27_Co-existence with Nature

      
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環視現在世界發生了許多自然天災如世界氣溫的增加，北極冰塊的迅速溶解，海平面的漲高，水患，風災等等；和人為的禍害例如戰爭，恐怖襲擊，暴力處處，病疫等等， 令我們大家開始反思。 到底是什麼原因造成的？ 佛法提供了一個圓滿和直接的答案！ 眾生自作自受。

佛法說明：世界與眾生是共同體。 我們的身稱為正報，也就是內四大（地水火風）加心識和我們依賴的世界環境為外四大。 而無論是內四大或外四大確是一體的，互相依存，共存和互相影響。 故佛法說我們受二業報，正報和依報。 正報決定了我們的外形和心識狀況。 而依報是決定我們出生的道，世界及環境。 因此，現在地球出現的種種負面的情況直接影響了我們的身體健康，心理狀況。 這也說明了為什麼前三年現代人遭遇了全球的疫情攻擊的原因。

因此，佛法告訴我們要解決這個問題。 我們必須治本而不是治標。 從何治本？ 佛法有言，三界唯心，萬法唯識。 正因為我們心想要什麼，我們就會對我們的環境做出改變。 經典又雲：心淨則國土淨，提出了正面和治本的做法。 一切需從人類本身做起。 人類必須減少慾望，從知足做起。 我們應不再砍伐樹林，多種植樹木；提倡素食，減少因飼養動物帶來的碳化；減少應用塑膠製品；不再製造武器，把資金轉作濟困的用途；減少電子垃圾；提出再環保的 概念和可行的方法等等。 如此，我們能減少對周遭環境的破壞，做到保護環境的工作，讓我們的環境能回覆起點（自然）。 我們的行為（業）能保護環境一分，我們就會往自然回歸一分，最後達到與自然同體共生，和諧共存的地步！

We have observed that there are so many natural disasters around the world presently such as increase of global warming, melting speedy of ice in Arctic, Rise of sea level, Floods, Windstorm etc.; and human disasters such as Wars, terrorist attacks, violences, epidemic diseases etc., these phenomena give us a good chance to reflect ourselves. What are the reasons for these to happen? Buddhism provides us with a very direct and profound answer. There are the results of human’s self-actions.

The world and sentient beings are of no difference in Buddhism. Our body which termed as internal 4 elements plus our consciousness and the world environment which is external 4 elements are in fact of no difference, there are one, interdependent, mutually exist and mutually influence. Thus, we are the results of two types of Karma(actions), the Direct Retribution and the Dependent Retribution. The Direct Retribution refers to our bodily appearance and states of our mind; whereas the Dependent Retribution is the realm and environment we are born in. These explain why human are suffering physical health and mental problems due to the negative circumstance and Karman performed by human nowadays. This also explains the happen of Covid-19 3 years ago.

Meanwhile, Buddhism taught us to solve the problem with root cause not the symptoms. What is the root cause? There is a mention in the Buddhist Sutra that the Three Realms are the creation of our mind, and all phenomena are the manifestation of our consciousness only. What we aspire for, we will demand from our environment. In another Sutra, it says the Earth can be pure if our mind is purified. So, this is we, every human’s duty to change oneself to make the world better. We human has to lessen our desires, to be contented. We should stop deforestation, to plant more tress, to go vegetarian, not to breed animals such as cow for food as to cut down the carbonization done to our Earth, use less plastic products, not to produce any arms, so to save up the fund to help the poor, less digital wastes, to promote the idea of recirculation and concrete ways to execute it in reality etc.  in these ways we are able not to do harm to our environment further. Then, we are able to return to our starting point (the Nature). If we are able to it bit by bit, we are close to our Nature eventually. Thus, we can achieve our final goal to exist with the Natura harmoniously!