Spiritual Ecology's Dharma Spirit-The Spiritual Ecology Series

- Part of "The Spiritual Ecology" Series, authored by Master Hsin Tao

The pursuit of Dharma ultimately returns us to the origin of spirituality to finally realize that all forms of existence stem from one source called “the community of life”. Therefore, it is possible to transcend physical phenomena and transmit compassion via our innate spirituality. Ecology is spirituality as is phrased in the Avatamsaka sutra that “One is All and All is One” -- One and All are interspersed to shine on each other and concoct an infinite network of life of Indra. 
The core of the issue is what have we done? Some may say that the Creator created a world that was beautiful at first, and the people were pure and nice. But somehow and not sure when, the Earth became ill, and the people are denied the nutrition they need. But who is the Creator? He overlaps with every single idea and thought that crosses the mind. Pristine purity and good have since taken a leave of absence and our hearts were occupied with the five poisons (greed, hatred, ignorance, arrogance, doubt) that led to all sorts of vice that finally injured the Earth’s structure, threw its ecological equilibrium off balance, gave rise to climate change, all of which combined to find expressions via catastrophes born out of the four core elements (earth, water, fire, wind). It can be said that mankind managed to destroy for just a couple of centuries the Earth's harmony since even before time - a harmony better justified as a highly complicated and circular ecology.
We must go back to the root cause of the issue and reflect upon what mankind has done. Crises imposed on our ecological symbiosis can only then be resolved when mankind as the culprit responsible for all the calamities awakens to face the music. Humankind must fully comprehend that we are both the culprit and the victim of our own doing and repent proactively to make due changes that are timely and actionable.
We must realize that the Earth is one whole organic structure, and all its diversified elements are interlaced and interconnected in an inter-reliant symbiosis for a complete system. Furthermore, we need to comprehend that the reality of life is that “all forms of existence are part and parcel of one collective community of life.” Sustainability for an ecology nurtured back to health will then, and only then, be attainable. Put succinctly, such is the Dharma spirit reflected in the quote that reads “Compassion needs to be unconditional, and empathy is fit for all sharing one common origin.”