Issue

10th Issue (December, 2008)

Editor's Preface

Introduction

This December Edition’s selected theme is ‘Buddhist Fundamental Doctrines and their Relationship to the Protection of Natural Environment’. The philosophical discussion converges principally on the eternal Truth of Unity of Existence or Non-duality (advaita; advaya) which is the attribute of Emptiness(Śūnyatā) in relation to the ecosystem. Emptiness is wisdom (Prajñā) arisen from right worldview dependent co-arisen Unity or Non-duality. Wisdom engenders deontological and virtue ethics – environment ethics. Śūnyatā is the unity or totality of its parts. Monotheistically put, it is the Unity of Existence (Ara.: Waḥdat al-Wujūd) or dependently co-arisen existence (Pratītyasamutpāda). The word ‘Unity’ or Emptiness is apparently simple enough to be comprehended by anyone. In actuality, it carries a very profound soteriological message which makes one love the environment. The intuitive discernment of the Truth of ‘Unity’ or Emptiness releases the discerner (Knower of Truth; Jñāni; Gnostic) soteriologically. When one intuitively discerns the Truth of Unity or Emptiness, the illusory ego (Pal.: ahaṃkāra; Ara.: anānīyah) vanishes instantaneously. Such a delivered person is not a threat either to the human environment nor to the natural environment. The ecocrisis is the problem of not knowing interior or esoteric dimension of religion.

 The ecology of the ecosystem pertains to the holistic truth of symbiosis or interdependence of existence. The concept of symbiosis or holism is synonymous with the truth of Emptiness or the Unity of God (Advaita; Waḥdat al-Wujūd). The concept of Monotheists’ God is deliberately brought into discussion in some of the articles to emphasize the communal Truth of Wisdom of Unity or Emptiness unravelled or discovered by all esoteric religions. The hidden agenda is to promote and foster inter-faith understanding. Inter-faith understanding and dialogue bridge apparently dissimilar religions that are identical esoterically. When there exists religious concensus on religious worldview, a concerted effort will emerge to combat and mitigate ecocrisis. The ecocrisis, like the 2008 financial crisis, demands a global concerted effort to mitigate.

Wrong Worldview

Whatever monotheistic religion it is, the ‘Creation of creatures by a Creator’ has been erroneously interpreted widely even by the Monotheists themselves and the atheists too. It is incorrigibly conceived by the monotheists as well as the atheists that God is the only Al-mighty substantial Agent that creates the substantial phenomenal world from absolute nothingness. To avoid this incorrigible interpretation, ‘Monotheism’ must be understood correctly thus: There is only one Truth that is God. God is Unity of Existence or Emptiness of inherent existence. In ultimate analysis, both the God and the phenomenal world are empty or insubstantial. The cosmic Self, known as Brahman, Buddha or God, is ultimately empty or insubstantial too though it is eternal, infinite and immutable. The ultimate reality of creation of creatures, synonymous with the notion of the arising of the phenomena, is that all creatures or phenomena are conditioned or dependently co-arisen from contigent conditions. They are conditioned or dependently co-arisen from the unity of contigent conditions to create or produce the necessary or quasi existents. Every unit of the micro-unity of existence or conditioned phenomenon is buddhistly known as Insubstantial or Dependent Co-arisen Unity. Dependent Co-arisen Unity is known as Emptiness according to Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. Monotheistically put, the unity of every existence is the essence of God. Thus, it follows that Emptiness (or Buddha) and God are synonymous in terms of unity of existence or the holistic totality of its parts. The Truth of Unity, God or Emptiness is eternal before creation and after creation. Likewise, the Ocean is an ocean before and after the creation of waves. God or Emptiness is immutable but the created phenomena are mutable. Likewise, the waves are changeable but the unity of Ocean is eternal. The understanding of God-concept or Emptiness concept helps one comprehend ecology better.

 Because of the attribute of the Emptiness of inherent existence, the unity of existence or dependently co-arisen existence or creation becomes pertinent. Whether it is the ontology of Buddhism or Monotheism, every necessary existent or conditioned phenomenon is dependently co-arisen from the conglomeration of multiple contigent beings or conditions. A created existent is a conditioned phenomenon. A magic show is a created conditioned existent. It is created by the unity of contigent conditions. Buddhism, eastern Christianity, Islamic Sufism and Hinduism promulgate that the phenomenal world is like a magic, dream or mirage. It is unreal and illusive. The ecocrisis is a negative creation harmful to mankind. The crucial contigent conditions of the creation of the ecocrisis are human beings. Retributive justice of the Law of Karma-Vipāka operates in a just way so that human beings will receive the corresponding retributions. We ought to understand the relationship between the principle and phenomena before we can relate wisely and ethically with the environment, human and natural.

 Ontologically put, nothing in this world is created from absolute nothingness. Without Tawḥīd (Unity) or Śūnyatā (Emptiness), nothing can be created. It is the unity that creates and sustains the world. That unity is the essence of God or Emptiness. Every necessary or quasi existent is the intimate and reciprocal relationship between the phenomena and the principle (Buddha or God). The Principle is the tree and the phenomena are its branches. The Principle is the unity and the phenomena are the multiplicity. The soteriological value of religion lies in understanding this interrelationship between unity and multiplicity. All religions expound this interrelationship and interdependence. All esoteric religions are thus identical. The majority of the modernists learn only the exoteric religions neglecting its esoteric dimension. This is root of all human turmoils of which ecocrisis is the gravest.

In the entire ecosystem of our natural environment, both bioctic and abiotic beings or things are the contigent beings. These contigent beings are conglomerated to produce this so called phenomenal world of eco-system. The crucial contigent biotic beings in the ecosystem are the human beings. Human species are the most critical contigent beings of existence because of the innate human power of intellect and wisdom surpassing all other living species.

Decisive Roles

 The human beings are considered the crucial constituting members of the holistic co-operative system of the ecosystems. Human beings are intellectually astute to impose and determine the external anthropogenic contigent conditions through the knowledge of science and technology to exploit the natural resources. Both the capitalist activities of anthropogenicism and anthropocentrism capitalize upon, exploit and harness the natural resources to the utmost for self-interests. The sole capitalist agenda is to amass enormous economic wealth for human own well-being and economic affluence. Enthropogenic activities are executed without any concern whatsoever for the potential degradation or depletion of the natural environment. Owing to these incessant enthropocentric activities of human beings in general and capitalists in particular, the planet earth today has been so gravely overexploited and depleted so much so that that it becomes plaqued with environmental crisis or catastrophes – the ecocrisis. It is the lack of knowledge of the symbiosis or Emptiness of the ecosystem and the resultant neglect of environment ethics that the natural environment are being degraded or depleted. The degradation and depletion have upset its ecological equilibrium. An ecocrisis is the grave consequence of this resultant inequilibrium of the ecosystem.

Buddhism as Ecology

 Fortunately, esoteric knowledge of religion, especially Buddhism educates and edifies man to worship the ecosystem because Buddhist theosophy emphasizes interconnected co-existence. Ecosystem is itself the essence of the Buddha or God. The Avataṃ̣saka Sūtra of the Hua-yen Buddhism and its exegetical literature of Fa-tsang shed much light upon the true nature of ecology. Buddhism is actually the study of the ecology of the entire cosmos. When the knowledge of the Buddha or God is realized through intuitive Truth-discernment, Self-realization or Gnosis, the love for the natural environment becomes spontaneous. Environment ethics are manifested as the natural offsprings of this wisdom of interdependence.Theosophical wisdom of interdependence is the mother of environment ethics. The main thrust of Buddhism is the tenet of interdependent co-existence. Ecosystem is the ecology pertaining to the interdependent co-existence. Buddhism is, strictly visioned, the study of ecology. Anattā or Śūnyatā is the notion of interdependent co-existence.

 Man by nature is always dwelling in unity with the natural environment. Any sense of separation or alienation from the unity of the cosmos with the natural environment as it major part, separates one from the cosmic Self (Dharmadhātu, Dharmakāya). The cosmic Self is dissimilarly designated as Brahman, Buddha or God. The Tibetan Buddhists and Japanese Buddhists perceive everything to be Vairocana Buddha or God. God and Buddha are esoterically identical or synonymous in terms of esoteric Truth of the unity of existence or Emptiness. Unity or Emptiness is dependently or holistically co-arisen existence. Emptiness is Non-duality. Non-duality is Buddha or God.

Article Contributions

The articles contributed in this December Edition of the Bodhi Journal are enumerated as follows:

1. Featured Articles

The article ‘The Gap between Hope and Reality’ by Wong Weng Hon reports the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scientists’ objective discoveries pertaining to global warming and climate change and recommendations to mitigate the current ecocrisis. The main cause has been identified to be anthropocentricism. The article highlights that ecocrisis is not merely a phenomenal problem. It is correlated with the lack of environment ethics to mitigate the crisis. Lack of ethics is rooted in religious ignorance actually.

K.Wong contributes the article on ‘Hua-yen Buddhism Perspective on Phenomena-Principle in Relation to Ecosystem’. He pinpoints that ecocrisis can be better grasped through comprehension of the Doctrine of Identity and Interdependence expounded in the Avataṃsaka Sūtra of the Hua-yen Buddhist tradition. Fa-tsang’s exegetical literature on the Sūtra is recommended for serious investigation and discovery of Truth in order to ascertain the intimate relationship between Man and the natural environment.

Academic Articles

 Wong Weng Hon writes an article on ‘Global Warming and Climate Change- Neglect at our Peril’. Global Warming and Climate Change are undesirable consequences of anthropocentric activities. Human beings are critical contigent conditions engendering the ecocrisis of Climate Change which gives rise to epic and dire extreme weathers. Extreme weathers have resulted in frequent and grave rainstorms, snowstorms, cyclones, hurricanes, heat waves, wildforest fires and other catastrophes. A Buddhist understanding of the relationship between the conventional truth and the Absolute Truth certainly helps overcome or reduce anthropocentricism which is synonymous with self-centric ego. It further encourages the practice of environment ethics to mitigate the ecocrisis.

In his contribution on ‘Avataṃsaka Sūtra Sheds Light on Eco-system’, K.S.Chow depicts the doctrine of Identity and Interdependence, the central tenet of Hua-Yen Buddhism. The ecosystem is actually the totality of biotic and abiotic species. The whole is the unity of parts. Thus, this unity of co-existence is synonymous with Buddhist concept of Emptiness (Śūnyatā) and Dependent Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda). Buddhism is actually the study of ecology in microcosm as well as in macrocosm. Buddhism can help Man identify the ecological problem conditioning the ecocrisis and the environment ethics to mitigate the crisis.

Bhikkhu Karmananda Tanchangya stresses in his article on ‘Ecological Crisis: A Buddhist Analysis and its Resolution’ that Buddhist fundamental doctrine of Dependent Co-arising engenders the environmental ethics of moral attitude of respect, love, care and concern for all. Environmental ethical capitalists should act like the bees collecting nectars without harming the flowers. Man ought not to search for affluence at the expense of the natural environment. The solution to current ecocrisis lies in the wisdom of discerning holistic co-existence of interdependence and interconnectedness and the manifest of environment ethics.

Samanera Dhammadipa contributes the article ‘Buddhist Perspective on Ecological Crisis and Individual Social Responsibility’. Samanera Dhammadipa unveils Gotama Buddha’s attitude towards the protection of natural environment in relation to Doctrine of Dependent Co-arising and Doctrine of Non-destruction of Living Creatures. Supporting evidences of Buddhist environment ethics from Suttapițaka and Vinayapițaka are gleaned and presented to the readers.

Ven.S. Barua composes the work on ‘The Environmental Concern in the Dicourses of Dīgha Nikāya’. He highlights Gotama Buddha’s concern of the environmental problems expounded in the early discourses of Dīgha Nikāya. The Exalted One constantly exhorts his disciples to preserve the purity of the natural environmental and to exercise full self-awareness of not destroying the living creatures in the ecosystems.

Rev. Upali, in his prose on ‘ Pāli Terminologies for ‘Nature’: Harmonious Co-existence in Biodiversity ‘’ utilize the equivalent Pāli Terms to hammer home the concept of Saṃvāsa. Saṃvāsa is the harmonious co-existence in biodiversity. It connotes the Buddhist core tenet of harmonious living of Dependent Co-arising (Pațiccasamuppāda) between Man and the natural environment.

Reflections

Wong Weng Hon contributes another article on ‘Buddha-nature or God Essence in the Ecosystem’. This article logically elucidates the identity between God concept and Buddha concept. The former is defined monotheistically as the Unity of Existence. The latter is defined buddhistly as Emptiness or Non-duality. God and Buddha both connote dependently co-arisen unity, non-separation or non-autonomous existence.

Satiman contributes the article on ‘ Illustration of Ecocrisis by the Law of Dependent Origination’. The Law of Dependent Origination connects the preceding immediate contigent condition to the subsequent contigent condition linearly, asymmetrically and sequencially. The universal Law is utilized to sequence orderly the contigent condtions that condition global warming and climate change and their immediate consequences affecting the wellbeing and happiness of Man on the planet earth. The cause and effect relationship becomes crystal clear and lucid.

Poems

Three poems are contributed. Wong Weng Hon contributes the poem’ You are Food for me; I’m Food for You’. ‘Anthropocentrism is Anti-Religion’ is written by Madhyama. K.S. Chow shares his wisdom of ‘Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being’ with the readers. Buddhist poems are concise, insightfully profound and soteriologically significant.

Religious poetry are generally not read with corresponding seriousness or thoroughness as the prose essays. They may be apparently abstruse for those who are still not self-aware of the Truth. Nevertheless, intensive investigation and contemplation will unveil the profound soteriological message. Divine poetry is the concise crystallization of Buddhist Theosophy. It is the encapsulation of the many secondary themes expressed in the articles. They are like soteriological tablets which will help cure human disease of suffering. Both discernment and inspiration are required to synthesize Buddhist doctrines into Buddhist poetry. Generally, Gnostics produce superb religious poetry.

Conclusion

Any ecosystem is the existence of identity and interdependence expounded in the Avataṃ̣saka Sūtra of Hua-yen Buddhism superbly commented by Fa-tsang (643-712). In terms of knots which interconnect a total network of interdependent co-existence, all phenomena are equally importance in sustaining the totality of interdependent existence. Fa-tsang was the third Patriarch of the Chinese Hua-yen School. Identity connotes that every biotic or abiotic being is empty of inherent existence. In other words, an autonomous being or discrete entity does not exist. Owing to the attribute of Emptiness of all phenomena or beings (Unity of Existence), the Law of Dependent Co-arising comes into operation.

 Mahāyānism depicts this Truth of Interdependent, holistic existence as: Dependently Co-arising is Emptiness; Emptiness is Dependent Co-arising. This assertion is synonymous with Heart Sūtra’s exposition of ‘Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form’ (Rūpaṃ śūnyatā; śūnyataivarūpaṃ). This popular affirmation in the Heart Sūtra that ‘Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form’ should be interpreted in terms of the Hua-yen’s Doctrine of Identity and Interdependence. It is synonymous with Monotheistic Theosophy of ‘The One in the many and the many in the One or the Unity in the multiplicity and the multiplicity in the Unity. Most significantly, this endorses the communal Truth of Wisdom of Interdependence expounded in all world’s major religions. The nature of ecosystem and its relationship with Man should be perceived in this suchness of ultimate reality.

 Whoever intuitively apprehends the eternal Truth of Unity of Non-duality will spontaneously manifest lovingkindness (mettā) and altruistic compassion (karuṇā) towards the natural environment. Religion not only liberates the human species but also liberates our mother planet earth. When the Buddha-God equation is vindicated and confirmed thus, such awareness should be transmuted in the manifest of universal unity in the ecosystems. As fossil fuels, such as coal and oil are the main sources of carbon dioxide, the universal unity should be translated into global concerted efforts to reduce the usage of fossil fuels. Mankind should turn to greener and cleaner technology utilizing alternative sources of energy, such as, wind energy, electrical energy, air energy and nuclear energy and more efficient technology consuming lesser energy for the same transport distance transvered and for same time consumed.

Editor
Bodhi Journal