What is the Buddhist attitude towards ecological problems?
It is well known that more than 2,500 years ago the Buddha had laid down rules and regulations for His disciples to take care of the environment. Examples may be given as follows: 1. Not to throw the rising of the bowl mixed with lumps of boiled rice into the house compound. 2. Not to ease oneself or spit on grass and green. 3. Not to ease oneself or spit into water. 4. Not to cut any living plant. 5. Not to burn the forest. 6. Not to throw waste through the window. 7. Not to leave the toilet dirty without cleaning it or asking others to do so. Buddhists are encouraged to maintain the balance of nature and material development. Recycling of used material was already mentioned in the Buddha’s time. In Buddhist teaching, life is a part of nature. Everything is interdependent. So the concepts of natural conservation and ecological awareness can be found in the teaching of Buddhism in the early period. If we now take a trip to rural villages, we could visit the Buddhist monasteries and enj
