10th Issue (December, 2008)

Avataṃsaka Sūtra and Eco-system

K.S. Chow

Introduction

The exposition of Avataṃsaka Sūtra pertaining to the relationship between the phenomena and the principle is theosophically identical to the Sufi Doctrine of the relationship between the phenomenal world and the God. The Doctrine of Buddhist Emptiness (Śūnyatā) and the Sufi Doctrine of Unity of Existence (Waḥdat al-Wujūd) are constructed upon the communal Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-dualit[1] .

Unity or Non-duality

Avataṃ̣saka Sūtra depicts that the entire cosmos is an infinite network of dependently co-arisen unity or non-duality of interdependent and interrelated contigent conditions woven into a single nexus.[2] Every phenomenon is the unity of contigent conditions which are conditioning and being conditioned or supporting or being supported into the unity of co-existence.

In the treatise of Mahāprajñāpāramitā-padeśa (Commentary to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtras), Nāgārjuna elucidates the true nature of all empirical phenomena thus:

All phenomena are dependently co-arisen from causes  and conditions and have no autonomous existents and  hence are ultimately empty.[3]

In fact, every phenomenon is the totality or the unity of its parts. The part is an integral unit of the whole or totality; the whole also encompasses or contains the parts.[4] This is applicable universally to all phenomena without exception.

An ecosystem is also an empirical phenomenon. According to the Buddhist concept of Emptiness, an ecosystem is also empty and is also the unity of its parts – the contigent beings of bio-diversity and non-bio-diversity. There are countless ecosystems on the earth planet. All these ecosystems are ultimately connected either immediately or remotely to other ecosystems on this earth planet to constitute the entire earth community the macro ecosystem. If human beings are parts of the inhabitants in the habitats of these diverge ecosystems, scientists have discovered that human activities affect the qualities and the equilibrium of the ecosystems in which they dwell. Unfortunately, anthropocentricism affects the ecosystem negatively bringing about the current ecocrises of which global warming is the gravest. Global warming conditions climate change. Climate change conditions extreme weather conditions. Extreme weather conditions natural disasters or catastrophes. Disasters or catastrophes condition suffering. Suffering conditions ………… etc.. The possibilities of created existents or conditioned phemomena. The creations are endless. This is how the phenomenal world is incessantly created. The current eco-crises are created by man-made activities.

Ecosystem

Ecosystem is defined by life scientists as a natural unit of micro-unity or dependent existence consisting of all plants, animals and micro-organism (biotic factors) with all of the non-living physical (abiotic) factors of the natural environment.[5] Ecosystem ecology is the integrated study of biotic and abiotic components of diverge ecosystems and their interactions within the macro ecosystem framework.[6] Ecological study reveals the interdependence of living beings and non-living things. Buddhism or any esoteric religion reveals that every system of organization or living community is interdependent co-existence. Any defective contigent condition affects the whole system negatively. Human beings are the most important contigent conditions of the diverge ecosystems existing on earth. The most important supporting partner of Man in the entire macro ecosystem of the universe is the natural environment. Metaphorically put, Man is compared to the chief executive officer (CEO) of a giant business corporation and all his supporting staff are like the diverge resources of the natural environment. A CEO is a highly paid key corporate executive because his leadership determines the boom or doom of the organic business organization.

Scientific framework or investigation is confined to only the phenomenal world – the exoteric dimension of religion. The esoteric dimension of the relationship between the phenomenal world and the Absolute Truth of God (Brahman, Tao, Buddha or Allah) is beyond the domain of scientific research and findings. The scientists had discovered grave degradation or depletion of the ecosystems since 2005. Our natural environment has continued to deteriorate further even to day. The epic and dire catastrophes of destructive rainstorms, frequent and increasingly heavier floods, more devastating hurricanes and cyclones, epic and dire forest fires, increasing heat waves and other catastrophes mirror that the environmental problems have not been mitigated. Effective and adequate mitigation efforts are lacking in most polluting industrial nations. The neglect is motivated by the lack of religious wisdom and its related environment ethics. Most importantly, the current graver ecocrises mirror depreciatingly defective contigent conditions which are mainly morally declining human behaviors in an increasingly God or Buddha consciousnessless modern human society.

Head and Heart

The life scientists or climate scientists have toiled for years before they can formulate the recommendations for decision makers to mitigate the dire effects of global warming and climate change. Nevertheless, the exoteric or external recommendations and mitigation tasks demand only human wisdom of ‘heads’ – intellectual wisdom. Human heads do not suffice to mitigate the grave environmental crises. A person utilizing only his or her head is a carnal person which makes him a typical anthropocentric individual. However, grave environment crises can only be mitigated with the humane ‘hearts’ – the lovingkindness (mettā) and compassion (karuṇā) towards the natural environment.

A person utilizing both his or her head and Heart is a consummate spiritual person. The head refers to self-awareness of the truth of phenomenal world; the Heart refers to the self-awareness of ultimate Truth or the Absolute. He or she is fully aware of the contigent conditions of psychological ethics engendering ecocrises. He or she is aware that every human being is an integral member of in most of the ecosystems in which he or she dwells. The humane heart is arisen from religious wisdom of Theosophy. However, today human beings are living in a Godless (Brahmaless, Taoless, Buddhaless or Allahless), anthropocentric society ignoring the realm of the God or Buddha. Being Godless and anthropocentric, they are neglectful to play their roles to conserve the natural resources or to utilize them sustainably. Buddhism like any other major’s esoteric religion is an ideal antidote to the disease of anthropocentrism which gives rise to greed, hatred and delusion. Buddhism emphasizes interdependence which breeds benevolence, altruism and loving-kindness.

Ecosystem Services

In order to develop our love or friendliness towards the environment, we ought to realize the ecosystem services to mankind. Devoid of these services, the wellbeing and even the future survival of mankind are threatened or endangered. The ecosystem services rendered by the natural environment to mankind are enumerated as follows:

1. Clean water
2. food
3. forest products
4. flood control [7]

Capitalist timber contractors have been engaging in deforestations in order to obtain timber for sales and profits. The capitalist industrialists demand them for manufacturing timber products. The craving consumers require housing and timber based products to manage their household lives. Buddhism does not recommend that in order to conserve the forests, deforestation should be totally prohibited. If the deforestation is banned totally, the timber industries would be severely affected. No modern housing or even Buddhist monastery can be constructed without utilizing the timber from the forests. Buddhism is concerned about substainable development. Any measure adopted to conserve the forests but affecting the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) will jeopardize the economic well-being of a nation. The path of moderation should be adhered to. Conservation of the forests does not demand the total cessation of timber industries or deforestaion. What is recommended is sustainable utility of the natural resources. Deforestation, monitored by environmental impact assessment and followed immediately by reforestation, is the sustainable utility of forests. In fact, both human species and animal species cannot live without the forests. Human beings again can not live without animals and plants, rich sources of food, herbs and medicine for human consumptions. Every ecosystem is a life chain which cannot be severed at any part of the nexus. The study of ecosystem ecology vindicates the Truth of dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality (Advaya). Science always endorses the religious or spiritual Truth of Unity or Non-duality.

Conclusion

The forest trees furnish incessant supply of oxygen for our respiration to preserve our lives. The forests require our carbon dioxide in order to photosynthesize to sustain their growths. The relationship between Man and natural environment is evidently symbiotic, holistic and non-dual. Non-duality is the fundamental doctrine of Buddhism and also of other world’s major religions. Non-duality is the Truth of the unity of existence – interdependent living of all living and non-living beings or things. Man live in non-dual or holistic relationship with the trees but also in fact with all other natural resource based devices, instruments or appliances derived from the natural environment through knowledge and expertise of science and technology. Human beings require sunlight, land, moderate temperature, cool wind, clothing, shelter, transport, medicine or herbs, furniture, electrical appliances and so forth.

 Buddhism and ecology are compatible as both disciplines pertain to the study of interdependent and interconnected existence of living species and non-living things in the entire cosmos. The most ideal approach to understand ecology is the study of Buddhism or any all other esoteric religions. Buddhism as well as other esoteric religions unveils the relationship between the phenomenal world and the Absolute. Ecosystem is a phenomenal world. Behind the phenomenal world is the Absolute Truth. Whoever intuitively discerns the relationship between the conventional truth of the phenomenal world and the Absolute Truth will apprehend properly the true nature of the macro ecosystem in terms of the relationship between the Absolute Truth (Paramārtha Satya) and the relative or conventional truth (saṃvṛti satya). Understanding of Truth is salvation.