Buddhism and Environmental Protection

Generally accumulated karma is the decisive force in shaping the life style of a person. But good environment also plays vital role in making good or bad life. The instance can be given of Angulimala or Ahinsaka who despite of having the quality to attain arhathood, became a murderer of 999 people due to the bad environment and company with bad friends in the school3. Similarly the instance of a son of multimillionaire of Varanashi4 who according to Buddha had capable to achieve arhathood or setthi of that country if he could make effort at proper time, but due to the lack of good environment and good company became a beggar in the street. In this way good and proper environment plays vital role in getting success in life. So protection of environment that makes welfare of self and other is taken as a pious work in Buddhism.

Buddha and Environment

Buddha was born under the tree at Lumbini garden. Mahamaya devi gave birth to Siddhartha only after holding a branch of tree. Siddharth at 35 year's old attained enlightenment under a tree which became popular in the name of Bodhi tree (tree of enlightenment). After getting enlightenment he became so grateful to the Boddhi tree that he with profound gratitude gazed Bodhitree with motion less eyes for one whole week 5. Similarly he delivered first sermon to five hermits under the tree and took last respiration between two Sal trees of kushinara. In this way several events of Buddha can be seen taken place under the tree. It shows there is near relation between Buddha and trees in Buddha's life.
In the course of 45 years discourse Buddha had given several teachings on the need of environment protection. Buddha not only inspired people to preserve environment, he himself had shown the activities for preserving it. Buddha emphasized not only to abate physical pollution which is cause due to destruction of physical environment, he emphasized also to protect social psychological and moral environment.

The paper intends to survey the teachings of Buddha on the protection of environment that will inspire the people in protection of it which will help to make world a pleasant place to live in.

Buddha's concerned toward protection of physical environment

Physical environment is concerned to the Physical surroundings. It includes trees, water, air etc. Buddha had realized the important of tree for people. There are several teachings of the protection of trees in the Buddhist literature as in Vinaya pitaka, Jataka, Dhammapada, petavatthu etc. There are several rules in Vinaya pitaka which prohibit monks to make pollutions. In the Bhutagamavagga pacittiakanda 6, Monks are prohibited to cut the trees.

Monks and nuns are not allowed to excrete stool and urine in the green grass and into the water. Among pacittiya 162, Bhikkhunis are prohibited to throw discretion and dust in from the window and also should not throw those things in the field full with crops 7. Sariputta the chief disciple of Buddha used to go out for alms round only after cleaning toilets and sweeping rooms.

Buddha once laid down a rule forbidding the exercise of supernatural powers by monks following on the miracle performed by Pindola Bharadvaja. Then heretics went about saying that they would perform no miracles except with the Buddha.  King Bimbisara reported this to the Buddha, who at once accepted the challenge, explaining that the rule was for his disciples and did not apply to himself. He therefore, went to Savatthi, the place where all Buddhas performed the Miracle. In reply to King, Buddha said he would perform the miracles at the foot of the Gandaba-tree on the full-moon day of Asadha. The heretics therefore uprooted all trees for one league around, but on the promised day Buddha received mango offered by Ganda. After consuming mango Buddha planted the seed and instantly developed as a marvelous tree where Buddha performed miracle of the "double appearances" 8. This incidence of making effort to save tree shows Buddha's love to nature and is against cutting tree.

In Dhamma pada monks are instructed to live in the village with out disturbing the people and with out making pollution. In this regard Buddha had said:

Yatha pi bhamaro puppham

vannagandham ahethayam

Paliti rasam adaya

evam game muni care 9

It means: