Buddhism and Environmental Protection

In this way the forest, trees are the place where one can practice for the liberation. So Buddha had given more important to protect those places.

Preservation of Mental pollution

As stated earlier mental pollution is also a significant factor that effects the environment. It is intangible things but has great effect in making good and bad environment. Buddha's teachings emphasize to make good mentality in order to get peace of mind. The first verse of Dhammapada states mind as the forerunner of states. Mind is chief; mind -made are they. All the activities are based on the mind so if mind get polluted several problem would arise and if mind is free from pollution environment becomes so pure that every one will be able to enjoy calm and peace.15

Buddha's had spent whole life in teaching how to develop good mind. According to him the cause of suffering is the polluted mind and to get free from it one should be free from the polluted mind. Cakka vatti sihanada sutta 16 of Digha Nikaya points out a close link between man's morals and the natural resources available to him. It says that man's moral deterioration accelerates the process of change in nature bringing adverse effects on human well being and happiness. Cittena Niyati Loko is a Buddhist theme, which means the world is governed by mind. Human mind dominated by greed, hatred and delusion produces pollution within and outside. Generosity, compassion, loving-kindness (Metta), altruistic joy and wisdom produce purity inside and outside of human mind. In abhidhamma Buddha had classified the mind into 89 and 121 in number and the classification is done according to the mental factors which is 52 in number. Mind gets polluted due to the bad mental factors which are calLED ashovana chetasika. The ashovana or akusala cetasika makes the mind impure creating impure environment pollution. Following are the 14 unwholesome cetasika that creates mental pollution:

Moha - Ignorance

Ahirika- Lack of moral shame

Anotappa-Lack of dread

Uddhacca-Restlessness

Lova - greed

Dristi-Wrong view

Maan-Infatuation

Dvesh - Anger

Irshya - Jealous

Maccharia-Stinginess, Avarice

KukuChha-Uneasiness of conscience

Thin-Torpor

Middha-Sloth

Vicikichha -Sceptical doubt17

Those above mental factors are emerged in the mind of people making the whole environment with polluted mental vibration. Peoples full of those types of mentality destroy the peace and prosperity of the society. Such type of people every time creates the tense and conflict situation which eventually makes quarreling, vandalizing.  Person who comes in contact with such environment become unhappy and become unproductive. The whole teachings of Buddha are concentrated to get rid from that unwholesome mentality and to produce positive vibration in the environment.

Delightful environment through good mentality

Buddha had said that good or bad environment is also the product of the vibration produced by people living at the place. Good vibration is produced by the people who are free from defilements; the place would be cheerful and peaceful where the saintly person with out defilement lives. It is because each and every person produces mental vibration in the atmosphere creating good or bad environment. So the place would be delightful if there are people living with good vibration and vice versa.

 Buddha in Dhammapada had uttered the verse in this respect as:

Game va yadi va ranne

ninne va yadi va thale

Yattharahanto viharanti

tam bhumim ramaneyyakam 18