Conservation of environmental crisis by the perspective of Buddhism 

Ashin Indaka 

Abstract 

Nowadays, our mother earth is currently facing a lot of environmental concerns. The environmental problems like air pollution, waste disposal, water pollution, climate change, landslide and many more affect every human, animal and nation on this planet. Over the last few decades, the exploitation of our planet and degradation of our environment have gone up at an alarming rate. As our actions have been not in favor of protecting this planet, we have seen natural disasters striking us more often in the form of flash floods, tsunamis and cyclones. 

Key word: Environmental crisis, Buddhist regulation and Conservation, etc. 

Introduction 

Nowadays, many of countries are struck environmental crisis. So, different environmental groups around the world play their role in educating people as to how their small actions when combined together can play a big role in protecting this planet. If you look at the environment around us, you can see that there are a number of issues that come to our attention. Therefore, we all have a responsibility to conserve our environment where we live. By knowing that duty, some of societies are planning to save the world from suffering. For this reason, in this paper, I would like to describe some ways which are related to conservation of environment. 

Causes that can make environmental concerns occur 

As everybody knows, most of environmental concerns are exactly related to people who live in the world because majority of objects which are used by human beings come from environmental roots. Therefore, by changing people's behavior arose out of not only inner mind but also outer action, we can conserve the environmental concerns which cause due to people. In accordance with scientists, there are three techniques to handle environmental problems such as reduce, recycle and reuse. Of course! This is outer action to solve environmental problems but as every outer action appears inner mind, everybody should get rid of defilement based on greed, hatred and delusion to be good action. 

In the Buddhist literature, there have some of actions which are corresponded to above techniques mentioned by scientists although the Buddha directly did not preach the ways to protect environmental problems. For example, not to cut threes, 

not to throw water with grains of cooked rice and not to travel in raining season to protect destroying tiny trees. Those are some of regulations laid down by the Buddha. Among them, here I'd would like to mention connected with using robe to take a note for the people. 

Monk's robes 

Connecting with the robe which is consisting of the 4 indispensable instruments such as alms, robe, monastery and medicine, the Buddha allowed for the monks nine kinds of robes according to name of cloths. They are lower robe (Antaravãsaka), upper robe(Uttarṅsaṅaga), double robe(Sangṅṭi, a mat or cloth for lying on(Paccattharaṇa, a mat, cloth or rag for sitting on(Nisīdana), a rag for dressing wound(Kaṇṭuppaṭicchãdi), a cloth for wiping, a towel(Mukhapuñchana cola, a robe for wearing in bathing(Udakasãṭi or Vassikasãṭika) and A cloth required for water-strainers(Parikkhãracola). But to make concise, there are two kinds of robe; the robe donated by householders and the robe made of rags from a dust heap. First of all, all the monks including the Buddha use just the robe made of rags from a dust heap. Later, with the purpose of giving a chance to Jīvaka, the Buddha allowed the robe donated by householders. 

Use of robe by Venerable Ãnandã 

One upon a time, Venerable Ãnandã received 500 robes by donating female attendants to the King Utena. Knowing that case, King Utena condemned by saying that '' did Venerable Ãnandã do trading or opening cloth shop?" After that, the King Utena asked how to use these a lot of robes approaching to Venerable Ãnandã. Venerable Ãnandã answered to King Utena that " firstly he shared those robes with the monks who did not have enough robe, utilized the old robes as flooring laid out for sitting or lying down, those old flooring are used as the mattress cap, old mattress cap are used as the flooring of ground, old flooring of ground are used as doormat, old doormat are used hashing those doormats by combining with ground to use monastery or somewhere. Venerable Ãnandã gave answer how he used many robes progressively. Having known the ways utilized Venerable Ãnandã, King Utena thought that all the sons of Buddha applied every material things suitably. By thinking that, he donated other extra 500 robes to Venerable Ãnandã. This is just one of examples which is corresponding to the methods shown by scientists. There are some of regulations left in Buddhist literature. By looking at this event, we can see clearly how Buddhist regulations support to conservation of environment. This is an example connected with outer action. 

For inner mind, everybody should reduce greed, hatred and delusion which are attached to mind. Since action comes from thought or mind, the more thought or mind is clean and clear without any defilement, the better action is. So, to be purified thought or mind, one must move away one's defilement stayed in one's mind. If it is not, none of action will be good because in the Abhidhamma, the nature of defilement can only bring bad result (Akusalã Sãvajjãdukhavipãkalakkhaṇã). We can see clearly the current condition that we face. People cut many kinds of trees and they destroy the forests so that they can earn much money. They only care for their richness basing on greed and they do not care environment where they live in and other people's devastation. 

Pros and Cons of greed 

In Buddhist teachings, there are three evil roots that can make people unwholesome action. Greed is one of them. Greed means a strong desire for more wealth, possessions, power, etc. than a person needs. If one has a greed, one could not distinguish the right from wrong and the good from the bad. Therefore, one does everything one likes good or bad. But especially the process of mind delights in the place of evil deep, one does much evil more than good deep. For instance, we can take a look at the story of Seriva Jãtaka. Once, in a place called Seri, there were two salesmen of pots and pans and hand-made trinkets. They agreed to divide the town between them. They also said that after one had gone through his area, it was all right for the other to try and sell where the first had already been. 

One day, while one of them was coming down a street, a poor little saw him and asked her grandmother to buy her a bracelet. The old grandmother replied, "How can we poor people buy bracelets?" The little girl said, "Since we don't have any money, we can give our black sooty old plate." The old woman agreed to give it a try, so she invited the dealer inside. 

The salesman saw that these people were very poor and innocent, so he did not want to waste his time with them. Even though the old woman pleaded with him, he said he had no bracelet that she could afford to buy. Then she asked, "We have an old plate that is useless to us, can we trade it for a bracelet?" The man took it and, while examining it, happened to scratch the bottom of it. To his surprise, he saw that underneath the black soot, it was a golden plate! But he did not let on that he had noticed it. Instead he decided to deceive these poor people so he could get the plate for next to nothing. He said, "This is not worth even one bracelet as there is no value in this. I do not want it! He left, thinking he would return later when they would accept even less for the plate. 

Meanwhile the other salesman, after finishing in his part of town, followed after the first as they had agreed. He ended up at the same house. Again the poor little girl begged her grandmother to trade the old plate for a bracelet. The woman saw that this was a nice tender looking merchant and thought, "He's a good man, not like the rough-talking first salesman." So, she invited him in and offered to trade the same black sooty old plate for one bracelet. When he examined it, he too saw that it was pure gold under the grime. He said to the old woman, "All my goods and all my money together are not worth as much as this rich golden plate!" 

Of course the woman was shocked at this discovery, but now she knew that he was indeed a good and honest fellow. Therefore, she said she would be glad to accept whatever he could trade for it. The salesman said, "I will give you all my pots and pans and trinkets, plus all my money, if you will let me keep just eight coins and my balancing scale, with its cover to put the golden plate in." They made the trade. He went down to the river, where he paid the eight coins to the ferry man to take him across. 

In the above event, the first man did not have black sooty which is really valuable because he was very greed. Therefore, although he has a chance to own very precious things, he lost it because of his greed. Likewise, nowadays many of people as they are fallowing to their greed, try to destroy the forests and environment for their business. Of course! If one has hatred, one can see nothing and distinguish the right from the wrong and the good from the bad. Therefore, the Buddha said in the Kuddakanikãya 'Lobho atthaṁ Na Jãnãti. For their destruction, the existence of environment will be lesser and lesser. The environment could not prevent the natural disasters. So, if we reduce our greed than should we have, we can obtain what we are worth not only secular happiness and peace but also supra-mundane. 

Pros and Cons of hatred 

Hatred is also comprised of three evil roots. Hatred is a very strong feeling of dislike of other's behaviors. It can violently affect to mind and body of someone who keeps it in mind like viper lost tis temper. We can also look at the story said above. By then the greedy salesman had returned, already adding up huge imaginary profits in his head. When he met the little girl and her grandmother again, he said he had changed his mind and was willing to offer a few cents, but not one of his bracelets, for the useless black sooty old plate. The old woman then calmly told him of the trade she had just made with the honest salesman, and said, "Sir, you lied to us." 

The greedy salesman was not ashamed of his lies, but he was saddened as he thought, "I have lost the golden plate that must be worth a hundred thousand." So, he asked the woman, "Which way did he go?" She told him the direction. He left all his things right there at her door and ran down to the river, thinking, "He robbed me! He robbed me! He robbed me! He will not make a fool out of me! Then, from the riverside, he saw the honest salesman still crossing over on the ferry boat. He shouted to the ferry man, "Come back!" But the good merchant told him to keep on going to the other side, and that was what he did. Seeing that he could do nothing the greedy salesman exploded with rage. He jumped up and down, beating his chest. He became so filled with hatred towards the honest man, who had won the golden plate, that he made himself cough up blood. He had a heart attack and died on the spot! 

In this circumstance, due to hatred, the second merchant died. If one has hatred, one can see nothing and distinguish the right from the wrong and the good from the bad. So, the Buddha said in the Kuddakanikãya 'Doso atthaṁ Na Jãnãti. By reducing our hatred, we could not easily affect and damage others. Only then, we also gain happiness and peace what we really need. So, how should we reduce our hatred. According to Buddha we can reduce our hatred by giving and spreading loving-kindness both human beings and supernatural beings. Of course! As the nature of loving-kindness is peaceful, it can make both giver and receiver. Only then, our world will be peaceful and can be stayed away from any kinds of disasters. 

Pros and Cons of delusion 

Delusion is the last one of three evil roots. Naturally, delusion refers a state of believing or making oneself believe something that is not true. It can make someone daze who hold it in mind and if one has hatred, one can see nothing and distinguish the right from the wrong and the good from the bad. Therefore, the Buddha said in the Kuddakanikãya 'Moho atthaṁ Na Jãnãti. To distinguish the right from the wrong and the good from the bad, everyone should must try to have mundane education and super-mundane wisdom. In the above story, since the second merchant did not have wisdom, he cultivated both greed and hatred that made his life ruined. So, for the peace of mundane and supra-mundane, everyone should try to get both of wisdom so that they can abstain from evil deeds and does good deeds. 

Conclusion 

In fact, even though there may have many modern techniques to conserve and prevent the environmental crisis, we should not leave behind the ways guided the Buddha. So, first of all, we should give not only spiritual education but outer education too. Then, everyone could understand the guidance of Buddha and how they can support to environmental conservation individually and why should they reduce and wipe out our defilement. After realizing those, they can save their financial spending as well as they cannot damage their environment. Only then, we will have happiness and peace that we really want. 

Reference 

1. Vin. IV. p. 48 

2. Kuddakanikãya, Mahãniddesa, p.12, 283, 379 

3. Bhi. A. p. 82 (Dhamasangani commentary) 

4. Jãtaka, Pãli, 1, p. 2