From Spiritual Awakening to Loving Earth (I)

For many years, Ling Jiou Mountain has actively promoted the concept of “Natural Civilization and Living Chan” in the hope of encouraging individuals to, amid the pressures of a technologically advanced and fast-paced modern life, re-establish a connection with nature, lead a simple lifestyle, and adhere to the principles of Living Chan to cultivate inner peace. Such inner peace, in turn, can transform the collective karma of the planet, contributing to the preservation of an ecosystem of interdependent diversity. This initiative embodies a lifestyle movement grounded in the values of “Love Earth and Love Peace.”

While the world is characterized by mutual support, interdependence, and interconnectedness, the relentless greed of humankind has driven the planet into ecological crises. Urban forests have been replaced by towering structures of concrete and steel. Industrial wastewater is discharged into rivers and oceans, polluting vital water sources and destroying aquatic habitats. Man-made waste, particularly plastics, has accumulated to disastrous levels—clogging landfills, infiltrating marine ecosystems, and being ingested by many species, leading to digestive failure and mass die-offs. For the sake of convenience, human activities have also generated substantial air pollution, including carbon monoxide emissions, while large-scale weapons testing and nuclear explosions have inflicted irreversible damage. All these activities accelerate global warming and contribute to the ongoing extinction of species and degradation of ecosystems worldwide.

Pollution is not an isolated phenomenon; it interacts across complex systems, disrupting natural cycles and disabling the “memory” of the ecosystem. The result is ecological disorder and increasing uncertainty regarding the survival of future generations. This alarming trajectory demands urgent global solidarity, transcending national, ethnic, and religious boundaries, to restore a shared commitment to loving and protecting the Earth. Only through such unity can the planet return to its “natural order.” While ecological degradation has likely reached a critical tipping point, it is still possible to halt further deterioration. We must recover and re-establish a sense of ecological ethics, and through professional expertise and conscientious action, cultivate virtuous karma in our daily lives. The religious community bears a significant responsibility for guiding the continuity of human life and values.

In response, Ling Jiou Mountain has invited leaders from various religious traditions to unite around a shared mission of Earth stewardship. This movement is being extended into academic, corporate, and political spheres, representing not only a form of life education for peace but also a broader social movement.

Our world is a world of seeds. Changes must begin at the “causal stage.” By sowing new and virtuous seeds today, we can expect to reap transformative results in the future. In a way, this is the essence of the Avatamsaka worldview. To plant the seed of “love Earth” is to sow the causal ground of “mutual flourishing” and “collective goodness.” As this seed of “mutual flourishing” and “collective goodness” grows and is passed on, it will initiate a new cycle, fostering a sustainable and harmonious ecological future.