphically accounted for both in the Chakkavattisihanada Sutta and the Kutadanta Sutta, the latter being found in the Dighanikaya. The Adhammika Sutta of the Anguttaranikaya directly holds the ruler or the government as being responsible for such chaotic conditions. This Sutta brings into focus the close relation between human morality and ecology. It is very clearly explained how immorality could start from the higher echelons of political or administrative authority in a country and then percolate down to the ordinary people. This digestive process will have very severe repercussions on the nature. According to this sutta the real source of degeneration is unrighteous governance.

The whole degenerative process is well described, highlighting its different phases. When rulers turn a blind-eye to morality, it’s natural for the state officials also to follow them, and wherever possible, use this lapse on the part of the rulers to their own benefit. Such selfish exploitative behaviour will naturally be emulated by the ordinary people, for they know that they can breach the law without any fear of being punished. This makes the whole society become morally corrupt, emboldening all who are capable of making this a golden opportunity to enrich themselves. This corruption pervades the whole country. What is remarkable in this explanation is that this corruption in the country affects nature, bringing about drastic changes even in the seasonal patterns. These changes are so drastic that the Sutta says that the moral degeneration disrupts the natural movement of the sun and the moon. Consequently rainfall gets affected. It in tern has its impact on agricultural production, not only qualitatively but even quantitatively. People who sustain themselves on such low quality food will certainly become weak and sick, ugly and even short lived (appayuka ca honti dubbanna ca dubbala ca bahavabadha)

The present global situation

How such harmful repercussions take place is not accumulated for anywhere. But it is obvious that it is due to exploitation of the nature. This becomes more obvious when we view the situation the contexts the world is facing.

Of the crises the world is facing at present the gravest that is threatening the very survival of all life, specially human life, is the environment crisis. There is not a single country any where in the world which could claim to be totally insulated against such crises. This is a direct outcome of globalisation which all of us are very enthusiastically inviting and embracing. In this globalisation, means do not matter, if they prove to be effective in securing material goals aimed at. In this context all those who aim at quick material success, not only individuals but nations as well, find exploitation of nature to be the best, quickest and the most assured means of realizing the material goals.

So, unscrupulous individuals, who are either wielding power or who are being patronised by others in power engage in sand-minding causing immense damage to water resources in the country. Powerful nations bent on economic domination world over, unduly tamper and exploit oil mining, sending shock waves throughout the economic network of the world. Present consequences are bad enough, and they foretell much divastating repercussions in the not so distant future.

Already water resources are getting polluted and depleted rapidly. There are constant warnings heard about a drastic water scarcity in the near future. Oil crisis has not only created a depression in the world economy, but has spared its octopus like tendrils to other crucial areas directly affecting man’s survival itself. Present oil crisis has force countries to use wheat and other cereals as alternative sources for oil production. This has telling effects on the food situation in the world, already battered by many other natural disasters.

Though the nexus between these calamities and moral degenerations is not apparent to the majority, those who are sensitive to these problems are quite aware of it. That is why they urge the political leaders, in whose hands rests the survival of mankind, to be sensitive to these issues an devolve ways and means to arrest further aggravation of the problems. Though there is much noise abut these issues, one does not come across much concrete steps taken in this regard.

In the recent past almost all countries - rich and poor developed and underdeveloped, big and small - have been facing and are continuing to face unprecedented series of natural calamities and disasters. Often these disasters repeat in quick succession, hardly allowing any respite to recover. Floods, cyclones, earthquakes, earth-slips and so on are becoming day to day occurrences. Tsunamis have begun to invade countries that were fortunate enough to remain for long, safe from such dreadful disasters. These have taken a very heavy toll by way of life and property. There are strong warnings about their inevitable recurrence.

Uncertain

With dreadful disasters standing at our door-steps and staring into our eyes we seem to be rather indifferent to these dangers. How long do we hope to be like crabs merrily swimming in the pot of water to be boiled on the lighted cooker?

Time is running out fast. Before it is too late, we have to turn towards religion and seek refuge in religious advice and guidance. In this regard Buddhism is invaluable. The Buddha has foreseen the evil times and warned the followers to be aware of the dangers lying ahead. He had constantly advised to thin out selfishness, which pushes one towards fulfilment went of base desires and engage in unrighteous conduct.

The Buddha has clearly explained the nexus between moral degeneration and environmental crisis. Even a casual understanding of the causes that have led to environmental crisis, such as pollution, depletion of natural resources giving rise to numerous other problems that is threatening all of us at present, will make clear the close nexus between moral degeneration and the prevailing environmental crisis.

When we have a clear insight into these issues, we will not fail to see that this is our own creation. Though all of us may not be equally responsible, hardly any body could claim total immunity from responsibility. Everyone has a responsibility to arrest this environmental crisis. Contributions of each one of us could wary. However, small one’s contribution may be, it is cumulative effect will be strong enough to create a reasonable impact on those whose positive participation matter most.

Each one of us has to give serious thought to the imminent dangers resulting from the ever increasing environment crises. If by chance, even inadvertently, we happen to contribute in some measure to sustain and enhance this crisis, it would be most beneficial to the country.

This will give the moral strength to unite and urge, and even compel others, including those in power, to take constructive remedial measures.

Everyone in the society will have to function as watch-dogs. Then real culprits will know that they cannot shirk their responsibility of protecting, conserving and sustaining the environment of which all of us are trustees on behalf of the future generation.

A change of heart, a change of attitude and a change of behaviour is necessary. The Buddha has pinpointed greed, desire, craving as the primary cause of this environmental crisis. We should restrain ourselves from unrighteous selfish conduct.

Again in the Anuttara Nikaya the Buddha has very clearly stated that people due to their inclination towards base desires, lust and unrighteous conduct (menussa adhamma-raga-ratta, visama-lobha-abhibhuta, muccha-dhamma-pareta) deteriorate moraly having indulged in quarrels, violence, and disharmony. These conditions seriously affect the nature, causing adverse repercussions such as changes in rainfall and similar calamities.

It makes clear that the only way to arrest the present environment crisis and prevent its escalation is to produce citizens of morally good behaviour.

Above is the speech made by Ven. Prof. Bellanvila Wimalarathna Thera, Chancellor of Sri Jayawardanapura University at the International Buddhist Forum, Wuxi, China recently.