8_Ecological Harmony, The Existence of Mankind, and Sustainability

Ecological Harmony,
The Existence of Mankind, and Sustainability

Prajna, President of the Australian Buddhist Association

The development of mankind until today, although science and technology have developed rapidly, through cleverness and wisdom, human beings have sucessfullly adapted, starting from our ancestors adapting to the nature,  to establishing a foothold in the current era where we have understood they way to utilize resources nature has given to us. Efficiently and effectively uses natural resources, engage in research and development, invented very high-tech product, incorporated advanced technology, with the intention to benefit mankind, these development have succesfully reached countless people, and led mankind to a happier life. This can’t be accomplished without firstly mankind’s understanding of morphology, including understanding that everything we user, such as spacecraft that carry us to the space, or something as small as chip in our mobile phones, is inseparable from matter, Nature’s gift to us. Due to this reason, we are always asking endlessly from nature, and when a certain energy source is exhausted, we have to find a way to find another substance to replace it, this shows that as long as mankind continues to rapidly develop this way, we will never stop plundering resources from nature.

In this modern civilization, we are actually in a very contradictory era. For example, there are too many talents trained, but there is no place for them. Another example, wealth comes very quickly, communication between people is very convenient, and fraudsters can make all the money in your bank card disappear in minutes. Many people choose not to interact with the society and choose to be a couch potato. Exposed to immense amount of information, the rapid pace of life, confusion and work stress level, caused various damages to the body and mind of modern people. Collapse of faith, moral decay, spiritual emptiness, and psychological morbidity have become common social problems. From surviving in nature and living in jungles and mountains, humans gradually conquered nature and replaced forest with high-rise buildings made of steel. In turn, we lose the opportunity to appreciate the poetic ambience filled with singing birds and fragrant flowers, which are replaced by the roar of cars and the sound of rapid breathing and rushing footsteps. We could have been surrounded by picturesque environment, but because we have been enslaved by our desires toward material things, hence we are instead surrounded by widespread confusion, impetuousness, depression, anxiety, uneasiness and other bad emotions, leaving our hearts without a moment of rest or harmony. As the saying goes, "Everything is created by the human heart. You don't know what you have created. Mountains and rivers are no longer what they are today. When will the evil stop?" Today, we have the fate to gather together, to discuss the main topic of "returning to nature and harmonious coexistence". It is precisely to point out the current shortcomings for the benefit of future generations.

The gist of the statements above, boils down to three points:

( 1 ) All creations are a gift to us, so we must stop damaging and harming nature.

( 2 ) When human beings walk in the urban city filled with steel buildings, undoubtedly, all kinds of uneasiness and anxiety will arise. On the contrary, if we live in nature full of picturesque scenery, tranquility, flowers, plants and trees, or if humans and nature coexist harmoniously, our life should be full of tranquility and joyful emotions.

( 3 ) Is it possible for human beings to achieve a true pure land on earth?

In the Song Dynasty of China, there was a "Zen Master Wu Men Hui Kai" who wrote a Zen poem:

“There are hundreds of flowers in spring and a moon in autumn, cool breeze in summer and snow in winter. If there is nothing to worry about, it is the best season in the world. " This is a poem that tells us how to enjoy all creations and how to have a good mentality. In fact, the sweetest enjoyment in the world is always the oldest enjoyment.

Here, the first sentence of the poem: "There are hundreds of flowers in spring and a moon in autumn" reflects the three points I want to say: "We must protect nature", "Don't destroy nature", "Practice simplicity and stop squandering".

1. Protect nature:

There is an idiom in ancient Chinese text called "the lips are dead and the teeth are cold". This idiom comes from “Zuo Zhuan Biography·The fifth year of Duke Xi". The original meaning refers to the story in which the Jin State borrowed a road from the Yu State to destroy the Guo State. As time progresses so has the meaning of this idiom. Without the lips, the teeth feel the cold implies a strong interdependent relationship.

In fact, we need a space to breathe, we can’t say that we don’t need to breathe. We also need to eat natural nutritious food, constantly eating instant and chemical added food is not possible. When we are sick, we won’t be able to expect to keep on staying in a hospital and depend on various medicines to cure us.

Humans, all humans need to breathe. Hence, without a beautiful natural environment, if we don’t protect the nature, protect and restore the ecosystem, how would we be able to breathe fresh air. How would it be possible for us to appreciate a clear sky which shows us twinkling stars at night? How can we state that the flowers we planted are beautiful?

Therefore, we need to protect the nature. By protecting the nature, we are injecting nutrition to our life. On the other hand, if the air, sea, and sky is polluted, if the food we consume is made of polluted substances, then we are really in “the five turbidities world”.

 

We have a sutra in Buddhism: "Buddha Speaks of Amitabha Sutra": In fact, this is a "Sutra that guides us to protect the environment", because this sutra mentioned the birds on the tree are all talking about the five roots, five powers, seven bodhi points and eight (correct) noble paths. This is actually implying that the environment is very good, you can feel that the birds are happy. Buddha Dharma is everywhere, and the Dharma makes people happy. If you know how to care for the environment, you know to protect your own lifeline, then will only all existence be able to  coexist harmoniously. Isn’t it the “pure land” that the Buddha said? Buddha also thought us that we should keep our minds pure and recite the Buddha's name for one day or even for seven days. This is actually teaching us to be persistent in anything we are doing and not to give up halfway. Our workday is still based on one week, and our cultivation motivation must be pure at all times. Therefore, all things in the universe, such as a tree, cannot manifest in a day or a year. In fact, we also need to care for and love them, and we must cherish them all the time. Buddha also said that "one cannot be short of good roots, blessings, virtues and causal connections to attain birth in pure land." Understand this way, we need to have good roots, develop big good roots, and have a long-term intention to "care for the environment" so that one day we can “in that pure land … enjoy or rest in peace”.

I won’t go into details here about how to protect nature. I believe that our “natural environment, health and safety departments” have relevant and sufficient provisions to guide us in preserving nature.

2. Don’t harm the nature:

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Protecting the nature comes first, secondly is to discuss not to harm the nature. This is just like attaining happiness is not easy, and if it is destroyed accidentally, it may not be able to be restored even after dozens or hundreds of years, for example, discharging water into the sea may lead to the extinction of a certain kind of organisms, and it may affect the entire chain of marine life, and it may also affect the entire life of the people who live by the sea, could it be that we expect them to relocate to the mountains and live there?

In Buddhism, there are strict precepts, for example, the place of living and the place of practice should be in harmony with nature, and one should not destroy trees and forests. Because many living beings also need a resting place, a peaceful place to live, and destroying a big tree may make the birds lose their home and the garden where they can have fun.

In addition, in Zen Buddhism, Zen masters like to use "natural teachings" to amuse and attract students. For example, someone asked Zen Master ZHAO Zhou, "What is the meaning of the Ancestor's coming from the West? Zhaozhou said, "There is a cypress tree in front of the garden”. There is a cypress tree in front of the garden! What I mean is that you have traveled thousands of miles to ask me, "What did Sakyamuni say?" Don't you know that Shakyamuni was enlightened under a tree? I have a cypress tree in front of my door. Go and meditate under it.

Moral: In fact, this tree transformed from a small seed to a big tree, is showcasing its life, its cause and effect, and its state. To realize and comprehend Dharma, it is not enough to only voice it, we need to use our heart to feel, to realize, and merge with the nature. This is the zen state where you exist in all Dharma and all Dharma in your heart.

Conclusion:

The complexity of modern society has deprived people of their free space in life, and living in such a complex environment, our delusions and worries are expanding as never before. We keep on working without relaxing, and eventually lose the sagacity that human should have. As a result, we get a lot of money, but we are not healthy; we have a lot of power, but we are not happy. We are just using life, forgetting the fundamentals of life, forgetting that life is a continuation of infinite light, forgetting that life is just a stop in the midst of countless tasks, and even forgetting how to enjoy life!

Do we ever wonder: how much fresh air is left? How much clean water is left? How many dense forests are left? How many wild animals are left? If we do not stop the irresponsible destruction of nature, one day we will bear the brunt of the sanctions caused by disasters directed by our own hands. Indeed, the first signs of disaster are already there, and it is time to be vigilant.

For thousands of years, we have been following the spirit of karma and interdependence. People should be grateful to the nature, cherish nature and care for the nature, only in this way can we fully enjoy nature and find happiness and tranquility in it.