download rtf

print this page

DIFFICULT QUESTIONS we get asked about the environment
and some notes towards answers....

Introduction

Individual Buddhists with a special interest in the environment often face awkward questions about their beliefs. These questions may come from environmentalists, other Buddhists, 'FWBO people', or the general public. Each needs to be answered using an appropriate frame of reference. At the same time the questions may be addressed to us as environmentalists, Buddhists, or 'FWBO people'. Furthermore, environmental issues are very complex and there are many other factors to consider for someone attempting to lead the spiritual life.

All this means that these questions will generally not have any one right answer, and that different people will honourably come to different conclusions about many of them. Nevertheless they do need answering, and in some cases it actually is simply a matter of correcting a misunderstanding or drawing out a fresh implication of the Buddha's teaching. In other cases, of course, the question may point towards a weakness in our own practice which needs to be addressed.

What we hope to build up here is an archive of all the most common and most awkward questions we get asked, together with some notes towards answering them which have been made by various people around the Movement. We hope this will be of use to any relatively isolated environmentalists who feel in need of additional resources to help them field the questions they are being thrown. The questions are arranged in broad subject areas corresponding to the "eco-action agenda" we are formulating for the FWBO, and more are always welcome! We'd also welcome improvements to the wording of any of the questions so as to bring out the more clearly the underlying views.

 

1. CONSUMING LESS
   

   "plastic parrots"
   
   If you are committed to being environmentally friendly, why do you run Evolution shops which only serve to fuel consumerism?
   
   

   "follow the leaders"
   
   Most Buddhist leaders (including in the FWBO) are not environmental exemplars, but seem to have made significant spiritual progress. Why should we be any different?
   
   

   "think of the poor people"
   
   The economic effects of anti-consumerism or 'down-shifting' are necessarily negative, and a recession will being suffering to the poorest in society.
   
   

2. CONSUMING MORE WISELY
   - including GOING RENEWABLE and GOING ENERGY-EFFICIENT
   
   
   
   
3. GOING CARBON-NEUTRAL
   

   "beauty comes first"
   
   Beauty takes precedence over other considerations. We should not be afraid to use hardwoods and other scarce substances in our efforts to beautify our Buddhist centres
   
   "be refined"
   
   
   We are trying to refine our sense-experience, and we should not limit ourselves to merely local or unrefined produce.
   
   

   "live cheap"
   
   The cheap life is the simple life. If we live on less money we can devote more of our energies (and money) to the spiritual life.
   
   

   "hypocrites"
   Environmental concerns come from middle-class white idealists who have little idea about the real world.
   
   

   "keep it simple"
   
   Worrying or fussing over food being organic, vegan, biodegradable, etc, does not conduce to simplicity and contentment. The Buddha accepted whatever was placed in his alms bowl.
   

   
   "we'll see what we can do ..."
   
   Environmental considerations are moral niceties, all very well where they can be accommodated, but in the last analysis - when push comes to shove - irrelevant to the goal in view, the attainment of which may dictate more pragmatic and realistic choices.
   
   
   "focus on the Movement"
   
   we should focus our efforts on building up the Movement, because that is where we can most directly benefit people.
   
   

   "it's too complicated"
   
   The situation is so complicated and so interconnected how can we ever be sure what to do? Over-simplistic prescriptions and generalisations reduce it to meaninglessness and can even be damaging.
   
   

   "the higher life"
   The spiritual life involves turning away from mundane concerns and towards meditation, friendship, study, etc. Mundane concerns such as environmentalism are a distraction from the spiritual life.
   
   
   

4. CREATING AND SAFEGUARDING HAVENS FOR WILD-LIFE

   "we're the tops"
   Human beings are the pinnacle of evolution. It is right that we should use the world to meet our needs.

   "it's a jungle anyway"
   Conservationists have romantic ideas about rainforests and the natural world, when they are jungles of cruelty and terror for the beings living there. Why should we emotionally identify with its fate?
   
   
   
   
   

5. USING BUDDHIST PRINCIPLES TO RAISE AWARENESS OF ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

   "I'm busy"
   Given all the other priorities in life, how can be expected to out in the necessary time finding out about everything?

   "the ostrich"
   The environmental crisis is deeply disturbing and there is very little any individual can do. Better to concentrate on a simple life and not read the newspapers. One inevitably feels hopeless if one tries to be aware of it.

   "don't over-reach yourself"
   Our 'sphere of concern' should be no larger than our 'sphere of influence'

   "everything changes"
   The world is changing anyway. Conservationists should allow this to take place instead of trying to preserve things and fix them as they are.

   "charity begins at home"
   we can't make a meaningful connection with things on such a large scale as the environment. It's hard to enough with our best friend. We should start close and work outwards. Spiritual friendship is the whole of the spiritual life...

   "if that's your thing..."
   There are many dimensions to the spiritual life, and the environmental perspective, though good, is only one of them.

   "don't play with them..."
   Environmental protestors have very mixed motives, many wrong views, and lots of negative emotions. We should be very wary of allying ourselves with such people.

   "flavour of the month"
   The present concern for the environment is largely a passing fashion, and we should not get sucked into politically correct attitudes towards it.