Living Lightly on Earth

Although the interdependence of all things lies at the heart of Buddhist teaching, ecology as such is a modern formulation. We might certainly plead that it is a much needed restatement of the Buddhist vision in modern times, we might side with the poets (among them, the Buddha himself) and agree that truth gets lost in the words and therefore needs restating anew from age to age. It is still up to us, however, to prove our claim from traditional sources in order to carry everyone with us.

For such a position to be convincing we need to look at three areas. First we must prove from the Buddha's own words that an ecological vision is included in his teaching. Secondly, we must be able to point to areas of the training recommended by the Buddha where our ecological concern can be put into practice. Many would argue that, on the contrary, the Buddha's is a system of spiritual growth that trains us away from identification with the phenomenal world. In addition, then, we must look for similar interpretations of the Dhamma by earlier Buddhists. If we find that we are in fact following in the footsteps of others, then our case will be proved.