Ecological Views in East Asian Religions

-This article is the lecture script by Master Hsin Tao for a group discussion session at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Melbourne, Australia in 2009

I am delighted to see all of you here today. Some of you are already longstanding colleagues with whom I have previously exchanged perspectives on topics such as Islamic-Buddhism collaboration and Earth healing. The opportunity to jointly examine how religious teachings might address contemporary ecological challenges and propose potential solutions demonstrates our shared commitment to environmental stewardship and our collective aspiration for a more sustainable future for our planet and its inhabitants.

In recent years, through media coverage and direct observation of our surroundings, we have witnessed numerous distressing phenomena: the South Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and the subsequent severe flooding from Typhoon Morakot here in Taiwan, each resulting in grave loss of life and property. Beyond expressing sorrow, I sincerely hope that the deceased may find peace, that survivors might rebuild their lives, and most critically, that humanity might derive instructive lessons from these natural disasters.

Historical catastrophic repetition is fundamentally linked to humanity’s tendency to forget lessons learned from tragedy, while greed constitutes the root of calamity. Following each disaster, discourse on climate change and environmental conservation typically resurfaces; however, when confronted with personal environmental responsibility, anthropocentric greed frequently supersedes ecological conscience. Consequently, the cumulative effect of persistent avarice manifests as increasingly severe catastrophic events.

To interrupt this cyclical pattern of natural disasters requires not only external environmental policy implementation but also addressing internal human acquisitiveness. Greed emerges from perpetual discontentment; in pursuing personal gratification, humans continually exploit natural resources for individual enjoyment, failing to recognize that environmental degradation leads to self-destruction. It is important to recognize that environmental conservation transcends mere ecological concerns to become an existential imperative. Only through harmonizing human consciousness with natural systems can biological continuity on Earth be sustained.

As stated in the Surangama Sutra, "All phenomena are manifestations of mind and all causes and effects including all things from the world to its dust, take shape solely because of the mind ." Contemporary global calamities and natural disasters do not occur without causation; their fundamental source lies in the five poisons or afflictions: greed leads to excessive desire; aversion brings out indignation; ignorance makes one unable to make wise discernments; arrogance exaggerates self-importance; and doubt is an unwarranted suspicion. These five poisons corrupt ethics, generate opposition, and precipitate disaster under accumulated temporal and spatial conditions. Only by purifying the negative karma produced by these five poisons can we achieve genuine harmony between internal consciousness and external nature, thereby preserving Earth as a habitable environment for humanity.

Buddhist philosophy offers constructive methodologies for neutralizing these five poisons: countering "greed" through giving, specifically through generosity and resource-sharing that promote collective prosperity. Addressing "aversion" through compassion and inclusivity that transform hostility and improve harmonious interpersonal relationships. Combating "ignorance" through wisdom to understand the truth and purpose of life. Dissolving "arrogance" through humility that respects existential diversity. Resolving "doubt" through establishing mutual trust.

Buddhism emphasizes a reciprocal peace between internal and external domains, fundamentally grounded in the three higher trainings of ethical disciplines, meditative stabilization, and wisdom. Ethical disciplines establish behavioral parameters; meditative stabilization maintains integrity of convictions, directing purposeful action; wisdom facilitates resolution and disentanglement of afflictions, manifesting integration and harmony in every moment.

The three higher trainings not only harmonize internal human conditions but establish the proper epistemological frameworks and value systems. Human epistemological frameworks and value systems influence global development, and these derive from education—within which religious instruction constitutes the most profound influence. The essential distinction between religious and institutional education lies in religious education’s implementation of experiential pedagogy, guiding adherents to transform themselves and their environment through practical application.

Therefore, I earnestly invite practitioners of various faiths, leaders, and scholars to collaborative engagement, revitalizing ethical consciousness that has been subordinated to pragmatism and utilitarianism. Through respective religious educational structures, we can transform human consciousness, facilitate interfaith dialogue and cooperation, and integrate the wisdom of diverse religions to address existential human challenges. Authentic resolution of existential problems necessitates profound understanding of universal suffering, progressing from understanding to practical dissolution of internal and external suffering, enabling all beings to coexist peacefully and harmoniously within our global ecosystem.

When we can attend to our internal serenity and comprehend the underlying truth, we will develop the wisdom and compassion to care for and protect the planet that sustains all beings.

May everything be auspiciousness! Thank you!