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How the Five Precepts of Buddhism encourages environmental issues.

  • 18-03-2015 1:29pm
    #1
    clolly68
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭


    I am in 6th year and I have to do a project which is due in on April 24th.

    The title of the coursework is "An investigation into how the five precepts of the buddha encourages the members of a world religion to campaign on environmental issues."

    I would appreciate if anyone of the Buddhist faith has encountered any experiences and would be willing to share their views and understandings on this topic.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • #2
    bou
    Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭bou


    I would think it better to frame the question in terms of karma and interdependence rather than the five pecepts. The latter are guidance to help reduce creating negative karma and allow some more clarity to manifest.
    Beliefs, perspectives and experiences for one individual are so much mixed together that it would be hard to decide what was due to bhuddhist ideals and what due to other aspects of one's thinking.

    I'll think more but perhaps you could too and try using google too. I look forward to reading your thoughts on it.


  • #3
    clolly68
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭clolly68


    Its the title that is given by the State Examination Commission so I have no control over how the question is phrased unfortunately.


  • #4
    bou
    Registered Users Posts: 158 ✭✭bou


    The SEC could perhaps have done better in considering what to ask.

    I was thinking about the question a little. Even if they give the question like this, you can go into a discussion of the Five Precepts and how they themselves don't point to anything on environmentalism. You can then happily put forth whatever aspects of Buddhist principles you think are relevant.

    The Five Precepts serve as guidance on how you, yourself, should try to be. It says nothing directly about trying to change the world. Generally the precepts say to avoid things that in the long run are harmful to you. They are related to the ideas of interdependence and karma. In general, the buddhist view is that the world we experience appears as a result of our (both individual and collective) karma. Our positive actions will contribute to future appearances of a better world around us (this can be on the timescale of aeons so don't expect immediate results). Compassion, the wish to alleviate suffering and bring about long-term benefit to all sentient beings is an important theme in Buddhism. We recognise that they are just like us and have the potential to attain complete enlightenment and so we wish to do what we can to bring benefit to them. By reducing our negative impact on them, protecting them, helping them, we bring benefit both to ourselves and them and contribute towards the enlightenment of all beings. So, I guess, it is better to avoid destroying the ecosystem on which we and many beings depend. The focus in general is particularly on our own personal impact on the world around us. Most important is to develop our own clarity and wisdom through spiritual practice but this is inter-related with how we act in the world.

    Have you read up on any topics, e.g. the Five Precepts or the Four Noble Truths?

    I took a quick look around and here are some links that might be useful:

    HH Dalai Lama: http://www.dalailama.com/messages/environment/an-ethical-approach and http://www.dalailama.com/messages/environment/buddhist-concept-of-nature.

    Bikkhu Bodhi, he seems to be into environmental campaigning as well as being a Buddhist monk: http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/bps-essay_23.html.

    Lily de Silva, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/desilva/attitude.html.

    Barbra Clayton, "Buddha’s Maritime Nature: A Case Study in Shambhala Buddhist Environmentalism" http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/files/2013/09/Clayton-Maritime-final.pdf.

    Cristopher Ives, "Resources for Buddhist Environmental Ethics", http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/files/2013/09/Ives-Buddhist-Environmental-Ethic-final1.pdf.

    Various articles in the Jornal of Buddhist Ethics under search term "environment": http://blogs.dickinson.edu/buddhistethics/?s=environment+.

    HH Karmapa: http://spiritualecology.org/video/mind-and-life-xxiii-ecology-ethics-interdependence.


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